Effects of cinnamon essential oil and Persian gum on preservation of pomegranate arils.

Given the high perishability of pomegranate arils, edible antimicrobial coating will enhance their shelf life and maintain their marketability. An antimicrobial coating was prepared using 1% (w/v) soluble part of Persian gum (PG) and different concentrations (0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75% (v/v)) of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) to extend the shelf life of pomegranate arils. Microbiological, chemical, physical, and sensorial characteristics of coated and uncoated samples were evaluated at 7-day intervals. Total anthocyanin (TAN), titrable acidity (TA), and ascorbic acid showed a decreasing trend, during the whole period of the storage. TAN, TA, and ascorbic acid decreased from 119.8 to 44.5 mg/L, 1.6% to 1.37%, and 682 to 140 mg/L, respectively. Firmness increased during the storage time, while total soluble solids (TSS, around 17.4 °Brix) and total phenolic compounds (TP, around 14.21 mg/100 ml) showed no significant changes with CEO concentrations. Coatings containing 0.5% and 0.75% CEO significantly prevented fungal growth on the samples at least for 3 weeks and 3 months, respectively. Optimization proved that 1-week cold storage and 0.43% CEO could dramatically meet 80% of the research targets including maximum nutritional quality and freshness, as well preventing microbial spoilage. It was concluded that coating the pomegranate arils by PG and selecting an appropriate concentration of the CEO could considerably increase shelf life, marketability, and nutritional quality of pomegranate arils at a suitable and acceptable level.

Incorporation of pomegranate rind powder extract and pomegranate juice into frozen burgers: oxidative stability, sensorial and microbiological characteristics.

This study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant characteristics of incorporated pomegranate juice (PJ) and pomegranate rind powder extract (PRPE) into meat burgers. The peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and metmyoglobin content for different burgers during 90 days storage at - 18 °C were evaluated. Total anthocyanin content, total phenolic content (TPC) and free radical scavenging activity (RSA or IC50) for PJ and PRPE were measured as 18.90 (mg/mL), 4380 ppm, 0.136 (mg/mL) and 0.40 (mg/mL), 5598 ppm, 0.084(mg/mL), respectively. Incorporation of PRPE with a high concentration of TPC resulted in less oxidation of lipid in comparison with other formulations. The highest and lowest scores in the sensory analysis and total acceptance at the 90th day corresponded to burgers containing PJ and control, respectively. Butylated hydroxytoluene may be substituted in whole or part with PJ and PRPE due to their desired effects on burgers' properties.

Development and evaluation of antibacterial electrospun pea protein isolate-polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite mats incorporated with cinnamaldehyde.

Electrospun film is developed from an electrically charged ultrafine jet of a polymer solution or melt as a matrix of thin/nano fibers struck on to a target surface. The objective of this work was to obtain homogeneous nanofibers from pea protein isolate (PPI) in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) by hybrid electrospinning as well as incorporating cinnamaldehyde (CA) into the matrix to obtain an antibacterial mat. The effect of processing conditions, pH, polymer and CA concentrations on formulation properties and nanofiber morphology were investigated and the mats were visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Rheological evaluation indicated a pseudoplastic behavior for all formulations. Alkaline pH formulation led to a decreasing apparent viscosity and an increasing electrical conductivity resulting in the formation of more homogeneous fibers. The 50:50 mass percentage ratio of PPI/PVA solutions produced homogeneous nanofibers with the average fiber diameter of 485 ±â€¯85 nm. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed uniform dispersion of PPI and PVA. The minimum concentration of CA to inhibit both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria was 1%. The average diameter of nanofibers decreased from 257 ±â€¯51 nm to 219 ±â€¯31 nm by increasing CA content from 0.25 to 1.5%.

Recent innovations in the area of edible films and coatings.

Edible films/coatings have been considered as one of the potential technologies that can be used to increase the storability of foods and to improve the existent packaging technology, helping to ensure the microbial safety and the preservation of food from the influence of external factors. Innovations constantly appear in food packaging, always aiming at creating a more efficient quality preservation system while improving foods' attractiveness and marketability. The utilization of renewable sources for packaging materials, such as hydrocolloids and lipids from biological origin, is one the main trends of the industry. These films should have acceptable sensory characteristics, appropriate barrier properties (CO2, O2, water, oil), microbial, biochemical and physicochemical stability, they should be safe, and produced by simple technology in low cost. Also they can act as effective carrier for antioxidant, flavor, color and nutritional or anti-microbial additives. Nowadays, a great discussion exists about the potential applications of edible films/coatings on food products. The general trend is to find the correct combination between the food product and the edible film/coating, which will ensure the success of the technology.