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Ion channels present in the plasma membrane are responsible for integration and propagation of electric signals, which transmit information in nerve cells. Malfunction of these ion channels lead to many neurological diseases. Recently, optogenetic technology has gained a lot of attention for the manipulation of neuronal circuits. Optogenetics is a neuromodulation approach that has been developed to control neuronal functions and activities using light. The lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) absorbed lower energy photons in near-infrared (NIR) window and emitted higher energy photons in the visible spectrum region via nonlinear processes. In the last few decades, UCNPs have gained great attention in various bio-medical applications such as bio-imaging, drug delivery, optogenetics etc. The near-infrared illumination is considered more suitable for optogenetics application, due to its lower degree of light attenuation and higher tissue penetration compared to visible light. Therefore, UCNPs have been considered as the new promising candidates for optogenetics applications. Upconversion nanoparticle-mediated optogenetic systems provide a great opportunity to manipulate the ion channel in deep tissue. Herein, we summarized the upconversion photoluminescence in lanthanide doped nanomaterials; its mechanisms and several approaches adopted to tune emission color or enhance upconversion efficiency. Recent advances of lanthanide-doped UCNPs design strategy and their mechanism are analyzed. Then, we discussed the neural circuitry modulation using upconversion nanoparticles mediated optogenetics. Moreover, the future perspectives towards optogenetics are also included.

The low stability of polyphenols during gastrointestinal digestion affects their biotransformation and bioavailability in the human body. That in turn affects the therapeutic potential of black goji berry. Thus, the present study was conducted to explore the impact of digestion on the fate of polyphenols present in black goji berries. Black goji berries exhibit high levels of phenolics which were reduced during gastrointestinal digestion. The crude extract of goji berry exhibited potent antioxidant activity as accessed by DPPH (151.34 mmol TE/g), ABTS (202.89 mmol TE/g) and FRAP assay (64.43 mmol TE/g), which were reduced after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. However, the pronounced reduction was observed after in vivo intestinal digestion as determined by DPPH (23.23 mmol TE/g), ABTS (141.29 mmol TE/g) and FRAP assay (25.53 mmol TE/g). Furthermore, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS chromatograms revealed that the chemical structures of anthocyanins were stable during gastric digestion and significant alterations were observed during intestinal digestion.

Deep fried foods are popular among consumers due to their unique taste and texture. During the process of deep-frying, oil is subjected to a high temperature that results into the generation of harmful compounds. The repeated usage of frying oil is a common exercise and associated with various health hazards. Thus, determination of frying oil quality is a critical practice to follow. The chemical methods employed to determine the quality of frying oil are destructive and require large amount of harmful chemical, thus researchers are exploring the application of various vibrational spectroscopic techniques for this purpose. The first part of this review provides a detailed insight into fundamental theoretical aspects of two main vibrational spectroscopic techniques (infrared and Raman spectroscopy) and chemical alteration in frying oils under thermal stress. While in the following parts, the application of near-infrared (NIR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy for evaluating the quality of various frying oils and fats under thermal stress has been discussed. It is anticipated that this review paper can serve as a reference source for impending research in this field.

Essential oils (EOs) have recently gained popularity as natural food preservatives due to their potent antibacterial activity against food pathogens. In this review, the antibacterial activity of EOs from various plant parts and sources against the most important food pathogens Salmonella and Listeria have been discussed. The antibacterial activity of EOs is attributed to their major and minor low-molecular weight terpenes, terpenoids, phenylpropenes and aliphatic components. The major compounds along with minor components of EO extracted from different parts of various plant species were found to be responsible for antibacterial activity. The combination of EO from different sources presented synergistic anti-listerial and anti-salmonella effects. EO combined with biopolymer and in nanoemulsion form presented significant antibacterial activity. The mode of antibacterial action by EO was complex and involves a series of event that has also been discussed in detail.

Probiotics have been reported to exhibit various potential health and nutritional benefits. However, the efficient delivery of these probiotics to the intestine for the health benefit of the host i...

Wheatgrass juice is a low-acid functional drink extracted from white wheat seedlings. It is cherished by consumers due to its potent health benefits. The present study was conducted to develop and analyze wheatgrass juice from colored wheat lines to meet consumers increasing demand for a novel functional drink. The conventional lyophilized wheatgrass juice powder (WJLP) was found to contain significant chlorophyll content (0.3%), soluble phenolic content (0.6%), protein content (20%), moderate essential amino acid index (EAAI; 86%), high K (RDA; 11.6%) and antioxidant activity. Whereas, black WJLP had 564.2% higher anthocyanins, 30.5% higher chlorophyll, 87.5% higher soluble phenolic content, 10.2% higher proteins, 31.5% higher EAAI, and 112.5% higher antioxidant activity compared to white WJLP. Overall, the biochemical parameters of WJLP were increased in the order of white blue purple black. The findings indicate that a proper cultivar selection can improve the nutritional value of wheatgrass juice.

The application of Lamb waves is gaining attention in the scientific community for diagnosing defects in the thin-walled structures. The lamb waves have also been extensively employed in the aerospace, civil, and mechanical industries for detection of damage especially in the thin-walled plate or cylindrical structures. In the same direction, we have explored the application of Lamb waves in crack detection of chicken’s egg. Eggshell is primarily composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) stabilized by a protein matrix. This protein matrix provides mechanical strength to the CaCO3 layer. The eggshell damage while laying and transportation is a major problem faced by the poultry industry. Eggshell damage also results in major economic loss as the cracked eggs must be discarded while sorting and selling. The cracked eggshells have been identified manually which is a laborious and time-consuming process. Thus, for rapid and efficient detection of eggshell cracks various digital imaging-based algorithms, X-ray and gamma, optical transmission, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrical properties-based techniques have been developed. However, the application of Lamb waves for the detection of eggshell crack has not been explored till now. This is the first study that reports the application of Lamb waves for detecting cracks in the eggshell. This technique is economical compared to other available techniques. We have carried out finite element (FE) modelling and simulations on the chicken eggshells. In order to capture the wave passing through the shell, we have calculated the minimum element size requirement for a given FE mesh and the time increments required to capture the wave in the shell. The simulation results show the accurate detection of eggshell cracks. This technique has a great potential to be employed at an industrial scale for sorting of the cracked and intact eggs.

Background Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is acknowledged as a liquid gold. It is cherished for its unique aroma, flavour and health benefits. Due to its high demand and high cost, fraudsters deliberately blend low-cost poor quality edible oil with EVOO to get economic benefits. The consumption of adulterated EVOO leads to health and safety issue of consumers. Thus, the rapid, precise, accurate and up-to-date analytical methods are the prerequisite to detect EVOO adulteration. Scope and approach Various official chemical methods are available for the detection of common adulterants in EVOO. However, these procedures are laborious, time-consuming, employ toxic chemicals and expect sample preparation before analysis. Thus, researchers are extensively exploring rapid, precise and green analytical methods to detect and quantify adulteration in EVOO and the present review is focused on summarizing these analytical methods developed in the past few years. Key findings and conclusion Several techniques, such as chromatographic, spectroscopic, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), DNA analysis and digital imaging have been employed in this field. The chromatographic techniques are reported to be time-consuming, whereas chemometric analysis is required for data interpretation of vibrational spectroscopic techniques, while, DSC is observed to be a qualitative technique. However, DNA analysis was found to be an efficient technique to detect adulterants in EVOO. The currently used officially methods should be upgraded as they are reported to be less sensitive compared to the latest methods.

Micron technology is an emerging method that plays a key role in food and biomaterial industries. This technology reduces the particle size of biomaterial, which increases the surface to vo...

Honey is a natural sweetener produced by honey bees from the secretions of plants. Honey is well-known for its nutritional and medicinal values since prehistoric times. In the present study, 40 honey samples were collected from supermarkets in China. These samples were produced in China and also imported from other countries. These samples were explored for the detection of 16 phenolic acids and 14 flavonoids by employing high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Among the phenolic compounds explored, gallic acid (phenolic acid) and chrysin (flavonoid) were found to be the most dominant phenolic compounds. The phenolic profile of honey samples was greatly influenced by geographical location and floral sources. The classification of honey samples collected from various regions and floral sources (unifloral and multi-floral) were carried out using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and it was observed that certain phenolic compounds significantly contributed towards the classification of honey samples collected from various geographical origin and floral source. Thus, this systematic study provides a fundamental knowledge of honey quality for therapeutic product development.

"Diabesity" is the term to illustrate the interdependent relationship between obesity and diabetes. About 80% of the diabetic patients are diagnosed with obesity. Diabesity can be prevented by dietary interventions, especially by incorporating sufficient amount of resistant starch (RS). In the past few decades, RS has inspired the researchers due to its various health benefits. Differing from digestible starch, RS remains undigested in the small intestine, but in the large intestine, it is subjected to fermentation. This review intends to encapsulate the current information related to the dietary RS on diabetes and obesity. RS attenuate hyperglycemic, hyperinsulinemic and hyperlipidemic response in various subjects by restricting gluconeogenesis, bolstering glycogenesis, maintaining glucose and lipid homeostasis and ameliorating pancreatic dysfunction. Various food products were fortified with RS to enhance its dietary intake and were found to exhibit positive impact on human and animal models. This review identified and summarized the research gaps in the available literature.

Mung bean is a rich source of protein, carbohydrates and fiber content. It also exhibits a high level of antioxidant activity due to the presence of phenolic compounds. Aspergillus flavus and A. niger are the two major fungal strains associated with stored mung bean that lead to post-harvest losses of grains and also cause serious health risks to human beings. Thus there is a need to explore an economical decontamination method that can be used without affecting the biochemical parameters of grains.; Results: It was observed that infrared (IR) treatment of mung bean surface up to 70 °C for 5 min at an intensity of 0.299 kW m-2 led to complete visible inhibition of fungal growth. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that surface irregularities and physical disruption of spores coat are the major reasons behind the inactivation of IR-treated fungal spores. It was also reported that IR treatment up to 70 °C for 5 min does not cause any negative impact on the biochemical and physical properties of mung bean.; Conclusion: From the results of the present study, it was concluded that IR treatment at 70 °C for 5 min using an IR source having an intensity of 0.299 kW m-2 can be successfully used as a method of fungal decontamination. The fungal spore population was reduced (approximately 5.3 log10 CFU g-1 reductions) without significantly altering the biochemical and physical properties of grains. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

In China, peanut sprouts are popular among consumers as functional vegetables. This study reports the change in total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), monomeric anthocyanin content (MAC), vitamin C, trans-resveratrol content, antioxidant capacities, and phenolic profile of three different varieties of peanut during 8 days of germination. The TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacity of peanut samples were reduced and then increased with an increase in germination time. TFC values were highly correlated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values. MAC values of peanuts were first increased and then decreased during 8 days of germination. The TFC, DPPH, and FRAP values of germinated peanuts were lower compared to the non-germinated peanut. Germination of peanut samples enhanced the total phenolic acids and trans-resveratrol content, but the vitamin C content of peanut sprouts was lower than ungerminated peanuts.

In the present study, soymilk samples were prepared from 15 soybean varieties by employing dry method-raw slurry filtration (D-BAF), dry method-cooked slurry filtration (D-BBF), wet method-raw slurry filtration (W-BAF), and wet method-cooked slurry filtration (W-BBF). Different varieties of soybean and processing techniques were found to impose a significant impact on total phenolics, total flavonoids, phenolic acids, isoflavones and antioxidant capacity of soymilk samples. Overall, the soymilk prepared by W-BAF exhibited a higher level of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The soymilk samples prepared by W-BBF presented higher values for total flavonoid content and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay. The soymilk prepared by W-BBF presented higher subtotal values of phenolic acids. In comparison, the soymilk prepared by D-BAF exhibited high amount of total isoflavones followed by the soymilk processed by W-BAF. Overall, the wet method was found to be responsible for improved phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of soymilk sample.

In the present study, the impact of ultraviolet (UV)-C treatment and ultrafine grinding on the conversion of ergosterol to vitamin D

Edible flowers of ornamental plants are non-toxic flowers that have been used since ancient times for their nutritional and health benefits. These health benefits are attributed to their phytochemicals such as phenolic acids and flavonoids. These phytochemicals exert positive health effects on chronic diseases such as cancer, inflammation, and diabetes. This research paper is focused on the systematic investigation of free phenolic acids and flavonoids (including anthocyanins) present in 70 commonly consumed edible flowers collected from local parks and Qingping market of Guangzhou, China. The phenolic acids and flavonoids of flower samples were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector. The phenolic acids, flavones, flavonols, flavanones, and anthocyanins of different flower samples exhibit a wide range of variation. Gallic acid (1177.8–27717.2 μg/g), protocatechuic acid (66.7–9641.2 μg/g), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (43.6–1792.7 μg/g), quercitrin and hesperidin (49.9–14576.6 μg/g), and quercetin and luteolin (8.8–480.0 μg/g) were the predominant phenolic compounds in edible flowers samples under investigation. Anthocyanins were detected only in 14 kinds of flower samples and most of these flowers were of red or purple colour.

Intellectual property basically takes into consideration any creation or innovation which could be seen as a sort of asset or a physical property related to individual’s intellect. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) have been mainly categorized into four major areas including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and rights related to some unique design. IPR in the field of microbiology and more specifically for microorganisms is of paramount importance. Modern biotechnology includes microbiology and other allied fields including microbial biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, and food biotechnology. The advancements in life science disciplines with the evolution of microbial biotechnology, recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology, and genetic engineering have pressed policy makers to consider the engineered microorganisms and their products to be patentable. Any invention may lead to grant of a patent if the invention meets the standard criteria of being novel in itself or it has significant commercial applicability or industrial prospects. Whether microorganisms are patentable or not has still remained a question of debate, but the microbial products, metabolites, production processes, and techniques are very much patentable. In present scenario, native microorganisms are not patentable but genetically engineered ones, and having industrial importance can be considered to be patented subject to satisfying other regulations. Current chapter collectively describes various rights attributed to intellectual property in general and what are the prescribed guidelines related to microorganisms and their products for patent filing.

Nutritional and health-promoting properties of Tuber indicum are still unclear. In this study, total phenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) were determined by colorimetric methods; free phenolic acids, vitamin D2 and ergosterol content were determined by HPLC; antioxidant activity were evaluated using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays; in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by protease inhibitory assay. Our results indicated that geographical origin exhibits a significant impact on the nutritional and pharmaceutical properties of Tuber indicum. The samples collected from Sichuan present significant higher proteins (23.2 g/100 g dw), ash (6.38 g/100 g dw), 1,3:1,6-β-glucan (14.7 g/100 g dw) and ergosterol content (0.76 mg/g dw); whereas the samples collected from Yunnan present the highest amount of pectin (4.52 g/100 g dw), food energy (345.20 kcal/100 g dw), TPC (1.53 mg GAE/g dw), TFC (1.66 mg CAE/g dw) and the highest ABTS and DPPH values, and potent anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, the samples collected from Jilin presented the highest amount of total carbohydrate (51.7 g/100 g dw), reducing sugar (7.3 g/100 g dw) and total phenolic acids (66.76 μg/g dw). These results will enhance current knowledge about nutritional values, chemical compositions, and biological properties of T. indicum.

Summary Mung bean grains exhibit high level of antioxidant activity due the presence of phenolic compounds. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), in conjunction with chemometrics, was used to develop a rapid, nondestructive, chemical free and easy-to-use method to determine these compounds in sixty genotypes of mung bean. NIRS calibration curve with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as reference method was used to determine phenolic compounds (catechin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, t-ferulic acid, vitexin, isovitexin, myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol). It was observed that partial least square regression (PLSR) model in the wavelength range of 1600–2500 nm with standard normal variate (SNV) and linear baseline correction (LBC) as preprocessing techniques can measure phenolic compound accurately (R2 > 0.987) with root-mean-square error less than 1.82%. This study shows that NIRS along with chemometrics is an accurate method to estimate the phenolic compounds rapidly and nondestructively.

A fast method was developed for simultaneous detection and quantification of 12 phenolic compounds in mung bean, using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The method was optimized for mobile phase combination, elution gradient, detection wavelength, and solvent extraction. All the phenolic compounds (gallic acid, neochlorogenic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, t-ferulic acid, vitexin, isovitexin, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol) were eluted for 18 min and recovered within a limit as per International Council for Harmonization guidelines. The method showed good linearity with correlation coefficient of 0.998. The limit of detection and quantification of all the compounds ranges from 0.27 ± 0.01 to 3.65 ± 0.3µg/mL and 0.91 ± 0.1 to 12.17 ± 0.9µg/mL, respectively. Vitexin (28.10 ± 0.20 to 29.60 ± 0.6 mg/100 g raw material) and isovitexin (34.09 ± 0.14 to 36.83 ± 0.82 mg/100 g raw material) were the major phenolic compounds along with other phenolic compounds found in mung beans.

China is a major producer of various kinds of food legumes. Some of the under-utilized food legumes are consumed by the local society from different areas in China. The antioxidant capacity and phytochemical profile of these under-utilized food legumes haven&rsquo, t been investigated until now. In this study, colorimetric and high-performance liquid chromatography was employed to explore the antioxidant capacity and phytochemical profile of 21 under-utilized food legumes. Different legumes under investigation exhibit a wide range of variations in their total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC) and condensed tannins content (CTC). Among all the legume samples, the velvet bean from Hechi, Guangxi exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity while the white flat bean from Shangrao, Shanxi presented the least antioxidant capacity. Gallic acid was observed to be a major phenolic acid and its content in the velvet bean was significantly higher compared to the other legume samples explored in this study. The composition of flavonoids was different among all the legumes. Kaempferol was observed to be the most predominant flavonoid. The findings of this study will be beneficial for plant breeders, food scientists and consumers for the better selection of germplasm with a high level of phytochemicals that in turn possess maximum health benefits.

In the present study, the impact of ultraviolet (UV)-C treatment and ultrafine grinding on the conversion of ergosterol to vitamin D2, physiochemical properties, and antioxidant properties of shiitake and Jew’s ear was assessed. After exposure to UV-C, vitamin D2 contents of both the mushroom samples has increased significantly (p

Chemical compositions of mushrooms are greatly dependent on the geographical region, and also the different parts of the same mushroom have different chemical constitutions. Several chemical methods are employed for quality control of mushrooms. However, these methods are destructive, require skilled personnel and are time consuming. To overcome these limitations researchers are aiming for vibrational spectroscopic techniques. This review is focused on various studies related to the application of vibrational spectroscopy for classification, authentication and quality analysis of mushrooms. It was concluded that vibrational spectroscopy could be efficiently employed for assessing the quality, authenticity and geographical origin of the mushrooms. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy were the most explored, whereas, Raman spectroscopy is the least explored technique in this field. Compact and cost-effective spectrometers based on the selective wavelengths have to be designed and installed at commercial and industrial level for rapid quality control of mushrooms.

Mung bean is a rich source of protein, carbohydrates and fiber content. It also exhibits a high level of antioxidant activity due to the presence of phenolic compounds. Aspergillus flavus and A. niger are the two major fungal strains associated with stored mung bean that lead to post-harvest losses of grains and also cause serious health risks to human beings. Thus there is a need to explore an economical decontamination method that can be used without affecting the biochemical parameters of grains.It was observed that infrared (IR) treatment of mung bean surface up to 70 °C for 5 min at an intensity of 0.299 kW mFrom the results of the present study, it was concluded that IR treatment at 70 °C for 5 min using an IR source having an intensity of 0.299 kW m

β-glucan is a non-starch soluble polysaccharide widely present in yeast, mushrooms, bacteria, algae, barley, and oat. β-Glucan is regarded as a functional food ingredient due to its various health benefits. The high molecular weight (Mw) and high viscosity of β-glucan are responsible for its hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic properties. Thus, β-glucan is also used in the food industry for the production of functional food products. The inherent gel-forming property and high viscosity of β-glucan lead to the production of low-fat foods with improved textural properties. Various studies have reported the relationship between the molecular structure of β-glucan and its functionality. The structural characteristics of β-glucan, including specific glycosidic linkages, monosaccharide compositions, Mw, and chain conformation, were reported to affect its physiochemical and biological properties. Researchers have also reported some chemical, physical, and enzymatic treatments can successfully alter the molecular structure and functionalities of β-glucan. This review article attempts to review the available literature on the relationship of the molecular structure of β-glucan with its functionalities, and future perspectives in this area.

Infrared (IR) heating is often used for the treatment of liquid and solid foods. IR treatment is known to enhance their shelf life by reducing moisture content and inactivating the microorganisms. Mung bean (a type of pulse from India) is a short season crop; suffers maximum storage loss when compared to other legume grains. The losses are due to moisture and temperature movements. Drying of grains is an important post-harvest operation. IR drying is advantageous over the conventional drying methods. In this paper, the drying of mung bean is considered. An experimental setup is developed to obtain the required moisture and temperature profiles. The equivalent model is simulated using COMSOL multiphysics software and the percentage error between the experimental and simulated models is calculated. Results of numerical implementation are presented and possible further extensions are identified.