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Nowadays, edible materials such as polysaccharides have gained attention due to their valuable attributes, especially gelling property. Polysaccharide-based edible gels (PEGs) can be classified as (i) hydrogels, (ii) oleogels and bigels, (iii) and aerogels, cryogels and xerogels, respectively. PEGs have different characteristics and benefits depending on the functional groups of polysaccharide chains (e.g., carboxylic, sulphonic, amino, methoxyl) and on the preparation method. However, PEGs are found in the incipient phase of research and most studies are related to their preparation, characterization, sustainable raw materials, and applicability. Furthermore, all these aspects are treated separately for each class of PEG, without offering an overview of those already obtained PEGs. The novelty of this manuscript is to offer an overview of the classification, definition, formulation, and characterization of PEGs. Furthermore, the applicability of PEGs in the food sector (e.g., food packaging, improving food profile agent, delivery systems) and in the medical/pharmaceutical sector is also critically discussed. Ultimately, the correlation between PEG consumption and polysaccharides properties for human health (e.g., intestinal microecology, “bridge effect” in obesity, gut microbiota) are critically discussed for the first time. Bigels may be valuable for use as ink for 3D food printing in personalized diets for human health treatment. PEGs have a significant role in developing smart materials as both ingredients and coatings and methods, and techniques for exploring PEGs are essential. PEGs as carriers of bioactive compounds have a demonstrated effect on obesity. All the physical, chemical, and biological interactions among PEGs and other organic and inorganic structures should be investigated.

Background Organic acids like succinic and citric acids are of great interest as platform organic products that play important roles as precursors for a wide range of bio-based materials. Succinic and citric acids can be successfully produced biotechnologically from renewable resources of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature through efficient microbiological conversion. Yarrowia lipolytica represents one of the most versatile microbial factories in terms of organic acids production, as it easily develops and produced metabolites starting from glucidic-based and/or lipid-based substrates. Results The purpose of this work was to investigate the ability of Y. lipolytica to adapt to hydrophilic and hydrophobic sources and to biosynthesize important platform chemicals like succinic and citric acids. The selected strain was monitored during a batch cultivation for 192 h on 100 g/L carbon source: pure glycerol as a hydrophilic source, sunflower waste cooking oil as a hydrophobic source, and crude glycerol deriving from biodiesel production as a mixture of hydrophilic and hydrophobic sources. Cellular viability, biomass accumulation, and metabolites formation in terms of succinic acid and citric acid was monitored, and the highest results were registered for cultivations performed on waste cooking oil [10.35 ± 0.29 (log10) CFU/mL, 8.15 g/L cell dry weight, 3.50 ± 0.04 g/L citric acid, and 21 ± 0.16 g/L succinic acid]. Conclusion The results obtained in this work outline the industrial potential of the oleaginous yeast strain of Y. lipolytica to bioconvert lipidic residual biomass into valuable organic compounds with wide-range applicability.

Over the last 10 years, there has been a growing interest in the relationship between gut microbiota, the brain, and neurologic-associated affections. As multiple preclinical and clinical research studies highlight gut microbiota’s potential to modulate the general state of health state, it goes without saying that gut microbiota plays a significant role in neurogenesis, mental and cognitive development, emotions, and behaviors, and in the progression of neuropsychiatric illnesses. Gut microbiota produces important biologic products that, through the gut-brain axis, are directly connected with the appearance and evolution of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy. This study reviews recent research on the link between gut microbiota and the brain, and microbiome’s role in shaping the development of the most common neurological and psychiatric illnesses. Moreover, special attention is paid to the use of probiotic formulations as a potential non-invasive therapeutic opportunity for prevention and management of neuropsychiatric-associated affections.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is still a common functional gastrointestinal disease that presents chronic abdominal symptoms but with a pathophysiology that is not yet fully elucidated. Moreover, the use of the synergistic combination of prebiotics and probiotics, known as synbiotics, for IBS therapy is still in the early stages. Advancements in technology led to determining the important role played by probiotics in IBS, whereas the present paper focuses on the detailed review of the various pathophysiologic mechanisms of action of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics via multidisciplinary domains involving the gastroenterology (microbiota modulation, alteration of gut barrier function, visceral hypersensitivity, and gastrointestinal dysmotility) immunology (intestinal immunological modulation), and neurology (microbiota–gut–brain axis communication and co-morbidities) in mitigating the symptoms of IBS. In addition, this review synthesizes literature about the mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of prebiotics and synbiotics for patients with IBS, discussing clinical studies testing the efficiency and outcomes of synbiotics used as therapy for IBS.

The consumer’s shift toward natural and superior foodstuffs for healthier lifestyles has become more popular, with a focus on whole-grain cereals, fruit, and vegetable consumption. According to FAO, the third part of the nourishment produced globally for human feeding is wasted, with 39% of wastage occurring in the food manufacturing industry. The resulted by-products still consist of various bioactive complexes postprocessing, such as macronutrients (e.g., proteins and carbohydrates) and phytochemicals (polyphenols and carotenoids); therefore their reutilization in gastronomy is very promising. In view of these considerations, one approach is to create new types of tasty and safe recipes that meet the demands of the modernist kitchen. The real challenge in obtaining food molecular recipes is the valorization of the by-products derived from the food processing industry, making use of specific molecular gastronomy techniques, a subject tackled in this chapter.

In the current work the physicochemical features of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) biofilms, enriched with eco-friendly polyols and with carotenoid-rich extracts, were investigated. The polyols, such as glycerol (Gly), 1,3-propanediol (PDO), and 2,3-butanediol (BDO) were used as plasticizers and the tomato-based pigments (TP) as coloring agents. The outcomes showed that &beta, carotene was the major carotenoid in the TP (1.605 mg &beta, carotene/100 DW), which imprinted the orange color to the biofilms. The flow behavior indicated that with the increase of shear rate the viscosity of biofilm solutions also increased until 50 s&minus, 1, reaching values at 37 &deg, C of approximately 9 &plusmn, 0.5 mPa&middot, s for PVOH, and for PVOH+TP, 14 &plusmn, s in combination with Gly, PDO, and BDO. The weight, thickness, and density of samples increased with the addition of polyols and TP. Biofilms with TP had lower transparency values compared with control biofilms (without vegetal pigments). The presence of BDO, especially, but also of PDO and glycerol in biofilms created strong bonds within the PVOH matrix by increasing their mechanical resistance. The novelty of the present approach relies on the replacement of synthetic colorants with natural pigments derived from agro-industrial by-products, and the use of a combination of biodegradable polymers and polyols, as an integrated solution for packaging application in the bioplastic industry.

Fruits and vegetables are essential for human nutrition, delivering a substantial proportion of vitamins, minerals, and fibers in our daily diet. Unfortunately, half the fruits and vegetables produced worldwide end up as wastes, generating environmental issues caused mainly by microbial degradation. Most wastes are generated by industrial processing, the so-called by-products. These by-products still contain many bioactive compounds post-processing, such as macronutrients (proteins and carbohydrates) and phytochemicals (polyphenols and carotenoids). Recently, the recovery of these bioactive compounds from industry by-products has received significant attention, mainly due to their possible health benefits for humans. This chapter focuses on the bioactive potential of fruit and vegetable by-products with possible applications in the food industry (functional foods) and in the health sector (nutraceuticals).

The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of five vegetable oils exposed to high temperatures for a short time interval. Sunflower, rapeseed, maize, palm, and coconut oils, which are largely used for food thermal preparation, were heated for 30 min at 180 °C and analyzed before and after heating in terms of viscosity, Acid value, Peroxide value, density, and fatty acids profile. The rheological measurements showed raised values for the viscosity, shear rates, and densities after the heat exposure for all investigated samples. Moreover, thermo-oxidative modifications considering the Acid value and Peroxide content showed increased values above the recommended limits (0.6 mg KOH/g oil and 10 mEqO2/kg oil) for the investigated oils, excepting the rapeseed oil which was within the limits of the Acid values (0.26 mg KOH/g rapeseed oil). The percentage of the unsaturated fatty acids was influenced by the heat exposure in all samples. The formation of trans fatty acids was visible in all samples (by FTIR at 962 cm-1) excepting the coconut oil. In conclusion, short-time exposure at high temperatures can impact negatively the physicochemical properties of sunflower, rapeseed, maize, palm, and coconut oils.

Fruit and vegetable by-products are in general thrown away and can cause environmental problems, even though they are a valuable source of bioactive compounds, which may be used for innovative food production.The present work focused on achieving a new type of dessert, a “Sweetburger”, by restructuring its molecular components with the aid of molecular gastronomy techniques and using agro-industrial wastes (beetroot and sour cherry pulp and peels, melon pomace). The innovative dessert has been obtained and the bioactive compounds contained in the agro-industrial wastes have been characterized using the HPLC method, Folin-Ciocalteu and spectrophotometry. The total polyphenol content from sour cherries waste was significant, 508,9 mg gallic acid/100 g. The total anthocyanin content from beetroot pulp was 0,117 mg/ 100 g.

During biodiesel production, massive amounts of raw glycerol are created generating an environmental issue and the same time an increase of biodiesel production cost at the same time. This raw glycerol could be converted by specific strains into value-added products, like 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD), an important monomer used in the synthesis of biodegradable polyesters.The present work is based on recent scientific articles and experimental studies on the targeted topic, namely on the use of bacterial strains for bioconversion of biodiesel-derived glycerol into valuable products, like 1,3-PD. Concentrations, yields and productivity of 1,3-PD are presented for various bacterial strains. Important results as respects the microbial bioconversion of biodiesel-derived glycerol into 1,3-PD were registered for strains like Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii, Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus diolivorans.From this study can be concluded that waste glycerol may be used as a nutrient source for microbial development and the production of 1,3-propanediol with high concentrations and yields.

Fruits and vegetables are essential for human nutrition, delivering a substantial proportion of vitamins, minerals, and fibers in our daily diet. Unfortunately, half the fruits and vegetables produced worldwide end up as wastes, generating environmental issues caused mainly by microbial degradation. Most wastes are generated by industrial processing, the so-called by-products. These by-products still contain many bioactive compounds post-processing, such as macronutrients (proteins and carbohydrates) and phytochemicals (polyphenols and carotenoids). Recently, the recovery of these bioactive compounds from industry by-products has received significant attention, mainly due to their possible health benefits for humans. This chapter focuses on the bioactive potential of fruit and vegetable by-products with possible applications in the food industry (functional foods) and in the health sector (nutraceuticals).

Nanotechnology and nanoscience have conquered many research fields by giving new and sustainable solutions to the world evolution. Nanoparticles are valuable, ultrafine structures with multiple applications that can be synthesized and designed by means of physical-chemical processes, or through natural means by using microbial strains. Regardless of the obtaining process, nanoparticles have multiple applications, for example, they play an essential role in the viability and the removal process of the microbial entities. Noble metal nanoparticles like gold, silver, and platinum have been the most exploited nanostructures along the history, especially in the biomedical field, and still are employed as valuable bio-structures that are able to eradicate the microbial threats. The present work overviews the features of nanoparticles synthesized by specific microorganisms and have biomedical applicability, and/or synthesized for the removal of microorganisms. The antimicrobial activity of the noble metal nanoparticles, oxide nanoparticles, and other metal nanoparticles are described along with their mechanisms of action. Several aspects of the bio-nanomaterials (nanocomposites) are discussed, along with the possibility of the pathogen removal from different environments by virtue of nanotechnology. A general conclusion of this work is that nanoparticles represent important structures which can be effectively engineered for multiple purposes and have considerable perspectives through expanding the functionality of metal oxides by cross-linking, such as in the removal of microbial entities from different environments.

Background Despite being a well-known human pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae plays a significant role in the biotechnology field, being considered as a microbial cell factory in terms of valuable chemicals biosynthesis. In fermentation processes, K. pneumoniae is mostly used to biosynthesize 1,3-propanediol (PDO), a very important intermediate compound utilized in the biodegradable bioplastics industry. This strain owns the ability to metabolize glycerol and to produce PDO under both aerobic and anaerobic circumstances, and under low oscillations of pH. Results In this work, we investigated the K. pneumoniae strain DSMZ 2026 in batch bioreactor cultivation. The bacterial strain was inoculated in 2 L culture broth containing 43.5 g·L- 1 main substrate and the pH was adjusted at 7 at the beginning of the process. After 12 h of batch cultivation, the pH values decreased to 4.77, and we obtained 51 g·L-1 wet biomass, 17 g·L-1 PDO, while the starting substrate reached 15 g·L- 1. The morphology of K. pneumoniae cells was analyzed on both solid and liquid media, by being identified large mucoid colonies on Columbia agar, and individual and grouped cells were observed by methyl blue staining. Conclusion From this study it can be concluded that K. pneumoniae can grow successfully in mineral broth under anaerobic environment and low decrease of pH, and can biosynthesize valuable chemicals like PDO.

An alternative therapy to diarrhoeal episodes induced by E. coli is represented by probiotic strains (e.g Lactobacillus), which are able to maintain the gut micro-flora in optimal parameters. This work highlights the inhibitory potential of probiotics (L. plantarum ATCC 8014) over the enteropathogenic bacteria like E. coli ATCC 25922. For this study we co-incubated L. plantarum with E. coli in MRS broth at different concentrations (109, 108 CFU/mL – L. plantarum with 105, 104 CFU/mL – E. coli, 4 groups) for 24, 48 and 72h at 37oC. After co-incubation, E. coli colonies developed on Levine media were counted towards the control. E. coli colonies decreased after 48 and 72h of co-incubation with L. plantarum. Also, was noticed that L. plantarum (108 CFU/mL) completely inhibits E. coli (104 CFU/mL) after 72h of co-incubation. This work proves the inhibitory potential of probiotic strains (L. plantarum ATCC 8014) against enteropathogenic bacteria (E. coli ATCC 25922).

The present work aims to highlight the functional beverage sector as nowadays consumers are more health conscious and interested in the active role of food to prevent lifestyle diseases which are menacing the wellness of society. The development of new probiotic nondiary functional beverages with an inflated demand from the lactose-intolerant and vegetarian population is in vogue. Therefore, an emerging trend with respect of designing a probiotic beverage is fortification with selected strains having a positive impact on gastrointestinal health, targeting the irritable bowel syndrome. The presence of bioactive molecules, such as fatty acids and phenolic compounds, in agro-industrial waste makes fruit and vegetable leftovers more valuable for the food industry. Fruits and vegetables contain bioactive compounds that impart health benefits beyond basic nutrition. These wastes are rich in bioactive compounds and can thus be improved and incorporated into food supplements.

Active films were prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) blended with itaconic acid (Ia), and with chitosan (Ch), enriched with tomato processing by-products extract (TBE) in order to develop new bioactive formulations for food packaging. The effects of two biopolymers (Ch, Ia) and of the incorporated TBE&mdash, containing phenolic compounds and carotenoids&mdash, were studied regarding the physical and antimicrobial properties of films, in addition, their influence on the total phenolic content, viscosity, and flow behavior on the film-forming solutions was investigated. The results showed increased physical properties (diameter, thickness, density, weight) of the films containing the TBE versus their control. TBE and Ch conferred significant antimicrobial effects to PVA films toward all the tested microorganisms, whereas the best inhibition was registered against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of &lt, 0.078 mg DW/mL. The Ia-PVA films also exhibited some antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa (2.5 mg DW/mL). The total phenolic content of the film-forming solutions presented the highest values for the TBE and Ch-added PVA samples (0.208 mg gallic acid/100 mL film-forming solution). These results suggest that the PVA + Ch film containing TBE can be used for the development of intelligent and active food packaging materials.

Despite being a well-known human pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae plays a significant role in the biotechnology field, being considered as a microbial cell factory in terms of valuable chemical biosynthesis. In this work, Klebsiella pneumoniae DSMZ 2026 was investigated for its potential to biosynthesize 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and 2,3-butanediol (BDO) during batch fermentation under controlled and uncontrolled pH levels. The bacterial strain was cultivated at a bioreactor level, and it was inoculated in 2 L of specific mineral broth containing 50 g/L of glycerol as the main carbon source. The process was conducted under anaerobic conditions at 37 &deg, C and 180 RPM (rotations per minute) for 24 h. The effect of pH oscillation on the biosynthesis of PDO and BDO was investigated. Samples were taken every 3 h and specific tests were performed: pH measurement, main substrate consumption, PDO and BDO production. The cell morphology was analyzed on both solid and liquid media. After 24 h of cultivation, the maximum concentrations of PDO and BDO were 28.63 &plusmn, 2.20 g/L and 18.10 &plusmn, 1.10 g/L when the pH value was maintained at 7. Decreased concentrations of PDO and BDO were achieved (11.08 &plusmn, 0.14 g/L and 7.35 &plusmn, 0.00 g/L, respectively) when the pH level was not maintained at constant values. Moreover, it was identified the presence of other metabolites (lactic, citric, and succinic acids) in the cultivation media at the beginning of the process, after 12 h and 24 h of cultivation.

This study focused on the deposition of indium-doped zinc oxide (IZO) films at high growth rates by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. We investigated the influence of processing parameters, such as temperature and solution flow rate, on the structural, optical, and electrical film properties. For all depositions, low-cost and low-toxicity aqueous solutions and metal salt precursors were used. Through the optimization of the spraying parameters and pattern, a spatially homogeneous IZO layer with transparency greater than 80%, resistivity of 3.82 &times, 10&minus, 3 Ω&middot, cm for a thickness of 1800 nm (sheet resistance of 21.2 Ω/sq), Hall carrier density of 1.36 &times, 1020 cm&minus, 3, Hall mobility of 12.01 cm2 V&minus, 1 s&minus, 1, and work function of 4.4 eV was obtained. These films are suitable for implementation in optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices.

The aim of this study was to encapsulate the oleoresins rich in carotenoids extracted from sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) fruits into a blend of sodium-alginate and κ-carrageenan microbeads (2% w/v) coated by a sodium-alginate (2% w/v) layer prepared using an ionotropic gelation technique with calcium chloride (2% w/v) by dropping method. The fresh obtained coated microbeads had a “fried eggs„ like appearance with a size distribution ranging from 4 to 6 mm. The coated microbeads were analyzed for their SEM and fluorescence. The encapsulation efficiency was 92%. Their stability was investigated by evaluation of the physical integrity performance in aqueous media with different pH to mimic the gastrointestinal tract for 24 h at 37 °C under laboratory conditions. The results demonstrated the limitation of the coated microbeads swelling ability under pH 7. The coated microbeads could be a good tool to guarantee oleoresins rich in carotenoids stability and colon delivery. The present study shows an attractive encapsulation system of oleoresins, in order to obtain stable products for further applications.