Enhancement of oxidative stability of soybean oil via nano-emulsification of eggplant peel extract: Process development and application.

To extend the oxidative stability of soybean oil with encapsulated natural antioxidants, eggplant peel-based water-in-oil (W/O) nanoemulsions were formulated. The nanoemulsions were developed with eggplant peel extract (1000-9000 ppm) and CR-310 emulsifier (8-10 %) via ultrasonication. Seven W/O nanoemulsion formulations exhibited high sedimentation stability (sedimentation index > 92.58 %), a mean droplet diameter < 100 nm and low polydispersity index (<0.25) during 30 days storage. These nanoemulsions achieved controlled release of polyphenols. The low conjugated diene and p-anisidine value (Schaal oven parameters) of the nanoemulsions compared to pure soybean oil and commercial soybean oil suggested that these W/O nanoemulsions restricted oxidation better than these oils. Moreover, they could control the oxidation of soybean oil for approximately 10-15 days under accelerated storage conditions. Further, the induction period in Rancimat also indicated that the nanoemulsions possessed higher oxidative stability compared to pure soybean oil while three nanoemulsions even exhibited higher induction period than commercial soybean oil.

Integrated approach towards acrylamide reduction in potato-based snacks: A critical review.

Acrylamide is a process contaminant and neurotoxic with growing evidence of cancer in human. Potato-based products majorly contribute towards acrylamide dietary intake thereby posing major food safety threat that necessitates formulation of acrylamide reduction strategies. This review highlights the recent research work on acrylamide formation mechanism, dietary intake, toxicity and potential reduction strategies at various levels in the food supply chain to ensure safety of potato-based products. Acrylamide formation in potato-based products depends on several factors involved in potato supply chain. Depending on the variety, application of nitrogen and sulphur fertilization may show positive, negative, or no effect on acrylamide formation. Heat and water stress faced by potato crops may increase the risk of acrylamide formation in processed products. Various pre-processing (e.g., blanching, chemical treatments etc.) and processing (e.g., methods, temperature, time) strategies may also reduce acrylamide formation (37-98%) in potato-based products at commercial and domestic levels. The acrylamide reduction strategies from farm to fork level have been discussed with special emphasis on mechanism of chemical treatments with pictorial representation.

Role of dietary polyphenols on gut microbiota, their metabolites and health benefits.

The beneficial health roles of dietary polyphenols in preventing oxidative stress related chronic diseases have been subjected to intense investigation over the last two decades. As our understanding of the role of gut microbiota advances our knowledge of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions of polyphenols accumulates, there emerges a need to examine the prebiotic role of dietary polyphenols. This review focused onthe role of different types and sources of dietary polyphenols on the modulation of the gut microbiota, their metabolites and how they impact on host health benefits. Inter-dependence between the gut microbiota and polyphenol metabolites and the vital balance between the two in maintaining the host gut homeostasis were discussed with reference to different types and sources of dietary polyphenols. Similarly, the mechanisms behind the health benefits by various polyphenolic metabolites bio-transformed by gut microbiota were also explained. However, further research should focus on the importance of human trials and profound links of polyphenols-gut microbiota-nerve-brain as they provide the key to unlock the mechanisms behind the observed benefits of dietary polyphenols found in vitro and in vivo studies.

Applications of prebiotics in food industry: A review.

Benefits of prebiotics for stimulating a healthy intestinal tract are well known. From suppression of pathogens to proliferation of indigenous bacteria of intestines, prebiotics have it all. Since the research on the scope of prebiotics is expanding, new applications are coming up every day thus upgrading the choices consumer has for a healthy living. Incorporation of prebiotics in a wide range of products that food industry offers on shelf is an innovative way to replace fat and sugars along with enhancing the mouthfeel by providing better tongue lubrication. In some cases, the thermal stability of the product is improved along with other sensory, textural and physiological benefits. This paper gives an overview of the various prebiotics available from different sources and their applications in various segments of food industry, notably dairy, beverage, processed fruit-vegetable, bakery, confectionary, extruded snack, sweetener, infant formula, pet food and livestock industry. The effects observed on addition of various prebiotics are also elaborated.

Exploring the environmental preference of weak interactions in (alpha/beta)8 barrel proteins.

The environmental preference for the occurrence of noncanonical hydrogen bonding and cation-pi interactions, in a data set containing 71 nonredundant (alpha/beta)(8) barrel proteins, with respect to amino acid type, secondary structure, solvent accessibility, and stabilizing residues has been performed. Our analysis reveals some important findings, which include (a) higher contribution of weak interactions mediated by main-chain atoms irrespective of the amino acids involved; (b) domination of the aromatic amino acids among interactions involving side-chain atoms; (c) involvement of strands as the principal secondary structural unit, accommodating cross strand ion pair interaction and clustering of aromatic amino acid residues; (d) significant contribution to weak interactions occur in the solvent exposed areas of the protein; (e) majority of the interactions involve long-range contacts; (f) the preference of Arg is higher than Lys to form cation-pi interaction; and (g) probability of theoretically predicted stabilizing amino acid residues involved in weak interaction is higher for polar amino acids such as Trp, Glu, and Gln. On the whole, the present study reveals that the weak interactions contribute to the global stability of (alpha/beta)(8) TIM-barrel proteins in an environment-specific manner, which can possibly be exploited for protein engineering applications.