Food Grade Research Articles

Diversifikasi Produk Tempe Sanan Malang Melalui Pelatihan Pembuatan Model Dan Cetakan Tempe Karakter

Kampung Sanan Malang has long been known as a center for making tempeh. It has been a long time since the Sanan Malang Tempe and Tempe Chips Production Center Association was established, which has 636 tempe producers as members. Some of its members have been able to process tempeh into various types of preparations. The innovation made in 2021 is named Character Tempe, namely tempeh in the form of animal characters, or fruits. During the trial period, character tempeh was produced using plastic cake molds. The problem faced is that members of this community want to be able to produce this tempeh with a larger production volume, and a more varied product. The reason is that no craftsmen have been able to make their own character models that are more varied as desired. Craftsmen also have not been able to make their own molds. The solution offered is training: making character models using plasticine, training on printing these models using RTV food grade. At the end of this activity, the craftsmen have the ability to produce processed tempeh characters quickly and with good quality so that they become a new Sanan Malang specialty product.

Development and Physico-chemical Evaluation of an Isotonic Nas Narang (Citrus madurensis) Sports Drink

Isotonic drinks are the type of sports drink with a similar number of osmotically active particles as present in the body plasma (i.e. osmolality; 275-295 mOsmole/kg) and help for replenishing the loss of electrolytes and sugar after physical workout. The present study describes the potential of utilization of Nas Narang (Citrus madurensis) fruit juice in the development of Isotonic Nas Narang Sports Drink (INNSD) and investigation of the physico-chemical parameters. INNSD was developed using varying content of fresh juice of Nas Narang 5%, 6.5%, and 7.5% v/v with other recommended food grade ingredients. The 7.5% of fresh Nas Narang juice was selected as the best fruit content based on the highest overall acceptability in sensorial evaluation using a trained sensory panel. The total osmolality of developed isotonic Nas Narang sports drink was 282.95 mOsmol/l. The physical properties of Total Soluble Solids content (TSS), Titratable Acidity (TA), and pH of the INNSD were 9.00±0.00%, 0.53±0.01%, and 2.45±0.01 respectively. The proximate composition of Nas Narang fruit juice and developed sports drink were total ash (0.47±0.11%; 0.42±0.17%), protein (0.47±0.01%; 0.05±0.00%), crude fibre (0.53±0.01%; 0.09±0.01%), total carbohydrate content (6.97±0.27%; 7.31±0.31%) and caloric value (29.44 Kcal /per 100 ml of sports drink) respectively. The vitamin contents of INNSD were ascorbic acid (0.3 mg/100 ml), vitamin B2 (0.135 mg/100 ml), vitamin B5 (0.15mg/100ml) and vitamin B6 (0.145 mg/100 ml). Further, anti-oxidant potential of Total Polyphenolic Content (TPC) and Total Flavonoids Content (TFC) of fresh Nas Narang fruit juice and developed INNSD were (0.224±0.02 mg GAE/ml; 0.029±0.00 mg GAE/ml) and (0.139±0.01 mg QE/ml; 0.011±0.00 mg QE/ml) respectively.
 Nas narang fruit is available throughout the year as an adequate source of raw material for industry. It provides natural citrus flavor, attractive yellow colour, appealing taste, minerals and antioxidants to the product and further act as a natural preservative. Present study showed incorporation of Nas Narang juice in formulation of sport drink is technically sound and acceptable.

Bacterial biofilm reduction by 275 and 455 nm light pulses emitted from light emitting diodes

AbstractEradication of biofilms from the food contact surfaces is a challenging task, owing to their increased resistance to sanitizers and regular cleaning practices. The treatment with the light pulses emitted from the light emitting diode (LED) is an emerging surface decontamination technology, that can produce the antibiofilm effect by photodynamic inactivation. The objective of this study was to understand the antibiofilm efficacy of the 275 (Ultraviolet‐C [UV‐C]) and 455 nm (Blue) light pulses emitted from the LEDs against single and dual‐species biofilms of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC13311 and Aeromonas australiensis 03‐09 on stainless steel (SS) coupons formed at different time. The biofilm formation by S. Typhimurium was improved when grown with A. australiensis in dual‐species culture. Both 275 and 455 nm light pulses showed significant antibiofilm activity against S. Typhimurium and A. australiensis in single and dual‐species biofilms. For instance, the 275 nm LED treatment of surfaces of SS coupons with 1.8 J/cm2 dose on each surface, produced reductions of 4.24 and 3.9 log (CFU/cm2) in single (cell attachment) and dual‐species biofilms of S. Typhimurium, and reductions of 4.45 and 4.99 log (CFU/cm2) in single and dual‐species biofilms of A. australiensis. However, the susceptibility of A. australiensis toward 455 nm LED treatments was influenced by the presence of S. Typhimurium in the dual‐species biofilm. The confocal laser scanning microscopy images revealed significant cell membrane damage in the dual‐species biofilms by the LED treatments with 275 and 455 nm light pulses. Overall, several factors like surface temperature increase, strains used, treatment dose, treatment time, and incubation period of biofilms influenced the inactivation efficacy of the 275 and 455 nm LED treatments against the biofilms formed on SS coupons. This study provides an insight into the inactivation efficacy of LED light pulses against bacterial biofilms on food grade SS surfaces.

Health risks posed by microplastics in tea bags: microplastic pollution - a truly global problem.

Health risks posed by microplastics in tea bags: microplastic pollution - a truly global problem.

Polyphenols: Natural food grade biomolecules for treating neurodegenerative diseases from a multi-target perspective.

As natural functional bioactive ingredients found in foods and plants, polyphenols play various antioxidant and anti-inflammatory roles to prevent the development of disease and restore human health. The multi-target modulation of polyphenols provides a novel practical therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases that are difficult to treat with traditional drugs like glutathione and cholinesterase inhibitors. This review mainly focuses on the efficacy of polyphenols on ischemic stroke, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, including in vivo and in vitro experimental studies. It is further emphasized that polyphenols exert neuroprotective effects primarily through inhibiting production of oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines, which may be the underlying mechanism. However, polyphenols are still rarely used as medicines to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Due to the lack of clinical trials, the mechanism of polyphenols is still in the stage of insufficient exploration. Future large-scale multi-center randomized controlled trials and in-depth mechanism studies are still needed to fully assess the safety, efficacy and side effects of polyphenols.

Exploring the Food Waste Produced by Youth: a Case Study in DKI Jakarta

Young people are a vulnerable group in disposing of food waste due to the spontaneity of this group. This study aims to explore food waste generated by young people with case studies in DKI Jakarta starting from planning and shopping for food, cooking food, storing and evaluating food, the types of food waste that usually arise up to the stage of processing food waste. This type of research is exploratory qualitative. Research data collection method is semi-structured in-depth interviews with the determination of informants using purposive sampling method. Based on the results of in-depth interviews, the average informant tends to have the potential to generate food waste at every stage starting from planning and shopping for food, cooking of food and storage and grading of food. The types of food waste that usually arise are avoidable waste such as rice, edible fruit peels and edges of bread as well as unavoidable food waste such as fish bones and fruit skins that cannot be consumed. The majority of informants still throw away leftover food waste without prior sorting because there are no supporting facilities for waste sorting. In conclusion, there are still many young people who throw away food waste because they do not plan meals regularly and cook food in more portions, the food waste is on average not sorted and not processed before being disposed of. edible fruit peels and bread crusts as well as unavoidable food waste such as fish bones and fruit skins that cannot be consumed. The majority of informants still throw away leftover food waste without prior sorting because there are no supporting facilities for waste sorting. In conclusion, there are still many young people who throw away food waste because they do not plan meals regularly and cook food in more portions, the food waste is on average not sorted and not processed before being disposed of. edible fruit peels and bread crusts as well as unavoidable food waste such as fish bones and fruit skins that cannot be consumed. The majority of informants still throw away leftover food waste without prior sorting because there are no supporting facilities for waste sorting. In conclusion, there are still many young people who throw away food waste because they do not plan meals regularly and cook food in more portions, the food waste is on average not sorted and not processed before being disposed of.

A Comparative Analysis of Partial Replacement of Yeast with CO2 Gas Hydrates as Leavening Agents in Baking of Wheat Bread

The aim of this study is to examine how CO2 gas hydrates (CO2 GH) are used in baking, notably in the creation of wheat bread, as a leavening agent. CO2 GH were produced with the use of food grade amino acids called promoters. The article emphasizes an interesting approach by using a hybrid combination of yeast and CO2 GH. The current study is based on a comparative evaluation of leavening agents in bread with (1) GH with promoters (20–70% GH) and (2) GH with promoters + yeast as a partial replacement (25–75%). The results obtained are then also compared with those of standard yeast bread along with the effects on wheat bread quality parameters such as volume, specific volume, hardness, moisture content, baking loss, and pore size. The GH bread with promoters had baking losses that were equivalent to the quality of traditional yeast bread. The breads with 60% and 70% GH with promoters had the best outcomes when compared with standard yeast bread. When a combination of CO2 GH with promoters (20–70%) and yeast (25–75%) was used in the study, the best combinations were obtained with 70% GH + 50% yeast and 70% GH + 75% yeast. Additionally, this article clarifies some potential future uses for CO2 GH as leavening agents in the bread industry, with a discussion of potential limitations as well as the cost efficiency of the developed technology. This information could help in the creation of new methods and standards for better CO2 GH selection for usage in other bakery goods.

Effectiveness of Corncob Liquid Smoke on Storagebility of Tomatoes and Mango

Corncob waste is expected as a source of biomass to be converted through pyrolysis into liquid smoke, charcoal, and tar. The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of corncob liquid smoke on the storagebility of tomatoes and mango. The liquid smoke treatments, which consisted of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4% were arranged in a randomized block design with four replications. Data analysis using ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Difference Test. The study was conducted in two sets of experiments in parallel, on tomatoes and mangoes. The experimental results showed that pyrolysis for every 1,000 g of corncob waste produced 279.2, 396 and 5.86 g of liquid smoke, charcoal and tar, respectively. Then the redistillation results for every 1,000 mL of crude liquid smoke produce 850 mL of food grade liquid smoke. The liquid smoke treatment gave better storagebility than no treatment for tomatoes and mango. The storagebility was measured by holding weight loss, increase in total dissolved solids, intensity of pathological damage, and fruit appearance within 12 days of storage. In general, as a result of the treatment the increase in liquid smoke concentration from 1 to 4% was followed by an increase in the storagebility of tomatoes and mango.

Industrial experience in using cyclic distillation columns for food grade alcohol purification

This study provides novel details about the industrial use of cyclic distillation in the production of food-grade alcohol, which confirmed the theoretical predictions of increasing separation efficiency. Increasing the profitability of the production of ethanol food grade is primarily associated with an increase in product quality and reduction of energy costs per unit of production. One of the ways to solve these problems is to improve the ethanol purification technology by using cyclic distillation, which allows reduction of energy costs and higher productivity by removing impurities at a higher concentration (leading also to waste reduction). The purification of ethanol from impurities (head and intermediate type) is carried out in hydro-selection columns. Critically, the volatility of most components depends on the actual ethanol concentration on the stage. This study investigated the distribution of ethanol on the trays depending on the water feed stage to the column and showed the optimal distribution of hydro-selective water in an industrial column to allow the highest possible separation efficiency of components during cyclic distillation. A cyclic distillation column with 15 Maleta trays was superior in separation capacity and performance as compared to a traditional column with 50 bubble cap trays.

The N-terminus of 1,4-α-glucan branching enzyme plays an important role in its non-classical secretion in Bacillus subtilis

1,4-α-Glucan branching enzyme (GBE; EC 2.4.1.18), which plays an important role in starch modification, has been mostly expressed in Escherichia coli. The application of GBE in food industry is limited by the low yield of enzyme and production of endotoxins in E. coli. In this study, we first found that GBE from Geobacillus thermoglucosidans STB02 (Gt-GBE) could be highly expressed in the Bacillus subtilis which is a food grade strain. The pathway of secretion was non-classical independent of signal peptides and was related to cell lysis. Bioinformatics analysis combined with site-directed mutagenesis was used to explore the influence of the N-terminal structure on its secretion. We found that the extracellular activity of Gt-GBE was increased about 17.29% and the secretion rate was also greatly improved through truncating the loop structure at the N-terminus. Besides, it was found that there was an optimal hydrophobicity, which increased the extracellular activity of Gt-GBE by 12.90% through the substitution of N-terminal amino acids with hydrophobic residues. In summary, we achieved high-efficiency non-classical secretion of Gt-GBE in B. subtilis and found an important role of the N-terminus in this secretion pathway, which provides a new perspective for improving the expression of proteins in B. subtilis.

Increasing sustainability in food production by using alternative bait in snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery in the barents sea

The use of food grade wild-captured species as bait for other fisheries questions the sustainability of food production. In pot fisheries, bait is an important factor determining the effectiveness of the gear. In snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery, the pots are normally baited with squid (Illex sp.) and herring (Clupea harengus). This fishery uses substantial amounts of bait for each pot deployment, and it constitutes one of the largest expenses for operating the pots along with costs for fuel. Furthermore, reliance on bait that originates from wild-capture fisheries questions economic and environmental sustainability, and involves additional use of fuel for capture and transportation of the bait which increases the carbon footprint of the industry. Therefore, the use of alternative bait sources is needed. One such alternative bait source can be originating from processed by-products from commercial fisheries. However, for the new bait to be acceptable for the fishery, it must provide comparable catch efficiency as the traditional bait. Therefore, this study aimed at comparing the performance of a new experimental bait against the traditionally used squid bait in the Barents Sea snow crab fishery. The results showed no statistically significant difference in catch efficiency of target-sized snow crab. Specifically, a formal uncertainty estimation based on nested bootstrapping showed that there was no significant difference in efficiency between bait types for target-sized individuals for soak times typically employed in the fishery. Thereby this shows a potential to increase sustainability in food production and a positive effect on the size selectivity by additionally demonstrating a reduced capture of undersized individuals.

An Experimental Study on the Dilute Phase Pneumatic Conveying of Fat-Filled Milk Powders: Particle Breakage

Powder breakage during pneumatic conveying negatively affects the properties of dairy products and causes increased dusting, reduced wettability, and decreased product performance. In particular, particle breakage is a serious issue for fat-filled milk powder (FFMP) which, if it breaks, releases fat that causes odours and leads to sticky blocked pipes. In this work, a conveying rig (dilute phase, positive pressure) with 50 mm diameter food grade stainless steel pipes (1.5 m high and 5 m conveying distance with three 90° bends, two in the vertical plane and one in the horizontal plane) was built as the test system. The effects of operating conditions (conveying air velocity and solid loading rate) on the attrition of FFMP in a dilute phase conveying system were experimentally studied. Four quality characteristics were measured before and after conveying: bulk density, particle size distribution, wettability, and solubility, to access the influence of particle breakage. Conveying air speed shows a significant impact on powder breakage. As air speed increased, more breakage occurred, and the volume mean diameter D[4,3] decreased by around 50%, using the largest conveying air speed of 38 m/s. Bulk density increased accordingly whereas wettability decreased with an increase in air speed, resulting from the higher breakage rate. On other hand, improving the solid loading rate can further reduce the breakage level, but the positive effect is not as good as decreasing air speed.

Encapsulation of salmon oil using complex coacervation: Probing the effect of gum acacia on interfacial tension, coacervation and oxidative stability

The molecular characteristics of the food-grade polysaccharide gum acacia may vary depending on source, which could in turn significantly affect its behaviour as thickener, emulsifier and as a wall material in microencapsulation. In this study, five acacia gums (GA) from different sources were screened with respect to molecular weight distribution, interfacial tension, microencapsulation of salmon oil by complex coacervation and resulting oxidative stability of the oil. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used in combination with GA (BSA:GA = 1:1 w:w) for the coacervation. Interfacial tension was investigated for all GA alone and in combination with BSA at pH 5.5, pH 4.2 and pH 7, corresponding to the pH of emulsification, coacervation and neutral/reference conditions, respectively. Three of the five GA tested (GA from Sigma and the food grade GA Encapcia and Instant Gum BA from Nexira) resulted in stable complex coacervate microcapsules, with mean coacervate yields of the resulting microcapsules ranging from 34% to 76% depending on GA source, and a ∼100% microencapsulation yield. The food grade GA Encapcia and Instant gum BA were found to provide significantly better protection against oxidation than the Sigma GA, both as a function of the microencapsulation process and after storage for 12 months. The differences in performance of the GA are discussed in terms of molecular weight, GA variety and impurities.

Yield optimization, physicochemical characterizations, and antioxidant properties of food grade agar from Gracilaria tenuistipitata of Cox's Bazar coast, Bangladesh.

The present study was aimed at investigating the optimization of extraction variables for food grade quality agar from Gracilaria tenuistipitata, so far, the first study on Bangladeshi seaweed. Water (native)- and NaOH (alkali)-pretreated agars were comparatively analyzed by several physicochemical parameters. All extraction variables significantly affected the agar yield in both extraction conditions. Alkali-pretreated agar provided a better yield (12-13% w/w) and gel strength (201 g/cm2) in extraction conditions as followed by 2% NaOH pretreatment at 30°C for 3h, seaweed to water ratio at 1:150, and extraction temperature at 100°C for 2h. Gelling and melting temperatures, color, and pH values of both agars were found to be comparable with commercial agar. Significantly higher sulfate contents including organic and inorganic and total carotenoids were reported in native (3.14% and 1.29 μg/mL) than that in alkali-pretreated agar (1.27% and 0.62 μg/mL). FTIR spectrum demonstrated the purity of the agar as characterized by the stronger relative intensity with higher degree of conversion of L-galactose 6-sulfate to 3,6-anhydrogalactose in alkali pretreatment group than that of native ones. Moreover, antioxidant activity (% DPPH scavenging) was observed and confirmed by IC50 values of 5.42 and 9.02 mg/mL in water- and alkali-pretreated agars, respectively. The results suggested that agar from G.tenuistipitata with optimized alkali extraction conditions could promote cost-effective yield with improved physicochemical characteristics and biofunctional values upon consumption by the consumers as food materials.

Towards a circular economy in virgin olive oil production: Valorization of the olive mill waste (OMW) “alpeorujo” through polyphenol recovery with natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) and vermicomposting

Virgin olive oil (VOO) production generates large amounts of a harmful by-product, olive mill waste (OMW) or alpeorujo, which has a strong environmental impact and that must be recycled to adapt VOO production to a circular economy model. Here, the valorization of OMW was studied by considering three consecutive stages: Stage 1 involves the generation of OMW; Stage 2 the recovery of bioactive phenolic compounds from the fresh OMW using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs), generating a valuable phenolic extract and a new by-product, a dephenolized OMW named “alpeoNADES”; and Stage 3 involves vermicomposting alpeoNADES with Eisenia fetida earthworms. Six NADES were formulated and tested, selecting a NADES composed of citric acid and fructose (CF) derived from food grade and biodegradable substances. CF was the most effective solvent to obtain phenolic extracts for nutraceutical and agronomical purposes, extracting 3988.74 mg/kg of polyphenols from fresh OMW. This alpeoNADES is a non-palatable substrate for E. fetida earthworms, as the residual CF gives it an acidic pH (pH 2). Its palatability was improved by mixing it with horse manure and straw for vermicomposting, in a 1:1 and 3:1 dry weight ratio. When these substrates were precomposted for 3 weeks they reached pH 5.5–6 and they could then be vermicomposted for 23 weeks (using OMW as a control). The best substrate for vermicomposting was determined by the worm biomass, growth rate, carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio, and N and P content. AlpeoNADES and manure 3:1 produced the highest quality vermicompost in the shortest time, generating a product that complied with European standards for organic fertilizers. Hence, alpeoNADES was recycled to a low-cost, organic balanced fertilizer in Stage 3, enabling the olive oil industry to transition to sustainable production through this integrated circular economy design.

Assessment of the Current Status of Milk Production and Farm-level Milk Losses among Smallholder Dairy Farmers in Mogotio Sub-county, Baringo County

Smallholder dairy farmers account for up to 80% of total dairy producers and 56% of total milk production in Kenya. The reduction of farm level milk losses at the farm level is a critical point in the milk supply chain where improvements can contribute to increased income.
 The target population included 840 accessible smallholder dairy farmers and 120 dairy farmers who were purposefully sampled as study respondents during the baseline survey. Thirty farmers were purposefully chosen to participate in focus group discussions. A structured questionnaire, Focus Group Discussion guides, and a Key Informant Interview schedule were used to collect data. Focus Group Discussions and Expert Interviews yielded qualitative data. The data's reliability was then estimated using Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient, a measure of internal consistency. Data analysis required the application of both descriptive and inferential statistics. T-tests and the Pearson chi-square test of independence were used for inferential statistics, while measures of central tendency, dispersion and proportions analysis were used for descriptive statistics. According to the findings of the study, the most common milk losses included spillage (30%), excessive consumption by the calves (22%), spoilage (19%) and non-collection of milk due to free-range grazing (17%). Furthermore, most of the farmers (67%) used plastic milk containers. This is worrying because despite a wide variety of plastics existing it is only a few of them that are food grade approved. Microbial contamination through calf suckling is predominant with (71%) practicing free suckling methods which is known to reduce milk yield through milk rejection. The purpose of the study was to assess the current status of milk production and farm-level milk losses among smallholder dairy farmers in Mogotio Sub-county, Baringo County.

Effect of ionic strength, pH and temperature on the behaviour of re-dispersed BC:CMC - A comparative study with xanthan gum

The rheological performance of bacterial cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose (BC:CMC) dry formulations with mass ratios of 1:1, 1:0.75 and 1:0.5 was compared with that of a commercial xanthan gum. The zero-shear viscosity and the yield stress of these hydrocolloids, at concentrations ranging from 0.001% to 0.5% (w/w), were determined by fitting the Cross and Herschel-Bulkley models to the flow curves. Only BC:CMC formulations presented a measurable yield stress, the highest value (1.54 ± 0.17 Pa) being obtained for the 1:0.5 ratio at a concentration of 0.5%. This formulation also presented the highest values of dynamic moduli, namely G′, indicating a stronger solid-like character. Contrarily to xanthan gum, BC:CMC formulations' viscosity profile in aqueous solution was not considerably affected by the pH (in the range from 2.8 to 10.4), the ionic strength (NaCl from 0 mM to 350 mM) or the temperature (6–80 °C). Food grade sunflower oil-in-water emulsions (20% oil) were prepared with 0.3% of the test hydrocolloids, with 150 mM NaCl and pH 3.5. Emulsions with BC:CMC in the ratios of 1:0.75 and 1:0.5 had smaller droplets, stronger solid-like behaviour and resisted centrifugation with little phase separation. These results confirm the high performance of the dry BC:CMC formulations in the stabilization of colloidal systems. • Dry formulations of bacterial cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose in different mass ratios were prepared. • Higher fibre content in the formulations results in improved rheological properties. • BC:CMC's viscosity is not significantly affected by changes in pH, ionic strength or temperature. • BC:CMC may offer competitive advantages over xanthan gum in the stabilization of food emulsions.

Bioaccessibility and bioavailability of phytochemicals: Influencing factors, improvements, and evaluations

Many phytochemicals with beneficial physiological activities have limited bioavailability due to their poor solubility and stability characteristics. The bioactivities of phytochemicals could be impacted during liberation, digestion, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion processes after their oral ingestion. And the food matrix and processing significantly affect their solubility, chemical degradation, and absorption within the gastrointestinal tract. Researches indicated that the bioavailability of phytochemicals can be enhanced by controlling the composition and structure of food matrices, as well as optimizing food processing operations. Moreover, chemical modification and encapsulation approaches were reported with ability improving the dispersibility, stability, bioavailability, and bioactivity of phytochemicals. Especially for a range of encapsulation technologies are available for this purpose, such as biopolymer nanoparticles, emulsions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructure lipid carriers, which can be assembled from food grade carbohydrates, proteins, and/or lipids. In addition, the experimental methods commonly used to evaluate the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of phytochemicals are reviewed. Utilization of these methods allows screening of food formulations with different structures and compositions, thereby facilitating the optimization of their performance. This review aims to provide information that will guide future research and development efforts on the creation of more effective phytochemical delivery systems. • Phytochemicals experienced digestion, absorption, distribution, metabolism, etc. • Food matrix and processing influence the biological benefits of phytochemicals. • Chemical modification improves the performance of bioactive phytochemicals. • Encapsulation could enhance the bioaccessibility of phytochemicals effectively. • In vitro/vivo evaluations are used to assess the biological fate of phytochemicals.

A Comparative evaluation of anti-Bacterial activity using different brands of Curcumin against natural flora

Herbal medicine is the use of medicinal plants. Plants have been the basis for medical treatments through much of human history, and such traditional medicine is still widely practiced today. Modern medicine makes use of many plant-derived compounds as the basis for evidence-based pharmaceutical drugs. Many herbs are applied topically to the skin in a variety of forms. Essential oil extracts can be applied to the skin, usually diluted in a carrier oil. Many essential oils can burn the skin or are simply too high dose used straight; diluting them in olive oil or another food grade oil such as almond oil can allow these to be used safely as a topical.

Ultrastable emulsions constructed by self-assembly of two protein-polyphenol- anionic polysaccharide ternary complexes-stablized high internal phase emulsions

Compared to conventional high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs), ultrastable HIPEs have recently attracted much attention due to much better stability and protection for bioactive compounds. Here, novel food-grade ultrastable HIPEs were successfully constructed. By simply mixing two individual unstable HIPEs (instability in 3 months in open atmosphere) stabilized by ternary complexes of protein (i.e., lactoferrin), two polyphenols (i.e., (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate and curcumin) and two anionic polysaccharides (i.e., κ-carrageenan and low methoxylated pectin), respectively, ultrastable mixed-HIPEs (very stable for 1 year or more in open atmosphere) were achieved unexpectedly. The two individual HIPEs underwent liquid-to-gel and viscous-to-elastic transitions during mixing, exhibiting strong structural synergism. The stabilization was ascribed to the electrostatic repulsive interactions and the formed interpenetrating polymer networks hydrogels in continuous phases; their contribution varied according to the binding sequences of protein, polyphenol, and polysaccharide (for ternary complexes) and the combination modes of individual HIPEs (for mixed-HIPEs). The excellent soft material properties of ternary complexes can provide guarantee for the stsability of emulsion droplets, avoiding their rupture caused by strong squeezing in mixed-HIPEs. This finding greatly expands the type of food grade ultrastable HIPEs. Overall, the novel food-grade ultrastable mixed-HIPEs will offer fascinating opportunities for their future applications in food, medical, cosmetic, and tissue engineering products.