Development and Characterization of Fenugreek Protein-Based Edible Film

The present investigation studied the physicochemical, mechanical, structural, thermal, and morphological attributes of a novel edible film formed from fenugreek protein concentrate. Films were produced at different pH—9, 10, 11, and 12—and the effect of the pH on the films was studied. As the pH increased, tensile strength increased while water vapor absorption decreased, which is interrelated to the surface morphological properties; as the pH increased, the surface became smoother and compact without any cavities. The films produced were darker in color. Fenugreek protein films exhibited good thermal stability. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the presence of strong bonding for the films made at alkaline pH. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) indicated the major structure of the film was amorphous. The study demonstrated that the fenugreek protein concentrate film has influential characteristics and can be used as an edible packaging film

Bioactive compounds from leaf vegetables as preservatives

Trends toward a healthier diet are increasing attention to clean-label products. This has led to the search for new ingredients that avoid the use of chemical additives. Food industries are responding to these demands by incorporating natural preservatives into their products, which consumers perceive as healthy. Leafy vegetables would fit this strategy since they are common components of the diet and are associated with beneficial health effects. The objective of this chapter is to offer an overview of the large number of bioactive compounds (phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, glucosinolates, and sulfur compounds) present in these plants, which would be responsible for their activity as potential preservatives. Its incorporation into food would improve the quality and extend the shelf life by reducing oxidative processes and inhibiting or retarding the microbial growth that occurs during processing and storage without reducing the organoleptic characteristics of the product.Axencia Galega de Innovación | Ref. IN607A2019/01CYTED | Ref. 119RT0568Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. IJC2020-043358-

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

The Impacts of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum on the Functional Properties of Fermented Foods: A Review of Current Knowledge

One of the most varied species of lactic acid bacteria is Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lb. plantarum), formerly known as Lactobacillus plantarum. It is one of the most common species of bacteria found in foods, probiotics, dairy products, and beverages. Studies related to genomic mapping and gene locations of Lb. plantarum have shown the novel findings of its new strains along with their non-pathogenic or non-antibiotic resistance genes. Safe strains obtained with new technologies are a pioneer in the development of new probiotics and starter cultures for the food industry. However, the safety of Lb. plantarum strains and their bacteriocins should also be confirmed with in vivo studies before being employed as food additives. Many of the Lb. plantarum strains and their bacteriocins are generally safe in terms of antibiotic resistance genes. Thus, they provide a great opportunity for improving the nutritional composition, shelf life, antioxidant activity, flavour properties and antimicrobial activities in the food industry. Moreover, since some Lb. plantarum strains have the ability to reduce undesirable compounds such as aflatoxins, they have potential use in maintaining food safety and preventing food spoilage. This review emphasizes the impacts of Lb. plantarum strains on fermented foods, along with novel approaches to their genomic mapping and safety aspects

Digital transformation in the agri-food industry: recent applications and the role of the COVID-19 pandemic

Providing food has become more complex because of climate change and other environmental and societal stressors, such as political instability, the growth in the world population, and outbreaks of new diseases, especially the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to these challenges, the agri-food industry has increased its efforts to shift to using more digital tools and other advanced technologies. The transition toward digital has been part of the fourth industrial revolution (called Industry 4.0) innovations that have and are reshaping most industries. This literature review discusses the potential of implementing digital technologies in the agri-food industry, focusing heavily on the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in fostering the adoption of greater digitalization of food supply chains. Examples of the use of these digital innovations for various food applications, and the barriers and challenges will be highlighted. The trend toward digital solutions has gained momentum since the advent of Industry 4.0 and implementations of these solutions have been accelerated by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Important digital technology enablers that have high potential for mitigating the negative effects of both the current global health pandemic and the environmental crisis on food systems include artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things, blockchain, smart sensors, robotics, digital twins, and virtual and augmented reality. However, much remains to be done to fully harness the power of Industry 4.0 technologies and achieve widespread implementation of digitalization in the agriculture and food industries

Evaluation of Nutritional, Phytochemical, and Mineral Composition of Selected Medicinal Plants for Therapeutic Uses from Cold Desert of Western Himalaya

The aim of this study was to determine the elemental and nutritive values of leaf parts of 10 selected wild medicinal plants, Acer pictum, Acer caecium, Betula utilis, Oxalis corniculata, Euphorbia pilosa, Heracleum lanatum, Urtica dioica, Berberis lycium, Berberis asiaticaand, and Quercus ilex, collected from the high hills of the Chitkul range in district Kinnaur, Western Himalaya. The nutritional characteristics of medicinal plant species were analyzed by using muffle furnace and micro-Kjeldahl methods, and the mineral content in plants was analyzed through atomic absorption spectrometry. The highest percentage of used value was reported in Betula utilis (0.42) and the lowest in Quercus ilex (0.17). In this study, it was found that new generations are not much interested in traditional knowledge of ethnomedicinal plants due to modernization in society. Therefore, there is an urgent need to document ethnomedicinal plants along with their phytochemical and minerals analysis in study sites. It was found that rural people in western Himalaya are dependent on wild medicinal plants, and certain steps must be taken to conserve these plants from extinction in the cold desert of Himalayan region. They are an alternative source of medicine because they contain saponin, alkaloid, and flavonoid etc. as well as minerals. The leaves used for analysis possesses good mineral content, such as Na, N, K, P, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Ca, Mg, and S. Hence, in the current study it was observed that medicinal plants are not only used for therapeutic purposes, but they can also be used as nutritional supplements

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Bioactives and Its Role in Alleviating Oral Pathologies

Garlic (Allium sativa L.) is a bulbous flowering plant belongs to the family of Amaryllidaceae and is a predominant horticultural crop originating from central Asia. Garlic and its products are chiefly used for culinary and therapeutic purposes in many countries. Bulbs of raw garlic have been investigated for their role in oral health, which are ascribed to a myriad of biologically active compounds such as alliin, allicin, methiin, S-allylcysteine (SAC), diallyl sulfide (DAS), S-ally-mercapto cysteine (SAMC), diallyl disulphide (DADS), diallyl trisulfide (DATS) and methyl allyl disulphide. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA statement. Scopus, PubMed, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Science direct databases were searched between 12 April 2021 to 4 September 2021. A total of 148 studies were included and the qualitative synthesis phytochemical profile of GE, biological activities, therapeutic applications of garlic extract (GE) in oral health care system, and its mechanism of action in curing various oral pathologies have been discussed. Furthermore, the safety of incorporation of GE as food supplements is also critically discussed. To conclude, GE could conceivably make a treatment recourse for patients suffering from diverse oral diseases

Ethnomedicinal Plants Used in the Health Care System: Survey of the Mid Hills of Solan District, Himachal Pradesh, India

The study was performed in the mid hills of the Dharampur region in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. At the study site, a total of 115 medicinal plants were documented (38 trees, 37 herbs, 34 shrubs, 5 climbers, 1 fern, and 1 grass). In the study region, extensive field surveys were performed between March 2020 and August 2021. Indigenous knowledge of wild medicinal plants was collected through questionnaires, discussions, and personal interviews during field trips. Plants with their correct nomenclature were arranged by botanical name, family, common name, habitat, parts used, routes used, and diseases treated. In the present study, the predominant family was Rosaceae, which represented the maximum number of plant species, 10, followed by Asteraceae and Lamiaceae, which represented 8 plant species. The rural inhabitants of the Dharampur region in the Solan district have been using local plants for primary health care and the treatment of various diseases for a longer time. However, information related to the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants was not documented. The rural inhabitants of the Dharampur region reported that the new generation is not so interested in traditional knowledge of medicinal plants due to modernization in society, so there is an urgent need to document ethnomedicinal plants before such knowledge becomes inaccessible and extinct

Plant-Based Antioxidant Extracts and Compounds in the Management of Oral Cancer

Oral cancer continues to be a leading cause of death worldwide, and its prevalence is particularly high in developing countries, where people chew tobacco and betel nut on a regular basis. Radiation-, chemo-, targeted-, immuno-, and hormone-based therapies along with surgery are commonly used as part of a treatment plan. However, these treatments frequently result in various unwanted short- to long-term side effects. As a result, there is an urgent need to develop treatment options for oral cancer that have little or no adverse effects. Numerous bioactive compounds derived from various plants have recently attracted attention as therapeutic options for cancer treatment. Antioxidants found in medicinal plants, such as vitamins E, C, and A, reduce damage to the mucosa by neutralizing free radicals found in various oral mucosal lesions. Phytochemicals found in medicinal plants have the potential to modulate cellular signalling pathways that alter the cellular defence mechanisms to protect normal cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induce apoptosis in cancer cells. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of various medicinal plants and phytoconstituents that have shown the potential to be used as oral cancer therapeutics

Therapeutic Uses of Wild Plants by Rural Inhabitants of Maraog Region in District Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

The main aim of this study is to document important ethnomedicinal plants from the Maraog region, located in the district of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, India. A total of 110 medicinal plant species belonging to 102 genera and 57 families were reported from the study site. All of the species were collected from wild habitats. The rural people of the Maraog region were surveyed through interview methods, group discussions, and participatory observations. In the current study, data were collected from 88 informants through the snowball method. A total of 110 plant species were collected from the study area, including 64 herbs, 24 shrubs, 9 trees, 5 climbers, 3 grasses, and 5 ferns. Most of the plant species, reported from the study area, belong to the Rosaceae and Asteraceae families, each contributing 12 plant species, followed by the Lamiaceae family with 6 plant species. The most used part of the plant in the preparation of herbal medications is the leaves, which have been reported in 62 plants, followed by roots in 14 plants, and flowers and other aerial parts in 9 plants. The ethnomedicinal data were analyzed using “Use Value,” a statistical quantitative method, with Artemisia vestita having the highest use value (1.00), followed by Cannabis sativa (0.79), Rhododendron arboreum (0.79), and Datura stramonium (0.71). Older people were found to have a vast knowledge of wild medicinal plants, while the younger generation’s knowledge was lacking. As a result, traditional knowledge about the use of plants as a source of medicine has decreased day-by-day.Therefore, there is a need to document traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. The data could serve as a basis for research by pharmacological and nutraceutical industries for the development of novel drugs