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Glucose detection is critical in clinical health and the food industry, particularly in the diagnosis of blood sugar levels. Carbon‐based fiber materials have recently featured prominently as non‐enzymatic electrochemical glucose detectors. Herein, cobalt‐based ferrite (CoFe2O4) in the form of nanoparticles has been successfully fabricated over the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) fiber via a simple hydrothermal process. Fabricated microelectrode (CoFe2O4@CNTs) was investigated as an electrocatalyst toward the non‐enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors. The structure and morphology of the modified fiber were studied by scanning electron microscopy including energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. The electrochemical capability of the microelectrode was analyzed by using different electrochemical techniques including cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The proposed sensors exhibited a superb sensitivity of 0.21 µAcm−2 mM−1, a good linear range from 1 to 9 mM, and a lower detection limit of 1.7 mM. Further investigation via EIS indicated the low charge transfer resistance as compared to the bare CNTs‐based fiber. Outcomes revealed that the material can potentially prove promising for the disposable microelectrode toward electrochemical glucose sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim to establish clean and sustainable sludge treatment, green conditioning using natural flocculants has recently gained a growing interest. In this study, a variety of plant materials, namely Moringa (Moringa oleifera) seeds, Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds, Potato (Solanum tuberosum) peels, Aloe (Aloe vera) leaves, Cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) cladodes, and Phragmites (Phragmites australis) stems, were evaluated for their potential bioflocculant activity in conditioning sewage sludge. They were thoroughly characterized to determine their active flocculating compounds. Sludge dewaterability was evaluated by assessing various sludge parameters, including specific resistance to filtration (SRF), dryness of filtration cake (DC), and total suspended solid removal (TSS) from sludge filtrate. The collected results from various physicochemical characterizations of plant materials suggest that the main flocculating agents are carbohydrates in Cactus and Fenugreek and proteins in Moringa, Potato, and Phragmites. Additionally, all tested plant-based flocculants demonstrated effective dewatering performance. Interestingly, compared to the chemical flocculant polyaluminum chloride, Moringa and Cactus showed superior conditioning effects, yielding the lowest SRF values and the highest DC. As a result, the use of these natural flocculants improved sewage sludge filterability, leading to a significant removal of total suspended solids from the filtrate. The conditioning properties of Moringa and Cactus can be attributed to their high protein and sugar content, which facilitates the effective separation of bound water from solids through charge neutralization and bridging mechanisms. Thus, green conditioning using plant-based flocculants, particularly Moringa and Cactus materials, presents a promising and eco-friendly approach to enhance sewage sludge dewatering for safer disposal and valorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pelargonium plants are very popular and well-known for their essential oils (EOs), which are used for medicinal purposes and in food. This study focused on the EO of Pelargonium odoratissimum. First, its composition and antioxidant and antimicrobial activity were evaluated, and finally, its efficacy as a natural preservative in ground beef was tested. The main EO constituents were citronellol (40.0%), nerol (15.3%), and citronellyl formate (12.6%). The antibacterial activity of POEO showed that Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 was the most susceptible strain compared to the other eight strains tested. The antioxidant activity, as measured by the DPPH assay, showed a dose-dependent effect with an IC50 comparable to the standard used, gallic acid. Aerobic plate count, psychotropic bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae, including Salmonella, were reduced by the addition of Pelargonium odoratissimum essential oils. The oxidative stability was significantly improved compared to the untreated sample. Additionally, the results for metmyoglobin demonstrated a notable preservative effect on sensory properties, including appearance, odor, color, and overall acceptability. The ability to discriminate between all samples and correlate protein and lipid oxidation processes, microbiological characteristics, and sensory measurements was made possible by principal component analysis and heat maps. This research shows the potential benefits of using POEO in the preservation of ground beef by effectively extending shelf life and improving product safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne infections caused by microbes are a serious health risk. Regarding this, customer preferences for "ready-to-eat" or minimally processed (MP) deer meat are one of the main risk factors. Given the health dangers associated with food, essential oil (EO) is a practical substitute used to decrease pathogenic germs and extend the shelf-life of MP meals. Nonetheless, further data regarding EO use in MP meals are required. In order to evaluate new, safer alternatives to chemicals for disease control and food preservation, this research was carried out in the following areas to assess the antibacterial and antibiofilm characteristics of Thymus serpyllum (TSEO) essential oil, which is extracted from dried flowering stalks. Furthermore, this study applied an essential oil of wild thyme and inoculated the sous vide deer meat with Pseudomonas aeruginosa for seven days at 4 °C in an effort to prolong its shelf-life. Against P. aeruginosa, the essential oil exhibited potent antibacterial action. The findings of the minimal biofilm inhibition concentration (MBIC) crystal violet test demonstrated the substantial antibiofilm activity of the TSEO. The TSEO modified the protein profiles of bacteria on glass and plastic surfaces, according to data from MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Moreover, it was discovered that P. aeruginosa was positively affected by the antibacterial properties of TSEO. The anti-Pseudomonas activity of the TSEO was marginally higher in vacuum-packed sous vide red deer meat samples than in control samples. The most frequently isolated species from sous vide deer meat, if we do not consider the applied bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were P. fragi, P. lundensis, and P. taetrolens. These results highlight the antibacterial and antibiofilm qualities of TSEO, demonstrating its potential for food preservation and extending the shelf-life of deer meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils (EOs) from various medicinal and aromatic plants are known for their diverse biological activities, including their antimicrobial effects. Citrus aurantium EO is traditionally used for therapeutic benefits due to its high content of bioactive compounds. Therefore, this study focuses on its potential use as a food preservative by investigating the combined antibacterial properties of EOs from leaves (EO1), flowers (EO2), and small branches (EO3) of Citrus aurantium against six bacterial strains by the agar disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) methods. The chemical compositions of the EOs were analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and revealed the presence of numerous compounds responsible for their antimicrobial properties. The MIC values for the EOs were 3.12 mg/mL, 4.23 mg/mL, and 1.89 mg/mL, for EO1, EO2 and EO3, respectively, while the MBC values were 12.5 mg/mL, 6.25 mg/mL, and 6.25 mg/mL, respectively. A simplex centroid design was created to analyse the effect of the individual and combined EOs against E. coli. The combined EOs showed enhanced antibacterial activity compared to the individual oils, suggesting a synergistic effect (e.g., trial 9 with an MIC of 0.21 mg/mL), allowing the use of lower EO concentrations and reducing potential negative effects on food flavour and aroma. Additionally, the practical application of investigated EOs (at concentrations twice the MIC) was investigated in raw chicken meat stored at 4 °C for 21 days. The EOs, individually and in combination, effectively extended the shelf life of the meat by inhibiting bacterial growth (total bacterial count of less than 1 × 104 CFU/g in the treated samples compared to 7 × 107 CFU/g in the control on day 21 of storage). The study underlines the potential of C. aurantium EOs as natural preservatives that represent a sustainable and effective alternative to synthetic chemicals in food preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their several nutritional and functional properties, local products, such as carob, have been underexploited in Tunisia. In the context of valorization of these resources, the current study investigates the use of carob as a functional ingredient on physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of new dietary carob-based ice cream. Following preliminary tests, eight different samples were initially produced which differ by the amount of added carob. The mixture plan of the optimized formula was then determined according to 5 responses: flavour, odour, overall acceptability, antioxidant activity and viscosity of the ice cream. The addition of carob gave the ice cream nutritional and energy boosting values without being too caloric (153.12 kcal/100g) and with no added sugar. The optimized formula with 3.6 % of fat content makes it fall to the dietetic products category. Moreover, the addition of carob gave the ice cream antioxidant properties which is manifested by an antiradical activity of the order of 91.01% and a total antioxidant activity equal to 44.72mg EAA/g DM. Viscosity and microbiological properties were not affected by the use of carob which meets the prescribed standards of ice creams. This successful preparation of high-quality nutritional and functional carob-based ice cream had a positive response on sensory level, and it had natural dark tint and fragrance without any added chemicals. Therefore, the incorporation of carob significantly improved the functional, nutritional, physicochemical, rheological, and organoleptic quality of the obtained product, stabilizing its microbial quality and viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α‐Pinene, α‐terpineol, and 1,8‐cineole are compounds naturally present in essential oils, although their amounts vary from oil to oil. Although several studies have reported their antibacterial and antioxidant effects, there are few reports on the synergistic or antagonistic effects of their combinations. The objective of this study was to investigate the combined antibacterial effect of these three compounds. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the prediction of their optimal combination using the mixture design approach. The experimental antibacterial activity of the α‐pinene, α‐terpineol, and 1,8‐cineole mixtures depended on the proportion of each compound in the mixture and the target strain, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 0.31 to 1.85 mg/mL. Using the increased simplex‐centroid mixture design, the mixture containing 0.33% of each molecule proved to be the most effective against Bacillus cereus and had the lowest MIC values. In addition, α‐pinene, α‐terpineol, and 1,8‐cineole showed significant antioxidant activity against 2,2‐picryl‐1‐hydrazyl radical (DPPH), with IC50 values of 24.53 ± 0.05, 65.63 ± 0.71, and 63.58 ± 0.01 μg/mL, respectively. Statistical planning and the development of utility profiles of the substance mixtures can predict the optimal composition that will exhibit the highest antibacterial activity against B. cereus as well as antioxidant properties. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of the mixtures can contribute significantly to their successful use as natural preservatives in various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]