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In this study, Spirulina platensisand Chlorella vulgarismicroalgae along with curcumin powder were used to enrich lactic cheese as this subject has not been preceded in the literature. To evaluate the characteristics of the enriched product, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, iron content, cell viability due to the reduction of cytotoxic conditions and sensory evaluation were measured. Analyses of the raw materials showed that while the phenolic content was higher in curcumin and spirulinapowder than chlorella(respectively), the latter showed higher antioxidant activity than the formers. These additives caused a synergistic effect and resulted in a significant increase in antioxidant activity, iron and total phenolic content of the fortified cheese. According to sensory evaluation, the cheese enriched with Spirulina platensis(3%), Chlorella vulgaris(1.467%) and curcumin (1%), optimized by RSM through targeting highest antioxidant activity and iron content, had a higher score than the control cheese. Cell viability assay proved the cheese with the above-mentioned formula could protect mesenchymal stem cells of human adipose tissue (AD-MSC) against cytotoxic conditions successfully. The outcome of this research opens a new horizon for the fortification of cheese with the natural ingredients, especially for the poor countries with the problem of nutritional contents in their staple food.

One of the main conventional problems with the storage of goose meat is its high susceptibility to microbial spoilage as well as oxidation during its shelf-life. Researchers have paid less attention to this issue, with modified atmosphere packaging being the main recommendation for solving this problem despite that this type of packaging brings about some quality issues. Thus, our chief objective, in this research, was to enhance goose meat shelf-life by fabrication of a blend film comprising soy protein isolate (SPI)-Alyssum homolocarpumseed gum (AHSG) based film having carrot seed extract (CSE)-pomegranate peel extract (PPE) mixture as CSE and PPE possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. For this purpose, first, different concentrations (1%, 5%, 10%, and 20% w/w) of the mixture of the extracts were inserted in the based film. Next, structural (SEM and XRD), nutritional (total phenolic content), and antimicrobial properties (through disc diffusion method against Listeria monocytesand Escherichia coli) of films were investigated. Besides, shelf-life parameters including microbial indices (total bacterial count, coliforms and S. aureus), chemical parameters (pH and TBA) as well as organoleptic analysis of goose meat packaged with the optimum film during 14 days storage period were studied. The results showed that application of the fabricated films increased the shelf-life of goose meat from 7 days to 14 days successfully if ignoring inappropriate TBA index of the meat after this period. Rigter-Peppas model fitted the release profiles of CSE and PPE from SPI/AHSG films appropriately.

We hypothesized that incorporation of carrot seed extract (CSE) and pomegranate peel extract (PPE) might prompt some intermolecular bonds which improve physical and mechanical characteristics of our base films including soy protein isolate (SPI) and Alyssum homolocarpumseed gum (AHSG). To test this hypothesis, composite films based on SPI and AHSG were enriched with various levels (1%, 5%, 10%, and 20% w/w) of CSE/PPE mixture (50 to 50 ratio) and were characterized through physical, mechanical as well as structural experiments. Results showed that with enhancing the concentration of the extracts, thickness, density, contact angle, flexibility and tensile strength of the films increased, but their water solubility, moisture content as well as water vapor permeability (WVP) decreased, resulting in impeccable films. FTIR analyses showed that hydrogen bonds were formed in the structure of SPI/AHSG films after incorporation of the extracts. According to the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, the addition of the extract changed the structure of the films. X-ray diffraction patterns show that the addition of the extract altered the crystal structure of SPI/AHSG. Results showed that the WVP of the films was decreased (2.01 g mm m−2d−1kPa−1for the control film) with increasing the concentration of the extracts (0.61 g mm m−2d−1kPa−1for the films containing 20% of extract) while tensile strength and elongation at break increased from 4.85 MPa and 84.72% for control film to 7.21 MPa and 176.31% for the films containing 20% extract. It is concluded that the blend film having 10% mixture of plant extracts results in the best film considering all physical and mechanical properties.

In this research, the characteristics of the high hydrostatic pressure (HHP)-treated soy protein isolate (SPI) solutions as well as HHP-treated SPI (HSPI) electrospun fibers were comprehensively studied for the first time. For this purpose, surface tension, electrical conductivity, viscosity, zeta potential, and secondary structure of HSPI solutions at different ratios were investigated. Also, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of HHP-treated and non-treated SPI: PVA nanofibers were thoroughly compared. HHP denaturation reduced the size of nanofibers by 50–100 nm, diminished ordered structures and crystallinity of nanofibers, increased their melting point and induced hydrogen bonding between amino groups of denatured SPI and hydroxyl groups of PVA. These findings open a new horizon in the successful application of non-thermal energies in the electrospinning process to achieve appropriate fibers at nanoscale.

Food fortification is one of the most essential processes to compensate for the deficiency of minerals and vitamins in customers’ body. Hence, this study aimed to fortify low-fat stirred yogurt via encapsulated vitamin D3(VD3) in maltodextrin and gelatin matrix, characterize obtained microcapsules (encapsulation efficiency, zeta potential, particle size, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, release features, and explore the properties of resultant yogurt including its syneresis, prebiotic activity, sensory properties, and rheology. Encapsulation efficiency and loading efficiency of microcapsules were satisfactorily high (Up to 97% and 25%, respectively). Microscopy images of microencapsulated VD3showed a smooth surface as well as spherical and slight cracks in the microcapsules. The microcapsules had strong negative zeta potentials (−27.29 mV), implying a considerable repulsive force between microcapsules and their good stability. The FTIR result showed strong interactions between VD3and wall materials, confirming the presence of VD3in the microcapsules. VD3had an almost slow release in the gastric, while it was quickly released from microcapsules under simulated intestinal conditions. Fortification of yogurts with encapsulated VD3led to an increase in textural parameters where syneresis value decreased and viscosity increased. The number of probiotics in fortified yogurts was also considerably higher than in the control sample. The sensory analyses revealed no major differences between the fortified and control samples, hinting that protein-polysaccharide microcapsules were suitable wall materials for VD3microencapsulation, and these microcapsules could potentially have numerous applications in the food industry.

To the best of our knowledge, “phytosomal” encapsulation of extracts in edible films has not been applied for enhancing the shelf life of food products by now; as a result, phytosomal encapsulation was used in this research to bring about a sustainable release of the extract from the edible film and prompt a significant shelf life enhancement. For this purpose, first, the Alyssum homolocarpumseed gum (AHSG) film was enriched with various levels (1–20% w/w) of Echinacea purpurea(L.) extract-phospholipid phytosome (EEPP) and, then, the structural (FTIR and SEM), thermal, physicochemical, mechanical and radical scavenging properties of the films as well as release kinetics of the extracts from the films were evaluated. Then, the chicken meat was packaged with the developed film and its different parameters including microbial population, chemical indices (TBARS and pH) as well as sensory properties of the meat were compared with those of the control film. Based on the results, as the EEPP percentage increased, water solubility, moisture content, water vapor permeability of AHSG films decreased favorably, and their tensile strength enhanced successfully. Besides, incorporation of EEPP improved the radical scavenging properties and melting point of the base film considerably. Structural surveys revealed that some chemical interactions (hydrogen bonds) occurred between EEPP and AHSG matrix. A two-fold increase in the shelf life of meat was recognized as the microbial and chemical indices of the developed film after 14 days were even better than those indices of the control film after 7 days.