Effects of Fructose and Oligofructose Addition on Milk Fermentation Using Novel Lactobacillus Cultures to Obtain High-Quality Yogurt-like Products

The incorporation of prebiotics in fermented milk products is one of the best ways to promote health benefits while improving their sensory characteristics at the same time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the addition of fructose and oligofructose (1% and 2%) on the physicochemical, rheological, sensory, and microbiological quality attributes of fermented milk products inoculated with indigenous probiotic starter cultures of Lactobacillus isolated from Polish traditional fermented foods. The samples were evaluated during 35 days of refrigerated storage. The oligofructose and fructose caused increases in the populations of bacteria in comparison to the control fermented milk products without the addition of saccharides. The degrees of acidification in different fermented milk samples, as well as their viscosity, firmness, syneresis, and color attributes, changed during storage. The highest overall sensory quality levels were observed for the samples supplemented with L. brevis B1 and oligofructose. This study is the first attempt to compare the influences of different sugar sources on the physicochemical, rheological, sensory, and microbiological quality attributes of fermented milk products.     

Application of Pomegranate by-Products in Muscle Foods: Oxidative Indices,Colour Stability,Shelf Life and Health Benefits

In recent years, considerable importance is given to the use of agrifood wastes as they contain several groups of substances that are useful for development of functional foods. As muscle foods are prone to lipid and protein oxidation and perishable in nature, the industry is in constant search of synthetic free additives that help in retarding the oxidation process, leading to the development of healthier and shelf stable products. The by-products or residues of pomegranate fruit (seeds, pomace, and peel) are reported to contain bioactive compounds, including phenolic and polyphenolic compounds, dietary fibre, complex polysaccharides, minerals, vitamins, etc. Such compounds extracted from the by-products of pomegranate can be used as functional ingredients or food additives to harness the antioxidant, antimicrobial potential, or as substitutes for fat, and protein in various muscle food products. Besides, these natural additives are reported to improve the quality, safety, and extend the shelf life of different types of food products, including meat and fish. Although studies on application of pomegranate by-products on various foods are available, their effect on the physicochemical, oxidative changes, microbial, colour stabilizing, sensory acceptability, and shelf life of muscle foods are not comprehensively discussed previously. In this review, we vividly discuss these issues, and highlight the benefits of pomegranate by-products and their phenolic composition on human health.     

Milk fat globules enveloped by their biological membrane: Unique colloidal assemblies with a specific composition and structure

Milk fat globules are the natural colloidal assemblies secreted by the mammary epithelial cells to provide lipids and other bioactive molecules in the gastrointestinal tract of newborns. They are also consumed by human adults in food products such as cream and cheeses. These biological entities (about 4 μm diameter) have a complex architecture composed of a core rich in triacylglycerols (TAGs) enveloped by a biological membrane, the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). Although their utmost importance for infants and their functional and nutritional role in dairy products, milk fat globules remain the least understood aspect of milk. This paper provides an overview of recent knowledge with emphasis on milk fat globule origin, size heterogeneities, fatty acid and TAG composition. The crystallisation properties are reported. Recent studies focusing on the MFGM including characterisation of its composition, probing of its structure, and accumulation of scientific evidence of MFGM nutritional and health properties are also discussed. The unique composition and structure of milk fat globules leading to specific functionalities are highlighted.     

Delivery systems for liquid food products

One of the present challenges of the food industry is to deliver nutrition and health benefits to the consumer while keeping, or improving the taste and aroma impact. Adding active ingredients to liquid food products for fortification is in most cases not possible or not sufficient to achieve the desired goal, due to the fact that many interesting micronutrients are only hardly soluble in aqueous systems and show (i) a limited stability against chemical or physical degradation, (ii) an incompatibility between the active ingredient and the food matrix, or (iii) reveal an uncontrolled release or bioavailability. Therefore, encapsulation systems, also denoted as ‘delivery systems’, are typically used to solve these formulation problems. The task to find the appropriate delivery system is especially challenging for the food industry compared to other fields such as pharmacy, medical products or cosmetics, since only a limited amount of ingredients can be used as encapsulation and stabilization material. In the present review we will discuss the delivery systems available for (semi)-liquid foods and comment on existing advantages and limitations. The remaining technical challenges to solve in the future concern mainly the facts that (i) most of the available delivery systems for aqueous products do not yet allow to significantly stabilize degradation sensitive ‘encapsulated’ active ingredients against e.g. oxidation, (ii) the ‘encapsulation’ (solubilization) capacity of some delivery systems is still quite poor and (iii) off-taste generation is possible above certain concentrations of added delivery systems.     

Cranberry: Chemical Composition,Antioxidant Activity and Impact on Human Health: Overview

Cranberries are a rich source of bioactive compounds that comprise a healthy diet. Cranberry is abundant in nutritional components and many bioactive compounds that have antioxidant properties. Both American (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and European (Vaccinium oxycoccus) cranberry species are rich in polyphenols such as phenolic acids, anthocyanins and flavonoids, and is one of the few fruits that is high in proanthocyanidins, which is linked to many health benefits. The review systematizes information on the chemical composition of cranberry, its antioxidant effect, and the beneficial impact on human health and disease prevention after cranberry consumption, and in particular, its effect against urinary tract inflammation with both adults and children, cardiovascular, oncology diseases, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, tooth decay and periodontitis, Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the stomach and other diseases. Additional research needs to study cranberry proteomics profiling, polyphenols interaction and synergism with other biologically active compounds from natural ingredients and what is important in formulation of new functional foods and supplements.     

Nanoencapsulation of Promising Bioactive Compounds to Improve Their Absorption,Stability, Functionality and the Appearance of the Final Food Products

The design of functional foods has grown recently as an answer to rising consumers’ concerns and demands for natural, nutritional and healthy food products. Nanoencapsulation is a technique based on enclosing a bioactive compound (BAC) in liquid, solid or gaseous states within a matrix or inert material for preserving the coated substance (food or flavor molecules/ingredients). Nanoencapsulation can improve stability of BACs, improving the regulation of their release at physiologically active sites. Regarding materials for food and nutraceutical applications, the most used are carbohydrate-, protein- or lipid-based alternatives such as chitosan, peptide–chitosan and β-lactoglobulin nanoparticles (NPs) or emulsion biopolymer complexes. On the other hand, the main BACs used in foods for health promoting, including antioxidants, antimicrobials, vitamins, probiotics and prebiotics and others (minerals, enzymes and flavoring compounds). Nanotechnology can also play notable role in the development of programmable food, an original futuristic concept promising the consumers to obtain high quality food of desired nutritive and sensory characteristics.     

Encapsulation,protection, and release of hydrophilic active components: Potential and limitations of colloidal delivery systems

There have been major advances in the development of edible colloidal delivery systems for hydrophobic bioactives in recent years. However, there are still many challenges associated with the development of effective delivery systems for hydrophilic bioactives. This review highlights the major challenges associated with developing colloidal delivery systems for hydrophilic bioactive components that can be utilized in foods, pharmaceuticals, and other products intended for oral ingestion. Special emphasis is given to the fundamental physicochemical phenomena associated with encapsulation, stabilization, and release of these bioactive components, such as solubility, partitioning, barriers, and mass transport processes. Delivery systems suitable for encapsulating hydrophilic bioactive components are then reviewed, including liposomes, multiple emulsions, solid fat particles, multiple emulsions, biopolymer particles, cubosomes, and biologically-derived systems. The advantages and limitations of each of these delivery systems are highlighted. This information should facilitate the rational selection of the most appropriate colloidal delivery systems for particular applications in the food and other industries.     

Plant-Based Colloidal Delivery Systems for Bioactives

The supplementation of plant-based foods and beverages with bioactive agents may be an important strategy for increasing human healthiness. Numerous kinds of colloidal delivery systems have been developed to encapsulate bioactives with the goal of improving their water dispersibility, chemical stability, and bioavailability. In this review, we focus on colloidal delivery systems assembled entirely from plant-based ingredients, such as lipids, proteins, polysaccharides, phospholipids, and surfactants isolated from botanical sources. In particular, the utilization of these ingredients to create plant-based nanoemulsions, nanoliposomes, nanoparticles, and microgels is covered. The utilization of these delivery systems to encapsulate, protect, and release various kinds of bioactives is highlighted, including oil-soluble vitamins (like vitamin D), ω-3 oils, carotenoids (vitamin A precursors), curcuminoids, and polyphenols. The functionality of these delivery systems can be tailored to specific applications by careful selection of ingredients and processing operations, as this enables the composition, size, shape, internal structure, surface chemistry, and electrical characteristics of the colloidal particles to be controlled. The plant-based delivery systems discussed in this article may be useful for introducing active ingredients into the next generation of plant-based foods, meat, seafood, milk, and egg analogs. Nevertheless, there is still a need to systematically compare the functional performance of different delivery systems for specific applications to establish the most appropriate one. In addition, there is a need to test their efficacy at delivering bioavailable forms of bioactives using in vivo studies.     

Mushroom-Derived Bioactive Molecules as Immunotherapeutic Agents: A Review

Mushrooms with enhanced medicinal properties focus on finding such compounds that could modulate the human body’s immune systems. Mushrooms have antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiviral, hepatoprotective, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties due to the presence of various bioactive components. β-glucans are the major constituent of the mushroom cell wall and play a significant role in their biological activity. This review described the techniques used in the extraction of the active ingredients from the mushroom. We highlighted the structure of the bioactive polysaccharides present in the mushrooms. Therapeutic applications of different mushrooms were also described. It is interesting to note that mushrooms have the potential sources of many bioactive products that can regulate immunity. Thus, the development of functional medicinal food based on the mushroom is vital for human welfare.     

Rapid and simultaneous determination of curcuminoids and gingerols in food products containing turmeric and ginger using paper spray mass spectrometry

Turmeric and ginger are extensively employed as functional ingredients due to their high content of curcuminoids and gingerols, considered the key bioactive compounds found in these roots. In this study, we present an innovative and fast method for the assay of curcuminoids and gingerols in different foods containing the two spices, with the aim of monitoring the quality of products from a nutraceutical perspective. The proposed approach is based on paper spray tandem mass spectrometry coupled with the use of a labeled internal standard, which has permitted to achieve the best results in terms of specificity and accuracy. All the calculated analytical parameters were satisfactory; accuracy values are around 100% for all spiked samples and the precision data result lower than 15%. The protocol was applied to several real samples, and to demonstrate its robustness and reliability, the results were compared to those arising from the common liquid chromatographic method.     

Mixed biopolymer systems based on starch

A binary mixture of starch-starch or starch with other biopolymers such as protein and non-starch polysaccharides could provide a new approach in producing starch-based food products. In the context of food processing, a specific adjustment in the rheological properties plays an important role in regulating production processing and optimizing the applicability, stability, and sensory of the final food products. This review examines various biopolymer mixtures based on starch and the influence of their interaction on physicochemical and rheological properties of the starch-based foods. It is evident that the physicochemical and rheological characteristics of the biopolymers mixture are highly dependent on the type of starch and other biopolymers that make them up mixing ratios, mixing procedure and presence of other food ingredients in the mixture. Understanding these properties will lead to improve the formulation of starch-based foods and minimize the need to resort to chemically modified starch.     

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of proteins and peptides in milk products by capillary electrophoresis

Milk protein is an important component of the human diet throughout much of the world. The ability to assess the relative composition and integrity of milk proteins or peptides in dairy foods or food ingredients is important because these molecules have a profound effect on product functionality and quality. This communication describes two capillary electrophoretic methods that are useful for the analysis of proteins and casein-derived peptides in cheese and milk products. One technique, which uses a buffer containing citrate/phosphate (pH 3.3), 4 M urea, and a polymeric additive in a coated capillary, is useful for qualitative and quantitative analysis of proteins and peptides in milk, cheese, and whey products. The second method employs a citrate/phosphate buffer (pH 2.8) and a bare silica capillary, and is well suited for the analysis of small, casein-derived peptides in aqueous cheese extracts.     

Effect of Vitamin C Source on Its Stability during Storage and the Properties of Milk Fermented by Lactobacillus rhamnosus

The enrichment of commonly consumed foods with bioactive components might be helpful in promoting health and reducing the risk of disease, so the enrichment of probiotic fermented milk with vitamin C can be considered appropriate. The effect of vitamin C addition depends on the source of origin (rosehip, acerola and ascorbic acid in powder form) on the growth and survival of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and the quality of fermented milk on the 1st and 21st day of storage was analyzed. The pH, total acidity, vitamin C, syneresis, color, texture profile and numbers of bacterial cells in fermented milk were determined. The organoleptic evaluation was also performed. The degradation of vitamin C in milk was shown to depend on its source. The lowest reduction of vitamin C was determined in milk with rosehip. The least stable was vitamin C naturally found in control milk. The addition of rosehip and acerola decreased syneresis and lightness of milk color, increasing the yellow and red color proportion. In contrast, milk with ascorbic acid was the lightest during the whole experimental period and was characterized by a very soft gel. The growth of Lactobacillus rhamnosus during fermentation was most positively affected by the addition of rosehip. However, the best survival of Lactobacillus rhamnosus was demonstrated in milk with acerola. On the 21st day of storage, the number of L. rhamnosus cells in the control milk and the milk with vitamin C was >8 log cfu g⁻¹, so these milks met the criterion of therapeutic minimum. According to the assessors, the taste and odor contributed by the addition of rosehip was the most intense of all the vitamin C sources used in the study.     

Sustainable Valorization of Tomato By-Products to Obtain Bioactive Compounds: Their Potential in Inflammation and Cancer Management

Tomato producing and processing industries present undoubted potential for industrial discarded products valorization whether due to the overproduction of fresh tomatoes or to the loss during processing. Although tomato by-products are not yet considered a raw material, several studies have suggested innovative and profitable applications. It is often referred to as “tomato pomace” and is quite rich in a variety of bioactive compounds. Lycopene, vitamin C, β-carotene, phenolic compounds, and tocopherol are some of the bioactives herein discussed. Tomato by-products are also rich in minerals. Many of these compounds are powerful antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties besides modulating the immune system. Several researchers have focused on the possible application of natural ingredients, especially those extracted from foods, and their physiological and pharmacological effects. Herein, the effects of processing and further applications of the bioactive compounds present in tomato by-products were carefully reviewed, especially regarding the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. The aim of this review was thus to highlight the existing opportunities to create profitable and innovative applications for tomato by-products in health context.     

Yeast Fermentation at Low Temperatures: Adaptation to Changing Environmental Conditions and Formation of Volatile Compounds

Yeast plays a key role in the production of fermented foods and beverages, such as bread, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. They are able to produce and release from the fermentation environment large numbers of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This is the reason for the great interest in the possibility of adapting these microorganisms to fermentation at reduced temperatures. By doing this, it would be possible to obtain better sensory profiles of the final products. It can reduce the addition of artificial flavors and enhancements to food products and influence other important factors of fermented food production. Here, we reviewed the genetic and physiological mechanisms by which yeasts adapt to low temperatures. Next, we discussed the importance of VOCs for the food industry, their biosynthesis, and the most common volatiles in fermented foods and described the beneficial impact of decreased temperature as a factor that contributes to improving the composition of the sensory profiles of fermented foods.     

Factors Affecting the Droplet Size of Water‐in‐Oil Emulsions (W/O) and the Oil Globule Size in Water‐in‐Oil‐in‐Water Emulsions (W/O/W)

Multiple emulsions of the W₁/O/W₂ type are promising tools for encapsulating bioactive ingredients in the inner aqueous droplets. It is necessary, however, to control the factors influencing their encapsulation efficiency. One important factor is the particle size because it determines the surface area available for mass transport. Because of the coexistence of water and oil droplets in multiple emulsions, there are numerous factors that have an impact on particle size, for example, oil phase composition, interfacial properties, and viscosity of the phases. The purpose of this study was to systematically investigate the effect of these factors on particle sizes in multiple emulsions.     

Bioactive peptides derived from food

As interest in the ability of functional foods to impact on human health has grown over the past decade, so has the volume of knowledge detailing the beneficial roles of food-derived bioactive peptides. Bioactive peptides from both plant and animal proteins have been discovered, with to date, by far the most being isolated from milk-based products. A wide range of activities has been described, including antimicrobial and antifungal properties, blood pressure-lowering effects, cholesterol-lowering ability, antithrombotic effects, enhancement of mineral absorption, immunomodulatory effects, and localized effects on the gut. Although there is still considerable research to be performed in the area of food-derived bioactive peptides, it is clear that the generation of bioactive peptides from dietary proteins during the normal digestive process is of importance. Therefore, it will become necessary when determining dietary protein quality to consider the potential effects of latent bioactive peptides that are released during digestion of the protein.     

Production of α-Tocopherol–Chitosan Nanoparticles by Membrane Emulsification

α-tocopherol (α-T) has the highest biological activity with respect to the other components of vitamin E; however, conventional formulations of tocopherol often fail to provide satisfactory bioavailability due to its hydrophobic characteristics. In this work, α-tocopherol-loaded nanoparticles based on chitosan were produced by membrane emulsification (ME). A new derivative was obtained by the cross-linking reaction between α-T and chitosan (CH) to preserve its biological activity. ME was selected as a method for nanoparticle production because it is recognized as an innovative and sustainable technology for its uniform-particle production with tuned sizes and high encapsulation efficiency (EE%), and its ability to preserve the functional properties of bioactive ingredients operating in mild conditions. The reaction intermediates and the final product were characterized by ¹HNMR, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), while the morphological and dimensional properties of the nanoparticles were analyzed using electronic scanning microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The results demonstrated that ME has high potential for the development of α-tocopherol-loaded nanoparticles with a high degree of uniformity (PDI lower than 0.2), an EE of almost 100% and good mechanical strength, resulting in good candidates for the production of functional nanostructured materials for drug delivery. In addition, the chemical bonding between chitosan and α-tocopherol allowed the preservation of the antioxidant properties of the bioactive molecule, as demonstrated by an enhanced antioxidant property and evaluated through in vitro tests, with respect to the starting materials.     

Milk proteins as vehicles for bioactives

Milk proteins are natural vehicles for bioactives. Many of their structural and physicochemical properties facilitate their functionality in delivery systems. These properties include binding of ions and small molecules, excellent surface and self-assembly properties; superb gelation properties; pH-responsive gel swelling behavior, useful for programmable release; interactions with other macromolecules to form complexes and conjugates with synergistic combinations of properties; various shielding capabilities, essential for protecting sensitive payload; biocompatibility and biodegradability, enabling to control the bioaccessibility of the bioactive, and promote its bioavailability.The review highlights the main achievements reported in the last 3 years: harnessing the casein micelle, a natural nanovehicle of nutrients, for delivering hydrophobic bioactives; discovering unique nanotubes based on enzymatic hydrolysis of α-la; introduction of novel encapsulation techniques based on cold-set gelation for delivering heat-sensitive bioactives including probiotics; developments and use of Maillard reaction based conjugates of milk proteins and polysaccharides for encapsulating bioactives; introduction of β-lg–pectin nanocomplexes for delivery of hydrophobic nutraceuticals in clear acid beverages; development of core-shell nanoparticles made of heat-aggregated β-lg, nanocoated by beet-pectin, for bioactive delivery; synergizing the surface properties of whey proteins with stabilization properties of polysaccharides in advanced W/O/W and O/W/O double emulsions; application of milk proteins for drug targeting, including lactoferrin or bovine serum albumin conjugated nanoparticles for effective in vivo drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier; beta casein nanoparticles for targeting gastric cancer; fatty acid-coated bovine serum albumin nanoparticles for intestinal delivery, and Maillard conjugates of casein and resistant starch for colon targeting.Major future challenges are spot-lighted.     

Phytoestrogens as bioactive ingredients in functional foods: Canadian regulatory update

Some food products naturally contain phytoestrogens, but there are few in Western diets that are significant sources. The foods that are the most significant sources are soy beans, containing isoflavones, and flaxseed, which contains lignans. These foods have, however, until recently been relatively little used in Canada and the United States in the human diet. While the Japanese diet contains from 20 to 80 mg of isoflavones per day, Canadian and U.S. diets tend to be below 1 mg/day in the absence of soy protein. The number of foods sold in the West that have ingredients derived from soybeans has been increasing. Many of these have soybean oil, soy protein, or other ingredients serving functional roles in the food. However, with increasing interest among consumers in dietary choices that help to improve health and reduce risk of disease, products in which soy is featured are quite readily available, and it is common, at least in Canada, to find bread and other bakery products with flaxseed added. Soy foods sales in the United States increased at a 15% compounded annually growth rate between 1992 and 2003, with a major increase occurring between 2000 and 2001 (1). Growth rates are reported to have declined somewhat in 2004 (2). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a health claim associating soy protein intake with reduced risk of heart disease in 1999 is attributed with fueling the very sizable growth since 2000. The claim identifies 25 g/day as the amount needed to derive the claimed health benefit. Because the isoflavone content of soy products is highly variable, depending on the method of processing (3), it is difficult to estimate quantitatively the impact of the increased rate of soy product consumption on soy isoflavone intake, although an overall increase can be expected. In contrast,