Physicochemical Indicators Research Articles

Multi-parameter joint analysis of the quality of honey

The antioxidant activity of honey is mainly evaluated based on its phenolic acid and total flavonoid content, while other parameters are not considered important. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the impact of honey's physicochemical indicators and the altitude of the collection site on its quality. This study measured physical and chemical indicators in Dalbergia hainanensis Merr. et Chun honey (DH), blueberry honey (BH), Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. honey (EH), and Rhus chinensis Mill. honey (RH) and then combined them to comprehensively analyze the influencing factors of honey's antioxidant capacity using correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and regression analysis. The results showed that the 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS+) clearance ability of DH (17.60 ± 4.61 mg/ml) was significantly better than the other three varieties of honey (p <0.05). The results of the correlation analysis showed that the IC50 of the ABTS+ clearance rate was significantly negatively correlated with total flavonoid, Vitamin B1 (VB1), and Vitamin C (VC) content, as well as the a* and b * values, while positively correlated with elevation. The PCA results showed that the principal components (PCs) with eigenvalues exceeding 1 explained 86.28% of the variation. The IC50 of the ABTS+ clearance rate and altitude play an essential role in PC1, suggesting that two indicators are important in distinguishing different honeys. The regression analysis showed that total flavonoid and Vitamins B1 and C content, as well as elevation, are indispensable parameters affecting the antioxidant properties of honey. These results provide a reference method for evaluating the quality of honey from different places and altitudes.

RESEARCH OF SPAIN SCORZONERA (SCORZONERA HISPANICA L.) FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL NUTRITIONAL FOODS BASED ON IT

Introduction. The relevance of the study lies in the study of the chemical composition of the food culture of Scorzonera hispanica of the "Lechebnye" variety, identification of the most significant, from the point of view of therapeutic nutrition biologically active substances and prediction of further possible ways of using raw materials of this plant in the development of functional foods. Purpose of the study. To study the qualitative and quantitative composition of substances determining the nutritional value of Scorzonera hispanic variety Lechebnye cultivated in the Krasnodar region, as well as a detailed study of the amino acid composition of the root and herb, and their water-extractable complexes for subsequent use in the development of food products of functional purpose. Material and method. The object of the study was the roots and grass of the Scorzonera hispanica of the "Lechebnye" variety, harvested in 2021–2023 on the territory of the North Caucasus branch of FGBNU VILAR. Dry water-extractable complexes of Scorzonera herb and root were obtained according to a well-known technological scheme, including the stages of solid-phase extraction, concentration of the resulting extract, purification by filtration and drying of the extract. Physico-chemical indicators of the nutritional value of the root and herb of Scorzonera hispanica: qualitative and quantitative composition of nutrients (protein, fiber, fat, calcium and phosphorus), safety indicators (arsenic, cadmium, were determined using generally accepted methods for food raw materials. Capillary electrophoresis was used as an analytical method for studies of the composition and content of amino acids in the studied objects. Results. It was found that the above-ground and underground organs of cultivated food plant Scorzonera hispanica cultivar Lechyorny in the Krasnodar Territory are characterized by a high content of physicochemical indicators of nutrients such as crude protein, fiber, fat. Thus, the mass fraction of crude protein in the root – 11.41%, in the grass – 10.43%, fiber in the root – 6.6% and 30.0% in the grass, crude fat in the root – 3.28%, in the grass –3.39%. The data of studies of amino acid composition of grass, roots of Scorzonera hispanica and their water-extractable complexes show that grass and root contain 12 amino acids, 7 of which are essential (threonine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, lysine). The studied complexes revealed the presence of a number of substituted amino acids - tyrosine, cysteine, serine, proline, alanine, glycine and essential amino acids - phenylalanine, threonine, methionine, lysine, and valine, histidine and arginine, histidine and arginine (essential). Conclusions. The research results obtained allow us to conclude that the herb and roots of Scorzonera hispanica of the "Lechebnye" variety are valuable as sources of essential nutrients, such as protein, fiber, fat, calcium, phosphorus and amino acids, which provides the opportunity to consider the creation of functional food products based on these plant materials.

Soil quality assessment of oak forests invaded by moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) in the northern subtropics

Soil quality is closely related to the evolution of forest ecosystems, especially in the context of global warming; therefore, it is essential to study the changes in soil quality caused by the invasion of moso bamboo in its habitat. In this study, we selected plantation forests and natural secondary forests with typical vegetation of the northern subtropics, Quercus acutissima plantation (QAP) and oak secondary forest (OSF), collected plant community and soil physicochemical data, and established a soil quality index (SQI) to assess how moso bamboo invasion affects soil quality. In addition, the mechanisms driving the moso bamboo invasion effects on soil quality were investigated using a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrated that: (1) Moso bamboo invasion significantly affected community structure and soil physicochemical properties, there were inconsistent changes in soil physicochemical indicators in oak forests of different origins, and in general the effects of moso bamboo expansion on soil physicochemical properties were concentrated in the topsoil (0–20 cm). (2) Soil bulk density (BD), total soil porosity (TSP), total nitrogen (TN), and available potassium (AK) comprised the minimum data set (MDS) used to calculate the SQI, and the SQI of oak forests of different origins ranged from 0.48 to 1, and the invasion of moso bamboo led to a significant decrease in the SQI of the surface layer of QAP. A redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that soil quality assessment factors were closely related to community structure and the PLS-SEM indicated that moso bamboo invasion indirectly affected surface soil quality through its effects on community and soil factors. The results showed that moso bamboo invasion had different effects on oak forests of different origins. They also showed that soil quality was strongly affected by aboveground biomass (AGB), the tree Shannon-Wiener index (TH'), and available potassium (AK).

The Effects of Rock Zones and Tea Tree Varieties on the Growth and Quality of Wuyi Rock Tea Based on the OPLS-DA Model and Machine Learning

Rock zones have an important influence on the yield and quality of Wuyi rock tea. In this study, OPLS-DA combined with machine learning was used to analyze the effects of different rock zones and tea tree varieties on the physicochemical properties of rhizosphere soil, the growth of the tea tree and the quality of the tea leaves using tea trees in different rock zones. The results showed that rock zones had significant effects on rhizosphere soil physicochemical indexes, soil enzyme activities, tea tree growth and tea quality indexes, while there was little difference between different tea tree varieties. The interaction analysis showed that the physicochemical indexes of rhizosphere soil in different rock zones significantly affected tea quality, while also affecting growth indexes. The main indexes affecting tea yield and caffeine content were soil pH, available nitrogen, total phosphorus, total nitrogen and available phosphorus, while the main indexes affecting tea quality were available potassium, organic matter, total potassium, protease, polyphenol oxidase and urease. Analyses of PCA, OPLS-DA models and KNN and ANN machine learning showed that different rock zones could be effectively distinguished from each other with 100% accuracy, while different tea varieties had little difference and could not be distinguished. TOPSIS analysis found that the physicochemical indexes most affected by rock zone were available nitrogen, available potassium and sucrose, and the quality indexes most affected by rock zone were tea polyphenols and theanine. The growth index most affected by rock zone was tea yield. It was evident that the key difference between tea trees in different rock zones was yield and quality, with high yields in continent zones, and good quality in semi-rock zones and rock zones. This study provides a crucial foundation for tea-plantation management, the artificial regulation of tea yield and the quality of different rock zones of Wuyi rock tea.

Optimization of the fermentation process and antioxidant activity of mixed lactic acid bacteria for honeysuckle beverage.

The aim of the research was to obtain a high healthcare honeysuckle beverage with strong antioxidant activity. Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb) was used as the raw material in this experiment. The effects of fermentation temperature, fermentation time, lactic acid bacteria inoculation amount, and sugar addition amount on the sensory quality of honeysuckle beverage were investigated by single factor test and orthogonal test, and the best process was obtained. The physicochemical indexes and antioxidant activity of honeysuckle beverages fermented with lactic acid bacteria were studied. The results showed that the fermentation temperature of the beverage was 37 °C, the fermentation time was 24 h, the inoculation amount of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus acidophilus mixed starter (1:1) was 3%, and 8% white granulated sugar was added. The highest sensory score was 87.30 ± 0.17, which was the optimal process. The honeysuckle liquid mixed inoculation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus acidophilus was fermented for 24 h. The number of viable bacteria reached 9.84 ± 0.02 lg cfu/mL, the pH value was 3.10 ± 0.01, and the total polyphenol content was 7.53 ± 0.03 mg GAE/g. The number of lactic acid bacteria, pH, total polyphenol content, and free radical scavenging rate were significantly increased (p < 0.05) compared with the non-inoculated and single-inoculated lactic acid bacteria. To sum up, it was concluded that a better quality beverage could be obtained by fermenting a solution of honeysuckle with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus acidophilus mixed fermentation agent, providing a new approach and new ideas for the development of deep processing and fermented beverages using honeysuckle.

Community Structure and Water Quality Assessment of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Hongze Lake.

This study investigated the species, density, biomass and physicochemical factors of benthic macroinvertebrates in Hongze Lake from 2016 to 2020. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to analyze the relationship between physicochemical parameters and the community structure of macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrate-based indices were used to evaluate the water quality conditions in Hongze Lake. The results showed that a total of 50 benthic species (10 annelids, 21 arthropods and 19 mollusks) were collected. The community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates varied in time and space. The dominant species were Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri (L.hoffmeisteri), Corbicula fluminea (C.fluminea), Nephtys oligobranchia (N.oligobranchia). In 2016, arthropods such as Grandidierella sp. were the dominant species of benthos in Hongze Lake while annelids and mollusks dominated from 2017 to 2020, such as L.hoffmeisteri, N.oligobranchia, C.fluminea. The benthic fauna of Chengzi Lake and Lihewa District were relatively abundant and showed slight variation, while the benthic macroinvertebrates of the Crossing the water area were few and varied greatly. RDA showed that changes in benthic macroinvertebrate structure were significantly correlated with dissolved oxygen (DO), Pondus Hydrogenii (pH) and transparency (SD). The Shannon Wiener, Pielou, and Margalef indices indicate that Hongze Lake is currently in a moderately polluted state. Future studies should focus on the combined effects of various physicochemical indicators and other environmental factors on benthic communities.

Corn Cropping Systems in Agricultural Soils from the Bajio Region of Guanajuato: Soil Quality Indexes (SQIs)

Agriculture is a sector of great importance for Mexico’s economy, generating employment and contributing significantly to the country’s gross domestic product. The Bajio stands out as one of the most productive agricultural regions in Mexico. However, intensive agricultural practices in this area have caused a progressive deterioration and loss of soil fertility. This study focused on evaluating the quality of soils used for agriculture in the Bajio region of the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. This evaluation, utilised soil quality indexes (SQIs) based on a total of 27 physicochemical, biological and enzymatic indicators. These indicators were selected by means of a principal component analysis (PCA), which allowed for the identification of a minimum set of data. The SQIs developed in this study categorised soils into different quality levels, ranging from low to high, mainly based on the values observed in the biological indicators (SMR and qCO2), which comprised the established SQIs. The inclusion of these biological indicators provides the developed SQIs with greater sensitivity to detect minor disturbances in agricultural soils due to human activity, compared with SQIs consisting only of physicochemical indicators. The developed SQIs can be used to ensure high-quality food production in soils used for corn cultivation under similar conditions, both nationally and internationally.

The correlation between flavor formation and microbial community dynamics during the fermentation of zha cai.

Zha cai, a pickled vegetable with unique flavors, is produced by fermenting fresh mustard tubers. In this study, the main physicochemical indices and volatile flavor compounds were determined in three fermentation periods. The bacterial and fungal communities in the three fermentation periods of zha cai were also monitored using high-throughput sequencing. Key microbial communities were identified based on significant correlations with flavor substances. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the main bacterial phyla found within the three fermentation periods. Lactic acid bacteria, namely Lactobacillus, was the predominant bacteria found at the genus level. Ascomycetes and Stenotrophomonas were the major fungal phyla found in the three fermentation periods. Yeast, namely Debaryomyces, was the predominant fungus found at the genus level. A total of 42 bacterial genera were negatively correlated with volatile flavor substances of zha cai, and 37 bacterial genera were positively correlated. Meanwhile, a total of 47 genera of fungi were negatively correlated with the volatile flavor substances of zha cai, while 50 genera were positively correlated. Several microbial genera were significantly correlated with volatile flavor compounds, including Lactobacillus, Halomonas, Rhodococcus, and Debaryomyces. This study identified the microbial classes that positively regulate the flavor of zha cai which could provide valuable help for flavor modulation in zha cai production. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of Tea Tree Cultivation on Soil Microbiota, Soil Organic Matter, and Nitrogen Cycling in Mountainous Plantations

This study focused on examining the early stages of tea cultivation (1, 3, and 5 years) in mountainous tea plantations. It specifically aimed to investigate the changes in soil micro-ecology at different locations (inter-row, terrace surfaces, and terrace walls). It was revealed that as tea tree cultivation progressed over the years, bacterial diversity and co-occurrence networks annually decreased in different locations. The results of soil physicochemical index analysis showed that the soil’s available nutrients and the activities of cellulase and protease increased. Furthermore, the amplitude of variation of these indexes in the inter-row soil was significantly higher than that on the terrace surfaces and the terrace walls (p &lt; 0.05). Alterations occurred in the soil microbial community structure, with an enrichment of bacterial genera such as Sinomonas, Granulicella, and Sphingomonas, as well as fungal genera such as Trichoderma, Penicillium, and Talaromyces; an increase in the proportion of plant pathogenic fungi (Cladosporium, Fusarium, and Curvularia) was observed in the inter-row soil. The results of soil microbial function prediction showed that nitrification and nitrogen fixation decreased, but denitrification increased (p &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, cultivating tea trees in mountainous terraced plantations significantly impacted the soil microbial community, accelerated the metabolism of soil organic matter, disrupted soil nitrogen cycling functions, and increased the presence of plant pathogenic fungal pathogens. Moreover, the changes in the structure and functions of the soil microbial community demonstrate a spatial distance effect across different terrace locations.

Artificial Simulation of Saliva&amp;apos;s Astringency Removal Effect on Squid

Astringency is a common issue in squid processing and consumption. Various techniques such as soaking in salt water, adding acids, and using enzymes have been used to eliminate astringency. However, these methods have their limitations, and the search for a better solution is ongoing. In recent years, ultrasound technology has been proposed as an effective method for removing astringency in squid. This study used four proteins, including lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, collagen, and whey protein, to simulate saliva in the human oral cavity. This study aimed to determine the removal effect of squid astringency after saliva soaking and ultrasound treatment. Physicochemical indicators such as polyphenols and flavonoids, antioxidant activity, relative polymerization degree, and solution zeta potential were used as physicochemical indicators. Sensory evaluation and volatile salt nitrogen content were used as quality indicators of squid. The results indicated that artificial simulated saliva treatment significantly reduces polyphenols and antioxidant activity in squid muscle, reduces the content of volatile base nitrogen, eliminates the astringency of squid, and improves the taste and overall quality of squid. The technique of using ultrasound technology and artificial simulated saliva is a scientific and effective method for removing astringency in squid. This method has several advantages over traditional methods, including being a non-invasive method that does not require adding any chemicals, making it an environmentally friendly solution. The use of ultrasound technology allows for removing astringency in a shorter time than traditional methods. Finally, the technique is cost-effective and easily scaled up for industrial applications. In conclusion, using ultrasound technology and artificial simulated saliva treatment is a promising method for removing astringency in squid. The technique effectively removes astringency in squid muscle, improves the taste and overall quality of the squid, and is a non-invasive, environmentally friendly, cost-effective solution that can be easily scaled up for industrial application.

Indicators of mountain-forest brown soils in Azerbaijan

Comprehensive studies have been carried out on some physico-chemical indicators of mountain-forest brown soil. The humus content, carbonate content, and pH of soil samples selected from natural biotopes and cereal agrocenosis were comparatively determined. The dynamics of changes in these indicators for individual layers of the studied cenoses was established and characteristic differences were analyzed. Physico-chemical analyzes of soil samples from natural and cultivated biotopes of mountain-forest brown soil showed some differences between them. It has been established that the total humus content in natural cenoses varies in individual layers, respectively, between 2.48-1.91% and 5.85-3.1%. In grain agrocenoses, this indicator varies between 3.13-2.25%. The reaction of the aqueous solution of soil samples from different cenoses varies respectively between 7.31-7.61; 7.65-7.82; and 7.54-7.68-7.94. Similarly, in these cenoses the carbonate content also varies within the range from 11.93-20.15%. The amount of absorbed bases was 39.08 mg.eq. in the layer 0–25 cm, 38.76 mg.eq. in the layer 22–37 cm and 38.86 mg.eq. in the layer 37–90 cm and gradually increased to 46.10 mg.eq. The conducted soil studies can be used as literary material for the protection of soil resources in Azerbaijan, improvement of the current ecological state of lands used in agriculture, and environmental assessment.

Preparation of Astragalus membranaceus–cranberry biscuits and the evaluation of physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity

SummaryAstragalus membranaceus, as a medicinal and edible product, contains a variety of active ingredients. The cranberry powder is rich in polyphenol, dietary fibre, vitamins and mineral. In this study, biscuits were prepared by enrichment with Astragalus membranaceus and cranberry powder. The basic nutrients, physicochemical indexes, odour characteristics, antioxidant properties and shelf life prediction of the Astragalus membranaceus–cranberry biscuits (AMCB) were evaluated and compared with commercial biscuits. Overall, the biscuits with the addition of Astragalus membranaceus and cranberry had low water content and high protein content of 8.3 g/100 g. The antioxidant properties of AMCB were analysed by DPPH radical scavenging activity and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, and the results demonstrated that AMCB possessed higher antioxidant activity than cranberry biscuits (CRB) and control biscuits (CB). The water content and peroxide value index were used to predict the shelf life by accelerated test. According to the Arrhenius method, the shelf life of AMCB was about 112 days. The results showed that the addition of 23% Astragalus membranaceus and cranberry powder led to improved nutritional value, antioxidant properties and sensory characteristics of the biscuits.

Proteomics analysis of enzyme systems and pathway changes during the moromi fermentation of soy sauce mash.

During the brewing of soy sauce, the conversion of multiple substances is driven by various microorganisms and their secreted enzyme systems. Soy sauce mash is an important source of enzyme systems during moromi fermentation, but the changes of enzyme systems in soy sauce mash during moromi fermentation are poorly understood. In order to explore the predominant enzyme systems existing during moromi fermentation and to explain the characteristics of the enzyme system changes, an enzymatic activities assay and 4D-label-free proteomics analysis were conducted on soy sauce mash at different stages of fermentation. The activities of hydrolytic enzymes in soy sauce mash decreased continuously throughout the fermentation process, while most of the characteristic physicochemical substances in soy sauce mash supernatant had already accumulated at the early stage of fermentation. Four hydrolytic enzymes were found to be positively correlated with important physicochemical indexes by principal component analysis and Pearson correlation analysis. The proteomics analysis revealed three highly upregulated enzymes and two enzymes that were present in important metabolic pathways throughout the fermentation process. Furthermore, it was found that Aspergillus oryzae was able to accumulate various nutrients in the soy sauce mash by downregulating most of its metabolic pathways. Enzymes present with excellent properties during the moromi fermentation period could be obtained from these results. Meanwhile, the characterization of the metabolic pathways of microorganisms during the moromi fermentation period was revealed. The results provide a basis for more scientific and purposeful improvement of moromi fermentation in the future. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of biodegradable microplastics on arsenic migration and transformation in paddy soils: a comparative analysis with conventional microplastics

The combined pollution of microplastics (MPs) and arsenic (As) in paddy soils has attracted more attention worldwide. However, there are few comparative studies on the effects of biodegradable and conventional MPs on As migration and transformation. Therefore, conventional (polystyrene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride) and biodegradable (polybutadiene styrene, polylactic acid, polybutylene adipate terephthalate) MPs were selected to explore and demonstrate their influences and mechanism on As migration from paddy soils to overlying water and As speciation transformation through microcosmic experiment with measuring the changes of As chemical distribution, physicochemical indexes and microbial community in paddy soils. The results showed that biodegradable MPs enhanced As migration and transformation more effective than conventional MPs during 60 d. Biodegradable MPs indirectly increased the content of As(Ⅲ) and bioavailable As by changing the microbial community structure and affecting the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and iron in soils, and promoted the As migration and transformation. PBS showed the strongest promoting effect, transforming to more As(Ⅲ) (11.43%) and bioavailable As (4.28%) than control. This helps to a better understanding of the effects of MPs on As biogeochemical cycle and to clarify the ecological and food safety risks of their combined pollution in soils.

Study on the Fermented Grain Characteristics and Volatile Flavor Substances during the Tuqu Fermentation of Hunan Light-Flavor Baijiu.

The present study employed Hunan local Tuqu for fermentation and investigated the physicochemical properties, microbial community composition, and volatile flavor compounds of the fermented grains, as well as the correlation between the physicochemical indicators and the microbial community. The findings reveal that the activities of α-amylase and glucoamylase were highest during the initial stages of the fermentation process. The acid protease activity increased to 30.6 U/g on the second day and then decreased. Cellulose and lipase activities both showed an increasing trend. The moisture content increased sharply to 73.41% and then remained relatively stable. The acidity was highest on the eighth day. Fifty genera of bacteria and twenty-two genera of fungi were detected. Lactobacillus was dominant among bacteria, and Saccharomyces was dominant among fungi. A correlation analysis showed that there were positive correlations between moisture, acidity, cellulose, lipase activities and Lactobacillus, and there were positive correlations between moisture content, acidity, cellulase activity, acidic protease activity and Saccharomyces. A total of 46 volatile flavor compounds were detected, of which 6 alcohols and 14 esters constituted the major portion, and 9 key flavor compounds with an ROAV > 1 were identified throughout the fermentation process. Isoamyl acetate had the highest ROAV and made the greatest contribution to the flavor.

Prediction and visualization map for physicochemical indices of kiwifruits by hyperspectral imaging.

Soluble solid content (SSC), firmness, and color (L*, a*, and b*) are important physicochemical indices for assessing the quality and maturity of kiwifruits. Therefore, this research aimed to realize the nondestructive detection and visualization map for the physicochemical indices of kiwifruits at different maturity stages by hyperspectral imaging coupled with the chemometrics. To further improve the detection accuracy and working efficiency of the models, competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and successive projection algorithm were employed to choose feature wavelengths for predicting the physicochemical indices of kiwifruits. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was designed to develop simplified detection models based on feature wavelengths for determining the physicochemical indices of kiwifruits. The results showed that 32, 18, 26, 29, and 32 feature wavelengths were extracted from 256 full wavelengths to predict the SSC, firmness, L*, a*, and b*, respectively, with the CARS algorithm. Not only was the working efficiency of the CARS-MLR model improved, but the prediction accuracy of the CARS-MLR model for determining the physicochemical indices was also at its relative best. The residual predictive deviations of the CARS-MLR model for determining the SSC, firmness, L*, a*, and b* were 3.09, 2.90, 2.32, 2.74, and 2.91, respectively, which were all above 2.3. Compared with the model based on the full spectra, the CARS-MLR model could be used to predict the physicochemical indices of kiwifruits. Finally, the visualization map for the physicochemical indices of kiwifruits at different maturity stages was generated by calculating the spectral response of each pixel on the kiwifruit samples with the CARS-MLR model. This made the detection for the physicochemical indices of kiwifruits more intuitive. This study demonstrates that hyperspectral imaging coupled with the chemometrics is promising for the nondestructive detection and visualization map for the physicochemical indices of kiwifruits, and also provides a novel theoretical basis for the nondestructive detection of kiwifruit quality.

Process optimization of ultra-high pressure treatment of grapes: Effects on the phenolic composition of red wine grapes from the Hexi Corridor region (China)

This research evaluated the impact of ultra-high pressure (UHP) treatment on the phenolic compounds in red wine grapes. Grapes were subjected to varied conditions—specifically differences in applied pressure, pressure holding time and temperature—to ascertain the most effective treatment parameters. Optimal conditions were identified as an applied pressure of 407 MPa, a holding time of 25 min, and a holding temperature of 26 °C. UHP treatment noticeably disrupted the cell structure and diminished PPO activity in the processed samples. The impact of optimal UHP treatment on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot's physicochemical indices and phenolic contents was investigated using multivariate statistical analysis. Results highlighted that UHP treatment significantly increased phenolic compounds. Among these, anthocyanins, flavonols, flavanols and stilbenes showed the most pronounced increase. Furthermore, the Cabernet Sauvignon samples responded more favorably to UHP treatment than the Merlot samples.

Non-Destructive Detection of Golden Passion Fruit Quality Based on Dielectric Characteristics

This study pioneered a non-destructive testing approach to evaluating the physicochemical properties of golden passion fruit by developing a platform to analyze the fruit’s electrical characteristics. By using dielectric properties, the method accurately predicted the soluble solids content (SSC), Acidity and pulp percentage (PP) in passion fruit. The investigation entailed measuring the relative dielectric constant (ε′) and dielectric loss factor (ε″) for 192 samples across a spectrum of 34 frequencies from 0.05 to 100 kHz. The analysis revealed that with increasing frequency and fruit maturity, both ε′ and ε″ showed a declining trend. Moreover, there was a discernible correlation between the fruit’s physicochemical indicators and dielectric properties. In refining the dataset, 12 outliers were removed using the Local Outlier Factor (LOF) algorithm. The study employed various advanced feature extraction techniques, including Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation (RFECV), Permutation Importance based on Random Forest Regression (PI-RF), Permutation Importance based on Linear Regression (PI-LR) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). All the variables and the selected variables after screening were used as inputs to build Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Categorical Boosting (Cat-Boost) models to predict the SSC, Acidity and PP in passion fruit. The results indicate that the PI-RF-XGBoost model demonstrated superior performance in predicting both the SSC (R2 = 0.9240, RMSE = 0.2595) and the PP (R2 = 0.9092, RMSE = 0.0014) of passion fruit. Meanwhile, the GA-CatBoost model exhibited the best performance in predicting Acidity (R2 = 0.9471, RMSE = 0.1237). In addition, for the well-performing algorithms, the selected features are mainly concentrated within the frequency range of 0.05–6 kHz, which is consistent with the frequency range highly correlated with the dielectric properties and quality indicators. It is feasible to predict the quality indicators of fruit by detecting their low-frequency dielectric properties. This research offers significant insights and a valuable reference for non-destructive testing methods in assessing the quality of golden passion fruit.

Effects of active film based on chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol on the quality of refrigerated sea bass (Lateolabrax Japonicus) fillets

There has been a growing interest in employing active films for fish preservation due to the environmental concern of plastic packaging and the high perishability of fish. This work aimed to develop active films (CPB0.8) based on chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol integrated with ginger essential oil (GEO) -loaded bacterial cellulose, and to evaluate the preservation effect of the films on refrigerated sea bass fillets. Different active films were obtained by the solution blending method. It was evaluated by measuring microbiological indicators, physicochemical indexes, and water loss of sea bass fillets. The sample wrapped by CPB0.8 film had a lower microbial load after 12 days of storage. The results showed that the sample wrapped by CPB0.8 film had a lower microbial load after 12 days of storage compared to the active film sample without GEO and the control sample. Besides, the reduction of hardness and springiness of fillets packaged with CPB0.8 film was markedly inhibited. Additionally, the fillets wrapped by CPB0.8 film indicated a lower K-value (56.54%) under the rejection limit (60%) on the 10th day, which confirmed that CPB0.8 films extended the shelf-life of fillets to 10 days. Also, the active packaging could preserve fish quality by controlling water migration and lipid oxidation. Overall, these findings indicate that CPB0.8 films can be useful for the preservation of fish and effectively reduce petroleum-based plastics.

ТЕХНОЛОГИЯ ПРОИЗВОДСТВА ПРЯНИКА С ДОБАВЛЕНИЕМ ПОРОШКА ИЗ КЕДРОВОГО ЖМЫХА

The objective of the study is to analyze the use of cedar cake powder in different percentage additives to wheat flour (second grade) in laboratory experiment variants; to use of the optimal dosage of cedar cake powder for enrichment of cedar gingerbread and improvement of the quality of this flour confectionery product; to improve production technology. The object of the study is samples of cedar gingerbread pro-ducts obtained by adding cedar cake powder (5; 10; 15 %) to second-grade wheat flour. To perform the study, well-known organoleptic and physicochemical methods for studying raw materials and finished products were used. The safety of raw materials was controlled by TR CU 021/2011 "On the safety of food products". The choice of the control – Dnieper gingerbread, is associated with the use of second-grade flour in its recipe and its low calorie content. Laboratory studies and their testing were carried out in 2023 at the Department of Technology of Bakery, Confectionery and Pasta Production of Krasnoyarsk State Agrarian University. The finished flour confectionery product – cedar gingerbread was tested using stan¬dard methods in accordance with GOST R 58233-2-18; GOST 15810-2014. The cedar gingerbread sample with 15 % additive can be considered enriched, possessing improved quality indicators. The advantage of quality assessment is the pleasant smell (aroma) of cedar nut and an increased mass fraction of fat – 1.90 %. Organoleptic and physicochemical indicators and increased nutritional value of the enriched cedar gingerbread sample allow us to give an "excellent" rating on the rating scale (29.8 points). The generally accepted technology for the production of raw unglazed gingerbread was used. In the technology for ma¬king cedar gingerbread, the dough kneading stage was improved. Flour, cedar cake powder, soda and ammonium dissolved in water were added to the finished syrup. Profitability was 19 %. The production of cedar gingerbread is possible to expand the range and increase the production of flour confectionery products for all groups of the population.