Use of kinetic, Weibull and PLSR models to predict the retention of ascorbic acid, total phenols and antioxidant activity during storage of pasteurized pineapple juice

Characterization of coconut milk waste nanocellulose based curcumin-enriched Pickering nanoemulsion and its application in a blended beverage of defatted coconut milk and pineapple juice

In this study, we aimed to develop a blended beverage enriched with curcumin. The curcumin was incorporated within a Pickering nanoemulsion that was stabilized with nanocellulose. The nanocellulose was synthesized from coconut milk waste residue using 38 %-42 % sulfuric acid (AC) and 5 and 10 min ultrasound (UL) separately and in combination (ACU). While combined treatment showed an increase in particle size with ultrasonication time, PDI was observed to decrease. ACU with 10 min ultrasonication was further used at 0.05 %, 0.1 %, 0.2 %, and 0.3 % for stabilization of curcumin enriched Pickering nanoemulsion. The curcumin in Pickering nanoemulsion fabricated with 0.1 % of nanocellulose with an average particle size and PDI value of 259.6 nm and 0.284, respectively was found to be the most stable as compared to other Pickering nanoemulsions at different pH levels and temperatures. RP-HPLC analysis revealed that with 0.1 % of nanocellulose, the Pickering nanoemulsion was most stable at 2 pH and 63 °C temperatures. The in vitro release of curcumin from Pickering nanoemulsion added to a blended beverage in intestinal phase was 51.58 %, which was higher than the stomach phase (38.19 %). The outcomes clearly showed Pickering nanoemulsion to be a promising carrier for curcumin encapsulation in beverage.

Multi-accelerant approach for rapid shelf-life determination of beverages in polymeric packaging

An effective analysis method with multiple accelerant factors is needed for shelf-life determination and prediction for food products with reduced analysis time. Raising the storage temperature is the most common approach utilized in the conventional accelerated shelf-life test (ASLT) to reduce the shelf-life testing time of food. Oxygen pressure as an accelerant for the shelf-life determination of food products has not been given much attention even though it has shown a negative impact on food shelf-life. Combining oxygen pressure and temperature as accelerants has the potential to further reduce the overall analysis time compared to the ASLT. This study focuses on the effects of applying oxygen pressure and temperature as multi-accelerants on the shelf-life of a shelf-stable product by investigating the extent of vitamins degradation and modeling the reaction using a mechanistic approach. A shelf-stable model food fortified with vitamins A, B1, C and D3 was developed to investigate the effect of multiple accelerants on the quality indicators of shelf-stable foods in a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) container. PET bottles filled with model food were placed in a high-pressure (138 kPa) 100% oxygen environment at 40 °C. This novel process is named as the ultra-accelerated shelf-life test (UASLT). Samples were also subjected to ASLT conditions at 40 °C and control condition at 22.5 °C, both at ambient pressure for comparison. UASLT treatment induced a rapid degradation of 27.1 ± 1.9%, 35.8 ± 1.0%, and 35.4 ± 0.7% in vitamins A, C and D3, respectively, in just 50 days. Slower degradation was observed with samples kept under the ASLT conditions for 105 days with a degradation of 24.0 ± 2.0%, 32.0 ± 3.1% and 25.1 ± 1.5% for vitamin A, C and D3, respectively. The control samples that were studied for 210 days showed 14.9 ± 5.0%, 13.8 ± 2.2% and 10.6 ± 0.8% degradation in vitamins A, C and D3, respectively. The increase in the ΔE values due to browning in samples kept at the UASLT, ASLT and control conditions were 11.67 ± 0.09, 7.49 ± 0.19 and 2.51 ± 0.11, respectively. The degradation of vitamin B1 was similar across the treatments. The addition of oxygen pressure significantly increased the degradation reaction rates of the vitamins and color due to the rapid influx of oxygen. A mechanistic model that coupled oxygen diffusion and simultaneous vitamin degradation provided a good fit to the experimental data for the UASLT treatment with a rate constant of 0.686, 0.631 and 0.422 M-1day-1 for vitamins C, D3 and A, respectively. Elevated external oxygen pressure can be used as an accelerant along with moderate temperatures for rapid shelf-life testing of products in polymeric packaging with two-fold reduction in the overall analysis time as compared to ASLT.

Non-enzymatic browning of a composite puree of Choerospondias axillaris, snow pear, and apple: kinetic modeling and correlation analysis

Choerospondias axillaris, snow pear, and apple composite fruit puree can be affected by non-enzymatic browning during storage decreasing the market value of the product. This study aimed to explore, using kinetic methods, the effects of non-enzymatic precursors (polyphenols and ascorbic acid) and intermediates (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) on fruit puree stored at 4 °C for 35 days. The results showed that ascorbic acid fitted the first-order reaction model, while the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural was consistent with the complex reaction model. Furthermore, the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural content was 1.53 ± 0.18 mg/L, (corresponding to an increase of 565%), and the ascorbic acid content was 0.88 ± 0.22 mg/100 g, (corresponding to a decrease of 98.5%). The results also demonstrated a change in the titratable acid, soluble solids, and pH of the fruit puree. Finally, the correlation results revealed a significant correlation between non-enzymatic browning and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, titratable acid, and pH (p < 0.05). Overall, the results suggest that the Maillard reaction could be responsible for the non-enzymatic browning of fruit purees during storage.

Effects and impacts of technical processing units on the nutrients and functional components of fruit and vegetable juice

Fruit and vegetable juice (FVJ) has become a favorite beverage for all age groups because of its excellent sensory and nutritional qualities. FVJ has a series of health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-cancer. Except for raw materials selection, processing technology and packaging and storage also play a vital role in the nutrition and functional components of FVJ. This review systematically reviews the important research results on the relationship between FVJ processing and its nutrition and function in the past 10 years. Based on the brief elucidation of the nutrition and health benefits of FVJ and the unit operation involved in the production process, the influence of a series of key technology units, including pretreatment, clarification, homogenization, concentration, sterilization, drying, fermentation and packaging and storage, on the nutritional function of FVJ was systematically expounded. This contribution provides an update on the impacts of technical processing units on the nutrients and functional components of FVJ and new perspectives for future studies.

Sustained release of sulforaphane by bioactive extracellular vesicles for neuroprotective effect on chick model

Novel studies have shown neurological treatment possibilities with extracellular vesicles (EVs) as natural particles with a special composition that are produced by different cell types. Their stability, natural structure, composition, and bioavailability make them good candidates as drug vehicles. Here, EVs were isolated from amniotic fluid (AF) through differential centrifugation, and characterized for size (<200 nm), structure, and composition, their effectiveness on the human PC12 cell line, and brain of chick embryos exposed to sodium valproate (animal autistic model). Sulforaphane (SFN) was employed as a bioactive compound and then encapsulated into Evs using three methods including passive (incubation), active (sonication), and active-passive (sonication-incubation). Further, the loading and in vitro releases of SFN fitted the Korsmeyer-Peppas (R²  = 0.99) kinetic model by non-Fickian diffusion case II (n = 0.44, passive loading) and Fickian diffusion case I (n = 0.41, active and active-passive loading). SFN-loaded EVs (SFN@EVs; 11 μM: 103 nM) stimulated hPC-12 cell proliferation. The gene expression analysis revealed that SFN@EVs could upregulate Nrf2 and reduce IL-6 expression. Eventually, histopathological results of the coronal cross-section of the chick embryos brain showed treatment with SFN@EVs. This treatment illustrated normality in the gray and white matter and the orientation of the bipolar neurons. Our findings showed EVs' potentially acting as a gene expression regulator in autism spectrum disorder.

How to comprehensively improve juice quality: a review of the impacts of sterilization technology on the overall quality of fruit and vegetable juices in 2010-2021, an updated overview and current issues

Fruit and vegetable juices (FVJ) are rich in nutrients, so they easily breed bacteria, which cause microbial pollution and rapid deterioration of their quality and safety. Sterilization is an important operation in FVJ processing. However, regardless of whether thermal sterilization or non-thermal sterilization is used, the effect and its impact on the overall quality of FVJ are strongly dependent on the processing parameters, microbial species, and FVJ matrix. Therefore, for different types of FVJ, an understanding of the impacts that different sterilization technologies have on the overall quality of the juice is important in designing and optimizing technical parameters to produce value-added products. This article provides an overview of the application of thermal and non-thermal technique in the field of FVJ processing over the past 10 years. The operating principle and effects of various technologies on the inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes, nutritional and functional characteristics, physicochemical properties, and sensory quality of a wide range of FVJ are comprehensively discussed. The application of different combinations of hurdle technology in the field of FVJ sterilization processing are also discussed in detail. Additionally, the advantages, limitations, and current application prospects of different sterilization technologies are summarized.

Reparameterization of the Weibull model for practical uses in food science

The reparameterization of the Weibull cumulative distribution function and its survival function was performed to obtain meaningful parameters in food and biological sciences such as the lag phase (λ), the maximum rate ( μ max ${\mu _{{\rm{max}}}}$ ), and the maximum increase/decrease of the function (A). The application of the Lambert function was crucial in order to achieve an explicit mathematical solution. Since the reparameterized model is applicable only when the shape parameter (α) is greater than one, the Weibull model was modified with the introduction of a new parameter ( μ β ${\mu _\beta }$ ) that represents the model rate at time β (scale parameter). All models were applied to literature data on food technology and microbiology topics: Microbial growth, thermal microbial inactivation, thermal degradation kinetics, and particle size distributions. The Weibull model and the reparameterized versions showed identical fitting performance in terms of coefficient of determination, residual mean standard error, values of residuals, and estimated values of the parameters. Some faults in the datasets used in this study permitted to re-mark the criticality of a good experimental plan when data modeling is approached. The parameter μ β ${\mu _\beta }$ resulted in an interesting new rate parameter that is not correlated with the scale parameter ( | r ¯ | $| {\bar{r}} |$ = 0.64 ± 0.37) and highly correlated with the shape parameter ( | r ¯ | $| {\bar{r}} |$ = 0.90 ± 0.11). Also, the reparameterization of the Weibull probability density function was performed by using both the standard and new parameters and applied to experimental data and gave useful information from the distribution curve, such as the value of the mode ( μ max ${\mu _{{\rm{max}}}}$ ) and a measure of the curve skewness (λ).

Mathematical modeling of nutritional, color, texture, and microbial activity changes in fruit and vegetables during drying: A critical review

Retention of quality attributes during drying of fruit and vegetables is a prime concern since the product's acceptability depends on the overall quality; particularly on the nutritional, color, and physical attributes. However, these quality parameters deteriorate during drying. Food quality changes are strongly related to the drying conditions and researchers have attempted to develop mathematical models to understand these relationships. A better insight toward the degradation of quality attributes is crucial for making real predictions and minimizing the quality deterioration. The previous empirical quality models employed kinetic modeling approaches to describe the quality changes and therefore, lack the realistic understanding of fundamental transport mechanisms. In order to develop a physics based mathematical model for the prediction of quality changes during drying, an in-depth understanding of research progress made toward this direction is indispensable. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to present a critical review of the mathematical models developed and applied to describe the degradation kinetics of nutritional, color, and texture attributes during drying of fruit and vegetables and microbial growth model during storage. This review also presents the advantages and drawbacks of the existing models along with their industrial relevance. Finally, future research propositions toward developing physics-based mathematical model are presented.

Effect of Pulsed Light Treatment on Natural Microbiota, Enzyme Activity, and Phytochemical Composition of Pineapple (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr.) juice

The effect of pulsed light (PL) on numerous important quality characteristics of pineapple juice was studied and compared with untreated and thermally pasteurised samples. The laboratory scale PL batch system used was operated with each three different voltages (1.8, 2.1, and 2.4 kV) and numbers of pulses (47, 94, and 187). Treatments with 2.4 kV and either 94 or 187 pulses (757/1479 J·cm−2) resulted in a 5-log reduction in aerobic mesophiles and the yeast and mould counts. Peroxidase was more resistant to PL than polyphenol oxidase, whereas the bromelain activity was completely retained in all PL-treated juices. Colour and antioxidant capacity were minimally affected, while vitamin C, genuine pineapple furanones, and phenolic compounds declined. In contrast, thermal pasteurisation was more detrimental to colour, antioxidant capacity, and vitamin C content, but resulted in a superior inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes and retention of phenolic compounds. Principal component analysis (PCA) permitted the differentiation of fresh, thermally pasteurised, and all PL-treated juices. PCA on the basis of the individual juice constituents additionally arranged the latter juices according to the number of pulses and voltage levels applied, particularly promoted by the oxidation of ascorbic to dehydroascorbic acid. In conclusion, PL treatment represents a promising new alternative to conventional thermal preservation techniques, whereby the inactivation of deteriorative enzymes may be further optimised.

Heat Transfer Performance of Vertical Tube Falling Film Juice Evaporator and a Sensitivity Analysis

Fresh fruit juice has a short storage period and it usually needs to be concentrated for shelf-life extension. Evaporation of fruit juice is an attractive method and vertical tube falling film evaporator is one of good choice. The main problem in the design of the evaporator is the reliable estimation of the heat transfer coefficient for all effects. In this paper, the effects of feed flow rate, evaporation temperature, temperature difference, and juice soluble solid content on heat transfer coefficient of a vertical falling film evaporator were investigated. The Bayesian treed Gaussian process model was used to identify the key variables affecting the heat transfer coefficient, which showed that evaporation temperature had the greatest influence on the sensitivity of heat transfer coefficient. It also demonstrated that complex interactions existed between the four operating parameters had a significant effect on the overall heat transfer coefficient.

Evaluation of a Nondestructive NMR and MRI Method for Monitoring the Drying Process of Gastrodia elata Blume

Gastrodia elata Blume (G. elata) is a prominent traditional herb and its dry tuber is officially listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. To ensure the quality of dried G. elata, the establishment of a nondestructive and convenient method to monitor the drying process is necessary. In this study, a nondestructive low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method was introduced to monitor the drying process of G. elata. Three water states (bound, immobilized, and free) in G. elata samples were investigated through multiexponential fitting and inversion of the NMR data. The variation and distribution of the three water states during drying were monitored by LF-NMR, and the spatial distribution of water and internal structural changes were analyzed by MRI. Linear analysis of the moisture content, L* (lightness), b* (yellowness), and NMR parameters showed good correlations among them. Furthermore, partial least squares regression (PLSR) model analysis, which takes into account all NMR parameters, also showed good correlations among these parameters. All results showed that LF-NMR was feasible and convenient for monitoring moisture content. Therefore, LF-NMR and MRI could be used to monitor the moisture content nondestructively in the drying process of Chinese traditional herbs.

Application of fluorescence spectroscopy and chemometric models for the detection of vegetable oil adulterants in Maltese virgin olive oils

Fluorescence spectrometry, combined with principle component analysis, partial least-squares regression (PLSR) and artificial neural network (ANN), was applied for the analysis of Maltese extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) adulterated by blending with vegetable oil (corn oil, soybean oil, linseed oil, or sunflower oil). The novel results showed that adjusted PLSR models based on synchronised spectra for detecting the % amount of EVOO in vegetable oil blends had a lower root mean square error (0.02-6.27%) and higher R² (0.983-1.000) value than those observed when using PLSR on the whole spectrum. This study also highlights the use of ANN as an alternative chemometric tool for the detection of olive oil adulteration. The performance of the model generated by the ANN is highly dependent both on the type of data input and the mode of cross validation; for spectral data which had a variable importance plot value > 0.8 the excluded row cross validation was more appropriate while for complete spectral analysis k-fold or CV-10 was more appropriate.

Multivariate Analysis of Fruit Antioxidant Activities of Blackberry Treated with 1-Methylcyclopropene or Vacuum Precooling

Effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and vacuum precooling on quality and antioxidant properties of blackberries (Rubus spp.) were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares (PLS), and path analysis. Results showed that the activities of antioxidant enzymes were enhanced by both 1-MCP treatment and vacuum precooling. PCA could discriminate 1-MCP treated fruit and the vacuum precooled fruit and showed that the radical-scavenging activities in vacuum precooled fruit were higher than those in 1-MCP treated fruit. The scores of PCA showed that H₂O₂ content was the most important variables of blackberry fruit. PLSR results showed that peroxidase (POD) activity negatively correlated with H₂O₂ content. The results of path coefficient analysis indicated that glutathione (GSH) also had an indirect effect on H₂O₂ content.

Wound healing effects of collagen-laminin dermal matrix impregnated with resveratrol loaded hyaluronic acid-DPPC microparticles in diabetic rats

An alternative formulation for the treatment of diabetic foot wounds that heal slowly is a requirement in pharmaceutical field. The aim of this study was to develop a dermal matrix consisting of skin proteins and lipids with an antioxidant that will enhance healing and balance the oxidative stress in the diabetic wound area due to the high levels of glucose. Thus a novel three dimensional collagen-laminin porous dermal matrix was developed by lyophilization. Resveratrol-loaded hyaluronic acid and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine microparticles were combined with this dermal matrix. Characterization, in vitro release, microbiological and in vivo studies were performed. Spherical microparticles were obtained with a high RSV encapsulation efficacy. The microparticles were well dispersed in the dermal matrix from the surface to deeper layers. Collagenase degraded dermal matrix, however the addition of RSV loaded microparticles delayed the degradation time. The release of RSV was sustained and reached 70% after 6h. Histological changes and antioxidant parameters in different treatment groups were investigated in full-thickness excision diabetic rat model. Collagen fibers were intense and improved by the presence of formulation without any signs of inflammation. The highest healing score was obtained with the dermal matrix impregnated with RSV-microparticles with an increased antioxidant activity. Collagen-laminin dermal matrix with RSV microparticles was synergistically effective due to presence of skin components in the formulation and controlled release achieved. This combination is a safe and promising option for the treatment of diabetic wounds requiring long recovery.