Physicochemical Properties and Antioxidant Activity of Spray-Dry Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var Italica) Stalk and Floret Juice Powders

This research presents the microencapsulation and conservation of antioxidants of broccoli juice processed by spray drying, and proposes the use of a by-product as a technological application. Broccoli juice (BJ) extracted from two sources, stalks and florets, was spray-dried employing maltodextrin (MX) as a carrier agent at concentrations of 5, 7.5, and 10%, and inlet temperatures of 150 and 220 °C. The total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AA) of the BJ-MX powders were determined together with the physicochemical characteristics, including particle morphology, microstructure, and thermal properties. Based on the TPC and AA, the optimal processing conditions found were 5% of MX and a drying temperature of 220 °C. However, the florets showed higher TPC, while stalks presented higher AA under those processing conditions. The particles exhibited micrometric sizes and a mixture of spherical-shape particles and pseudo-spherical particles. The diffractograms indicated an amorphous microstructure in all samples. The glass transition temperature (Tg) was determined in the range of 50 °C for the samples dried at 150 °C and 55 °C for those dried at 220 °C. This suggested that powders might be stored at temperatures below the Tg without presenting any loss of antioxidants.     

High Pressure Processing Impact on Alternariol and Aflatoxins of Grape Juice and Fruit Juice-Milk Based Beverages

High-pressure processing (HPP) has emerged over the last 2 decades as a good alternative to traditional thermal treatment for food safety and shelf-life extension, supplying foods with similar characteristics to those of fresh products. Currently, HPP has also been proposed as a useful tool to reduce food contaminants, such as pesticides and mycotoxins. The aim of the present study is to explore the effect of HPP technology at 600 MPa during 5 min at room temperature on alternariol (AOH) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) mycotoxins reduction in different juice models. The effect of HPP has also been compared with a thermal treatment performed at 90 °C during 21 s. For this, different juice models, orange juice/milk beverage, strawberry juice/milk beverage and grape juice, were prepared and spiked individually with AOH and AFB1 at a concentration of 100 µg/L. After HPP and thermal treatments, mycotoxins were extracted from treated samples and controls by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) and determined by HPLC-MS/MS-IT. The results obtained revealed reduction percentages up to 24% for AFB1 and 37% for AOH. Comparing between different juice models, significant differences were observed for AFB1 residues in orange juice/milk versus strawberry juice/milk beverages after HPP treatment. Moreover, HPP resulted as more effective than thermal treatment, being an effective tool to incorporate to food industry in order to reach mycotoxins reductions.     

Preliminary Evaluation of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extracted Dabai Pulp Oleoresin as a New Alternative Fat

There has been growing interest among food scientists in producing a toxin-free fat as an end product with varying physical or nutritional properties of interest to the food industry. Oleoresin is a rich source of bioactive compounds which consumers can easily add to a large variety of food. Dabai (Canarium odontophyllum) pulp oleoresin (DPL) was extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) extraction, a green extraction technology. This study investigates the quality of SC-CO₂ extracted DPL in discovering its potential as a new alternative fat. The extraction experiment was carried out at a pressure of 40 MPa and a temperature of 40 °C. DPL is a saturated fatty acid (SFA)-rich fat due to its high SFA composition (47.72 ± 0.01%). In addition, the low content of peroxide value (PV) (5.60 ± 0.09 mEq/kg) and free fatty acids (FFA) (3.40 ± 0.03%) indicate the quality and stability of DPL for various applications besides food consumption. DPL also has a low slip melting point (SMP) (20.20 ± 0.03 °C), and HPLC-FID revealed that DPL contained 0.13 ± 0.02 mg/100 g of vitamin E (α-tocopherol), indicating its potential application as a solid fat with a bioactive compound. This present work demonstrates the possible prospect of DPL in the formulation of end products for food industries.     

A Pilot-Scale Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction to Valorize Colombian Mango Seed Kernel

Colombian mango production, which exceeded 261,000 t in 2020, generates about 40% of the whole fruit as solid waste, of which more than 50% are seed kernels (over 52,000 t solid by-product); though none is currently used for commercial purposes. This study reports the results of the supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) extraction of an oil rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs) from revalorized mango seed kernels and the optimization of the process by the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). In pilot-scale scCO₂ experiments, pressure (23–37 MPa) and temperature (52–73 °C) were varied, using 4.5 kg of CO₂. The highest experimental oil extraction yield was 83 g/kg (37 MPa and 63 °C); while RSM predicted that 84 g/kg would be extracted at 35 MPa and 65 °C. Moreover, by fine-tuning pressure and temperature it was possible to obtain an EFA-rich lipid fraction in linoleic (37 g/kg) and α-linolenic (4 g/kg) acids, along with a high oleic acid content (155 g/kg), by using a relatively low extraction pressure (23 MPa), which makes the process a promising approach for the extraction of oil from mango waste on an industrial scale, based on a circular economy model.     

Microwave-Assisted Defibrillation of Microalgae

The first production of defibrillated celluloses from microalgal biomass using acid-free, TEMPO-free and bleach-free hydrothermal microwave processing is reported. Two routes were explored: i. direct microwave process of native microalgae (“standard”), and ii. scCO₂ pre-treatment followed by microwave processing. ScCO₂ was investigated as it is commonly used to extract lipids and generates considerable quantities of spent algal biomass. Defibrillation was evidenced in both cases to afford cellulosic strands, which progressively decreased in their width and length as the microwave processing temperature increased from 160 °C to 220 °C. Lower temperatures revealed aspect ratios similar to microfibrillated cellulose whilst at the highest temperature (220 °C), a mixture of microfibrillated cellulose and nanocrystals were evidenced. XRD studies showed similar patterns to cellulose I but also some unresolved peaks. The crystallinity index (CrI), determined by XRD, increased with increasing microwave processing temperature. The water holding capacity (WHC) of all materials was approximately 4.5 g H₂O/g sample. The materials were able to form partially stable hydrogels, but only with those processed above 200 °C and at a concentration of 3 wt% in water. This unique work provides a new set of materials with potential applications in the packaging, food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.     

Supercritical CO2 Assisted Impregnation of Ibuprofen on Medium-Chain-Length Polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHA)

In this work, we propose the utilization of scCO₂ to impregnate ibuprofen into the mcl-PHA matrix produced by Pseudomonas chlororaphis subs. aurantiaca (DSM 19603). The biopolymer has adhesive properties, is biocompatible and has a melting temperature of 45 °C. Several conditions, namely, pressure (15 and 20 MPa) and impregnation time (30 min, 1 h and 3 h) were tested. The highest ibuprofen content (90.8 ± 6.5 mg of ibuprofen/g_PHA) was obtained at 20 MPa and 40 °C, for 1 h, with an impregnation rate of 89 mg/(g·h). The processed mcl-PHA samples suffered a plasticization, as shown by the decrease of 6.5 °C in the T_g, at 20 MPa. The polymer’s crystallinity was also affected concomitantly with the matrices’ ibuprofen content. For all the impregnation conditions tested the release of ibuprofen from the biopolymer followed a type II release profile. This study has demonstrated that the mcl-PHA produced by P. chlororaphis has a great potential for the development of novel topical drug delivery systems.     

Effect of CO2 Flow Rate on the Extraction of Astaxanthin and Fatty Acids from Haematococcus pluvialis Using Supercritical Fluid Technology

Haematococcus pluvialis is the largest producer of natural astaxanthin in the world. Astaxanthin is a bioactive compound used in food, feed, nutraceutics, and cosmetics. In this study, astaxanthin extraction from H. pluvialis by supercritical fluid extraction was evaluated. The effects of temperature (40 and 50 °C), pressure (40 and 50 MPa), and CO₂ flow rate (2 and 4 L/min) were investigated. The results showed that the highest astaxanthin recovery was obtained at 50 °C/50 MPa and the CO₂ flow rates evaluated had no significant effect. It was possible to achieve astaxanthin recoveries of 95% after 175 min for a CO₂ flow rate of 2 L/min, and 95 min for CO₂ flow rate of 4 L/min. The ω-6/ω-3 ratios obtained were similar in all conditions, reaching 0.87, demonstrating that the extracts from H. pluvialis by SFE are rich in unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) which increases their positive effects when used as a functional ingredient in food.     

Physicochemical and Quality Properties of Dried Courgette Slices: Impact of Vacuum Impregnation and Drying Methods

The aim of this study was to determine the effects that the type of impregnating solution and drying method (freeze drying (FD) and vacuum drying (VD) at 45 °C and convective drying (CD) at 50, 60, and 70 °C) had on the physicochemical and quality properties of courgettes. Courgette slices were vacuum-impregnated (6 kPa) in freshly squeezed onion, kale, and onion and kale (50:50) juices with 3% NaCl solution (N). The application of vacuum impregnation (VI) with impregnating solutions from freshly squeezed onions and kale had a beneficial effect on the bioactive values of courgette. The highest contents of quercetin (41.84 μg/g d.m.) and carotenoids (276.04 μg/g d.m.) were found in courgette impregnated with onion juice after freeze drying. The highest values of lutein and zeaxanthin (216.42 μg/g d.m.) were recorded for courgette impregnated with kale juice and convective dried. By analysing the kinetics of convective drying, the best matching of the logistic model was found. Increasing the drying process temperature from 50 to 70 °C reduced the drying time from 15% to 36%, depending on the type of impregnating solution used. Water activity < 0.6 was recorded for courgette dried by freezing, vacuum, and convection at 60 and 70 °C. Conclusions: The vacuum impregnation process and the impregnation solutions from freshly squeezed vegetables can be used to develop new snacks with high levels of bioactive compounds. The FD method is the most appropriate considering both the bioactive compounds content and the obtained colour and water activity.     

Characterization of Betabel Extract (Beta vulgaris) Encapsulated with Maltodextrin and Inulin

Betalains are powerful antioxidants contained in beets. These are divided into betacyanins (red-violet) and betaxanthins (yellow-orange), and they can be used as natural colorants in the food industry. The effects of freeze-drying pure beet juice (B) and the encapsulation of beet juice with a dextrose equivalent (DE) 10 maltodextrin (M) and agave inulin (I) as carrier agents were evaluated. The powders showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in all the variables analyzed: water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), glass transition temperature (T_g), total betalains (TB), betacyanins (BC), betaxanthins (BX), total polyphenols (TP), antioxidant activity (AA, via 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) (ABTS), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)) and total protein concentration (TPC). The highest values of antioxidant activity were found in the non-encapsulated beet powder, followed by the powder encapsulated with maltodextrin and, to a lesser extent, the powder encapsulated with inulin. The glass transition temperature was 61.63 °C for M and 27.59 °C for I. However, for B it was less than 18.34 °C, which makes handling difficult. Encapsulation of beet extract with maltodextrin and inulin by lyophilization turned out to be an efficient method to increase solubility and diminish hygroscopicity.     

Influence of Material Properties on the Damage-Reporting and Self-Healing Performance of a Mechanically Active Dynamic Network Polymer in Coating Applications

We conducted a detailed investigation of the influence of the material properties of dynamic polymer network coatings on their self-healing and damage-reporting performance. A series of reversible polyacrylate urethane networks containing the damage-reporting diarylbibenzofuranone unit were synthesized, and their material properties (e.g., indentation modulus, hardness modulus, and glass-transition temperature) were measured conducting nanoindentation and differential scanning calorimetry experiments. The damage-reporting and self-healing performances of the dynamic polymer network coatings exhibited opposite tendencies with respect to the material properties of the polymer network coatings. Soft polymer network coatings with low glass-transition temperature (~10 °C) and indentation hardness (20 MPa) exhibited better self-healing performance (almost 100%) but two times worse damage-reporting properties than hard polymer network coatings with high glass-transition temperature (35~50 °C) and indentation hardness (150~200 MPa). These features of the dynamic polymer network coatings are unique; they are not observed in elastomers, films, and hydrogels, whereby the polymer networks are bound to the substrate surface. Evidence indicates that controlling the polymer’s physical properties is a key factor in designing high-performance self-healing and damage-reporting polymer coatings based on mechanophores.     

Ezetimibe-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carrier Based Formulation Ameliorates Hyperlipidaemia in an Experimental Model of High Fat Diet

Ezetimibe (EZE) possesses low aqueous solubility and poor bioavailability and in addition, its extensive hepatic metabolism supports the notion of developing a novel carrier system for EZE. Ezetimibe was encapsulated into nanostructured lipid carriers (EZE-NLCs) via a high pressure homogenization technique (HPH). A three factor, two level (2³) full factorial design was employed to study the effect of amount of poloxamer 188 (X1), pressure of HPH (X2) and number of HPH cycle (X3) on dependent variables. Particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), % entrapment efficiency (%EE), zeta potential, drug content and in-vitro drug release were evaluated. The optimized formulation displays pragmatic inferences associated with particle size of 134.5 nm; polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.244 ± 0.03; zeta potential of −28.1 ± 0.3 mV; % EE of 91.32 ± 1.8% and % CDR at 24-h of 97.11%. No interaction was observed after X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies. EZE-NLCs (6 mg/kg/day p.o.) were evaluated in the high fat diet fed rats induced hyperlipidemia in comparison with EZE (10 mg/kg/day p.o.). Triglyceride, HDL-c, LDL-c and cholesterol were significantly normalized and histopathological evaluation showed normal structure and architecture of the hepatocytes. The results demonstrated the superiority of EZE-NLCs in regard to bioavailability enhancement, dose reduction and dose-dependent side effects.     

Influence of Carbon Nanotubes on Phase Composition,Thermal and Post-Heating Behavior of Cementitious Composites

This paper experimentally investigates the influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on phase composition, microstructure deterioration, thermal behavior, and residual mechanical strengths of cementitious composites exposed to elevated temperatures. Cement mortars with small dosages of CNTs, 0.05% and 0.2% by weight of cement, were prepared and then heated at 25 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C, 450 °C, and 600 °C for two hours before being tested. The results show positive impact of the CNTs on the hydration process of cement mortar at room temperature and at higher temperatures up to 200 °C. Decomposition of the hydration products is obvious at 450 °C, whereas sever deterioration in the microstructure occurs at 600 °C. The nano reinforcement and bridging effect of the CNTs are obvious up to 450 °C. Thermal behavior characterization shows that CNTs incorporation enhances the thermal conductivity of the unheated and heat-treated mortar specimens. The decomposition of the hydration products needs more heat in the presence of CNTs. Finally, presence of CNTs significantly enhances the residual compressive and flexural strengths of heated mortar specimens for all studied temperatures.     

Improvement of Naturally Derived Food Colorant Performance with Efficient Pyranoanthocyanin Formation from Sambucus nigra Anthocyanins Using Caffeic Acid and Heat

Consumers and regulations encourage the use of naturally derived food colorants. Anthocyanins (ACN), plant pigments, are unstable in foods. In aged red wines, ACN with a free hydroxyl group at C-5 condenses to form pyranoanthocyanins (PACN), which are more stable but form inefficiently. This study attempted to produce PACN efficiently using high cofactor concentration and heat. Elderberry anthocyanins were semi-purified and caffeic acid (CA) was dissolved in 15% ethanol and diluted with a buffer to achieve ACN:CA molar ratios of 1:50, 1:100, 1:150, and 1:200, then incubated at 65 °C for 5 days. The effect of temperature was tested using ACN samples incubated with or without CA at 25 °C, 50 °C, and 75 °C for 7 days. Compositional changes were monitored using uHPLC-PDA-MS/MS. Higher CA levels seemed to protect pigment integrity, with ACN:CA 1:150 ratio showing the highest tinctorial strength after 48 h. PACN content growth was fastest between 24 and 48 h for all ACN:CA ratios and after 120 h, all ACN had degraded or converted to PACN. PACN formed faster at higher temperatures, reaching ~90% PACN in 24 h and ~100% PACN in 48 h at 75 °C. These results suggest that PACN can form efficiently from elderberry ACN and CA if heated to produce more stable pigments.     

Extraction Optimization of Astragaloside IV by Response Surface Methodology and Evaluation of Its Stability during Sterilization and Storage

Radix Astragali is referred to as a variety of food-medicine herb, and it is commonly applied as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, it is extremely difficult to extract its bio-active compounds (astragaloside IV) and apply it in food processing efficiently, which restricts its practical applications. In this study, the conditions required for the extraction of astragaloside IV were optimized by following the response surface methodology. More specifically, ammonia with a concentration of 24% was used as an extracting solvent, the solid–liquid ratio was 1:10 (w:v); the Radix Astragali was soaked at 25 °C for 120 min in advance and then stirred at 25 °C for 52 min (150 rpm) to extract astragaloside IV. This method promoted the transformation of other astragalosides into astragaloside IV and replaced the traditional approach for extraction, the solvent reflux extraction method. The yield of astragaloside IV reached the range of 2.621 ± 0.019 mg/g. In addition, the stability of astragaloside IV was evaluated by detecting its retention rate during sterilization and 60-day storage. As suggested by the results, the astragaloside IV in acidic, low-acidic, and neutral solutions was maintained above 90% after sterilization (95 °C and 60 min) but below 60% in an alkaline solution. High temperature and short-term sterilization approach is more appropriate for astragaloside IV in an alkaline solution. It was also found out that the astragaloside IV obtained using our method was maintained over 90% when stored at room temperature (25 °C), and there was no significant difference observed to low temperature (4 °C) in solutions regardless of acidity.     

Evaluation of Anthocyanin Content,Antioxidant Potential and Antimicrobial Activity of Black,Purple and Blue Colored Wheat Flour and Wheat-Grass Juice against Common Human Pathogens

The present study aimed to analyze the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of anthocyanins extracted from colored wheat flour and wheat-grass juice against human pathogens. The total anthocyanin content and antioxidant potential in colored wheat flour and wheat-grass juice extracts were significantly higher than white flour and wheat-grass juice extracts. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography showed the maximum number of anthocyanin peaks in black wheat, with delphinidin-3-o-galactoside chloride, delphinidin-3-o-glucoside chloride, and cyanindin-3-o-glucoside chloride as the major contributors. Among flour extracts, maximum zones of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 1934), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 1434), Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans (MTCC 227) were produced by black flour extract, having the highest anthocyanin content. It exhibited a minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC) of 200 mg/mL against E. coli and C. albicans; and 100 and 150 mg/mL against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Black and purple flour extracts exhibited a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 50 mg/mL against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. White flour extracts did not show MMC against E. coli and C. albicans. Among wheat-grass juice extracts, black wheat-grass was most effective and showed an MIC of 100–150 mg/mL against all pathogens. It exhibited an MMC of 200 mg/mL against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Hence, anthocyanin-rich colored wheat could be of nutraceutical importance.     

Sustainable Drying and Torrefaction Processes of Miscanthus for Use as a Pelletized Solid Biofuel and Biocarbon-Carrier for Fertilizers

Miscanthus is resistant to dry, frosty winters in Poland and most European Union countries. Miscanthus gives higher yields compared to native species. Farmers can produce Miscanthus pellets after drying it for their own heating purposes. From the third year, the most efficient plant development begins, resulting in a yield of 25–30 tons of dry matter from an area of 1 hectare. Laboratory scale tests were carried out on the processes of drying, compacting, and torrefaction of this biomass type. The analysis of the drying process was conducted at three temperature levels of the drying agent (60, 100, and 140 °C). Compaction on a hydraulic press was carried out in the pressure range characteristic of a pressure agglomeration (130.8–457.8 MPa) at different moisture contents of the raw material (0.5% and 10%). The main interest in this part was to assess the influence of drying temperature, moisture content, and compaction pressure on the specific densities (DE) and the mechanical durability of the pellets (DU). In the next step, laboratory analyses of the torrefaction process were carried out, initially using the Thermogravimetric Analysis TGA and Differential Scaning Calorimeter DSC techniques (to assess activation energy (EA)), followed by a flow reactor operating at five temperature levels (225, 250, 275, 300, and 525 °C). A SEM analysis of Miscanthus after torrefaction processes at three different temperatures was performed. Both the parameters of biochar (proximate and ultimate analysis) and the quality of the torgas (volatile organic content (VOC)) were analyzed. The results show that both drying temperature and moisture level will affect the quality of the pellets. Analysis of the torrefaction process shows clearly that the optimum process temperature would be around 300–340 °C from a mass loss ratio and economical perspective.     

Encapsulation of Vitamin E in Yogurt-Based Beverage Emulsions: Influence of Bulk Pasteurization and Chilled Storage on Physicochemical Stability and Starter Culture Viability

Yogurt is a nutritious food that is regularly consumed in many countries around the world and is widely appreciated for its organoleptic properties. Despite its contribution to human dietary requirements, yogurt in its traditional recipe is a poor source of fat-soluble vitamins. To respond to consumer demands and further increase the nutritional value of this product, this work aimed to fortify yogurt with vitamin E by using emulsification as the method of encapsulation. The effects of thermal processing and chilled storage on the physicochemical stability of the yogurt-based beverage was investigated. Vitamin E was only minorly affected by bulk pasteurization at 63 °C for 30 min and remained stable during storage at 4 °C for 28 days. Fortified samples showed increased in vitro antioxidant activity compared with non-fortified samples. Lactic acid bacterial counts were above the minimum recommended levels (>10⁶ cfu/g) after processing and storage. In conclusion, this work has demonstrated that emulsification can be an effective strategy for developing yogurt-based products fortified with fat soluble vitamins.     

Effect of CO2 Preservation Treatments on the Sensory Quality of Pomegranate Juice

Due to the interest in identifying cost-effective techniques that can guarantee the microbiological, nutritional, and sensorial aspects of food products, this study investigates the effect of CO₂ preservation treatment on the sensory quality of pomegranate juice at t₀ and after a conservation period of four weeks at 4 °C (t₂₈). The same initial batch of freshly squeezed non-treated (NT) juice was subjected to non-thermal preservation treatments with supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂), and with a combination of supercritical carbon dioxide and ultrasound (CO₂-US). As control samples, two other juices were produced from the same NT batch: A juice stabilized with high pressure treatment (HPP) and a juice pasteurized at high temperature (HT), which represent an already established non-thermal preservation technique and the conventional thermal treatment. Projective mapping and check-all-that-apply methodologies were performed to determine the sensory qualitative differences between the juices. The volatile profile of the juices was characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that juices treated with supercritical CO₂ could be differentiated from NT, mainly by the perceived odor and volatile compound concentration, with a depletion of alcohols, esters, ketones, and terpenes and an increase in aldehydes. For example, in relation to the NT juice, limonene decreased by 95% and 90%, 1-hexanol decreased by 9% and 17%, and camphene decreased by 94% and 85% in the CO₂ and CO₂-US treated juices, respectively. Regarding perceived flavor, the CO₂-treated juice was not clearly differentiated from NT. Changes in the volatile profile induced by storage at 4 °C led to perceivable differences in the odor quality of all juices, especially the juice treated with CO₂-US, which underwent a significant depletion of all major volatile compounds during storage. The results suggest that the supercritical CO₂ process conditions need to be optimized to minimize impacts on sensory quality and the volatile profile.     

Proteomics Analysis Reveals Altered Nutrients in the Whey Proteins of Dairy Cow Milk with Different Thermal Treatments

Thermal treatments of milk induce changes in the properties of milk whey proteins. The aim of this study was to investigate the specific changes related to nutrients in the whey proteins of dairy cow milk after pasteurization at 85 °C for 15 s or ultra-high temperature (UHT) at 135 °C for 15 s. A total of 223 whey proteins were confidently identified and quantified by TMT-based global discovery proteomics in this study. We found that UHT thermal treatment resulted in an increased abundance of 17 proteins, which appeared to show heat insensitivity. In contrast, 15 heat-sensitive proteins were decreased in abundance after UHT thermal treatment. Some of the heat-sensitive proteins were connected with the biological immune functionality, suggesting that UHT thermal treatment results in a partial loss of immune function in the whey proteins of dairy cow milk. The information reported here will considerably expand our knowledge about the degree of heat sensitivity in the whey proteins of dairy cow milk in response to different thermal treatments and offer a knowledge-based reference to aid in choosing dairy products. It is worth noting that the whey proteins (lactoperoxidase and lactoperoxidase) in milk that were significantly decreased by high heat treatment in a previous study (142 °C) showed no significant difference in the present study (135 °C). These results may imply that an appropriately reduced heating intensity of UHT retains the immunoactive proteins to the maximum extent possible.     

High-Pressure Processing and Ultrasonication of Minimally Processed Potatoes: Effect on the Colour,Microbial Counts,and Bioactive Compounds

HPP at 600 MPa alone, and in combination with US at 20 kHz (200 W), was applied to minimally processed potatoes of two commonly grown cultivars in Ireland. Changes in colour and microbial load (Enterobacteriaceae, total aerobic count, Salmonella, yeasts, and moulds) were monitored in vacuum-packaged potatoes during 14 days of storage at 4 °C. HPP and HPP/US significantly (p < 0.05) affected the colour parameters a*, b*, L*, and ΔE of minimally processed potatoes compared to the controls. Microbial growth was delayed in most of the treated samples with respect to those untreated (controls), while HPP completely inactivated Enterobacteriaceae in both cultivars. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activities were not altered in the treated samples of both varieties when compared to the controls. The levels of chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid were decreased after both treatments, with a significant (p < 0.05) increase in quinic acid in the treated samples as opposed to those untreated. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the levels of glycoalkaloids, namely α-chaconine and α-solanine, in HPP- and HPP/US-treated potatoes was also observed. These findings suggest that HPP and US can extend the shelf-life of minimally processed potatoes with a negligible impact on their antioxidant activity and phenolic content.