Natural colorant incorporated biopolymers-based pH-sensing films for indicating the food product quality and safety.

The current synthetic plastic-based packaging creates environmental hazards that impact climate change. Hence, the topic of the current research in food packaging is biodegradable packaging and its development. In addition, new smart packaging solutions are being developed to monitor the quality of packaged foods, with dual functions as food preservation and quality indicators. In the creation of intelligent and active food packaging, many natural colorants have been employed effectively as pH indicators and active substances, respectively. This review provides an overview of biodegradable polymers and natural colorants that are being extensively studied for pH-indicating packaging. A comprehensive discussion has been provided on the current status of the development of intelligent packaging systems for food, different incorporation techniques, and technical challenges in the development of such green packaging. Finally, the food industry and environmental protection might be revolutionized by pH-sensing biodegradable packaging enabling real-time detection of food product quality and safety.

Characterization of pomegranate peel extract loaded nanophytosomes and the enhancement of bio-accessibility and storage stability.

Nano-phytosomes are lipid-based nano-carriers and rapidly growing technology for products containing phytochemicals. In this study, pomegranate peel extract (PPE) loaded nanophytosomes (NP) were prepared with phosphatidylcholine (PC) based on thin layer hydration method. The characterization of NP such as entrapment efficiency (EE), particle size, poly-dispersity index (PDI), ζ-potential and microstructural properties was studied and in vitro bioaccessibility and storage stability of bioactive properties were investigated. The highest EE was determined as 94.99 %, indicating a unique ability as nano-carrier. PPE-loaded NPs showed good characteristics, such as lower PDI values (<0.5), lower particle size (166.70-144.40 nm), and spherical shape of microstructure. All NP complexes showed significant bioaccessibility with TPC, CUPRAC, and ABTS values >50 % in the intestinal medium. The lowest TPC and color difference (ΔE) during 28 days of storage were found at 4 °C, although all NP samples showed better stability at all storage temperatures up to 21 days.

Production and characterization of biodegradable bi-layer films from poly(lactic) acid and zein.

Recently, packaging industry has turned to biodegradable packaging, and poly(lactic acid) has become the most remarkable polymer. However, the high oxygen permeability of PLA films significantly limits their use. Therefore, this study, it was aimed to improve the oxygen barrier properties of PLA films without adversely affecting the mechanical and water vapor barrier properties. Biodegradable PLA-Zein bi-layer films were produced by changing PLA and zein thickness. Transparent and UV barrier bi-layer films were obtained. Mechanical properties of PLA films were improved by the production of bi-layer films. Water vapor permeability of bi-layer films increased whereas the permeance decreased with zein coating of PLA. Multi-criteria decision hierarchy was used to select the best bi-layer films based on mechanical, permeance, and opacity results. Oxygen barrier properties of PLA film significantly improved by zein coating, and hydrophobicity of PLA film was not affected by zein coating. The crystallization and melting temperatures of films decreased when compared to PLA films, supporting the mechanical results. Homogeneous, non-porous, and smooth film surface was obtained and zein layer was in good compatibility with PLA layer. These results suggest that zein coatings could be used to decrease oxygen permeability of PLA films without negatively affecting other properties.

Enhanced Functionality and Bio-Accessibility of Composite Pomegranate Peel Extract-Enriched "Boba Balls".

"Boba balls" or pearls have recently gained popularity for beverages or food toppings. "Boba balls" could be developed into functional foods by the encapsulation of bioactive compounds. In this study, gelatin/sodium alginate composite "Boba balls" enriched with pomegranate peel extract (PPE) at different concentrations (0, 1, 2, and 3%) were prepared. They were characterized in terms of physical, rheological, textural, morphological, and sensory properties, as well as in vitro digestion, bio-accessibility, and release kinetic of PPE. Adding PPE improved the "Boba" mix's viscoelasticity and decreased the "Boba balls"' hardness. The increasing PPE ratio significantly (p < 0.05) increased the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content. The addition of PPE preserved the spherical shape of the "Boba balls", and as the PPE ratio increased, new junction zones were observed in SEM images. The in vitro digestibility of PPE was significantly (p < 0.05) improved by preserving PPE from the mouth and gastric medium, and "Boba balls" showed the highest release and bio-accessibility in the intestinal medium. Consequently, PPE as a by-product could be successfully used at 2% concentration for enhancing the functionality and bio-accessibility of "Boba balls" without affecting sensory properties.

Functional and sensorial properties of cookies enriched with SPIRULINA and DUNALIELLA biomass.

The effects of Spirulina platensis and Dunaliella salina biomass (1% and 2%) on formulated cookies were studied. Colour, hardness, moisture content, ash content, protein content, lipid content, total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity by CUPRAC were assessed, and a sensory evaluation of the cookies was performed. The results show that the cookies baked with added Spirulina were significantly harder and darker than the controls, and the Dunaliella addition did not affect the protein content as much as the Spirulina addition, but the effect on moisture content was significantly positive. Additionally, higher total phenolic content and CUPRAC values were found for the Dunaliella-enriched cookies. After the sensory evaluation, the Dunaliella-enriched cookies were more acceptable to consumers.

Comparison of gender-specific human embryo development characteristics by time-lapse technology.

Numerous studies indicate that there might be differences in embryo growth dynamics between male and female embryos. However, current data in humans are scarce and the results are inconclusive or conflicting. This study asks whether there exist gender-specific embryo development kinetics or parameters between human male and female embryos that can be observed by time-lapse technology. Study included data from 139 consecutive cycles (177 embryos transferred, 179 sacs analysed) with positive pregnancy that resulted in 100% implantation. Single- or double-embryo transfers were performed. Cases were analysed for parameters including cleavage time points and duration in each cleavage from two cells to hatching blastocyst stages and time interval between cleavages. Morphokinetic parameters of 78 female and 60 male embryos from a total of 119 cycles (139 sacs were examined after transfer of 138 embryos) were processed for data analysis according to the gender group. A detailed analysis of the data regarding each time point or interval between consecutive events according to these groups showed them to be similar in cell division kinetics, from the early cleavage through their development to blastocyst stage. However, female embryos showed earlier cavitation than male embryos, but the results did not reach statistical significance.