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The aim of this review was to present various topics related to lactose intolerance with special attention given to the role of fermented foods and probiotics in alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms. Lactose intolerance is a common digestive problem in which the human body is unable to digest lactose, known as milk sugar. Lactose intolerance can either be hereditary or a consequence of intestinal diseases. Recent work has demonstrated that fermented dairy products and probiotics can modify the metabolic activities of colonic microbiota and may alleviate the symptoms of lactose intolerance. We suggest that, lactose free dairy products could be recommended as alternatives for the alleviation of lactose intolerance and for the promotion of human health and wellness.

The production of sustainable food packaging from renewable sources represents a prominent alternative to the use of petrochemical-based plastics. For example, starch remains one of the more closely studied replacement options due to its broad availability, low cost and significant advances in improving properties. In this context, essential oils as additives fulfil a key role in the manufacture of renewable active packaging with superior performances. In this review, a comprehensive summary of the impact of adding essential oils to the starch-based films is provided. After a brief introduction to the fundamental concepts related to starch and essential oils, details on the most recent advances in obtaining active starch-based films are presented. Subsequently, the effects of essential oils addition on the structure-property relationships (from physicochemical to antimicrobial ones) are thoroughly addressed. Finally, applications and challenges to the widespread use of essential oils are critically discussed.

Carboxymethyl pachymaran (CMP) was prepared from Poria cocos polysaccharide by carboxymethylation. Two types of CMP (CMP-1 and CMP-2) were further purified by DEAE-52 anion-exchange chromatography. The structure characteristics and immunomodulatory activities of CMP-1 and CMP-2 were investigated. CMP-1 was determined as β-(1 → 3)-d-glucan. A β-(1 → 3)-d-glucan backbone structure was also found in CMP-2, which was mainly consistent of mannose and glucose, with the mole ratio of 0.03:1. The molecular weight of CMP-1 was 126.1 kDa with a 30.4 nm irregular sphere in distilled water. However, the molecular weight of CMP-2 was 172.6 kDa in a 19.9 nm spherical structure in water solution. Both CMP-1 and CMP-2 had triple helical structure, which can promote the proliferation and the phagocytosis of macrophages. Moreover, CMP-1 and CMP-2 both could improve the secretions of NO, TNF-α and IL-6 by increasing the expression of iNOS, TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA, but CMP-1 exhibited a stronger immunomodulatory ability than that of CMP-2. Our results indicated that CMP-1 and CMP-2 can act as potential immunomodulatory agents.

In this study, camel milk was added to surimi at different concentrations. The addition of camel milk generally improved water-holding capacity, cooking loss, and some of the textural properties. P...

Persistent androgen receptor (AR) activation drives therapeutic resistance to second-generation AR pathway inhibitors and contributes to the progression of advanced prostate cancer. One resistance mechanism is point mutations in the ligand binding domain of AR that can transform antagonists into agonists. The AR F877L mutation, identified in patients treated with enzalutamide or apalutamide, confers resistance to both enzalutamide and apalutamide. Compound 4 (JNJ-pan-AR) was identified as a pan-AR antagonist with potent activity against wild-type and clinically relevant AR mutations including F877L. Metabolite identification studies revealed a latent bioactivation pathway associated with 4. Subsequent lead optimization of 4 led to amelioration of this pathway and nomination of 5 (JNJ-63576253) as a clinical stage, next-generation AR antagonist for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Rosa pimpinellifolia, commonly known as the burnet rose, has shown huge functional properties and industrial potential. In this present study, the convective drying process was optimized to enhance the quality, antioxidant activity, and phenolic compounds. The influence of drying conditions on the drying and rehydration kinetics and mathematical modeling of the R. pimpinellifolia fruit (black rose hips) were investigated. Response surface methodology was used to detect the optimum drying conditions (i.e. temperature and air velocity). The optimum operating conditions were 67.21°C and 1.75 m s−1 providing maximum total phenolic compounds, total anthocyanin, DPPH radical scavenging and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) values of 1327 ± 5 mg GAE/100 g, 491 ± 2 mg c3g E/100 g, 110 ± 2 mmol TE/g and 698.00 ± 15 mmol ISE/g, respectively. The Page Model was the most fitted model to predict the drying kinetics. Vegas-gálves and Peleg models were the most effective to describe the rehydration kinetics. The rehydration was more efficient at 60°C compared to 20 and 40°C. The convective drying increased hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness while decreasing springiness and resilience. Catechin, epicatechin, quercetin-3-glucoside, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, rutin, fumaric acid, and gallic acid were the major phenolic compounds identified. The drying process thus improved the quality, antioxidant activity, and overall phenolic compounds of R. pimpinellifolia.

Research on lactic acid bacteria has confirmed how specific strains possess probiotic properties and impart unique sensory characteristics to food products. The use of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in many food products, thus confers various health benefits to humans when they are frequently consumed in adequate amounts. The advent of functional food or the concept of nutraceuticals objectively places more emphasis on seeking alternatives to limit the use of medications thus promoting the regular consumption of fermented foods. Probiotic use has thus been recommended to fulfill the role of nutraceuticals, as no side effects on human health have been reported. Probiotics and lactic acid bacteria can boost and strengthen the human immune system, thereby increasing its resistance against numerous disease conditions. Consumer safety and confidence in dairy and fermented food products and the desire of the food industry to meet the sensory and health needs of consumers, has thus increased the demand for probiotic starter cultures with exceptional performance coupled with health benefiting properties. The potential of probiotic cultures and lactic acid bacteria in many industrial applications including fermented food products generally affects product characteristics and also serves as health-promoting foods for humans. The alleviation of lactose intolerance in many populations globally has been one of the widely accepted health claims attributed to probiotics and lactic acid bacteria, although many diseases have been treated with probiotic lactic acid bacteria and have been proven with scientific and clinical studies. The aim of our review was to present information related to lactic acid bacteria, the new classification and perspectives on industrial applications with a special emphasis on food safety and human health.

© The Author(s) 2020., Streptococcus pneumoniae choline kinase (sChoK) has previously been proposed as a drug target, yet the effectiveness of the first and only known inhibitor of sChoK, HC-3, is in the millimolar range. The aim of this study was thus to further validate sChoK as a potential therapeutic target by discovering more powerful sChoK inhibitors. LDH/PK and colorimetric enzymatic assays revealed two promising sChoK inhibitor leads RSM-932A and MN58b that were discovered with IC50 of 0.5 and 150 μM, respectively, and were shown to be 2–4 magnitudes more potent than the previously discovered inhibitor HC-3. Culture assays showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of RSM-932A and MN58b for S. pneumoniae was 0.4 μM and 10 μM, respectively, and the minimum lethal concentration (MLC) was 1.6 μM and 20 μM, respectively. Western blot monitoring of teichoic acid production revealed differential patterns in response to each inhibitor. In addition, both inhibitors possessed a bacteriostatic mechanism of action, and neither interfered with the autolytic effects of vancomycin. Cells treated with MN58b but not RSM-932A were more sensitive to a phosphate induced autolysis with respect to the untreated cells. SEM studies revealed that MN58b distorted the cell wall, a result consistent with the apparent teichoic acid changes. Two novel and more highly potent putative inhibitors of sChoK, MN58b and RSM-932A, were characterized in this study. However, the effects of sChoK inhibitors can vary at the cellular level. sChoK inhibition is a promising avenue to follow in the development of therapeutics for treatment of S. pneumoniae., This research was funded in part by the NIFA through the Agricultural Research Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (Evans-Allen Program, project number NC.X-291-5-15-170-1). We would also like to express our gratitude to the group of Yuxing Chen of the Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences at the University of Science and Technology of China for their generous donation of the LicA construct.

In this study, polysaccharides from Stropharia rugosoannulata were isolated and purified by macroporous adsorption resin and ion exchange chromatography to produce SRP-1 and SRP-2. Preliminary structural characteristics of SRP-1 and SRP-2 were also investigated. Our results showed that SRP-1 was neutral, while SRP-2 was acidic polysaccharides. The molar ratios of monosaccharides in SRP-1 and SRP-2 were different, but glucose was the main monosaccharide. Both α-type and β-type glycosidic linkages were detected in SRP-1, whereas β-constitution was dominant in SRP-2. Both SRP-1 and SRP-2 had a (1 → 6)-α-D-glucan backbone. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of polysaccharides against ABTS+, DPPH and OH– radicals were determined in vitro. The results indicated that SRP-2 had a stronger antioxidant capacity than that of SRP-1. Our results may be valuable with regard to the utilization of polysaccharides from S. rugosoannulata as potential pharmaceuticals.

In this study, we modified reinforced clostridial medium (RCM) to selectively enumerate and isolate Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, a probiotic and important starter culture in the dairy industry. The disparity in the reported carbohydrate fermentation pattern of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus was used to develop a growth medium not only selective for L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus but significantly inhibitory to the growth of other lactic acid bacteria. A recently modified RCM (mRCM) was optimized for this study by the addition of 0.5% fructose, 0.5% dextrose, 1% maltose, and 0.25% sodium pyruvate while replacing lactose as a carbohydrate source. The cell recovery and bacterial counts of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus in tested products (pure L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus strains, starter culture, probiotic supplements, and yogurt) using our mRCM with sodium pyruvate (mRCM-PYR) were significantly higher than in the recently modified RCM and the common de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) culture medium. The growth of other lactic acid bacteria (Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus reuteri) and Bifidobacteria was retarded in this modified medium compared with their growth in MRS and mRCM. This result is a significant improvement in the enumeration and differentiation of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus in mRCM-PYR compared with the results in MRS and mRCM where the high background growth of similar species interferes with the accuracy of bacterial population counts. Our results thus suggest that mRCM-PYR could be recommended as a reliable alternative growth medium for the selective enumeration and isolation of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus in a mixed culture.

The study reported in this research communication evaluates the chemical (solvents) and mechanical (sonication, bead-beater) extraction methods to determine the maximum recovery of β-galactosidase from L. bulgaricus spp. Among all extraction techniques, sonication-assisted extraction yielded the highest amounts of enzyme activity (between 1892–2156 Miller Units) in cell-free extract (supernatant). Interestingly, solvent extracted enzyme activities were found to be very low (between 83–153 Miller Units) in supernatant. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the total protein determination showed that mechanical methods can completely lyse the cells. Our results thus demonstrated that the mechanical extraction method of sonication is the best one for recovering the maximum amount of lactase from L. bulgaricus strains.

Fresh Lentinula edodes were dried using two process technologies—freeze drying (FD) and hot-air drying (HD). The physicochemical, antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties of purified polysaccharides from dried L. edodes (LEP) were then comparatively investigated. Two neutral polysaccharides (FLEP-1 and HLEP-1) and two acidic polysaccharides (FLEP-2 and HLEP-2) were obtained by DEAE-52 cellulose column. The HD treated LEP had higher levels of uronic acid than that of the FD treated LEP. The molar ratios of monosaccharides in FLEP-1, FLEP-2, HLEP-1 and HLEP-2 were different. Moreover, HD treated LEP had more galactose and less glucose. The (1 → 3)-α-glucan structure was dominant in the two neutral polysaccharides, whereas the (1 → 6)-β-glucan was dominant in the two acidic polysaccharides. Hot-air drying could thus promote the α-configuration in neutral polysaccharides while reducing the β-configuration in acidic polysaccharides. FLEP-1, FLEP-2, HLEP-1 and HLEP-2 had potential scavenging capacity against the ABTS +, whereas freeze-dried polysaccharides exhibited a stronger scavenging ability than that of hot-air dried polysaccharide. LEP could improve immunity by inducing the secretions of NO, TNF-α and IL-6, whereas hot-air drying improved the immunomodulatory activity of LEP. Our results suggested that freeze drying and hot air drying could be appropriately used to obtain functional polysaccharides from L. edodes.

The interest in carob pod as an ingredient of functional foods is constantly increasing due to its beneficial health effect and functional properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and antioxidant potential of carob seeds, as well as the functional properties of its isolated galactomannan fraction. The lipid, protein, carbohydrate and phenolic composition were analysed. The obtained results demonstrated that the main detected fatty acids were oleic (45.0%), linoleic (32.4%), and palmitic (16.6%) acid. The primary tocopherol in the tested tocopherol fraction was γ-tocopherol (53.1%). It was established that β-sitosterol (74.2%) and stigmasterol (12.8%) predominated in the sterol fraction. Carob seed was characterized by high protein (25.7%) content, while mannose and galactose were the dominating monosaccharides. Moreover, the isolated galactomannan from carob seed demonstrated good swelling properties—30.1 ml per g sample and oil-holding capacity (27.9 g/g sample). The total polyphenolic and flavonoids content of carob seeds was 1.76 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight and 0.30 mg quercetin equivalents/g dry weight, respectively. The carob seeds showed the highest antioxidant potential by cupper reduction assay—15.71 mM Trolox® equivalent/g dry weight. The mineral composition was also defined as the macroelements Ca and Mg were the predominant minerals in the seed. The obtained results showed that carob seeds were a valuable source not only of phenolic compounds and antioxidants, but also of proteins, lipids, galactomannan with functional properties that could improve the nutritional value of foods in which are incorporated.

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the oldest primary staple crops in Southwest Asia and North Africa. Date palms are also grown in Australia, Mexico, South America, Southern Africa, and the United States, especially in Southern California, Arizona, and Texas. Date fruit is a high nutritional value food that is rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibers, proteins, minerals and vitamin B complex such as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic (B5), pyridoxine (B6), and folate (B9). Carbohydrates comprise 70% of date fruit mainly as fructose and glucose. Minerals in date fruits are calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, sulfur, cobalt, fluorine, and manganese. Date fruits are highly nourishing and may thus confer numerous potential health benefits. In recent years, a huge interest in the abundant health promoting properties of date fruits has led to the need to develop new food products using dates as a source of nutrients. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the nutritional value of date fruits in the context of the potential use of dates in nutrition bars for athletes.

In this study, fresh Lentinula edodes was dehydrated using freeze-drying (FD), hot-air drying (HAD), and natural drying (ND), and the volatile and non-volatile flavor compounds were analyzed. The drying process changed the contents of eight-carbon compounds and resulted in a weaker “mushroom flavor” for dried L. edodes. HAD mushrooms had higher levels of cyclic sulfur compounds (56.55 μg/g) and showed a stronger typical shiitake mushroom aroma than those of fresh (7.24 μg/g), ND (0.04 μg/g), and FD mushrooms (3.90 μg/g). The levels of 5′-nucleotide increased, whereas the levels of organic acids and free amino acids decreased after the drying process. The dried L. edodes treated with FD had the lowest levels of total free amino acids (29.13 mg/g). However, it had the highest levels of umami taste amino acids (3.97 mg/g), bitter taste amino acids (6.28 mg/g) and equivalent umami concentration (EUC) value (29.88 g monosodium glutamate (MSG) per 100 g). The results indicated that FD was an effective drying method to produce umami flavor in dried mushrooms. Meanwhile, HAD can be used to produce a typical shiitake mushroom aroma. Our results provide a theoretical basis to manufacture L. edodes products with a desirable flavor for daily cuisine or in a processed form.

Ohmic-vacuum combination heating is a common method used in the food industry as a concentration process. In the present study, an OH-VC combination heating system was developed for producing tomato paste at temperatures of 70, 80, and 90 °C and pressure of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 bar and electric field of 1.82, 2.73, and 3.64 V/cm using a central composite design. The effects of heating conditions on the quality and sensory evaluation of tomato paste were also evaluated. Each combination of temperature, pressure, and the electric field was quantified for specific energy consumption, energy efficiency, and productivity. A decrease of 35.08% in the amount of acid ascorbic and lycopene content 19.01%, using conventional heating compared to ohmic-vacuum heating under optimized conditions, was attained. The results also highlighted an increase in the amount of HMF (69.79%) and PME (24.33%) using conventional heating compared to ohmic-vacuum heating under optimized conditions. Ascorbic acid, lycopene, titratable acidity, productivity, energy efficiency was higher than conventional heating; on the other hand, HMF, PME, pH, SEC were lower than conventional heating at the applied OH-VC process. No significant effects between OH-VC and conventional heating on the TSS were observed. In addition, OH-VC heating was highly efficient in the inhibition of bacterial growth. Further, a minor effect on the sensory properties of tomato paste with OH-VC heating compared to the conventional treatment. The obtained results indicate a strong potential for an OH-VC combination heating system as a rapid-heating, high-efficiency alternative for saving electrical energy consumption and preserving nutritional value.

Within the framework of this study, the effect of nanoparticles of the essential trace element selenium stabilized by Polyvinylpirrolidone (PVP) C15 (8 ± 2 kDa) and ascorbic acid on the germination of barley seeds has been studied. Selenium nanoparticles stabilized by PVP C15 (8 ± 2 kDa) and ascorbic acid, characterized by a spherical shape, monodisperse size distribution, and a diameter of about 70 ± 5 nm, were obtained by the chemical reduction method. The experiment compared the effect of selenium nanoparticles and selenous acid on seed germination. The positive effect of preparation of selenium nanoparticles stabilized by PVP C15 (8 ± 2 kDa) and ascorbic acid on the length of roots and shoots, the number of roots, and the percentage of seed germination has been revealed. It was determined that the highest percentage of Hordeum vulgare L. culture seed germination was achieved using a preparation of selenium nanoparticles stabilized by PVP C15 (8 ± 2 kDa) and ascorbic acid at a concentration of of 4.65 µg/mL. Analysis of the results showed that selenium in the form of nanoparticles has an order of magnitude that is less toxic than in the form of selenous acid. The study of morphological and functional parameters during the germination of Hordeum vulgare L. seeds allowed us to conclude that selenium nanoparticles can be successfully used in agronomy and agriculture to provide plants with the essential microelement selenium, which is necessary for the normal growth and development of crops.

We investigated the structural characteristics and antioxidant activities of two types of neutral polysaccharides and two types of acidic polysaccharides from Stropharia rugosoannulata under different drying methods. Fresh S. rugosoannulata were processed with freeze-vacuum drying (FVD) and hot-air drying (HAD). Polysaccharides from the dried S. rugosoannulata (SRP) were purified using a DEAE-52 cellulose column to obtain two types of neutral SRPs (FSRP-1 and HSRP-1) and two types of acidic SRPs (FSRP-2 and HSRP-2). We found that drying can affect the structural characteristics and antioxidant activities of SRPs. Varied monosaccharide compositions were found in FSRP-1, FSRP-2, HSRP-1 and HSRP-2, and HAD-treated SRP had more glucose and less galactose. The (1 → 6)-α-D-Galp linkage was the primary chain in FSRP-1 and HSRP-1, whereas the (1 → 3)-β-D-Glcp was the backbone structure in FSRP-2 and HSRP-2. Our results thus suggest that hot air drying changed the β-configuration in polysaccharides. FSRP-1, FSRP-2, HSRP-1 and HSRP-2 had positive ferric ion reducing antioxidant power and scavenging activities on ABTS+ and hydroxyl radicals, whereas HSRP exhibited a stronger antioxidant activity than that of FSRP. Hot-air dried S. rugosoannulata could therefore be recommended as a suitable candidate for use in the preparation of antioxidant polysaccharides as functional foods.

A key obstacle to the successful delivery of a probiotic to the consumer is maintaining viability of the live cells during storage, a challenge for the beneficial Lactibacillus reuteri. Three processes play a role in the reduction of viability: autolysis, cell death, and cell weakening. Using a phosphate induction model of autolysis, the initial aim of this project was to discover novel molecular determinants of autolysis in L. reuteri, with the long -term goal of elucidating new strategies for increasing viability. We employed a 2D Native/SDS-Page method to monitor changes in protein expression over time, however, the result was that excess phosphate did not induce noticeable changes in expression patterns. On the other hand, we found that pH affects both the rate of total viability and autolysis, as seen with other species of LAB. In addition, we found that the phosphate model of autolysis may not be sufficient to explain how autolysis is triggered in L. reuteri. Two parameters appear to modulate the pH in media containing L. reuteri cells: overall buffering capacity and the presence of a carbon source. Ultimately, phosphate sources appear to facilitate autolysis by maintaining pH in the media via a higher buffering capacity. In addition, the alkaline sugar free almond drink appears to be a promising possible preservative for L. reuteri.

Autumn olive fruits are a rich source of nutrients and functional compounds, making them functional foods against many diseases and cancers. To increase the consumption, its processing, and its transformation into new products would help spread them to the consumer’s table. In this study, after giving an overview of the physicochemical characteristics and the antioxidant activity, the objective was to optimize the osmotic dehydration (OD) of the berries. Response surface methodology was used to investigate the effect of dehydration factors: syrup concentration (30–70%), temperature (20–70 °C), and fruit-to-syrup ratio (1:10–2:10) on the water loss (WL), sugar gain (SG), weight reduction (WR), density (ρ), water activity (aw), and total color change (ΔE) of fruits after 10 h of OD. Results obtained by employing Box–Behnken design (three variables, three levels), and significant terms of regression equations indicated that the syrup concentration and temperature variation are the most affecting factors on the previously mentioned independent variables (WL SG, WR, ρ, aw, and ΔE). Fruits to syrup ratio appeared to have a significant effect only on WL. Under the optimum conditions found (70%, 70 °C, 1.8:10), the predicted values were 59.21%. 19.21%, 32.34%, 1.22 g/cm3, 0.850, and 3.65 for WL, SG, WR, ρ, aw, and ΔE, respectively.

Cadmium bioremediation with metal-binding proteins is primarily conducted using metallothioneins (MTs). However, in the present study, we investigated a non-MT cadmium-binding protein from Lentinul...

Many organisms possess the ability to produce metal-binding proteins to absorb cadmium. Metallothioneins, an important family of cysteine-rich metal-binding proteins, have been isolated and well characterized. However, Lentinula edodes may have a different type of cadmium-binding protein that contains fewer cysteine residues. In the present study, we purified a cadmium-binding protein from L. edodes (LECBP) by gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography and then identified LECBP by LC-MS/MS. We found LECBP to be a novel cadmium-binding protein, which contained 220 amino acid residues but no cysteine residue. LECBP had a high binding affinity for Cd(II) with a Kd value of 97.3 μM. The percentages of α-helix, β-sheet, β-turn, and random coil in LECBP were 15.7%, 39.4%, 8.0%, and 37.1%, respectively. In addition, high temperatures and an acidic environment influenced the conformation of LECBP. Our results will thus provide a new perspective to understand the mechanism of cadmium accumulation in L. edodes.

Enteric pathogens such as Salmonella enterica can survive in low pH conditions and pose a food safety threat during marinating of raw poultry meat. A study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of thyme oil for killing S. enterica on raw chicken during marination in lemon juice containing yucca extract. Samples of raw chicken breast were inoculated with a five-serovar mixture of S. enterica (~108 CFU/mL) and immersed for 2, 4, 6, and 8 h in four lemon-based marinades at 22°C: lemon juice alone (L), L with added 0.5% yucca extract (L + Y), L + Y and 0.5% thyme oil (L + Y + 0.5% TO) and L + Y + 1.0% TO. The L and L + Y served as controls. Survivors were determined by surface plating chicken homogenates on xylose-lysine tergitol-4 (XLT4) agar and XLT4 agar overlaid with non-selective agar (TAL) and counting bacterial colonies after 48 h of incubation (35°C). Marinades containing Y and TO significantly reduced initial viable populations of S. enterica compared to control (L and L + Y) solutions (P < 0.05). Based on S. enterica survivors on TAL medium, the L and L + Y reduced initial populations by 1.12 and 1.42 Log CFU/sample, respectively, after 8 h whereas, Log reductions caused by L + Y + 0.5% TO and L + Y + 1.0% TO, respectively, were 2.62 and 3.91 (P < 0.05). Numbers of survivors were higher on TAL compared to XLT4 agar (P < 0.05); however, the extent of sub-lethal injury caused by the marinades was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The death rate of S. enterica increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the marinades containing TO (0.5 or 1.0%) compared to control (L + Y). Based on these results, thyme oil has good potential to increase the antimicrobial efficacy of lemon juice marinade against Salmonella on raw chicken breast and enhance the microbial safety of this popular poultry product.

To solve the problem of insufficient intake of essential macro - and micronutrients into the human body, particularly in the case of the essential trace element Zinc, the possibility of enriching a socially significant product (milk) with various forms of Zinc is considered. The influence of Zinc-containing compounds on the colloidal milk system's dispersed composition and stability, photon correlation spectroscopy methods, acoustic and electroacoustic spectroscopy was established in this research. It has been shown that Zinc lysinatoriboflavinate, is a colloidal and chelated organic form of the essential trace element Zinc, having the most negligible effects on the composition and stability of the dispersed phase particles. This increases the average hydrodynamic radius of the dispersed phase by 5% and the ζ-potential by 10%. A quantum-chemical simulation of the interaction of milk κ-casein sites with various forms of the essential trace element Zinc in the QChem program was performed using the IQmol molecular editor. The mechanism of action of various forms of Zinc on the components of the dispersed system of milk, in particular milk protein (casein), is suggested.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are fastidious microorganisms that have specific nutritional requirements. The de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) is an expensive standard growth medium for LAB to produce lactic acid, and the industry is always looking for an alternative low-cost medium. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is naturally full of essential nutrients that lead to stimulate or promote the growth of Lactobacillus spp. The date fruit industries generate a large amount of unwanted date by-product. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the effect of different nitrogen sources on the growth of Lactobacillus reuteri grown in a date base medium. In this study, date palm fruit was pressed, and the fiber was blended with distilled water, centrifuged, and the supernatant was autoclaved to obtain date palm extract (DPE). The date palm medium (DPM) was formed by mixing the DPE with buffer solution. The DPM was then supplemented with different concentrations of different nitrogen sources. Lactobacilli MRS was used as a standard growth medium. Three different L. reuteri strains were individually inoculated into batches of MRS and DPMs at an initial inoculum 2.5 Log CFU/mL, and then incubated at 37°C for 18 h. Bacterial growth was monitored by measuring the optical density readings (O.D 610 nm) for up to 18 h. At the end of the incubation period, final populations of each individual strain were verified by enumeration of the MRS agar. Our results showed that the bacterial population in DPM (control; without nitrogen), reached 3.55±0.5 Log CFU/mL. However, the bacterial populations that reached 7.03±0.1Log CFU/mL in the DPM medium were supplemented with 0.8% phytone peptone, compared to the MRS 7.90±0.24 Log CFU/mL. Our findings thus suggest that date by-products could be used as a low-cost alternative for the LAB growth medium.

A variety of organisms produce bioactive peptides that express inhibition activity against other organisms. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is considered the best example of a unicellular organism that is useful for studying peptide production. In this study, an antibacterial peptide was produced and isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker’s yeast) by an ultrafiltration process (two membranes with cut-offs of 2 and 10 kDa) and purified using the ÄKTA Pure 25 system. Antibacterial peptide activity was characterized and examined against four bacterial strains including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The optimum condition for yeast growth and antibacterial peptide production against both Escherichia. coli and Klebsiella aerogenes was 25−30 °C within a 48 h period. The isolated peptide had a molecular weight of 9770 Da, was thermostable at 50−90 °C for 30 min, and tolerated a pH range of 5−7 at 4 °C and 25 °C during the first 24 h, making this isolated antibacterial peptides suitable for use in sterilization and thermal processes, which are very important aspect in food production. The isolated antibacterial peptide caused a rapid and steady decline in the number of viable cells from 2 to 2.3 log units of gram-negative strains and from 1.5 to 1.8 log units of gram-positive strains during 24 h of incubation. The isolated antibacterial peptide from Saccharomyces cerevisiae may present a potential biopreservative compound in the food industry exhibiting inhibition activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.

Background Deep-fat frying is a common cooking method where fat or oil is used as the heat transfer medium, in direct contact with the food at a temperature above the boiling point of water. During the deep fat frying method, oil not only serves as a heating medium but also absorbs into food, increasing the total fat content. As a result, consumption of deep-fat fried foods has been associated with coronary heart diseases, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Selection of an appropriate food coating before frying may act as a barrier to moisture loss, which is important commercially, and also reduce fat uptake during frying. Scope and approach This paper succinctly reviews different protein sources for edible coatings and compare them with muscle food proteins which were used in deep-fat fried foods. Key findings and conclusions Protein-based coatings have been explored as potential coating materials in fat-uptake reduction. Comparatively, proteins are able to form films with better mechanical and barrier properties than polysaccharides. Application of muscle food proteins (myofibrillar proteins) as coatings, which are rich in these proteins, is novel and could be product-friendly for deep-fried muscle foods.

This review aims to familiarize the reader with research efforts on the cultivation media of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). We have also included a brief discussion on standard ingredients used in LAB media and chemically defined media as related to bacterial growth requirements. Recent research has focused on modifying standard media for the enumeration, differentiation, isolation, and identification of starter cultures and probiotics. Even though large numbers of these media have been developed to serve dairy microbial control, they have failed to provide consistent results. The research consequently points to the need to develop a reliable lactobacilli growth medium for the dairy industry.

Modified reinforced clostridial medium (mRCM) was developed and evaluated for the differential enumeration of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus. Lactobacillus bulgaricus, an important species of lactic acid bacteria with health benefits, is used in the production of yogurt and other fermented foods. Our results showed that supplementing reinforced clostridial medium with 0.025% CaCl2, 0.01% uracil, and 0.2% Tween 80 (mRCM) significantly enhanced the growth rate of L. bulgaricus RR and ATCC 11842 strains as measured by the optical densities of these strains after 12 h of incubation at 42°C. The bacterial populations (plate count) of the RR and ATCC 11842 strains were 0.76 and 0.77 log cfu/g higher in mRCM than in de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe and reinforced clostridial medium media, respectively. Conversely, the population counts for other bacterial species (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus reuteri) were significantly inhibited in the mRCM medium. The addition of aniline blue dye to mRCM (mRCM-blue) improved the selectivity of L. bulgaricus in mixed lactic bacterial cultures compared with de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe medium and lactic agar with regard to colony appearance and morphology. The mRCM-blue performed better than the conventional medium in culturing, enumerating, and differentiating L. bulgaricus. Therefore, mRCM-blue could be used as a selective medium to enhance the growth and differentiation of L. bulgaricus in order to meet the increasing demand for this beneficial species of bacteria.

The objective of the study reported in this Research Communication was to investigate the effects of pectin and whey protein concentrate (WPC) on the generation of acid whey during Greek-style yogurt (GSY) processing. Yogurt samples were prepared using pectin (0·05%, w/v) and whey protein concentrate (WPC-80) (1%, w/v) as possible ingredients that reduce the acid whey production. Control yogurt sample was prepared without addition of these ingredients. The results showed that yogurt made with pectin plus WPC had significantly higher water holding capacity (~56%) than the control (33%). Similarly, yogurt supplemented with pectin plus WPC exhibited 15% less susceptibility to syneresis compared to the control (P < 0·05). Viability of L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus in all yogurts remained ≥7·0 and ≥8·0 log CFU/g respectively. Native PAGE analysis showed an interaction between pectin and WPC. Pectin hinders the formation of large oligomeric aggregates of whey protein which correlates with an increase in WHC and a decrease in syneresis. Our results demonstrated that a combination of pectin and WPC have the potential to limit the quantity of acid whey generation in GSY manufacturing. Thus, these ingredients have positive implications for dairy industry in the production of GSY.

Fatigue increases oxidative stress which damages body cells and increases the risk for the development of various chronic diseases. In this study, the anti-fatigue activity of Piyarom date extract was evaluated in fatigue-induced rats using a forced swimming test (FST). Results showed that rats treated with 500 mg/kg BW date extract exhibited enhanced energy production with a highest endurance capacity (632.9±28.7 min). The date-treated rats also had lower blood lactate, indicating efficient energy utilization with lower fatigue as compared to normal and fatigued rats. Moreover, the serum lactate dehydrogenase levels in 250 and 500 mg/kg BW date extracts and caffeine groups were significantly lower compared to the fatigued rats. Creatine kinase activity was the lowest in the group fed with 500 mg/kg BW date extract. The treated rats showed an amelioration of lipid profiles, while the histological study revealed improvement in various organs. Rats treated with 500 mg/kg BW date extract demonstrated an enhancement in energy production and improved energy metabolism which could be due to the presence of bioactive compounds in the dates. Piyarom date extract demonstrated anti-fatigue property and could be used as a functional ingredient in the development of beverages or snacks that address fatigue associated maladies.

In recent decades, there has been a lot of interest in the development of probiotic incorporated functional foods. It is because probiotic bacteria give various health advantages when ingested in sufficient quantities. However, the stability and viability of probiotics in various food products that can be employed as carriers are restricted by inherent food properties such as pH, acidity, packing, and storage needs of certain food types. Furthermore, the acidic environment of the gastrointestinal tract has an effect on probiotic bacteria survival. As a result, microencapsulation and other enrichment techniques have been used as probiotic carrier or targeted delivery systems. Microencapsulation techniques such as freeze-drying, emulsion, extrusion, and others have been shown to be promising for increasing the viability and bioactivity of probiotics; however, the use of high temperatures or organic solvents limits their usage and also affects cell survival. In this review, we have discussed innovative microencapsulation techniques for probiotics, such as electro-spraying and electro-spinning, as well as their recent trends, technological developments, and future prospects. The findings of the studies are quite fascinating, and they suggest in a new approach for the development of functional foods incorporating probiotics with enhanced viability and stability.

In this study, changes in the color value, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), free amino acid (FAA), reducing sugar, peroxide value (PV) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in vacuum-fried Pleurotus eryngii pr...

Autumn olive fruits were osmo-dehydrated in sucrose solution at 70 °C under vacuum and atmospheric pressure. The mass transfer kinetics data were applied to the models of Azuara, Crank, Page, and Peleg. The Peleg model was the best-fitted model to predict the water loss and solid gain of both treatments. The vacuum application decreased the effective diffusivities from 2.19 × 10−10 to 1.55 × 10−10 m2·s−1 for water loss and from 0.72 × 10−10 to 0.62 × 10−10 m2·s−1 for sugar gain. During the osmotic dehydration processes, the water activity decreased and stabilized after 5 h, while the bulk densities increased from 1.04 × 103 to 1.26 × 103 kg/m3. Titratable acidity gradually reduced from 1.14 to 0.31% in the atmospheric pressure system and from 1.14 to 0.51% in the vacuum system. pH increased significantly in both systems. Good retention of lycopene was observed even after 10 h of treatments. For the color parameters, the lightness decreased and stabilized after 30 min. In comparison, the redness and yellowness increased in the first 30 min and gradually decreased towards the initial levels in the fresh fruit.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of pyrimidine nucleosides on growth, intestinal morphology, digestive enzymes and humoral immunity in broilers from 0 to 21 days of age. A total number of 360 day old chicks (Cobb 500) was randomly divided into 4 treatments with 6 replications. Treatments were comprised of a corn-soybean meal based control diet and diets containing 0.1% pure cytidine, 0.1% pure uridine and 0.1% equal amounts of pure cytidine (0.05%) and uridine (0.05%). On days 11 and 21, two birds per cage (12 birds per treatment) were euthanized to obtain samples of serum, intestine, bursa and spleen. The combination of cytidine plus uridine increased (P

To examine whether choline and its derivatives can be used to preserve viable cells of Lactobacillus reuteri in autolytic models. A phosphate-induced autolytic model in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe medium (MRS) was used. Viable cell counts were determined by plated on MRS-agar. Choline and hemicholinium-3 (HC-3) significantly blocked autolysis of L. reuteri at 360 mM and 4 mM, respectively. Viable cell counts corroborated these observations. Importantly, autolytically induced cells treated with choline and hemicholinium-3 were significantly more viable then even non-induced cells. Over-production of a known autolytic protein, spirosin, was not attenuated in the presence of choline and hemicholinium-3. Inducing autolysis and then blocking it with choline and its analogs is a promising approach for retaining the viability of L. reuteri cells.

1. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of purine nucleosides on performance, gut morphology, intestinal enzymes and immunity functions in broiler chickens from 0 to 21 d of age. 2. A total of 360 1-d-old male chickens (Cobb 500) were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 6 replications. Experimental diets consisted of a control without any additives and diets containing 0.1% pure adenosine, 0.1% pure guanosine and 0.1% equal aliquots of pure adenosine and guanosine. Two birds per cage (12 birds per treatment) were killed on d 11 and 21 in order to obtain serum samples for lipid profile, jejunal samples for morphology and mucosal immunity, digestive enzymes for epithelial maturation, and bursa and spleen samples for relative weight of immune organs to live body weight. 3. Birds receiving adenosine in their diets showed a significant increase in body weight and average daily gain and a significantly lower feed conversion ratio compared to the control birds. Villus height and width in jejunal samples also increased significantly in birds supplemented with adenosine. Although maltase was not affected by the experimental diets, adenosine increased alkaline phosphatase and aminopeptidase. Adenosine and its combination with guanosine boosted mucosal immunity as a result of increased IgA production. While there was no significant difference among treatments regarding the relative weight of the spleen, adenosine increased the relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius. Present results also showed that adding guanosine to broiler diets had no significant effects on growth, gut morphology, enzymes activity and immunological indices. 4. In conclusion, the improvement in growth performance, gut morphology and immunity in birds receiving adenosine demonstrated that pure adenosine could be a beneficial feed additive for the poultry industry, while guanosine showed no significant improvement.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the cumulative effects of purine and pyrimidine nucleosides on performance, gut morphology, digestive enzymes and immune system in broilers from 0 to 21 days of age. A total of 360 day-old male chicks (Cobb 500) were randomly assigned to 4 experimental diets with 6 replications of 15 birds each in a completely randomized design. Experimental diets were 1) control diet based on maize-soybean meal which supplemented with following nucleosides: 2) 0.05% Adenosine + 0.025% Uridine + 0.025% Cytidine (AUC); 3) 0.05% Guanosine + 0.025% Uridine + 0.025% Cytidine (GUC); 4) 0.025% Adenosine + 0.025% Guanosine + 0.025% Uridine + 0.025% Cytidine (AGUC). Body weight and feed intake of birds were measured on days 10 and 21 to calculate the average daily gain, average feed intake and FCR. On days 11 and 21, 2 birds per cage (12 birds/treatment) were selected to collect blood samples and euthanize to obtain jejunal, bursa and spleen samples. Results showed that AUC significantly increased body weight and average daily gain, intestinal villus height and width, activity of brush border enzymes (alkaline phosphatase and aminopeptidase). AUC and AGUC significantly increased high density lipoprotein and uric acid, respectively, while dietary nucleosides did not affect cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in serum samples. AUC significantly improved immune indices such as the relative weight of the Bursa of Fabricius and the concentration of Ig A. In conclusion, the present study clearly demonstrated that combination of adenosine + uridine + cytidine could be useful feed additive for improving economically important traits in broilers.

Summary In this study, we examined the effect of dietary supplementation with grape seed (GS) on the performance, carcass traits, plasma biochemistry, antioxidant status and ileal microflora in broilers. Experiment diets included a control diet (without additive) and three levels of GS powder (10, 20 and 40 g/kg of diet). Each diet was fed to a total of 300 one-day-old Cobb-500 chicks for 42 days. The addition of 20 g/kg of GS to the basal diet increased final body weight and body weight gain, improved the feed conversion ratio and did not affect feed intake. Dietary 20 g GS significantly increased (p