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Topic Review
Natural Antioxidants for Reducing Lipid Rancidity
Natural antioxidants have been widely used in food preservation due to their unique properties that offer many advantages over synthetic molecules. Unlike synthetic agents, natural options derived from plants, fruits, and spices have been proven to be safe and effective in reducing lipid rancidity. These antioxidants possess a combination of beneficial compounds that act synergistically to delay oxidative processes, improving the shelf life and quality of food products. Additionally, natural antioxidants are typically recognized as safe by regulatory agencies and are favored by consumers who prefer natural food additives. By incorporating natural antioxidants, the food industry can not only improve food quality and safety, but also appeal to the growing demand for natural and organic food products.
  • 1.3K
  • 17 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Bio-Based Edible Films and Coatings for Fruit Applications
Films and coatings have principal functionalities that are fundamental for increasing the shelf lives of food products. They need to achieve protection against UV light and the transfer of compounds (e.g., solutes, water vapor, organic vapors, and gases) between the food and the surrounding atmosphere. They also need to act as a barrier against mechanical damage. The addition of functional/bioactive compounds, such as nutrients, antioxidants, and antimicrobials, against bacterial and fungal proliferation can be performed. The nutritional value can be enhanced with microorganisms that confer health benefits, such as probiotics. Aromatic compounds and flavors can also be added as enhancing agents. Additionally, the final package should be biodegradable and utilize biological materials.
  • 1.3K
  • 23 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Microbial Detoxification of Residual Pesticides in Fermented Foods
The treatment of agricultural areas with pesticides is an indispensable approach to improve crop yields and cannot be avoided in the future. At the same time, significant amounts of pesticides remain in food and their ingestion causes serious damage such as neurological, gastrointestinal, and allergic reactions; cancer; and even death. However, during the fermentation processing of foods, residual amounts of pesticides are significantly reduced thanks to enzymatic degradation by the starter and accompanying microflora. 
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Mar 2023
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. 
  • 1.3K
  • 08 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Vaccinium Species: Composition and Activity
The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) includes more than 450 species, which grow mainly in cooler areas of the northern hemisphere. Vaccinium species have been used in the traditional medicine of different cultures and the berries are widely consumed as food. Indeed, Vaccinium supplements-based herbal medicine and functional food, mainly from V. myrtillus and V. macrocarpon, are used in Europe and North America. Biological studies support traditional uses since for many of Vaccinium components important biological functions have been described, including antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and endothelium protective activities. Vaccinium components, such as polyphenols, anthocyanins, and flavonoids, are widely recognized as modulators of cellular pathways involved in pathological conditions, thus indicating that Vaccinium may be an important source of bioactive molecules. 
  • 1.3K
  • 14 Jul 2021
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Mediterranean Diet, a Sustainable Cultural Asset
The Mediterranean diet is a dietary pattern and associated lifestyle that adopts mainly plant foods. The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been acknowledged by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity since 2013, a candidacy involving seven countries in the area, including Portugal, aiming to safeguard the MD in its multiple dimensions. The corresponding food system is recognized as healthy and sustainable by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and by the World Health Organization (WHO), inspiring dietary guidelines around the world. The current entry examines the sustainability and resilience of the Mediterranean dietary food pattern, using the Portuguese as a case study to examine the feasibility of prospective composite indicators in assessing the sustainability of diets and food systems. Information extracted from reports and official statistics was used to assess a set of proposed metrics. Although information to fulfil most metrics was found, some data gaps were identified, highlighting the need to improve existing metrics. The current work highlights the role of science and policy in transforming four key areas of human–nature interaction: use of natural resources, food systems, production and consumption, and cities’ sustainability. Since sustainable production and consumption (SGD 12) is key to the UN’s 2030 agenda, it is important to analyze to what extent the dissemination of the Mediterranean diet among the population can be a way to achieve this goal.
  • 1.3K
  • 14 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Encapsulation Techniques for Probiotics
Probiotic encapsulation techniques can be categorized into two types: chemical (coacervation, ionic gelation, and molecular inclusion), and physical (spray drying, freeze drying, spray chilling, spray cooling, extrusion, fluidized bed drying, electrospraying, and electrospinning). Probiotic cells are between 1 and 5 μm in size and their viability must be maintained during the encapsulation process. The main encapsulation processes for probiotics are freeze drying, spray drying, ionic gelation, complex coacervation, electrospraying, and electrospinning.
  • 1.3K
  • 05 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Common Mycotoxins in Cereal Grains and Producing Fungi
Cereal grains are the most important food staples for human beings and livestock animals. They can be processed into various types of food and feed products such as bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, cake, snacks, beer, complete feed, and pet foods. However, cereal grains are vulnerable to the contamination of soil microorganisms, particularly molds. The toxigenic fungi/molds not only cause quality deterioration and grain loss, but also produce toxic secondary metabolites, mycotoxins, which can cause acute toxicity, death, and chronic diseases such as cancer, immunity suppression, growth impairment, and neural tube defects in humans, livestock animals and pets. 
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Tobacco Carbohydrates as Bioactive Compounds
Carbohydrates are important compounds in natural products where they primarily serve as a source of energy, but they have important secondary roles as precursors of aroma or bioactive compounds. They are present in fresh and dried (cured) tobacco leaves as well. The sugar content of tobacco depends on the tobacco variety, harvesting, and primarily on the curing conditions (temperature, time and moisture). If the process of curing employs high temperatures (flue-curing and sun-curing), final sugar content is high. In contrast, when air curing has a lower temperature, at the end of the process, sugar level is low. Beside simple sugars, other carbohydrates reported in tobacco are oligosaccharides, cellulose, starch, and pectin. Degradation of polysaccharides results in a higher yield of simple sugars, but at the same time reduces sugars oxidization and transfer into carbon dioxide and water. Loss of sugar producers will compensate with added sugars, to cover undesirable aroma properties and achieve a better, pleasant taste during smoking.
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Application of Amphibian Skin and Skin Secretion
Amphibians have been consumed as an alternative protein source all around the world due to their delicacy. The skin of edible amphibians, particularly frogs and giant salamanders, always goes to waste without further utilization. However, these wastes can be utilized to extract protein and bioactive peptides (BPs). Various BPs have been extracted and reported for numerous biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, etc. The main BPs identified were brevinins, bombesins, dermaseptins, esculentins, magainin, temporins, tigerinins, and salamandrins. 
  • 1.3K
  • 24 Mar 2023
Topic Review
DNA-Based Animal Species Authentication in Dairy Products
Milk is one of the most important nutritious foods, widely consumed worldwide, either in its natural form or via dairy products. Currently, several economic, health and ethical issues emphasize the need for a more frequent and rigorous quality control of dairy products and the importance of detecting adulterations in these products. For this reason, several conventional and advanced techniques have been proposed, aiming at detecting and quantifying eventual adulterations, preferentially in a rapid, cost-effective, easy to implement, sensitive and specific way. DNA-based methods relying on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have been widely applied to detect adulterations in foods from both plant and animal origins, including dairy products because of their simplicity, high sensitivity and high specificity. They benefit from the high thermal stability of DNA molecules, which is particularly relevant when analysing processed foods, and are independent from immunochemical recognition, making them not susceptible to cross-reactivity. The ubiquity of nucleic acids in every type of cell and particularity in healthy mammary glands, which have high numbers of leucocytes and epithelial cells that are transferred to the milk, is another advantage to highlight. During cheese making, these cells are concentrated and allow the isolation of DNA to discriminate the species.
  • 1.3K
  • 28 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Sources and Absorption of Resveratrol
Polyphenols are secondary metabolites produced by plants and also found in many natural products, such as fruit and vegetables, and their derivatives, such as tea, coffee, olive oil, and wine. Polyphenols are well known for their antioxidant properties, which confer to them health-beneficial effects. Among them, resveratrol is probably one of the most investigated molecules. It was first described in 1940 by Michio Takaoka, a Japanese student who was investigating extracts from traditional medicinal plants and called it “resveratrol” because the molecule had been extracted from the roots of Veratrum grandiflorum (white hellebore) and presented the skeleton of resorcinol in its molecular structure. The extract from this plant was exploited for treating several allergic and inflammatory diseases, among others. However, this molecule did not attract much interest until 1997, when Jang and colleagues published an article regarding its cancer chemopreventive activity. Resveratrol is the common name for 3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene, a natural phytoalexin derived from phenylpropanoids, that is synthesized in plants under stress conditions, such as infections or UV exposure. 
  • 1.3K
  • 14 Dec 2021
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.
  • 1.3K
  • 22 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Spices as Sustainable Food Preservatives
Throughout history, spices have been employed for their pharmaceutical attributes and as a culinary enhancement. The food industry widely employs artificial preservatives to retard the deterioration induced by microbial proliferation, enzymatic processes, and oxidative reactions. Nevertheless, the utilization of these synthetic preservatives in food products has given rise to significant apprehension among consumers, primarily stemming from the potential health risks that they pose. These risks encompass a spectrum of adverse effects, including but not limited to gastrointestinal disorders, the disruption of gut microbiota, allergic reactions, respiratory complications, and concerns regarding their carcinogenic properties. Consequently, consumers are displaying an increasing reluctance to purchase preserved food items that contain such additives. Spices, known for their antimicrobial value, are investigated for their potential as food preservatives. 
  • 1.3K
  • 09 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Active Compounds from Antrodia cinnamomea
Antrodia cinnamomea is a precious and popular edible and medicinal mushroom. It has attracted increasing attention due to its various and excellent bioactivities, such as hepatoprotection, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, antitumor, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, and gut microbiota regulation properties. To elucidate its bioactivities and develop novel functional foods or medicines, numerous studies have focused on the isolation and identification of the bioactive compounds of A. cinnamomea. 
  • 1.3K
  • 11 Oct 2022
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.
  • 1.3K
  • 13 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Application Progress of Hydrogels as Food Matrices
Food hydrogels are biopolymeric materials made from food-grade biopolymers with gelling properties (proteins and polysaccharides) and a 3D network capable of incorporating large amounts of water.  Hydrogels present a wide range of properties (including high water content, flexibility, softness, and compatibility), making their application highly tunable for different food systems. Protein–polysaccharide composites have been so far successfully used only in the food packaging industry as they possess an oil barrier, water solubility, and tastelessness. The commercially used edible films are produced mostly from cellulose and whey protein biopolymers, or alginate and collagen. The most recent trend in using hydrogels is the development of matrices that can replace animal-based food products in terms of texture and nutritional aspects. The food sector is increasingly becoming more concerned with providing enough nutritious food for everyone while protecting natural resources. 
  • 1.3K
  • 07 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Actual Application of Propolis
Propolis is a natural hive product collected by honeybees from different plants and trees. The collected resins are then mixed with bee wax and secretions. Propolis has a long history of use in traditional and alternative medicine. Propolis possesses recognized antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Both properties are characteristics of food preservatives. The antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of propolis were extensively studied. In addition, propolis is recognized as safe (GRAS) and can be considered as an alternative to chemical preservatives. Before its use in food products, propolis was in most cases extracted using different solvents such as ethanol, water, and glycerol. Each solvent offers advantages and disadvantages. Ethanol extracts (PEE) are reported to be the richest extracts in bioactive components. While water extracts (WPE) are the lowest extract on phenolic content. In contrast, the two extracts exhibited a strong flavor and aroma. 
  • 1.3K
  • 06 May 2023
Topic Review
Formation of Oxidative Compounds in Fish Protein Hydrolysates
There is a significant potential to increase the sustainability of the fishing and aquaculture industries through the maximization of the processing of byproducts. Enzymatic hydrolysis provides an opportunity to valorize downstream fish industry byproducts for the production of protein hydrolysates (FPH) as a source of bioactive peptides (BAP) with health benefits. Deteriorative oxidative reactions may occur during the enzymatic hydrolysis of byproducts, influencing the safety or bioactivities of the end product. Lipid oxidation, autolysis mediated by endogenous enzymes in viscera, protein degradation, and formation of low-molecular-weight metabolites are the main reactions that are expected to occur during hydrolysis and need to be controlled. 
  • 1.3K
  • 10 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Exopolysaccharides from Lactic Acid Bacteria
Microbial polysaccharides have interesting and attractive characteristics for the food industry, especially when produced by food grade bacteria. Polysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) during fermentation are extracellular macromolecules of either homo or hetero polysaccharidic nature, and can be classified according to their chemical composition and structure. The most prominent exopolysaccharide (EPS) producing lactic acid bacteria are Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Weissella, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Pediococcus and Bifidobacterium sp. The EPS biosynthesis and regulation pathways are under the dependence of numerous factors as producing-species or strain, nutrient availability, and environmental conditions, resulting in varied carbohydrate compositions and beneficial properties.
  • 1.3K
  • 15 Dec 2020
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