Review of plant-based milk analogue: its preparation, nutritional, physicochemical, and organoleptic properties

In recent years, the market demand for plant-based milk analogues has been rising because of health concerns with bovine milk, like lactose intolerance and hypercholesteremia. Another reason is the lifestyle changes like adopting veganism. This review aims to offer a layout of the manufacturing process and discuss the different properties of plant-based milk analogues. The health benefits offered by the plant-based milk analogues and measures taken to eliminate the existing limitations are also discussed. Sensory profile and stability of plant-based milk analogues which add to the quality of the product were also taken into account and reviewed. The current review's objective is to present a comprehensive, scientifically comparable overview of the preparation procedures, nutritional content, and sensory characteristics of plant-based milk analogues. This is done while keeping in mind the potential of plant-based milk substitutes and associated challenges.

The Effects of Oil Content on the Structural and Textural Properties of Cottonseed Butter/Spread Products

Plant-based butters from nuts and seeds have steadily increased in consumer popularity due to their unique flavors and healthy nutritional properties. Oil content is a critical parameter to measure the proper consistency and stability of plant butter and spread products. Previous work has shown that glandless cottonseed can be used to formulate cottonseed butter products to increase the values of cottonseed. As part of the efforts made in the valorization of cottonseed, this work evaluated the effects of oil content on the microstructural and textural properties of cottonseed butter/spread products. While the oil content in the raw cottonseed kernels was 35% of the kernel biomass, additional cottonseed oil was added to make cottonseed butter products with six oil content levels (i.e., 36, 43, 47, 50, 53, and 57%). The values of three textural parameters, firmness, spreadability, and adhesiveness, decreased rapidly in an exponential mode with the increasing oil content. The particle size population in these butter samples was characterized by similar trimodal distribution, with the majority in the middle mode region with particle sizes around 4.5-10 μm. Higher oil content decreased the butter particle size slightly but increased oil separation during storage. The oxidation stability with a rapid oxygen measurement was gradually reduced from 250 min with 36% oil to 65 min with 57% oil. The results of this work provide information for the further optimization of formulation parameters of cottonseed butter products.

Effect of cottonseed milk on growth performance, hematological and semen characteristics in male Wistar albino rats

Various plant based milk extract is appropriate for human nutrition among which cottonseed is one of the potential crops with the advantages of stable milk emulsion, improved nutrient profile with affordable waste utilization. Although cottonseed milk is a popular indigenous beverage, it has not been exploited worldwide for regular consumption owing to the presence of gossypol. The gossypol toxicity and associated gossypol-iron complex formation in the intestine lead to changes in hematological characteristics and alternation of sperm motility in monogastric animals. Male Wistar albino rats weighing 60 to 70 g were divided into four groups of five animals each. The group fed the standard diet (STD) served as control, and the experimental groups included the group (i) rats fed cottonseed diet (CSD) supplemented at 10% of cottonseed level (ii) rats fed conventional aqueous extracted cottonseed milk (CCM) diet (CAD) and (iii) rats fed enzymatic assisted aqueous extracted cottonseed milk (ECM) diet (EAD). The CAD and EAD feed was administrated @ 1 ml/100 g of animal body weight /day for the study period of 45 days among the experimental groups and control group. A significant difference in weight gain of the experimental rats was noticed between the CCM and ECM cottonseed milk extracts fed experimental groups compared with the standard and cottonseed fed groups. The rats fed with CSD, CCM and ECM diet exhibited higher white blood cell counts, also reducing the red blood cells count, hemoglobin hematocrit and platelet in the group compared with STD. No significant difference in semen motility characteristics was noticed among the CSD, CCM and ECM fed groups. In conclusion, the intake of less than the permissible level of gossypol from selected cottonseed and its aqueous extracted milk samples has influenced the hematological parameters and whereas an improved effect was shown in semen characteristics.

Graphical Abstract

Utilizing Nutritional and Polyphenolic Compounds in Underutilized Plant Seeds for Health Application

Plants represent a significant part of the human diet. Humans have utilized every part of plants for survival, and seeds are no exception. Seeds offer high protein, unsaturated fats, fibre, essential vitamins, and minerals for various food applications. They are also a promising reservoir of bioactive compounds, where various phytochemicals, such as polyphenolic compounds, capable of maintaining and improving well-being, are present in abundant quantities. Plants from Malvaceae and Cannabaceae families are known for their fibre-rich stems that benefit humankind by serving numerous purposes. For many centuries they have been exploited extensively for various commercial and industrial uses. Their seeds, which are often regarded as a by-product of fibre processing, have been scientifically discovered to have an essential role in combating hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, cancer, and oxidative stress. Maximizing the use of these agricultural wastes can be a promising approach to creating a more sustainable world, in accordance with the concept of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A Rapid and Efficient Strategy for Quality Control of Clinopodii herba Encompassing Optimized Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction Coupled with Sensitive Variable Wavelength Detection

Clinopodii herba is a folk herbal medicine for treatments of hemorrhagic disorders. However, there is not even a quantitative standard for clinopodii herba deposited in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The development of a strategy for rapid and efficient extraction and simultaneous detection of multiple components in clinopodii herba is therefore of great value for its quality evaluation. Here, a variable wavelength strategy was firstly applied to quantity multiple components by segmental monitoring by UHPLC with diode array detector following ultrasound-assisted extraction. The parameters of ultrasound-assisted extraction were optimized using single factor optimization experiments and response surface methodology by a Box-Behnken design combined with overall desirability. Subsequently, a rapid, efficient, and sensitive method was applied for simultaneous determination of eleven compounds, which represented the major and main types of components in clinopodii herba. Moreover, the performance of the validated method was successfully applied for the quality control of various batches of clinopodii herba and provided sufficient supporting data for the optimum harvest time. The Box-Behnken-optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction coupled with variable wavelength detection strategy established in this work not only improves the quality control of clinopodii herba, but also serves as a powerful approach that can be extended to quality evaluation of other traditional Chinese medicines.