Bell Peppers (Capsicum annum L.) Losses and Wastes: Source for Food and Pharmaceutical Applications

Currently, the high added-value compounds contained in plant by-products and wastes offer a wide spectrum of opportunities for their reuse and valorization, contributing to the circular economy. The bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is an exotic vegetable with high nutritional value that, after processing, leaves wastes (peel, seeds, and leaves) that represent desirable raw material for obtaining phytochemical compounds. This review summarizes and discusses the relevant information on the phytochemical profile of bell peppers and their related biological properties as an alternative to revalorize losses and wastes from bell peppers for their application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Bell pepper fruits, seeds, and leaves contain bioactive compounds (phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, tocopherol, and pectic polysaccharides) that exhibit antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, immunosuppressive and immunostimulant properties, and antidiabetic, antitumoral and neuroprotective activities, and have a potential use as functional food additives. In this context, the revalorization of food waste is positioned as a technological and innovative research area with beneficial effects for the population, the economy, and the environment. Further studies are required to guarantee the safety use of these compounds and to understand their mechanisms of action.     

Antioxidant,Anti-Obesity,Nutritional and Other Beneficial Effects of Different Chili Pepper: A Review

Fruits and vegetables are important components of a healthy diet. They are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, dietary fibre and a host of beneficial non-nutrient substances including plant sterols, flavonoids and other antioxidants. It has been reported that reduced intake of fruits and vegetables may increase the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Chili pepper, is a common and important spice used to enhance taste and nutrition. Over the years, reports have shown its potential as antioxidant and an anti-obesity agent. Obesity is a serious health concern as it may initiate other common chronic diseases. Due to the side effects of synthetic antioxidants and anti-obesity drugs, scientists are now focusing on natural products which produce similar effects to synthetic chemicals. This up-to-date review addresses this research gap and presents, in an accessible format, the nutritional, antioxidant and anti-obesity properties of different chili peppers. This review article serves as a reference guide for use of chili peppers as anti-obesity agents.     

Hydroxytyrosol and Oleuropein-Enriched Extracts Obtained from Olive Oil Wastes and By-Products as Active Antioxidant Ingredients for Poly (Vinyl Alcohol)-Based Films

Oxidative stability of food is one of the most important parameters affecting integrity and consequently nutritional properties of dietary constituents. Antioxidants are widely used to avoid deterioration during transformation, packaging, and storage of food. In this paper, novel poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based films were prepared by solvent casting method adding an hydroxytyrosol-enriched extract (HTyrE) or an oleuropein-enriched extract (OleE) in different percentages (5, 10 and 20% w/w) and a combination of both at 5% w/w. Both extracts were obtained from olive oil wastes and by-products using a sustainable process based on membrane technologies. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of each sample carried out by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and nuclear resonance magnetic spectroscopy (NMR) proved that the main components were hydroxytyrosol (HTyr) and oleuropein (Ole), respectively, two well-known antioxidant bioactive compounds found in Olea europaea L. All novel formulations were characterized investigating their morphological, optical and antioxidant properties. The promising performances suggest a potential use in active food packaging to preserve oxidative-sensitive food products. Moreover, this research represents a valuable example of reuse and valorization of agro-industrial wastes and by-products according to the circular economy model.     

高效液相色谱整体柱技术研究进展

高效液相色谱整体柱作为一种新型的分离介质,由于其制备工艺简单、易于修饰改性和分离性能优异,近年来引起了人们的广泛关注。聚合物整体柱具有生物相容性好、柱效高、寿命长、选材范围广、重现性好及使用不受p H限制等优势,广泛应用于食品、化工、农业、环境及生物医学领域小分子化合物及蛋白质的分离和检测,显示出较好的应用前景。本文就近10年液相色谱整体柱的制备、改性方法及应用的研究成果进行综述,并对其在不同应用领域的发展前景作了展望。     

The influence of pre-treatment of Spartium junceum L. fibres on the structure and mechanical properties of PLA biocomposites

Different chemical pre-treatments of Spartium junceum L. fibres using alkali (NaOH), nanoclay (MMT) and Citric acid (CA) with the aim of producing biodegradable composite material are discussed. As environmental requirements in processing technologies have been higher in recent years, the Polylactic acid (PLA) is used in this research as a matrix, due to its renewability, biodegradability and biocompatibility. Biocomposites are prepared by reinforcing PLA with randomly oriented, short Spartium junceum L. fibres in order to increase material strength. The effects of different pre-treatments of Spartium junceum L. fibres on the mechanical properties of final biocomposite material are examined. Fibre tenacity is studied using Vibroscop and Vibrodyn devices. Tensile strength of biocomposite material was measured on the universal electromechanical testing machine Instron 5584. The results indicate that biocomposites reinforced with fibres modified with MMT and CA show upgraded mechanical properties of the final composite material in comparison with the composite materials reinforced with referenced (nontreated) fibres. Infrared spectra of tested fibres and biocomposites were determined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy using Attenuated total reflection (FT-IR ATR) sampling technique and the influence of fibre modifications on the fibre/polymer interfacial bonding was investigated. The interface of Spartium/PLA composites was observed with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and it was clearly visible that biocomposites reinforced with fibres modified by MMT and CA showed better interaction of fibres and matrix.     

Superhydrophobic surfaces from sustainable colloidal systems

In recent decades, sustainable superhydrophobic surfaces from natural materials and sustainable processes have attracted increased interest due to their lower environmental footprint and potential applications in self-cleaning surfaces and biomedical devices. Although there is significant progress on selecting suitable nano and micro particles to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces, a comprehensive review on the direct use of sustainable colloidal particles (SCPs) is lacking. In this review, we highlight the recent advances on sustainable superhydrophobic surfaces using SCPs. The composition and properties, extraction methods, and chemical modifications are described, including cellulose nanocrystals, chitin/chitosan nanoparticles, and lignin nanoparticles. In addition to the physico–chemical properties and tunable dimensionality, the fabrication methodologies of superhydrophobic surfaces using modified colloids are described. Finally, the potential applications of these sustainable superhydrophobic surfaces ranging from oil/water separation, biomedical, water harvesting, biofabrication, microfluidic reactor, and food packaging are discussed together with a future perspective on the advances made.     

Novel Gluten-Free Bread with an Extract from Flaxseed By-Product: The Relationship between Water Replacement Level and Nutritional Value,Antioxidant Properties,and Sensory Quality

The food industry generates a great amount of food waste and by-products, which in many cases are not fully valorized. Press cakes, deriving from oilseeds extraction, represent interesting co-products due to their nutritional value, high biopolymers content, and the presence of bioactive phytochemicals. Gluten-free breads (GFBs) are products that have disadvantages such as unsatisfactory texture, low nutritional value, and short shelf life, so natural additives containing proteins and hydrocolloids are in demand to increase GFBs value. In this study, extract from flaxseed by-product (FOCE—Flaxseed Oil Cake Extract) was used to replace water (25–100%) in GFBs formulations and their nutritional value, antioxidant properties, and sensory features were investigated. The results showed that GFBs with FOCE had an elevated nutritional and nutraceutical profile (up to 60% more proteins, significantly increased K, Mg, and P levels). Moreover, the addition of FOCE improved the technological parameters (increased specific volume, number of cells and height/width ratio, reduced density, average size, and perimeter of cells), antioxidant potential, and overall sensory quality of GFBs. This study showed an encouraging way of using a by-product that, due to its high content of proteins, polysaccharides, minerals, and antioxidants, can add value to GFBs.     

Study of Graphdiyne-based Magnetic Materials

Carbon-based magnetic semiconductors are easy to be modified with low cost and low power consumption.While they can demonstrate robust long-range magnetic ordering and show great potential for application after introducing magnetic moments.Graphdiyne(GDY),as an allotrope of carbon,exhibits intrinsic semiconductor properties and paramagnetic properties due to its unique structure and the presence of sp carbon.To improve the magnetic properties of GDY and prepare excellent magnetic semiconductor materials,scientists have done a lot of related research work.The most direct and effective method to introduce magnetism is heteroatom doping.In this review,we have entirely described the latest GDY magnetism introduction methods,effects,and theoretical calculations,etc.Doping methods include post-doping and molecular design doping.The doping elements have covered non-metallic elements(N,H,F,Cl,S),metallic elements(Fe),and functional groups.The magnetic properties of the modified GDY materials were studied by experimental analysis and theoretical calculations.This review provides a sufficient basis and direction for related researches.     

The impact of processing on the nutritional quality of food proteins

During many food processing regimens, food proteins may undergo a variety of chemical modifications. Despite the enormous consumption of processed foods worldwide, much remains to be learned about the exact nature of these modifications. This is partly due to the complex nature of the changes involved, and partly to the problems of analysis imposed by the intractable nature of the food matrix. Such difficulties are compounded by the paucity of chemically based analytical tests that accurately measure amino acid availability in biologically relevant terms. In this review, we explore the known changes that proteins and amino acids undergo during food processing and the consequences of these changes on the physical and nutritional qualities of the food. We also examine the impact of these protein derivatizations for the analysis of food proteins and amino acids, and highlight areas that require future research.     

Locked vs. unlocked nucleic acids (LNA vs. UNA): contrasting structures work towards common therapeutic goals

Oligonucleotide chemistry has been developed greatly over the past three decades, with many advances in increasing nuclease resistance, enhancing duplex stability and assisting with cellular uptake. Locked nucleic acid (LNA) is a structurally rigid modification that increases the binding affinity of a modified-oligonucleotide. In contrast, unlocked nucleic acid (UNA) is a highly flexible modification, which can be used to modulate duplex characteristics. In this tutorial review, we will compare the synthetic routes to both of these modifications, contrast the structural features, examine the hybridization properties of LNA and UNA modified duplexes, and discuss how they have been applied within biotechnology and drug research. LNA has found widespread use in antisense oligonucleotide technology, where it can stabilize interactions with target RNA and protect from cellular nucleases. The newly emerging field of siRNAs has made use of LNA and, recently, also UNA. These modifications are able to increase double-stranded RNA stability in serum and decrease off-target effects seen with conventional siRNAs. LNA and UNA are also emerging as versatile modifications for aptamers. Their application to known aptamer structures has opened up the possibility of future selection of LNA-modified aptamers. Each of these oligonucleotide technologies has the potential to become a new type of therapy to treat a wide variety of diseases, and LNA and UNA will no doubt play a part in future developments of therapeutic and diagnostic oligonucleotides.     

大豆分离蛋白接枝改性与应用研究进展

随着人们对环保问题和新材料发展的日益重视,大豆分离蛋白由于其生物可降解性、营养价值高、对人体与环境无害、来源广泛等特点而倍受关注.本文介绍了大豆分离蛋白的接枝改性方法及在食品添加剂、包装膜和医用外敷膜材料的基料以及化妆品中的应用,并综述了国内外在改善膜的应用特性方面取得的研究进展.     

基于碳基磁性材料的磁固相萃取技术在食品分析应用中的研究进展

食品中残留的痕量有毒物质严重威胁人体健康,对其进行分析十分必要。然而,食品中有毒物质种类多、量少、基质复杂,需选择适当的样品预处理技术进行提取和净化。磁固相萃取(MSPE)因具有操作简单、省时快速、无需离心过滤、环境友好等优点,被认为是一种高效的样品预处理技术并应用于食品分析中。MSPE中使用的磁性吸附剂的吸附容量和选择性是影响MSPE萃取效率和选择性高低的关键,对所建立分析方法的准确度起着关键作用。碳基磁性材料是具有价格低廉、来源丰富、比表面积大、化学稳定性好、吸附容量高、绿色环保等优点的一类新型功能性磁性材料,可以富集不同性质的有机、无机分析物,在环境分析、生物检测、污染治理等多个领域取得了较大进展。近年来,基于碳基磁性材料的MSPE技术在食品分析预处理领域逐渐得到应用,但尚处于起步阶段,存在巨大的应用潜力。该文以碳基类别(碳纳米管、石墨烯、金属有机骨架衍生碳、活性炭等)为主线,综述了采用MSPE技术,以碳基磁性材料为吸附剂,对食品样品中酯类、真菌毒素、多环芳烃、抗生素、生物碱、酚类、维生素、抗菌药等物质进行萃取,进而采用液相色谱法等进行分析的应用实例,同时阐述了该技术存在的问题,并对其发展方向做出了展望。该综述将为基于碳基磁性材料的MSPE技术在食品分析中的广泛应用提供理论依据和技术支撑。     

Applications of Cannabis Sativa L. in Food and Its Therapeutic Potential: From a Prohibited Drug to a Nutritional Supplement

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a herbaceous anemophilous plant that belongs to the Cannabinaceae family. The cannabis seed (hemp) has long been utilized as a food source and is commercially important as an edible oil source. In this review, the positive and negative health effects of cannabis, the relationship between cannabis and various diseases, and the use of cannabis in various food products have been discussed. In addition, the scientific literature on the potential use of cannabis and its derivatives as a dietary supplement for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory and chronic degenerative diseases in animals and humans has been reviewed. Cannabis is being developed as a key ingredient in a variety of food items, including bakery, confectionery, beverages, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and meat. Hemp seeds are high in readily digestible proteins, lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), insoluble fiber, carbs, and favorable omega-6 PUFA acid to omega-3 PUFA ratio and have high nutritional value. The antioxidants of cannabis, such as polyphenols, help with anxiety, oxidative stress, and the risk of chronic illnesses, including cancer, neurological disorders, digestive problems, and skin diseases. Cannabis has been shown to have negative health impacts on the respiratory system, driving, and psychomotor functions, and the reproductive system. Overall, the purpose of this research is to stimulate more in-depth research on cannabis’s adaptation in various foods and for the treatment of chronic illnesses.     

Food analysis and food authentication by peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based technologies

This tutorial review will address the issue of DNA determination in food by using Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) probes with different technological platforms, with a particular emphasis on the applications devoted to food authentication. After an introduction aimed at describing PNAs structure, binding properties and their use as genetic probes, the review will then focus specifically on the use of PNAs in the field of food analysis. In particular, the following issues will be considered: detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), of hidden allergens, of microbial pathogens and determination of ingredient authenticity. Finally, the future perspectives for the use of PNAs in food analysis will be briefly discussed according to the most recent developments.     

Review of the QuEChERS method for the analysis of organic pollutants: Persistent organic pollutants,polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,and pharmaceuticals

In multi-residue pesticide analysis, the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction method has replaced less efficient traditional extraction methods due to its many advantages. In addition to pesticide analysis, this method has been widely used for the detection and analysis of pharmaceuticals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and several persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, perfluoroalkyl substances, and brominated flame retardants in food, biological, and environmental matrices. The analysis of PAHs and POPs is challenging due to the properties of the target compounds and their low concentrations in complex matrices. This review summarizes previously reported the QuEChERS extraction approaches to the analysis of a wide range of analytes. The QuEChERS approaches, which include dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE), have generally been combined with either gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) or liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis. Further on, in recent years, GC and LC-tandem mass spectrometry has been utilized with the QuEChERS extraction due to its high selectivity, sensitivity, and specificity. This enables the extraction methods for target analytes to be modified through the selection of different extraction solvents, salt formulations, and buffers for salting-out partitioning and the selection of different d-SPE and SPE sorbents for the clean-up process. The most significant advantage of this method is that concentration steps are not required. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of information regarding the modification of extraction techniques based on target compounds and sample matrices.     

Flavonoids: hemisynthesis, reactivity, characterization and free radical scavenging activity

Phenolic compounds form one of the main classes of secondary metabolites. They display a large range of structures and they are responsible for the major organoleptic characteristics of plant-derived-foods and beverages, particularly color and taste properties and they also contribute to the nutritional qualities of fruits and vegetables. Phenolic compounds are also highly unstable compounds which undergo numerous enzymatic and chemical reactions during postharvest food storage and processing thus adding to the complexity of plant polyphenol composition. Among these compounds flavonoids constitute one of the most ubiquitous groups of all plant phenolics. Owing to their importance in food organoleptic properties and in human health, a better understanding of their structures, their reactivity and chemical properties in addition to the mechanisms generating them appears essential to predict and control food quality. The purpose of this work is an overview of our findings concerning the hemisynthesis, the reactivity and the enzymatic oxidation of some flavonoids and shed light on the mechanisms involved in some of these processes and the structures of the resulting products. The free radical scavenging activity of some of the synthesized compounds is also presented and a structure-activity relationship is discussed. The first part of this review concerns the synthesis and structural characterization of modified monomeric flavanols. The use of these compounds as precursor for the preparation of natural and modified dimeric procyanidin derivatives was then explored through different coupling reactions. The full characterization of the synthesized compounds was achieved by concerted use of NMR and ESI-MS techniques. The free radical scavenging activity of some of the synthesized compounds was investigated. The second part of this review concerns the enzymatic oxidation of several flavonols by Trametes versicolor laccase. Most of the major oxidation products have been isolated as pure compounds and their structures unambiguously established through spectroscopic methods. Correlation between the structure of the oxidation product and the substitution pattern of the starting materials allows mechanistic features of this transformation to be elucidated.     

High performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis in the analysis of soybean proteins and peptides in foodstuffs

The increasing interest in functional and healthy food products has promoted the use of soybean in the manufacture of foods for human consumption. Soybean basic products (soybeans, textured soybean, soybean flour, soybean protein concentrate and soybean protein isolate) as well as soybean derivatives (soybean dairy-like products, soybean drinks with fruits, meat analogues, etc.) are commercially available. In addition, due to the interesting nutritional and functional properties of soybean proteins, they are usually employed as ingredient in the elaboration of a large number of food products such as bakery or meat products among others. In spite of the good characteristics of soybean proteins, their addition to some products is forbidden or allowed up to a certain limit. Therefore, analytical methodologies to achieve the determination of soybean proteins in foods are necessary in order to make possible adequate quality control and to prove that legal regulations controlling their addition are accomplished. However, this is not an easy task due to the diversity and complexity of the food matrices and the technological treatments to which some of these foods are submitted during their elaboration. This article presents for the first time a comprehensive review on the analytical methodologies developed using HPLC and CE to characterize soybeans and to analyse soybean proteins in meals. Moreover, the use of HPLC and CE in the characterization of soybean protein fractions and their hydrolyzates, and a study of their relationships to nutritional, functional and biomedical properties are included. Finally, the application of proteomic methodologies in soybean food technology is also reviewed.     

Extraction methods of fat from food samples and preparation of fatty acid methyl esters for gas chromatography: A review

Global trends moved towards fast food consumption due to the busy lifestyle of humans. Hence, the intake of fat-related food has exceeded the daily dietary reference intake (DRI) of fat, which caused multiple diseases. Analysis of the fatty acid profile plays a vital role in nutritional labelling and helps to understand the availability of diverse fatty acids among food commodities. This article reviews, general fatty acid extraction and derivatization techniques that have been developed in the past few decades due to the structural differences of fatty acids and briefed the steps involved in the complete process of fatty acid analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Hence, the review mainly focused on conventional extraction methods, followed by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) methods and widely used acid, base, and modified derivatization techniques. Importantly, this article compares the results of the previous studies in each section which assist to decide on the most appropriate pathway for the fatty acid analysis for different selected food types. Therefore, it is hoped that this review may help researchers to develop existing experimental methods and to improve ‘bad’ fatty acid level mitigation techniques in future.     

Hydrocolloids in the digestive tract and related health implications

Hydrocolloids in the form of polymeric ingredients as well as natural biopolymer assemblies provide much of the macroscopic structure of foods. The controlled disassembly of hydrocolloid-structured foods in the digestive tract determines numerous nutritional properties driven by the rates of passage, digestion, absorption, and fermentation. Despite convincing evidence for health benefits of hydrocolloids (particularly dietary fibre) from epidemiology, and numerous in vitro model system studies, the detailed underlying mechanisms operating in the digestive tract are currently understood to only a limited extent. Distinct hydrocolloid-based processes occur in each of the gastric, small intestinal and large intestinal environments, with significant biological cross-talk between the sites. Hydrocolloids offer a major opportunity to tailor nutritional value and provide potential health benefits through control of gastric emptying and ileal brake mechanisms (satiety and potentially obesity), glycemic response (diabetes), plasma cholesterol levels (cardiovascular disease), and carbohydrate fermentation throughout the large intestine (colon cancer). There is often a parallel between the functionality of the plant-based foods which the human digestive tract evolved to digest and the use of extracted hydrocolloids in modern food structuring technology.     

A Polymer Chemistry Point of View on Mucoadhesion and Mucopenetration

Although oral is the preferred route of administration of pharmaceutical formulations, the long‐standing challenge for medically active compounds to efficiently cross the mucus layer barrier limits its wider applicability. Efforts in nanomedicine to overcome this hurdle consider mucoadhesive and mucopenetrating drug carriers by selectively designing (macromolecular) building blocks. This review highlights and critically discusses recent strategies developed in this context including poly(ethylene glycol)‐based modifications, cationic and thiolated polymers, as well as particles with high charge density, zeta‐potential shifting ability, or mucolytic properties. The latest advances in ex vivo test platforms are also reviewed.