Promising Food Ingredient Research Articles

Antioxidant Activity, Enzyme Inhibition Potentials, and Phytochemical Profiling of Premna serratifolia L. Leaf Extracts.

Premna serratifolia, commonly known as Arogo in Tentena-Sulawesi, is a popular vegetable. As a promising herbal tea and food ingredient, further investigation is required to find the best knowledge for medicinal use of P. serratifolia leaves. This research investigated the antioxidant activity of the ethanol (EEPS) and water (WEPS) extracts of P. serratifolia leaves, based on their scavenging activities on DPPH radicals and their reducing capacities (CuPRAC, total antioxidant/phosphomolybdenum, and ferric thiocyanate reducing power assays). The DNA-protecting effect by EEPS was tested using pBR322 plasmid DNA against •OH radical-induced damage. The inhibition potentials of both extracts against several enzymes related to metabolic diseases (α-glucosidase, α-amylase, xanthine oxidase, and protease) were evaluated. The phytochemical analysis was conducted by an LC-QTOF-MS/MS technique. EEPS proved to be a better antioxidant and had higher phenolic content compared to WEPS. EEPS demonstrated a protective effect on DNA with recovery percentage linearly correlated with EEPS concentrations. Strong inhibition on α-glucosidase and α-amylase was observed for EEPS; however, EEPS and WEPS showed weak inhibitions on xanthine oxidase and protease. LC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis identified seven main components in EEPS, namely scroside E, forsythoside A and forsythoside B, lavandulifolioside, diosmin, nobilin D, campneoside I, and isoacteoside. These components may be responsible for the observed enzymes inhibitions and antioxidant properties. Premna serratifolia leaves can be an appropriate choice for the development of nutraceutical and drug preparations.

Development of a Multifunction Set Yogurt Using Rubus suavissimus S. Lee (Chinese Sweet Tea) Extract.

Rubus suavissimus S. Lee leaves, also known as Chinese sweet tea or Tiancha, are used in folk medicine in southern China. This study evaluated the impact of the addition of Chinese sweet tea extract (0.25%, 0.5%, and 1%) on the chemical composition, organoleptic properties, yogurt culture viability, and biological activities (i.e., antioxidant, anticancer, and antihypertensive activities) of yogurt. Seven phenolic compounds were reported in Chinese sweet tea for the first time. The numbers of the yogurt culture were similar across all yogurt treatments. The yogurt supernatant with 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% Chinese sweet tea extract had a total phenolic content that was 3.6-, 6.1-, and 11.2-fold higher, respectively, than that of the control yogurt. The biological activities were significantly increased by the addition of Chinese sweet tea extract: Yogurt with the addition of 1% Chinese sweet tea extract had the highest biological activities in terms of the antioxidant activity (92.43%), antihypertensive activity (82.03%), and inhibition of the Caco-2 cell line (67.46%). Yogurt with the addition of 0.5% Chinese sweet tea extract received the highest aroma and overall acceptability scores. Overall, Chinese sweet tea extract is a promising food ingredient for producing functional yogurt products that may substantially contribute to reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The Application and Functional Progress of γ-Poly-Glutamic Acid in Food: A Mini-Review.

γ-Poly-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a naturally occurring homo-polyamide produced by various strains of Bacillus. As a biopolymer substance, γ-PGA possesses a few predominant features containing good water solubility, biocompatibility, degradability and non-toxicity. Based on this, γ-PGA can be used in pharmaceutical, such as drug carrier/deliverer, vaccine adjuvant, and coating material for microencapsulation, etc. Moreover, it has also been applied in a broad range of industrial fields including food, medicine, bioremediation, cosmetics, and agriculture. Especially, γ-PGA is an extremely promising food ingredient. In this mini-review, our aim is to review the function and application progress of γ-PGA in the food industry: e.g., improving taste and flavor, enhancing physical property, and promoting health.

Microfiltered red-purple pitaya colorant: UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MSE-based metabolic profile and its potential application as a natural food ingredient.

Complete characterization of microfiltered red-purple pitaya colorant (MRPPC) and its potential applications in foods is described. Using sensorial analysis, products that use carmine or beetroot dye as a food colorant in their formulations were compared. The effect of storage under refrigeration on the microbiological, physicochemical, and chemical changes of MRPPC were evaluated. The results showed that UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MSE was effective for the simultaneous determination of twenty metabolites, putatively identified as carbohydrates, flavonoids, and betalains. The MRPPC was shown to have microbiological and physicochemical stability through twelve weeks of storage, and chemometric analyses efficiently distinguished the metabolic profile in each storage period. Sensory analysis revealed that the MRPPC was useful as a food colorant in yogurt, where it improved color quality without affecting aroma and other characteristics. These results indicate that MRPPC is promising food ingredient as a natural red-purple colorant.

Lactobionic acid as a suitable food preservative for yacon juice

Yacon root is known for its antioxidant, prebiotic and insulin modulator benefits. However, like the root, yacon juice exhibits rapid enzymatic browning, requiring treatments such as acidification. Lactobionic acid (LBA) is a promising food ingredient, which contains not only preservative but also nutritional properties. The first goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of combined treatments (blanching, acid pretreatment) and LBA on refrigerated yacon juice (8 °C; 48 h). The analysis of pH, antioxidants, total polyphenols and color, were used to select the optimal combined conditions, which were steam blanching (10 min) + LBA 1%. Secondly, the LBA was compared with citric, malic, tartaric, and ascorbic acids (at 1% levels), where the kinetics of polyphenol oxidases were determined in refrigerated storage of the juice at 8 °C for 48 h. Results showed that LBA, malic and tartaric acids maintained the color of yacon juice and preserved bioactive compounds. LBA and malic acid prevented enzymatic browning with PPO reductions of 80.4% and 79.4%, respectively. This was the first time that LBA has been tested in a refrigerated juice showing significant potential for preservation of color and bioactive compounds in food products.

A New Italian Purple Corn Variety (Moradyn) Byproduct Extract: Antiglycative and Hypoglycemic In Vitro Activities and Preliminary Bioaccessibility Studies.

The reuse of byproducts from agricultural and food industries represents the key factor in a circular economy, whose interest has grown in the last two decades. Thus, the extraction of bioactives from agro-industrial byproducts is a potential source of valuable molecules. The aim of this work was to investigate the in vitro capacity of byproducts from a new Italian corn variety, named Moradyn, to inhibit the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) involved in several chronic age-related disorders. In addition, the hypoglycemic effect of Moradyn was tested by in vitro enzymatic systems. A Moradyn phytocomplex and its purified anthocyanin fraction were able to inhibit fructosamine formation and exhibited antiglycative properties when tested using BSA-sugars and BSA-methylglyoxal assays. These properties could be attributed to the polyphenols, mainly anthocyanins and flavonols, detected by RP-HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn. Finally, a Moradyn phytocomplex was submitted to a simulated in vitro digestion process to study its bioaccessibility. Moradyn could be considered as a promising food ingredient in the context of typical type 2 diabetes risk factors and the study will continue in the optimization of the ideal formulation to preserve its bioactivities from digestion.

Natural prebiotic carbohydrates, carotenoids and flavonoids as ingredients in food systems

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in health-promoting products which are also natural and safe for consumption because the consumer market has been searching for a healthy lifestyle. This global market trend has driven the food industry to invest in the development of innovative products containing bioactive components. In this review, we focus on presenting the results of the last few years and pioneer publications linking the employment of prebiotic carbohydrates, carotenoids and flavonoids/anthocyanin and enhanced food properties. Several studies in food systems have proposed that these bioactive compounds are promising food ingredients that not only modify and improve the physicochemical and sensorial characteristics of food products, but also improve human health and wellbeing.

Lupin seed coat as a promising food ingredient: physicochemical, nutritional, antioxidant properties, and effect of genotype and environment

SummaryThe high proportion of seed coat of legume lupins results in big milling lose during kernel flour production, though the seed coat could be value‐added as human food. The physicochemical and nutritional properties and antioxidant capacities of seed coats of six Australian sweet lupin cultivars grown at two locations were evaluated. Results showed that genotype, environment and their interaction were significant for seed coat percentage, proximate composition, dietary fibre content, polyphenols and antioxidant capacities. Strong correlations between seed coat lightness and polyphenol content were found. A comparison using multivariate analysis of the seed coat properties showed clear separation based on growing sites. This study indicates the enormous potential of Australian sweet lupin seed coat as an ‘antioxidant dietary fibre’ food source. The results could also benefit to breed varieties with desirable levels of nutrients and phytochemicals.

Milled black gram by-product as a promising food ingredient: functional, pasting and thermal characteristics

During milling of black gram seed, substantial amount of the grain is removed as by-product. The present study was carried out to investigate the functional quality of milling by-product with an intention to explore value-added applications. The milling of black gram yielded the by-product, which was categorized into two fractions, viz., By-product Rich in Germ and Aleurone (BRGA) and husk. BRGA, considered as a major by-product, was endowed with suitable functional properties in terms of water absorption capacity (3.23 g/g), foam capacity (37.33%) and emulsifying activity index (21.06 m2/g) along with nitrogen solubility index and thermal properties. It also demonstrated high suspension zeta value (− 22.8 mV), oil absorption capacity (1.81 g/g), and minimum emulsion droplet size (17.68 μm). The husk had a high emulsifying activity index, emulsion zeta value and water absorption capacity, but it exhibited minimum least gelation concentration, thermal profile, foam capacity and viscosity properties. Results of the present study indicated that the by-product–BRGA, had relatively equal functional attributes as that of the whole seed. These findings suggested that black gram milling by-products could be considered as new promising source of ingredient with good functional properties in food industry.

Theaflavins Improve Insulin Sensitivity through Regulating Mitochondrial Biosynthesis in Palmitic Acid-Induced HepG2 Cells.

Theaflavins, the characteristic and bioactive polyphenols in black tea, possess the potential improving effects on insulin resistance-associated metabolic abnormalities, including obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the related molecular mechanisms are still unclear. In this research, we investigated the protective effects of theaflavins against insulin resistance in HepG2 cells induced by palmitic acid. Theaflavins significantly increased glucose uptake of insulin-resistant cells at noncytotoxic doses. This activity was mediated by upregulating the total and membrane bound glucose transporter 4 protein expressions, increasing the phosphor-Akt (Ser473) level, and decreasing the phosphorylation of IRS-1 at Ser307. Moreover, theaflavins were found to enhance the mitochondrial DNA copy number, down-regulate the PGC-1β mRNA level and increase the PRC mRNA expression. Mdivi-1, a selective mitochondrial division inhibitor, could attenuate TFs-induced promotion of glucose uptake in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Taken together, these results suggested that theaflavins could improve hepatocellular insulin resistance induced by free fatty acids, at least partly through promoting mitochondrial biogenesis. Theaflavins are promising functional food ingredients and medicines for improving insulin resistance-related disorders.

EFFECT OF ADDING Spirulina platensis IN PASTA PRODUCTS (SPAGHETTI)

Spirulina platensis can be regarded as an alternative and promising food ingredient due to their nutritional composition, richness in bioactive compounds, and because they are considered a sustainable protein source for the future. The objective of this study was to prepare fresh spaghetti enriched with different amounts of Spirulina platensis and to compare the fatty acid profile of spaghetti before and after cooking, with standard semolina spaghetti. The results showed that fatty acid profile of spaghetti prepared with Spirulina platensis incorporation, presented a high resistance to the thermal treatment applied during the cooking procedure. Increase the amount of Spirulina platensis lead to increase of fatty acids both in raw and cooked spaghetti.

Microalgae biomass as an alternative ingredient in cookies: Sensory, physical and chemical properties, antioxidant activity and in vitro digestibility

Microalgae can be regarded as an alternative and promising food ingredient due to their nutritional composition, richness in bioactive compounds, and because they are considered a sustainable protein source for the future. The aim of this work was to evaluate microalgae (Arthrospira platensis F&M-C256, Chlorella vulgaris Allma, Tetraselmis suecica F&M-M33 and Phaeodactylum tricornutum F&M-M40) as innovative ingredients to enhance functional properties of cookies. Two biomass levels were tested and compared to control: 2% (w/w) and 6% (w/w), to provide high levels of algae-bioactives. The cookies sensory and physical properties were evaluated during eight weeks showing high color and texture stability. Cookies prepared with A. platensis and C. vulgaris presented significantly (p<0.05) higher protein content compared to the control, and by sensory analysis A. platensis cookies were preferred. Besides, A. platensis also provided a structuring effect in terms of cookies texture. All microalgae-based cookies showed significantly higher (p<0.05) total phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant capacity compared to the control. No significant difference (p<0.05) in in vitro digestibility between microalgae cookies and the control was found.

Determination of Inorganic Cations and Anions in Chitooligosaccharides by Ion Chromatography with Conductivity Detection.

Chitooligosaccharides (COSs) are a promising drug candidate and food ingredient because they are innately biocompatible, non-toxic, and non-allergenic to living tissues. Therefore, the impurities in COSs must be clearly elucidated and precisely determined. As for COSs, most analytical methods focus on the determination of the average degrees of polymerization (DPs) and deacetylation (DD), as well as separation and analysis of the single COSs with different DPs. However, little is known about the concentrations of inorganic cations and anions in COSs. In the present study, an efficient and sensitive ion chromatography coupled with conductivity detection (IC-CD) for the determination of inorganic cations Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and chloride, acetate and lactate anions was developed. Detection limits were 0.01–0.05 μM for cations and 0.5–0.6 μM for anions. The linear range was 0.001–0.8 mM. The optimized analysis was carried out on IonPac CS12A and IonPac AS12A analytical column for cations and anions, respectively, using isocratic elution with 20 mM methanesulfonic acid and 4 mM sodium hydroxide aqueous solution as the mobile phase at a 1.0 mL/min flow rate. Quality parameters, including precision and accuracy, were fully validated and found to be satisfactory. The fully validated IC-CD method was readily applied for the quantification of various cations and anions in commercial COS technical concentrate.

Royal jelly ameliorates diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance by promoting brown adipose tissue thermogenesis in mice

Identification of thermogenic food ingredients is potentially a useful strategy for the prevention of obesity and related metabolic disorders. It has been reported that royal jelly (RJ) supplementation improves insulin sensitivity; however, its impacts on energy expenditure and adiposity remain elusive. We investigated anti-obesity effects of RJ supplementation and their relation to physical activity levels and thermogenic capacities of brown (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT). C57BL/6J mice were fed under four different experimental conditions for 17 weeks: normal diet (ND), high fat diet (HFD), HFD with 5% RJ, and HFD with 5% honey bee larva powder (BL). Spontaneous locomotor activity, hepatic triglyceride (TG) content, and blood parameters were examined. Gene and protein expressions of thermogenic uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV (COX-IV) in BAT and WAT were investigated by qPCR and Western blotting analysis, respectively. Dietary RJ, but not BL, suppressed HFD-induced accumulations of WAT and hepatic TG without modifying food intake. Consistently, RJ improved hyperglycemia and the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Although dietary RJ and BL unchanged locomotor activity, gene and protein expressions of UCP1 and COX-IV in BAT were increased in the RJ group compared to the other experimental groups. Neither the RJ nor BL treatment induced browning of WAT. Our results indicate that dietary RJ ameliorates diet-induced obesity, hyperglycemia, and hepatic steatosis by promoting metabolic thermogenesis in BAT in mice. RJ may be a novel promising food ingredient to combat obesity and metabolic disorders.

Bioactive Properties of Maillard Reaction Products Generated From Food Protein-derived Peptides.

Food protein-derived peptides are promising food ingredients for developing functional foods, since various bioactive peptides are released from food proteins. The Maillard reaction, which plays an important role in most processed foods, generates various chemical components during processing. Although changes of amino acids or proteins and reduced sugars by the Maillard reaction have been studied extensively, such changes of peptides by the Maillard reaction are still not resolved enough. Since food protein-derived peptides are widely utilized in many processed foods, it deserves concern and research on the changes of peptides by the Maillard reaction in foods during processing or storage. This chapter initially overviewed food protein-derived bioactive peptides. Then, Maillard reaction products generated from peptides are discussed. We focused particularly on their bioactivities.

Berries and anthocyanins: promising functional food ingredients with postprandial glycaemia-lowering effects.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is predicted to reach unprecedented levels in the next few decades. In addition to excess body weight, there may be other overlapping dietary drivers of impaired glucose homeostasis that are associated with an obesogenic diet, such as regular exposure to postprandial spikes in blood glucose arising from diets dominated by highly refined starches and added sugars. Strategies to reduce postprandial hyperglycaemia by optimising the functionality of foods would strengthen efforts to reduce the risk of T2D. Berry bioactives, including anthocyanins, are recognised for their inhibitory effects on carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption. Regular consumption of berries has been associated with a reduction in the risk of T2D. This review aims to examine the evidence from in vitro, animal and human studies, showing that berries and berry anthocyanins may act in the gut to modulate postprandial glycaemia. Specifically, berry extracts and anthocyanins inhibit the activities of pancreatic α-amylase and α-glucosidase in the gut lumen, and interact with intestinal sugar transporters, sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 and GLUT2, to reduce the rate of glucose uptake into the circulation. Growing evidence from randomised controlled trials suggests that berry extracts, purées and nectars acutely inhibit postprandial glycaemia and insulinaemia following oral carbohydrate loads. Evidence to date presents a sound basis for exploring the potential for using berries/berry extracts as an additional stratagem to weight loss, adherence to dietary guidelines and increasing physical exercise, for the prevention of T2D.

Gelation of pomelo (Citrus maxima) pectin as induced by divalent ions or acidification

Effects of divalent ions and acidification on the gelation properties of pomelo pectin, having degree of esterification (DE) and molecular weight (MW) of 58% and 353kDa, respectively, were investigated in this work. The results revealed that the gelling property of pomelo pectin could be advantageously promoted through divalent ion addition (Mg2+, Ca2+, Ba2+) or acidification. With addition of divalent ions, the gel modulus increased with increasing size of the ions, i.e. Ba2+>Ca2+>Mg2+. In addition, the acid-induced gelation of the studied pomelo pectin had superior gel strength and higher elastic modulus compared to commercial citrus pectin with similar degrees of esterification and molecular weight. It is considered that the distribution pattern of methyl ester groups of pomelo pectin, which are different from commercial citrus pectin, was likely responsible for these favourable dual gelation characteristics. Overall, this finding suggests that pomelo pectin is a promising food ingredient and would be potentially useful for a range of food applications that require gelling or thickening through divalent ion addition or acidification.

Pilot plant preparation of light-coloured protein isolates from de-oiled sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) press cake by mild-acidic protein extraction and polyphenol adsorption

The aim of this study was to produce light-coloured protein isolates from sunflower press cake on a pilot plant scale. Mild-acidic extraction at pH 6 prevented discolouration due to co-extracted phenolic compounds and facilitated the adsorptive removal thereof using a styrene-divinylbenzene resin, coupled with ion exchange. To enhance protein solubility under acidic conditions, NaCl was added. Two concentrations (2 and 1.3 mol/L) were compared, previously identified as being most suitable for protein extraction and polyphenol adsorption.Protein isolates recovered by precipitation accumulated globular helianthinin, while highly soluble albumins were additionally recovered by ultrafiltration of the supernatants. Precipitated protein yields of 23–26% were obtained when 2 mol/L NaCl solution was used for extraction, whilst the lower salt level only gave protein yields of 15%. Albumin concentrates only marginally added to the overall yield with up to 5%.The physicochemical and functional properties of the precipitated proteins obtained at the different salt levels were comparable, being slightly inferior for the products obtained on a pilot plant compared to laboratory scale. Generally, protein isolates obtained by isoelectric precipitation were of high purity and light in colour, with protein contents of >94% and chlorogenic acid contents of <0.2%. Despite their poor solubility, they had fair emulsifying and excellent foaming properties.Altogether, sunflower protein isolates produced according to the novel process are promising food ingredients. The study demonstrated the feasibility of the process on a pilot plant scale. Moreover, the simultaneous recovery of phenolic compounds may enhance the economic viability of the overall process.

Orange fiber as a novel fat replacer in lemon ice cream

Orange fiber was used as a novel fat replacer in light lemon ice cream. Nine ice cream formulations were compared: standard control ice cream (IC); ice cream with fiber (F1) from the peel, bagasse, and orange seed (ICA and ICB); ice cream with fiber (F2) from the orange peel alone (ICC and ICD); ice cream with fiber (F3) from the peel, bagasse, and orange seed pretreated with hydro-distillation (ICE and ICF); and ice cream with fiber (F4) from the orange peel pretreated with hydro-distillation (ICG and ICH).The orange fiber reduced the ice cream fat content (50 %) and the overrun ratio and increased the fiber content and the hardness, gumminess, and springiness values, but it did not affect the adhesiveness and odor of the samples. The samples with 1.0 % of orange fiber showed low melting rate values than those of the control ice cream. The overall acceptance of the ice cream with 1.0 % of pre-treated orange peel fiber did not differ from that of the control ice cream (80 %). The orange fiber proved a promising food ingredient since it can be used to decrease the fat content and increase bioactive compounds content, such as fiber and carotenoids.

Amaranth 7S Globulin Langmuir Films and Its Interaction with l-α-Dipalmitoilphosphatidilcholine at the Air–Fluid Interface

Amaranth seeds are one of the more promising food ingredients, due to their high protein content, among which the most important are storage proteins known as globulins. However, little is known about the physicochemical of the globulin proteins. In this work, we study the physicochemical behavior of films made of amaranth 7S globulin and its interaction with a model membrane made of L-α-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (L-α-DPPC) at the air-liquid interface. The study was done by means of Langmuir balance, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), fluorescence microscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We found that isotherms of pure 7S globulin directly deposited on either water or buffer subphases behave similarly and globulin forms a condensed film made of globular and denature structures, which was confirmed by BAM observations. Good mixtures of the protein with L-α-DPPC are formed at low surface pressure. However, they phase separate from moderate to high surface pressure as observed by BAM. Isotherms detect the presence of the protein in the mixture with L-α-DPPC, but we were unable to detect it through BAM or AFM. We show that fluorescence microscopy is a very good technique to detect the presence of the protein when it is well-mixed within the LE phase of the lipid. AFM images clearly show the formation of protein mono- and multilayers, and in phase mode, we detected domains that are formed by protein and LE lipid phase, which were corroborated by fluorescence microscopy. We have shown that globulin 7S mix well with lipid phases, which could be important in food applications as stabilizers or emulsifiers, but we also show that they can phase separate with a moderate to high surface pressure.