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Double emulsions (DEs) present many potential applications for encapsulating and protecting probiotics. However, their high instability limit their real applications. To improve the prolonged stability of DEs, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus gasseri were separately co-encapsulated together in the presence of fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) and basil seed gum (BSG) within the internal (W1) and external (W2) aqueous phases of double emulsion gels (DEGs; W1-sol/O/W2-gel). Physical properties of DEGs, and viability of probiotics during heat processing, gastrointestinal digestion and storage were evaluated. Appropriate physical stability was observed during storage for 28 d at 4 ± 2 °C. The FOSs and microorganism type showed not effect on the droplet size (10.63 to 10.47 µm). Turbidimetry, physical stability, and morphological studies revealed the formation of aggregated droplets after 3 weeks. All DEGs presented high (>90 %) encapsulation efficiency. The viability of microencapsulated probiotics over time (14.89–14.08 %) and against simulated gastrointestinal conditions was higher than that of free cells. The encapsulation of bacteria in W1 in the presence of FOSs led to a significant improvement of viability against heat (only 1.35 % to 6.83 % reduction at 72 °C). L. gasseri showed a higher stability against environmental conditions. Finally, BSG-stabilized DEGs can be considered for increasing the viability of probiotic in functional foods.

ABSTRACT: The effects of partial or full replacement of margarine by alginate/whey protein isolate-based olive oil emulgel on nutritional, physicochemical, mechanical, and rheological properties of processed cheese (PC) were investigated in this work. All formulated samples had the same amount of total fat, DM, and pH. According to the results of the fatty acids profile, the PC sample in which the margarine was fully replaced by the emulgel (EPC100) had the highest (49.84%) oleic acid content and showed a reduction of 23.7% in SFA compared with the control sample (EPC0; formulated just with margarine). In addition, EPC0 had the highest hardness among various cheese samples, which was also confirmed by its compact microstructure. Dynamic oscillatory measurements revealed that EPC100 had the highest crossover strain (or resistance to deformation). The high rigidity of this sample was related to the 3-dimensional structure of emulgel. According to the creep test results, EPC100 showed the lowest relative recovery (flowability). A high temperature dependency of viscoelastic moduli was observed in EPC0 at 42°C. No significant differences were observed between the color attributes and sensory properties of the various cheese samples. Alginate/whey protein isolate-based olive oil emulgel can be considered as a healthy margarine replacer in PC.

Abstract Introduction The outbreak of cardiovascular disease (CVD) augments with age. Gut dysbiosis can worsen or initiate systemic disorders such as metabolic diseases and CVDs. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the effect of kefir fortified with Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R017 on CVD risk factors in the elderly population. The subjects of this study were selected from the Motahari Clinic in Shiraz, Iran. Method This study was a double-blind, randomized, and controlled clinical trial that was conducted on 67 elderly people who were randomly divided into two groups: the fortified kefir group (n = 32), which received one bottle of fortified kefir (240 cc), and the placebo group (n = 35), which received one bottle of regular kefir for eight weeks. To analyze the data, SPSS software was applied. Results After eight weeks, significant differences were seen in atherogenic and Castell’s risk index I between the fortified and regular groups (p = 0.048 and p = 0.048, respectively). No significant differences were found in Castelli’s risk index II, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), non-HDL-C, TG-cholesterol index, and fasting blood sugar by comparing the two groups. Conclusion Our investigation demonstrated that fortified kefir with probiotics did not significantly affect lipid profiles. Still, it could significantly affect some indices, including Castelli’s risk index I and atherogenic index. More studies are required to confirm the findings and mechanisms of probiotics’ effect on CVD risk factors. Trial number The present registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20130227012628N3) at 2023-02-21.

Abstract The purpose of this work was to study the ability of nineteen food-grade microorganisms as Pickering emulsion (PE) stabilizers. Medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT) oil-in-water (50:50) PEs were fabricated by 10 wt% or 15 wt% of thermally-inactivated yeast, cocci, Bacillus spp. and lactobacilli cells. The characteristics of microorganisms related to “Pickering stabilization” including morphology, surface charge, interfacial tension, and “contact angle” were firstly studied. After that, the cells-stabilized PEs were characterized from both kinetic and thermodynamic viewpoints, microstructure and rheological properties. The interfacial tension and “contact angle” values of various microorganisms ranged from 16.33 to 38.31 mN/m, and from 15° to 106°, respectively. The mean droplet size of PEs ranged from 11.51 to 57.69 µm. Generally, the physical stability of cell-stabilized PEs followed this order: lactobacilli > Bacillus spp. > cocci > yeast. These variations were attributed to the morphology and cell wall composition. Increasing the microorganism concentration significantly increased the physical stability of PEs from a maximum of 12 days at 10 wt% to 35 days at 15 wt% as a result of better interface coverage. Shear-thinning and dominant elastic behaviors were observed in PEs. Physical stability was affected by the free energy of detachment. Therefore, food-grade microorganisms are suggested for stabilizing PEs.

Abstract Background Virus-like particles are an interesting vector platform for vaccine development. Particularly, Hepatitis B virus core antigen has been used as a promising VLP platform. It is highly expressed in different recombinant expression systems, such as E. coli, and self-assembled in vitro. It effectively improves the immunogenicity of foreign antigenic epitopes on its surface. Various foreign antigens from bacteria, viruses, and protozoa can be genetically inserted into such nanoparticles. The effective immunogenicity due to VLP vaccines has been reported. However, no research has been performed on the SARS-CoV2 vaccine within this unique platform through genetic engineering. Considering the high yield of target proteins, low cost of production, and feasibility of scaling up, E. coli is an outstanding expression platform to develop such vaccines. Therefore, in this investigation, we planned to study and develop a unique HBc VLP-based vaccine against SARS-Cov2 utilizing the E. coli expression system due to its importance. Results Insertion of the selected epitope was done into the major immunodominant region (MIR) of truncated (149 residues) hepatitis B core capsid protein. The chimeric protein was constructed in PET28a+ and expressed through the bacterial E. coli BL21 expression system. However, the protein was expressed in inclusion body forms and extracted following urea denaturation from the insoluble phase. Following the extraction, the vaccine protein was purified using Ni2 + iminodiacetic acid (IDA) affinity chromatography. SDS-PAGE and western blotting were used to confirm the protein expression. Regarding the denaturation step, the unavoidable refolding process was carried out, so that the chimeric VLP reassembled in native conformation. Based on the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, the HBC VLP was successfully assembled. Confirming the assembled chimeric VLP, we explored the immunogenic effectivity of the vaccine through mice immunization with two-dose vaccination with and without adjuvant. The utilization of adjuvant was suggested to assess the effect of adjuvant on improving the immune elicitation of chimeric VLP-based vaccine. Immunization analysis based on anti-spike specific IgG antibody showed a significant increase in antibody production in harvested serum from immunized mice with HBc-VLP harboring antigenic epitope compared to HBc-VLP- and PBS-injected mice. Conclusions The results approved the successful production and the effectiveness of the vaccine in terms of humoral IgG antibody production. Therefore, this platform can be considered a promising strategy for developing safe and reasonable vaccines; however, more complementary immunological evaluations are needed.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of intelligent pH-sensitive composite film based on gelatin and Persian gum incorporated with purple carrot extract (PCE) on the freshness of wrapped mozzarella cheese. In this regard, the color, pH, yeast and mold count of control and treatments wrapped with intelligent pH-sensitive composite film during 60 days were evaluated. The results showed that the pH significantly reduced in wrapped cheese with and without PCE (control) samples during storage. However, this reduction was more pronounced in the control sample (P

In this work, Enterococcus faecium, the specific spoilage organism responsible for bloating spoilage of sliced vacuum-packed cured emulsion-type sausage, was isolated and identified through molecular and biochemical techniques, and then the antibacterial activities of savory-loaded nanoemulsion (SNE), savory-loaded emulsion (SE), peppermint-loaded nanoemulsion (PNE), and peppermint-loaded emulsion (PE) were investigated against spoilage microorganisms. Nanoemulsions with average particle sizes in the range of 109.27 to 118.55 nm were developed by sonication and remained more stable than emulsion samples for 2 weeks. Regardless of emulsion type, the highest antimicrobial activity was detected for savory-loaded samples. Moreover, the significant enhancements in the antimicrobial activity of SNE compared to SE were confirmed by increasing the inhibition zone diameter (17.6%) and decreasing MIC (50%) and MBC (50%) due to the higher specific surface area of smaller droplets. The TEM and SEM micrographs confirmed the inhibitory effects of SNE due to the significant changes in the cell wall integrity of Enterococcus faecium.

The work investigated a taste contrast strategy to reduce the salt content in burgers by a novel design of water in gelled oil in water double emulsion (DE) as an animal fat replacer. Oleogelation reduced the particle size and improved emulsion viscosity, resulting in more emulsion stability than conventional DE. Moreover, oil gelation enhanced the encapsulation efficiency of salt. The partial substitution of the optimized DE incorporating salt within the W1 and cinnamaldehyde within the oil phase with animal fat in the burger successfully reduced salt content by up to 25% while maintaining the desired level of saltiness. The presence of cinnamaldehyde also increased oxidative stability and decreased color changes during storage. The replacement of DE and oleogel in burgers diminished cooking loss, while negatively affected the textural properties. Therefore, further optimization of this strategy could lead to healthier food formulations with reduced fat and salt content.

Background and objective: Nowadays, novel biotechnological methods are preferred for flavoring productions since traditional methods include disadvantages. The aim of this study was to assess in situ biosynthesis of natural fruity flavors in fermented milks using microbial co-cultures and lipase enzyme. Materials and methods: Trans esterification of milk fats with ethanol was carried out to develop fruity flavors in ultra-high-temperature whole milks using lipase of Palatase coupled with ethanol fermentation. Kluyveromyces marxianus NCYC 1425 was used to produce in situ ethanol in co-cultures with Lactobacillus fermentum PCC or Lactobacillus paracasei L26. Effects of co-culturing on cell viability and fermentation progress were assessed using enumeration of viable cells and measurement of pH in samples at 0, 24 (Palatase addition) and 48 h (end of fermentation). Headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography (SPME)-MS/FID was used for ester, ethanol and free fatty acid analyses at the beginning and end of the fermentation. Standard curve of ethanol was used to assess the products in terms of being Halal. Results and conclusion: Kluyveromyces marxianus included synergistic effects on Lactobacillus paracasei growth as well as antagonistic effects on Lactobacillus fermentum growth. Antimicrobial effects were seen in Kluyveromyces marxianus-Lactobacillus paracasei co-cultures when Palatase was added. Palatase significantly increased ester levels of the fermented samples. The co-cultures did not include significant differences in shorter chain ester levels (esters of 4-7 carbon chain fatty acids); in contrast, Kluyveromyces marxianus- Lactobacillus fermentum resulted in higher levels of longer chain esters. Although the Kluyveromyces marxianus cultures resulted in higher ester levels compared to that its co-cultures did, the cultures can be used as appropriate adjunct cultures with Lactobacillus cultures to boost flavor ester synthesis. This flavor synthesis can be an appropriate alternative for artificial flavoring agents.

Abstract Background The development of effective nutritional supports for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) is still challenging. This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of daily consumption of fortified whey on inflammation, muscle mass, functionality, and quality of life in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Methods A single-blind, randomized trial study was performed on patients with COPD (n = 46). Participants in the intervention group (n = 23) daily received 250 ml of whey beverage fortified with magnesium and vitamin C for 8 weeks. Any changes in inflammatory cytokines (including interleukin- 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNFα)) were the primary outcomes and the secondary outcomes were fat-free mass, handgrip strength, malnutrition, glutathione and malondialdehyde serum concentrations, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Body composition and muscle strength were measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) and hydraulic hand dynamometer, respectively. Fat-free mass index (FFMI) was also calculated. Results At the end of the study, 44 patients were analyzed. There were significant decreases in IL-6 concentrations in the intervention group compared to the control group. Also, FFMI, body protein, and handgrip strength increased significantly in the intervention group with significant changes between two groups. Moreover, improvement in health-related quality of life was observed in the intervention group compared to the control group. There were no significant changes in other study variables. Conclusions This novel nutritional intervention decreased inflammatory cytokines levels, improved indices of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength, and ultimately, increased HRQoL in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Thus, it is suggested to do further studies to assess the effects of nutrition intervention on COPD progression. Trial registration IR.SUMS.REC.1396.85 ( https://www.irct.ir/ ).

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is known for its outstanding ability to produce ethanol in industry. Underlying the dynamics of gene expression in S. cerevisiae in response to fermentation could provide informative results, required for the establishment of any ethanol production improvement program. Thus, representing a new approach, this study was conducted to identify the discriminative genes between improved and repressed ethanol production as well as clarifying the molecular responses to this process through mining the transcriptomic data. The significant differential expression probe sets were extracted from available microarray datasets related to yeast fermentation performance. To identify the most effective probe sets contributing to discriminate ethanol content, 11 machine learning algorithms from RapidMiner were employed. Further analysis including pathway enrichment and regulatory analysis were performed on discriminative probe sets. Besides, the decision tree models were constructed, the performance of each model was evaluated and the roots were identified. Based on the results, 171 probe sets were identified by at least 5 attribute weighting algorithms (AWAs) and 17 roots were recognized with 100% performance Some of the top ranked presets were found to be involved in carbohydrate metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and ethanol fermentation. Principal component analysis (PCA) and heatmap clustering validated the top-ranked selective probe sets. In addition, the top-ranked genes were validated based on GSE78759 and GSE5185 dataset. From all discriminative probe sets, OLI1 and CYC3 were identified as the roots with the best performance, demonstrated by the most weighting algorithms and linked to top two significant enriched pathways including porphyrin biosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation. ADH5 and PDA1 were also recognized as differential top-ranked genes that contribute to ethanol production. According to the regulatory clustering analysis, Tup1 has a significant effect on the top-ranked target genes CYC3 and ADH5 genes. This study provides a basic understanding of the S. cerevisiae cell molecular mechanism and responses to two different medium conditions (Mg2+ and Cu2+) during the fermentation process.

The main objective of this research was to evaluate the partial replacement of cholesterol (CSL) with vitamin D3 (VD3) on the niosome structure. The effects of different molar ratios of Span 60 (SP60) : Tween 60 (TW60) and CSL : VD3 were investigated on the physicochemical characteristics of niosomes, including particle size, span (distribution width), stability, and encapsulation efficiency of VD3. The data were then optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Larger particles were obtained as the ratios of SP60 : TW60 and CSL : VD3 were increased. The smallest particles were obtained at SP60 : TW60 and CSL : VD3 ratios of 40.46 : 59.54 and 38.06 : 61.94, respectively. Increasing the ratio of SP60 : TW60 led to higher values of span. As CSL : VD3 ratio was increased from 0 : 100 to 67.67 : 32.32, value of the span was decreased; however, increasing this ratio further led to the increased value of the span. The lowest values of the span were observed at SP60 : TW60 and CSL : VD3 ratios of 67.90 : 32.10 and 72.41 : 27.59, respectively. The increase in the SP60 : TW60 ratio led to lower values of encapsulation efficiency. The highest values for encapsulation efficiency were observed at ratios of 31.76 : 68.24 and 40.02 : 59.98 for SP60 : TW60 and CSL : VD3, respectively. The highest stability was observed at SP60 : TW60 and CSL : VD3 ratios of 31.72 : 68.28 and 14.65 : 85.35, respectively. The optimum conditions were achieved at ratios of 31.72 : 68.28 and 49.37 : 50.63 for SP60 : TW60 and CSL : VD3, respectively. Finally, it can be concluded that VD3 is a suitable replacement for CSL in terms of stability and encapsulation efficiency of niosome.

The purpose of this work was to first investigate the impact of cold plasma (CP) treatment, performed at various times (0–30 min), on the characteristics of basil seed gum (BSG), as well as the fabrication of functional edible films with the modified BSG. FT-IR spectra of CP-treated BSG revealed change at 1596 and 1718 cm−1, indicating the formation of carbonyl groups. Both untreated and CP-modified BSG dispersions showed shear-thinning behavior with a higher apparent viscosity for the CP-modified dispersions at studied temperatures. Untreated BSG dispersion and the one treated by CP for 10 min revealed time-independent behavior, while those treated for 20 and 30 min showed a rheopectic behavior. CP-modified BSG dispersion had higher G′, G″, and complex viscosity than untreated BSG. Higher contact angle for the CP-modified BSG suggested enhanced hydrophobic nature, while the surface tension was lower compared to the untreated BSG. SEM micrographs revealed an increase in the surface roughness of treated samples. Moreover, modified BSG was successfully used for the preparation of edible film incorporating tannic acid and vitamin D3-loaded nanophytosomes with high stability during storage compared to the free form addition. The stability of encapsulated forms of vitamin D3 and tannic acid was 39.77% and 38.91%, more than that of free forms, respectively. In conclusion, CP is an appropriate technique for modifying the properties of BSG and fabrication of functional edible films.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are a class of structures formed by the self-assembly of viral capsid protein subunits and contain no infective viral genetic material. The Hepatitis B core (HBc) antigen is capable of assembling into VLPs that can elicit strong immune responses and has been licensed as a commercial vaccine against Hepatitis B. The HBc VLPs have also been employed as a platform for the presentation of foreign epitopes to the immune system and have been used to develop vaccines against, for example, influenza A and Foot-and-mouth disease. Plant expression systems are rapid, scalable and safe, and are capable of providing correct post-translational modifications and reducing upstream production costs. The production of HBc-based virus-like particles in plants would thus greatly increase the efficiency of vaccine production. This review investigates the application of plant-based HBc VLP as a platform for vaccine production.

Wheat germ has been recognized as an economical source of high-quality plant proteins and bioactive compounds for food fortification. Thus, it can be used for valorization of food products as a feasible strategy to enhance the nutritional quality and reduce wheat milling waste. In this research roasted wheat germ (RG) was added in formulation of egg-free milk pudding to enhance its nutritional value and the effects of RG particle size (125, 210 and 354 μm) and quantity (0.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10%) on the quality, nutritional and sensory properties of the resulting pudding were investigated. Reducing the particle size of RG significantly altered its chemical composition but had no significant effect on its antioxidant activity. Increasing the level of RG in the pudding, reduced pH and syneresis while increased dry matter content, hardness, cohesiveness and gumminess of the product. The quantity of RG had more effects on physicochemical properties of the puddings than changing the particle size. Based on the sensory evaluation results, the most acceptable sample was obtained by addition of 7.5% RG with a particle size of 125 μm.

Electrospraying, freeze and spray drying were used to microencapsulate Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 in whey protein isolate (WPI), whey protein isolate + inulin (WPI + IN) or whey protein isolate + inulin + Persian gum (WPI + IN + PG) matrixes. Physical properties, survivability, cell injuries and resistance to simulated gastrointestinal condition of L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469 microcapsules were examined. Cell damage evaluation showed that electrospray was more injurious to L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469 cells in comparison with other two methods, also Persian gum had the most protecting effect against cell damaging agents. The viability of encapsulated cells decreased from 10.60-10.97 log cfu/g in the first week to 8.72–10.78 log cfu/g in the last week of storage. Freeze drying and electrospraying showed the lowest and highest loss in cell survival during storage, respectively. Results showed the superiority of freeze-dried microcapsules to prolong L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469 survival when exposed to digestive system conditions.

Background: Whey protein can improve quality of life and vitamin E can reduce oxidative stress. Due to the reduced quality of life in hemodialysis patients, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of whey beverage fortified with vitamin E on quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Methods: Ninety two 17 to 65 years old patients who were on hemodialysis were randomly assigned to four groups of (i) 1 receiving whey beverage fortified with vitamin E, (ii) 2 receiving whey beverage, (iii) 3 receiving vitamin E, and (iv) 4 as the control group receiving no intervention. SF- 12 questionnaire was used for assessing quality of life in the participants. Results: Bodily pain score improved significantly in group 3 while, a significant decline was seen for bodily pain in control group. An improvement was seen in groups 1 and 2. Physical health showed a significant improvement in group 1. Considering social functioning scores, improvement in whey beverage and vitamin E groups was seen. An improvement of quality of life in whey beverage fortified with vitamin E was noticed. Conclusion: Whey protein and vitamin E were shown to reduce oxidative stress and their effect on neurotransmitters in brain such as serotonin and dopamine leads to improvement in quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Doing longer studies with questionnaires such as SF-36, may help precise investigation of whey protein and vitamin E effects on quality of life of hemodialysis patients.

Abstract Background Cadmium is a heavy metal that causes oxidative stress and has toxic effects in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of two probiotics along with a prebiotic in preventing the toxic effects of cadmium in rats. Methods Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups namely control, cadmium only, cadmium along with Lactobacillus plantarum (1 × 109 CFU/day) and inulin (5% of feedstuff) and cadmium along with Bacillus coagulans (1 × 109 spore/day) and inulin (5% of feedstuff). Cadmium treated groups received 200 μg/rat/day CdCl2 administered by gavage. During the 42-day experimental period, they were weighed weekly. For evaluation of changes in oxidative stress, the levels of some biochemicals and enzymes of serum including SOD, GPX, MDA, AST, ALT, total bilirubin, BUN and creatinine, and also SOD level of livers were measured at day 21 and 42 of treatment. The cadmium content of kidney and liver was determined by using atomic absorption mass spectrophotometry. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan’s post hoc test. Results Treatment of cadmium induced rats with synbiotic diets significantly improved the liver enzymes and biochemical parameters that decreased AST, ALT, total bilirubin, BUN and metal accumulation in the liver and kidney and increased body weight, serum and liver SOD values in comparison with the cadmium-treated group. No significant differences were observed with MDA and GPX values between all groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions This study showed that synbiotic diets containing probiotics (L. plantarum and B. coagulans) in combination with the prebiotic (inulin) can reduce the level of cadmium in the liver and kidney, preventing their damage and recover antioxidant enzymes in acute cadmium poisoning in rat.

The present research aimed to produce Fruit Feta-type cheese and investigate the effects of pomegranate juice on the manufacturing process and characterization of Feta-type cheese during storage. In order to produce Feta-type cheese with pomegranate juice, part of the milk was replaced with pomegranate juice. Therefore, it was necessary to produce Feta-type cheese with whey-less method, which is a good substitute for ultrafiltrated cheese. Initially, whey-less Feta-type cheese was produced. The formula was optimized based on the physicochemical characteristics of the marketed ultrafiltrated Feta cheeses. At the optimal point, the amount of cream, MPC, WPC, and fresh milk were 45.6, 11.7, 2.7, and 40%, respectively. Whey-less Feta-type cheese with these ratios was produced and the effects of different levels of pomegranate juice (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%) on its physicochemical, textural, microbial, and sensorial properties during 60 days of storage were studied. The results showed that pomegranate juice increased acidity, total phenol, anthocyanin, DPPH inhibition, and a∗value, and reduced the pH, peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid (TBA), proteolysis, lipolysis, and L∗ and b∗ values. Adding pomegranate juice to cheese reduced all of the textural indices except the adhesiveness. Sensory evaluation of the samples showed that the sample containing 20% of pomegranate juice had a higher score and was selected as the best sample.

Background: Probiotics have been considered as an approach to addressing the consequences of different inflammatory disorders. The spore-forming probiotic strain Bacillus coagulans has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects in both animals and humans. The prebiotic inulin also potentially affects the immune system as a result of the change in the composition or fermentation profile of the gastrointestinal microbiota. Objective: In the present study, an in vivo model was conducted to investigate the possible influences of probiotic B. coagulans and prebiotic inulin, both in combination and/or separately, on the downregulation of immune responses and the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using arthritis-induced rat model. Design: Forty-eight healthy male Wistar rats were randomly categorized into six experimental groups as follows: 1) control: normal healthy rats fed with standard diet, 2) disease control (RA): arthritis-induced rats fed with standard diet, 3) prebiotic (PRE): RA+ 5% w/w long-chain inulin, 4) probiotic (PRO): RA+ 109 spores/day B. coagulans by orogastric gavage, 5) synbiotic (SYN): RA+ 5% w/w long-chain inulin and 109 spores/day B. coagulans, and 6) treatment control: (INDO): RA+ 3 mg/kg/day indomethacin by orogastric gavage. Feeding with the listed diets started on day 0 and continued to the end of study. On day 14, rats were injected with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) to induce arthritis. Arthritis activity was evaluated by the biochemical parameters and paw thickness. Biochemical assay for fibrinogen (Fn), serum amyloid A (SAA), and TNF-α and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (α1 AGp) was performed on day 21, 28, and 35 (7, 14 and 21 days post RA induction), respectively. Results: Pretreatment with PRE, PRO, and SYN diets significantly inhibits SAA and Fn production in arthritic rats (P < 0.001). A significant decrease in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, was seen in the PRE, PRO, and SYN groups (P < 0.001), which was similar to the anti-inflammatory effect of indomethacin. Furthermore, no significant anti-inflammatory effects were observed following different treatments using α1 AGp as an RA indicator. Pretreatment with all supplied diets significantly inhibited the development of paw swelling induced by CFA (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the oral intake of probiotic B. coagulans and prebiotic inulin can improve the biochemical and clinical parameters of induced RA in rat.

Food fortification is one of the most important processes for improvement of the nutrients quality and quantity in food. It can be a very cost effective public health intervention. Due to the high consumption rate of dairy products such as yogurt, fortification of these products will effectively reduce or prevent diseases associated with nutritional deficiencies. The aim of this investigation is to study the technical aspects involved in production of different types of fortified yogurts and their role in disease prevention and correction of deficiencies. In this paper, firstly, fortification is defined and the main reasons behind carrying out this process are presented and then yogurt production process and a variety of minerals, vitamins, and functional ingredients which are used in the process are briefly discussed.

In this study, the oxidative stability of beef burgers incorporated with Shirazi thyme, cinnamon, and rosemary extracts was compared with that of BHT-incorporated and antioxidant-free samples. The chemical composition, TBARS, metmyoglobin, pH, color, and microbial and sensory characteristics were evaluated during storage at −18°C for 2 months. The results indicated that Shirazi thyme and cinnamon extracts did not change the colorimetric properties significantly (P BHT > Shirazi thyme > rosemary > control. Finally, the results showed that these plant extracts can be utilized as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants in formulation of burgers.

Background: Tiri bread is one of the oldest known bread types in the Middle East. It is single layer, unleavened, soft, and flat traditional bread baked at home. Dry bread has a long shelf life if stored appropriately at room temperature, but a fresh bread gets moldy with off-flavor 3-4 days after baking. This study has assessed physicochemical properties and microbial storage stability of Tiri bread as traditional flat bread in Iran.Methods: Twenty samples of fresh home-baked Tiri bread were examined for their physicochemical characteristics and shelf life stability at 4°C and 25°C. Their most common spoiling factors, morphological and molecular attributes were investigated. The breads were assumed unhealthy for consumption when the first sign of mold strains appeared.Results: The thickness (0.4-0.9 mm), water activity (0.82-0.90), moisture content (18.08-24.13%), salt content (1.59-3.24%), pH (5.75-5.95), and total titrable acidity (2.00-2.90 mL;0.1 N NaOH) were determined. The shelf life of fresh Tiri bread was 10 and 4 days at 4°C and 25°C, respectively. The main factors limiting the shelf life of these breads were appearance of mold as well as development of an off-odor. The most common isolated species were Aspergillus niger (31.38%), A. flavus (16.12%), A. tubingensis (15.12%), A. awamori (12.10%), A. ochraceus (10.14%), and Penicilliumcorylophilum (16.26%).Conclusion: As some types of fungi produce harmful toxins which may trigger allergic reactions and can cause harmful infections, it is vital to set out principles concerning safety and health during production and storage of these breads to pay attention to the production and storage conditions of Tiri bread to inhibit mold growth.