High Hydrostatic Pressure Processing of Whole Carrots: Effect of Static and Multi-Pulsed Mild Intensity Hydrostatic Pressure Treatments on Bioactive Compounds

Challenges and Opportunities in the Sustainable Improvement of Carrot Production

From an agricultural perspective, carrots are a significant tap root vegetable crop in the Apiaceae family because of their nutritional value, health advantages, and economic importance. The edible part of a carrot, known as the storage root, contains various beneficial compounds, such as carotenoids, anthocyanins, dietary fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients. It has a crucial role in human nutrition as a significant vegetable and raw material in the nutraceutical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. The cultivation of carrot fields is susceptible to a wide range of biotic and abiotic hazards, which can significantly damage the plants' health and decrease yield and quality. Scientific research mostly focuses on important biotic stressors, including pests, such as nematodes and carrot flies, as well as diseases, such as cavity spots, crown or cottony rot, black rot, and leaf blight, caused by bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes. The emerging challenges in the field include gaining a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between hosts and pathogens in the carrot-pathogen system, identifying the elements that contribute to disease development, expanding knowledge of systemic treatments, exploring host resistance mechanisms, developing integrated control programs, and enhancing resistance through breeding approaches. In fact, the primary carrot-growing regions in tropical and subtropical climates are experiencing abiotic pressures, such as drought, salinity, and heat stress, which limit carrot production. This review provides an extensive, up-to-date overview of the literature on biotic and abiotic factors for enhanced and sustainable carrot production, considering the use of different technologies for the shelf-life extension of carrots. Therefore, it addresses the current issues in the carrot production chain, opening new perspectives for the exploration of carrots both as a food commodity and as a source of natural compounds.

Therapeutic Potential of Chlorogenic Acid in Chemoresistance and Chemoprotection in Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapeutic drugs are indispensable in cancer treatment, but their effectiveness is often lessened because of non-selective toxicity to healthy tissues, which triggers inflammatory pathways that are harmful to vital organs. In addition, tumors' resistance to drugs causes failures in treatment. Chlorogenic acid (5-caffeoylquinic acid, CGA), found in plants and vegetables, is promising in anticancer mechanisms. In vitro and animal studies have indicated that CGA can overcome resistance to conventional chemotherapeutics and alleviate chemotherapy-induced toxicity by scavenging free radicals effectively. This review is a summary of current information about CGA, including its natural sources, biosynthesis, metabolism, toxicology, role in combatting chemoresistance, and protective effects against chemotherapy-induced toxicity. It also emphasizes the potential of CGA as a pharmacological adjuvant in cancer treatment with drugs such as 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, oxaliplatin, doxorubicin, regorafenib, and radiotherapy. By analyzing more than 140 papers from PubMed, Google Scholar, and SciFinder, we hope to find the therapeutic potential of CGA in improving cancer therapy.

Plant Bioactive Compounds in Foods and Food Packages

There has been growing interest in the use of numerous plant bioactive compounds (PBCs) in food and nutrition technology due to their properties that promote human health by reducing the risk of various serious diseases [...].

Proposing Signaling Molecules as Key Optimization Targets for Intensifying the Phytochemical Biosynthesis Induced by Emerging Nonthermal Stress Pretreatments of Plant-Based Foods: A Focus on γ-Aminobutyric Acid

Emerging evidence has confirmed the role of emerging nonthermal stressors (e.g., electromagnetic fields, ultrasonication, plasma) in accumulating bioactive metabolites in plant-based food. However, the signal decoding mechanisms behind NonTt-driven phytochemical production remain unclear, hindering postharvest bioactive component intensification. This study aims to summarize the association between signaling molecules and bioactive secondary metabolite production under nonthermal conditions, demonstrating the feasibility of enhancing phytochemical accumulation through signaling molecule crosstalk manipulation. Nonthermal elicitors were found to be capable of inducing stress metabolisms and activating various signaling molecules, similar to conventional abiotic stress. A simplified pathway model for nonthermally induced γ-aminobutyric acid accumulation was proposed with reactive oxygen species and calcium signaling being versatile pathways responsive to nonthermal elicitors. Manipulating signal molecules/pathways under nonthermal conditions can intensify phytochemical biosynthesis. Further research is needed to integrate signaling molecule responses and metabolic network shifts in nonthermally stressed plant-based matrices, balancing quality modifications and intensification of food functionality potential.

Discoloration Investigations of Yellow Lantern Pepper Sauce (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) Fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum: Effect of Carotenoids and Physiochemical Indices

Color is one of the important indicators affecting the quality of fermented pepper sauces, and it is closely related to carotenoid composition. This study systematically analyzed the changes in carotenoids and related physiochemical indices during the fermentation of yellow lantern pepper sauce. The CIELab color values indicated that L* and C* displayed a significant decreasing trend during fermentation. After 35 days of fermentation, the total carotenoid content significantly reduced from 3446.36 to 1556.50 μg/g DW (p < 0.05), and the degradation rate was 54.84%. Among them, the total content of carotene decreased by 56.03% during fermentation, whereas the degradation rate of xanthophylls and their esters was 44.47%. According to correlation analysis, violaxanthin myristate and lutein played a pivotal role in L*, a *, b *, chroma (C*), and yellowness index (YI). Moreover, PCA analysis indicated that lactic acid and acetic acid were the important qualities affecting the stability of pigment in fermented yellow lantern pepper sauce, which might also be the inducement of the color change. This work gives additional information concerning the discoloration of yellow lantern pepper sauce during fermentation and provides theory evidence regulating and improving the sensory qualities of yellow lantern pepper sauce.

Effects of High Hydrostatic Pressure Pretreatment on the Functional and Structural Properties of Rice Bran Protein Hydrolysates

Rice bran protein (RBP) hydrolysis was conducted after high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) pretreatment. The structural and functional properties of HHP-pretreated rice bran protein hydrolysates (RBPH) were investigated. HHP pretreatments were conducted at 100, 200, and 300 MPa; then, enzymatic hydrolysis at atmospheric pressure was performed using trypsin. An RBPH sample that had not been pretreated by HHP was used as a control. Free sulfhydryl (SH) content, SDS-PAGE profiles, high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), intrinsic fluorescence spectrum, solubility, and emulsifying and foaming properties were evaluated. Changes in particle size and ζ-potential were monitored. Compared with the control, the results of solubility, the emulsifying activity index (EAI) and the emulsifying stability index (ESI) increased significantly (p < 0.05) at 200 MPa. The content of free SH increased significantly (p < 0.05) at 100 MPa. FTIR spectrum and fluorescence analysis confirmed the changes in the secondary and tertiary structures. The experimental results indicated that the structural and functional properties of HHP-pretreated RBPH improved.

Non-Thermal Technologies as Tools to Increase the Content of Health-Promoting Compounds in Whole Fruits and Vegetables While Retaining Quality Attributes

Fruits and vegetables contain health-promoting compounds. However, their natural concentration in the plant tissues is low and in most cases is not sufficient to exert the expected pharmacological effects. The application of wounding stress as a tool to increase the content of bioactive compounds in fruits and vegetables has been well characterized. Nevertheless, its industrial application presents different drawbacks. For instance, during the washing and sanitizing steps post-wounding, the primary wound signal (extracellular adenosine triphosphate) that elicits the stress-induced biosynthesis of secondary metabolites is partially removed from the tissue. Furthermore, detrimental reactions that affect the quality attributes of fresh produce are also activated by wounding. Therefore, there is a need to search for technologies that emulate the wound response in whole fruits and vegetables while retaining quality attributes. Herein, the application of non-thermal technologies (NTTs) such as high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, and pulsed electric fields are presented as tools for increasing the content of health-promoting compounds in whole fruits and vegetables by inducing a wound-like response. The industrial implementation and economic feasibility of using NTTs as abiotic elicitors is also discussed. Whole fruits and vegetables with enhanced levels of bioactive compounds obtained by NTT treatments could be commercialized as functional foods.