Porcine-derived gelatine in food products is a critical concern for halal and kosher consumers, necessitating accurate and reliable detection methods. The present work aimed to develop and validate a TaqMan probe-based real-time PCR (qPCR) assay for detecting porcine DNA in gelatine-based ice creams, cakes, and pastries. After careful optimisation of the qPCR system, DNA was extracted using commercial kits, and analysed for specificity, sensitivity, and stability under various processing conditions. The assay demonstrated high sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.05 ng/µL, and confirmed the presence of porcine DNA with 99 - 100% sequence similarity. A pilot survey of 25 halal-branded commercial samples revealed no detectable porcine DNA. The present work demonstrated qPCR assay as a reliable method for routine halal authentication of gelatine-based food products, ensuring compliance with dietary regulations.

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.

One of the major barriers to developing food three-dimensional (3D) printing for personalised nutrition applications is the lack of food materials that can maintain structural integrity, nutritional adaptability, and sustainability. The present work addressed these challenges by creating and evaluating the gel paste from selected fruit and vegetable ingredients for food 3D printing applications. The main ingredients included high-fat avocado, fermented black garlic, lemon juice, celery, potato starch (PS), and xanthan gum (XG), which were used as thickeners. Optimal paste formulations offered robustness for 3D shape and form while maintaining desired nutritional content. The present work then developed four different paste types, containing different hydrocolloid compositions for 3D printing via a 0.5 mm syringe for quick extrusion testing. Analysis involved physicochemical parameters such as water content (WC), texture, antioxidant activity, carbohydrates, and vitamin C. Results indicated that moisture content played a crucial role in the structural stability of the paste, with the type 3 formulation (5% PS and 2% XG) demonstrating optimal moisture balance and structural integrity. Texture analysis indicated that type I pastes, which were composed of 3% PS and 1% XG, exhibited optimal hardness (7.427 N) and adhesiveness (-5.341 N), alongside adequate WC (83.37%) for effective extrusion and 3D shaping. Nutritional analysis indicated that the avocado-rich paste (type IV) had the highest antioxidant concentration, whereas the black garlic-rich paste (type I) exhibited the highest sugar content. The paste rich in lemon juice (type II) offered the highest vitamin C concentration, an important enhancement to nutritional value. The present work demonstrated the possibility of designing nutrient profiles for food 3D printing that enable novel culinary use and personalised nutrition. The findings would contribute to the field of food technology, with an emphasis on personalised nutrition.

Wound healing is a complex process in which the body naturally repairs damaged tissues, and restores their structure and function. Amethyst (purple) cultivar of metel (Datura metel L.) seed contains an alkaloid that accelerates wound healing by stimulating fibroblast proliferation and migration. Furthermore, nanotechnology can be utilised with mucoadhesive chitosan polymers and gel preparations to enhance the bioavailability of drugs. The present work aimed to investigate the impact of a nano-chitosan gel containing amethyst seed extract (ASE) on the fibroblast count during gingival wound healing. The present work involved 36 male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) aged between three and four months, and divided into four groups: base gel (negative control), Aloclair® gel (positive control), ASE chitosan gel 10%, and ASE nano-chitosan gel 10%. All subjects underwent a 2 mm punch biopsy to their mandibular labial gingiva, and the gels were applied twice a day (morning and evening). Three rats from each group were sacrificed on days 3, 5, and 7, and stained with Haematoxylin Eosin. The fibroblasts were counted using a 40× objective lens magnification microscope. The data were analysed using the Two-way ANOVA test with a confidence level of 95%. The results indicated a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the formulations and the base gel. In conclusion, the ASE nano-chitosan gel increased the fibroblast counts during gingival wound healing.

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 evaluate the use of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and a natural deep eutectic solvent composed of lactic acid and sucrose (NADES-LAS) as food-grade solvents for kola nut extraction. The results were compared with the observation from conventional maceration extraction and UAE using ethanol. The yield of kola nut extract obtained by UAE-ethanol for 20 min (7.73 - 8.28%) was similar to the yield obtained over two days of maceration with ethanol (7.83 - 9.10%). A higher yield was obtained using UAE-NADES-LAS because the extract contained not only kola nut extract, but also lactic acid and sucrose. The caffeine and total phenolic contents obtained by UAE-ethanol were higher, which confirmed the superiority of UAE over maceration. Particle size affected the caffeine and total phenolic contents when extraction was performed using UAE. However, the caffeine and total phenolic contents obtained using UAE-NADES-LAS was much lower than the quantity obtained from UAE-ethanol or maceration process.

The present work examined the effects of combining hemp protein isolate (HPI) and ginsenosides (GS) on emulsion stability. Emulsifiers at various HPI-to-GS ratios (1:0, 0.75:0.25, 0.5:0.5, 0.25:0.75, and 0:1) were evaluated. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that GS formed hydrogen bonds with HPI, and modified its secondary structure, reducing β-sheet content and exposing hydrophobic regions. The mixed emulsifier showed significantly improved emulsifying activity, stability, and antioxidant capacity compared to pure HPI (p < 0.05). The emulsion prepared using a mixed emulsifier at 0.5:0.5 HPI to GS ratio exhibited smaller particle sizes (253.6 ± 4.3 nm), higher zeta potentials (-42.7 ± 1.0 mV), improved encapsulation efficiency (98.89%), and a more uniform particle size distribution, all of which contributed to stability enhancement. Additionally, the emulsions prepared with mixed emulsifier showed good storage stability (14 d) and thermal stability, but demonstrated poor resistant to ionic strength and freeze-thaw cycles. Overall, HPI-GS complexes showed promise as effective emulsifiers for producing stable emulsions.

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 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.