The impact of incorporating Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteriocin with inulin and FOS on yogurt quality

Effect of Inulin on Rheological Properties and Emulsion Stability of a Reduced-Fat Salad Dressing

This study is aimed at investigating the potential use of inulin in a reduced-fat salad dressing to improve its rheological properties, fat globule size distribution, and emulsion stability. The reduced-fat salad dressing, which has 50% less fat compared to the full-fat counterpart (control), was prepared with varying inulin concentrations (10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, and 20% w/w). The full-fat and reduced-fat salad dressings exhibited a non-Newtonian shear-thinning behavior. Power law model was used to describe the rheological properties. Results showed that the flow behavior index (n) and consistency coefficient (K) were greatly affected by the concentration of inulin. A greater pseudoplasticity and apparent viscosity of the reduced-fat samples were achieved with a higher concentration of inulin. Oscillatory tests showed that the storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G ″) values increased with increasing inulin concentration. All samples displayed characteristics of a viscoelastic solid, as evidenced by a greater G' than G ″. Regarding the size distribution of the oil droplets, the reduced-fat salad dressing containing a higher inulin content was observed to have a larger droplet size. All reduced-fat samples, similar to the full-fat counterparts, exhibited stability with no cream separation over one month of storage at 4°C, as determined by visual observation. Additionally, the reduced-fat salad dressings supplemented with 17.5 and 20% inulin exhibited stability against cream separation, comparable to the full-fat counterpart (p > 0.05), as measured by the thermal stress test (80°C for 30 min) with centrifugation. The sensory acceptance scores for reduced-fat salad dressing with 15 and 17.5% inulin, ranging from approximately 6.28 to 7.63 on a 9-point hedonic scale for all evaluated attributes (appearance, color, aroma, texture, taste, and overall acceptability), were not significantly different from those of the full-fat counterpart (p > 0.05). This study demonstrated that inulin may be a suitable ingredient in reduced-fat salad dressings.

Bacteriocins: potentials and prospects in health and agrifood systems

Bacteriocins are highly diverse, abundant, and heterogeneous antimicrobial peptides that are ribosomally synthesized by bacteria and archaea. Since their discovery about a century ago, there has been a growing interest in bacteriocin research and applications. This is mainly due to their high antimicrobial properties, narrow or broad spectrum of activity, specificity, low cytotoxicity, and stability. Though initially used to improve food quality and safety, bacteriocins are now globally exploited for innovative applications in human, animal, and food systems as sustainable alternatives to antibiotics. Bacteriocins have the potential to beneficially modulate microbiota, providing viable microbiome-based solutions for the treatment, management, and non-invasive bio-diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The use of bacteriocins holds great promise in the modulation of food microbiomes, antimicrobial food packaging, bio-sanitizers and antibiofilm, pre/post-harvest biocontrol, functional food, growth promotion, and sustainable aquaculture. This can undoubtedly improve food security, safety, and quality globally. This review highlights the current trends in bacteriocin research, especially the increasing research outputs and funding, which we believe may proportionate the soaring global interest in bacteriocins. The use of cutting-edge technologies, such as bioengineering, can further enhance the exploitation of bacteriocins for innovative applications in human, animal, and food systems.

Investigation of some quality properties of yogurt made from cow and sheep milk fortified with folic acid (B9 ), biotin (B7 ), and vitamin D3

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on some physicochemical properties and starter cultures of yogurts enriched with vitamins at different concentrations during storage. For this purpose, yogurt was produced by adding the vitamins folic acid (B9 ), biotin (B7 ), and vitamin D3 in different concentrations to sheep and cow milk and stored at 4 °C. Physicochemical analyses and microbiological analyses were performed for each group of yogurt on days 0, 7, 14, and 21.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the groups in pH and titration acidity (%) during storage. It was determined that in the yogurts produced from sheep milk, the groups enriched with vitamins had a higher number of L. bulgaricus than the control group on the 7th day of storage. Moreover, the groups containing vitamin D3 exhibited a higher Lactobacillus bulgaricus count on the 21st day of storage. The highest L. bulgaricus counts on the 7th day in yogurts produced from cow's milk were observed in groups containing 0.5 mL of vitamin B9 and B7 . No mold or yeast growth was observed during storage in any of the yogurt groups made from cow and sheep milk.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it was determined that the enrichment of yogurt with vitamins B7 , B9 , and D3 did not adversely affect the quality of the yogurt; rather, it improved. We recommend that yogurt enriched with micronutrients be studied economically, and mass production should be initiated by yogurt companies as soon as possible. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nutraceuticals and Their Contribution to Preventing Noncommunicable Diseases

The high rate of deaths around the world from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) (70%) is a consequence of a poor diet lacking in nutrients and is linked to lifestyle and environmental conditions that together trigger predisposing factors. NCDs have increased 9.8% of public health spending worldwide, which has been increasing since 2000. Hence, international organizations such as the WHO, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have been developing strategic plans to implement government and economic policies to strengthen programs in favor of food security and nutrition. A systematic review is presented to document an analysis of the origin and characteristics of obesity, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, and cancers affecting a large part of the world's population. This review proposes a scientifically based report of functional foods including fruits, vegetables, grains, and plants, and how their bioactive compounds called nutraceuticals-when consumed as part of a diet-benefit in the prevention and treatment of NCDs from an early age. Multifactorial aspects of NCDs, such as culture and eating habits, are limitations to consider from the clinical, nutritional, and biochemical points of view of everyone who suffers from them.

A Strategy for Rapid Acquisition of the β-D-Fructofuranosidase Gene through Chemical Synthesis and New Function of Its Encoded Enzyme to Improve Gel Properties during Yogurt Processing

A chemical gene synthesis strategy was developed in order to obtain β-D-fructofuranosidase, and a novel gene, AlFFase3, was characterized from Aspergillus luchuensis and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified, showing a molecular mass of 68.0 kDa on SDS-PAGE, and displaying a specific activity towards sucrose of up to 771.2 U mg^-1, indicating its exceptional enzymatic capacity. AlFFase3 exhibited stability between pH 5.5 and 7.5, with maximal activity at pH 6.5 and 40 °C. Impressively, AlFFase3, as a soluble protein, was resistant to digestion by various common proteases, including Flavourzyme, acidic protease, pepsin, neutral protease, Proteinase K, alkaline proteinase, and trypsin. AlFFase3 also demonstrated significant transfructosylation activity, with a yield of various fructooligosaccharides up to 67%, higher than almost all other reports. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the addition of AlFFase3 enhanced the growth of probiotics in yogurt, thereby increasing its nutritional value. AlFFase3 also improved the formation of yogurt gel, reducing the gel formation time and lowering the elasticity while increasing its viscosity, thereby improving the palatability of yogurt and reducing production costs.