Mucilage polysaccharide as a plant secretion: Potential trends in food and biomedical applications

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGCurrent trends are shifting away from using synthetic compounds in favor of discovering new natural component sources that will allow them to create goods that are healthful, environmentally friendly, sustainable, and profitable. The food industry, in light of these trends, has opted to look for safe natural ingredients that will allow the production of low-fat, artificial-additive-free, gluten-free, prebiotic, and fortified foods. Similarly, the pharmaceutical and medical industries have attempted to apply natural ingredients to address the challenges related to biomaterials more efficiently than synthetic ingredients. Against this background, plant mucilage has proven to be a polysaccharide with excellent health features and technological properties, useful for both food and biomedical applications. Many studies have shown that its inclusion in different food matrices improves the quality of the products obtained under appropriate reformulations. At the same time, plant mucilage has been indicated to be a very interesting matrix in biomedical field especially tissue engineering applications since it has been emerged to favor tissue regeneration with its highly biocompatible structure. This concise review discusses the most recent advances of the applications of plant mucilage in different foods as well as its recent use in biomedical field. In this context, firstly, a general definition of mucilage was made and information about plant-based mucilage, which is frequently used, about the plant parts they are found in, their content and how they are obtained are presented. Then, the use of mucilage in the food industry including bakery products, meat emulsions, fermented dairy products, ice cream, and other foods is presented with case studies. Afterwards, the use of plant mucilage in the biomedical field, which has attracted attention in recent years, especially in applications with tissue engineering approach such as scaffolds for tissue regeneration, wound dressings, drug delivery systems and pharmaceutical industry was evaluatedAxencia Galega de Innovación (GAIN) |Ref. IN606B-2022/006Axencia Galega de Innovación (GAIN) |Ref. IN607A2019/01CYTED | Ref.119RT056

Probing the impact of sustainable emerging sonication and DBD plasma technologies on the quality of wheat sprouts juice

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGSonication and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma are sustainable emerging food processing technologies. The study investigates the impact of sonication, DBD-plasma, and thermal treatment (TT) on wheat sprout juice. The obtained results indicated a significant (p < 0.05) increase in chlorophyll, total phenolics, flavonoids, DPPH assay, and ORAC assay after DBD-plasma (40 V) and sonication (30 mins) treatment as compared to TT and untreated samples. Both emerging technologies significantly (p < 0.05) reduce the polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities, but the TT sample had the highest reduction. Moreover, the synergistic application of both technologies significantly reduced the E. coli/Coliform, aerobics, yeast and mold up to the 2 log reduction, but the TT sample had a complete reduction. DBD-plasma and sonication processing significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the particle size, reducing apparent viscosity (η) and consistency index (K); while increasing the flow behavior (n), leading to higher stability of wheat sprout juice. To assess the impact of emerging techniques on nutrient concentration, we used surface-enhance Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as an emerging method. Silver-coated gold nano-substrates were used to compare the nutritional concentration of wheat sprout juice treated with sonication, DBD-plasma, and TT-treated samples. Results showed sharp peaks for samples treated with DBD-plasma followed by sonication, untreated, and TT. The obtained results, improved quality of wheat sprout juice, and lower microbial and enzymatic loads were confirmed, showing the suitability of these sustainable processing techniques for food processing and further research

Cinnamon: An antimicrobial ingredient for active packaging

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGCinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) is one of the oldest spices known to humankind and is used in culinary and traditional medicine practices. It is obtained from the inner bark of cinnamon trees and contains cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate responsible for its antimicrobial activities. The focus on agri-food industry challenges, such as sustainability, antibiotic-resistant, eco-friendly farming, and the clean label, has been highlighted and increased. Therefore, the review will give a critical snapshot of cinnamon's potential to respond to the agri-food industry challenge. Cinnamon essential oil, obtained from both bark and leave, has been widely used as an antimicrobial ingredient against spoilage microorganisms and foodborne pathogens in the formulations of biodegradative films, edible coating, and adhesive patches. In addition to antibacterial and antifungal activity shown by these packaging, the cinnamon essential oil can improve the barrier, thermal and mechanical properties of films and coatings.GAIN (Axencia Galega de Innovación) | Ref. IN607A2019/01CYTED | Ref. 119RT0568Ministerio de UniversidadesUniversidade de Vigo/CISU

Plant-based protein modification strategies towards challenges

The world faces many critical challenges in food supply, including burgeoning population growth, the looming specter of climate change, rampant land degradation, diminishing water resources, and unsustainable agricultural practices. Increasing environmental consciousness, heightened awareness of animal welfare, health considerations, and a growing desire for sustainable dietary choices have precipitated a surge in demand for plant-based proteins. The food industry is actively responding to this burgeoning trend by expanding its repertoire of plant-based protein offerings and investing substantially in research and development efforts. However, plant-based proteins encounter unique challenges, ranging from sensory attributes to nutritional profiles, solubility issues, textural and structural complexities, allergenic potential, and concerns regarding supply chain sustainability. To surmount these obstacles, a cocktail of innovative formulation techniques, strategic fortification, optimization of processing conditions, incorporation of stabilizing agents, and vigilant allergen management is required. This concise review offers a broad perspective on current scientific knowledge regarding plant-based foods, highlighting key areas that warrant additional research. The focus is specifically on plant ingredients' chemical, physical, and functional attributes. It delves into processing techniques that can be utilized to convert these ingredients into consumable products. The exploration extends to the scientific intricacies of crafting familiar plant-based alternatives such as meat, eggs, and milk analogs. By shedding light on the challenges encountered and proposing strategies to optimize plant proteins, our aim is to actively participate in the ongoing discourse on food security amid the dynamic changes in our world

Antibacterial Actions and Potential Phototoxic Effects of Volatile oils of Foeniculum sp. (fennel), Salvia sp. (sage), Vitis sp. (grape), Lavandula sp. (lavender)

In the present study, the volatile compounds of essential oil of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), Salvia officinalis (sage), Vitis vinifera (grape), Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using the Nist and Willey libraries. It was determined that the main components of Foeniculum sp. were anethole (41.11%), carvacrol (9.18%). whereas main components of Salvia sp were 1.8 cineole (34.09%), caryophyllene (10.95%), camphor (9.44%), α-pinene (8.42%). Vitis sp. contained linoleic acid (36.98%), 2,4-decadienal (30.79%). Finally, volatile component of Lavandula sp. was linalool (33.57%), linalyl acetate (30.74%). Photoxic antibacterial activity of volatile oil of those plants against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25293), Klebsiella pneumoniae (10031), Salmonella thyphimurium, Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25925), Enterococcus feacalis (ATCC 29212) were examined by using disc diffusion method. We demonstrated that volatile oil effectively can be activated by a standard LED light. In vitro, significant phototoxicity was demonstrated by volatile oil of Foeniculum sp. and Vitis sp. (P < 0.05), while minor phototoxicity was induced by Lavandula sp. Therefore, volatile oil of plant can be considered as a potential photosensitizer in the photochemical therapy

Role of AuNPs in Active Food Packaging Improvement: A Review

There is a worldwide concern about food loss due to reduced shelf life among food science researchers. Hence, it seems that any techniques contributing to improved food packaging are most welcome in the food sector. It has been demonstrated that the administration of nanotechnology-based techniques such as metal-based nanoparticles can fade away the unresolved obstacles in shortened shelf life and environmental concerns. Along with substantial signs of progress in nanoscience, there is a great interest in the usage of green synthesis-based methods for gold nanoparticles as the most advantageous metals, when compared to conventional chemistry-based methods. Interestingly, those aforementioned methods have significant potential to simplify targeted administration of gold nanoparticles due to a large surface-volume ratio, and diminished biohazards, aimed at increasing stability, and induction of anti-microbial or antioxidant properties. However, it is necessary to consider the hazards of gold nanoparticles including migration for food packaging purposes

Identification and Assessment of Therapeutic Phytoconstituents of <i>Catharanthus roseus</i> through GC-MS Analysis

The leaves of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don contain a large number of diverse secondary metabolites, making them comparably complex. The Catharanthus genus has received increased interest from scientists in recent years due to its extensive applications in several domains, including the pharmaceutical sector, where precise characterization of its characteristics is required. An effective inquiry technique is needed for chemo-profiling to identify the metabolites in plant samples. The main goal of this research is to provide supplementary data on the chemical composition of the leaves of twenty-five different accessions of C. roseus through the application of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The study’s findings reveal the existence of a vast number of phytochemicals, allowing for a comparison of the different accessions. Furthermore, a meticulous statistical analysis of this data using principal components analysis (PCA) and a heatmap, and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) may aid in providing more relevant information on C. roseus leaves for possible investigation of their metabolites in further scientific studies

Effects of Nano-Bentonite Polypropylene Nanocomposite Films and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on the Shelf Life of Fresh-Cut Iceberg Lettuce

In this study, the shelf life of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was evaluated. Lettuce samples were washed with disinfectant agents and sodium hypochlorite and then soaked in an ascorbic acid solution. Next, samples were stored in packaging films containing three levels (1% and 3% and 0% as a control film) of nano-bentonite particles (NBPs) as a filler in a modified atmosphere for 12 days at 4 °C. Various physicochemical parameters such as color, texture, pH, titratable acidity, dehydration, moisture, dry matter, chlorophyll content, microbial quality, and sensory properties were investigated. Results indicated that nano-packaging had a significant ability to maintain the sensory physicochemical properties of lettuce at the fifth (1% nano-composite film) and ninth (3% nano-composite film) days of storage when compared to the control films. The greatest growths of molds and yeasts were observed in the control films, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the application of bentonite nanoparticle fillers

Effects of nano-bentonite polypropylene nanocomposite films and modified atmosphere packaging on the shelf life of fresh cut iceberg lettuce

In this study, the shelf life of fresh-cut iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was evaluated. Lettuce samples were washed with disinfectant agents and sodium hypochlorite and then soaked in an ascorbic acid solution. Next, samples were stored packaging films containing three levels (1% and 3% and 0% as a control film) of nano bentonite particles (NBPs) filler in a modified atmosphere for 12 days at 4 ℃. Various physicochemical parameters such as color, texture, pH, titratable acidity, dehydration, moisture, dry matter, chlorophyll content, microbial quality and sensory properties were investigated. Results indicated that nano-packaging had a significant ability to maintain the sensory, physicochemical properties of lettuce at the fifth (1% nano-composite film) and ninth (3% nano-composite film) days of storage compared to the control films. The greatest growth of molds and yeasts were observed in the control films which demonstrates the effectiveness of the application of bentonite nanoparticle fillers