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IntroductionCucumber is an economically important crop, containing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and flavonoids. However, due to loss of weight and firmness, microbial contamination, mechanical damage, and yellowing, the storage duration of cucumber is limited to 3–5 days at room temperature. Therefore, pretreatments are crucial for prolonging its shelf life. Chitosan is a cationic polysaccharide and can interact electrostatically with anionic, partially demethylated pectin. Besides, chitosan has inhibitory effects on fungal rot and prevents weight loss in fruits. Pectin can form excellent films. Because of increasing demand to reduce synthetic chemicals as antimicrobial agents, substances derived from plants, such as essential oils, can play a significant role in the future. Several essential oils and essential oil components have shown antimicrobial activity against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms during fruit and vegetable storage. Essential oils of thyme and cinnamon contained phenolic groups have been found to be most consistently effective against microorganisms, however, essential oils are volatile and irritant. Therefore, forming an inclusion complex using b-cyclodextrin can improve solubility, control volatile, and induce off-flavors and unpleasant odor of the essential oils. The objectives of this study were to develop the microencapsulated thymol (thyme) and trans-cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon) essential oils to produce antimicrobial agents and subsequently evaluate the effectiveness of edible coating made of chitosan and pectin containing microencapsulated trans-cinnamaldehyde or thymol essential oils to improve qualitative and quantitative characteristics and shelf life of cucumber.Materials and MethodsThe inclusion complexes of trans-cinnamaldehyde and thymol in beta-cyclodextrin (CD) were prepared separately by freeze-drying. Each essential oil was dispersed in 1000 ml of beta-cyclodextrin aqueous solution (16 mmol/L, 18.15 g) in molecular ratio 1:1 (2.4 gr thymol, 2.11 gr trans-cinnamaldehyde) and mixed in a laboratory stirrer for 24 hour at room temperature , then frozen (-70 ºc) and freeze-dried (

Introduction Sorghum is a valuable source of starch for human use, being a drought-tolerant cereal grain that contains a large amount of starch (approximately 70%). However, native sorghum starch has limited application in the food industry due to its poor functional properties. Modification of sorghum starch would overcome its shortcomings and tailor it to the targeted application. Among physical methods, non-thermal plasma is a novel method for starch modifications. Plasma is an ionized gas including electrons, atoms, ions, radicals, and quanta of electromagnetic radiation that affects the functional properties of starch. The effect of plasma on starch is influenced by apparatus type, treatment conditions (feed gas, time, and power), and the source of starch. Two main mechanisms of starch modification are known as cross-linking and oxidation together with depolymerization. Although the effect of plasma on many types of starch has been investigated, no research has yet been found on sorghum starch modification by non-thermal plasma. So, this investigation determines the effects of non-thermal plasma on sorghum starch to overcome the deficiency of the native form and to explore wider applications for sorghum starch. Materials and Methods Sorghum starch was extracted by alkaline steeping and purified using toluene-salt-water treatment. Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma was performed to modify sorghum starch. The applied DBD plasma setup consisted of two flat rectangular aluminum electrodes with the dimension of 6.5×45 cm and 7×18 cm and an electrode distance of 3 and 6 mm for air and argon plasma, respectively. Each of the electrodes was covered with a mica sheet as a dielectric barrier. DBD reactor was supplied with alternating current (AC). The frequency was adjusted to 375 Hz. Starch samples were treated for 1, 10, and 20 min at 23 kV at atmospheric pressure. The amylose content of sorghum starch was determined by iodine binding colorimetry. Evaluation of other chemical parameters including protein, lipid, ash, and moisture was carried out according to AAC methods. The clarity was determined using a spectrophotometer at 650 nm. The swelling and solubility of 1.5% sorghum starch suspension (at 55, 65, 75, and 85 °C) were measured using the centrifuge method. The centrifuge-filtration method was performed to evaluate freeze-thaw stability of sorghum starches up to 4 cycles. Results and Discussion Chemical parameters showed that the extracted sorghum starch was purified. The amount of protein, lipid, ash, and amylose was 0.39, 0.15, 0.59, and 29.23%, respectively. Plasma caused significant altering in sorghum starch properties. Compared to the argon plasma, the air plasma was more effective at increasing the clarity, solubility, and freeze-thaw stability. Increasing the time of treatment also improved the above-mentioned functional properties. The clarity of native starch (14.02%) was increased to 56.10% for the sample treated with air plasma for 20 min, probably due to intense oxidation and depolymerization of starch molecules. While the lowest clarity (13.07%) belonged to the 1-min argon plasma treated sample, this value was improved with increasing time of treatment. Probably cross-linked bonds were predominantly formed during the first minute of argon plasma treatment, resulting in a reduction of paste clarity, while a competitive depolymerization and oxidation reaction could be a reason for the increase of paste clarity. Solubility was increased for all treatments (except for argon-1 min). The highest solubility in each of the temperatures was found for 20 min air plasma treated sample. Depolymerization of starch molecules under plasma treatment produces low molecular weight fragments which leach out easily and increase solubility. The swelling power of 20 min air plasma treated starch was lower than that of native starch, probably due to the structural disintegration. Other samples had higher swelling power. The lower freeze-thaw stability of 1 and 10 min argon plasma treated samples may be due to cross-linking which increase retrogradation. The 20 min air-plasma treated sample had higher stability than other samples in 3 and 4th cycles of freeze-thawing. The freeze-thawing stability of other samples was similar to that of the native starch. Conclusion Non-thermal plasma treatment improved the functional properties of sorghum starch. The best results were detected for the sample treated with air plasma for 20 min. Cross-linking may be the main reaction in the first minute of argon-plasma treatment. However, this mechanism was suppressed in a longer treatment time. It may also be stated that the effect of oxidation along with depolymerization was predominant in air-plasma treatment.

Abstract The lack of cost-effective methods for producing antimicrobial peptides has made it impossible to use their high potential as a new and powerful class of antimicrobial agents. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted to decrease the cost of recombinant proteins production through microorganisms, transgenic animals, and plants. Well-known genetic and physiological characteristics, short-term proliferation, and ease of manipulation make E. coli expression system a valuable host for recombinant proteins production. Expression in periplasmic space is recommended to reduce the inherently destructive behavior of antimicrobial peptides against the expressing microorganism and to decline susceptibility to proteolytic degradation. In this study, a pET-based expression system was used to express buforin I at E. coli periplasmic space, and its antimicrobial, hemolytic, and cell toxicity activities as well as structural stability were evaluated. The hemolysis activity and cytotoxicity of His-tagged buforin I were negligible and its antimicrobial activity did not show a significant difference compared to synthetic buforin I. In addition, in silico investigating of stability of native and His-tagged buforin I showed that RMSF, RMSD and Rg curves had followed a similar trend during 150 ns simulation. Furthermore, evaluating the modelled structures, FTIR and X-ray methods of both peptides indicated an insignificant structural difference. It was concluded that the recombinant buforin I could be a viable alternative to some currently used antibiotics by successfully expressing it in the pET-based expression system.

[1]Introduction: Bread has a major role in the diet of people in Iran. One of the important factors affecting the quality of bread is the quality of wheat flour protein called gluten. Gluten is the principal structure forming elements of most baked products, contributing to the elasticity, cohesiveness and viscosity characteristics of the dough. Thus, gluten substantially control the quality of wheat flour based products. Due to the importance of the role of gluten and the requirement for improving the flour quality, providing a simple, economical, and efficient method to improve the technical quality of wheat and bread is also an important and controversial challenge. Oxidizing agents are generally added to the wheat flour to accelerate the natural maturing and the flour becomes paler and yields dough with improved baking properties. However, increasing concern about their adverse effects has highlighted the need for the development of alternative oxidants. Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is an emerging advanced oxidation process which has recently drawn considerable interest from food scientists. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of non-thermal plasma treatments on the properties of wheat flour. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, medium wheat flour was prepared from local silages and treated with ACP at 25V for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 min. Chemical composition of flour samples (moisture content, protein and ash) were determined using standard methods (AACC, 2002). Color properties, damaged starch water soluble index, wet gluten, gluten index, zeleny and falling number values, water and oil absorption capacities, swelling power and solubility of wheat flour samples were also measured. Results and Discussion: The results obtained from the measurement of properties for the treated and untreated flour showed that the water and oil absorptions, swelling power, and solubility, wet gluten, gluten index, Zeleny number and whiteness increased significantly with increasing time, while the pH, moisture content, b * and a * indices, were decreased by plasma treatment. In addition, the results showed that ACP conditions have a significant effect on functional properties that can be created floursand products with various characteristics. The results showed that plasma treatment affected the gluten index and wet gluten and techno functional properties of wheat flour. Overall, this study demonstrated that non-thermal plasma is a quick, efficient way to improve the technological properties of wheat flour, as an alternative to chemical oxidants

Frequent and unlimited use of antibiotics caused the development of antibiotic resistance by microorganisms. Therefore, there is an argent need to discover novel antibacterial agents or a combination of agents as a safe treatment strategy for various infections. In the present study the synergistic effects of cLFchimera, an antimicrobial peptides, and Vancomycin antibiotic were evaluated using checkerboard method against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria strain. cLFchimera had antimicrobial activity against MRSA and Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (MIC: 256 and 512 µg/mL, respectively). A synergistic effect was observed in the combination of cLFchimera with Vancomycin (FIC: 0.375). The results showed that at FIC concentrations, release cytoplasmic materials from bacterial cells and the number of surviving cells were significantly (P≤0.05) higher and lower, respectively, than when peptides or antibiotic were used alone. SEM electron microscopic analysis at FIC concentration showed severe membrane damage of bacterial cells. In conclusion, the use of cLFchimera and Vancomycin at FIC concentration reduces the consumption of both substances.

In this study, the effects of pomegranate peel extract concentration (2.5–10%), drying temperature (160–190 °C), and feed flow rate (0.6–1 mL/s) on the properties of pomegranate juice powder enriched with pomegranate peel phenolic compounds and produced by spray drying were investigated. The moisture content, water activity (aw), solubility, water absorption capacity (WAC), hygroscopicity, dissolution time, total phenolic content (TPC), Carr index (CI), Hausner ratio (HR), and brightness (L*) of the samples were evaluated, and the optimal powder production conditions were obtained using response surface methodology (RSM). The results showed that the optimal conditions were found to be the phenolic extract concentration of 10%, the drying temperature of 189.9 °C, and the feed flow rate of 0.63 mL/s, considering the minimization of the moisture content, aw, hygroscopicity, dissolution time, CI, HR, and L*, as well as the maximization of solubility, WAC, and TPC. The effect of the phenolic extract concentration was very significant (p < 0.01) on the WAC, hygroscopicity, dissolution time, TPC, CI, HR, and L* of the powder. Moreover, the effect of the drying temperature was very significant (p < 0.01) on the aw, hygroscopicity, dissolution time, CI, and HR of the powder and significant (p < 0.05) on its moisture content. The effect of the feed flow rate was very significant (p < 0.01) on the solubility, hygroscopicity, and dissolution time of the powder and significant (p < 0.05) on its moisture content. Therefore, we found that the spray drying conditions, such as high temperature, did not negatively affect the content of phenolic compounds in pomegranate powder, and the physical properties of the resulting powder were acceptable. Thus, pomegranate powder enriched with phenolic compounds can be used as a food additive or as a dietary supplement for medicinal use.

The customer demand for healthier, fortified, and vegan products has recently received much attention. In this study, the vitamin C content, total phenolic compounds, total flavonoid, and anthocyanin, as well as the antioxidant activity of Jaban watermelon exocarp (JWE) powder were first investigated. Then, the gummy candies (GCs) were prepared with different concentrations of JWE powder (20, 35, and 50%), citric acid (0.75 and 1%), and agar gum (0.5 and 1%), and their physicochemical and sensory properties were evaluated. The results showed that the moisture content and water activity of GCs decreased, while the pH value increased with the increasing concentration of JWE powder. Moreover, the GCs became brighter and more yellowish. The rheological and textural analysis indicated that the viscosity and hardness of GCs improved in higher JWE powder levels (0.457 to 1.550 Pa·s and 1667 to 7232 g, respectively). Furthermore, the highest panelists’ score was given to the GC 5 sample with 35% JWE powder, 0.75% acetic acid, and 0.5% agar gum.

Monascus purpureus can produce a wide range of natural pigments so attract the attention of food producers as substitute of synthetic colors. Monascus pigments usually accompanied with citrinin contamination which limits their wide application in foods. The usage of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is known as a useful biological way for citrinin elimination. In this study, the effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells in twomodes of treatment (heat treatment at 121 °C and acid treatment in 2M HCL) and live at three different concentrations (103, 104, 105 CFU/mL) were investigated on the amount of citrinin and yellow, orange and red pigments produced by Monascus purpureus. The results showed that live yeast cell and yeast cells treated by heat and acid significantly decreased the citrinin in culture, so that citrinin content decreased from 4.43 mg/L in control sample to 0.9, 0.10 and 0.07 mg/L (at 105 CFU/mL yeast suspension) respectively. The maximum amount of yellow, orange and red extracellular and intracellular measured pigments belong to the samples with live yeast, while the amount of this pigments in the samples containing yeast treated with heat and acid reduced respectively. Among the treatments, the use of live yeast at concentration of 104 CFU/mL per milliliter provided the best conditions to achieve the desired goal.

The ever-increasing need of the human beings to energy has brought about concerns regarding the decrease in the amount of energy resources. So, renewable energies have become very important and have obtained a special status in today's world. Using bioethanol as a renewable resource to be blended with other fuels in internal combustion engines has attracted many researchers to itself. Thus, in this study, we assess the amount of bioethanol extracted from cantaloupe waste (Magassi Neishabouri Cultivar) to be used as a fuel. To do so, considering the 15 kg capacity of the device's fermenter, 12 kg of refined cantaloupe sugar syrup and three kilograms of water (with the standard ratio of 4 to 1), i.e. a total of 15 kg of substrate with the brix degree of 20, as well as 75 g of saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, cultured in standard conditions (5 g of yeast for each kilogram of substrate) were transferred into the fermenter. The tests were conducted in 35 h with three replications and at three different rotation speeds of the fermenter's mixer. Sampling took place every five hours. Fermentation temperature was set as 30 °C and distillation temperature was set to be 78.5 °C which is the standard temperature of bioethanol's boiling point. The results showed that about 49.5 g of bioethanol were extracted from each kilogram of cantaloupe syrup. In comparison to the results obtained by other researchers, it became clear that due to its high sugar level, cantaloupe waste is one of the appropriate options for the production of bioethanol. In addition, considering the rate of the alcohol produced and in order to optimize energy consumption, it was seen that the best speed for the fermenter's mixer, was 120 rpm. Keywords: Bioethanol, Renewable energy, Cantaloupe waste

In the present study, kashk samples were collected from two regions of Iran, the Fars (Abadeh) and Razavi Khorasan (Kalat) provinces. Fifteen bacteria were isolated and physiological and biochemical assays were performed. After identification to the genus level, eight isolates were identified as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and subjected to molecular identification and probiotic properties assays. The results revealed that the isolates were Enterococcus faecium KKP 3772 (KF1), Enterococcus faecium C1 (KF2), Pediococcus pentosaceus H11 (KF3), Pediococcus pentosaceus VNK-1 (KK4), Lactococcus lactis RSg (KK1), Enterococcus faecalis P190052 (KK2), Enterococcus mundtii CECT972T (KK3), and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum PM411 (KK5). Only the numbers of L. lactis RSg (KK1) and Lpb. Plantarum PM411 (KK5) decreased to below 9 Log CFU/mL after acidic conditions (pH = 3) and showed weak antibacterial activity. Enterococcus mundtii CECT972T (KK3) and E. faecium C1(KF2) were highly susceptible to bile salts, while P. pentosaceus VNK-1 (KK4) and P. pentosaceus H11 (KF3) showed the highest resistance. All of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline and sensitive to chloramphenicol and gentamicin. The antimicrobial activity of P. pentosaceus VNK-1 (KK4) and P. pentosaceus H11 (KF3) was higher than other isolates and consequently, their inhibition zones were larger. The adhesion capabilities of LAB isolates to intestinal epithelial cells were evaluated by examining the auto-aggregation factor and cell surface hydrophobicity. The highest and lowest cell surface hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation were obtained from P. pentosaceus VNK-1 (KK4) and E. mundtii CECT972T (KK3), respectively. In general, P. pentosaceus VNK-1 (KK4) and P. pentosaceus H11 (KF3) have shown better probiotic properties as compared to other isolates.

Starch is widely used in food and non-food industries because of its unique characteristics. However, native starch shows some weaknesses that restrict its applications. Recently, some studies have demonstrated the benefits of using protein to overcome these limitations. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of mung bean protein isolate (MBPI) (2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) on the physicochemical, pasting, and thermal properties of native corn starch (NCS), as a novel starch–protein composite. Higher swelling power (SP), water absorbance capacity (WAC), and solubility values of NCS were observed with increasing MBPI concentration. Additionally, by the addition of MBPI, the rapid visco analyzer (RVA) showed a reduction in pasting temperature (77.98 to 76.53 °C), final viscosity (5762 to 4875 cP), and setback (3063 to 2400 cP), while the peak viscosity (4691 to 5648 cP) and breakdown (1992 to 3173 cP) increased. The thermal properties of NCS/MBPI gels investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed higher onset, peak, and conclusion temperatures (69.69 to 72.21 °C, 73.45 to 76.72 °C, and 77.75 to 82.26 °C, respectively), but lower gelatinization enthalpy (10.85 to 8.79 J/g) by increasing MBPI concentration. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) indicated that the addition of MBPI decreased the amount of hydrogen bonds within starch. Furthermore, after three cycles of freeze-thaw shocks, the syneresis of NCS-MBPI composites decreased from 38.18 to 22.01%. These results indicated that the MBPI could improve the physicochemical properties of NCS, especially its syneresis and retrogradation characteristics.

It is critical to understand the starch–protein interactions in food systems to obtain products with desired functional properties. This study aimed to investigate the influence of mung bean protein isolate (MBPI) on the rheological, textural, and structural properties of native corn starch (NCS) and their possible interactions during gelatinization. The dynamic rheological measurements showed a decrease in the storage modulus (G’) and loss modulus (G”) and an increase in the loss factor (tan δ), by adding MBPI to NCS gels. In addition, the textural properties represented a reduction in firmness after the addition of MBPI. The Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the freeze-dried NCS/MBPI gels confirmed that the NCS gel became softer by incorporating the MBPI. Moreover, X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed a peak at 17.4°, and the relative crystallinity decreased with increasing MBPI concentrations. The turbidity determination after 120 h refrigerated storage showed that the addition of MBPI could reduce the retrogradation of NCS gels by interacting with leached amylose. Additionally, the syneresis of NCS/MBPI gels decreased at 14 days of refrigerated storage from 60.53 to 47.87%.

Lactoferrin is one of the most important bioactive compounds that can increase the activity of the immune system and osteogenicity. However, it is sensitive to environmental stresses. Hence, the production of functional beverage including encapsulated lactoferrin by noncomplex of WPI/HMP was investigated in the current work. Nanocomplex was prepared by a complexation of whey protein isolate (WPI)-high methoxyl pectin (HMP) at total biopolymer concentration of 0.4% (w/w) at pH values of 3, 3.5 and 4 through post and pre-blending acidification procedures. In order to encapsulate lactoferrin, it was inserted to the WPI/HMP complex in which formed by the ratio 2:1 and pre-acidification (Pr-A).The results of Zeta-potential and particle sizes showed that by increasing HMP, the negative sites of the complex increased as well as the size of nano-particles. The effect of entrapped lactoferrin in WPI/HMP nano-particles on osteoblastic proliferation by MTT assay showed WPI/HMP+LF50 μg/mL a growth equal to the rate of positive control. For example the pure lactoferrin concentration of 50 μg/mL progressed 16% growth compared to the positive control. Therefore, it can be concluded that almost all lactoferrin in WPI/HMP+LF50 μg/mL combined or complexed and the cell access failed. The lactoferrin entrapped by WPI/HMP+LF100 μg/mL had a 113% growth and statistically occured at level of pure lactoferrin 50 μg/mL.

In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize extrusion conditions, including semi-defatted Bene cake (PDBC) content(10-30%), moisture content (12-18%), temperature (120-180 °C), and screw speed (120-220 rpm). The effects of the independent variables were investigated on some physical and functional properties including bulk density(BD), expansion rate, hardness, water absorption index (WAI),water solubility index (WSI), oil absorption index (OAI). Our result revealed that the addition of PDBC improved the functional and physical properties of extruded Bene snack (EBS).BD was remarkably increased by increasing PDBC. The addition of PDBC to cornmeal increased the fiber content contrary to the starch content. It also brought about a reduction in the average size of the cells and creation of holes on the cell wall. Hardness was also increased by adding PDBC. WAI of EBS was remarkably decreased by adding PDBC. WSI of EBS increased as PDBC increased. OAI of EBS increased by increasing PDBC and extrusion temperature. Among the independent variables, bene content had the largest effect on all of the responses. 21.14% PDBC, 17.45% moisture content, 160 rpm screw speed and 133.2 °C were found to be the optimal conditions for PDBC production.

Ohmic-assisted hydrodistillation (OAHD) is an advanced hydrodistillation (HD) technique utilizing ohmic heating process and could be considered as a novel method for the extraction of essential oils. Long extraction time is one of the major problems with traditional methods. OAHD of essential oils from the aerial parts of peppermint was studied and the results were compared with those of the conventional HD. The results showed that OAHD method had the extraction time of 19.71 min while this value was about 55.88 for HD. Scanning electron micrographs of mint leaves showed a sudden eruption of essential oil glands for OAHD samples. GC- MS analysis did not indicate any noticeable changes in the compounds of the essential oils obtained by OAHD in comparison with HD. The results introduced OAHD as a green technology.

Background and Objectives: With the advent of increasing resistance of microorganisms to synthetic antibiotics, researches has been carried out to replace chemical drug by traditional medicinal plants. This study has been conducted with the purpose of determining the inhibitory effect of aqueous and ethanolic extracts ofCordiamyxa on a number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Antimicrobial activity of extract was determined by four methods: pour plate, disk agar diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Analysis and mean comparison were performed using Duncan’s test and one-way analysis of variance at a confidence level of α=95% (p

Background and Objectives:Increased antibiotic resistance as a result of using antimicrobial drugs and also their various adverse effects has caused that in recent years, investigation of medicinal plants beconsidered for discovering new medicinal resources against bacterial infections. This study was performed with the objective of determining the antimicrobial activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the leaves of Kleussiaodoratissimaagainst Enterococcus faecalis (PTTC 1609) and Salmonella typhi (PTTC 1349). Methods:In this experimental study, the antibacterial activity of the extracts was investigated by spreading of the extract on medium surface and disk agar diffusion method. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC( and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were also determined using tube dilution method. Analysis of the results was carried out by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: In agar disk diffusion method, all concentrations of ethanolic extract had inhibitory effect against Enterococcus faecalis. MIC of aqueous and ethanolic extracts for Enterococcus faecalis was 16 and 32mg/ml and for Salmonella typhiwas 64 and 32mg/ml, respectively.MBC of aqueous and ethanolic extracts for Enterococcus faecalis was 64 and 32mg/ml and for Salmonella typhi was 128 and 64mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion:The results showed that the ethanolic extract of Kelussiaodoratissima leave had higher inhibitory effects on the studied strains, compared to aqueous extracts in vitro.

Background: Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. belongs to Acantaceae family. Due to biological active compounds and traditional use of it’s leaves to treat rheumatic disease and wounds, seems that this plant has significant anti-microbial effects. The aim of this study was to determine antimicrobial effect of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Avicennia marina (different concentrations) on Staphylococcus epidermidis PTCC 1435, Streptococcus pyogenes PTCC 1447 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PTCC 1310” in vitro”. Material &Methods: In this study, antimicrobial effect of the extracts was evaluated by two methods, “Collins method” (spreading of the extract on medium surface) and “disk agar diffusion method”. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) for both species determined using a dilution method. Statistical analysis was carried out by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The results showed that in "disk agar diffusion test ", ethanolic extract had inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus pyogenes. The results showed that in, “Collins method” aqueous extract did not show any inhibitory effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The result showed that MIC of Avicenna marina leaves of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts for Pseudomonas aeruginosa were 32 and 16 mg/ml, respectively. The MBC aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Avicenna marina leaves for Pseudomonas aeruginosa were, 64 and 32 mg/ml respectively. Conclusions: Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant to most of the aqueous and ethanolic Avicenna marina extracts. The ethanolic extract of Avicenna marina leaves “in vitro” have a significant antimicrobial effect on gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus pyogenes.

Response Surface Method was used to determine the optimum operating conditions that yield maximum total phenol, total anthocyanin, particle size and minimum moisture content, water activity and L* value in spray drying of Pomegranate. Air inlet temperature (120-170 °C), feed rate (0.3-1.1 mL/s) and Pomegranate juice concentrate/maltodextrin ratio (0.6-0.8) were factors whose effects on dependent variables were evaluated during the spray-drying process. The second order polynomial models for all the response variables were found to be statistically significant. In the optimum conditions that are obtained, feed rate and Pomegranate juice concentrate/ maltodextrin ratio were 170 °C, 0.55 and 0.6, respectively. This study revealed that by applying these conditions, pomegranate juice powder with 4.3687% moisture content, 8. 4655 L* value, 85.0287 total phenol, 607.836 total anthocyanin and 41.7944 (µm) particle size were produced.

Background and Aim: The health benefits of lactic acid bacteria in human, especially their anti-pathogenic properties has been the focus of recent interests. The objective of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from traditional Kurdish cheese against a few bacterial pathogens. Materials and Methods: The cell free culture supernatant of LAB isolated from Kurdish cheese which was treated with heat and NaOH were tested for their antibacterial activity by Agar Disk Diffusion method. Moreover, Minimum Inhibition Concentration and Co-aggregation of LAB against pathogens were determined. Each test was repeated for three times. Results: The LAB isolates, in comparison with commercial lactic acid bacteria, showed suitable antibacterial activity. Heating the bacterial supernatant eliminated its anti-bacterial property; however, alkali treatment did not have any effect. The Minimum Inhibition Concentration did not show significant differences between native and commercial lactic acid bacteria; however, the native LAB showed suitable co-aggregation with pathogens. Conclusion: Traditional lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites can inhibit growth of pathogens. This shows the positive role of LAB in human health which necessitates their increase usage as natural antimicrobial agent.

Background: During the last two decades, significant advances have been made in the fields of lactococcal genetics and protein expression. Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis) is an effective vector for protein expression and can be used as an antigen delivery system. Hence, L. lactis is an ideal candidate for mucosal immunotherapy. Profilin (Che a 2), the major allergen in Chenopodium album, is one of the most important causes of allergic diseases in desert and semi-desert areas, especially in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait that was cloned and expressed in L. lactis for the first time. Methods: To construct L. lactis that expressed Che a 2, a DNA sequence was cloned and used to transform bacteria. Expression of Che a 2 was analyzed via monitoring of related RNA and protein. Hydrophobicity, adherence to HT-29 cells, antibiotic resistance, resistance to gastrointestinal contents, pH, and bile salt in recombinant and native L. lactis were evaluated. Results: Immunoblot analyses demonstrated that recombinant Che a 2 is expressed as a 32 kDa dimeric protein immunological studies showed it can bind human IgE. Both native and recombinant bacteria were sensitive to low pH and simulated gastric conditions. Bacterial survival was reduced 80-100% after 2 h of exposure to pH 1.5-2. Both native and recombinant bacteria were able to grow in 0.3 and 2% bile salts. After incubation of recombinant L. lactis in simulated gastric and intestinal juices for one and two hours, respectively, cell survival was reduced by 100%. Adhesion capability in both strains was minimal and there were no significant differences in any of our tests between native and recombinant bacteria. Conclusion: Successfully recombinant L. lactis with capability of expression Che a 2 was produced and revealed it is sensitive to gastrointestinal contents.

Background: Tree nut allergy is characterized by a high frequency of life-threatening reactions and is typically lifelong persistent. Some people with a pistachio nut allergy, which is common in the pistachio rich area of Iran, develop a hypersensitivity to other tree nuts as well. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of pistachio nut allergy in Iran, the major pistachio cultivation region in the world. The study also addressed the presence of allergenic cross-reactivity between pistachio and other nuts, including almond, peanut, and cashew in pistachio allergic patients. Methods: A survey was conducted to determine whether the prevalence of pistachio allergy is affected by exposure to this nut in pistachio cultivation regions, as well as possible cross-reactivity between pistachio and other nuts including cashew, almond, and peanut. Inhibition Western blot and inhibition ELISA studies were conducted to assess the presence of allergenic cross-reactivity between pistachio and the other tree nuts. Results: Our results revealed that the prevalence of pistachio allergy is twice as much in pistachio cultivation regions than other areas. Western blotting and inhibition ELISA presented high percentages of inhibition with pistachio and cashew, followed by almond and, to some degree, peanut which indicates different levels of aller- genic cross-reactivity. Conclusions: The results indicate that exposure of people to pistachio significantly affects the prevalence of its allergic reactions. In addition, it was observed that, among pistachio allergic subjects, such exposure may affect the co-sensitivities with other nuts, including cashew and almond. The plant taxonomic classification of pistachio and other tree nuts does appear to predict allergenic cross-reactivity.

ABSTRACT: Background: Tree nut allergy is one of the common potentially life-threatening food allergies in children and adults. Recombinant food allergens offer new perspectives to solve problems of clinical and molecular allergology in diagnosis, research, and therapy of food allergies. So far, superoxide dismutase (s) has been identified as a panallergen and studied in different allergenic sources. Manganese Superoxide Dismutase (MnSOD) has also been reported in pistachio that may cause allergic reactions in atopic subjects. The aim of this study was to describe the cloning, expression, and purification of MnSOD from pistachio nut. Methods: The pistachio MnSOD was cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) using a vector pET-32b (+). A recombinant protein was purified by metal precipitation. The protein immunoreactivity was evaluated using patients' IgE binding by means of ELISA and immunoblotting assays. Results: The MnSOD gene from pistachio was successfully cloned and expressed in E. coli. The purified pistachio MnSOD was recognized by IgE in 10 (40%) out of the 25 sera tested. Our results also showed that this protein might trigger some cross-reactions toward IgE antibodies and thus could be considered as a panallergen. Conclusions: For the first time recombinant manganese superoxide dismutase from nut source was expressed as a possible allergen. This pistachio allergen could be a possible basis for cross-reactivity with MnSOD from other sources. KEY WORDS: cloning, cross-reaction, Manganese Superoxide Dismutase (MnSOD), pistachio (Pistacia vera), recombinant allergen

The effect of pretreatment osmotic-ultrasonic dehydration on the drying kinetic, rehydration kinetic, texture, shrinkage and color change of quince slices was investigated. Quince slices were osmotic-ultrasonic processed at 27.25 min for ultrasonic time, 120 min for osmotic dehydration and 50.52 % for sucrose concentration. The un-treated and pre-treated samples were then dehydrated at80°C. The effective diffusivity calculated by applying the Fick’s diffusion model. The pretreatment caused a decrease in Deff. Application of osmotic-ultrasonic dehydration reduced the sample hardness, color changes and shrinkage while it had increased the sample springiness, and chewiness.