Raman spectroscopy as a tool to identify modification of whey protein concentrate (WPC) during shelf life

Production and SERS characterization of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances by latilactobacillus sakei in whey permeate powder: exploring natural antibacterial potential

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial compounds that have awakened interest across several industries due to their effectiveness. However, their large-scale production often becomes unfeasible on an industrial scale, primarily because of high process costs. Addressing this challenge, this work analyzes the potential of using low-cost whey permeate powder, without any supplementation, to produce bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) through the fermentation of Latilactobacillus sakei. For this purpose, different concentrations of whey permeate powder (55.15 gL-1, 41.3 gL-1 and 27.5 gL-1) were used. The ability of L. sakei to produce BLIS was evaluated, as well as the potential of crude cell-free supernatant to act as a preservative. Raman spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) provided detailed insights into the composition and changes occurring during fermentation. SERS, in particular, enhanced peak definition significantly, allowing for the identification of key components, such as lactose, proteins, and phenylalanine, which are crucial in understanding the fermentation process and BLIS characteristics. The results revealed that the concentration of 55.15 gL-1 of whey permeate powder, in flasks without agitation and a culture temperature of 32.5 °C, presented the highest biological activity of BLIS, reaching 99% of inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with minimum inhibitory concentration of 36-45%, respectively. BLIS production began within 60 h of cultivation and was associated with class II bacteriocins. The results demonstrate a promising approach for producing BLIS in an economical and environmentally sustainable manner, with potential implications for various industries.

Design and characterization of whey protein nanocarriers for thyme essential oil encapsulation obtained by freeze-drying

Innovative coating powders, based on whey protein concentrate (10-15 wt%) as native (WPC) or denatured protein (d-WPC), solely or in combination with alginate (0.75 wt%, AL), containing thyme essential oil, were produced using the freeze-drying technique. The impact of individual components (protein, alginate and oil) as well as the effect of heat-induced protein denaturation, was resolved regarding physicochemical, thermal and morphological properties of powders. High product yield (∼100%), particle size (223-257 nm), low moisture content (0.10-0.13%) and zeta potential (-19 to -25.6 mV) were determined for all samples. Strong antimicrobial activity of thyme oil nanocarriers against foodborne pathogens was demonstrated. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated enhanced thermal stability of encapsulated oil. The most specific bands of structural compounds were identified in Raman spectra of the tested formulations, but principal component analysis (PCA) on recorded spectra was necessary to show the differences between carriers of different wall materials.

Microstructural Analysis of Whey/Soy Protein Isolate Mixed Gels Using Confocal Raman Microscopy

This work explores the potential of confocal Raman microscopy to investigate the microstructure of mixed protein gel systems. Heat-set protein gels were prepared using whey protein isolate (WPI), soy protein isolate (SPI), and mixtures thereof, with a total of five different whey-to-soy protein ratios (100, 75, 50, 25, and 0%). These were analysed using confocal Raman microscopy, and different data analysis approaches were used to maximize the amount of structural and compositional information extracted from the spectral datasets generated, including both univariate and multivariate analysis methods. Small spectral differences were found between pure WPI and SPI gels, mainly attributed to conformational differences (amide bands), but SPI exhibited considerably greater auto-fluorescence than WPI. The univariate analysis method allowed for a rapid microstructural analysis, successfully mapping the distribution of protein and water in the gels. The greater fluorescence of the capsule-like structures found in the mixed gels, compared to other regions rich in proteins, suggested that these may be enriched in soy proteins. Further analysis, using a multivariate approach, allowed us to distinguish proteins with different levels of hydration within the gels and to detect non-proteinaceous compounds. Raman microscopy proved to be particularly useful to detect the presence of residual lipids in protein gels.

Investigation of Raman Spectroscopy (with Fiber Optic Probe) and Chemometric Data Analysis for the Determination of Mineral Content in Aqueous Infant Formula

This study investigated the use of Raman spectroscopy (RS) and chemometrics for the determination of eight mineral elements (i.e., Ca, Mg, K, Na, Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn) in aqueous infant formula (INF). The samples were prepared using infant formula powder reconstituted to concentrations of 3%-13% w/w (powder: water) (n = 83). Raman spectral data acquisition was carried out using a non-contact fiber optic probe on the surface of aqueous samples in 50-3398 cm-1. ICP-AES was used as a reference method for the determination of the mineral contents in aqueous INF samples. Results showed that the best performing partial least squares regression (PLSR) models developed for the prediction of minerals using all samples for calibration achieved R2CV values of 0.51-0.95 with RMSECVs of 0.13-2.96 ppm. The PLSR models developed and validated using separate calibration (n = 42) and validation (n = 41) samples achieved R2CVs of 0.93, 0.94, 0.91, 0.90, 0.97, and 0.94, R2Ps of 0.75, 0.77, 0.31, 0.60, 0.84, and 0.80 with RMSEPs of 3.17, 0.29, 3.45, 1.51, 0.30, and 0.25 ppm for the prediction of Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe, and Zn respectively. This study demonstrated that RS equipped with a non-contact fiber optic probe and combined with chemometrics has the potential for timely quantification of the mineral content of aqueous INF during manufacturing.

Raman spectroscopy for the differentiation of Arabic coffee genotypes

The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of Raman spectroscopy to identify the genotype of green coffee beans. Four genotypes of Arabic coffee: one Mundo Novo line (G1) and three Bourbon lines (G2, G3, and G4). The harvest was selected using a wet processing method. Raman spectra of the samples were obtained using a FT-Raman RFS/100 spectrometer in the spectral range of 3500-400 cm^-1. The data were treated using chemometric unsupervised classification tools and supervised analysis. Using the unsupervised analysis (PCA), the apparent tendency of agglomeration between samples G1 and G3 was verified. These differences were present in the spectral bands that are characteristic of fatty acids and kahweol. Based on this information, a classification model to discriminate (PLS-DA) the Mundo Novo and Bourbon samples was utilized. Raman spectroscopy allowed the building of an adequate model to differentiate between coffee genotypes.

Raman spectroscopy: A new strategy for monitoring the quality of green coffee beans during storage

Raman spectroscopy was used to identify chemical changes associated sensory quality of coffee beans, for natural and pulped natural coffee stored in different packaging. The green beans of natural coffee and pulped natural coffee were stored in three types of packaging materials in a commercial warehouse. Sensory analyses were performed, and Raman spectra were collected after 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 storage months. Raman spectra were used to construct multivariate control charts. The charts, which were constructed using principal component analysis, can only be used to identify chemical changes in the green beans from pulped natural coffee stored in different packaging materials. Raman spectroscopy is more sensitive than sensory analysis for detecting chemical changes in stored pulped natural coffee. The measured changes ultimately affect the quality of the beverage because samples stored for six months in paper packaging were determined to no longer meet the quality control requirements.

Applications of Raman spectroscopic techniques for quality and safety evaluation of milk: A review of recent developments

Milk is a complete nutrient source for humans. The quality and safety of milk are critical for both producers and consumers, thereby the dairy industry requires rapid and nondestructive methods to ensure milk quality and safety. However, conventional methods are time-consuming and laborious, and require complicated preparation procedures. Therefore, the exploration of new milk analytical methods is essential. This current review introduces the principles of Raman spectroscopy and presents recent advances since 2012 of Raman spectroscopic techniques mainly involving surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), fourier-transform (FT) Raman spectroscopy, near-infrared (NIR) Raman spectroscopy, and micro-Raman spectroscopy for milk analysis including milk compositions, microorganisms and antibiotic residues in milk, as well as milk adulterants. Additionally, some challenges and future outlooks are proposed. The current review shows that Raman spectroscopic techniques have the promising potential for providing rapid and nondestructive detection of milk parameters. However, the application of Raman spectroscopy on milk analysis is not common yet since some limitations of Raman spectroscopy need to be overcome before making it a routine tool for the dairy industry.