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Summary: Coffee grinding generates electrostatically charged particles, causing clumping, spark discharge, and beyond. When brewing, the particle aggregates affect liquid-solid surface accessibility, leading to variable extraction quality. Here, we study four charge mitigation strategies. De-electrification is readily achieved by adding small amounts of water to whole beans or by bombarding the grounds with ions produced from a high-voltage ionizer. While these techniques helped reduce visible mess, only water inclusion was found to impact coffee extracts prepared as espresso. Wetting whole beans with less than 0.05 mL/g resulted in a marked shift in particle size distribution, by preventing clump formation and preventing fine particles from sticking to the grinder. This particle size shift results in at least a 15% higher coffee concentration for espresso extracts prepared from darker roasts. These findings encourage the widespread implementation of water use to de-electrify coffee during grinding with the benefit of increased coffee extraction efficiency.

Summary: Compared to traditional methods, using machine learning to assess or predict the odor of molecules can save costs in various aspects. Our research aims to collect molecules with coffee odor and summarize the regularity of these molecules, ultimately creating a binary classifier that can determine whether a molecule has a coffee odor. In this study, a total of 371 coffee-odor molecules and 9,700 non-coffee-odor molecules were collected. The Knowledge-guided Pre-training of Graph Transformer (KPGT), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), multi-layer perceptron (MLP), and message-passing neural networks (MPNN) were used to train the data. The model with the best performance was selected as the basis of the predictor. The prediction accuracy value of the KPGT model exceeded 0.84 and the predictor has been deployed as a webserver PredCoffee.

Food industry is increasingly using functional ingredients to improve the food product quality. Lipid-containing functional ingredients are important sources of nutrients. This review examines the current state of emulsification and stabilisation technologies for incorporating lipophilic functional ingredients into food systems. Lipophilic functional ingredients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids, and fat-soluble vitamins, offer numerous health benefits but present challenges due to their limited solubility in water-based food matrices. Emulsification techniques enable the dispersion of these ingredients in aqueous environments, facilitating their inclusion in a variety of food products. This review highlights recent advances in food emulsion formulation, emulsification methods and stabilisation techniques which, together, improve the stability and bioavailability of lipophilic compounds. The role of various emulsifiers, stabilizers, and encapsulation materials in enhancing the functionality of these ingredients is also explored. Furthermore, the review discusses different stabilisation techniques which can yield in emulsion in a solid or liquid state. By providing a comprehensive overview of current technologies, this review aims to guide future research and application in the development of functional foods enriched with lipophilic ingredients.

As technology advances in the field of food sciences, the sensory experience of food consumption remains complex and influenced by various factors. Traditional consumer testing, often conducted in isolated booth environments, presents challenges in terms of construct validity and user engagement for perception formation. The growing accessibility and sophistication of virtual reality (VR) technology offer a promising avenue for research. This study focuses on the assessment of a virtual sensory laboratory, seamlessly integrating traditional sensory practices into the virtual realm to explore disparities in consumer responses, especially in sensory analysis. The virtual laboratory, designed for compatibility with VR gear, closely resembles a sensory booth. The virtual environment enables the researchers to change the visual clues of the products being tested as well as the surroundings (e.g., colors, furniture, or even the environment). Additionally, the level of immersion can be enhanced by playing any type of music, if needed. One crucial question is to assess the opinions of the participants, if they feel comfortable in the created environment. Specific participant numbers are omitted, and the study engages participants. The success of this initiative could signify a substantial advance in analysis and cost savings, adding a layer of significance to the study's potential impact on optimizing research practices. The study lays the groundwork for optimal VR practices and anticipates further exploration with immersive elements to deepen our understanding of how virtual reality influences consumer behaviour in food selection compared to traditional sensory methods.

Summary: The efficient conversion of CO2 is considered to be an important step toward carbon emissions peak and carbon neutrality. Presently, great efforts have been devoted to the study of efficient nanocatalysts, electrolytic cell, and electrolytes to achieve high reactivity and selectivity in the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to mono- and multi-carbon (C2+) compounds. However, there are very few reviews focusing on highly reactive and selective ethylene production and application in the field of electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR). Ethylene is a class of multi-carbon compounds that are widely applied in industrial, ecological, and agricultural fields. This review focuses especially on the convertibility of CO2 reduction to generate ethylene technology in practical applications and provides a detailed summary of the latest technologies for the efficient production of ethylene by CO2RR and suggests the potential application of CO2RR systems in food science to further expand the application market of CO2RR for ethylene production.

Insects are an alternative source of human and animal food that not only have nutritional characteristics and important bioactive compounds, but also can help reduce the impact of chronic non-communicable diseases; thus, derivatives from insects are a great contribution to the food and pharmaceutical industry. The aim of the present work was to highlight the chemical composition, main bioactive compounds, and anti-nutritional factors present in some insects and their applications as raw materials in the food and pharmaceutical industry through the analysis of different studies. Results indicated that entomophagy was included in the diet of many regions in the world and that it is going to become a significant component in the food industry. It was also found that bioactive compounds with potential functional properties within the chemical composition of insects such as an appropriate digestibility between 54 % and 86 %, peptides between 35 % and 77 % and other nutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates that can be a great contribution to nutrition and reduce the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. Global agencies are of the opinion that edible insects are the viable option to over the food scarcity. However, use of food matrices from insects raises safety issues, such as anti-nutritional factors allergenicity and capacity to harbor toxins such as oxalates, tannins, alkaloids, phytates and saponins or pathogens and heavy metal. Insights presented in this work are useful to insect business (such as farmers, producers of edible insect products and consultants), researchers, and policy makers. Such insights can be an initiative for insect food companies in many ways, such as to forge collaborations with different bodies (researchers, peoples, government), improve perception of insect consumption, promote market acceptance, identify new and native edible insect species, make ecologically sustainable insect food companies, produce nutritious and delicious insect-based foods, etc.

This work aimed to evaluate the physicochemical changes during the roasting process of Robusta and Arabica coffee. The highest content of total phenolics was detected in roasted coffee at temperatures of 135 °C/20.20 min, 210 °C/9.02 min, 210 °C/11.01 min, and 220 °C/13.47 min for both species. Robusta coffee showed greater antioxidant activity compared to Arabica coffee, except for the profiles at 230 °C/17.43 min and 275 °C/7.46 min that did not differ between samples by the DPPH and FRAP methods. For Arabica coffee, the antioxidant activity was independent of the roasting profile used. Robusta coffee presented higher values of the indexes b* (intensity of yellow vs blue), c* (chroma) and hue, being characterized as lighter and with greater chroma and hue. The highest levels of caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA) were observed in Robusta coffee. Arabica coffee had lower trigonelline values. Caffeic acid and hydroxymethylfurfural were identified only in Robusta coffee. However, the results provided solid knowledge for the design of general properties and chemical compounds generated from binomials of roasting time and temperature that are little used in the world market.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and modern quality management systems have a significant impact on public health in the food industry. These systems ensure that food products are safe for consumption by identifying and managing potential hazards at every stage of the production process. To stimulate ongoing studies in both developing and underexplored areas of inquiry, this research synthesizes and organizes the contributions made in this field. It examines more than 40 years of studies from Scopus data base on HACCP and modern quality management systems in the food industry using the VOSviewer software version 1.6.18 (Leiden University, The Netherlands) and bibliometrix R-package. This represents, to the authors’ knowledge, the first bibliometric analysis undergone in this direction. The graphical framework demonstrates the highest developments in research and the literature review investigates barriers and opportunities of implementing HACCP in food industry organizations. Findings indicate that until the beginning of the 1990s, there was not a large number of scientific production in the field of HACCP and modern quality management systems in the food industry. The USA were the most prolific affiliation terms of scientific production until 2012, when studies from Italy, the United Kingdom, China and Greece intensified. Currently, the most prolific country in terms of publications is Italy. In terms of global cooperation, the United Kingdom, The United States and The Netherlands represent most active nations on this topic Motor themes that reflect the main interest of the researchers include food diseases, quality control, hazards or food supply. The study also provides future research directions regarding food quality and safety management. These should be focused on improving the safety, quality, and sustainability of food products, while also adapting to changing consumer demands, emerging risks, and regulatory requirements.

Refined wheat flour commonly used in making crackers biscuits is rich in starch but low in protein and fibre. This study investigated the effect of adding different levels of lemon basil (LBP) and scent leaf powders (SLP) and cashew kernel flour (CKF) incorporation in crackers biscuits on the nutritional, phytochemical, physical and sensory properties. Seven formulations of crackers biscuits were prepared by mixing LBP and SLP in the ratio of 1.0%, 2.5% and 5.0%, respectively and 20% CKF with wheat flour. The result showed that the ash, crude protein, fat and crude fibre content of the enriched crackers was significantly (p 0.05) effect on the height and weight of the crackers. The control crackers scored highest for overall acceptability and this was followed closely by the crackers enriched with 2.5% LBP and 1.0% SLP. Nutritious and acceptable crackers could thus be produced with 1.0% SLP and 2.5% LBP incorporation.

Summary: Snakebite affects more than 1.8 million people annually. Factors explaining snakebite variability include farmers’ behaviors, snake ecology and climate. One unstudied issue is how farmers’ adaptation to novel climates affect their health. Here we examined potential impacts of adaptation on snakebite using individual-based simulations, focusing on strategies meant to counteract major crop yield decline because of changing rainfall in Sri Lanka. For rubber cropping, adaptation led to a 33% increase in snakebite incidence per farmer work hour because of work during risky months, but a 17% decrease in total annual snakebites because of decreased labor in plantations overall. Rice farming adaptation decreased snakebites by 16%, because of shifting labor towards safer months, whereas tea adaptation led to a general increase. These results indicate that adaptation could have both a positive and negative effect, potentially intensified by ENSO. Our research highlights the need for assessing adaptation strategies for potential health maladaptations.

Summary: Tailoring medical models to the right person or risk subgroups delivered at the right time is important in personalized medicine/prevention initiatives. The CIRCA-CHEM randomized 2x2 crossover pilot trial investigated whether the consumption of fruits/vegetables within a time-restricted daily window would affect urinary biomarkers of exposure to neonicotinoids (6-chloronicotinic acid, 6-CN) and pyrethroids (3-phenoxybenzoic acid, 3-PBA) pesticides, a biomarker of oxidative damage (4-hydroxynonenal, 4-HNE) and the associated urinary NMR metabolome. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) in both creatinine-adjusted 6-CN and 3-PBA levels was observed between the two-time dietary intervention windows (morning vs. evening). In the evening intervention period, pesticides biomarker levels were higher compared to the baseline, whereas in the morning period, pesticide levels remained unchanged. Positive associations were observed between pesticides and 4-HNE suggesting a diurnal chrono-window of pesticide toxicity. The discovery of a chronotoxicity window associated with chrono-disrupted metabolism of food contaminants may find use in personalized medicine initiatives.

Summary: Cultivated meat is a promising technology with the potential to mitigate the ethical and environmental issues associated with traditional meat. Fat plays a key role in the meat flavor; therefore, development of suitable adipogenic protocols for livestock is essential. The traditional adipogenic cocktail containing IBMX, dexamethasone, insulin and rosiglitazone is not food-compatible. Here, we demonstrate that of the four inducers only insulin and rosiglitazone are necessary in both serum-free (DMAD) and serum-containing media, with DMAD outperforming FBS. Two glucocorticoid receptor activators, progesterone and hydrocortisone, found in DMAD and FBS, affect differentiation homogeneity, without playing an essential role in activating adipogenic genes. Importantly, this protocol leads to mature adipocytes in 3D culture. This was demonstrated in both media types and in four species: ruminant and monogastric. We therefore propose a simplified one-step adipogenic protocol which, given the replacement of rosiglitazone by a food-compatible PPARγ agonist, is suitable for making cultivated fat.

Genipin, a precursor of dietary blue pigment, is a promising alternative for industrial applications in food and health. Due to its ability to simultaneously satisfy biosafety requirements and provide crosslinking effects, genipin has attracted considerable attention for food and biomedical applications. In this review, we attempt to shed light on the progress in genipin research using scientometrics. Based on this scientometric discovery, we reviewed the use of genipin-crosslinked films for fruit packaging in food science. Genipin-crosslinked hydrogels used for drug delivery include natural, chemical, and protein delivery systems. Genipin-crosslinked hydrogels for tissue engineering primarily include materials used for tissue regeneration and repair. Genipin-crosslinked hydrogels are used in wound dressings and wound closure. This review provides a scientometric perspective to facilitate future research and development of genipin for food science, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and wound healing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Summary: Mushroom cultivation is a sustainable agricultural waste utilization method, but the lack of high-value utilization of the produced spent mushroom substrate (SMS) has hindered the development of mushroom cultivation-based circular agricultural systems. Conversion and utilization of SMS via Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PBL) have proven to be a high-value AASMS utilization strategy. However, Auricularia auricula SMS (AASMS), which contains woodchips, is less palatable and digestible for PBL. To solve this problem, in this investigation, we screened out microflora (MF) for AASMS fermentation by comparing the fermentation performance as well as the effect on PBL feed intake, weight gain, and AASMS phytotoxic compound removal efficiency. In addition, by bacterial community analysis, the genera Luteimonas, Moheibacter, and Pseudoxanthomonas were predicted to be functional bacteria for AASMS fermentation and contribute to palatability and digestibility improvement.

Ability of plants to prevent degenerative diseases is based on the biological activities of their bioactive components. Bioactive components are more biologically available for the body to utilize when the plant undergo processing which aid their potential in treatment and management of several chronic diseases like diabetes. Thus, the present study evaluated the effect of processing (cooking and roasting) on antioxidant activity and blood glucose reduction potential of Malabar Chestnut Seeds (MCSs) in Streptozotocin (STZ) Induced Diabetic Rats. Fresh MCSs were divided into three portion. First portion were cooked at 100 °C for 20 min (Cooked), second portion were roasted at 200 °C for 40 min (Roasted) while, the last portion were used as fresh MCSs (Raw). Rattus norvegicus were obtained and grouped in number of 5 rats per sample. The antioxidant activities assay shows that processing (cooking and roasting) enhanced free radical scavenging ability of MCSs samples against DPPH which ranged from 41.27% in raw to 58.77% in roasted. Glycemic index of cooked and roasted MCSs (42.29% and 37.77%) were also observed to be lower than 44.78% obtained in raw MCSs. Low density lipoprotein concentration (99.74 and 86.78 mg/dl) of rats fed on processed (cooked and roasted) MCSs samples shows ameliorating potential compared with 113.01 mg/dl obtained in rats induced with STZ and fed with Chow only. Highest blood glucose level reduction potential (73.90%) was obtained in roasted MCSs followed by cooked MCSs (70.09%). These values were higher than 0.43% and 67.45% obtained in STZ induced rats fed on chow and acarbose (2.0 mg/day) respectively. The study established that processing of MCSs enhanced free radical scavenging abilities, lower glycemic index (

Gastronomy is a unique field of science that helps us to better understand indigenous varieties of food and cuisines. With the advancement in the field of science, diverged concepts evolved from gastronomy, and food is also viewed from the perspective of personalized nutrition with a soft matter approach. Breaking through the science behind every food product, food scientists and gastronomy chefs engaged themselves with various kinds of ingredients and equipment, not only from the kitchen but also from the laboratory. Several structuring techniques such as gelation, spherification, micronization, 3D food printing, encapsulation, micronization, texturization, and sous vide have been discoursed in this review, providing a detailed discussion on the possibilities of these structuring methods for customized nutrition. Thus, an understanding of the gastronomic experience linked with various structured products, and the need for research to meet better-tailored nutrition is on the rise.

In response to the increased popularity of medicinal plants, a number of conservation groups are recommending the investigation on poorly characterized and widely distributed species, as it is the case of camellias. In particular, Camellia japonica L. is a widespread species found in Galicia (NW Spain), where it has been largely exploited with ornamental purposes. Recent findings on its phytochemical characterization showed thousands of bioactive ingredients, mostly represented by phenolic compounds, together with terpenoids, and fatty acids. These molecules present associated biological activities, acting as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer agents. This review is aimed at describing the main bioactive compounds of C. japonica, as well as the health-enhancing properties attributed to this medicinal plant. Novel strategies are needed to implement an efficient industrialization process for C. japonica, ranging from small-scale approaches to the establishment of large plantations, thus involving important sectors, such as the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Summary: The bioaccumulation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs), known as dioxins, in fatty meat is one of primary pathways of entry into the human body, but levels of human exposure to dioxins in fatty meat subject to global trade are unknown. We show high dioxin estimated dietary intake (EDI) via pork consumption in Europe, the United States, and China, owing to stronger dioxin environmental contamination and high pork consumption in these countries. The dioxin risk transfer embodied in pork trade is mostly significant in high-latitude countries and regions of Canada, Russia, and Greenland because these regions with low dioxin environmental levels import large amounts of pork meat from more severely dioxin-contaminated Europe and the United States. We demonstrate that global pig feed trading decreases the exposure of pork consumers to dioxins via the import of feed from countries with low dioxin environmental contamination by pig breeding countries.

Food is essential to provide energy for human cellular metabolism, and is usually made from plants or animals. Beside plants and animals, other important food sources are made by microorganisms, typically products of fermentation (e.g bread, wine, beer, soy sauce, etc). Nowadays, because of the increasing environmental pollution, climate change and population growth, is becoming challenging to keep the food supply safe, nutritious and sustainable. Importantly, the development of the synthetic biology field enable the engineering of cells that can be used in food manufacturing. These engineered cells can transform renewable raw materials into important food components, functional food additives and nutritional chemicals. This review discusses the major challenges in food industry and how synthetic biology has the potential to revolutionize the future of the food. Finally, the prospects and challenges of synthetic biology for a sustainable food manufacturing are discussed.

The effect of malting and fermentation on colour, thermal properties, level of crystallinity and functional groups of Agrigreen, Babala pearl millet cultivars and sorghum flours were studied using response surface methodology. The central composite rotatable design was performed on two independent variables in terms of malting and fermentation time at intervals of 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively using design expert software. One-way analysis of variance at p < 0.05, regression analysis, response surface plots for interactions between malting and fermentation processing times with response variables were recorded. The results indicated that malting and fermentation times have significant effects on the thermal and colour properties as well as the level of crystallinity and functional groups of pearl millet cultivars and sorghum flours. In terms of colour, sorghum exhibited high content in L∗ at 72.02–73.72, a∗ ranged from 2.50-3.30 and chrome at 13.10–14.82, while Babala flour was high in b∗ and hue at 12.15–14.27 and 73.00–84.80, respectively. In terms of thermal properties, sorghum was noticed to be high in melting peak at 87.57–104.83 °C, 102.66–111.14 °C for end completion and gelatinisation range at 10.70–25.79 °C, whereas, Babala recorded high values in onset and enthalpy at 93.20–100.11 and 5.72–21.62 J/g, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that malted and fermented Agrigreen, Babala and sorghum flour showed peaks in OH, carbonyl, amide and C–O bonding. The optimal processing time for the colour of Agrigreen was 50.69 h (malting) and 39.38 h (fermentation), Babala was 54.40 h (malting) and 65.30 h (fermentation); and sorghum was 49.90 h (malting) and 54.61 h (fermentation). While the optimal malting and fermentation time for thermal properties for Agrigreen was 45.78 h and 42.60 h; Babala was 40.94 h and 29.07 h and sorghum was 34.83 h and 36.33 h, respectively with product quality at the desirability of 1.00. X-ray diffractogram results of the optimum processing points of the thermal properties showed that malted and fermented Agrigreen, Babala and sorghum flour showed high peak intensities, while the unprocessed flour exhibited diffused peaks. The obtained results would assist food processing companies to improve the colour and thermal properties and also the behaviour of the crystallinity and functional groups in food during processing.

Laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) is a plant species from Lauraceae family, and is native to the Mediterranean region. The goal of this study was to compare chemical composition of laurel leaves and antibacterial activity of its essential oil (EO) from wild-grown trees in Greece and Georgia. The laurel leaves from the two native habitats had dissimilar concentrations of phenolic acids. Of the conjugated flavonols and flavons, kaempferol (1981.3 μg/g) and apigenin (1433.6 μg/g) were the major representatives in the leaves from Greece, while luteolin (839.1 μg/g) and kaempferol (688.1 μg/g) were the major ones in the leaves from Georgia, respectively. The EO content was 1.42% and 4.54% in the leaves from Greece and Georgia, respectively. The main EO constituents of the Greek laurel plants were 1,8-cineole (30.8%), α-terpinyl acetate (14.9%), α-terpineol (8.0%), sabinene (7.9%), and terpinen-4-ol (6.0%). The main EO constituents of the Georgian laurel plants were 1,8-cineole (29.2%), α-terpinyl acetate (22.6%), sabinene (12.2%), and methyleugenol (8.1%). The EO antimicrobial activities against 20 microorganisms were determined. Among the Gram-positive bacteria, the Enterococcus faecalis strain was the most sensitive, followed by Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538. Among the Candida species, C. albicans ATCC 10231 was the most sensitive to the laurel leaf EOs.

During the burning of the organic material (firewood) in the drying, combustion may occur incompletely, thus generating smoke contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the furnaces. This study aimed to identify possible contamination by PAHs in soybean grains from storage units in municipalities in the Midwest region that have undergone drying in a direct-fired furnace with firewood as fuel. The soybean grains were collected in different municipalities of the Midwest region of Brazil, totaling 22 samples. A survey of possible contamination of soybean grains by PAHs was carried out using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with three replicates, and the data were subjected to analysis of variance, with means compared by Tukey test. The sum of the groups was: PAH4 - 1.45 μg kg−1 for Edéia (2), PAH8 - 2.97 μg kg−1 for Catalão (19) and PAHT - 5.06 μg kg−1 for Edéia (2); for benzo(a)pyrene, the sum was below 2.0 μg kg−1, not exceeded by the value of 0.64 μg kg−1 for Edéia (1). The values found of PAHs did not exceed the maximum limits established by the European Union, except for infant food.

Oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and shear stress (physical effect) are risk factors associated with the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Rice bran, a by-product of rice milling process, is known to house polyphenols and vitamins which exhibit potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Through recent emerging knowledge of rice bran in health and wellness, the present study was aimed to assess the ameliorative effects of rice bran extracts (RBE) derived from Japanese colored rice varieties in modulating risk factors of atherosclerosis via in vitro and in vivo study models. Pre-treatment of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine J774A.1 macrophage-like cells with RBE alleviated nitric oxide (NO) overproduction and downregulated gene expressions of pro-inflammatory modulators: tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-α (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-6, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). In addition, RBE also significantly attenuated LPS-stimulated protein expressions of iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1α, and IL-6 in J774A.1 macrophage-like cells as compared to non-treated LPS control group. In in vivo, 12 weeks of RBE dietary supplementations significantly reduced (p < 0.05) total cholesterol, triglycerides, and pro-atherogenic oxidized LDL/β2-glycoprotein I (oxLDL/β2GPI) complexes at plasma levels, in high fat diet (HFD) induced low density lipoprotein receptor knockout (Ldlr−/-) mice. En face pathological assessments of murine aortas also revealed significant reductions by 38% (p < 0.05) in plaque sizes of RBE-supplemented HFD mice groups as compared to non RBE-supplemented HFD control mice group. Moreover, gene expressions of aortic (iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1β) and hepatic (TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β) pro-inflammatory modulators were also downregulated in RBE-supplemented mice groups. Present study has revealed the potent health attributes and application of RBE as a dietary supplement to attenuate risks of inadvertent oxidative damage and chronic inflammation underlying the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Intrinsically, present preliminary findings may provide global health prospects for future dietary implementation of RBE in management of atherosclerosis.

Successful restoration of over exploited species (Asparagus racemosus) depends upon variability, conservation and cultivation. Twelve elite accessions were characterized for fifteen quantitative and qualitative traits for sustainable cultivation and industrial uses. The evaluated accessions varied in morphology, herbage, root yield and shatavarin IV content. The accession DAR-7 was showing maximum herbage yield (1860 and 1850 g plant−1), fresh root weight (36.33 and 37.33 g plant−1), root girth (18.25 and 18.45 cm) and root yield (14.26 and 12.79 kg plant−1) in both the harvesting years. Shatavarin IV content in roots was maximum in DAR-14 (152.06 and 151.72 μg g−1), followed by DAR-28 (81.16 and 83.16 μg g−1). For economic yield accessions DAR-7, DAR-19, DAR-14, DAR-28 were found superior therefore, they may be further used in crop improvement program as valuable selection. In the cropping system they may act as a viable replacement of traditional crops viz., cumin, gram, cotton and groundnut. Asparagus cultivated under high density plantation ensured high economic return (Rs. 4.87 l ha−1year−1) with 3.66 B: C ratio, therefore, it could be considered a high returns substitute for traditional crops.

In this paper a study on the process of densification of oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) is presented. An empirical-statistical model that allows the evaluation of densification process is obtained through an experimental factorial design. The main purpose of the experimental arrangement is to find the appropriate reference values for the experimental factors - moisture content, fiber length and compaction time-with which optimal performance responses of briquettes are achieved. Statistical models are obtained that explain in an acceptable way the influence of independent experimental factors on the mechanical properties of briquettes, such as briquettes density, durability index and compressive strength. It is possible to conclude that briquettes manufactured with the appropriate reference values, moisture content of 8% w.b., fiber length of 73.6 mm and a compaction time of 26.6 s respectively, meet mechanical and thermal requirements that are required in the most representative standards for biomass briquettes for energy purposes. Results obtained in the current investigation can be used as reference for the design of an industrial pilot plant destined to the densification of EFB of African oil palm.

The present study focused on evaluating the effects of oral administration of three different concentrations of Yasmin® combined contraceptive pills (estrogen and progesterone) on reproductive hormones levels, histology of the ovotestis and rate of oviposition of E. vermiculata for two months using baits technique. The levels of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH), Estradiol (E2), Progesterone(PRG), Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and Testesterone (T) of treated snails were decreased with increasing the drug concentrations by percentages of -83.3%, -78.9%, - 59.6%,- 98.3 %, - 79.6 %, - 86.7% and 8.2%, respectively. Prolactin (PRL) level was significantly increased (86.9%) compared to control snails after 8 weeks of exposure. Histological investigations on the hermaphrodite glands of snails treated with 909 μg/gm. showed glandular hyperplasia, sloughing of germinal epithelium, acini sizes reduction, suppression of follicular growths, decreased luteinization and vasodilation. Male acini revealed histolytic of spermatogonia and mature sperms. The lowest concentration (303 μg/gm.) caused gradual decrease of the total egg counts that reach 50% at the 8th week of treatment. Higher doses (606 and 909 μg/gm.) resulted in dramatic dwindling of egg numbers and inspiring complete egg cessation at the 7th and 3rd weeks of treatments, respectively. The applications of combined contraceptive drugs as baits give promising results for controlling high population densities of E. vermiculata snails at Sharkia Governorate, Egypt.

The number of patients with insulin-resistant diabetes has significantly increased. Thus, alternative insulin mimetics are required for such patients. Some evidences indicate that ribosomal protein L10a (RpL10a) is involved in the insulin pathway. In addition, we previously demonstrated that recombinant RpL10a from Fenneropenaeus merguiensis (Fm-RpL10a) could stimulate cell proliferation and trehalose metabolism in RpL10a–over-expressing flies by inducing insulin receptor (InR) expression and some insulin signaling mediators phosphorylation. In this study, we investigated the in silico binding between Fm-RpL10a and InR. The results indicated that Fm-RpL10a bound to InR at residues 635–640 and 697–702 of the FnIII2 domain. This binding was confirmed using a pull-down and immunofluorescence assay. Further analysis indicated that Fm-RpL10a could stimulate glucose utilisation by insulin-resistant cells (IRCs) and healthy cells. Additionally, Fm-RpL10a at a low concentration (1 μg/ml) altered some glucose metabolism-related genes expression in Fm-RpL10a treated IRCs. The qRT-PCR result revealed the up-regulation of Hk1, which encode key enzymes in glycolysis. Conversely, the expression of G6pc3, which participates in gluconeogenesis, was down-regulated. Overall, the results suggest that Fm-RpL10a can alleviate insulin resistance by stimulating insulin signaling via the FnIII2 domain of InR and activate glycolysis. Therefore, Fm-RpL10a may be a candidate insulin mimetic for the treatment of diabetes.

African yam bean (AYB) is an underutilised legume indigenous to West and East Africa with nutritional content comparable to other commonly consumed legumes. The nutrient density of the crop makes it a viable food crop for ameliorating the challenges of malnutrition faced in many developing countries, via direct consumption or fortification and enrichment of less nutritious staples. This review summarises the current body of knowledge on the use of African yam bean as a viable enrichment and fortification crop. Proximate composition and nutritional quality of foods (breakfast diets, traditional foods, snacks and instant noodles) fortified, enriched and complemented with AYB were discussed. The phytochemical and antioxidant potential of the crop were also discussed. Future studies should focus more on awareness towards the deliberate commercialisation of the crop and elevation of its status into a widely - consumed food in all households across developing countries. Adequate experimental design for optimum quantity to be used in the enrichment and fortification of many staples to improve their acceptance among consumers should be put in place. Phytochemical extracts of the bean are also proposed for use in the development of functional foods to mitigate against many lifestyle diseases.

Plant co-products currently represent an attractive alternative to the food industry, especially to the growing market of development low-fat products. Among the co-products resulting from tropical fruits' processing, the cashew apple's fibre presents unusual nutritional and sensory characteristics. In several food preparations could use it as an ingredient. In this work, the bioactive compounds of both artisanal and industrialized cashew apple fibre were studied and the influence of the different cooking methods on their bioactive content, and the acceptance and sensory preference of products new plants-based products formulated. It was observed that both artisanal and industrial cashew apple fibres presented a rich composition in the bioactive compounds, especially regarding the content of ascorbic acid found in artisanal (147.8 mg.100g−1) and carotenoids in industrialized fibre (1.87 mg 100 g−1), which resulted in a higher antioxidant activity for both samples in each method evaluated. Frying (180 °C/3 min) and cooking in a combination oven (98 °C/10 min) exhibited higher averages regarding the retention of the bioactive compounds in the fibres, resulting in a higher antioxidant activity for the products processed by these methods.In contrast, it was boiling processing (100 °C/18min) leads to leach of water-soluble biocompounds and, consequently, their products presented a reduced antioxidant activity. The cashew apple “paçoca” and “meatballs” were judged in terms of their attributes (appearance, aroma, taste, overall impression) and buy intention. In general, the average of these results indicated a high sensorial acceptance and a partial possibility in their purchase of these products. The cashew apple fibres are a source of nutrients. Its incorporation in culinary preparations can be a friendly way to avoid waste and promote new food products.

Jambu, Acmella oleracea (L.), is a low-growing herb plant, with cylindrical, fleshy, decumbent and branched stem varying from 20 to 30 cm in height. It is an abundantly cultivated and consumed vegetable in the northern region of Brazil and usually consumed in preparations of typical foods of the Amazon region. So, this work aimed to compare the chemical composition and physical chemistry of powdered and jambu leaf mass. Acmella oleracea plants were selected, sanitized and their leaves were crushed (without adding water). The mass was dried in an oven with forced air circulation under different conditions of temperature (60, 70 and 80 °C) and relative humidity (13.09, 8.14 and 5.45%, respectively), in two layer thicknesses (0.5 and 1.0 cm). The physical, chemical, physicochemical parameters moisture content, water activity, ash, protein, lipids, pH, total titratable acidity and color were analyzed in powdered and fresh leaves. Contrast test was used to evaluate the interaction between the layer thicknesses at 5% level of significance. Considering the contrasts, the parameters total soluble solids, ash, protein and lipids do not differ from those in the fresh sample, demonstrating that these parameters are not modified or degraded with the drying conditions. The pH and color parameters differed from those of the fresh material, due to degradation, which can be linked to the rise in temperature sensitivity. The moisture content and water activity also differed and were reduced, contributing to conservation of the material. Contrast analysis made it possible to conclude that the physicochemical composition did not undergo modifications through the use of drying. In addition, a powdered material with reduced water activity was obtained.

The widest-spectrum, most-consumed β-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin (AMX) is used to treat bovine mastitis that is caused primarily by many bacteria. Excessive use of antibiotics can lead to established residual contamination of the milk even after pasteurization. The amount of antibiotic residue above Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) has a negative impact on both public health and the environment. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine the concentration of amoxicillin residue (AMXR) in raw and pasteurized milk samples of cow suffered from mastitis, by the standard methods of HPLC compared to pure AMX drug and effect of the said residue on the developmental toxicity and genotoxicity of zebra fish at 72 hpf and 48 hpf embryo, respectively. Results obtained by HPLC showed that AMXR exhibits 574.89 and 250.75 times higher concentration in the raw and pasteurized milk than MRL in compare to pure AMX drug. This current study showed that AMXR decreased the body length and yolk sac region, while the pure AMX drug-treated group showed increased height and length of the yolk sac and shorter body length relative to the other groups. The Comet Assay measured the DNA damage caused by AMXR. The group where AMXR were applied showed the highest percentage of tail DNA and tail moment relative to other groups. So, here AMXR is considered as the genotoxic contaminant that is emerging and affect on public health.

The functional renal epithelium is composed of differentiated and polarized tubular cells with a strong actin cortex and specialized cell-cell junctions. If, under pathological conditions, these cells have to resist higher kidney osmolarity, they need to activate diverse mechanisms to survive external nephrotoxic agents such as inflammation and oxidative stress. Wine pomace polyphenols exert protective effects on renal cells. In this study, two wine-pomace products and their protective effects upon promotion and preservation of normal cell differentiation and attenuation of oxalate-induced type II epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) are evaluated. Treatment with gastrointestinal and colonic bioavailable fractions from red (rWPP) and white (wWPP) wine pomaces, both in the presence and the absence of oxalate, showed similar cell numbers and nuclear size than the non-treated differentiated MDCK cells. Immunofluorescence analysis showed the reduction of morphological changes and the preservation of cellular junctions for the rWPP and wWPP pre-treatment of cells exposed to oxalate injury. Hence, both rWPP and wWPP attenuated oxalate type II EMT in MDCK cells that conserved their epithelial morphology and cellular junctions through the antioxidant activities of grape pomace polyphenols.

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of ozone washing (maximum concentration 3.5 mgL-1- 5 and 15 min) on Botrytis cinerea decay, physicochemical parameters, bioactive compounds, in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity, and sensory properties of strawberries cv. Albion throughout refrigerated storage at 5 ± 1 °C. A 5 min long ozonation delayed the onset of B. cinerea infection by 4 days, and significantly reduced its incidence as storage progressed (~17 % lesser than in control at day 8), without impairing physicochemical parameters or sensory quality. This treatment did not affect the antioxidant activity of strawberry extracts neither in in vitro (ORAC and ABTS assays) or in vivo assays using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. Higher ozone doses did not achieve greater reduction of B. cinerea decay throughout the storage period. This study demonstrated that exposing strawberries to a 5 min long aqueous ozone treatment could extend their storability at 5 °C.

The study was conducted to assess the present status of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) concerning the food safety and hygiene issues among fish farmers and food handlers in Noakhali, Bangladesh. Data were collected from 100 respondents (50 fish farmers and 50 food handlers) through face to face interviews. All the respondents agreed that training on hygiene practices was necessary and they were interested to attend training in their spare time. Food handlers (88%) agreed that raw foods must be kept separate from prepared foods and 68% of them believed that improper preservation of foods is harmful to health. About 52% of farmers used a face mask when spreading insecticides, fertilizers, and chemicals. Food handlers were wearing protective clothing (32%) and masks (12%) when touching and distributing unwrapped foods, however no handlers used a cap. A significant strong correlation coefficient (rs) was found between knowledge with attitudes, knowledge with practices and attitudes with practices of 0.73–0.99 among the three domains for fish farmers and food handlers. The correlation among the three levels was satisfactory, however, some food safety concepts and practices regarding hygiene were still insufficient. Therefore, an effective and appropriate training program on food safety and hygiene should be launched in a holistic approach for all fish farmers and food handlers to increase awareness and ensure safe food for consumers with a view to reducing the possibility of disease outbreak.

This research was intended to investigate the structural feature, antioxidative activity and interaction with β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) of a polysaccharide (P) isolated from Borassus flabellifer fruit thru aqueous extraction, protein elimination and chromatographic techniques. Polysaccharide P (molecular weight: 21,000 g mol−1) was constituted of arabinose, galactose, glucose, and rhamnose in a 50:24:20:6 M ratio alongside 9% (w/w) galacturonic acid. It encompassed a petite backbone entailing galacturonopyranosyl and rhamnopyranosyl units substituted with sizable side chains comprising of arabinofuranosyl, galactopyranosyl and esterified coumaric acid (CA) residues. Various series of oligosaccharides including (i) Gal1,2,4-9Ac5-29, (ii) Ara2-3Ac6-8, (iii) Gal3Ara1-3Ac13-17, (iv) Gal4-6Ara2Ac18-24, (v) Gal6Ara1Ac22 and (vi) Gal1Ara2CA1Ac7 and Gal1Ara3CA1Ac9 epitomizing polysaccharide structure were generated and characterised. Fraction P exhibited dose-dependent antioxidant activity and possessed a strong β-lactoglobulin binding capability. Accordingly, B. flabellifer fruit offers an antioxidative polysaccharide having novel structure that can associate with β-lg and, hence, useful in formulating novel food possessing adjustable composition.

This study evaluated the nutritional composition of Nigeria's lesser known legumes namely African breadfruit (Treculia africana), African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) seed, bambaranut (Vigna subterranean L.), red bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.), African oil bean (Pentaclethra mycrophylla Benth.) seed, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). The proximate composition, mineral content, fibre profile, fatty acid profile and amino acid compositions were evaluated using standard methods. The results showed that legume samples vary significantly (p < 0.05) in the chemical parameters evaluated. Groundnut, African oil bean seed and African breadfruit had significantly higher protein, carbohydrate, fat and ash contents than other legumes. Equally, groundnut, African oil bean and African breadfruit showed superiority in mineral and fibre abundance, while bambaranut had the lowest mineral and fibre contents. Linolenic acid is the most abundant fatty acid in all the legumes with values ranging from 38.78 – 84.57%. The percentage polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) for all the samples ranged from 40.15 – 48.97%. The total essential amino acids ranged from 24.11 – 66.67 mg/100 g. The range is considered adequate for ideal protein food. Therefore, lesser legumes evaluated can serve as alternative protein sources with good minerals, fibre, essential fatty and amino acids contents.

The effect of roasting conditions on some physicochemical characteristics of coffee beans as color, browning index, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), caffeine, phenolic acids, and antioxidant capacity were investigated. The thermostability of chlorogenic acid and caffeine was investigated using Arrhenius equation. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to reveal the relationship between the phenolic profiles, browning index, and the antioxidant capacity of coffee. Chlorogenic acid was the main phenolic compounds in coffee beans. It gradually decreased from 34.181 to 2.584 mg/g of sample during roasting at 220 °C for 40 min. Gallic acid, caffeic acid and HMF increased at the beginning of roasting time and decreased afterward. The antioxidant capacity of green coffee showed the highest antioxidant capacity. Two principal components, (PC1 and PC2) with eigenvalues 5.89 and 2.5 respectively, which demonstrated 93.35% of the total variance in the data set. Therefore, the paramount way to reserve a good level of phenolic compounds in parallel with a good taste is the roasting of coffee at 180 °C for 20 min or 220 °C at 10 min.

Biscuits are ready to eat and convenient food product consumed among all age groups in most countries. The objective is to evaluate utilisation of acha, malted BGN and date palm flour in gluten-free, sugar-free biscuits. Mixture design was used to establish the appropriate proportion of acha, malted BGN and date palm flours for consumer acceptable biscuit. The sensory, physical, proximate and microbial properties of the biscuits were determined. The linear mixture model for taste, flavor and overall acceptability significantly (p < 0.05) explained the effect of the components on the sensory quality of the biscuits with strong correlation coefficient ranging from 0.574 for flavor to 0.944 for taste. The adequate precision was greater than 4 and the lack of fit was not significant. Hence, the linear mixture model could be used to navigate the space. Significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) existed in color, taste, flavor, texture, crispiness and overall acceptability of the biscuits. The biscuit produced with 60:10:30 acha, malted BGN and date palm, respectively was most preferred with a mean of 7.3. There was no significant difference between the preferred biscuit and the control 60:10:30 acha, malted BGN and sugar, respectively in colour, taste, flavour, texture except in crispiness. The physical properties for the most preferred biscuit are weight 23.0 g, height 3.0 g, spread ratio 7.7 and break strength 750 g with fat 20.1%, protein 11.9%, ash 2.6%, moisture 1.2%, crude fibre 4.3% and carbohydrate 60.0%. The microbial count for the most acceptable sample ranged from 1.0x103to 4.0x103cfu/g for bacteria and 1.0x104to 5.0x104cfu/g for mold/yeast. Hence, acha, malted BGN and date palm flours could produce consumer acceptable gluten-free, sugar-free biscuits.

Unfavourable climatic conditions force Iranian beekeepers to translocate over large distances in the course of the year. However, irrespective of the main place of production, the honey is always labeled with the name of the beekeepers' hometown, which leads consequently to mislabeled products. The present study investigates the capability of DNA metabarcoding to locate the geographical origin of honey. The molecular markers (ITS2 and rbcL) allowed identification of 926 plant species in studied samples. A comprehensive review of floristic reference books specified 34 key species that could be used to successfully determine the geographical origin in 91.4% of samples. These key species were usually present in honey with tiny amounts and thus, conventional palynology might not be able to detect them. The present investigation indicates that although ITS2 is able to detect more species than rbcL, utilizing a combination of both markers provides more robust evidence of geographical origin.

Carbohydrate-digested rice (CDR) residue, the production waste of electrolyte drinks, contains high levels of proteins (approximately 50% of dry matter). Methods for effectively extracting protein from CDR were investigated in this study by comparing alkaline and enzymatic extraction. Alkaline extraction was performed using different concentrations of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Enzymatic extraction was performed with either commercial Alcalase® or Flavourzyme®. Protein recovery and solubility, and total soluble protein obtained via each method were compared to determine extraction effectiveness. In addition, extraction factors affecting protein recovery were adjusted to determine the optimal conditions for each method. Alcalase provided the maximum protein recovery (30.04%), while less protein recovery was achieved with 0.1 N NaOH (55 °C), 1 N NaOH (55 °C), and Flavourzyme. Although the protein recovery achieved by 0.1 N NaOH (27.43%) was close to that of the Alcalase method, protein solubility by extraction with 0.1 N NaOH was much lower (23.46%) than that achieved via the enzymatic method (100%). Hence, the total soluble protein resulting from Alcalase extraction was higher than that obtained using either of the alkaline methods. Consequently, Alcalase extraction was determined to be the most effective method for extracting protein from CDR.

Food intake and health are important component of agriculture. The contribution of these duo have a lot to say about the productivity of farmers in the nations of the world. The results presented here relied on data collected on households' food intake nutrition and health profile through multistage random sampling of 420 households selected from the Southwest, Nigeria using well-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics (percentage, frequency, mean) and inferential statistics (Logistic regression and Negative Binomial). The result shows that the farmers were ageing, given an average of (53 ± 11.44 years). The Logistic regression model of the effect of farming households food intake on health showed that gender of the households' head, marital states of the head, household food security and knowledge of nutrition significantly reduced the probability of reporting good health while the educational year(s) of the farmers, total cost of health and consumption of fruit increased it. In addition, the Negative Binomial Regression model, employed in the assessment of the effect of farming households' nutrition on health indicated that gender, marital status, and consumption of milk and total cost of health significantly increased day(s) incapacitated while the year(s) of education reduced it. It was therefore concluded that diversity of food intake among the farmers was low. Ageing, education and large household size among others, were also identified as major problem among the rural farmers. It was however recommended that considerable investment in human capital should be encouraged since food diversity and nutrition education enhances households’ food intake and health status.