Although Baegjinju rice flour is widely used in Korea, its functionality in meat batter systems remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of Baegjinju rice flour particle size (approximately 60–177 µm) on flour physicochemical and pasting properties, rice flour gel texture, and the quality characteristics of batter-coated deep-fat-fried chicken. Rice flour was sieved into fractions and formulated into batters for chicken coating, and frying performance was assessed by measuring batter pick-up, cooking loss, moisture content, and texture with a conventional wheat flour batter included as a practical reference. As particle size decreased, water-holding capacity and heating viscosity increased, markedly increasing batter pick-up (7.54–36.68%) and reducing cooking loss (41.82–16.40%). Finer rice flour batters also improved moisture retention and reduced hardness, yielding texture comparable to that of wheat flour-coated samples. Rice flour particle size influenced hydration behavior, coating performance, and fried-product quality, supporting the use of finely fractionated Baegjinju rice flour in fried chicken batter applications.

With the rising trend of health-conscious consumers, demand for gluten-free alternatives is increasing, and rice flour is a promising gluten-free alternative for chicken batter. This study examines the effects of particle size variations in Baromi-2 rice flour on batter rheology and the quality attributes of deep-fat fried chicken. Baromi-2 is a rice variety specifically developed to meet the demands of the modern food processing industry, especially for applications requiring dry milling. Five particle sizes (60, 100, 120, 160, and 180 mesh) were evaluated on the basis of their physicochemical properties, including water-holding capacity (WHC), amylose content, and damaged starch levels. Batter consistency was assessed and frying performance was analyzed with regard to coating pickup, cooking loss, moisture content, crust color, and textural attributes. Results demonstrated that finer particle sizes (e.g., 180 mesh) exhibited high WHC and batter viscosity, resulting in reduced flowability and enhanced adhesion. These properties contributed to high coating pickup, improved moisture retention, and reduced cooking loss during frying. Fried chicken prepared with finer particles showed soft textures, great cohesiveness, and light crust colors with high lightness (L*) and reduced redness (a*) and yellowness (b*), producing a visually appealing product. By contrast, larger particle sizes (e.g., 60 mesh) resulted in low viscosity, uneven coatings, and high cooking loss. This study highlights the critical role of rice flour particle size in optimizing batter functionality and improving the quality of fried foods. Furthermore, these findings suggest the potential to bridge the gap between consumer demand for healthier fried foods and the food industry’s demands.

In recent decades, growing attention was devoted to reducing fossil-fuel usage. The production of bioethanol from natural sources is an eco-friendly liquid fuel alternative that can be used in a wide range of applications. In this work, Argane (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) pulp hydrolysate was used, for the first time, as a substrate for bioethanol production, aiming to improve the valorization of this local biowaste as a new biomass for biofuel production. Hence, a comparative fermentation study of argane pulp hydrolysate was investigated using commercial and laboratory-scale isolated Saccharomyces cerevisiae Meyen ex EC Hansen yeast (S. cerevisiae). The experiments of the alcoholic fermentation were conducted under the influence of temperature, pH, and yeast concentration on bioethanol yield and sugar consumption using response surface methodology. A maximum bioethanol yield of 5.91 mg/mL was observed under optimal process conditions of 32.5 °C (temperature), 5.5 (pH), and 4.50

In the context of the circular economy, used coffee grounds were transformed into powdered activated carbon by chemical activation using potassium hydroxide. Its characterisation was conducted in comparison with that of a commercial activated carbon by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Boehm titration, and point zero charge (pHPZC) and by determination of the methylene blue number (MBN) and the iodine number (IN). Performance of the prepared activated carbon was tested in the adsorption of the cationic dye crystal violet (CV) and hexavalent chromium. Batch adsorption tests were carried out and the effects of operating parameters were studied. The results collected on the adsorption kinetics show that the adsorption followed pseudo-second order kinetics and that the Langmuir isotherm best fits the equilibrium data for crystal violet and hexavalent chromium. The thermodynamic study showed that the adsorption of both adsorbates is spontaneous and exothermic and leads to a decrease in disorder at the solid–liquid interfaces. These results indicate that this activated carbon can be used as an alternative adsorbent to remove cationic dyes and heavy metals from aqueous solutions.

•Adsorption mechanisms of anionic dyes on TiO2(110) surface are computationally investigated.•Quantum chemical parameters suggest that acid yellow 36 I more reactive than acid orange 6.•Molecular dynamics simulation reveals that anionic dyes exhibit parallel disposition on TiO2(110) in aqueous phase.•SCC-DFTB simulation indicates the formation of covalent bonds between anionic dyes and TiO2(110) via the sulfonic group.

Metal oxides are gaining momentum rapidly for application in water pollutant remediation. In this study, the adsorption proprieties of two anionic dyes, i.e., acid yellow 36 (AY36) and acid orange 6 (AO6) on the (110) surface of rutile titanium dioxide (TiO2) in an aqueous medium were investigated using computational methods. The density functional theory (DFT) was used to determine the reactivity of organic molecules by calculating the frontier molecular orbital energies, energy gap (AEgap), chemical hardness (eta), chemical softness (a), electronegativity (x), chemical potential (g), electrophilicity (o)), the fraction of electrons transferred (AN), back-donation energy (AEback-donation), Mulliken charge, and Fukui indices. The obtained results showed that the AY36 molecule is more reactive than the AO6 molecule and may have a good adsorption capability compared to the AO6 dye. The most favorable adsorption configurations of AY36 and AO6 molecules were investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The calculated interaction energies by MD simulation showed that the TiO2 (110) surface has a high sensitivity to interact with the two anionic dyes, with more affinity toward the AY36 molecule. Furthermore, to get deep insights into the chemistry of interactions between the anionic dyes and the TiO2 (110) surface, the self-consistent charge density functional tight-binding (SCC-DFTB) method was carried out. Results showed that anionic dyes adsorbed on the TiO2 (110) surface by forming covalent bonds between oxygen atoms of the sulfonic group and Ti atoms. Theoretical insights from this work would serve as a guide for researchers to explore the application of oxides in water pollutant remediation. (c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clay, renowned for its versatility, plays a pivotal role in various applications including the production of decorative pottery. In this study, a silica and alumina-rich Moroccan clay was employed to adsorb phenol from aqueous solutions. Employing an array of characterization techniques including X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scan-ning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), the physical and chemical attributes of the clay were meticulously examined. The adsorption kinetics were expeditiously rapid, occurring within a timescale of approximately twenty minutes, and corresponded with the pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption isotherms aligned with both Freundlich and Langmuir models, illustrating an impressive adsorption capacity nearing 97 mg/g. The clay's physicochemical profile revealed the prevalence of both negative and positive sites, owing to its high silica (over 49%) and alumina (19.5%) content, which enhanced the attraction of nucleophilic sites in phenol. Detailed investigation into the interaction mechanism between phenol and clay demonstrated that the mesomeric forms of phenol in water created nucleophilic sites, which engaged with the positive sites of the silica and alumina phases. Furthermore, physico-mechanical assessments of the clay, both pre-and post-phenol adsorption, revealed no significant alterations in flexural strength, highlighting the potential for reutilizing phenol-loaded clay in pottery production. This revelation marks a step towards integrating pollution control with sustainable resource utili-zation, leveraging the abundant availability of natural clay materials and their noteworthy adsorptive properties for a variety of pollutants.

This study identified the effect of the type and concentration of vegetable oil on the quality of meat analogs and analyzed the differences in their physiochemical characteristics. Various vegetable oils, such as castor oil, orange oil, palm oil, shortening, and margarine, were added to meat analogs. The meat analog was prepared by adding 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 g of each vegetable oil based on 100 g of textured vegetable protein. The cooking loss, water content, liquid-holding capacity, texture, and antioxidant content of the meat analogs were assessed, and a sensory evaluation was performed. The meat analog with orange oil had a higher water content than the others, regardless of the amount of added oil, and it had a relatively high liquid-holding capacity. The DPPH(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity of the meat analog with orange oil was higher than that of the others. The sensory evaluation also showed a decrease in soy odor and an increase in juiciness. Therefore, adding orange oil improves the preference, juiciness, soy odor, and quality of meat analogs. Our results demonstrate that orange oil has positive effects on the productivity of meat analogs and can help to improve meat analog consumption.

The addition of various oils to meat analog has been an important topic to improving its juiciness and tenderness. However, this causes a concern about oil leaching from the meat analog during long-term storage. Here, we aimed to assess the storage stability of vegetable-oil-supplemented meat analogs and analyze the effects of temperature and storage period on their physiochemical characteristics. The meat analogs were prepared by adding 30 g castor oil, orange oil, palm oil, shortening, or margarine vegetable oil based on 100 g of textured vegetable protein. They were then stored at −18 or −60 °C for 6 months and analyzed at one-month intervals. The meat analog supplemented with orange oil had the highest water content (64.85%; 66.07%), hardness (35.48 N; 34.05 N), and DPPH-radical-scavenging activity (30.01%; 30.87%) under −18 and −60 °C, respectively, as well as the highest liquid-holding capacity in different conditions. During frozen storage, temperature barely affected the meat quality. The storage stability of all meat analog samples was maintained for 6 months, although the quality was slightly reduced with an increase in storage duration. Coliform group bacteria were not detected regardless of the storage condition. In conclusion, all results supposed that orange oil can be a promising candidate for improving the juiciness and tenderness of meat analogs, and the quality of samples was maintained for at least 6 months under frozen storage. The findings of this study are relevant to the development and promotion of meat analog as an alternative to animal meat.

Studies on the long-term stability of meat analogs stored under frozen conditions are lacking. Here, we aimed to assess the storage stability of vegetable oil-supplemented meat analogs and analyze the effects of temperature and storage period on their physiochemical characteristics. The meat analogs were prepared by adding 30 g castor oil, orange oil, palm oil, shortening, or margarine vegetable oil based on 100 g of textured vegetable protein. They were then stored at −18 or −60 °C for 6 months and analyzed at one-month intervals. The meat analog supplemented with orange oil had the highest water content, liquid-holding capacity, hardness, and antioxidant activity. During frozen storage, temperature barely affected the meat quality. The storage stability of all meat analog samples was maintained for 6 months, although the quality was slightly reduced with an increase in storage duration. Coliform group bacteria were not detected regardless of the storage condition. Orange oil improved the juiciness of meat analogs, and the quality of samples was maintained for at least 6 months under frozen storage. The findings of this study are relevant to the development and promotion of vegetable meat as an alternative to animal meat.

The purpose of this study was to optimize the encapsulated formulation and freeze-drying conditions of Lactobacillus acidophilus KBL409 to improve shelf-life. The optimum freeze-drying conditions was 8% sucrose as a lyoprotectant at -30 degrees C. In addition, the free, alginate-encapsulated (Al-), and alginate/chitosan-encapsulated (Al/Chi-) L. acidophilus KBL409 with or without sucrose were prepared and evaluated for the simulated gastrointestinal (SGI) tract, moisture characteristics, and storage stability. The freeze-dried Al/Chi-cells with sucrose displayed the highest survival rate of 0.14% in the SGI tract (p < 0.05). The cells showed sigmoidal sorption isotherms and moisture content of 0.084 kg water/kg solid for Brunauer-Emmett-Teller-monolayer. At 4 C/60% RH, the glass transition temperature was 12.55 degrees C, which allowed for 12-week period of glassy state and the highest storage viability of 22.35%. In conclusion, the viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus KBL409 faces distinct challenges for freeze-drying and storage, and encapsulation with lyoprotectant affects various stability and quality attributes of microorganisms.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a well-defined mediator involved in the pathophysiologic response to endotoxemia and sepsis. However, the mechanisms and therapeutic agents that could prevent its release are not fully elucidated. Here, the present study demonstrates that the ginseng leaf extract (GLE) regulates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-triggered release of HMGB1 in macrophages and endotoxemic animal model. Treatment of RAW264.7 macrophages with GLE significantly inhibited the release of HMGB1 stimulated by LPS. GLE also suppressed the generation of nitric oxide (NO) and expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in a dose-dependent manner. These effects of GLE were accompanied by inhibition of HMGB1 release stimulated by LPS, indicating a potential mechanism by which GLE regulates HMGB1 release through NO signaling. Furthermore, induction of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 by GLE-mediated GLE-dependent suppression of HMGB1 release and NO/iNOS induction by inhibiting Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 signal in RAW 264.7 cells exposed to LPS. Finally, administration of the GLE ameliorated the survival rate of LPS-injected endotoxemic mice in a NO-dependent manner. Thus, GLE may block the LPS-stimulated release of HMGB1 by regulating cellular signal networks, thereby providing a therapeutic strategy for endotoxemia as a functional food. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is released into the extracellular milieu when immune cells are exposed to pathogen-related molecules such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in which it acts as a critical mediator of lethality in sepsis and endotoxemia. The extract of ginseng leaf, which is a part that can be easily thrown away, ameliorated the survival rate of endotoxemic mice by inhibiting HMGB1 secretion in a NO-dependent manner. Thus, this study suggests that ginseng leaf can be used as a functional food by resolving the immune responses in the pathology of endotoxemia.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of reduced particle size of ginseng by roasting and cryogenic milling on increasing its water solubility and physiological activity. The samples were roasted for different times (9–21 min) and generated in different sizes (10–50, and >50 μm). All roasted samples revealed significantly smaller particle sizes than did non-roasted samples, based on Sauter mean diameter (D [3,2], p < 0.05). Furthermore, the particle sizes of roasted samples decreased until roasting up to 15 min. In terms of the water solubility index (WSI), antioxidant activity, total polyphenol content (TPC), and total polysaccharides according to particle size, 10–20 μm-sized samples showed the highest values when compared with >50 μm-sized samples. Based on roasting time, WSI values of all samples roasted for up to 15 min were higher than those of the control (not roasted) (p < 0.05). Antioxidant activity and TPC also increased with increasing roasting time. Total polysaccharide content was the highest upon roasting for 15 min, except for the 10–20 μm sample. Ginsenoside content of roasted samples >20 μm size was higher than that of the control (not roasted) except after 15 min of roasting. Therefore, roasting and cryogenic milling are effective in producing ginseng root powder.

This study was aimed to reduce salt intake and bake white pan bread in which the saltiness was enhanced by the salt-yeast complex. As the amount of yeast in the complex increased, the fermentation rate, and specific loaf volume decreased. Water content, pH, and hardness values did not show significant differences. All treated samples supplemented with complex showed higher salt releasing values compared to the control with raw yeast. There was a decreasing trend of salt releasing value with increasing amount of yeast in complex (p > .05). This result was consistent with our hypothesis that spatially combined salt and yeast could result in higher salt release. In sensory analysis. the crumb of 20:3 and the crust of 20:9 showed higher saltiness intensity and preferred saltiness than the control with raw yeast, respectively. In conclusion, salt-yeast complex might be a candidate technology to reduce salt content in white pan bread. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.

This study investigates the effects of various non-animal-based liquid additives on the physicochemical, structural, and sensory properties of meat analogue. Meat analogue was prepared by blending together textured vegetable protein (TVP), soy protein isolate (SPI), and other liquid additives. Physicochemical (rheological properties, cooking loss (CL), water holding capacity (WHC), texture and color), structural (visible appearance and microstructure), and sensory properties were evaluated. Higher free water content of meat analogue due to water treatment resulted in a decrease in viscoelasticity, the highest CL value, the lowest WHC and hardness value, and a porous structure. Reversely, meat analogue with oil treatment had an increase in viscoelasticity, the lowest CL value, the highest WHC and hardness value, and a dense structure due to hydrophobic interactions. SPI had a positive effect on the gel network formation of TVP matrix, but lecithin had a negative effect resulting in a decrease in viscoelasticity, WHC, hardness value and an increase in CL value and pore size at microstructure. The results of sensory evaluation revealed that juiciness was more affected by water than oil. Oil treatment showed high intensity for texture parameters. On the other hand, emulsion treatment showed high preference scores for texture parameters and overall acceptance.

This study shows that taurine and ginsenoside Rf act synergistically to increase the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The increase of BDNF mRNA by taurine and ginsenoside Rf was markedly attenuated by inhibitors of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. In addition, taurine and ginsenoside Rf protected cells from corticosterone-induced BDNF suppression and reduced cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase release. The results from this study showed that combined treatment with both taurine and ginsenoside Rf enhanced BDNF expression and protected cells against corticosterone-induced damage.

This study was aimed at investigating the effects of roasting and cryogenic milling on particle size, water solubility, and amount of bioactive components in ginseng root. Samples were pulverized by cryogenic milling, and one treatment condition was selected for each size range (10-50 μm, and >50 μm). The selected samples were roasted at different temperatures (160-200 °C) followed by cryogenic milling. Powdered samples were analyzed for their physicochemical characteristics. Results revealed that roasted samples exhibited significantly smaller particle size than controls (not roasted, p<0.05), and the particle size of roasted samples decreased with increase in roasting temperature until flocculation occurred around 180-190 °C. With decrease in particle size of ginseng; water solubility index, antioxidant activity, total polyphenol content, and total polysaccharide content were observed to increase. Ginseng samples showed an increasing trend in antioxidant activity with decreasing particle size (p>0.05) with significantly higher values for all roasted samples compared to the controls (p<0.05). Non-polar ginsenosides such as Rg2(S), Rg2(R), Rg3(S), Rg3(R), and Rh1(S) showed an increase in temperature-dependent manner. This study revealed that roasting at certain temperature range with cryogenic milling has positive effects on ginseng by reducing its particle size, and increasing water solubility and bioactive components.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of nanoemulsion (NEM) on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of pork patty to improve texture for elderly members of the population. Hence, we prepared pork patties supplemented with different of liquid materials: water; oil and water; oil, water, and surfactants; and nanoemulsion. The emulsion itself was characterized and the physicochemical properties of the pork patties, including pH, water content, cooking loss, thawing loss, liquid holding capacity, color, and texture, were analyzed. The size of NEM was 165.70±9.32 nm and NEM had high ζ-potential value indicating that it is stable. NEM patties had the lowest cooking and thawing losses, and the highest liquid retention, all of which affected the tenderness of the patties. Color of the patty was also affected by the addition of NEM. The highest lightness and yellowness and the lowest redness were observed (p<0.05). NEM patties had the lowest values for all texture attributes indicating improved tenderness. Our results demonstrate that NEM has positive effects on pork patties and can help to tenderize food products designed for the elderly. With further study, NEM could be a candidate tenderization agent in the meat industry.