An efficient method using ultrasound to accelerate aging in crabapple (Malus asiatica) vinegar produced from fresh fruit and its influencing mechanism investigation

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on fermentation performance and quality of fermented hawthorn pulp by lactic acid bacteria

In order to explore the effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on the fermentation performance and quality characteristics of fermented hawthorn pulp. Five types of fermented hawthorn pulp were obtained using 0 W for 5 min, 300 W for 5 min, 360 W for 5 min, 420 W for 5 min, 540 W for 5 min. The fermentation performance and quality of fermented hawthorn pulp were characterized. The results indicated Low power ultrasound (360 W) could improve the fermentation performance and quality of FHP, and high power ultrasound (540 W) could reduce the fermentation performance and quality. Under the ultrasonic condition of 360 W for 5 min; the cell membrane of lactic acid bacteria produced repairable damage and the morphology did not change significantly, the consumption of reducing sugar, total acid, soluble solids, amino nitrogen, conductivity, and sensory quality of the fermented hawthorn pulp reached the highest. The fermentation performance and quality of fermented hawthorn pulp were improved by the optimum ultrasonic treatment, which could be used as an effective and alternative method for producing FHP with good flavor, high bioactivity and good quality.

Optimization of sensory properties of ultrasound-treated strawberry vinegar

Vinegar is renowned for its benefits to human health due to the presence of antioxidants and bioactive components. Firstly, this study optimized the production conditions of ultrasound-treated strawberry vinegar (UT-SV), known for its high consumer appeal. The sensory properties of UT-SV were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) to create the most appreciated strawberry vinegar. Secondly, various quality parameters of conventional strawberry vinegar (C-SV), UT-SV, and thermally pasteurized strawberry vinegar (P-SV) samples were compared. RSM was employed to craft the best strawberry vinegar based on consumers ratings of UT-SV. Sensory characteristics, bioactive values, phenolic contents, and organic acid contents of C-SV, UT-SV, and P-SV samples were assessed. Through optimization, the ultrasound parameters of the independent variables were determined as 5.3 min and 65.5 % amplitude. The RSM modeling levels exhibited high agreement with pungent sensation at 98.06 %, aromatic intensity at 98.98 %, gustatory impression at 99.17 %, and general appreciation at 99.26 %, respectively. Bioactive components in UT-SV samples increased after ultrasound treatment compared to C-SV and P-SV samples. Additionally, the amount of malic acid, lactic acid, and oxalic acid increased after ultrasound treatment compared to C-SV samples. Ultimately, UT-SV with high organoleptic properties was achieved. The ultrasound treatment positively impacted the bioactive values, phenolic and organic acid content, leading to the development of a new and healthy product.

Ultrasound-Treated and Thermal-Pasteurized Hawthorn Vinegar: Antioxidant and Lipid Profiles in Rats

The hawthorn fruit, a member of the Rosaceae family, is a medicinal plant with numerous therapeutic properties. It has a wide range of variants, with Crataegus tanacetifolia being the most widely recognized species in the world. The hawthorn fruit has various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, immune-modulating, and anti-carcinogenic properties. This study focused on improving the antioxidant activity of hawthorn vinegar via different methods. We also aimed to investigate the influence of its hepatic antioxidant abilities on health and extend the shelf life of the vinegar. In the study, the vinegar was produced from the hawthorn fruit, and thermal pasteurization and ultrasound techniques were applied. A total of 56 female adult Wistar-Albino rats were allocated into seven groups and administered hawthorn fruit vinegar via oral gavage on a daily basis. The experimental groups included rats treated with pasteurized vinegar (HVP), ultrasound-treated rats (HVU), and an untreated group that received regular vinegar (HVN) at two different dosage levels (0.5 and 1 mL/kg). The SOD, MDA, and CAT antioxidant levels were measured using the ELISA method in plasma and liver tissue samples. The total plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL, AST, and ALT values were quantified using commercially available kits. The levels of SOD and CAT in the plasma and liver were found to be significantly higher in the HVU1 group compared to all other groups. Furthermore, the HVU1 cohort exhibited the highest HDL value in plasma. The plasma LDL levels were comparably low in both the thermal-pasteurized and ultrasound-treated groups. There were significant expressions of both CAT and SOD in the liver tissues of the HVU groups (analyzed immunohistochemically). These results indicated that hawthorn vinegar administration with 1 mL/kg in group HVU1 could significantly enhance antioxidant capacity in the liver and, consequently, overall health. It can be suggested that the possible therapeutic effects of hawthorn vinegar may boost its antioxidant capabilities and contribute to an overall improvement in quality of life.

Characteristics and Discrimination of the Commercial Chinese Four Famous Vinegars Based on Flavor Compositions

Shanxi aged vinegar (SAV), Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar (ZAV), Sichuan bran vinegar (SBV), and Fujian monascus vinegar (FMV) are the representative Chinese traditional vinegars. However, the basic differential compositions between the four vinegars are unknown. In this study, compositions of commercial vinegar were investigated to evaluate the influence of diverse technologies on their distinct flavor. Unlike amino acids and organic acids which were mostly shared, only five volatiles were detected in all vinegars, whereas a dozen volatiles were common to each type of vinegar. The four vinegars could only be classified well with all compositions, and difference analysis suggested the most significant difference between FMV and SBV. However, SAV, ZAV, and SBV possessed similar volatile characteristics due to their common heating treatments. Further, the correlation of identification markers with vinegars stressed the contributions of the smoking process, raw materials, and Monascus inoculum to SAV, SBV, and FMV clustering, respectively. Therefore, regardless of the technology modification, this basic process supported the uniqueness of the vinegars. This study contributes to improving the standards of defining the characteristics of types of vinegar.

Emerging applications of nano-optical sensors combined with near-infrared spectroscopy for detecting tea extract fermentation aroma under ultrasound-assisted sonication

The current innovative work combines nano-optical sensors with near-infrared spectroscopy for rapid detection and quantification of polyphenols and investigates the potential of the nano-optical sensor based on chemo-selective colorants to detect the dynamic changes in aroma components during the fermentation of tea extract. The procedure examined the influence of different ultrasound-assisted sonication factors on the changes in the consumption rate of polyphenols during the fermentation of tea extract versus non-sonication as a control group. The results showed that the polyphenol consumption rate improved under the ultrasound conditions of 28 kHz ultrasound frequency, 24 min treatment time, and 40 W/L ultrasonic power density. The metal-organic framework based nano-optical sensors reported here have more adsorption sites for enhanced adsorption of the volatile organic compounds. The polystyrene-acrylic microstructure offered specific surface area for the reactants. Besides, the employed porous silica nanospheres with higher porosity administered improved gas enrichment effect. The nano-optical sensor exhibits good performance with a "chromatogram" for the identification of aroma components in the fermentation process of tea extract. The proposed method respectively enhanced the consumption rate of polyphenol by 35.57%, 11.34% and 16.09% under the optimized conditions. Based on the established polyphenol quantitative prediction models, this work demonstrated the feasibility of using a nano-optical sensor to perform in-situ imaging of the fermentation degree of tea extracts subjected to ultrasonic treatment.

Comparison of Chemical Properties between Traditional and Commercial Vinegar

Fruits of wild fruit species are considered healthy foods with the potential to treat and prevent chronic diseases. In recent years, the food industry and consumers have become increasingly interested in the nutritional value and safety of food and ingredients. A traditional method of processing fruits from spontaneous flora is in the form of vinegar by simple and easy techniques. The aim of this paper was to analyze the chemical composition of homemade vinegars obtained by traditional methods from the fruits of some wild fruit species, compared with commercial vinegars. To evaluate the characteristics of the two types of vinegar, analyses were performed regarding the physicochemical properties (density, soluble dry matter, total titratable acidity, and pH) and the content of phenolic compounds using HPLC. In terms of pH, it varied between 2.58 and 3.67 for homemade vinegar and between 2.22 and 2.86 for commercial vinegar. The density of vinegar varied between 1015 and 1070 kg/m3 in the case of homemade vinegar and between 1013 and 1030 kg/m3 in the case of commercial vinegar. The phenolic compounds, gallic acid, neochlorogenic acid, catechin hydrate, chlorogenic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, epicatechin, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, salicylic acid, ellagic acid, rutin, and myricetin were found in homemade vinegar. Fewer phenolic compounds were identified in commercial vinegars. The data obtained highlight the high quality of homemade traditional vinegars compared with commercial ones. The biochemical composition of vinegars traditionally obtained from wild fruits, through simple recipes, demonstrates their role and importance for human well-being and the potentially beneficial effects on health.

Strategies to Improve the Potential Functionality of Fruit-Based Fermented Beverages

It is only recently that fermentation has been facing a dynamic revival in the food industry. Fermented fruit-based beverages are among the most ancient products consumed worldwide, while in recent years special research attention has been granted to assess their functionality. This review highlights the functional potential of alcoholic and non-alcoholic fermented fruit beverages in terms of chemical and nutritional profiles that impact on human health, considering the natural occurrence and enrichment of fermented fruit-based beverages in phenolic compounds, vitamins and minerals, and pro/prebiotics. The health benefits of fruit-based beverages that resulted from lactic, acetic, alcoholic, or symbiotic fermentation and specific daily recommended doses of each claimed bioactive compound were also highlighted. The latest trends on pre-fermentative methods used to optimize the extraction of bioactive compounds (maceration, decoction, and extraction assisted by supercritical fluids, microwave, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, high pressure homogenization, or enzymes) are critically assessed. As such, optimized fermentation processes and post-fermentative operations, reviewed in an industrial scale-up, can prolong the shelf life and the quality of fermented fruit beverages.