Food texture as affected by ohmic heating: Mechanisms involved, recent findings, benefits, and limitations

peer-reviewedBackground: Food texture is an important quality characteristic that affects sensory perception and consumer satisfaction. Thermal processing applies to food material for several reasons including palatability improvement and shelf life extension. Ohmic heating is an energy- and time-saving technique that was previously proposed as an alternative to conventional heating methods in the food industry. Scope and approach: Investigating the effects of ohmic processes on food quality parameters, such as texture, is an important step towards the industrial adaptation of ohmic heating technology. This review focuses specifically on the effects of ohmic heating on food texture and tries to elucidate the mechanisms behind the changes in textural attributes during an ohmic process as compared to the classical heating method. Key findings and conclusions: Achieving a predefined product texture in a shorter time and the uniformity of product texture are among the benefits of ohmic heating. However, several challenges (e.g. the possibility of negative effects on the chemical composition of the product and high capital investment) should be addressed for the industrial adoption of this emerging technology

Sequence Variations and Haplotypes of the GJB2 Gene Revealed by Resequencing of 192 Chromosomes from the General Population in Korea

ObjectivesHearing impairment (HI) is the most common sensory deficit in human. The Gap Junction Protein, Beta-2 (GJB2) gene encodes the protein connexin 26, and this gene accounts for up to half of the cases of autosomal recessive nonsyndromic HI. This study was conducted to obtain a set of sequence variations (SVs) of the GJB2 gene among Koreans from the general population for making molecular genetic diagnoses and performing genetic counseling.MethodsWe resequenced the GJB2 gene in 192 chromosomes from 96 adult individuals of Korean descent and who were without a history of hearing difficulty. The data of the SVs was obtained and the haplotypes were reconstructed from the data.ResultsFive SVs were observed, including a novel one (c.558G>A; p.T186T), with the allele frequencies ranging from 0.5% (1/192) to 41% (79/192). The linkage disequilibrium study and haplotype construction showed that some of the SVs are in tight linkage, resulting in a limited number of haplotypes.ConclusionWe observed SVs of the GJB2 gene with different allele frequencies, and a limited number of haplotypes were constructed. The data from this study can be used as reference data for GJB2-related hearing genetic studies, including studies on the founder effect and population genetics, and this data is particularly relevant to people of East Asian decent

Status and Prospects of ZnO-Based Resistive Switching Memory Devices

In the advancement of the semiconductor device technology, ZnO could be a prospective alternative than the other metal oxides for its versatility and huge applications in different aspects. In this review, a thorough overview on ZnO for the application of resistive switching memory (RRAM) devices has been conducted. Various efforts that have been made to investigate and modulate the switching characteristics of ZnO-based switching memory devices are discussed. The use of ZnO layer in different structure, the different types of filament formation, and the different types of switching including complementary switching are reported. By considering the huge interest of transparent devices, this review gives the concrete overview of the present status and prospects of transparent RRAM devices based on ZnO. ZnO-based RRAM can be used for flexible memory devices, which is also covered here. Another challenge in ZnO-based RRAM is that the realization of ultra-thin and low power devices. Nevertheless, ZnO not only offers decent memory properties but also has a unique potential to be used as multifunctional nonvolatile memory devices. The impact of electrode materials, metal doping, stack structures, transparency, and flexibility on resistive switching properties and switching parameters of ZnO-based resistive switching memory devices are briefly compared. This review also covers the different nanostructured-based emerging resistive switching memory devices for low power scalable devices. It may give a valuable insight on developing ZnO-based RRAM and also should encourage researchers to overcome the challenges

Recent advances in orange oil extraction : an opportunity for the valorisation of orange peel waste a review

Orange is a citrus plant that belongs to Rutaceae family and is widely produced and processed around the world for the production of several products, including orange juice, which is associated with the production of relatively high-volume of orange peel. This by-product is sometimes discarded as a waste in the environment. The valorisation of food waste is the point of interest and orange peel, as a food waste, can be used as a source of value added essential oil. Recently, several advanced extraction techniques, including ultrasound, microwave, enzymatic and supercritical fluid extraction, have been proposed to valorise this by-product. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages and there is no published review regarding this subject. This work aims to review the recent findings on the applicability, benefits and drawbacks of orange oil extraction methods for orange peel valorisation544Valorisation of food processing by‐products925932This research was supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, project no. 107‐EC‐17‐A‐22‐0332, Taiwan, Republic of Chin

Effects of storage conditions on oxidative stability of soybean oil

Abstract: Soybean oil in the presence or absence of 200 µg g −1 tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) was subjected to accelerated oxidative storage at 60 • C for 10 days or stored at room temperature for 12 months. Tocopherol contents of the oil decreased, whereas the headspace volatiles and peroxide values (PV) increased as the storage time increased. During accelerated storage, TBHQ was effective in retarding the formation of hydroperoxides and headspace volatiles in the oil. TBHQ also protected tocopherols, especially α-tocopherol, from oxidation. During long-term room-temperature (LTRT) storage, the changes in PV between the oils with and without TBHQ were similar, but the oil with TBHQ had lower headspace volatile contents than that without TBHQ. Headspace volatile analysis was more suitable than PV measurement for predicting the oxidative stability of soybean oil during LTRT storage. The contents of hexanal or (E)-2-heptenal in the oil at 1-5 days of accelerated storage could be used to predict those of the corresponding compound in the oil at 0-4 weeks of LTRT storage

Essential oils as natural preservatives for bakery products: Understanding the mechanisms of action, recent findings, and applications

Bakery products, as an important part of a healthy diet, are characterized by their limited shelf-life. Microbiological spoilage of these products not only affects the quality characteristics and result in the economic loss but also threatens consumer's health. Incorporation of chemical preservatives, as one of the most conventional preserving techniques, lost its popularity due to the increasing consumer's health awareness. Therefore, the bakery industry is seeking alternatives to harmful antimicrobial agents that can be accepted by health-conscious customers. In this regard, essential oils have been previously used as either a part of product ingredient or a part of the packaging system. Therefore, the antimicrobial aspect of essential oils and their ability in delaying the microbiological spoilage of bakery products have been reviewed. Several types of essential oils, including thyme, cinnamon, oregano, and lemongrass, can inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms in bakery products, resulting in a product with extended shelf-life and enhanced safety. Research revealed that several bioactive compounds are involved in the antimicrobial activity of essential oils. However, some limitations, such as the possible negative effects of essential oils on sensory parameters, may limit their applications, especially in high concentrations. In this case, they can be used in combination with other preservation techniques such as using appropriate packaging materials. Further research regarding the commercial production of the bakery products formulated with essential oils is required in this area

IFIT2‐depleted metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma cells induce muscle atrophy and cancer cachexia in mice

Abstract Background Interferon‐induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeat 2 (IFIT2) is a reported metastasis suppressor in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Metastases and cachexia may coexist. The effect of cancer metastasis on cancer cachexia is largely unknown. We aimed to address this gap in knowledge by characterizing the cachectic phenotype of an IFIT2‐depleted metastatic OSCC mouse model. Methods Genetically engineered and xenograft tumour models were used to explore the effect of IFIT2‐depleted metastatic OSCC on cancer cachexia. Muscle and organ weight changes, tumour burden, inflammatory cytokine profiles, body composition, food intake, serum albumin and C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels, and survival were assessed. The activation of the IL6/p38 pathway in atrophied muscle was measured. Results IFIT2‐depleted metastatic tumours caused marked body weight loss (−18.2% vs. initial body weight, P < 0.001) and a poor survival rate (P < 0.01). Skeletal muscles were markedly smaller in IFIT2‐depleted metastatic tumour‐bearing mice (quadriceps: −28.7%, gastrocnemius: −29.4%, and tibialis: −24.3%, all P < 0.001). Tumour‐derived circulating granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (+772.2‐fold, P < 0.05), GROα (+1283.7‐fold, P < 0.05), IL6 (+245.8‐fold, P < 0.001), IL8 (+616.9‐fold, P < 0.001), IL18 (+24‐fold, P < 0.05), IP10 (+18.8‐fold, P < 0.001), CCL2 (+439.2‐fold, P < 0.001), CCL22 (+9.1‐fold, P < 0.01) and tumour necrosis factor α (+196.8‐fold, P < 0.05) were elevated in IFIT2‐depleted metastatic tumour‐bearing mice. Murine granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (+61.4‐fold, P < 0.001) and IL6 (+110.9‐fold, P < 0.01) levels were significantly increased in IFIT2‐depleted metastatic tumour‐bearing mice. Serum CRP level (+82.1%, P < 0.05) was significantly increased in cachectic shIFIT2 mice. Serum albumin level (−26.7%, P < 0.01) was significantly decreased in cachectic shIFIT2 mice. An assessment of body composition revealed decreased fat (−81%, P < 0.001) and lean tissue (−21.7%, P < 0.01), which was consistent with the reduced food intake (−19.3%, P < 0.05). Muscle loss was accompanied by a smaller muscle cross‐sectional area (−23.3%, P < 0.05). Muscle atrophy of cachectic IFIT2‐depleted metastatic tumour‐bearing mice (i.v.‐shIFIT2 group) was associated with elevated IL6 (+2.7‐fold, P < 0.05), phospho‐p38 (+2.8‐fold, P < 0.05), and atrogin‐1 levels (+2.3‐fold, P < 0.05) in the skeletal muscle. Neutralization of IL6 rescued shIFIT2 conditioned medium‐induced myotube atrophy (+24.6%, P < 0.01). Conclusions Our results suggest that the development of shIFIT2 metastatic OSCC lesions promotes IL6 production and is accompanied by the loss of fat and lean tissue, anorexia, and muscle atrophy. This model is appropriate for the study of OSCC cachexia, especially in linking metastasis with cachexia