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Resource-intensive processes currently hamper the discovery of bioactive peptides (BAPs) from food by-products. To streamline this process, in silico approaches present a promising alternative. This study presents a novel computational workflow to predict peptide release, bioactivity, and bioavailability, significantly accelerating BAP discovery. The computational flowchart has been designed to identify and optimize critical enzymes involved in protein hydrolysis but also incorporates multi-enzyme screening. This feature is crucial for identifying the most effective enzyme combinations that yield the highest abundance of BAPs across different bioactive classes (anticancer, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial). Our process can be modulated to extract diverse BAP types efficiently from the same source. Here, we show the potentiality of our method for the identification of diverse types of BAPs from by-products generated from Solanum lycopersicum, the widely cultivated tomato plant, whose industrial processing generates a huge amount of waste, especially tomato peel. In particular, we optimized tomato by-products for bioactive peptide production by selecting cultivars like Line27859 and integrating large-scale gene expression. By integrating these advanced methods, we can maximize the value of by-products, contributing to a more circular and eco-friendly production process while advancing the development of valuable bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biogas production from biomasses for energy production, must be considered as last step in the ideal biorefinery supply chain, since the extraction of valuable subproducts has greater importance and must be performed earlier than the final preparation of bio-digestates. This study aims to prove the technical feasibility of carrying out both these processes, or the initial extraction of valuable subproducts and the following production of biogas. Moreover, it aims to quantify the benefits introduced, in terms of biogas production, related to the addition of pomace to the digestate inoculation. For the scope, biogas was produced, in lab-scale apparatuses, starting from different digestate samples; among them, one was enriched with untreated pomace and another with the treated one, consisting of the residual of pomace used for sub-products extraction. Based on the measured quantity of biogas achieved, the energy produced was quantified; conversely, the energy consumed was evaluated according to the plant efficiencies declared in literature. The daily energy production and consumption were compared to define the optimal production period and, according to it, the quantity of energy lost, referred to the unextracted biogas from digestates, was quantified and the efficiency was re-defined. The benefits related to the addition of pomace and, in particular, treated pomace, were defined as a function of the overall energy production, the percentage of energy lost (or produced outside from the optimal production period) and the re-defined process efficiency. Finally, the energy obtainable per unit of dry matter and volatile solids was calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the food industry, one of the biggest challenges is microbial contamination. Viability real-time PCR (v-qPCR) technology has made the detection and quantification of pathogens easier, and some issues remain with the accuracy of the results, especially in samples containing viable and non-viable cells. V-qPCR with propidium monoazide (PMA) and pre-treatment with permeability agents is one promising method to circumvent this issue. Therefore, the aim of the study was to improve the Salmonella spp. detection using a method with lactic acid (LA 5-10 mM) pre-treatment that permeabilized Gram-negative outer membrane. The signal reduction (dCt = 13.97) after 10 mM LA pre-treatment was similar with the reduction in Ct signal (dCt = 13.62) when only PMA treatment was applied to a suspension of nonviable cells. In the case of viable cells, the LA pre-treatment improved the v-qPCR detection. These preliminary studies provide useful information on the use of lactic acid, which has proven to be an effective, cheap and low-toxic permeabilizing agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long shelf life and ease of use make dry pet food a popular choice among pet owners, inasmuch as it represents the majority of pet food on the market today. Two kinds of raw materials are commonly employed for the production of dry pet food, namely fresh meats (FMs) and particularly meat meals (MMs). These raw materials, before coming onto the market as dry pet food, undergo production processes, transportation, and, when it comes to MMs, industrial transformations, which may result in unwanted modifications of such ingredients, especially as far as their protein content is concerned. The goal of this study is to analyze the protein content of the raw materials regularly used in the production of dry pet food. Different formulations of white, red, and fish FMs and MMs have been prepared and analyzed. The protein concentration of both FM and MM mixes was assessed by the Bradford assay, with the aim being to evaluate the soluble protein content, which represent also a convenient digestibility index. Subsequently, the quality of proteins was evaluated through the characterization of the electrophoretic profile assessed by SDS-PAGE followed by staining with Coomassie Blue dye. The results proved that the formulations made of FMs, compared to the ones based on MMs, have a higher soluble protein content and a better-defined protein profile, thus making the former the best choice as raw materials for dry pet food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of biomasses derived from agriculture and food industry presents the double advantage of both eliminating often polluting wastes and giving the possibility of introducing novel bio-derived products into the market. The recovery of the protein component and its transformation into protein hydrolysates is generally carried out chemically or enzymatically and brings great added value to waste biomasses. The recovery of the protein component from waste products is extremely advantageous inasmuch as bio-based products can be reintroduced into the market by virtue of their high added value in full compliance with the perspective of the Circular Economy. The products obtained can be used as food supplements both in human and animal nutrition, as growth stimulants in agriculture, or as biofertilizers. The peculiar characteristics of the obtained protein hydrolysates allow their multiple applications in many industrial fields. Therefore, the aim of this work is to assess the protein and amino acid (AA) profiles of agri-food biomass, i.e. soy wastes, previously subjected to an enzymatic hydrolysis process. The protein profile of the initial biomass and the corresponding hydrolysate was analyzed by SDS-PAGE followed by Coomassie Blue staining, while the AA profile was evaluated by quadrupole time-of-flight liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (Q-TOF LC/MS). The results indicate how the enzymatic hydrolysis process breaks down the peptide bonds of the protein component in the biomass, leading to the formation of hydrolysates rich in small peptides and free AAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fresh meats and meat meals are important components for the production of dry pet food. Both of these raw materials are by-products of meat processing generated during the production of food for human consumption. Being by-products, they can be more subject to contamination and proliferation of microorganisms which degrade the organic component and lead to the development of degradation products such as biogenic amines. Biogenic amines are nitrogen compounds produced by microbial decarboxylation of amino acids, thus being very present in foods rich in certain amino acids. The ingestion of foods containing a large amount of biogenic amines can cause intoxication and harmful consequences for the body. The increase in the presence of biogenic amines in food can be attributed to direct contamination by microorganisms or to inappropriate storage conditions of the food. In fact, to prevent the formation of biogenic amines, it is needed to respect the proper times and methods for the conservation of the raw materials used. This study analyses the possible presence of biogenic amines in the raw materials used for dry pet food production through the use of mass spectrometry, capable of identifying molecules present in small quantities. The results show how meat meals have higher concentration of biogenic amines compared to fresh meats, suggesting that the proliferation of microorganisms and the consequent formation of these nitrogen compounds in meat meals is probably due to the low quality of the raw materials used and to their inadequate storage conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a balanced diet for companion animals, the lipid component represents an important nutrient and source of energy, moreover it increases the palatability of the food. Dogs and cats are unable to synthesize essential fatty acids (EFAs) needed for their metabolism, therefore, they must be taken with the diet. The majority of dry pet food nowadays on the market are produced starting from fresh meats and meat meals which have a different lipid composition. This study was conducted to analyse the lipid component of the raw materials used for the production of dry pet food, paying particular attention to the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), the ω-3 and ω-6, whose presence is fundamental for pet health. The crude fats of both fresh meats and meat meals were analysed by a gravimetric method while the lipid profile was determined by LC/MS-QTOF (Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry-Quadrupole Time Of Flight) in order to evaluate the lipid component, in terms of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids of the different raw materials used for dry pet food production. The results demonstrated that fresh meats have a better lipid profile, having a higher concentration of PUFAs compared to meat meals, thus making fresh meats the best choice as raw materials for dry pet food production from the lipid point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of biomasses originating from agriculture and food processing offers the double benefit of removing polluting waste and introducing new bio-derived products into the market. Protein Hydrolysates (PHs), used as sources of bioactive peptides and amino acids play a fundamental role among biotechnological products deriving from waste biomasses. PHs are bio-based chemicals with high added value that can be produced through different types of hydrolysis: chemical, microbiological, enzymatic or mixed. Depending on the biomass used and the hydrolysis procedure chosen, products endowed with different features, such as high biostimulating, hormonal, fertilizing and nutritive capacities, can be obtained. The production of PHs from vegetable biomasses prove pivotal, as they offer absolute health guarantees and can be marketed in areas that do not abide products derived from animal waste, which currently are often found in the market. Here, the various possible applications of PHs will be discussed, along with the different processes for their production starting from agro-food waste biomasses, paying particular attention to the advantages of enzymatic hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pet food market is constantly expanding, and more and more attention is paid to the feeding of pets. Dry foods stand out and are often preferred due to their long shelf life, ease of administration, and low cost. In this context, dry foods are formulated from fresh meats, meat meals, or a mix of the two. These raw materials are often meat not fit for human consumption; they might be subject to contamination and proliferation of microorganisms which, by degrading the organic component, can lead to the formation of undesirable by-products such as biogenic amines. These nitrogenous compounds obtained by decarboxylation of amino acids can therefore be found in high-protein foods, and their ingestion in large quantities can cause intoxication and be harmful. This study aims at analyzing the possible presence of biogenic amines in three different formulations of chicken-based kibbles for pets: one obtained from fresh meat, one from meat meal, and one from a mix of the two. This study is also focused on the presence of free amino acids as they represent the key substrate for decarboxylating enzymes. Mass spectrometry (Q-TOF LC/MS) was used to analyze the presence of biogenic amines and free amino acids. The results show that fresh-meat-based products have a lower content of biogenic amines, and at the same time a higher quantity of free amino acids; on the contrary, meat-meal- and mix-based products have a greater quantity of biogenic amines and a lower concentration of free amino acids, suggesting that there has been a higher microbial proliferation as proved by the total aerobic mesophilic bacteria counts. It is therefore clear that fresh-meat-based kibbles are to be preferred when they are used for preparing dry pet food due to the lowest concentration of biogenic amines.