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Abstract This study was conducted to combine two physical (ultrasonic) and biological (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) methods to reduce heavy metals such as Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), and Lead (Pb) in rice, which is the most widely consumed grain. The concentrations of As, Cd, and Pb were found to be significantly affected after different treatments, were on uncooked rice samples (R1-R9): As R9 (2.05 ± 0.01) Cd R1, R3, R5, R8 (1.20 ± 0.01), Pb R6 (3.04 ± 0.173) (µgkg− 1) and in cooked rice samples were (C1-C10): As C10 (0.35 ± 0.27) Cd C9, C10 (1.00 ± 0.02), Pb C1 (3.52 ± 0.17) (µgkg− 1). The results showed that using ultrasound treatment combined with yeast (C10) had the greatest effect on reducing As among all treatments. In addition, C9, and C10 treatments were effective in reducing Cd concentration in cooked rice samples, and R6 treatment was effective in reducing Pb concentration in uncooked samples. The rice’s thermal qualities and specific textural traits were also affected by some or all of these treatments. The samples with modified particle sizes had the greatest sensory evaluation scores (C9). Moreover, sensory evaluation results showed that a specific treatment combining yeast and ultrasound (C3) maintained good sensory qualities and did not negatively affect the sensory qualities without sacrificing texture. Overall, this approach provides a promising method for the reduction of heavy metals in rice. A combination of biological and physical treatments can be used to reduce the heavy metals content (As, Cd, Pb) in rice. Stakeholders can use the aforementioned actions to optimize heavy metal content in the food chain, which requires the support of policymakers to promote public health.

With the rapid advances in ready-to-eat food products and the progress of food processing industries, concerns about food security and investigating food safety as well as sensory quality have intensified. Many food safety concerns are attributed to the toxic components, which can be produced during food processing as process-induced toxicants (PITs). The thermal processing of food (e.g., baking, cooking, grilling, roasting, and toasting) may lead to the formation of some highly hazardous PITs for humans and animals. These include acrolein, acrylamide, benzene, ethyl carbamate, chlorinated compounds, heterocyclic organic compounds (HOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), biogenic amines (BAs), N-nitrosamines, Maillard reaction products (MRPs), and several newly identified toxicants such as 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol. The occurrence of these contaminants is often accompanied by distinguishing odor, taste, and color. The severity of the sensory attributes can vary depending on the compound concentration. Knowledge about the biochemical and chemical mechanisms of PITs generation is necessary for expanding feasible approaches to limit and control their amounts in food products. This contribution introduces the most significant PITs, highlighting their formation mechanisms, impact on sensory characteristics of foods, analytical methods to detection, risk assessments, and food safety/adverse health effects of ultra-processed foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work aimed to optimise aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) removal from milk by magnetic inactivated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) adsorbent using response surface methodology (RSM). In this research, the ability of 5 strains of LAB was evaluated for AFM1 removal. Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which indicated the highest adsorption efficiency compared to other strains (p < 0.05), was selected. The obtained LAB was modified using Fe3O4 particles for the generation of magnetic inactivated LAB adsorbent, which was further characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. The results indicated that L. rhamnosus cells were successfully functionalised and modified by Fe3O4 particles. A central composite design (CCD) was applied to investigate the effect of variables including time (5–125 min), temperature (3–23°C), initial AFM1 concentration (0.1–2.1 μg L-1), and fat (0–3.6%) on AFM1 removal from milk using synthesised adsorbent. According to the RSM model, the optimal adsorption conditions for the second-order model were observed at 73.60 min, the temperature of 17.82°C, AFM1 concentration of 1.598 µg L−1, and fat content of 0.9% leading to the maximum removal efficiency of 56.92%. Hence, the magnetic inactivated LAB adsorbent synthesised using this approach can be an efficient easy-to-separate adsorbent in removing AFM1 from milk. The main functional groups involved in AFM1 removal were carboxyl, amide, and hydroxyl/amino groups. Moreover, the synthesised adsorbent had superparamagnetic behaviour and could be rapidly separated from aqueous solutions. In conclusion, the current study presented a novel method for the efficient adsorption of AFM1 to improve the safety figures of milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the chemical profile, cell‐based safety, antioxidant properties, antibacterial effect, and mode of action of Lactobacillus helveticus postbiotics (LHPs) against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and multidrug‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus. LHPs exhibited significant radical scavenging activity (83.59% ± 4.21% for Hydroxyl RSA; 98.33% ± 2.47% for DPPH; and 21.67% ± 2.79% for linoleic acid peroxidation inhibitory), and antibacterial action toward MDR S. aureus (inhibition zone (IZ): 32.76 mm; minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): 36.00 μg/mL; minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC): 45.00 μg/mL; minimal effective concentration (MEC): 25 mg/mL for whole milk, and 30 mg/mL for ground meat) and E. coli O157:H7 (IZ: 25.63 mm; MIC: 60.00 μg/mL; MBC: 90.00 μg/mL: MEC: 35 mg/mL for whole milk, and 45 mg/mL for ground meat) (p < 0.05). As an antimicrobial mode of action, significant alterations in the bacterial surface charge, membrane integrity, biofilm generation, auto‐aggregation ability, and swimming/sliding motility, along with the subsequent intracellular content leakage from MDR S. aureus and E. coli O157:H7, were detected after treatment with LHPs (p < 0.05). LHPs exerted a promoting influence on MV‐4‐11 macrophage cell viability, leading to a considerable increase in the functions of SOD and GSH‐Px in these cells. As well, LHPs caused a reduction in the production of NO and a drop in ROS levels (p < 0.05). Therefore, LHPs are a promising approach against MDR S. aureus and E. coli O157:H7 proliferations and have the capacity to be used in the food sector to combat safety issues caused by pathogenic microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhus coriaria L. is native to the Mediterranean Basin and is a useful plant for food and medical purposes. To the best of our knowledge, there is no comprehensive review of the chemical composition and biological activities of R. coriaria. The present review was conducted by systematically searching online databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE from the beginning of 2003 to September 2022. The inclusion criteria included articles published in English and evaluating the physical activity and chemical composition of sumac. Articles were searched by two independent researchers. The quality assessment of the articles was done based on a quality assessment checklist. A total of 30 studies were included, most of which were related to the countries of Turkey and Iran. The results of this systematic review showed that most of the studies were interventional and focused on the properties of the R. coriaria fruit instead of its leaves. Chemical compositions mentioned in the articles for R. coriaria included: proximate, mineral, fatty acid, vitamins, amino acids, and organic acids. The most biological activity of R. coriaria was related to antimicrobial (11 studies), antioxidant (7 studies), neuroprotective, and anticancer effects. antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties of this plant, make it a good candidate for pharmaceutical and food industries as well as human health-related purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic resistance is a significant public health issue, causing illnesses that were once easily treatable with antibiotics to develop into dangerous infections, leading to substantial disability and even death. To help fight this growing threat, scientists are developing new methods and techniques that play a crucial role in treating infections and preventing the inappropriate use of antibiotics. These effective therapeutic methods include phage therapies, quorum-sensing inhibitors, immunotherapeutics, predatory bacteria, antimicrobial adjuvants, haemofiltration, nanoantibiotics, microbiota transplantation, plant-derived antimicrobials, RNA therapy, vaccine development, and probiotics. As a result of the activity of probiotics in the intestine, compounds derived from the structure and metabolism of these bacteria are obtained, called postbiotics, which include multiple agents with various therapeutic applications, especially antimicrobial effects, by using different mechanisms. These compounds have been chosen in particular because they don't promote the spread of antibiotic resistance and don't include substances that can increase antibiotic resistance. This manuscript provides an overview of the novel approaches to preventing antibiotic resistance with emphasis on the various postbiotic metabolites derived from the gut beneficial microbes, their activities, recent related progressions in the food and medical fields, as well as concisely giving an insight into the new concept of postbiotics as "hyperpostbiotic" [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formulations of functional low‐calorie dairy dessert, enriched with inulin/polydextrose (as a starch substitute), and ginger/cinnamon extract (as a flavor component and natural antioxidants), were developed and optimized by the D‐optimal mixed design method. In the first stage, using the hedonic sensory evaluation and syneresis data, the optimal concentrations of inulin and polydextrose were obtained as 2.49% inulin and 1.51% polydextrose, respectively. The steady shear rheological test showed that the replacement of starch with inulin and polydextrose caused a decrease in apparent viscosity in all dessert samples. This decrease was higher in the samples containing polydextrose than those containing inulin. The replacement of starch with inulin and polydextrose also reduced the hysteresis loop area and thixotropic behavior. In the second stage, 0–0.4% of ginger and cinnamon extracts were added to the optimum sample and then the antioxidant and color properties of dessert samples were evaluated. The lightness (L*) Hunter parameter decreased by adding extracts and the samples containing cinnamon extract showed a higher a* parameter than the control and ginger‐incorporated samples. The result of the 2,2‐diphenyl 1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant assay showed that the antioxidant capacity of ginger extract was significantly higher than that of cinnamon extract. The half‐maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of dessert samples decreased by adding 0.4% cinnamon and ginger extracts from 88.30 mg/mL to 77.04 and 31.94 mg/mL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]