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The fabrication possibility of nanocomposite film from sweet cherry tree exudate gum (SCG) was studied. To improve SCG film properties, oxidation with hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet irradiation (UV-A and UV-C), and TiO 2 nanoparticles (T-NPs) were used. Hydrogen peroxide oxidation at higher amounts decreased the water vapor permeability (WVP) and thickness and increased the mechanical properties and transparency. In comparison with the UV-A, UV irradiation of the C-type increased permeability, and elongation at break (EAB) and thickness, but reduced the tensile strength (TS), solubility, and transparency. The permeability and tensile strength were increased and elongation at break was decreased at a longer time of irradiation. The transparency values of fabricated films ranged from 65.3 to 79.5 % and WVP were in the range of 2.32-4.72 (×10 -10  g/m.s.Pa). The measured TS of the SCG films were between 2.2 and 5 MPa and the EAB of the SCG films was between 35 and 68.7 %. The FTIR spectrum and SEM images revealed that the treatments could affect the bonds and the smoothness of the film surface, respectively. Images provided by AFM showed that the roughness of the films was increased by the addition of T-NPs. The incorporation of T-NPs increased the TS and decreased EAB and WVP. These results indicated that oxidation, UV irradiation and nanomaterials incorporation could be used to improve SCG film properties that are related to food packaging material., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Increasing demand for high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables has led to the development of innovative active packaging materials that exhibit controlled release of antimicrobial/antioxidant agents. In this study, composite biopolymer films consisting of methylcellulose (MC) and chitosan nanofibers (ChNF) were fabricated, which contained lactoferrin (LAC)-loaded silver-metal organic framework (Ag-MOF) nanoparticles. The results indicated that the nanoparticles were uniformly distributed throughout the biopolymer films, which led to improvements in tensile strength (56.1 ± 3.2 MPa), thermal stability, water solubility, swelling index, water vapor barrier properties (from 2.2 ± 2.1 to 1.9 ± 1.9 × 10 -11  g. m/m 2 . s. Pa), and UV-shielding effects. The Ag-MOF-LAC2% films also exhibited strong and long-lasting antibacterial activity against E. coli (19.8 ± 5.2 mm) and S. aureus (20.1 ± 3.2 mm), which was attributed to the slow release of antimicrobial LAC from the films. The composite films were shown to maintain the fresh appearance of apples for at least seven days, which was attributed to their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Consequently, these composite films have the potential in the assembly of innovative active packaging materials for protecting fresh fruits and vegetables. However, further work is required to ensure their safety and economic viability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study introduces a sustainable approach to simultaneously produce pectin and phenolic compounds from pistachio industrial waste and applies them in the formulation of low-phenylalanine cookies. The co-optimization process was performed using the microwave-assisted technique and a Box-Behnken design, considering four variables and two responses: pectin yield and total phenolic content (TPC). The co-optimized condition (microwave power of 700 W, irradiation time of 210 s, pH level of 1.02, and LSR of 20 mL/g) resulted in a pectin yield of 15.85 % and a TPC of 10.12 %. The pectin obtained under co-optimized condition was evaluated for its physicochemical, structural, and thermal properties and the phenolic extract for its antiradical activity. Characterization of the pectin sample revealed a high degree of esterification (44.21 %) and a galacturonic acid-rich composition (69.55 %). The average molecular weight of the pectin was determined to be 640.236 kDa. FTIR and 1 H NMR spectroscopies confirmed the structure of pectin, with an amorphous nature and high thermal stability observed through XRD and DSC analysis. Additionally, the extract exhibited significant antiradical activity comparable to butylated hydroxyanisole and ascorbic acid. The isolated ingredients were used to formulate low-protein, low-phenylalanine cookies for phenylketonuria patients. The addition of 0.5 % pectin and 1 mL/g extract led to increased moisture content (from 9.05 to 12.89 %) and specific volume (from 7.28 to 9.90 mL/g), decreased hardness (from 19.44 to 10.39 N × 10 2 ), and improved antioxidant properties (from 5.15 % to 44.60 % inhibition) of the cookies. Importantly, there was no significant increase observed in the phenylalanine content of the samples with pectin and extract addition. Furthermore, sensory evaluation scores demonstrated significantly higher scores for taste, odor, texture, and overall acceptability in cookies enriched with 0.5 % pectin and 1 mL/g extract, with scores of 4.53, 3.93, 4.40, and 4.60, respectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Kappa-carrageenan (KC) esterification reaction with octenyl succinic anhydride was optimized using response surface methodology, leading to the production of a food-based emulsifier. Modified kappa-carrageenan (KC-OSA) with different degrees of substitution (DS) (0.023 and 0.045) was produced, and their functional and structural properties were investigated. The results from FTIR and 1 HNMR verified the successful occurrence of modification. The KC-OSA emulsions with both DS values were utterly stable after 30 days of storage, while KC failed to form emulsions. The viscosity, foaming properties, surface net charge, and gel opacity increased after modification and with an increase in its extent, while emulsion particle size and polydispersity index, gel melting temperature, and gel hardness decreased. Afterward, the KC-OSA (DS = 0.023) potential use was investigated as fat and egg yolk substitute in mayonnaise, which resulted in vegan mayonnaise samples with no phase separation after a month of storage at room temperature. Particle size measurements implied that the particle size of the mayonnaise sample was decreased with an increase in KC-OSA concentration. The results from the sensory evaluation showed that KC-OSA could be successfully implemented in low-fat vegan mayonnaise. The results from this study draw a bright horizon for the use of KC-OSA in the food industry., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication. Also, we confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In this study, physicochemical and quality properties, fatty acid composition, and triglyceride composition of Iranian Kurdish butter oil (IKBO) obtained from yogurt drink (doogh) butter were investigated. Local doogh butter, prepared from cow's (CIKBO) and ewe's milk (EIKBO), was utilized as the raw material for this purpose. The free fatty acids (FFA) and peroxide values of IKBOs of the cow (CIKBO) and ewe (EIKBO) were obtained at 0.41 ± 0.01 and 0.39 ± 0.01 (g Oleic acid 100/g oil), and 1.32 ± 0.00 and 1.35 ± 0.00 (meq O 2 kg/oil), respectively. The amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFAs): 70.27 ± 0.62 and 72.13 ± 0.84 (g/100 g), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs): 19.37 ± 0.74 and 20.56 ± 0.97 (g/100 g), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): 1.22 ± 0.12 and 2.75 ± 0.38 (g/100 g) were obtained in CIKBO and EIKBO, respectively. The significant majority of the fatty acids (FAs) in the examined CIKBO and EIKBO were myristic (CIKBO: 13.76 ± 0.02 (g/100 g) and EIKBO: 14.83 ± 0.07 (g/100 g)), palmitic (CIKBO: 33.14 ± 0.28 (g 100/g) and EIKBO: 31.86 ± 0.02 (g/100 g)), stearic (CIKBO: 8.27 ± 0.06 (g/100 g) and EIKBO: 7.95 ± 0.06 (g/100 g)), capric (CIKBO: 4.83 ± 0.03 (g/100 g) and EIKBO: 6.75 ± 0.01 (g/100 g)), and oleic acids (CIKBO: 15.37 ± 0.12 (g/100 g) and EIKBO: 17.83 ± 0.02 (g/100 g)). The average of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in EIKBO (2.20 ± 0.22 (g/100 g)) was higher than that in CIKBO (0.92 ± 0.25 (g/100 g)) ( p  < .05). Therefore, EKIBO is considered the superior natural supply of CLA., Competing Interests: Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

New mixed Alcalase-hydrolysates were developed using corn gluten meal (CP) and soy protein (SP) hydrolysates, namely CPH, SPH, SPH30:CPH70, SPH70:CPH30, and SPH50:CPH50. Amino acid profile, surface hydrophobicity ( H 0 ), molecular weight (MW) distribution, antioxidant activity, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, and functional characteristics of hydrolysates were determined. Hydrolysis changed the amount of hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acid composition and significantly increased the H 0 values of hydrolysates, especially for CPH. The DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSA) was higher for CPH, SPH30:CPH70, and SPH50:CPH50 than SPH and SPH70:CPH30. Moreover, SPH, SPH70:CPH30, and SPH50:CPH50 showed lower MW than CPH, and this correlated with the higher hydrophilicity, and ABTS and hydroxyl RSA values obtained for SPH and the mixed hydrolysates with predominantly SPH. SPH70:CPH30 exhibited higher ACE, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase inhibitory activities among all samples due to its specific peptides with high capacity to interact with amino acid residues located at the enzyme active site and also low binding energy. At 15% degree of hydrolysis, both SPH and CPH showed enhanced solubility at pH 4.0, 7.0 and 9.0, emulsifying activity, and foaming capacity. Taken together, SPH70:CPH30 displayed strong antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic attributes, emulsifying activity and stability indexes, and foaming capacity and foaming stability, making it a promising multifunctional ingredient for the development of functional food products., Competing Interests: None of the authors declare a conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: With production of over 6 million tonnes a year of sesame, its capsules are considered to be an unutilized waste. In this study, extraction of pectin from this novel source was optimized using a green method, and the functional and physiochemical characteristics of the resultant pectin were compared to commercial pectin., Results: In this study, the sesame capsule pectin (SCP) extraction conditions were optimized to reach maximum yield, and the results showed that the maximum pectin extraction yield (138 g kg -1 ) was obtained under optimal conditions (microwave power 700 W, irradiation time 5 min, pH 1.5, and liquid-to-solid ratio 41.8 (mL g -1 ). The results showed that the pectin was low methoxyl type with a galacturonic acid content of 670 g kg -1 . The extracted pectin had a high molecular weight (341 kDa) and surface charge (34.09 ± 1.88 mV) and exhibited 66% DPPH radical scavenging. The obtained results from 1 H-nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectra validated the presence of pectin structure in the extracted sample., Conclusion: Sesame capsule pectin, when compared to commercial pectin, demonstrated better functional properties in terms of emulsifying properties, oil holding capacity, foaming capacity and antioxidant activity. SCP showed similar properties in comparison to its commercial counterpart, which suggests that it could well be considered as a new and suitable source for pectin extraction. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.)

In this study, the effect of marjoram essential oil (MEO) on the mechanical, barrier, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of mung bean protein isolate (MPI)/pullulan (PU) composite films and its influence on the quality of minced beef meat during 14 days storage at 4 °C was studied. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results confirmed the compatibility between components. Also, depend on the different ratios of combination of MEO and MPI/PU, tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EAB) were varied. The results showed that an increase in the level of the MPI led to a significant increment in TS and water-proof properties of the composite films. Also, with addition of MEO, the EAB of the antimicrobial blend-films was decreased, while TS and water-proof properties were increased. In addition, enrichment of the films with MEO led to a considerable positive effect on DPPH radical scavenging and antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli). Based on the bacterial and chemical analyses of the minced meat samples, MEO-incorporation in MPI/PU films enhanced oxidative stability of minced beef samples, and also showed effective antimicrobial activity against all of the tested bacteria., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This research aimed to valorize almond hulls based on a zero-waste strategy towards sustainable agricultural developments for the recovery and production of valuable compounds. For this purpose, the potential to produce four products, including pectin (AHP), phenolic compounds (AHPC), pullulan (PUL), and single-cell protein (SCP), was examined. The acidic extraction factors were optimized using a Box-Behnken design for the simultaneous extraction of AHP and AHPC, and the obtained results showed that the maximum AHP (26.32% w/w) and AHPC (6.97% w/w) yields were achieved at 90 °C, pH of 1.4, 58.65 min, and liquid-solid ratio (LSR) of 20.13 v/w as the optimum point. In the next step, the solid residues that remained from the AHP and AHPC extraction process (PESR) were treated with cellulase enzyme and ultrasound and were used for simultaneous microbial production of PUL (34.29-24.56 g/L) and biomass containing SCP (19.31-13.44% w/w). Furthermore, the obtained results showed that AHP was low methylated (26.40%), rich in galacturonic acid (67.88%), and high in molecular weight (595.299 kDa). Also, the investigations of structural properties of AHP and PUL confirmed the presence of chemical structures of these polysaccharides in the formed supernatants. In addition, the AHPC showed considerable antioxidant activity compared with ascorbic acid (ASC) and BHA., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The rind from cantaloupe is an agricultural waste of cantaloupe industrial processing. The current study tried to (i) evaluate the potential use of cantaloupe rind as a pectin source, (ii) optimize the factors of microwave-assisted extraction process using Box-Behnken design, and (iii) characterize the isolated pectin using various physicochemical, structural, functional and bioactivity properties., Results: Four variables of the extraction process were successfully optimized at a microwave power of 700 W, irradiation time of 112 s, pH value of 1.50 and liquid to solid (LS) value of 30 mL g -1 , with a yield of 181.4 g kg -1 . The analysis indicated a high-methylated galacturonic acid-rich (703.4 g kg -1 ) sample with an average molecular weight of 390.475 kDa. Also, the isolated pectin showed considerable functionality and antioxidant ability. The main functional groups, structural characteristics and crystallinity of samples were comparatively studied using Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray diffraction spectroscopies., Conclusion: In comparison to commercial citrus pectin, isolated pectin showed a significantly higher value for most of the functional analysis such as oil holding capacity, emulsifying capacity, emulsion stability, DPPH • and ABTS •+ scavenging activity, and reducing power assay. In other analyses the isolated sample was close to the commercial one, indicating that cantaloupe rinds should be considered as a suitable additional resource for pectin production. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Research Background: Barberry juice is a rich source of bioactive compounds and shows different health properties such as antioxidant and anticancer activities. Clarification, as the removal process of suspended material, is an important step in the production of fruit juice due to its significant effect on the appearance, flavour and commercialisation of juice. Pectinase is the most important enzyme applied in juice clarification that breaks down the pectin polymer structure and reduces the undesirable turbidity. Pectinase immobilisation is a way to overcome free enzyme drawbacks such as instability, high cost, the difficulty of recovery and recyclability. Also, continuous clarification process which is highly preferred in fruit juice industry is not possible without enzyme immobilisation., Experimental Approach: Pectinase enzymes were immobilised on the functionalised glass beads (glass bead with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane) by glutaraldehyde, polyaldehyde derivatives of pullulan and kefiran and the barberry juice was clarified in the batch and continuous processes in a packed bed reactor (PBR). Also, the effect of clarification on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of the barberry juice samples was evaluated., Results and Conclusions: The optimum conditions for clarification in the PBR were: flow rate 0.5 mL/min, temperature 50 °C and treatment time 63 min. Clarification led to a decrease in turbidity, pH, total soluble solid content, viscosity, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the juice samples. Also, this process increased the clarity, acidity, reducing sugar concentration and the lightness parameter of the barberry juice. The greatest effect of clarification on the studied properties of barberry juice was related to the pectinase immobilised by the polyaldehyde of kefiran in the continuous process and both new cross-linkers (polyaldehyde derivatives of pullulan and kefiran) immobilised the enzyme better than the common cross-linker (glutaraldehyde)., Novelty and Scientific Contribution: For the first time, barberry juice was clarified with pectinase immobilised by polyaldehyde derivatives of pullulan and kefiran and the obtained results showed that the pectinase immobilisation by these new cross-linkers was much more efficient than by the glutaraldehyde as a common cross-linker. These findings can be of use for an industrialised production of fruit juices., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

In this study, pomegranate peel as a traditional natural remedy was extracted and encapsulated in proniosomal systems in order to improve its stability against harsh environmental conditions. Pomegranate peel was extracted by using sonication as a green extraction technology and the antioxidant activity of the obtained extract was evaluated to be 85.37% by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. Proniosomal powder was prepared based on the slurry method with a mixture of non-ionic surfactants namely span 60 and tween 20 in combination with cholesterol as a bilayer stabilizer. Proniosome-derived niosomes were achieved by hydration of the powder with water. The obtained vesicles were evaluated for their particle size, morphological observations, entrapment efficiency, cytotoxicity assay, DPPH antioxidant activity and, physical stability at 4 °C for 28 days. The results demonstrated that the proniosome-derived niosomes were of small size (198.16 nm for unloaded and 411.3 for extract loaded), quite homogeneous (PDI = 0.188 for unloaded and 0.216 for loaded) with highly negative charged spherical vesicles and showed appropriate physical stability during the time of storage. The encapsulation efficiency was 68.43±0.24% and the cytotoxicity assay proved that the formulations were not toxic against 3T3 fibroblast cells in the applied concentration.

In this study, to improve the water resistance properties of pullulan (PU) edible-films, the combination of the modification with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) and beeswax (BW) incorporation was used. The FTIR spectra results confirmed the PU octenylsuccination and also the presence of the BW in the composite films. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs showed that the PU modification with OSA powerfully retarded the coalescence of BW droplets in film casting process and led to their homogeneity in the dried films. Also, the findings indicated that the water-proof properties including water solubility, water vapor permeability and water contact angle in the PU films were improved by the PU modification and BW incorporation. In addition, the obtained data showed that the octenylsuccination of PU had a negative effect on the mechanical properties of the produced films, while BW incorporation into PU-OSA films led to resolve this drawback., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In this study, kefiran was esterified with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA). The esterification reaction variables including pH (8.5), kefiran concentration (5% (w/w)), OSA concentration (12% (w/w)), temperature (~38 °C) and reaction time (~80 min) were found as optimum points to achieve the maximum degree of substitution (DS) (0.041 ± 0.002). Kefiran-OSA samples with DS of 0.021 (FDA suggested DS) and 0.041 (maximum DS) were prepared and compared with unmodified kefiran in all experiments. FTIR and 1 H NMR spectroscopies proved the grafting of OSA on kefiran structure. XRD analysis revealed that with increase in DS, the physical state of kefiran to be more amorphous. In addition, the esterification modification led to a decrease in the degradation temperature and an increase in the apparent viscosity based on the obtained data from thermal analysis and viscosity measurement. The results of the foaming and emulsifying properties confirmed the improvement in surface properties of the modified kefiran. The frequency sweep test illustrated that with an increase in DS, the viscoelastic behavior of the kefiran cryogels to be more viscous. It can finally be stated that the modification with OSA was a high potential strategy to extend the industrial applications of the kefiran., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The current work investigated a simultaneous recovery of pectin and polyphenols from black mulberry pomace (BMP) using an eco-friendly extraction process. The microwave-assisted extraction variables were successfully co-optimized using Box-Behnken design considering pectin and polyphenols yields as responses. The optimized condition yielded about 10.95% pectin and 12.11% phenolics. The physicochemical analysis indicated a highly-esterified pectin (DE of 62.21%) with an average molecular weight of 620.489 kDa and galacturonic acid (GalA) content of 70.15%. FTIR and NMR spectroscopies confirmed the predominant presence of highly esterified GalA-rich structure for BMP pectin. XRD analysis suggested an amorphous structure for the main part of BMP pectin. Also, DSC results showed higher thermal stability for BMP pectin in comparison to commercial pectin. Moreover, the antiradical activity of BMP phenolic extract was very close to that of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and ascorbic acid. The results showed that the suggested procedure can be a promising solution for the management of BMP waste generated in juice, syrup, or liquor processing plants. Also, the quality of the obtained products (BMP pectin and BMP phenolic extract) indicated that the products have the potential to be used as natural ingredients in various food and pharmaceutical products., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pullulan (PU) is an exo-polysaccharide used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, the use of PU in different industries is limited due to its highly hydrophilic nature and consequently weakness in surface properties which can be remedied by its chemical modification with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA). For this purpose, PU modification with OSA was optimized and the results showed that the maximum degree of substitution (0.061 ± 0.003) was obtained under pH of 9.0, pullulan concentration of 40% (w/w), temperature of ~40.90 °C, reaction time of ~101.21 min and OSA concentration of 14.96% (w/w). Also, the grafting of OSA on pullulan structure was confirmed by FTIR, 1 H NMR and zeta-potential analyzes. Although this modification had no significant effect on the amorphousity of pullulan, it led to an increase in viscosity and a decrease in decomposition temperature and surface tension. Improvement of emulsifying properties of PU-OSA sample was proved by the evaluation of emulsifying capacity of un- and modified samples and also, zeta-potential, particle size and viscosity of the prepared emulsions. In line with surface characteristic results, an increase in foam capacity of modified samples was observed with decreasing the interfacial tension., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Research Background: Pectinase enzyme has become a valuable compound in beverage industry. One of the most significant concepts to overcome the drawbacks of using industrial enzymes is their immobilization. In the present study, magnetic chitosan microparticles were utilized as a substrate for pectinase immobilization. New methods of enzyme immobilization involve the use of non-chemical cross-linkers between the enzyme and the substrate. The aim of this study is to immobilize the pectinase enzyme using polyaldehyde kefiran as a macromolecular cross-linker on magnetic particles., Experimental Approach: Pectinase was immobilized in four steps: relative oxidation of kefiran and its application as a cross-linker, production of magnetic iron(II) iron(III) oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ) microparticles, coating of magnetic Fe 3 O 4 microparticles with chitosan, and immobilization of the enzyme on the substrate, prepared by the use of oxidized kefiran cross-linker. Parameters such as cross-linking concentration, time and ratio of chitosan magnetic microparticles to enzyme were optimized. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer were used to identify the groups and investigate the structures. The biochemical properties (stability of enzyme activity at different pH, temperature and time), enzyme reusability, kinetic parameters ( K m and ν max ) and apple juice turbidity, using free and immobilized pectinase enzymes, were also measured., Results and Conclusions: Cross-linker concentration, cross-linking time and the ratio of magnetic Fe 3 O 4 microparticles with chitosan to enzyme were important factors in activity recovery of pectinase. FTIR analysis correctly identified functional groups in the structures. The results showed that after enzyme stabilization, the particle size and molecular mass, respectively, increased and decreased the magnetic saturation strength. According to the thermal kinetic study, the activity of the immobilized pectinase was higher than of its free form. The findings of this study indicate excellent stability and durability of the immobilized pectinase. Finally, a magnetic pectinase micro-biocatalyst was used to clarify apple juice, which reduced turbidity during processing., Novelty and Scientific Contribution: This study investigates the usage of kefiran oxidized as a new cross-linker for the immobilization of pectinase enzyme. Magnetic pectinase micro-biocatalyst has a good potential for industrial applications in the food industry, with high thermal stability., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The β-glucosidase (BGL) enzyme in food industry is great interest due to its role in food conversion to produce functional food products. In this study, the BGL was covalently immobilized onto amino-tannic acid modified Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles (ATA-Fe 3 O 4 MNPs) as biocompatible nanoplatform by modified poly-aldehyde pullulan (PAP) as a cross-linker to enhance the ability and strength of the nanoparticle connection to the enzyme. The properties of support were subsequently characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The highest percentage of loading and immobilization yield was obtained with 0.1 mg enzyme/mL citrate buffer (pH 6, 1 M) enzyme solution, carrier solution of 10 mg ATA-Fe 3 O 4 /3 mL citrate buffer (pH 6, 1 M), and PAP solution of 20% total reaction system volume. Optimum pH and temperature were found for free (pH 5.0 and temperature 30 °C) and immobilized (pH 6.0 and temperature 40 °C) enzyme. The immobilized BGL maintains its activity to 83% after 10 cycles. Therefore, immobilization of BGL by this method is an efficient procedure to improve the properties of enzyme., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, a new strain suspected to be Aureobasidium pullulans was isolated from trees leaves. The molecular characterization and the resulting phylogenetic tree showed that the isolated strain was A. pullulans. Also, the results of methylation analysis, monosaccharide composition, FTIR, NMR and XRD confirmed that the obtained exo-polysaccharide from the mentioned strain was pullulan. The pullulan production optimization by central composite design (CCD) indicated that the maximum yield obtained under optimum conditions (pH of 6.5, sucrose concentration of 5.5% (w/v) and yeast extract concentration of 0.1% (w/v)) was 51.4 ± 0.50 g/L. The produced pullulan had an average molecular weight (M w ) of 2.07 × 10 5  g.mol -1 based on gel permeation chromatography results. The decomposition temperature (T d ) of the produced pullulan was ~300 °C and also, the resulting pullulan had a Newtonian flow behavior in a wide range of concentrations., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The ultrasound-assisted extraction of pectin from walnut processing waste was optimized by Box-Behnken design. The highest extraction yield (12.78 ± 0.83%) was obtained at ultrasound power of 200 W, sonication time of 10 min, pH of 1.5 and LS ratio of 15 v/w. The resulting pectin in these conditions was rich in galacturonic acid (69.44%) and was high in degree of esterification (59.21%) which was confirmed by NMR and FTIR spectra. In addition, the molecular weight distribution analysis showed that the obtained pectin had a heterogeneous natural with low molecular weight (6.30-158.48 kDa). The XRD spectrum of the walnut pectin showed an amorphous structure with few crystalline portions. Furthermore, walnut green husk pectin had good emulsifying properties, water and oil holding capacities, and radical-scavenging activity. Given that the obtained result, the extraction of pectin from this by-product in addition to being able to reduce environmental problems, it can also provide financial benefits for the walnut production sector., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In the present study, the effect of microwave-assisted extraction conditions on the simultaneous recovery of pectin and phenolic compounds from sour cherry pomace (SCP) was optimized. The results showed that maximum yield of pectin (14.65 ± 0.39%) and phenolic compounds (14.36 ± 0.29%) was obtained under microwave power of 800 W, irradiation time of 300 s, pH of 1.00 and LSR of 20 v/w. The resulting pectin under the mentioned conditions had the moisture, ash and protein content, and also total carbohydrates of ~8.32, ~3.73, ~1.41 and ~26.43%, respectively. Also, the obtained pectin with the molecular weight of 472.977 kDa and total phenol content of 91.54 ± 2.92 mg GAE/g pectin had a high purity (galacturonic acid content of ~72.86%) and suitable thermal stability (degradation temperature of 252.15 °C) and also could be classified as HMP (DE of 68.37 ± 2.78%). The FTIR, 1 H NMR and XRD analysis indicated that the obtained sample was rich in esterified poly-galacturonic acid and had an amorphous structure. The phenolic compounds analysis showed that the SCP extract had a concentration-dependent antioxidant effect that was comparable with ascorbic acid and BHA at high concentrations., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The effect of four different coating dispersions including chitosan, clove essential oil, chitosan nanoparticles and clove essential oil loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CEO-ChNPs or encapsulated oil) was investigated on shelf life and quality of minimally processed pomegranate arils during storage at 5 °C. Among tested dispersions, CEO-ChNPs extended aril shelf life for 54 days while uncoated arils became unusable at day 18 due to the incidence of fungal decay. At the end of storage, CEO-ChNPs could significantly maintain microbial quality, weight, total soluble solid, titratable acidity, pH, total phenol and total anthocyanin content, as well as antioxidant activity and sensory quality in pomegranate arils coated with CEO-ChNPs compared to uncoated arils, however only some of mentioned parameters maintained significantly in arils coated with other dispersions (P < 0.05). According to these results, CEO-ChNPs were the most effective coating for extending shelf life and controlling undesirable microbial, physicochemical and sensory alterations of pomegranate arils., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

For the first time, polyaldehyde kefiran was applied to immobilize the pectinase on the glass bead and the finding was compared with free enzyme. Polyaldehyde kefiran, produced by periodate oxidation of kefiran, showed an aldehyde content of 23.6 ± 0.9% that was confirmed by FTIR. The results showed although the optimum temperature (50 °C) was not changed by immobilization, the optimum pH was shifted from 5.0 to 5.5. In optimal conditions, the specific activity of the free and immobilized pectinase was 2.93 ± 0.13 and 1.87 ± 0.24 unit/mg, respectively. Also, the immobilized pectinase had a higher thermal and pH stability than free enzyme. K m and V max of the immobilized pectinase were higher and lower than the free enzyme, respectively. In addition, SEM and AFM images illustrated a completely non-uniform surface after enzyme immobilization on the glass bead, which seemed to be related to the polyaldehyde kefiran strands., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The microwave-assisted extraction of pectin from sweet lemon peel (SLP) was optimized using Box-Behnken design. The highest pectin yield (25.31%) was observed under optimal condition (microwave power of 700 W, irradiation time of 3 min and pH of 1.5). The physicochemical, structural and some bioactivity of the SLP pectin isolated at optimum condition was evaluated. The SLP pectin was rich in galacturonic acid and galactose (87.2 mol%), high in molecular weight (615.836 kDa) and low in degree of esterification (1.2-35.1%). Furthermore, the SLP pectin was composed of 55.7% linear region (homogalacturonan) and 42.2% hairy region (rhamnogalacturonan-I). Also, the FT-IR and H-NMR results confirm the major presence of low methylated galacturonic acid rich structure in the isolated samples. In addition, SLP pectin showed good emulsifying and antioxidant properties. A pseudoplastic flow behavior was observed for SLP pectin solution at higher concentrations (1% w/v <). These results represent an inexpensive source for pectin extraction with high pectin yield and good properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Based on a bio-refinery concept, the valorization of eggplant peel wastes (EPW) in the production of multiple value-added products was aimed. The acid-free extraction process was applied in the simultaneous recovery of pectin and phenolic compounds. The extraction variables were optimized by response surface methodology using a Box-Behnken design and the maximum yield of pectin (26.1%) and phenolic compounds (20.2%) was obtained in the extraction temperature of 90 °C, time of 90 min and liquid/solid ratio of 40 mL/g. After recovery of pectin and phenolic compounds from EPW, the solid leftovers were enzymatic hydrolyzed and the hydrolysates were used as a carbon source in the microbial production of pullulan by Aureobasidium pullulans. The produced pectin and pullulan were characterized through the chemical and structural features. The results of FT-IR and H-NMR analysis approved the predominant presence of these two polysaccharides in the isolated samples. On the other hand, the antioxidant activity of the recovered phenolic compounds extract was evaluated by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity and reducing power assay., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, a new yeast-like fungal was obtained from leaf surfaces collected from Kheyroodkenar forest, Mazandaran, Iran. The properties of this strain, such as morphology, DNA molecular, and product showed that it is related to Aureobasidium pullulans family and named A. pullulans MG271838. The pullulan production conditions by this strain were optimized using a Box-Behnken design. The results showed that the optimum production yield (37.55 ± 0.45 g/l) was obtained in pH of 6.76, sucrose concentration of 6%w/v and yeast extract concentration of 0.2%w/v. The pullulan had a concentration-dependent flow behavior, amorphous structure based on XRD pattern and high thermal stability (decomposition temperature of 300 °C). Also, the chemical structure of pullulan was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. In addition, there was a direct relationship between pullulan yield and the gene expression of fks, pgm and ugp as the most important genes in pullulan production., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the present study, the various properties of pectin extracted using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) from eggplant peel and eggplant calyx (as food processing wastes of eggplant) were compared with each other. The eggplant peel pectin (EPP) exhibited higher extraction yield (29.17%) than eggplant calyx pectin (ECP; 18.36%). Both of EPP and ECP were high in methoxyl and rich in galacturonic acid. HPLC analysis showed that EPP was high in HG (homogalacturonan) (58.6%), while ECP was high in RG-I (rhamnogalacturonan-I) (44.9%). Also, higher phenolic contents were observed for EPP in comparing with ECP. Approximately in all of the functionalities (WHC (water holding capacity) and OHC (oil holding capacity), emulsifying and foaming properties, and antioxidant activity), EPP showed higher value rather than ECP. 1 H NMR (hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance), FT-IR (Fourier transform-infrared) and XRD (x-ray diffraction) spectra confirmed the presence of high methylated crystalline pectin in both EPP and ECP., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Gellan gum was employed to modulate the technological functionality and in vitro degradation properties of egg white heat-induced hydrogels at different pH values (4.0 and 7.0). The results showed that the enrichment with gellan gum at pH value of 7.0 did not drastically modify the firmness of egg white gel, but at pH 4.0 the addition of gellan significantly improved the hardness and the compressive stress required for the rupturing of the egg white hydrogels. The enrichment with gellan also modulated the swelling behavior of egg white hydrogels as well as significantly improved their water holding capacity. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the composite gellan/egg white hydrogels formed at pH 4.0 and 7.0 had denser microstructures than the corresponding single-component egg white protein hydrogels. The Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy also was used to characterize the interactions between egg white proteins and gellan gum. Furthermore, the results revealed that the enrichment of egg white gels with gellan gum drastically increased their stability against in vitro gastrointestinal degradation which can enhance their applications in the site-specific bioactive delivery., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this work, a Box-Behnken design (BBD) with three variables (ultrasound power, irradiation time and pH) in three levels was applied for pectin extraction optimization. The optimization process showed that the maximum extraction yield was 28.07 ± 0.67% in ultrasound power of 150 W, irradiation time of 10 min and pH of 1.5 (as optimum conditions). In these conditions, ash, moisture and protein contents of SOPP were 1.89 ± 0.51, 8.81 ± 0.68 and 1.45 ± 0.23%, respectively. HPLC analysis indicated that 65.3% of the extracted pectin was galacturonic acid and approximately 72% of total neutral sugars was galactose. The optimized pectin had a total phenolic content of 39.95 ± 3.13 mg gallic acid equivalents/g pectin, the surface tension of 46.56 ± 0.23 and 42.14 ± 0.61 mN/m in concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5%w/v, water holding capacity and oil holding capacity of 3.10 ± 0.12 and 1.32 ± 0.21 g water or oil/g pectin with a suitable emulsifying and antioxidant properties. In addition, SOPP with degree of esterification of 6.77 ± 0.43% was classified as low methoxyl pectin, which confirmed by FTIR and 1 H NMR analysis., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Encapsulation of clove essential oil (CEO) by chitosan nanoparticles (ChNPs) was performed, using an emulsion-ionic gelation technique to improve the antifungal efficacy of CEO. The mass ratios of chitosan (Ch) to tripolyphosphate (TPP), 1:1, for unloaded ChNPs and 1:1:1 for Ch to TPP to CEO, for CEO-loaded ChNPs (CEO-ChNPs), were selected as optimum formulations based on dynamic light scattering and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The presence of CEO in optimum CEO-ChNPs, was evidenced by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Particle size distribution, of around 40 and 100 nm for the most optimum unloaded and oil-loaded ChNPs, was obtained by field emission-scanning electron microscopy. In vitro release studies of CEO-ChNPs revealed a controlled release during 56 days. The nano-encapsulated CEO demonstrated a superior performance against Aspergillus niger, isolated from spoiled pomegranate, compared with ChNPs and free oil. Therefore, this study revealed that CEO-ChNPs can be used as a promising natural fungicide in agriculture and food industry., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The optimal microwave-assisted extraction conditions of pistachio green hull (PGH) pectin (extraction yield of 18.13%) were in microwave power of 700 W, irradiation time of 165 s, and pH of 1.5. The physico-chemical, structural and functional properties of pectin was examined and the results showed that PGH pectin under optimum conditions was low methoxyl (about 12.1%) with molecular weight of 1.659 kg/mol, emulsifying activity of 58.3%, total phenolic content of 18.18 mg GalAE/g pectin and good surface activity (46.23 and 49.75 mN/m at 0.1 and 0.5% w/v). Also, high performance liquid chromatography analysis illustrated that the pectin is including galacturonic acid (66.0%), arabinose (26.2%), galactose (3.7%), rhamnose (2.7%) and xylose (1.0%). In addition, 1 H NMR and FTIR spectrums confirmed the presence of pectin in obtained supenatnt. Surface morphology analysis and X-ray diffraction pattern showed that PGH pectin had a rough surface with crystalline structure., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, the effect of acidic extraction conditions (time of 30-90 min, temperature of 75-95 °C and pH of 1.5-3) on the yield and degree of esterification (DE) of citron peel pectin was investigated applying Box-Behnken design. The highest production yield of pectin (28.31 ± 0.11%) was achieved at extraction time of 90 min, temperature of 95 °C and pH of 1.5, as optimal extraction conditions, which was close to the predicted value (29.87%). Under optimum extraction conditions, the DE and the emulsifying activity were 51.33 and 46.2%, respectively. In addition, the emulsions were 93.9 and 93.5 stable at 4 °C, 93.7 and 93.1 at 23 °C after 1 and 30 days, respectively. The determination of flow behavior showed that the pectin solutions had a Newtonian behavior at low concentrations (< 1.0% w/v), while this behavior was changed to pseudoplastic with increasing concentration.

Background: Riboflavin (vitamin B 2 ) is an essential component of the basic metabolism, and an important nutritional and growth factor in humans, animals, plants and micro-organisms. It has been widely used in the fields of pharmaceuticals, feed and food additives. The industrial production of riboflavin mostly relies on the microbial fermentation. Designing an appropriate fermentation medium is of crucial importance to improve the riboflavin production., Methods: In this study, sequential methodology combining a screening test of minerals by Plackett-Burman (PB) and an optimization test by Central Composite Design (CCD) was applied to enhance riboflavin production by Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051 in shake flasks., Results: Initially, one-factor-at-a-time approach was applied to evaluate the effect of different carbon sources. The results showed that fructose was significantly most effective on biomass and riboflavin production. After that, 13 minerals [CaCl 2 , CuCl, FeCl 3 , FeSO 4 , AlCl 3 , Na 3 MoO 4 , Co(NO 3 ) 2 , NaCl, KH 2 PO 4 , K 2 HPO 4 , MgSO 4 , ZnSO 4 , and MnSO 4 ] were studied with the screening test. The results revealed that concentration of MgSO 4 , K 2 HPO 4 , and FeSO 4 had greater influence on riboflavin production (p< 0.05). A CCD with five factors (concentration of fructose, MgSO 4 , K 2 HPO 4 , FeSO 4 , and yeast extract) at five levels was then used to determine the maximum riboflavin concentration. The optimal concentrations ( g/l ) of these variables determined by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were fructose, 38.10; MgSO 4 , 0.85; K 2 HPO 4 , 2.27; FeSO 4 , 0.02; and yeast extract, 4.37., Conclusion: Statistical experimental design offers a practicable approach to the implementation of medium optimization. From an industrial view point, our optimum medium, besides fructose and a small amount of yeast extract, is mainly composed of common and cheap inorganic salts, which are available to the industrial riboflavin production.

In this study, the effect of aqueous extraction conditions (temperature of 70-90°C, time of 60-180min, and liquid/solid ratio (LSR) of 20-40v/w) on the yield and degree of esterification (DE) of Citrus medica peel pectin was studied using a Box-Behnken design. The highest production yield of pectin (21.85±0.35%) was obtained at temperature of 90°C, extraction time of 180min and LSR of 40v/w as optimum extraction conditions which was close to the predicted value (24.13%). In these extraction conditions, the DE and the emulsifying activity were 77.2 and 46.5%, respectively. Also, the emulsions were 90.30 and 90% stable at 4°C, and 83.87 and 83.50% at 25°C after 1 and 30days, respectively. The determination of flow behavior showed that the pectin solutions had a Newtonian behavior at low concentrations (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0%w/v), while in higher concentration (2.0%w/v), the pseudoplastic flow behavior became dominant., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, mechanical, optical and permeability to water vapor of chitosan containing α-tocopherol film as the function of preparation conditions including concentration of emulsifier and speed of homogenization have investigated. In addition, the effect of above mentioned variables and presence of ethanol as co-surfactant on the release rate of α-tocopherol from chitosan film to fatty food simulant (ethanol 95%) were investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry were employed to analyze the structural and thermal properties of the films. Results showed that the incorporation of α-tocopherol and preparation conditions affected the physical and mechanical properties of the chitosan films. Obtained results indicated that increasing the concentration of Tween 80 increased the release rate of α-tocopherol in the most studied films. Increasing the stirring speed of homogenization and the presence of ethanol considerably decreased the release rate of α-tocopherol at the most film samples. The lowest amount of released antioxidant was 8.6-10% of total incorporated α-tocopherol at the first stages and is obtained when ethanol used during preparation of film forming solution. Our results indicated that the release rate of α-tocopherol could be controlled by changing the stirring speed of homogenization and especially ethanol presence, considerably., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, the influence of pH (0.5-2.5), temperature (50-90°C), extraction time (30-150min) and liquid/solid ratio (10-50v/w) on the acidic extraction yield and degree of esterification (DE) of pistachio green hull pectin were studied by using central composite design. The results indicated that the yield and DE of pectin ranged from 7.31 to 19.02% and 26.00 to 53.01%, respectively. The optimization of pectin extraction condition showed that the optimal condition was pH of 0.5, temperature of 90°C, time of 30min and liquid/solid ratio of 50 v/w. In this condition, the experimental yield (22.1±0.5%) was fine accord among predicted yield (23.42%). Also, under the optimal extraction condition, the galacturonic acid content of pectin was about 65%. The FTIR spectrum showed that the pectin extracted under optimal condition is rich from polygalacturonic acid., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, acidic extraction (citric acid) was used for the extraction of pectin from melon peel. A central composite design (CCD) was applied to study the effect of temperature (35-95°C), time (40-200min), pH (1-3) and solvent to sample ratio (10-50v/w) on the yield and degree of esterification (DE). The results showed that the yield and DE ranged from 2.87 to 28.98% and 1.33-29.33%, respectively. Also, the highest extraction yield (29.48±1.7%) was obtained under optimal conditions (pH of 1, temperature of 95°C and ratio of 10v/w after 200min). The protein, ash, carbohydrate and galacturonic acid content of pectin obtained under optimal conditions were about 1.5, 3.5, 10 and 48%, respectively. Rheological experiments determined that melon peel pectin dispersions behaved as a weak gel at concentrations of 1%w/v. The emulsifying activity was 35% and also, the emulsion stability was higher at 4°C than at 23°C., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The effect of kefiran on cold-set gelation of whey protein isolate (WPI) at 25 °C was studied using rheological measurements and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The gelation of samples was induced by the addition of glucono-δ-lactone to the dispersions. WPI concentration was maintained at 8% (w/v) and the concentration of kefiran varied from 0 to 0.08% (w/v). According to rheological measurements, the addition of kefiran into WPI dispersions resulted in a significant increase in the gel strength, the yield stress, and the shear stress values at the flowing point. The gelling point and gelation pH of samples decreased significantly with an increase in kefiran concentration. ESEM micrographs showed that the presence of kefiran played an important role in the microstructure formation of gels. The microstructure of kefiran-WPI mixed gels was more compact and dense, compared to the WPI gel. Depletion interactions between kefiran and whey protein aggregates can be regarded as the chief factor which was responsible for these effects. The present work demonstrated that rheological and microstructural properties of acid-induced whey protein gels were improved by the addition of kefiran.

In this study, the central composite design for four variables in five levels was applied to determine the effects of pH (0.5-2.5), temperature (50-90°C), heating time (30-150min) and liquid/solid ratio (10-50v/w) on the yield and degree of esterification (DE) of carrot pomace pectin. The results showed that the pectin yield ranged from 5.0 to 15.2% and also, this pectin is classified as low methoxyl pectin (DE of 22.1-51.8%). The pH of 1.3, temperature of 90°C, time of 79.8min and liquid/solid ratio of 23.3v/w were determined as optimal conditions with a maximum yield of 15.6±0.5%, which was close to the predicted values (16.0%). Under the optimal extraction conditions, the galacturonic acid content and emulsifying activity were 75.5 and 60.3% respectively; moreover, the emulsions had a high stability at two different storage temperatures (4 and 23°C). Furthermore, carrot pectin solutions exhibited viscous and pseudoplastic behavior at 1% w/v., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present study was set to develop a robust and economic biorefinery process for continuous co-production of ethanol and xylitol from rice straw in a membrane bioreactor. Acid pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, detoxification, yeast strains selection, single and co-culture batch fermentation, and finally continuous co-fermentation were optimized. The combination of diluted acid pretreatment (3.5 %) and enzymatic conversion (1:10 enzyme (63 floating-point unit (FPU)/mL)/biomass ratio) resulted in the maximum sugar yield (81 % conversion). By concentrating the hydrolysates, sugars level increased by threefold while that of furfural reduced by 50 % (0.56 to 0.28 g/L). Combined application of active carbon and resin led to complete removal of furfural, hydroxyl methyl furfural, and acetic acid. The strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCIM 3090 with 66.4 g/L ethanol production and Candida tropicalis NCIM 3119 with 9.9 g/L xylitol production were selected. The maximum concentrations of ethanol and xylitol in the single cultures were recorded at 31.5 g/L (0.42 g/g yield) and 26.5 g/L (0.58 g/g yield), respectively. In the batch co-culture system, the ethanol and xylitol productions were 33.4 g/L (0.44 g/g yield) and 25.1 g/L (0.55 g/g yield), respectively. The maximum ethanol and xylitol volumetric productivity values in the batch co-culture system were 65 and 58 % after 25 and 60 h, but were improved in the continuous co-culture mode and reached 80 % (55 g/L) and 68 % (31 g/L) at the dilution rate of 0.03 L per hour, respectively. Hence, the continuous co-production strategy developed in this study could be recommended for producing value-added products from this hugely generated lignocellulosic waste.

During the past decade, the limitation of petroleum based polymers, the high price of oil, and the environmental concern were attracted the attention of researchers to develop biobased polymers. The composition of different biopolymers and the reinforcement with nano filler are common methods to improve the drawbacks of biopolymers. In this study whey protein isolate/pullulan (WPI/PUL) films contain 1%, 3%, and 5% (w/w) nano-SiO2 (NS) were prepared by a casting method. Tensile strength of nanocomposite films increased after increasing NS content, but elongation at break decreased, simultaneously. Water absorption, moisture content, solubility in water improved in the wake of increasing NS content because NS increase the cohesiveness of the polymer matrix and improved the barrier and water resistance properties of the films. water vapor permeability of film specimens decreased by increasing NS content. Uniform distribution of NS into polymer matrix was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD pattern and thermal analysis revealed increasing crystallinity and increasing Tg of film specimens with increasing NS content, respectively. According to our result WPI/PUL/NS films possess potential to be used as environment friendly packaging films to improve shelf life of food and can be used as promising alternative to petroleum based packaging films., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microwave assisted extraction technique was used to extract pectin from sour orange peel. Box-Behnken design was used to study the effect of irradiation time, microwave power and pH on the yield and degree of esterification (DE) of pectin. The results showed that the optimum conditions for the highest yield of pectin (29.1%) were obtained at pH of 1.50, microwave power of 700W, and irradiation time of 3min. DE values of pectin ranged from 1.7% to 37.5%, indicating that the obtained pectin was low in methoxyl. Under optimal conditions, the galacturonic acid content and emulsifying activity were 71.0±0.8% and 40.7%, respectively. In addition, the emulsion stability value ranged from 72.1% to 83.4%. Viscosity measurement revealed that the solutions of pectin at low concentrations showed nearly Newtonian flow behavior, and as the concentration increased, pseudoplastic flow became dominant., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, biodegradable nanocomposite film composed of pullulan - whey protein isolate (WPI) - montmorillonite (MMT) were developed and characterized as a function of incorporating various amounts of MMT nanoparticles (0, 1, 3 and 5 % wt). Results showed that the water-vapor permeability, moisture content, moisture absorption and water solubility decreased when the nano-MMT content was increased. Tensile strength improved and elongation at break simultaneously decreased with increasing MMT content. The glass transition temperature (Tg(and melting-point temperature (Tm) increased with increasing nano-MMT content. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed uniform distribution of MMT into the polymer matrix. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed enhancement of films' roughness with increasing MMT content.