A Review of Extraction Techniques and Food Applications of Flaxseed Mucilage

The effect of synbiotic coating of flaxseed mucilage-defatted rice bran carbohydrate on quality of dried mango, viability of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. LactisBB12 on storage and simulating gastrointestinal condition

In the present study, a synbiotic coating of flaxseed mucilage, defatted rice bran carbohydrate, and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis BB12 was fabricated for coating dried mango slices (M-P-C). The control samples contained only probiotic bacteria without coating (M-P). Several quality parameters (moisture, weight loss, shrinkage percentage, pH, firmness, and color) were assessed on specific storage circumstances (25°C, relative humidity (RH) = 22%.). In addition, the survival of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis BB12 was evaluated on storage and under simulated gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. According to the results, the log number of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis BB12 reached 8.1 and 6.2 for coated and uncoated samples, respectively, during the 45 days storage at 25°C (>6 log CFU (log colony-forming units)/g) and at finished stage of in vitro gastrointestinal circumstances, the log number of probiotic bacterial count reached 6.8 and 4 for coated and uncoated samples, respectively. The coating resulted in significantly less weight loss, moisture loss, and shrinkage of the mango slices than uncoated ones (p < .05). The growth of yeasts and molds was undetectable in both samples. The results of acceptance experiments for M-P and M-P-C dried mango samples showedthat there were no significant differences between M-P and M-P-C samples (p  >.05), indeed in the case of purchase intention and overall acceptability. After reading the text highlighting, there was no significant difference in all attributes of M-P-C samples pre and post of reading text highlighting. It could be concluded that the synbiotic coating of mango slices improved the quality characteristics of the dried mango as well as viability of the probiotic bacteria at storage time and under simulated gastrointestinal conditions.

Potential use of extracted flax seed mucilage in the construction of macroporous cryo-scaffolds

Mucilage is a natural source of polysaccharides that has recently attracted attention for use in biomaterial production. It attracts attention with its easy and fast extraction, biocompatibility, high water retention capacity, and biodegradability. Although there are studies on the characterization of mucilage obtained from different plant sources, the interaction of this polymer with other polymers and its potential to form new biomaterials have not yet been sufficiently investigated. Based on this, in this study, the potential of mucilage extracted from flaxseed for the production of cryogels for tissue engineering applications was demonstrated. Firstly, yield, basic physicochemical properties, morphology, and surface charge-dependent isoelectric point determination studies were carried out for the characterization of the extracted mucilage. The successful preparation of mucilage was evaluated for the construction of cryo-scaffolds and 3D, spongy, and porous structures were obtained in the presence of chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol polymers. A heterogeneous morphology with interconnected macro and micro porosity in the range of approximately 85-115 m pore diameter was exhibited. Due to the high hydrophilic structure of the mucilage, which is attached to the structure with weak hydrogen bonds, the contact angle values of the scaffolds were obtained below 80° and they showed the ability to absorb 1000 times their dry weight in approximately 30 min. As a preliminary optimization study for the evaluation of mucilage in cryogel formation, this work introduced a new construct to be developed as wound dressing scaffold for deep and chronic wounds.

Sustainable production of cellulosic biopolymers for enhanced smart food packaging: An up-to-date review

Biodegradable and sustainable food packaging (FP) materials have gained immense global importance to reduce plastic pollution and environmental impact. Therefore, this review focused on the recent advances in biopolymers based on cellulose derivatives for FP applications. Cellulose, an abundant and renewable biopolymer, and its various derivatives, namely cellulose acetate, cellulose sulphate, nanocellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and methylcellulose, are explored as promising substitutes for conventional plastic in FP. These reviews focused on the production, modification processes, and properties of cellulose derivatives and highlighted their potential for their application in FP. Finally, we reviewed the effects of incorporating cellulose derivatives into film in various aspects of packaging properties, including barrier, mechanical, thermal, preservation aspects, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Overall, the findings suggest that cellulose derivatives have the potential to replace conventional plastics in food packaging applications. This can contribute to reducing plastic pollution and lessening the environmental impact of food packaging materials. The review likely provides insights into the current state of research and development in this field and underscores the significance of sustainable food packaging solutions.

Mucilage extracted from Chilean papaya seeds is enriched with homogalacturonan domains

Chilean papaya, also known as mountain papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens), is a fruit valued for its nutritional value and pleasant fragrance. The oblong fruit, featuring five ridges and a seed-filled mucilage cavity, is typically consumed cooked due to its high protease content. The mucilage and the seeds are usually discarded as byproducts. This study analyzed the biochemical composition of mountain papaya seed mucilage using methods such as HPAEC and immunolabeling. Results revealed that papaya seeds yield nearly 20% of their weight in mucilage polysaccharides, which can be separated into soluble and adherent layers. The mucilage exhibited a high proportion of acidic sugars, indicating that homogalacturonan (HG) is the predominant domain. It also contained other domains like rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) and hemicelluloses, predominantly xyloglucan. The HG-rich mucilage, currently considered waste, emerges as a promising source of polysaccharides, indicating its multifaceted utility in various industrial applications.

Valorization of Red Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) Pomace Combined with Golden Linseed (Lini semen) for the Development of Vegetable Crispbreads as Gluten-Free Snacks Rich in Bioactive Compounds

This work aimed to develop gluten-free snacks such as crispbread based on beetroot pomace (Beta vulgaris L.) and golden linseed (Lini semen). Beetroot is attracting more and more consumer attention because of its nutritional and health properties. The use of beet pomace contributes to waste management. Linseed, known as a superfood with many health-promoting properties, was used to produce crispbreads as an alternative to cereals, which are allergens. Beetroot pomace and whole or ground linseed were used in different proportions to produce crispbread snacks. Chemical and physical analyses were performed including water activity, dry matter, betalains, and polyphenols content, as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A sensory evaluation and microstructure observations were also performed. The obtained snacks were characterized by low water activity (0.290-0.395) and a high dry matter content (93.43-97.53%), which ensures their microbiological stability and enables longer storage. Beetroot pomace provided betalains-red (14.59-51.44 mg betanin/100 g d.m.) and yellow dyes (50.02-171.12 mg betanin/100 g d.m.)-while using linseed enriched the product with polyphenols (730-948 mg chlorogenic acid/100 g d.m.). FTIR analysis showed the presence of functional groups such as the following: -OH, -C-O, -COOH, and -NH. The most desired overall consumer acceptability was achieved for snacks containing 50% beetroot pomace and 50% linseed seeds. The obtained results confirmed that beetroot pomace combined with linseed can be used in the production of vegetable crispbread snacks.

Postbiotics-enriched flaxseed mucilage coating: A solution to improving postharvest quality and shelf life of strawberry

This research aimed to assess the effects of flaxseed mucilage (Mu) coatings supplemented with postbiotics (P) obtained from Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 on various physical, biochemical, and microbial characteristics of strawberry fruits. Strawberry fruits were immersed for 2 min in Mu2.5 (2.5 % mucilage in distilled water), Mu5 (5 % mucilage in distilled water), P-Mu2.5 (2.5 % mucilage in undiluted postbiotics) and P-Mu5 (5 % mucilage in undiluted postbiotics) solutions and were stored at 4 °C and 85 RH for 12 days. All coatings were effective in reducing fungal count compared to the uncoated control fruits. Mu5 coating exhibited the highest efficacy, reducing fungal count by 2.85 log10 CFU/g, followed by Mu2.5 (1.47 log10 CFU/g reduction) and P-Mu2.5 groups (0.90 log10 CFU/g reduction). The fruits coated with edible coatings showed significant delays in the change of weight loss, pH, and total soluble solids as compared to the uncoated fruits. The coating containing postbiotics i.e., P-Mu5 also showed a significant increase in the total phenolic contents, total flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, and total anthocyanin content at the end of storage relative to the uncoated fruits. Thus, Mu and P-Mu coatings may be a useful approach to maintaining the postharvest quality of strawberry fruits during cold storage.

Unveiling the potential of linseed mucilage, its health benefits, and applications in food packaging

Industrial waste products derived from the oil industry often contain valuable substances and elements with great potential. These by-products can be used for various purposes, including as nutrients, bioactive compounds, fuels, and polymers. Linseed mucilage (LM) is one such example of a beneficial by-product obtained from linseed. It possesses favorable chemical and functional properties, depending on its method of extraction. Different pretreatments, such as enzymatic extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, pulse electric field, and ultrasound-assisted extraction, have been explored by various researchers to enhance both the yield and quality of mucilage. Furthermore, LM has exhibited therapeutic effects in the treatment of obesity, diabetes, constipation, hyperlipidemia, cancer, and other lifestyle diseases. Additionally, it demonstrates favorable functional characteristics that make it suitable to be used in bioplastic production. These properties preserve food quality, prolong shelf life, and confer antimicrobial activity. It also has the potential to be used as a packaging material, especially considering the increasing demand for sustainable and biodegradable alternatives to plastics because of their detrimental impact on environmental health. This review primarily focuses on different extraction techniques used for linseed mucilage, its mechanism of action in terms of health benefits, and potential applications in food packaging.

Investigation of physicochemical and sensory characteristics of low calorie sponge cake made from flaxseed mucilage and flaxseed flour

This research aimed to extract flaxseed mucilage (FM) and investigate its rheological properties (static and dynamic tests) compared with animal oil. In the next stage, the D-optimal design was applied to investigate the effect of FM (0-60%) and FF (0-30%) replacements with animal oil and cake flour, respectively on the sponge cake's physicochemical, textural, and sensory properties. According to the flow behavior test, FM showed Newtonian behavior while animal oil had pseudoplastic behavior. The results of the dynamic test showed with an increase in frequency, the loss modulus (G״) and storage modulus (G') of samples increased. However, G' was higher than G״ in all samples. By replacement of FM and FF, the moisture content, water activity, antioxidant capacity, crumb hardness, and cohesiveness of the samples increased while springiness, crust hardness, and specific volume decreased (P < 0.05). Lightness of samples with replacement of FF decreased (P < 0.05). The overall acceptance score was enhanced with an increase in FM substitution while it was decreased with the replacement of FF (P < 0.05). The amounts of fat, calories, and peroxide values were decreased in sponge cake with the incorporation of FF and FM (P < 0.05). In general, the substitution of FM (60%) and FF (28%) in the cake formulation as an optimized sample to make new products with low-calorie content is possible without significant decreases in product quality.

Potential application of polysaccharide mucilages as a substitute for emulsifiers: A review

Mucilages are natural compounds consisting mainly of polysaccharides with complex chemical structures. Mucilages also contain uronic acids, proteins, lipids, and bioactive compounds. Because of their unique properties, mucilages are used in various industries, including food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Typically, commercial gums are composed only of polysaccharides, which increase their hydrophilicity and surface tension, reducing their emulsifying ability. As a result of the presence of proteins in combination with polysaccharides, mucilages possess unique emulsifying properties due to their ability to reduce surface tension. In recent years, various studies have been conducted on using mucilages as emulsifiers in classical and Pickering emulsions because of their unique emulsifying feature. Studies have shown that some mucilages, such as yellow mustard, mutamba, and flaxseed mucilages, have a higher emulsifying capacity than commercial gums. A synergistic effect has also been shown in some mucilages, such as Dioscorea opposita mucilage when combined with commercial gums. This review article investigates whether mucilages can be used as emulsifiers and what factors affect their emulsifying properties. A discussion of the challenges and prospects of using mucilages as emulsifiers is also presented in this review.

Protein Fractions from Flaxseed: The Effect of Subsequent Extractions on Composition and Antioxidant Capacity

Flaxseed proteins exhibit functionalities interesting for the food industry, including antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant activity depends on the protein composition and the presence of phenolic compounds extracted with them from the matrix. The research focused on the effect of subsequent protein extractions (water, salt and alkaline) of flaxseed meals (of three cultivars) on the protein fraction composition and its relations to antioxidant capacity. The protein and phenolic profiles and antioxidant functionalities (in antiradical ORAC and emulsion assays) were analysed. Spectroscopic characteristics of the fractions (fluorometric and FT-IR analysis) were also included. Our study has shown the effect of fractionation on the share of proteins at MW from 56–38 kDa (globulin-like) and <15 kDa (albumin-like) in the protein profiles. The highest globulin share was in the alkaline-extracted fractions (AEF) and albumin in the salt-extracted (SEF) ones. SDG (secoisolariciresinol diglucosides) and phenolic acids (p-coumaric and ferulic) were extracted with flaxseed proteins. Their contents were fraction-dependent and the highest in AEF. The concentration of phenolics in AEF corresponded with the highest antiradical capacity (ORAC) compared with the other fractions. However, the SEF showed a higher ability to inhibit oxidation in emulsions than AEF, which could be associated with the higher content of the low MW proteins.

Phenolic Compound Profile and Antioxidant Capacity of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Harvested at Different Growth Stages

The profile of phenolic compounds changes during the growth of a plant and this change affects its antioxidant potential. The aim of this research has been to find the growth stage of flax with the highest antioxidant capacity, and to determine the phenolic compounds responsible for such a capacity. Flax was harvested in six growth stages: from stem extension to mature seeds. The phenolic compounds were identified using LC-TOF-MS and quantified in an extract and in the fresh matter (FM) of each growth stage. The radical scavenging activity against ABTS^•+ and DPPH^•, the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and the antioxidant activity in the β-carotene-linoleic acid emulsion system were determined. Mono- and di-C-glycosyl flavones were found to be the most abundant phenolics of the aerial parts of flax, which also showed the highest content of isoorientin (210-538 µg/g FM). Coniferin, its derivative, and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were also detected. The plant was richer in flavone C-glycosides from stem extension to seed ripening (1105-1413 µg/g FM) than at the mature seed stage (557 µg/g FM). Most of the individual flavone C-glycoside contents in the extracts decreased when increasingly older plants were considered; however, the isoorientin content did not change significantly from the steam extension to the seed ripening stages. The antiradical activity against ABTS^•+ and FRAP was higher for the aerial parts of the flax harvested at the flowering, brown capsule, and seed ripening stages, mainly due to the presence of flavone C-glycosides. The oxidation of β-carotene-linoleic acid emulsion was instead inhibited more effectively by the extracts from plants at the brown capsule and mature seed stages. Coniferin and its derivative were significantly involved in this activity. The extracts from the aerial parts of the flax harvested from flowering to seed ripening could be a valuable source of flavone C-glycosides for use as nutraceuticals and components of functional foods.

Comparison of the Rheological Behavior of Fortified Rye-Wheat Dough with Buckwheat, Beetroot and Flax Fiber Powders and Their Effect on the Final Product

This study was focused on the replacement of the part of the flour (10% w/w) in rye-wheat bread with three different botanical origin powders with a high dietary fiber content (buckwheat hulls, beetroot and flax powder). The dough was based on rye-wheat flour without and with the addition of fiber powders with different botanical origins and was tested, and the quality of the finished baked products made from those doughs were assessed. In order to characterize the flour mixtures, their basic parameters were determined, and their pasting characteristic was performed. The dough parameters were described by the Burger rheological model and also the creep and recovery test. On the other hand, in bread, the basic parameters of baking, crumb and crust color parameters were determined, and an analysis of the crumb texture was carried out. Additionally, a sensory analysis of the finished products was carried out. The applied fiber additives influenced the pasting characteristics of the tested rye-wheat flour and were influenced by the dough rheological properties. It was found that used fiber powders changed the quality parameters of the final products. Despite this, using fiber at the amount of 10% as a flour substitute allowed us to obtain bread of a similar quality to the control sample.

Flaxseed Bioactive Compounds: Chemical Composition, Functional Properties, Food Applications and Health Benefits-Related Gut Microbes

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) has gained worldwide recognition as a health food because of its abundance in diverse nutrients and bioactive compounds such as oil, fatty acids, proteins, peptides, fiber, lignans, carbohydrates, mucilage, and micronutrients. These constituents attribute a multitude of beneficial properties to flaxseed that makes its use possible in various applications, such as nutraceuticals, food products, cosmetics, and biomaterials. The importance of these flaxseed components has also increased in modern times because of the newer trend among consumers of greater reliance on a plant-based diet for fulfilling their nutritional requirements, which is perceived to be hypoallergenic, more environmentally friendly, sustainable, and humane. The role of flaxseed substances in the maintenance of a healthy composition of the gut microbiome, prevention, and management of multiple diseases has recently been elucidated in various studies, which have highlighted its importance further as a powerful nutritional remedy. Many articles previously reported the nutritive and health benefits of flaxseed, but no review paper has been published reporting the use of individual flaxseed components in a manner to improve the techno-functional properties of foods. This review summarizes almost all possible applications of flaxseed ingredients in food products from an extensive online literature survey; moreover, it also outlines the way forward to make this utilization even better.

Adjustable Gel Texture of Recovered Crude Agar Induced by Pressurized Hot Water Treatment of Gelidium sesquipedale Industry Waste Stream: An RSM Analysis

A significant amount of bioactive compound-rich solid waste is released during the industrial phycocolloid-centric extraction of Gelidium sesquipedale. The impact of mild pressurized hot water extraction on repurposing this waste for the recovery of agar with an adjustable gel texture is investigated. A two-factor interaction response surface model assessed the influences of the operating temperatures (80 to 130 °C), times (45 and 150 min), pressures (1 to 70 bar), and algae concentrations (3 to 10% (w:v)). At a temperature of 100 °C, a pressure of 10.13 bar, a recovery time of 45 min, and a 10% algae concentration, the working parameters were considered ideal (w:v). Agar with a hardness of 431.6 g, an adhesiveness of -13.14 g.s-1, a springiness of 0.94, a cohesiveness of 0.63, and a gumminess of 274.46 g was produced under these conditions. A combined desirability of 0.78 was obtained for the exposed technology that retrieved gels with a minimum agar yield of 10% and thermal hysteresis between 39 ± 1 and 52 ± 0.5 °C. The fitted design can provide a high techno-commercial value to the agri-food industrial waste stream.