Antilisterial potential of selected forest mushrooms of Serbia

From ancient times, in the tradition of many cultures forest mushrooms were used for food, but they also played an important role in the treatment of numerous health disorders. In modern life, people still face many health challenges, and one of the most worrying is the growing resistance to antibiotics that are in widespread use. Therefore, new sources of antimicrobial components are constantly being researched, and mushrooms are one of the most important. In light of this approach, the aim of current study was to determine the antilisterial potential of water and alkali extracts obtained from mushrooms Ganoderma lucidum, Ganoderma applanatum, Fomitopsis pinicola, Craterellus curnucopioides, Meripilus giganteus and Boletus edulis. For all tested water extracts, a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) towards Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19111 was found to be in the concentration range of 0.0—20 mg/mL, while this bacteria was inhibited in the presence of 2.5—20 mg/mL of alkali extracts. A minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 20 mg/mL was determined for all observed alkali extracts. Overall, the most pronounced antilisterial effect was confirmed in G. applanatum and F. pinicola alkali extracts (MIC - 2.5 mg/mL, MBC - 20.0 mg/mL). The results of this study are very promising and indicate the potential use of the tested extracts as antilisterial agents. Since mushrooms used for this research are already known as culinary/medically important mushrooms, their extracts in the production of functional food products would be welcome

An insight into in vitro antioxidant activity of Cantharellus cibarius hot water extract for the potential application in meat products

The current research was undertaken to estimate the in vitro antioxidant activity of Cantharellus cibarius mushroom extracted by boiling in water for 30 minutes. Several previous studies have shown that the addition of edible mushrooms in meat products affects the reduction of lipid oxidation and prolongs the shelf-life of the final products. Antioxidant capacity of C. cibarius was measured using the following methods: reducing power ability, lipid peroxidation assay, cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) and DPPH free radical scavenging activity. Reducing power and antioxidant activity assays of C. cibarius hot water extract showed low antioxidant activity. CUPRAC assay demonstrated positive effect only at the concentration of 10 mg/mL, whereas DPPH radical scavenging activity showed moderate antioxidant activity in comparison with culinary-medicinal mushrooms, with the effective concentration (EC50) from 7.41 mg/mL

The Effect of Cantharellus Cibarius Addition on Quality Characteristics of Frankfurter during Refrigerated Storage

The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Cantharellus cibarius decoction and the effect of mushroom addition on the physicochemical and microbiological properties of frankfurters during refrigerated storage were studied. Mushroom addition significantly reduced (p lt 0.05) the formation of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria during storage. Regarding the texture, there was no negative effect in frankfurters with the mushroom added, compared to the control group of sausages. Generally, C. cibarius can be used as a natural ingredient in order to prevent the growth of microorganisms in cooked pork sausages, causing an extension in shelf life during chilled storage

How do sous-vide treatment and herb spices addition improve sensory acceptance and antimicrobial attributes of organic oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)?

Sensory and physical properties of organic oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) prepared by the sous-vide culinary method (50–90°C, 10′) were investigated and compared with the cooking method (80°C, 30–60′) to analyze the effects of different temperature and time regimes. To promote organic oyster mushroom's nutritional benefits and improve its taste, oregano and thyme were added in different percentages, and mushrooms were exposed to sous-vide treatments at 60°C for 20′ and 30′. Sensory evaluation was focused on testing spices intensity, likeability, and recognizability with principal component analysis employed. While the likeability scores and color changes were higher for those with higher thyme content in the mixture, the antibacterial results showed the highest effect of oregano, proving certain positive effects and emphasizing the research's importance. As an added value of the research, the mixture concentrations of sous-vide vacuumed pouches containing spices and mushrooms, that is, sous-vide pure juice extracts were analyzed for the first time for antibacterial activity. The research highlights the sensory improvement of mushrooms using the convenient treatment and adding selected spices, altogether multiplying their health benefits by preserving beneficial compounds. Novelty impact statement: Sous-vide culinary method, as an innovative choice in the world of gastronomy, gives the possibility to adjust treatment conditions and enables control of changes associated with the physical properties of mushrooms. Concerning the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, the fact that this method provides the ability to preserve bioactive compounds in well-known healthy foods, such as mushrooms, widens the additional importance of its application. The research highlights the sensory improvement of mushrooms using convenient heat treatment and adding selected spices generally used in traditional and world-known cuisine and altogether multiply their health benefits by preserving beneficial compounds. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC

Application of porcini mushroom (Boletus edulis) to improve the quality of frankfurters

The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Boletus edulis decoction and the effect of mushroom addition on the physicochemical and microbiological properties of frankfurters during refrigerated storage were studied. The addition of mushroom delayed the increase in the total number of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms during the storage. The incorporation of B. edulis in cooked sausages resulted in the significantly higher hardness of frankfurters in comparison with control, during chilled storage. Mushroom addition significantly affected the color of sausages throughout storage, but no deficiencies in sensory acceptance test were obtained. Generally, this mushroom can be used as a natural antioxidant to interfere with microorganism growth and extend the shelf life of cooked pork sausages during refrigerated storage. Practical applications In this study, the addition of B. edulis has proven to be a potent antioxidant and antimicrobial ingredient that extends the shelf life of frankfurters. That could be an interesting finding in potentially reducing or replacing commercial antioxidants with a natural, healthier variant of food additives

Quality perception throughout the apple fruit chain

Quality is considered as the main attribute for differentiating food products and/or food services. The objective of this study was to examine how different actors in the apple fruit chain perceive quality. This research included perception of quality evaluated by 38 orchards, cold storages, and retailers and 287 consumers, using two methods. Direction from the orchard to the consumer covered 'customer-supplier' method analyzing their viewpoints in different stages of the fruit chain. Backwards, from the consumers to the orchards, method employed was quality function deployment. Orchard-cold storage comparison highlighted that orchards recognize apple cultivar and yield as the most important quality attributes while cold storages focus on handling of fruit and share of first-class apples. Quality aspects important in the cold storages-retailers evaluation emphasize type of cold storage and presence of fruit defects compared to apple cultivar and ratio between quality and price. Retailer-consumer comparison showed that retailers focus on packaging and ratio between quality and price while consumers beside fruit price focus on assortment and product placement at point of sale. Quality function deployment displayed transformation of quality attributes from juiciness (consumer), advising at point of sale (retailer), apple cultivar (cold storage), to production systems at apple orchards. The results suggest that there are different views on quality by all actors in the apple fruit chain from internal quality parameter such as juiciness to production systems employed at orchards