Antimicrobial Active Packaging Containing Nisin for Preservation of Products of Animal Origin: An Overview

The preservation of food represents one of the greatest challenges in the food industry. Active packaging materials are obtained through the incorporation of antimicrobial and/or antioxidant compounds in order to improve their functionality. Further, these materials are used for food packaging applications for shelf-life extension and fulfilling consumer demands for minimal processed foods with great quality and safety. The incorporation of antimicrobial peptides, such as nisin, has been studied lately, with a great interest applied to the food industry. Antimicrobials can be incorporated in various matrices such as nanofibers, nanoemulsions, nanoliposomes, or nanoparticles, which are further used for packaging. Despite the widespread application of nisin as an antimicrobial by directly incorporating it into various foods, the use of nisin by incorporating it into food packaging materials is researched at a much smaller scale. The researchers in this field are still in full development, being specific to the type of product studied. The purpose of this study was to present recent results obtained as a result of using nisin as an antimicrobial agent in food packaging materials, with a focus on applications on products of animal origin. The findings showed that nisin incorporated in packaging materials led to a significant reduction in the bacterial load (the total viable count or inoculated strains), maintained product attributes (physical, chemical, and sensorial), and prolonged their shelf-life

ROOT RESORPTION PREVALENCE IN ADULTS FROM DOLJ COUNTY, ROMANIA – A RADIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

Root resorption (RR) is a pathological process characterized by the loss of dental root substance as a result of inflammation caused by bacterial infections, traumatic injury, physical or chemical irritation. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of root resorption within an adult population group in Dolj County. Methods: Data collected from the dental records and OPG images of 200 adults treated in the Oral Rehabilitation Clinic from UMF Craiova were reviewed. Results: A total of 90 male (45%) and 110 female (55%) patients aged 18-73 years (average 44.23 years) were included. The prevalence of root resorption was 42.5%, mostly in the adults of 31-65 years old. From study group, 62 (72.94%), 18 (21.18), and 5 (5.88%) patients exhibited 1 tooth, 2 teeth or 3 teeth, respectively, with root resorption. Root resorption was frequently external (108 teeth, 95.57%, p<0.001), with external inflammatory root resorption being the most encountered (66 teeth, 58.4%). Radiographic features of the teeth with RR were frequently associated with asymptomatic apical periodontitis (92 teeth, 81.41%, p<0.001), in teeth with pulp necrosis (51 teeth, 45.13%) or previously treated (41 teeth, 36.28%). Conclusion: Root resorption had a high prevalence in adult population of Dolj County, with external inflammatory root resorption as the most frequent form of root resorption

Chitosan-Based Edible Coatings Containing Essential Oils to Preserve the Shelf Life and Postharvest Quality Parameters of Organic Strawberries and Apples during Cold Storage

Edible coatings and films have been researched for more than three decades due to their ability to be incorporated with different functional ingredients or compounds as an option to maintain the postharvest quality of fruits and vegetables. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of three types of chitosan-based (CH) edible coatings obtained from medium and high molecular weight chitosan, containing ascorbic or acetic acid and sea buckthorn or grape seed essential oils on the physical&ndash;chemical and microbiological properties of organic strawberries and apple slices during cold storage at 4 &deg;C and 8 &deg;C. Scanning electron microscope images showed both a smooth structure and a fracture and pore structure on strawberry coatings and a dense and smooth structure on the apple slices coatings. Further, the edible coatings managed to reduce the microbial load of yeasts and molds of the coated strawberries during the storage period. Overall, the treatments preserved the ascorbic acid, total polyphenol content, and antioxidant activity for all the tested samples compared to the control sample, throughout the storage period. In addition, the water activity (aw) of the coated samples presented lower values (0.96&ndash;0.98) than the control samples. The obtained results indicate that the developed chitosan-based edible coatings could maintain the postharvest parameters of the tested samples, also leading to their shelf-life prolongation

Latest Developments in Edible Coatings on Minimally Processed Fruits and Vegetables: A Review

The food industry nowadays is facing new challenges in terms of sustainability and health implications of packaging and processing techniques. Due to their desire for new and natural products coupled with changes in lifestyle, consumers are looking for food products that have been less processed but possess longer shelf life and maintain nutritional and sensorial proprieties during storage. These requirements represent real challenges when dealing with highly perishable food products, such as fruits and vegetables. Thus, in recent years, edible coatings have been intensively developed and studied because of their capacity to improve the quality, shelf life, safety, and functionality of the treated products. Edible coatings can be applied through different techniques, like dipping, spraying, or coating, in order to control moisture transfer, gas exchange, or oxidative processes. Furthermore, some functional ingredients can be incorporated into an edible matrix and applied on the surface of foods, thus enhancing safety or even nutritional and sensory attributes. In the case of coated fruits and vegetables, their quality parameters, such as color, firmness, microbial load, decay ratio, weight loss, sensorial attributes, and nutritional parameters, which are very specific to the type of products and their storage conditions, should be carefully monitored. This review attempts to summarize recent studies of different edible coatings (polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and composites) as carriers of functional ingredients (antimicrobials, texture enhancers, and nutraceuticals) applied on different minimally processed fruits and vegetables, highlighting the coating ingredients, the application methods and the effects on food shelf life and quality