The utilisation of E. faecalis HZNU S1 as a probiotic is hindered by its sensitivity to gastrointestinal and storage environments. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to encapsulate E. faecalis HZNU S1 using alginate (ALG) and rice milk (RM) as encapsulating materials through the extrusion method. The resulting microbeads were characterised in terms of their size, encapsulation efficiency, and probiotic resistance under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, and also with regard to various storage conditions. The microbeads had a mean particle size of 1.60 ± 0.20 mm, and an encapsulation efficiency of 97.40%. The viability of free-state probiotics exposed to simulated gastric juice (SGJ) was found to be poor. After the treatment with SGJ under pH 2.0 and 2.5 for 1.0 h, the viability of encapsulated cells was found to be greater than 6.0 log CFU/g. Furthermore, encapsulation led to an enhancement in the viable rate of cells when incubated in bile salt solution. After exposure to bile salt solution (0.30%), the viable count entrapped cells significantly decreased from 10.01 to 6.92 log CFU/g after 1 h of exposure. The full release of entrapped cells was observed when exposed to simulated intestinal juice (SIJ) within 120 min. Furthermore, encapsulation also was able to improve the storage stability of probiotics. After 12 days of storage, viable counts of encapsulated cells were 9.1 and 6.3 log CFU/g at 4 and 25°C, respectively. Therefore, the present work suggested that encapsulating E. faecalis HZNU S1 within ALG/RM microbeads could enhance its survival during both gastric-intestinal tract and storage conditions.

Chlorophyll, the primary pigment responsible for the green colour of mint leaves (Mentha spicata L.), is highly sensitive to degradation during intensive drying processes, leading to significant colour loss. To address this issue, mint leaves were dried using a heat pump dryer under varying conditions of temperature (40, 50, 60, and 70°C) and relative humidity (10, 20, 30, and 40%). The experiments were designed and analysed using the response surface methodology (RSM) to evaluate the impact of drying conditions on the quality attributes of mint leaves. Various nutritional and functional parameters, including antioxidant capacity, were assessed. The results indicated that drying at a low temperature of 40°C, and low relative humidity of 10% preserved the best overall quality, making the dried leaves suitable for use in powder production. Additionally, a gradual decrease in antioxidant capacity was observed with increasing relative humidity, decreasing from 2.32 mg/L at 10% humidity to 1.76 mg/L at 40% humidity. These findings highlighted the importance of optimising drying conditions to maintain the functional quality of mint leaves during processing.

The absence of gluten in breadsticks reduces gas retention during leavening, resulting in inferior texture. This challenge can be mitigated by incorporating hydrocolloids or alternative protein sources. Chicken meat, a high-biological-value protein with low lipid content and a neutral organoleptic profile, enhances the nutritional quality and palatability of food products without significantly altering their original flavour. Therefore, the present work aimed to characterise gluten-free breadsticks incorporated with varying levels of chicken meat (0, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60%) as a protein source. Breadstick quality was evaluated through physical property analysis, proximate composition, porosity assessment, and sensory evaluation. Increasing chicken meat levels led to significant increases (p < 0.05) in moisture content, ash, protein content, hardness, bulk density, and yellowness, while lightness, redness, total colour difference, and porosity decreased significantly. Sensory evaluation indicated that chicken meat incorporation enhanced all sensory attributes up to 40% level, after which acceptability decreased. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed progressively pronounced V-type crystallinity peaks with higher meat content. In conclusion, chicken meat can be incorporated at levels up to 40% in gluten-free breadstick formulations to improve both physicochemical and sensory properties. These findings would support chicken meat as a promising functional protein source for developing high-protein, gluten-free baked products.

The present work investigated the effects of deacetylated konjac glucomannan (KGM) at varying concentrations (3.26, 2.38, and 1.42%) on the rheological, textural, and microstructural properties of keropok lekor restructured with reduced fish mince levels (50, 45, and 40%). Amplitude sweep tests revealed that all KGM-containing samples exhibited higher storage modulus (G’), loss modulus (G”), and critical strain (γcr) values than those of the control (70% fish mince). At 50% fish mince, samples with 3.26 and 2.38% KGM showed the highest γcr (2.54%), whereas samples with 1.42% KGM did not show significant structural improvement. A synergistic effect was observed at 45% fish mince with 3.26% KGM, yielding higher G’ and G” than the 50% fish mince formulation. Dynamic rheological and textural properties showed more significantly enhanced structural formation, particularly at higher fish mince and KGM concentrations. SEM imaging confirmed that higher fish mince levels resulted in more compact gel structures. At 40% fish mince, all formulations with varying KGM levels showed poor structural properties. Overall, KGM acted as effective filler, enhancing viscoelasticity and structure at 45 and 50% fish mince levels, with the 45% fish mince and 3.26% KGM formulation emerging as a promising option for reducing fish content without compromising quality.

Nisin is a bacteriocin that produces pores in the cell wall, and releases the intracellular material. The present work aimed to evaluate the cell lysis of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, by either adding nisin directly in the medium or by adding a nisin-producing bacteria, developed in two studies. The in vitro study assessed 19 strains of L. lactis for their ability to metabolise citrate and diacetyl, and their sensitivity to nisin and NaCl. In the in situ study, the effect of nisin on the cellular lysis of L. lactis during the ripening of Chihuahua cheese was analysed. Three different types of cheese were manufactured and monitored for 90 days: a control cheese made with a commercial dairy starter culture, a cheese made with a nisin-producing bacteria and nisin, and a cheese without nisin but made with nisin-producing bacteria. The in vitro study showed that ten out of 19 strains tested were resistant to the action of nisin, and nine were sensitive. It also revealed that different concentrations of NaCl influenced the lytic effect of nisin in L. lactis. The in situ study showed that cell lysis remained constant during the ripening of all cheeses.

Exogenous bioactive peptides (eBAPs) are short amino acid peptides that are released through enzymatic hydrolysis. These peptides are derived from various sources such as oysters, soybeans, eggs, and other foods. The eBAPs exhibit a range of biological activities. Recent studies have shown that eBAPs have the potential to alleviate and mitigate obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. These disorders include cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. In the present review, we have summarised the biological activities and production of eBAPs and their physiological regulatory functions in relation to obesity and obesity-related diseases. These findings would provide new insights and encourage further in-depth research on eBAPs.

The presence of Pseudomonas spp. in food poses a health concern due to their ability to grow during cold storage. Pseudomonas fluorescens and P. aeruginosa are two important species that cause food spoilage and foodborne illness, respectively. P. fluorescens is responsible for food spoilage due to secretion of protease and lipase enzymes, which cause off-odours, off-flavours, and rancidity, even under refrigeration storage. P. aeruginosa is recognised as opportunistic pathogens that causes illness in infected individuals. P. aeruginosa harbours multiple virulence factors that enable it to be a successful pathogen to cause infection in humans. Both of these bacteria commonly contaminate poultry products which cause quality and safety issues. They are capable of forming biofilm in food processing environments, and exhibit multiple antibiotic resistances. The biofilm formation enables these bacteria to persist in the environments, and contaminate food if improper sanitation and handling happen. The contaminated food will have a shorter shelf life which leads to food wastage. Pathogenic P. aeruginosa that exhibits multiple antibiotic resistance will cause serious foodborne illness to infected individuals due to failure in clinical treatment. As such, controlling the growth of these bacteria in poultry is important which can be done through good hygiene practices, modified air packaging, biopreservatives, and low temperature storage. Detection of these bacteria in poultry will also help to ensure the quality and safety related to poultry. Selective agar plating is an important method to isolate Pseudomonas spp., which is important for further analysis. Molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) are pivotal for rapid, robust, and specific detection of the targeted bacteria.

Soy hulls, a major by-product of the soy processing industry, are composed of varying amounts of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. They also contain significant levels of proteins (up to 15%) and valuable phytochemicals, including polyphenols, trypsin inhibitors, phytic acid, and phytates. Thermal treatment is required prior to their utilisation. In the present work, the effects of two types of thermal treatment steaming and dry heating on the protein contents and compositions, trypsin inhibitor (TI) activity, polyphenol contents, and phytate levels of soy hulls were investigated. Protein fractions were analysed by measuring total and water-soluble protein contents, and performing SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. The heating method significantly affected protein solubility and TI activity. Moist heat improved protein solubility by 34.5%, while dry heating reduced it by 28.9%. Residual TI activity was 18.5 and 84.8% for steamed and dry-heated samples, respectively. Additionally, steaming enhanced the water extractability of polyphenols and phytates. The heating method did not significantly influence the mineral profile of soy hulls.

The present work aimed to investigate the effect of exogenous melatonin and salicylic acid in post-harvest quality and shelf life of traditional banana variety Ney Poovan. The hands were dipped in melatonin, salicylic acid, and the combinations, along with absolute control (water dip) and control (alum and carbendazim dip) for 15 min, and then stored at ambient temperature for 12 d, and in cold storage for 28 d. The results revealed that minimum total soluble solids, titratable acidity, total sugars, and physiological loss in weight, and maximum ascorbic acid, total starch, firmness, and shelf life were recorded by the fruits treated with 1.0 mM melatonin. This could be attributed to delayed activity of ripening related enzymes viz., pectin methyl esterase, polygalacturonase, amylase, cellulase, and β-glucosidase. The melatonin-treated fruits exhibited reduced anthracnose incidence due to the higher activity of antioxidant-related enzymes viz., peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and sustained firmness. The outcomes of the present work suggested that 1.0 mM melatonin can be effectively utilised to extend the shelf life, maintain the quality, and reduce the post-harvest disease incidence of banana, offering a sustainable way for the post-harvest handling of banana.