This study aims to investigate the effects of high-voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) pretreatment combined with infrared hot-air drying (IR-HAD) on the drying kinetics and quality of fresh-cut mango slices. To systematically evaluate these effects, drying rate, moisture distribution, microstructure, color, texture, and bioactive components (vitamins B and C, total phenolics, and DPPH antioxidant activity) were measured. The results indicated that HVEF pretreatment reduced the resistance to moisture migration within the material. This effect is supported by enhanced cell membrane permeability and the formation of tissue microchannels, which collectively shortened the total drying time by up to 16.7%. Under the specific IR-HAD conditions tested, a pretreatment of 15 kV/cm for 5 min was identified as the optimal parameter for fresh-cut mango slices, effectively balancing drying efficiency with the retention of key quality attributes such as vitamin C, color, and chewiness. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and scanning electron microscopy analyses suggest that the structural modifications induced by HVEF, combined with infrared heating and hot-air convection, constitute an integrated drying mechanism. By shortening the exposure to high temperatures, this method mitigated the severe thermal degradation of nutrients and inhibited browning and tissue hardening. While this approach provides a theoretical basis for efficient dehydration, the major limitations of this study include the lack of interactive experimental designs among processing variables and the reliance on lab-scale trials using a single mango variety. Future studies are needed to evaluate its adaptability for industrial scale-up.
This study focuses on the resource utilization of Ficus pumila Linn. (FPL) by valorizing its often-discarded hulls, aiming to reduce waste and enhance material value. An ultrasonic-assisted deep eutectic solvent (DES) extraction method was optimized using response surface methodology to obtain polysaccharides (FPLP). The optimal DES system was choline chloride:oxalic acid at a molar ratio of 1.5:1, DES water content of 54%, ultrasonication time of 55 min, extraction temperature of 69°C, liquid-to-solid ratio of 21:1 mL/g, and ultrasonic power of 240 W. Under these conditions, the extraction yield of FPLP reached 0.9524%. This yield was 4.44- and 1.45-fold higher than those achieved by conventional hot-water and ultrasonic-water extraction, respectively. The crude FPLP was further purified by DEAE and Sephadex G-75 chromatography to obtain a refined polysaccharide, FPLP-1. Bioactivity evaluations demonstrated that FPLP-1 exhibits in vitro antioxidant activity (ABTS·+ scavenging IC50 = 2.587 mg/mL) and hypoglycemic potential (α-amylase inhibition IC50 = 1.560 mg/mL). Moreover, FPLP-1 showed potent in vivo antioxidant effects by protecting zebrafish keratinocytes from metronidazole-induced apoptosis, along with broad in vitro immunomodulatory functions, including promoting splenocyte proliferation, enhancing macrophage phagocytosis, and stimulating the secretion of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings highlight the promising potential of FPLP-1 as a multifunctional bioactive compound.
Seafood is highly susceptible to rapid microbial proliferation, lipid oxidation, and volatile spoilage compound accumulation, resulting in rapid quality deterioration and food waste. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of crystalline coordination materials with tunable porosity, high surface area, and diverse metal-ligand architectures, have emerged as multifunctional platforms for advanced seafood preservation. This review presents a mechanistically grounded analysis of MOF-based systems, emphasizing on how coordination environments and framework properties govern antimicrobial, antioxidant, adsorption, and sensing performance. A unified structure-property-function framework is proposed, classifying MOF functionalities into ion-mediated, redox-driven, adsorption-dominant, and hybrid multifunctional modes relevant to seafood application. Particular attention is given to coordination-driven processes and mode of action, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulation, metal ion interactions, selective host-guest adsorption, and controlled release under humid and biologically complex conditions. Key performance constraints that dictate practical performance are identified, including antimicrobial efficacy versus metal-ion migration, ROS-mediated preservation versus oxidative damage, adsorption strength versus reversibility, and sensing sensitivity versus operational robustness. These constraints are amplified in seafood systems due to high water activity, complex biochemical matrices, and rapid spoilage kinetics. Recent advances in MOF-integrated packaging and intelligent sensing demonstrate the potential for simultaneous preservation and real-time freshness monitoring. However, challenges related to hydrolytic instability, competitive adsorption, scalability, and regulatory compliance remain. Future research should focus on designing moisture-stable, biocompatible MOFs with controlled functionality and scalable fabrication. This work provides a conceptual and design-oriented foundation for translating MOFs into practical seafood preservation technologies.
This study synthesized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using the leaf extract of Cinnamomum longepaniculatum. The extract composition was identified by GC-MS, and the nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis, SEM, EDX, and FTIR. Three pre-harvest spray treatments of SeNPs at concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/L were applied, with water as the control, to investigate their effects on the postharvest quality and browning of Pleurotus ostreatus. The results show that the leaf extract contains more than 13 compounds that can act as reducing and stabilizing agents. The synthesized SeNPs are spherical with an average particle size of 59.32 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.1029, and a ζ-potential of -23.65 mV, and their surface is coated with an organic layer containing carbon and oxygen. Pre-harvest spraying of SeNPs improves the postharvest quality of oyster mushrooms, with the 5 mg/L treatment showing the optimal effect. After 15 days of storage, this treatment group exhibits significantly higher contents of total sugar, soluble protein, total phenols, flavonoids, and ascorbic acid compared to the control. It also maintains higher mushroom lightness (L*), suppresses polyphenol oxidase activity, enhances antioxidant enzyme activity and free radical scavenging capacity, and reduces malondialdehyde content. In summary, pre-harvest spraying of SeNPs effectively improves the postharvest quality and delays browning in P. ostreatus, providing a theoretical and technical basis for oyster mushroom preservation and the high-value utilization of C. longepaniculatum resources.
Jujube is widely recognized as a highly nutritious food. However, due to its high moisture content at the harvesting stage, efficient drying techniques are typically required for extending its shelf life and maintaining quality. This study investigated the effects of three pretreatment strategies-nonthermal dielectric-barrier discharge plasma (plasma), alkaline ethyl oleate (AEEO), and dense-phase carbon dioxide (DPCD) treatment-on the drying kinetics, energy consumption, and final quality of jujubes dried using a coupled hot-air/microwave system. All pretreatments significantly enhanced the drying rate of jujubes, with the AEEO group exhibiting the most rapid drying. In this group, the total drying time was 33.3% lower than that in the control group. Color analysis revealed an increase in the a* value across all pretreated samples. However, the DPCD group demonstrated the smallest total color difference (ΔE*) when compared to fresh jujube samples, reflecting the superior color preservation in this group. Moreover, DPCD-treated samples also retained the highest levels of bioactive compounds, including vitamin C, total phenols, and flavonoids, thus achieving the strongest antioxidant and free radical-scavenging capacity. Microstructural observations revealed that DPCD created a porous tissue structure in jujubes, facilitating moisture migration. Although thermal treatment generated the most diverse profile of volatile aroma compounds in jujubes, it provided a slower drying rate. Meanwhile, despite achieving the fastest drying rate, AEEO led to the significant (p < 0.05) degradation of bioactive components. Therefore, DPCD can effectively combine accelerated drying with superior retention of product quality and nutritional value. These findings highlight the potential of DPCD for the industrial-scale production of high-quality dried jujubes.
This study investigated the protective effects of alfalfa polysaccharide fraction II (APS-II) on immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX) in mice. APS-II was extracted using ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction method and purified by DEAE-52 cellulose chromatography. Its structural characteristics, including molecular weight (Mw), monosaccharide composition, and thermal stability, were analyzed. A CTX-induced immunosuppressed mouse model was established to evaluate the effects of APS-II on immune organ indices, serum cytokines, antioxidant indicators in liver and spleen tissues, and intestinal microbiota. Results showed that APS-II, with main Mw of 28.05 kDa, consisted of glucose, galactose, mannose, arabinose, glucuronic acid, and rhamnose in the molar ratio of 8.04:1.22:1.18:0.92:1:0.06. Treatment with medium and high doses of APS-II significantly restored thymus and spleen indices (p < 0.05), increased serum cytokine levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) (p < 0.05), and ameliorated spleen and thymus histopathology. Antioxidant parameters of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) were elevated, and malondialdehyde (MDA) was reduced, reaching significance at the high dose (p < 0.05). Additionally, APS-II reshaped the gut microbiota by increasing Bacteroidota abundance and reducing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio (p < 0.05), enriching Muribaculaceae and Lactobacillus (p < 0.01), while decreasing potentially pathogenic Rikenellaceae. In conclusion, APS-II provides significant protection against CTX-induced immunosuppression and holds promise as a functional food ingredient for immune health. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Alfalfa polysaccharide fraction II (APS-II) exerts a protective effect on mice with CTX-induced immunosuppression, laying the scientific foundation for its development as an immunomodulatory ingredient in functional foods and dietary supplements.
Reducing postprandial blood glucose (PBG) constitutes a core objective in the clinical management of diabetes mellitus. Urtica cannabina L., a traditional medicinal and edible homologous plant, is widely distributed in China; however, research on its pharmacological activity and chemical composition remains relatively scarce. In the present study, the PBG-lowering potential of U. cannabina L. was confirmed both in vitro and in vivo, and its chemical constituents were preliminarily identified by UPLC-triple-TOF-MS/MS for the first time. Notably, acarbose (8 mg/kg), a clinically approved first-line α-glucosidase inhibitor, and UCE20 (20% ethanol extract of U. cannabina L.) at 10 mg/kg both significantly reduced PBG levels. Furthermore, UPLC-triple-TOF MS/MS analysis combined with correlation analysis has preliminarily indicated that hydroxycinnamoyl quinates and flavonoid C-glycosides may serve as the primary bioactive components responsible for the PBG-lowering effect. These findings suggested U. cannabina L. holds potential as a medicinal ingredient or health food to assist in the regulation of PBG levels.
Conventional food safety training has long been the primary approach for educating food handlers; however, gamification has emerged as an innovative strategy to enhance food safety learning and help prevent the risk of foodborne illnesses. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of gamification in food safety training by synthesizing the available evidence on its impact on educational outcomes, engagement, motivation, and food safety behavior compared with conventional instructional approaches. This systematic review followed the PRISMA-P methodology to screen and retrieve peer-reviewed articles published between 2006 and 2025 from databases including Web of Science and Scopus. Among the eight identified studies, the reported interventions primarily used web-based games, simulation activities, serious games, and gamified training platforms targeting topics such as hygiene, cross-contamination prevention, cooking temperatures, microbiological risks, and HACCP principles. Most studies employed quasi-experimental or randomized controlled designs and reported positive educational outcomes, including enhanced self-efficacy, behavioral awareness, problem-solving skills, and compliance with food safety practices. The findings suggest that gamification could offer a promising approach for food safety education; however, the current data remain inconclusive because of the limited number of heterogeneous studies and the lack of high-quality evidence assessing long-term behavioral change. It is suggested that future research could benefit from developing inclusive, AI-enhanced gamified food safety training tools that provide personalized, multilingual, culturally adapted, and literacy-sensitive learning experiences while integrating adaptive feedback, real-time analytics, and immersive technologies to improve accessibility, engagement, and long-term behavioral change across diverse populations.
Spray drying is widely employed to produce stable fruit powders and may facilitate the utilization of highly perishable raw materials rich in bioactive compounds. However, processing conditions, carrier selection, and feed preparation are critical factors governing powder quality, bioactive compound stability, and gastrointestinal release. This study evaluated the spray drying of araticum (Annona crassiflora), a native fruit of the Brazilian Cerrado, using maltodextrin and whey protein concentrate (WPC) as carrier materials. A Taguchi L9 design was applied to assess inlet air temperature (100, 125, and 150°C), maltodextrin concentration (15%, 30%, and 45%) and WPC concentration (0.5%, 5%, and 10%), while mechanical mixing or probe ultrasonication was included as a noise factor. The powders were characterized for technological properties, color, bioactive compound contents, antioxidant responses, in vitro gastrointestinal release, and bioaccessibility. All powders exhibited low moisture content (3.99% to 6.87%) and water activity (0.160 to 0.214), and high solubility (71.52%-82.18%). T5, produced at 125°C with 30% maltodextrin, and 10% WPC, exhibited the highest powder recovery (30.75%), total phenolic content (1925.94 mg GAE/100 g), total carotenoid content (64.78 mg/100 g) and ascorbic acid content (7.09 g/100 g). The highest ABTS radical scavenging activity was observed for T3 (96.16%). Following in vitro digestion, T5 exhibited high bioaccessibility of total phenolic compounds (95.65%), the ABTS response (88.55%) and ascorbic acid (95.98%). These findings indicate that combining Taguchi-based process evaluation, robustness to feed preparation, and maltodextrin-WPC carriers is an effective strategy for producing araticum juice powders with technological stability and potential application as functional food ingredients.
Gallic acid (GA)-copper nanozymes were prepared at GA:Cu2+ stoichiometric ratios ranging from 1:1 to 5:1 to elucidate how stoichiometry governs coordination assembly, colloidal stability, electronic structure, peroxidase-like catalysis, and antibacterial activity. Among all formulations, the 2:1 sample exhibited the smallest hydrodynamic diameter (95.65 ± 4.20 nm), the lowest polydispersity index (0.19 ± 0.01), and the most negative zeta potential (-27.7 ± 2.80 mV), indicating superior dispersion stability. Morphological and XRD analyses revealed a relatively uniform, weakly aggregated, and predominantly amorphous metal-phenolic network. FT-IR, 2D-COS, UV-Vis, and XPS collectively confirmed Cu─O coordination and stoichiometry-dependent modulation of the local electronic environment; the appearance of a new absorption band near 320 nm was attributed to ligand-to-metal charge transfer. The 2:1 nanozyme also showed the highest peroxidase-like activity, with Km values of 0.034 mM for TMB and 4.39 mM for H2O2. EPR analysis verified ·OH generation during H2O2 activation. DFT, BCP, and IGMH analyses further demonstrated that the optimal 2:1 configuration adopted the most stable coordination mode, with the lowest bond energy (-69.8834 kcal/mol) and a HOMO-LUMO gap of 5.7082 eV. In antibacterial assays, the optimized nanozyme exhibited concentration-dependent killing against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which was markedly enhanced in the presence of H2O2. These results establish a stoichiometry-guided structure-performance relationship for GA-Cu nanozymes and demonstrate that stoichiometric regulation is an important design parameter for optimizing their coordination structure, colloidal stability, and catalytic activity. Overall, the optimized GA-Cu2:1 formulation provides a rational basis for further development and evaluation of metal-phenolic catalytic antibacterial materials for potential food-safety applications. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Utilizes naturally abundant gallic acid and copper ions as sustainable, low-cost raw materials for nanozyme construction. Stoichiometric regulation (GA:Cu2 = 2:1) achieves an optimal coordination structure, colloidal stability, and peroxidase-like activity, enabling enhanced ROS-mediated antibacterial efficacy. Offers a biocompatible, catalytic antibacterial system for active food packaging or antimicrobial coatings to extend the shelf life of chilled meat and other perishable foods.
The incorporation of botanical ingredients into mead has emerged as a promising strategy for developing fermented beverages enriched with natural bioactive compounds with improved physicochemical quality and bioactive properties. This study evaluated the fermentation performance of mead production and the effects of post-fermentation incorporation of a hydroalcoholic Hibiscus sabdariffa extract on the physicochemical characteristics, color attributes, and antioxidant activity of the final beverage. Two formulations were produced: a control mead and a hibiscus-enriched mead containing 20% (v/v) extract. Fermentation kinetics demonstrated adequate fermentative performance despite incomplete sugar utilization, resulting in beverages with moderate ethanol content (∼4.7% v/v) and residual sugar concentrations of approximately 37 g/L. The hydroalcoholic extract contained high concentrations of total phenolics (1.59 mg GAE/mL), total flavonoids (0.091 mg EQ/mL), and total anthocyanins (0.441 mg CE/mL), which contributed to an approximately 10-fold increase in antioxidant activity, increased titratable acidity, a lower pH, reduced luminosity (L*), and higher redness (a*) owing to the presence of anthocyanin pigments and naturally occurring organic acids. Overall, post-fermentation incorporation of H. sabdariffa enhanced the physicochemical, chromatic, and functional quality of mead while preserving the fermentation characteristics previously achieved, highlighting its potential as a multifunctional natural ingredient for clean-label, value-added fermented beverages. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The incorporation of H. sabdariffa into mead improved physicochemical, visual, and functional properties while preserving the alcohol content and residual sugar profile established during fermentation. Hibiscus enhanced acidity, red coloration, and antioxidant activity, highlighting its potential as a natural colorant and source of bioactive compounds in clean-label fermented beverages. These results support the development of innovative, value-added mead formulations with greater functional and commercial appeal.
The rapid diversification of food products, frequent packaging updates, and seasonal variations pose significant challenges for vision-based food inspection and dietary monitoring in real-world food systems. To address the need for scalable and flexible food analysis, this study proposes a domain-adaptive open-vocabulary food object detection (OVFD) framework that enables the identification of both existing and previously unseen food categories without category-specific box annotations for new items. By leveraging open-vocabulary representations, the framework allows dynamic expansion of detectable food categories as new items emerge, supporting continuous adaptation to evolving products, recipes, and dietary patterns while reducing manual annotation requirements. The proposed method integrates a dynamic prompt distribution network (DPDN) to improve region-text alignment, along with a density-aware multiple instance learning (DA-MIL) strategy that uses weakly supervised image-level tags to improve generalization and suppress background-driven detections. To reduce semantic leakage, Food2K labels are filtered by normalized matching, synonym auditing, and overlap-based rules before training. The framework was evaluated on multiple benchmark food datasets under open-vocabulary settings, demonstrating consistent improvements in detection performance for both Base (seen) and Novel (unseen) food categories, with Novel-category gains also observed under AP75 (average precision at intersection-over-union = 0.75) and COCO-style AP. Repeated-run reporting, error analysis, and limited external evaluation support stability and practical plausibility. By enabling dynamic category expansion with reduced annotation overhead, the proposed approach provides an assistive localization module for downstream dietary assessment, sorting review, and quality-inspection workflows, while task-specific validation and human verification remain necessary before operational food-safety or production-line use. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study provides an OVFD approach that can be adapted to new food items with reduced category-specific box annotation. Bounding-box localization can support upstream perception for portion estimation, ingredient-level dietary logging, assisted sorting review, and quality-inspection workflows by identifying where food items are located before secondary human or automated assessment. The present evidence supports assistive use only; human verification and validation under pilot-plant or real production conditions remain necessary before operational use. The detector is therefore intended to provide spatial evidence for subsequent review, not to replace validated food-inspection, quality-assessment, or production-control procedures.
The present study developed a novel resistant starch (RS-5) using a pilot-scale jacketed tank where sorghum/corn starches were separately complexed with stearic acid (SA) at 1%, 3%, and 5% levels during the gelatinization stage. The complexes containing starch slurry were spray-dried to obtain RS-5 in powdered form. These spray-dried starches were analyzed for long-range X-ray diffraction (XRD) and short-range Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy molecular order, along with determination of thermal, rheological, and digestibility properties and in vitro prebiotic potential. Complexation with 5% SA led to the highest RS content in both corn (63.76%) and sorghum (67.87%) starches. The increase in RS content correlated with the increase in complexation index and XRD percent crystallinity, while the 2θ peaks at 13° and 20° further confirmed the formation of V-type complexes in all RS5 samples. The V-type starch-SA complexation was found to reduce retrogradation enthalpies measured through a differential scanning calorimeter after 14 days of cold storage. Higher thermal stability in terms of higher decomposition temperatures was specifically observed for spray-dried corn starch-SA complexes. The corn and sorghum starches complexed with 1%-3% SA showed a higher in vitro prebiotic activity score (0.01-0.19) after 80 h. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The spray drying results in a less dense powder with a very fine particle size between 25 and 37 µm, which may allow easy blending in wheat flours. Spray-dried starches complexed with SA resulted in higher RS content and reduced GI (glycemic index), making it lucrative for utilization in medium- to low-GI pasta, breads, and breakfast cereals with an improved sensory profile as compared to conventional dietary fibers.
The Picanha, obtained from the Biceps femoris muscle, is highly valued worldwide. No official standard precisely defines this cut, leading slaughterhouses to rely on subjective criteria such as weight, length, or the location of the "third vein". Thus, this study aimed to characterize variations along the entire length of the Biceps femoris muscle to identify the location of the separation of Picanha. Four Biceps femoris muscles were sectioned into 12 consecutive steaks (2.5 cm each) along the proximal-distal axis and subjected to physicochemical and histological analyses. Between steaks 6 and 7, the average weight of the cut (∼1.5 kg) was consistent with empirical industry standards, and the "third vein" was identified at steak 6, reinforcing its practical relevance. A decrease in pH was observed along the proximal-distal axis (5.79 to 5.62; P < 0.05). Total fat decreased toward the distal region (P < 0.01), whereas total moisture and collagen content increased (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). Sarcomere length exhibited linear and quadratic effects (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively), with greater values in proximal steaks and progressive shortening toward distal regions. Similarly, Warner-Bratzler shear force showed a quadratic increase (P < 0.01), with steaks 1-6 classified as tender (≤ 4.4 kg) and steaks 7-12 as non-tender. Histological evaluation confirmed structural differences consistent with these findings. Overall, the transition in physicochemical and structural traits occurred around steaks 6-7, corresponding to the location of the "third vein." These results support its use as a practical and biologically meaningful anatomical reference for delimiting the Picanha cut. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The anatomical delimitation of the Biceps femoris muscle was evaluated under controlled experimental conditions using steaks of standardized thickness, which may differ from commercial fabrication practices. The results consistently identified physicochemical and structural transitions around the "third vein", supporting its use as a practical anatomical reference for standardizing the Picanha (sirloin cap or rump cap) and Coxão Duro (outside round or bottom round) cuts in the meat industry and gastronomy.
Repeated frying in soybean oil affects the flavor quality of fried meat products, but the mechanisms underlying flavor evolution remain unclear. Batter-coated meat strips (BCMSs) were used to investigate flavor changes during repeated frying. Sensory characteristics were evaluated using Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) and Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS), combined with electronic nose, electronic tongue, GC-MS, GC-MS/MS, and physicochemical analyses of frying oil. The results showed that BCMS flavor quality followed a "first improvement then deterioration" trend with increasing frying cycles. Samples fried within six to 30 batches exhibited the most desirable sensory characteristics, whereas prolonged frying increased greasy, oxidized, and rancid attributes. Lipid oxidation-derived volatile compounds were closely associated with oil deterioration and negative sensory perceptions. Overall, six to 30 frying batches were identified as the optimal frying range for BCMSs, and lipid oxidation was confirmed as the primary mechanism driving flavor deterioration during repeated frying.
A combined treatment integrating black bean protein isolate-gum Arabic (BBPI-GA) wet-heating conjugation and rosemary extract co-encapsulation was employed to improve the physicochemical characteristics and stability of citronella oil microcapsules. Changes in color, turbidity, molecular weight, and protein secondary structure confirmed the formation of BBPI-GA conjugates, with an optimal heating time of 1 h. Wet-heating conjugation increased the encapsulation efficiency (EE) of citronella oil from 91.97% (non-conjugated control) to 97.62% and produced microcapsules with a denser morphology and smaller particle size (34.26 µm). In contrast, additional incorporation of rosemary extract had negligible effects on EE (97.67%), morphology, and particle size (34.84 µm). In addition, the combined treatment remarkably elevated the thermal, storage, and oxidative stability of the encapsulated citronella oil and helped maintain its antibacterial activity and antioxidant capacity over time. Experimental results indicate that the integration of wet-heating conjugation and antioxidant co-encapsulation serves as an effective strategy for enhancing the stability and functional performance of citronella oil microcapsules.
The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of processing via ultrasonication on the physiochemical and antimicrobial properties of zein nanoemulsions (NE) loaded with essential oils (cinnamaldehyde [CA], D-limonene [Lim], and their combination [CO]). NE consisting of 2% zein and 1% EO were prepared using probe sonication. Nanofilms (NF) were prepared from the subsequent NE using the solvent casting technique. Zeta potential, particle size, and polydispersity index (PDI) were monitored for 30 days at 4 and 22°C. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs), and microbial reductions were also determined. Ultrasonication effectively reduced particle size, increased storage stability, and enhanced antimicrobial efficacy. SEM imaging revealed that the nanomaterial droplets ranged from 93.98 nm to 227.95 nm in diameter and remained stable after 1 month of storage at 4 or 22°C. In-vitro results showed that NEs with CA and CO inhibited the growth of both Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EC) and Listeria monocytogenes (LM) at concentrations < 2000 ppm, whereas NEs with Lim had the least antimicrobial effect, with much higher MICs and MBCs than CA. NEs with CA exhibited bactericidal activity against EC and LM after 24 h of treatment. SEM imaging also showed that CA induced noticeable morphological changes in EC cells, indicating cell damage. Results confirm that essential oils, specifically cinnamaldehyde, can be loaded into zein-based films and may be used as antimicrobial preservatives to enhance food safety. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In recent years there has been an increase in foodborne disease outbreaks associated with ready-to-eat produce. Two major bacterial pathogens responsible for these outbreaks are Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Several studies have shown that encapsulation of natural antimicrobials into edible nanoemulsion coatings and films can enhance their antimicrobial activity in food systems. The results of this study demonstrate that films and coatings made from zein-based polymer loaded with cinnamaldehyde, limonene, and a combination of both essential oils effectively reduced populations of these pathogens. Our results also demonstrate that these nanoemulsions may be a promising tool to enhance the safety and quality of fresh produce.
This study evaluated the aqueous extract of Pimpinella anisum seeds (AE-PAS) and its green-synthesized silver nanoparticles (PA-AgNPs) using integrated in vitro, in vivo, and in silico approaches. LC-MS analysis identified 26 phytoconstituents, mainly sinapic acid (15.78%), hispidulin (15.35%), caffeic acid (11.09%), and rutin (8.86%). Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were 45.2 ± 2.1 mg GAE/g DE and 28.7 ± 1.5 mg QE/g DE, respectively. UV-Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) supported nanoparticle formation, indicating dry-state particle or agglomerate features of approximately 60-90 nm, a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 421 nm, 50.81% crystallinity, and a crystallite-domain size of 22.57 ± 1.2 nm. AE-PAS showed measurable antioxidant and albumin-denaturation-inhibitory responses (DPPH IC50 = 130.63 ± 1.3 µg/mL; albumin-denaturation IC50 = 721.79 ± 1.7 µg/mL). PA-AgNPs produced measurable inhibition zones in agar well diffusion screening, but antibacterial potency could not be established because MIC and MBC were not determined. The PA-AgNP DPPH result lacked a nanoparticle-only blank and should be regarded as an apparent assay-specific estimate. Hemolysis was concentration dependent, increasing from 5.20% at 50 µg/mL to 29.93% at 100 µg/mL. In behavioral models, PA-AgNPs (0.1 mg/kg) produced measurable antidepressant-like and analgesic responses; these findings represent preliminary behavioral evidence rather than confirmed efficacy. Molecular docking predicted favorable binding scores (-8.0 to -9.6 kcal/mol) for selected extract phytochemicals against MAO-A/B, COX-1/2, and TNF-α but did not establish target inhibition or a biological mechanism. Overall, the findings are preliminary and require comprehensive physicochemical characterization, appropriate silver-ion and material controls, quantitative antimicrobial testing, pharmacokinetic and mechanistic validation, and expanded safety assessment before biomedical translation.
Brewer's spent grain is a large, highly nutritious fraction remaining after the brewing of beer. Spent grain is usually used as animal feed, when destinations are closely available. It is also discarded in landfills, leading to economic and environmental concerns. This study explored the use of spent grain to enhance the nutritional content of fresh yellow alkaline noodles while also decreasing spent grain waste. Spent grain from a malting barley variety was produced, oven-dried, milled, and blended with wheat flour at 5%, 15%, and 25% of spent grain (w/w) to produce noodles. The impact of these test formulations on noodle quality, as well as composition, measured as total arabinoxylans and β-glucans, was investigated for both raw and cooked noodles. A commercial sample of buckwheat noodles (BW) was also tested for comparison. On average, noodles with 25% spent grain cooked 2 min faster than BW and a wheat control made without the addition of spent grain (p < 0.05). Spent grain noodles were slightly firmer, had lower cooking loss, and had lower weight increase compared to the control noodles. Portions of 100 g of cooked noodles made with 25% spent grain had 2.2 g more fiber than control noodles, measured as total arabinoxylans and β-glucans. The inclusion of 25% spent grain is a viable way to enhance noodle fiber content while maintaining noodle quality. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Dried and ground spent grain can be incorporated into noodles, simultaneously improving noodle fiber content and reducing cooking time. Noodles represent a potential new market for spent grain, preventing byproduct waste.
