Nanosensor-based food safety technologies have emerged as transformative tools for the rapid detection of pathogens, toxins, spoilage indicators, and chemical contaminants, offering substantial advantages over conventional laboratory methods in terms of sensitivity, speed, and portability. However, their successful implementation depends not only on technical performance but also on consumer acceptance and behavioral responses. This review synthesizes current evidence on the psychological processes underlying public engagement with nanosensor-enabled food systems, addressing a critical gap in the predominantly technology-focused literature. The review first outlines the principles, nanomaterials, and food safety applications of nanosensors, including pathogen detection, freshness monitoring, and contaminant surveillance. It subsequently examines how risk perception, technology anxiety, trust in institutions, cognitive processing, and interpretation of sensor-generated information shape behavioral intentions and food-related decision-making. Psychological theories including Risk Perception Theory, Protection Motivation Theory, the Heuristic–Systematic Processing Model, Cognitive Dissonance Theory, and the Technology Acceptance Model, are integrated to explain consumer responses to nanosensor warnings and adoption behaviors. By bridging food nanotechnology and behavioral science, this review proposes a human-centered framework to guide future research, technology design, and risk communication strategies, thereby supporting the socially acceptable and effective deployment of nanosensor-based food safety systems.
The global rise in metabolic diseases, especially type 2 diabetes, has increased the demand for functional foods that elicit lower postprandial glycemic responses. Millet- and multigrain-based snacks are promising candidates because they are rich in dietary fiber, resistant starch and bioactive compounds. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the evidence on formulation strategies, processing technologies and glycemic and metabolic outcomes of millet- and multigrain-based ready-to-eat (RTE) snacks. Following the PRISMA 2020 statement, PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus and Web of Science were searched for peer-reviewed, English-language studies published between January 2014 and December 2025, supplemented by citation searching. Studies on millet- or multigrain-based RTE snacks that reported glycemic index (GI), resistant starch, starch digestibility or glucose response (human trials or validated in vitro digestion models) were eligible. Methodological quality was appraised qualitatively, and the findings were synthesized narratively because of heterogeneity in study designs and outcomes. Of 1,330 records identified (1,245 from databases and 85 from other sources), 310 duplicates were removed, 1,020 records were screened, 300 full-text reports were assessed for eligibility and 115 studies were included. The evidence indicated that the glycemic response to millet-based snacks depends on grain type, multigrain blending, incorporation of functional ingredients and processing conditions, including extrusion and fermentation, which influence starch digestibility, digestive-enzyme inhibition and postprandial glucose response. The evidence was limited by heterogeneous GI protocols, a predominance of in vitro and short-term studies, and few controlled human trials of finished snack products. Millet-based RTE snacks represent a promising strategy for developing low-GI foods that are potentially beneficial for glycemic management; however, low-GI claims should be supported by standardized in vivo GI testing of the final product. Future work should focus on sensory acceptability, scalable processing, standardized glycemic assessment and well-designed clinical trials to support broader commercialization.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent a major global health challenge, accounting for ca. 74
Coffee contains bioactive compounds that may influence reproductive function through endocrine and oxidative pathways, but effects may differ according to the type of coffee. Evidence comparing caffeinated, decaffeinated, and date-based coffee on the brain testosterone, reproductive indices, and oxidative status remains limited. This study therefore compared their effects in the brain, testicular testosterone and sperm characteristics in adolescent male rats. Twenty-eight animals (8–12 weeks) were randomly divided into four groups (n = 7): Control (standard diet), CF (Caffeinated coffee), DC (Decaffeinated coffee), and DA (Date coffee). Each group received 20 mg/kg/day of its respective coffee for 28 days. Sperm variables, hormonal assays, oxidative stress markers, and testosterone concentrations in the hypothalamus, frontal cortex, and testis were also determined. Sperm count was significantly higher in all coffee-treated groups than in the control group (p ≤ 0.0001). Caffeinated coffee (CF) was associated with a higher number of abnormal sperm, whereas decaffeinated coffee (DC) showed fewer abnormal sperm relative to the control group. Testosterone concentrations in the hypothalamus and frontal cortex were significantly lower in all coffee-treated groups than in the control group, while testicular testosterone was significantly higher. Compared with CF, DA significantly increased testicular testosterone, sperm count, sperm motility, and serum glutathione (GSH). The different coffee types produced divergent tissue-specific effects. Date coffee increased testicular testosterone, sperm count, motility, and serum GSH versus caffeinated coffee, while caffeinated coffee increased abnormal sperm, highlighting mixed reproductive effects.
Cardoon thistle (Cynara cardunculus) is traditionally used as a vegetable rennet in artisanal cheese production. Although cardoon extracts are known to possess antimicrobial properties, their bioactivity within dairy matrices remains poorly characterized. This study evaluated the antioxidant capacity and antibacterial activity of dairy products obtained through cardoon-based coagulation, including milk, freshly coagulated curd, ripened cheeses, whey, and requeijão, produced using thistle rennet. Samples were obtained from a traditional Portuguese cheese factory, and antibacterial activity was assessed against Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus. Higher levels of Folin–Ciocalteu-reactive compounds were detected in the rennet, milk, and cheese fractions, whereas whey and requeijão showed lower levels but retained measurable antioxidant and antibacterial activities. This apparent dissociation between Folin–Ciocalteu-reactive compound levels and bioactivity suggests that activity may be influenced not only by the concentration of reactive compounds but also by their association with milk components or the presence of more soluble bioactive constituents. Overall, the findings indicate that measurable bioactivities are retained across both cheese and whey-derived fractions obtained using cardoon rennet, supporting further investigation of their chemical basis and potential for dairy by-product valorisation.
