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The aim was to develop nutritious drinks using date nectar with the two most popular Saudi date cultivars (Khalas and Sukkari) and spirulina at different substitution rates. The date puree was prepared with different concentrations of pectin enzymes. The approximate composition, microbiological quality, sugars, vitamins, and minerals of date puree and spirulina, as well as the contaminants, physical properties, fatty acids, and phytopigments of spirulina were evaluated. Chemical composition and sensory properties of the developed date drinks were also assessed. The results showed that spirulina is safe, free from contaminants and heavy metals, and appeared to contain appreciable amounts of essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and phytopigments. The microbiological loads of date puree and spirulina were very low, and there were no pathogenic microbes were found. Spirulina contained higher amounts of total solids, ash, protein, minerals, fiber, fat, and vitamins, than date puree, indicating its suitability as a rich source of nutrients for food fortification. In both date types, treatment of puree with 400 ppm enzyme yielded nectar with higher scores in all sensory attributes, indicating that this is a suitable concentration to yield acceptable juice amounts. The substitution of date nectar with 10% spirulina gave the highest scores for sensory attributes; consequently, this concentration was used for the formulation of functional nectar from date nectar and spirulina. Incorporation of 10% spirulina in date nectars showed a significant increase in the contents of total solids, protein, essential amino acids, ash, fat, sugars, carotenoids, and chlorophyll in the date nectars, thereby improving its nutritional and health properties.

Rice is a broad-spectrum meal consumed annually in large amounts. Ready-to-eat rice is a member of dishes with a high risk of contamination. The present study aimed to increase the safety and shelflife of ready-to-eat rice during temporary storage. To prepare a mixture for extraction, three spices were chosen ginger: thyme:coriander (1:2:1). Two types of extract were prepared, aromatic and water extracts. The bioactive aromatic extract was preserved by encapsulation using chitosan nanoparticle preparation, while water extracts were prepared by warm diffusion. The aromatic extract possessed volatiles with antimicrobial features, including α-pinene, cymene, camphor, 1, 8 cineol, and limonene. The results expressed the extracts’ better antifungal and antibacterial effect, with a distinguishing aromatic one. Water extract was recorded as being rich in phenolic and flavonoids, like Salysilic, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic, Luteolin 7 glucoside, and quercitin. These molecules play functionality for microbial inhibition in the simulated media. Ready-to-eat rice shelflife was extended by applying the aromatic extract of the encapsulated mixture at the late stage of cooking and before packaging. It can preserve the samples for up to five days at room temperature and up to eight days of refrigerator storage (8 °C). However, water extract had lower activity as antibacterial and antifungal than the aromatic one. Again, water extract activity reduces fungal citrinin secretion by low efficiency more than the aromatic extract. These results recommended the addition of aromatic extract to the ready-to-eat rice meals as a final additive just before packaging.

Despite the developments in controlling infectious disease around the world, they are still the second biggest cause of morbidity and mortality due in part to the increase in drug resistance among large numbers of the bacterial strains. This means that new strategies are needed to prevent and treat infectious disease. As a result, several ancient methods have been re-evaluated and the substances/procedures employed historically to cure diseases are now attracting renewed scientific attention. Honey is one such product that used to be widely used to combat bacteria. This review covers the antibacterial activity of honey, its use in the treatment of infection and diseases, and the features that are relevant to its activity.

Camel meat is one of the most consumed meats in Arab countries. The use of natural antimicrobial agents to extend the shelf life of fresh camel meat, control Campylobacter jejuni contamination, and preserve meat quality is preferred. In this study, we determined the antimicrobial effects of using 1% or 2% Citrox alone or in combination with 1% chitosan on the survival of C. jejuni in vitro and on camel meat samples during storage at 4 or 10 °C for 30 days in vacuum packaging. We determined the total viable count (TVC (cfu/g)), total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) content, and pH of the treated camel meat samples every three days during storage. The shelf lives of camel meat samples treated with 2% Citrox alone or in combination with 1% chitosan were longer than those of camel meat samples treated with 1% Citrox alone or in combination with 1% chitosan at both the 4 and 10 °C storage temperatures, with TVCs of C. jejuni in approximately 4.0 and 3.5 log cycles at 4 and 10 °C, respectively. The experimental results demonstrated that using a Citrox-chitosan combination improved the quality of camel meat and enhanced the long-term preservation of fresh meat for up to or more than 30 days at 4 °C.

Pomegranate, similar to other fruits, has juice-extraction by-products. Pomegranate seed oil (PGO) is a non-traditional oil with health benefits, rich in bioactive components. This study was aimed to assess PGO phytochemicals and their influence as bioactive components to reduce mycotoxin secretion. The encapsulation was applied in micro and nanoforms to protect the quality and enhance the efficacy of the oil. The PGO was extracted using ultrasound-assisted methods. Carotenoids, tocochromanols, sterols, phenolic, flavonoid, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity were determined. The fatty acid profile was analyzed by the GC-MS, while mycotoxin was determined utilizing the HPLC apparatus. The toxicity and protective action of oil were examined using the hepatocytes’ cell line. The resultant oil acts as oleoresin that is rich in bioactive molecules. Phenolics and antioxidant potency recorded higher values compared to traditional vegetable oils, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids were 87.51%. The major fatty acid was conjugated punicic acid (81.29%), which has high biological effects. Application of the PGO on fungal media reduced aflatoxins secretion up to 63%, and zearalenone up to 78.5%. These results confirm the bio-functionality of oil to regulate the fungal secondary metabolites process. The PGO is a unique prospective non-traditional oil and has several functionalities in food, which achieve nutritional, antioxidant, and anti-mycotoxigenic activities.

In this study, the pesticide (acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and pyridaben) removal and physicochemical quality improvement of vine (Vitis vinifera) leaf were examined using ultrasonic and traditional cleaning for 5, 10, and 15 min. After an ultrasonic cleaning procedure at 37 kHz for 10 min, acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and pyridaben in vine leaf were reduced by 54.76, 58.22, and 54.55 %, respectively. Furthermore, the total phenolic content (TPC) in vine leaf increased to 13.45 mg GAE/g DW compared to that in control samples using traditional cleaning (10.37 mg GAE/g DW), but there were no significant differences in DPPH radical scavenging activity. After 15 min of conventional cleaning, the total chlorophyll and total carotenoid content of leaves were found to be lowest among all samples, at 6.52 mg/kg and 0.48 mg/kg, respectively. In conclusion, when compared to conventional cleaning methods, ultrasonic cleaning with no chemicals or heat treatment has proven to be a successful and environmentally friendly application in reducing commonly used pesticides and improving the physicochemical qualities of leaves.