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Topic Review
Synthetic Biology Applications in Food Safety and Security
With an ever-growing global population, issues of food safety and security, as well as addressing pollution and striving for sustainability are of the utmost importance. Synthetic biology offers a unique, exciting range of solutions to address these urgent and growing challenges.
  • 1.4K
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
DNA-Based Methods for Cheese Origin Authentication
Metabolic activities of cheese microbiota play a crucial role in the development of cheese typicity. For geographical origin authentication, microbiota fingerprinting is therefore of high interest as traditional and artisanal cheeses are produced with a more diversified microbiota associated with the cheese-making process (e.g., use of raw milk, starter, brine, equipment and materials, and ripening rooms). While cheese microbial diversity was traditionally investigated using culture-dependent methods, hence overlooking unculturable or subdominant species, nowadays, culture-independent methods (HTS) have unravelled this diversity and provided further means to connect microbiota composition to cheese quality and typicity, but also origin. This success is due to the availability of new sequencing platforms, bioinformatic pipelines, and a continuous decrease in cost. While complete microbial genome sequencing (i.e. metagenomics) can be used, metabarcoding (also known as metagenetics and corresponding to the selective amplification of taxonomically relevant followed by NGS sequencing) is the most widely reported in the scientific literature. Herein researchers report recent scientific literature about metabarcoding analysis of cheese microbiota, highlighting what factors contribute to its formation and how it could be used to authenticate cheese origin.
  • 1.4K
  • 11 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Flavonoids as α-Glucosidase Inhibitors
Flavonoids are found ubiquitously in plants and represent ~60% of all dietary (poly)phenolic compounds. Flavonols, a sub-class of flavonoids, are present in onions, kale, apples, berries, leeks and broccoli. Some flavonols excreted in urine can be used as biomarkers of flavonol intake and are significantly associated with a lower T2D risk. Many flavonoids extracted from plants inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities in vitro, and improve postprandial glycaemia in diabetic animal models and limited human studies. Very few studies have reported on the inhibition of isomaltase, however. The disaccharide isomaltose is rarely present in nature but is commonly added as low-caloric food sweeteners in industrial-scale production, or produced from amylopectin hydrolysis to α-limit dextrins. Studies assessing the isomaltase inhibitory potential by flavonoids and acarbose are therefore of interest.
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Phenolic Compounds of Hop Strobile Extracts
Hop (Humulus lupulus Linnaeus), a perennial plant belonging to the Cannabaceae family, has become a widely grown agricultural plant because it is used for providing bitterness and aroma to beer. Hop originated in Europe and west Asia, and are cultivated in the United States, Germany, Czech Republic, and England. Historically, the flower extracts of hop, commonly known as hops, have been used in traditional medicine for treating human health because of their sedative, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antidiuretic properties. Hops are a dioecious species and unfertilized female inflorescence are commonly called cones (or strobiles). These cones are rich in unique phenolic compounds such as prenylated flavonoids, humulones (α-acids) and lupulones (β-acids).
  • 1.4K
  • 15 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Ellagic Acid
Polyphenol ellagic acid (EA) possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic and cardio protection activities, making it an interesting multi-targeting profile. EA also controls the central nervous system (CNS), since it was proven to reduce the immobility time of mice in both the forced swimming and the tail-suspension tests, with an efficiency comparable to that of classic antidepressants. The proposed mechanism revealed that EA mimics clonidine at the presynaptic release-regulating α2 autoreceptors in hippocampal noradrenergic nerve endings.
  • 1.4K
  • 24 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Applications of Nanotechnology in Food & Cosmetics Preservation
Cosmetic and food products containing water are prone to contamination during the production, storage, and transit process, leading to product spoilage and degraded organoleptic characteristics. The efficient preservation of food and cosmetics is one of the most important issues the industry is facing today. The use of nanotechnology in food and cosmetics for preservation purposes offers the possibility to boost the activity of antimicrobial agents and/or promote their safer distribution into the end product upon incorporation into packaging or film constructions.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Auricularia auricula’s Separation and Purification
Auricularia auricula polysaccharides (AAP) have been widely studied in the field of medicine and healthcare because of their unique structure and physiological activity. Many species of Auricularia auricula polysaccharides have been extracted, isolated, and purified by different methods, and their structures have been analyzed. Auricularia auricula polysaccharides have been proven to have beneficial effects on the human body, including slowing the aging process, controlling the intestinal system, and treating cardiovascular disorders.
  • 1.4K
  • 19 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Effects of Food Additives on Gut Microbiota
The gut microbiota has been confirmed as an important part in human health, and is even take as an ‘organ’. The interaction between the gut microbiota and host intestinal environment plays a key role in digestion, metabolism, immunity, inflammation, and diseases. The dietary component is a major factor that affects the composition and function of gut microbiota. Food additives have been widely used to improve the color, taste, aroma, texture, and nutritional quality of processed food. The increasing variety and quantity of processed food in diets lead to increased frequency and dose of food additives exposure, especially artificial food additives, which has become a concern of consumers. There are studies focusing on the impact of food additives on the gut microbiota, as long-term exposure to food additives could induce changes in the microbes, and the gut microbiota is related to human health and disease. 
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Worldwide Flor Yeasts Screening Conception for Sherry Wines
The manufacturing of sherry wines is a unique, carefully regulated process, from harvesting to quality control of the finished product, involving dynamic biological aging in a “criadera-solera” system or some other techniques. Specialized “flor” strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae play the central role in the sherry manufacturing process. As a result, sherry wines have a characteristic and unique chemical composition that determines their organoleptic properties (such as color, odor, and taste) and distinguishes them from all other types of wine.
  • 1.4K
  • 06 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Brassica Bioactives May Ameliorate Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory, hormone-dependent disease characterized by histological lesions produced by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Despite the fact that an estimated 176 million women are affected worldwide by this gynecological disorder, risk factors that cause endometriosis have not been properly defined and current treatments are not efficient. Although the interaction between diet and human health has been the focus of many studies, little information about the correlation of foods and their bioactive derivates with endometriosis is available. In this framework, Brassica crops have emerged as potential candidates for ameliorating the chronic inflammatory condition of endometriosis, due to their abundant content of health-promoting compounds such as glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products, isothiocyanates.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Dec 2020
Topic Review
3D Printing of Agri-Food Processing Wastes
With increasing evidence of their relevance to resource recovery, waste utilization, zero waste, a circular economy, and sustainability, food-processing waste streams are being viewed as an aspect of both research and commercial interest. Accordingly, different approaches have evolved for their management and utilization. With excellent levels of customization, three-dimensional (3D) printing has found numerous applications in various sectors. The focus of this work is to explain the state of the art, innovative interventions, and promising features of 3D printing technology for the valorization of agri-food processing waste streams. Based on recent works, this article covers two aspects: the conversion of processing waste streams into edible novel foods or inedible biodegradable materials for food packing and allied applications. However, this application domain cannot be limited to only what is already established, as there are ample prospects for several other application fields intertwining 3D food printing and waste processing. In addition, this entry presents the key merits of the technology and emphasizes research needs and directions for future work on this disruptive technology, specific to food-printing applications.
  • 1.4K
  • 31 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Prebiotic Potential of Dietary Beans and Pulses
Dietary pulses, including dry beans, lentils, chickpeas, and dry peas, have the highest proportion of fiber among different legume cultivars and are inexpensive, easily accessible, and have a long shelf-life. The inclusion of pulses in regular dietary patterns is an easy and effective solution for achieving recommended fiber intake and maintaining a healthier gut and overall health. Dietary pulses-derived resistant starch (RS) is a relatively less explored prebiotic ingredient. Several in vitro and preclinical studies have elucidated the crucial role of RS in fostering and shaping the gut microbiota composition towards homeostasis thereby improving host metabolic health. 
  • 1.4K
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
Cereal’s Bran
Cereal bran has functional components with high nutritional quality and immense nutritional characteristics. Despite its nutritional benefits, cereal bran is underutilized in food processing.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Alternative Proteins
Alternative Proteins include cultured meat, plant-based meat, insect protein and single-cell protein. Here, the technological, safety and environmental aspects of these protein sources are described.
  • 1.4K
  • 02 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Creatine Supplementation for Muscle Growth
Muscle growth involves increasing muscular size, typically through strength training and protein supplementation.
  • 1.4K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Bioactive Properties in Brown Algae
Brown algae are a source of interesting natural bioactive compounds that could be employed in the development of new industrial applications. However, the bioactive compound content in algal extracts is highly dependent on the extraction method applied. Our research was focused on the effect of five different extracting solvents: EtOH, AcO, EtAc, Chl, and Hex, on the extraction yield, polyphenolic content, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of nine brown algae from the NW coastal region of the Iberian Peninsula. As expected, all parameters were significantly affected by the species and the nature of the extracting solvent. In fact, the highest extraction yield was achieved when ethanol was used as solvent. Nevertheless, regarding TPC, DPPH-RSA, and FRAP values, EtAc and AcO were reported to be the most effective solvents, depending on the algae assessed, which suggests a differential composition of brown macroalgae in terms of phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity. Concerning the extracts, the highest TPC and FRAP values were found for Ascophyllum nodosum using EtAc as solvent, showing a possible correlation between polyphenol production and antioxidant activity in terms of reducing power, while the highest DPPH-RSA values were achieved by Bifurcaria bifurcata extracted with hexane, thus suggesting the hydrophobic nature of the antioxidant produced by this species.
  • 1.4K
  • 26 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Yogurt with Incorporated Probiotics
Probiotics are commonly added to yogurt to provide many health benefits for the consumer. A description is provided for some commonly used probiotics in yogurt. A GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list of probiotic bacteria that can be added to yogurt or similar types of products is provided. Additionally, prebiotics, synbiotics (combination of prebiotics and probiotics), postbiotics, paraprobiotics, and psychobiotics can be added to yogurt. Probiotic yogurt can come in various forms in addition to spoonable yogurt, and yogurt can be used as an ingredient in other food products. Many useful functional ingredients can be applied to probiotic yogurt. The safety of probiotics must be addressed, especially for critically ill patients and other susceptible populations.
  • 1.4K
  • 21 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Organosulfur Compounds from Allium cepa
Species belonging to the genus Allium contain many organosulfur compounds (OSCs) that have been widely studied showing their biological properties and beneficial effects on intestinal health and gut microbiota (GM). 
  • 1.4K
  • 03 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Red Wine Consumption and Cardiovascular Health
Wine is a popular alcoholic beverage that has been consumed for hundreds of years. Benefits from moderate alcohol consumption have been widely supported by the scientific literature and, in this line, red wine intake has been related to a lesser risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Experimental studies and meta-analyses have mainly attributed this outcome to the presence in red wine of a great variety of polyphenolic compounds such as resveratrol, catechin, epicatechin, quercetin, and anthocyanin. Resveratrol is considered the most effective wine compound with respect to the prevention of CHD because of its antioxidant properties. The mechanisms responsible for its putative cardioprotective effects would include changes in lipid profiles, reduction of insulin resistance, and decrease in oxidative stress of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). 
  • 1.4K
  • 17 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth.)
A pre-Columbian staple, Bactris gasipaes Kunth. is a palm tree domesticated around 4000 years ago, so appreciated that a Spanish chronicler wrote in 1545, “only their wives and children were held in higher regard” by the Mesoamerican natives. The peach palm is an integral part of the foodways and gastronomy of Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, and other tropical American countries; meanwhile, it is almost unknown in the rest of the world, except for hearts of palm. Although abundant, the species faces anthropogenic threats. 
  • 1.4K
  • 24 Nov 2022
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