Alternative Food Research Articles

Information Gathering Is Associated with Increased Survival: A Field Experiment in Black-Capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus).

AbstractSampling, investing time or energy to learn about the environment, allows organisms to track changes in resource distribution and quality. The use of sampling is predicted to change as a function of energy expenditure, food availability, and starvation risk, all of which can vary both within and among individuals. We studied sampling behavior in a field study with black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and show that individuals adjust their use of sampling as a function of ambient temperature (a proxy for energy expenditure), the presence of an alternative food source (yes or no, a proxy for risk of energy shortfall), and their interaction, as predicted by models of optimal sampling. We also observed repeatable differences in sampling. Some individuals consistently sampled more, and individuals that sampled more overall also had a higher annual survival. These results are consistent with among-individual differences in resource acquisition (e.g., food caches or dominance-related differences in priority access to feeders), shaping among-individual differences in both sampling and survival, with greater resource acquisition leading to both higher sampling and higher survival. Although this explanation requires explicit testing, it is in line with several recent studies suggesting that variation in resource acquisition is a key mechanism underlying animal personality.

Beyond motivations: A framework unraveling the systemic barriers to organic farming adoption in northern Senegal

Developing organic farming is among the most popular policy options for protecting soil, water, and biodiversity while improving incomes for agricultural producers around the World. Despite its growing success, the adoption as well as the outcomes of organic agriculture remain particularly low in sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, we propose a multidimensional framework based on farmers' perceived motivations to evaluate the factors enabling or hindering the adoption of organic agriculture, including attitude (the subjective evaluation of a behaviour), ability (the cognitive and technical capacity to perform a behaviour), opportunity (the perceived social, economic, and ecological benefits of a behaviour), and legitimacy (formal and informal values and norms supporting a behaviour). We tested the framework on a sample of around 300 organic and conventional small-scale farmers in a horticultural area in northern Senegal. We found that despite a highly positive attitude towards organic practices among both conventional and organic farmers, adoption remains extremely low, and many have abandoned them. Low perceived ability and a lack of opportunities appeared to be determinant drivers, including difficulties accessing available organic input, knowledge, and tools and lack of both a market and institutional support. Our results suggest that greater emphasis should be placed on creating favourable conditions at the food system level based on broad agroecological principles. This can be achieved, for example, by supporting grassroots farmer organizations, enacting appropriate environmental legislation, securing organic farmers’ productive resources, and enhancing participatory organic certification and alternative food networks. Such efforts are likely to have a more significant impact than training and promotion targeting farmers who are already convinced.

How to find alternative crops for climate-resilient regional food production

CONTEXTAgricultural food production is both affected by and contributing to climate change. At the global scale, agri-food systems are responsible for one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions. With progressing climate change, the risks of crop failure increase. Thus, an urgent need is to reduce emissions from food systems while increasing their resilience to climate change. Enormous untapped potentials to achieve these dual goals lie in transforming agri-food systems towards more diverse, plant-based, and regional food production systems. OBJECTIVEIn this paper, we present an innovative approach for identifying climate-adapted alternative food crops that could (1) help to diversify existing cropping systems and thus increase their climate resilience and can be (2) nutritious elements of plant-based regional diets with reduced emissions. METHODSThe approach builds on the model ecocrop to select food crops that could benefit from regionally projected changes in climate. The model-based analysis is complemented with a literature review to examine the ecocrop results for their plausibility and provide a broader assessment of potentials for cultivation, utilization, and nutritional values of model-selected crops. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe approach is applied to Switzerland, where we identify eight alternative crops with the potential to increase climate resilience while contributing to healthy human diets of regional consumers with benefits for climate mitigation (almond, pecan, sesame, durum wheat, quinoa, lentil, lupine, and borage). The literature review indicated that the increasing demand for many of these crops suggests great potential for regional marketing of crop products. The results produced in this study provide an initial guide for researchers and innovative farmers interested in experimenting with alternative crops in Switzerland, thus promoting climate-smart food system transformation from the production side. SIGNIFICANCEUsing our unbiased bottom-up screening approach, we identified climate-adapted alternative crops that can provide essential nutrients, cover nutritional gaps in Switzerland, diversify existing production systems, and improve sustainability.

Partial substitution of NaCl with alternative salts (KCl, CaCl2, and yeast extract) in smoked green mussel product

The excessive consumption of sodium (Na) is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as high coronary heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. The substitution of Na in processed and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods is one of the main strategies for reducing sodium intake. This study investigated the effects of substitution of sodium chloride (NaCl) with alternative substances, such as potassium chloride (KCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), and yeast extract, on the quality characteristics of smoked green mussels (SGM) and their quality during storage at 4 ± 1°C for 16 days. The smoking yield, color, water activity, pH, and texture profile of the SGM were negligibly changed following substitution of NaCl with the alternative chloride salts. However, substitution of NaCl with KCl and CaCl2 in the SGMs worsened sensory acceptance, especially at the high concentrations used. The highest sensory acceptance and satisfactory Na levels were remarkable in the yeast extract substitution associated with the taste profile using the E-tongue. The microbial loads and quality of the SGM flavored with yeast extract (SGM-Y) complied with the Thailand community product standard. In addition, SGM-Y was nutritionally rich in both macro- and micro-nutrients including essential amino acids. Therefore, SGM-Y could be a potential formulation to develop an alternative RTE food product showing health benefits for consumers.

AMORPHO BACKER ANEKA ROTI SUWEG SEBAGAI MAKANAN ALTERNATIF PENDERITA DIABETES MELLITUS

In this innovation, it contains the manufacture of alternative food made from suweg flour, namely in the form of bread made from the main ingredients specifically for consumption by people with diabetes mellitus. This is because suweg has a low glycemic index (GI) (less than 55) so suweg is safe for consumption for people with diabetes mellitus because it does not accelerate blood sugar levels. Making bread from suweg flour does not only consist of the main ingredient of suweg flour, but suweg flour is still substituted with wheat flour because wheat contains a lot of gluten which is bound to protein as the main requirement in making bread. Making bread from suweg flour is carried out by the following process: mixing suweg flour and wheat flour with a predetermined ratio, adding eggs, salt and water then stirring until the bread dough is smooth. Then, the bread is printed using a bread maker and processed by boiling it first. From the results of the proximate test for the levels of carbohydrates, protein, fat and water, it was found that the average suweg bread had carbohydrate content between 23.44 - 23.98%, protein 4.19% - 5.88%, fat 17.19% - 17.73% and water content 53.88% - 54.45%. Meanwhile, from the results of the taste preference test, the most preferred ingredient composition was 75% suweg flour and 25% wheat flour, for texture and color aroma the most preferred was bread with an ingredient composition of 25% suweg flour and 75% wheat flour.

PSVIII-18 Standardized Amino Acid Digestibility and Nitrogen-Corrected True Metabolizable Energy of Frozen Raw, Freeze-Dried Raw, Fresh, and Extruded Dog Foods Using Cecectomized and Conventional Rooster Assays

Abstract Processing conditions, particularly temperature and duration of heating, impact the digestibility of pet foods. Various alternative commercial pet food formats are now available, but few have been well tested. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the amino acid (AA) digestibility and nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy (TMEn) of frozen raw, freeze-dried raw, fresh, and extruded dog foods using the precision-fed cecectomized and conventional rooster assays. The diets tested were Chicken and Barley Recipe [extruded diet; Hill’s Science Diet (EXT)], Chicken and White Rice Recipe [fresh diet; Just Food for Dogs (FRSH], Chicken Formula [raw frozen diet; Primal (FRZN)], Chicken and Sorghum Hybrid Freeze-dried Formula [hybrid freeze-dried raw diet; Primal (HFD)], and Chicken Dinner Patties [raw freeze-dried diet; Stella & Chewy (FD)]. Two precision-fed rooster assays utilizing Single Comb White Leghorn roosters (1.5 to 2.5 yr, 2.5 to 3 kg) were conducted. In the first assay, 20 cecectomized roosters (n = 4/treatment) were used to determine AA digestibility. In the second assay, 20 conventional roosters (n = 4/treatment) were used to determine TMEn. In both assays, roosters were crop intubated with 12 g of test diet and 12 g of corn, and then excreta were collected for 48 h. The reactive lysine:total lysine ratios were 0.94, 0.96, 0.93, 0.93, and 0.95 for the EXT, FRSH, FRZN, HFD, and FD diets, respectively. In general, FD had the greatest AA digestibilities and EXT had the least AA digestibilities. Arginine digestibilities were different (P < 0.05) across all diets and in this pattern: FD > FRZN > FRSH > HFD > EXT. Isoleucine digestibilities were different (P < 0.05) across all diets, but with a slightly different pattern: FD > FRZN > FRSH > EXT > HFD. Lysine digestibility was greater (P < 0.05) in FD and FRZN than EXT, with other diets being intermediate. Methionine digestibility was greater (P < 0.05) in FD than FRSH, with other diets being intermediate. Threonine digestibility was greater (P < 0.05) in FD than EXT, with other diets being intermediate. Valine digestibilities were different (P < 0.05) across all diets and in this pattern: FD > FRZN > EXT > FRSH > HFD. Digestibilities of the other essential AA were not different among diets. TMEn was greater (P < 0.05) in FRZN than FD, FRSH, and EXT, greater (P < 0.05) in HFD than FRSH and EXT, and greater (P < 0.05) in FD than EXT. In conclusion, our results support the notion that diet processing impacts AA digestibility, with freeze-dried raw, frozen raw, and fresh diets consistently having greater digestibility coefficients, as well greater TMEn, than the extruded diet. More research in dogs is necessary to test the effects of these diet formats on palatability, digestibility, stool quality, and other physiologically relevant outcomes.

Sustainability and the politics of the body in alternative food consumption: An embodied materialist perspective

Health is a key dimension of contemporary food consumption. This preoccupation is beginning to overlap with ecological concerns, as healthy diets are said to largely correspond with sustainable diets. Nevertheless, this link remains rather vague and under-researched in practice. This article adopts an ‘embodied materialist’ perspective to inquire into how the health–sustainability nexus is articulated in the everyday labour of people engaging in alternative food consumption. The interviews, carried out in Milan (Italy), suggest that focusing on health might not always be straightforwardly effective for the promotion of deep and systemic changes. The analysis finds three ways in which the health–sustainability nexus is articulated in daily life. If framed within the dominant articulation of labour and value, health is an individualistic preoccupation with limited potential for socio-ecological transformation. When food labour is guided by the very different logic of care, which emphasises relationality, fragility and the search for a shared wellbeing, more ecological practices emerge, but with some ambivalent implications especially with regards to social justice. Collective engagement in alternative food networks politicises the body more deeply, making it a concrete site of struggle against unsustainable food regimes.

Polanyi and the Other Alternative Food Network: What San Francisco‐Based Multi‐Level Marketers of “Healthy” Food Tell Us About Values in Market Societies

AbstractRecent decades have witnessed the proliferation of alternative food networks (AFNs) in the US and Europe. While social scientists classify heterogenous practices as AFNs, their participants share the desire to work against the existing food system, and efforts to access food from outside this system. Many analysts have captured these features of AFNs by using concepts from Karl Polanyi's The Great Transformation. Yet while Polanyi's framework has been productive, it has also contributed to binary representations of alternative food movements as either advancing non‐market values or in service to commodification and hegemony. We scrutinize San Francisco‐based independent contractors who sell food alternatives and health supplements produced by a multi‐level marketing company we call NatureRise. The marketers of NatureRise products are committed to working against an industrial food system that they consider corrupt. They promote food alternatives that they regard as more natural than food in the conventional system, and embed sales in face‐to‐face relations in which a family‐like concern for human wellbeing is expressed. Yet, they also engage in sales for what Polanyi calls “the motive of gain.” Our case highlights a shortcoming in Polanyi's thought, one that characterizes many social analyses, while supporting the continued relevance of his work.

Resistance selection of local sorghum varieties in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia against Rhizoctonia solani

Abstract. Feni EI, Kasmiyati S, Meitiniarti VI. 2023. Resistance selection of local sorghum varieties in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia against Rhizoctonia solani. Biodiversitas 24: 5309-5318. Sorghum is a multifunctional crop that can be used as an alternative food for the people of East Nusa Tenggara. However, one of the challenges in cultivating sorghum in this region is the presence of the Rhizoctonia solani pathogen. This fungus causes a devastating root rot disease in sorghum crops, resulting in loss of crop yields and potentially disrupting food security in the region. Using resistant varieties is one of the most effective ways to prevent the growth of R. solani biologically. Therefore, it is important to study the resistance of local sorghum varieties. The purpose of this study was to determine different sorghum varieties' resistance responses to the R. solani fungus that causes root rot disease. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 2 levels of treatment: the treatment of sorghum varieties and the treatment of fungi inoculums, which were inoculated separately and simultaneously. Each treatment was repeated 3 times. Observations and data collection were carried out on the 7th day, and some of the parameters observed included germination percentage, radicle length, coleoptile length, sprout length, GTI value, and disease incidence value. The sorghum variety with the highest resistance value was found in the red variety. This red variety had a disease incidence value of 63.3%, much lower than the other four test varieties. These results provide important insights for developing a more root rot disease-resistant local sorghum plant variety.

Oil Extraction from Hemp Plant as a Potential Source of Cannabidiol for Healthy Protein Foods.

In recent years, the increasing demand for alternative foods has shifted research toward new sources enriched with nutraceutical molecules. It is well known that many diseases are caused by oxidative stress; thus, the supplementation of antioxidants has been proposed to reduce it. Cannabis sativa L. is an interesting species that could provide an alternative source of antioxidants. This work aimed to investigate the possibility of optimizing the yield of cannabidiol (CBD) and recovering it from residual biomass (stalks), valorizing the residual biomass, and using this for protein bar preparation. Different extraction methods were used, and High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis was used to analyze the extracts. Antioxidant power was investigated using the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assays. The best results in terms of CBD yield were obtained via dynamic maceration after decarboxylation with a quantity of 26.7 ± 2 mgCBD/graw material from inflorescences. The extract also shows good antioxidant power with an IC50 value of 38.1 ± 1.1 µg/mL measured using the DPPH assay. The CBD extract was added to the hemp oil to obtain dough for protein bars. The doughs were studied by taking rheological and technological measurements, and it was found that the protein bars could provide an excellent means for the consumption of products enriched with antioxidants because their CBD anti-inflammatory activity is preserved after cooking.

Development of Encapsulated Nanocarotenoid from Melinjo Peel (Gnetum gnemon L.) as an Alternative of Food Products Fortificants

The trend of natural food products free from synthetic additives has been experiencing rapid and dynamic growth in the global food industry. Nanocarotenoid-encapsulated compounds have been developed to increase stability, solubility, and industrial applications, especially for the design of carotenoid delivery systems and improving their bioavailability. This study aims to apply carotenoid nanoencapsulation technology from gnetum peel as an alternative food nutrient fortifier product. Nanoemulsion was prepared by homogenization using ultraturrax (11,000 rpm) combined with ultrasonication (1-3 h). The best nanoemulsion formulation was obtained from 1-hour sonication, showed by a minor diameter of the nanoparticles (99.54 ± 0.03 nm) and a low value of the polydisperse index (0.37 ± 0.03). The color properties and encapsulation efficiency of maltodextrin were also characterized. The greater the concentration of maltodextrin encapsulating material added, the better the carotenoid nanostructure. The higher percentage of maltodextrin influenced the color parameter.

Food packaging Bio-based plastics: Properties, Renewable Biomass resources, Synthesis, and Applications

The current trend in food packaging technology necessitates the development of novel packaging materials in order to extend the shelf life of food and reduce spoliation. To preserve the food product, the construction material of the packaging played a key role.In the emerging field of food packaging technology, using biobased plastics for food packaging shown a comparative advantage.At this moment, bioplastics have shown measurable benefits and are receiving more and more attention from business organizations, political figures, scientific communities, and in the whole public. This was as a result of looking for new plastic profiles brands. Besides, the environmental impact(ecological concerns) of convective materials, the depletion of natural resources specifically the petrochemical, and consumer concerns have necessitated alternative bio-based food packaging items. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the properties of food packaging materials such as thermal, mechanical, barrier, surface, antimicrobial, optical, and environmental, as well as their synthesis type and applications. The cellulose and starch components of the common agricultural wastes for the synthesis of biopolymers were elaborated. In addition to that, different microalgae species were justified in the manufacturing of bio-based plastics.This review article also included examples of sustainable filler and reinforcement materials used in the food packaging industry. Therefore, this review work contributes to opening up the entire body of scientific knowledge on bio-based plastics used for food packaging and helps to develop important results for further investigation.

Penguatan Pemasaran Digital Dan Variasi Produk Bagi Pemilik Usaha “Healthy Food”

Purpose – This community service activity aims to provide solutions to the problems of the Service Partner, namely the Housewives Group of Healthy Food business owners on Jalan Kenanga Indah, Lowokwaru District, Malang City, which is chaired by Mrs. Sunayah. There are two partner problems; 1) Do not yet have digital marketing media through social media because they still use direct sales promotion and 2) Not yet innovating for Healthy Food product variations Design/methodology/approach – The activity method used is training and mentoring for Service Partners, including consumer identification, target market, market share and business owner capacity; designing social media marketing strategies; creating profiles; updating digital marketing profiles; making Healthy Food variations as well as evaluating and monitoring activities Findings – The results of this service activity include first; training and assistance in creating an Instagram account @_healthyfood_malang with a number of follower accounts (Followers) of 2,711 and the PKM Team continues to train Service Partners to document training activities, the results of making Healthy Fruit and Healthy Vegetables, designing photos and writing using templates, uploading to Instagram accounts and assisting Service Partners to be able to increase Followers. The PKM team also trained Service Partners to follow as many Instagram accounts as possible to find new customers and expand the market. The results of the second activity; The PKM team trained the Service Partners to make variations of Healthy Food, namely Healthy Fruit and Healthy Vegetables. Monitoring and evaluation activities for success are carried out by the PKM Team in accordance with each systematic that has been previously trained Originality/value – The implication of this service activity is that the capacity of the Service Partners has increased, knowledge about social media marketing strategies through Instagram and how to develop product marketing has increased. The general public has alternative healthy foods that can be consumed and ordered online through Instagram social media. At the same time, the Service Partner can develop a variety of Healthy Food. The novelty of this service activity is that it is carried out by a group of housewives to improve skills and help supplement the family economy

Karakteristik Beras Analog dari Tepung Komposit (Mocaf: Sagu: Kedelai: Daun Kelor) dengan Penambahan Karagenan

<p><em>Analog rice is an alternative food to replace rice using sago, sorghum, or even corn with carbohydrate content near or exceeds the rice and the shape. Analog rice made from mocaf flour has a lower protein content than milled rice, so it is necessary to add soy flour which has 35.00% of protein content, sago flour which has 21.38% of amylose content, and Moringa leaves flour which has an antioxidant activity of 32.96%. Carrageenan is also added to the mixture as a binder. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the proportions of composite flour (mocaf: sago: soybean: moringa leaves) with the addition of carrageenan on the characteristics of analog rice. Completely randomized factorial design was used in this study with the first factor proportion of mocaf: sago: soybean: moringa leaves flour such as A (70: 10: 20: 3.5gr), B (60: 20: 20: 3.5 gr), and C (50: 30: 20: 3.5gr) with the second factor the addition of carrageenan (2, 3 and 4%). The data were analyzed using Minitab V.17, with 5% DMRT (Duncan Multiple Range Test). The best results for analog rice were obtained from proportion A (70: 10: 20: 3.5 gr) with the addition of 3% carrageenan with characteristics 3.22% of moisture, 2.83% of ash, 145.33% of rehydration power, 106.25% of swelling volume and 12.5% of antioxidant activity, with organoleptic score 3.10 of taste, 3.55 of colour; 3.38 of flavor; and 3.10 of texture.</em><em></em></p>

Potential of Analog Meatballs Made from Tempeh and Seaweed as An Alternative Food for Hypertension Patients

This study aims to determine the effect of the formulation of the use of tempeh and seaweed on the organoleptic properties of meatball analogues. The formulation used in this study was based on the ratio of differences in the use of tempeh and seaweed. The design used in this study was a complete randomized design (RAL). The factors used in this study were 5 formulations with a ratio of tempeh and seaweed, namely F1 (100: 0), F2 (90: 10), F3 (80: 20), F4 (75: 25), and F5 (70: 30). The parameters measured in this design are hedonic tests (favorability levels) which include taste, aroma, color, texture, and over all attributes. Based on the results of hedonic test analysis on 5 formulas using the ANOVA test, it shows that the difference in the ratio of tempeh and seaweed in the formulation of making analog meatballs has a significant effect on the sensory attributes of taste, aroma, texture, and overall (p<0.05) and has no real effect on color attributes (p>0.05). The F3 formulation with tempeh and seaweed ratio (80:20) in the manufacture of analog meatballs gives different values and is the formula that has the most preferred acceptance rate based on the attributes of taste (4.24), aroma (4.23), and texture (3.97), and overall (4.36). Meatball analogue with the most preferred formula of the results of this study can be used as an alternative food for consumption by people with hypertension

A Methodological Proposal for the Design of Agricultural Parks—The Case of Metropolitan City of Rome

Urbanisation processes have led to the emergence of functional and formal hybrids, blurring and fragmenting the traditional boundaries between urban and rural areas. Agricultural parks have emerged as a planning tool to govern these hybrid areas between ‘countryside’ and the ‘city’, as well as to promote sustainable land use and community development. This paper, analysing the Metropolitan City of Rome (Italy) as a case study, illustrates an innovative pilot methodology for identifying the area of an Agricultural Park and, in particular, the area of the Rome Metropolitan Agricultural Park (MAP), a policy proposal for the metropolitan city. The aim of the article is twofold: to analyse the multifunctionality of farms in the periurban area of Rome to highlight the types of goods and services on which the relationship between farms and the metropolitan population is based and to expose the methodological path on which the MAP policy proposal was developed. A geospatial analysis, using the National Land Consumption Map (LCM) and the CORINE Land Cover (CLC), highlights the main agricultural areas and evaluates their quality. Isochronous curves assess the accessibility, and the GHS population grid (GHS-POP) defines the catchment areas. This approach, building on the 15 min city framework, has analysed the multifunctional farms and the types of goods and services offered to the population. A total of 91,656 hectares were identified as potential geographical areas of the Metropolitan Agricultural Park that could serve nearly 1 million inhabitants between rural and urban areas of Rome. The research highlights its characteristics in terms of the role of multifunctional farms, Alternative Food Networks, and the relationships between consumers and producers.

Suitability of Alternative Protein Foods for Agroecological Approaches to Address Nutrition in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Agroecology has been proposed as a holistic approach to transform food systems that meet global food requirements with favorable environmental and social impacts. Agroecology relies on science, practices, and social movements that emphasize ecological principles, local knowledge, culture, and traditions to increase the sustainability and equity of the food system. Agroecological practices have demonstrated positive outcomes on food security and nutrition in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Agroecology principles can be applied across the food system and could facilitate the integration of certain alternative protein (AP) foods to address multiple issues. In this perspective, agroecological principles were analyzed to compare the suitability of different AP sources: unprocessed/minimally processed legumes, plant-based meats, edible insects, macroalgae (seaweed), fungal biomass, and cultivated meat. Considerations were identified for the feasibility of AP adoption in LMICs within an agroecological framework to provide nutrient-rich and sustainable diets while addressing other principles such as fairness and economic diversity. From this analysis, legumes, simplified plant-based meat analogs such as texturized plant proteins with minimal additives, edible insects, and macroalgae (location dependent) would make excellent nutritional contributions alongside animal-sourced food within LMICs within an agroecological framework. In contrast, highly processed plant-based meats, fungal biomass, and cultivated meat do not align well with agroecological principles for large-scale human consumption within LMICs. Furthermore, the production facilities to make these foods require robust capital investment and there may be issues related to who owns the intellectual property of these technologies. The NOVA classification system categorizes food based on the degree of processing. Our assessment suggests that foods with lower NOVA classification of unprocessed and minimally processed best fit the agroecological principles related to nutrition, agroecosystem, and societal demands for sustainable food systems.

Effect of ethanol treatment on the structural, techno-functional, and antioxidant properties of edible insect protein obtained from Tenebrio molitor larvae

Edible insect-derived proteins have attracted considerable attention in the food industry owing to their excellent nutritional and bio-functional activities. Herein, ethanol (20, 40, 60, and 80 %)-treated Tenebrio molitor protein (ETMP) was prepared, and its structural, techno-functional, and antioxidant properties were assessed. As the ethanol concentration increased, the molecular weight of the ETMP decreased, and α-helix content decreased whereas that of β-sheet increased, affecting the secondary structure. Ethanol treatment also resulted in changes in the techno-functional properties of edible insect proteins. ETMP showed significant 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical-scavenging activity (p < 0.05), and its antioxidant activity effectively increased the viability of Vero cells damaged by oxidative stress; 20 % ethanol treatment induced the highest antioxidant activity. In conclusion, our results suggest that appropriate ethanol treatment (20 %) increases the antioxidant activity of edible insect proteins, suggesting their potential in food as an alternative protein resource and functional food with excellent antioxidant activity.

Effects of different edible oils on in vitro starch digestibility and physical properties of rice starch and rice flour

SummaryAmylose has the ability to form inclusion complexes with lipids and is resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis. This research aimed to explore the impacts of different healthy edible oils, i.e., coconut oil (CO), rice bran oil (RO), palm oil (PO), and soybean oil (SO) on the in vitro starch digestibility and physical properties of rice starch and rice flour. Each edible oil (10% w/w) was transferred to rice starch and rice flour and cooked at 95 °C for 8 min. The contents of rapidly digestible starch and resistant starch in both cooked rice starch and rice flour were reduced and increased, respectively, by the addition of all edible oils, especially the CO and PO. The cooked rice starch and rice flour with added CO and PO had higher melting temperatures and dissociation enthalpies of the amylose‐lipid complex (ALC) and V‐type crystalline order than those with RO and SO inclusion. The results suggest that the high amounts of saturated fatty acids in CO and PO favour the formation of stable ALC, which limits the starch digestibility of cooked rice starch and rice flour. ALC products could be used as an alternative functional food ingredient to improve our health.

Harvesting Optimal Policy in Three Species Food Chain Model As an Optimal Control Problem with Path Constraints

In this paper, we address the issue of harvesting prey and intermediate predators in a tritrophic food chain. Our approach is based on a model that characterizes the interactions among the three species. We assume that the intermediate predator has alternative food sources (it is a generalist), while the top predator relies solely on the intermediate predator (it is a specialist). This model has been previously explored in the literature, but representing the harvesting effort as a scalar control variable. In this study, we treat it as a vector variable, offering a more comprehensive representation, particularly relevant for terrestrial species hunting. Our primary objective is to determine optimal harvesting policies that ensure the persistence of all three species. To achieve this, we formulate the problem as an optimal control problem with a finite horizon and path constraints. We present a numerical example solved using ICLOCS2.