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Topic Review
Sensorial Impact of Alcohol in Wine
The quality of grapes and wine quality, flavor, stability, and sensory characteristics depend on the content and composition of several different groups of compounds from grapes. One of these groups of compounds is sugars and, consequently, the alcohol content quantified in wines after alcoholic fermentation. During grape berry ripening, sucrose transported from the leaves is accumulated in the berry vacuoles as glucose and fructose. The wine alcohol content continues to be a challenge in enology, as it is also the study of the role of chemosensory factors in alcohol intake and consumer preferences. Several technical and scientific advances have occurred, such as identifying receptors and other essential molecules involved in the transduction mechanisms of flavor. In addition, consumers know that wines with high alcohol content can cause a gustatory disequilibrium affecting wine sensory perceptions, leading to unbalanced wines.
  • 1.4K
  • 13 Sep 2023
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
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
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
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
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
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
Natural Sources of Food Colorants for Artificial Additives
The demand of healthier food products and products made with natural ingredients has increased overwhelmingly, led by the awareness of human beings of the influence of food on their health, as well as by the evidence of side effects generated by different ingredients such as some additives. This is the case for several artificial colorants, especially azo colorants, which have been related to the development of allergic reactions, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. All the above has focused the attention of researchers on obtaining colorants from natural sources that do not present a risk for consumption and, on the contrary, show biological activity. The most representative compounds that present colorant capacity found in nature are anthocyanins, anthraquinones, betalains, carotenoids and chlorophylls. 
  • 1.4K
  • 08 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Bacillus Nattokinase
Bacillus nattokinase is a potential low-cost thrombolytic drug without side-effects and has been introduced into the consumer market as a functional food or dietary supplement.
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Jul 2022
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
Food Protein-Derived Antioxidant Peptides
The antioxidant activity of protein-derived peptides was one of the first to be revealed among the more than 50 known peptide bioactivities to date. The exploitation value associated with food-derived antioxidant peptides is mainly attributed to their natural properties and effectiveness as food preservatives and in disease prevention, management, and treatment. An increasing number of antioxidant active peptides have been identified from a variety of renewable sources, including terrestrial and aquatic organisms and their processing by-products. This has important implications for alleviating population pressure, avoiding environmental problems, and promoting a sustainable shift in consumption.
  • 1.4K
  • 02 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Plant Proteins for Future Foods
Protein calories consumed by people all over the world approximate 15–20% of their energy intake. This makes protein a major nutritional imperative. Today, we are facing an unprecedented challenge to produce and distribute adequate protein to feed over nine billion people by 2050, in an environmentally sustainable and affordable way. Plant-based proteins present a promising solution to our nutritional needs due to their long history of crop use and cultivation, lower cost of production, and easy access in many parts of the world. However, plant proteins have comparatively poor functionality, defined as poor solubility, foaming, emulsifying, and gelling properties, limiting their use in food products. Relative to animal proteins, including dairy products, plant protein technology is still in its infancy. To bridge this gap, advances in plant protein ingredient development and the knowledge to construct plant-based foods are sorely needed.
  • 1.4K
  • 05 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Extraction of Tea Polysaccharides
Tea polysaccharide (TPS) is the second most abundant ingredient in tea following tea polyphenols. As a complex polysaccharide, TPS has a complex chemical structure and a variety of bioactivities, such as anti-oxidation, hypoglycemia, hypolipidemic, immune regulation, and anti-tumor. Additionally, it shows excellent development and application prospects in food, cosmetics, and medical and health care products. 
  • 1.4K
  • 21 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Seaweeds and Gut Health Benefits
Macroalgae, or seaweeds, are a rich source of components which may exert beneficial effects on the mammalian gut microbiota through the enhancement of bacterial diversity and abundance. An imbalance of gut bacteria has been linked to the development of disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, immunodeficiency, hypertension, type-2-diabetes, obesity, and cancer. This review outlines current knowledge from in vitro and in vivo studies concerning the potential therapeutic application of seaweed-derived polysaccharides, polyphenols and peptides to modulate the gut microbiota through diet. Polysaccharides such as fucoidan, laminarin, alginate, ulvan and porphyran are unique to seaweeds. Several studies have shown their potential to act as prebiotics and to positively modulate the gut microbiota. Prebiotics enhance bacterial populations and often their production of short chain fatty acids, which are the energy source for gastrointestinal epithelial cells, provide protection against pathogens, influence immunomodulation, and induce apoptosis of colon cancer cells. The oral bioaccessibility and bioavailability of seaweed components is also discussed, including the advantages and limitations of static and dynamic in vitro gastrointestinal models versus ex vivo and in vivo methods. Seaweed bioactives show potential for use in prevention and, in some instances, treatment of human disease. 
  • 1.4K
  • 06 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Volatile Profile of Nuts
Nuts are indehiscent dry fruits with one seed and a thick, hard pericarp. The presence of nuts in diets has notably increased due to their composition, and the presence of antioxidants and their unsaturated fatty acid profile has led to a considerable increase in their consumption. The volatile profile of nuts is important from different points of view. It affects consumer’s selection, influences raw material selection for the production of composite foods, dictates variety selection in breeding programs, and, from a quality perspective, its changes can indicate food degradation or alteration.
  • 1.4K
  • 03 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Factors Affecting the Structural Quality of Tissue Protein
Tissue proteins or textured vegetable proteins (with a lean fiber-like structure and chewiness) form the main skeletal structure of plant-based meat alternative products. These can be obtained through techniques such as extrusion, shearing, spinning, freezing structuring and three-dimensional (3D) printing. The main constituents of tissue proteins are proteins, lipids, water, carbohydrates, flavoring agents and coloring agents. The choice of plant protein raw materials, with their various processing characteristics, prior to processing is a decisive factor in structural quality differentiation.
  • 1.4K
  • 09 Aug 2022
Topic Review
The STEC–MFG Association
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic Gram-negative bacteria. While raw milk cheese consumption is healthful, contamination with pathogens such as STEC can occur due to poor hygiene practices at the farm level. STEC infections cause mild to serious symptoms in humans. The raw milk cheese-making process concentrates certain milk macromolecules such as proteins and milk fat globules (MFGs), allowing the intrinsic beneficial and pathogenic microflora to continue to thrive. MFGs are surrounded by a biological membrane, the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), which has a globally positive health effect, including inhibition of pathogen adhesion.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Resuscitation of Viable but Nonculturable Bacteria
The viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state is a survival strategy for bacteria when encountered with unfavorable conditions. Under favorable environments such as nutrient supplementation, external stress elimination, or supplementation with resuscitation-promoting substances, bacteria will recover from the VBNC state, which is termed “resuscitation”.
  • 1.4K
  • 03 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Indigenous Leafy Vegetables as Functional Food Ingredients
Indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) play a pivotal role in sustaining the lives of many people of low socio-economic status who reside in rural areas of most developing countries. Such ILVs contribute to food security since they withstand harsher weather and soil conditions than their commercial counterparts and supply important nutrients such as dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, ILVs contain bioactive components such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, dietary fibre, carotene content and vitamin C that confer health benefits on consumers. Regular and adequate consumption of vegetables reduces risks of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, metabolic disorders such as obesity in children and adults, as well as cardiovascular disease. However, consumption of ILVs is very low globally as they are associated with unbalanced and poor diets, with being food for the poor and with possibly containing toxic heavy metals. 
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Encapsulated Probiotics for Non-Dairy Food Applications
The incorporation of probiotics in non-dairy matrices is challenging, and probiotics tend to have a low survival rate in these matrices and subsequently perform poorly in the gastrointestinal system. Encapsulation of probiotics with a physical barrier could preserve the survivability of probiotics and subsequently improve delivery efficiency to the host.
  • 1.4K
  • 21 Oct 2022
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