Development and storage stability studies of functional fruit drink supplemented with polyphenols extracted from lemon peels

Stabilization of Ficus carica L. Drink by utilizing varying levels of ultrasound-assisted moringa extract as a natural preservative

Fig fruit (Ficus carica L.) drink is a source of healthy minerals, vitamins, and bioactive ingredients however to improve the shelf-life of functional drink naturally, moringa leaf extract was compared with optimized concentration of potassium metabisulphite (synthetic preservative). Purposely, fig fruit drink, without preservatives was considered as negative control whereas, 0.2 % potassium metabisulphite-based fig fruit drink was taken as positive control. Further, ultrasound assisted extracts of moringa at varied levels; 5, 10, 15, and 20 % were incorporated in the fig fruit drink as natural preservative to test antioxidant, storage, and sensory quality against control samples. Resultantly, the maximum loss in antioxidant activity (18-38 %) and functional ingredients (24-56 %) was observed in negative control sample, in response to high microbial expansion till the termination of the study. Additionally, acceptability score for negative control sample was maximum at Day 1, that afterwards faced significant decline at 30th Day (6.6 ± 0.3). In contrast, positive control sample demonstrated minimum loss of free radical scavenging ability (7-22 %), polyphenols (11 %) and flavonoids (7 %) thus indicated maximum control on microbes i.e. 61-63 % as compared to negative control. Further, positive control sample indicated optimum consumer preference (7.0 ± 0.3) that remained stable throughout storage. Further, as the concentration of moringa exceeded from 5 to 20 %, the loss of functional ingredients reduced from 13 to 24 to 6-11 % and deterioration in antioxidant capacity suppressed from 14 to 26 to 8-20 %, correspondingly however, the sensory acceptability showed a declining trend, and 20 % moringa based sample portrayed poor consumer response (5.0 ± 0.2). Lastly, it was deduced that control on microbes was directly proportional to the concentration of moringa extract in fig fruit drink, that was poor in 5 % moringa extract concentration; 32-54 %. Conclusively, customer preference was reasonable (6 ± 0) at 15 % moringa extract concentration so this level should be employed in fig fruit drink for realistic control on bacterial (57 %) and fungal (47 %) activities.

Valorization of Citrus reticulata Blanco Peels to Produce Enriched Wheat Bread: Phenolic Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Potential

The fortification of foods with bioactive polyphenols aims to improve their functional properties and to provide health benefits. Yet, to exert their benefits, phenolic compounds must be released from the food matrix and absorbed by the small intestine after digestion, so assessing their bioaccessibility is crucial to determine their potential role. This work aims to incorporate Citrus reticulata Blanco peel extracts into wheat bread as a promising opportunity to increase their bioactive potential, along with supporting the sustainable management of citrus-industry waste. A control and a wheat bread enriched at 2% and 4% (w/v) with a phenolic extract from mandarin peels were prepared and analyzed for antioxidant activity and phenolic composition using LC-MS and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. In addition, in vitro digestion was performed, and the digested extracts were analyzed with HPLC-MS/MS. The results showed a significant increase in total flavonoid content (TFC, 2.2 ± 0.1 mg·g-1), antioxidant activity (IC50 = 37 ± 4 mg·g-1), and contents of quercetin, caffeic acid, and hesperidin in the 4% (w/v) enriched bread. Yet, most polyphenols were completely degraded after the in vitro digestion process, barring hesperidin (159 ± 36 μg·g-1), highlighting the contribution of citrus enrichment in the development of an enriched bread with antioxidant potential.

Agro-Food Waste as an Ingredient in Functional Beverage Processing: Sources, Functionality, Market and Regulation

Waste generated from the agro-food industry represents a concerning environmental, social and economic issue. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines food waste as all food that decreases in quantity or quality to the extent that it is thrown out by food service providers and consumers. The FAO reports that 17% of worldwide food production may be wasted. Food waste may include fresh products, food close to the expiration date discarded by retailers and food products from household kitchens and eating establishments. However, food waste offers different possibilities to extract functional ingredients from different sources, such as dairy, cereals, fruits, vegetables, fibers, oils, dye and bioactive compounds. The optimization of agro-food waste as an ingredient will help in the development and innovation of food products to generate functional food and beverages to prevent and treat several diseases in consumers.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Antioxidant Extract from Lemon By-Products on Preservation of Quality Attributes of Minimally Processed Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

The aim of this work was to enhance the use of a food-grade antioxidant extract obtained from lemon processing byproducts (peel, pulp and seeds) to extend the shelf life of minimally processed radishes. The extract (LPE) was previously characterized in terms of total phenolic (6.75 ± 0.34 mg GAE g-1 d.w.) and flavonoid content (2.04 ± 0.09 mg CE g-1 d.w.) and antioxidant activity, and eriocitrin and hesperidin were identified as the most prevalent phenolic compounds by a UHPLC system. The effects of different dipping aqueous solutions (UCR, DRa, DRb) and alginate-based edible coating formulations (CRc, CRd) with and without the antioxidant extract were studied on the quality parameters of minimally processed radishes, characterized regarding their microbiological and physicochemical characteristics for up to 14 days at 3 °C. The coating formulated with LPE delayed the radish respiration process, as well as resulting in less color variation (ΔE < 3) and reduced mesophilic aerobic count values (4.49 ± 1.43 log CFU g-1), proving the effectiveness of LPE as a value-added ingredient in developing post-harvest strategies to prolong the shelf life of minimally processed vegetables. Indeed, coated samples without the extract showed a clear development of rotting, which led to the end of their shelf life on their 7th day of storage.

Ameliorative Effect of Citrus Lemon Peel Extract and Resveratrol on Premature Ovarian Failure Rat Model: Role of iNOS/Caspase-3 Pathway

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is described as a loss of oocytes and the absence of folliculogenesis and is considered an adverse effect of chemotherapeutic drugs, which leads to infertility. Subsequently, the existing inquiry was achieved by exploring the potential suspicious influences of lemon peel extract (LPE), and resveratrol (RES) on cyclophosphamide (CPA) induced-POF. The results showed that CPA-induced POF significantly decreased serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone levels, along with a considerable rise in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. Moreover, CPA administration to rats significantly increased the serum level of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and significantly lowered the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD); in addition, it increased nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) levels, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), as well as cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) with the spread expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA levels and caspase-3 (Casp3) levels in ovarian tissues versus the control rats. However, treatment with LPE and RES suppressed the triggering of NF- κB pathways, evidenced by a considerable reduction in Casp3 & iNOS mRNA expression level and significant ameliorative effects in all evaluated parameters, as confirmed by the histological and immunohistochemical investigation when comparing the model group. In overall findings, both lemon peel extract and resveratrol can mitigate the adverse effects of CPA-induced POF. Most crucially, its combination therapy is a promising pharmacological agent for this disease.