Production and Characterization of Cellulosic Pulp from Mango Agro-Industrial Waste and Potential Applications.

The growing demand for cellulosic pulp presents an opportunity to explore alternatives to this material, focusing on utilizing agro-industrial residues. Mango's tegument is a rich source of cellulose, making it a valuable raw material for manufacturing single-use articles or blends with biopolymers. In this sense, employing conventional alkaline and acid chemical treatments, the mango's tegument was treated to obtain cellulosic pulp. The teguments were subjected to treatment with alkaline solutions (2% and 4% NaOH w/v) at 80 °C for 1 or 2 h or with an acetic acid solution (1:1 or 1:2 CH3COOH:H2O2) at 60-70 °C for 1 or 2 h. After treatment, an evaluation was conducted to assess the yield, color, chemical analysis, and structural, thermal, and morphological properties. The alkali treatments produced cellulosic pulps with a light color with 37-42% yield and reduced hemicellulose content. The acid treatments produced orange-brown cellulosic pulp with 47-48% yield and higher hemicellulose content. The acid pulps were thermally more stable (maximum decomposition at 348-357 °C) than the alkali pulps (maximum decomposition at 316-321 °C). The crystallinity index demonstrated that both treatments increased the crystallinity of the cellulose pulps compared with the untreated tegument. The thermal stability of cellulosic pulp at the processing temperatures of disposable tableware (50-120 °C) revealed that plates, bowls, trays, and cups could be produced. Another potential application is as a component of blends with biopolymers to make straws or rigid food packaging (trays) with reinforced structures.

Bioactive Compounds in Extracts from the Agro-Industrial Waste of Mango.

Mango by-products are important sources of bioactive compounds generated by agro-industrial process. During mango processing, 35-60% of the fruit is discarded, in many cases without treatment, generating environmental problems and economic losses. These wastes are constituted by peels and seeds (tegument and kernel). The aim of this review was to describe the extraction, identification, and quantification of bioactive compounds, as well as their potential applications, published in the last ten years. The main bioactive compounds in mango by-products are polyphenols and carotenoids, among others. Polyphenols are known for their high antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Carotenoids show provitamin A and antioxidant activity. Among the mango by-products, the kernel has been studied more than tegument and peels because of the proportion and composition. The kernel represents 45-85% of the seed. The main bioactive components reported for the kernel are gallic, caffeic, cinnamic, tannic, and chlorogenic acids; methyl and ethyl gallates; mangiferin, rutin, hesperidin, and gallotannins; and penta-O-galloyl-glucoside and rhamnetin-3-[6-2-butenoil-hexoside]. Meanwhile, gallic acid, ferulic acid, and catechin are reported for mango peel. Although most of the reports are at the laboratory level, they include potential applications in the fields of food, active packaging, oil and fat, and pharmaceutics. At the market level, two trends will stimulate the industrial production of bioactive compounds from mango by-products: the increasing demand for industrialized fruit products (that will increase the by-products) and the increase in the consumption of bioactive ingredients.

Migration of endocrine-disrupting chemicals into food from plastic packaging materials: an overview of chemical risk assessment, techniques to monitor migration, and international regulations.

Plastic packaging materials (PPMs) protect food from contamination, maintain quality, and ease transportation and distribution. Additives included during the manufacturing and processing of PPMs improve flexibility, durability, barrier properties, and sometimes aid the processing itself. During processing, these additives, even the monomers used to produce the plastics, can produce side products or breakdown products as a result of degradation and various chemical reactions. These starting substances and reaction products include 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol A), phthalates/phthalic acid esters, alkylphenols, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, which are considered endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that may interfere with the human endocrine system and produce adverse reproductive, neurological, developmental, and immune effects. When in contact with food, EDCs can migrate into food if conditions are appropriate, thereby possibly jeopardizing food safety. Chemical risk assessment and regulatory control were developed to reduce human exposure to harmful migrated EDCs. This article gives an overview of the migration of EDCs from PPMs and control measures to reduce the risk of adverse impacts on human health.

Volatile and sensory evaluation of Mexican Fresco cheese as affected by specific wild Lactococcus lactis strains.

Lactococcus lactis is the lactic acid bacteria most frequently used for the production of cheese starter cultures, mainly because of their efficient production of aroma compounds. However, commercial cultures do not always produce the typical aroma notes of artisanal raw-milk cheeses. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize the volatile compounds generated by wild L. lactis strains in Mexican Fresco cheese made with pasteurized milk. Four strains of wild L. lactis were evaluated for their aroma production in Mexican Fresco cheese using sensory and instrumental analysis. The aroma profiles were evaluated by descriptive sensory analysis. Volatiles were determined by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis was applied to interpret analytical and sensory data. Mexican Fresco cheese aroma was described as milkfat, yogurt, yeasty, barny, dirty socks, and Fresco cheese. Cheese with L. lactis strains R7 or B7 were most similar to commercial raw milk Fresco cheese in all aroma descriptors. Volatiles identified in all cheeses were esters, acids, alcohols, ketones, and aldehydes, but the main differences were found for total volatile relative abundance. Also, volatile concentrations (µg/g) in commercial raw milk Fresco cheese and cheeses made with L. lactis R7 or B7 were 4 methyl esters [C4 (4.15 vs. 5.47-13.74), C6 (0.12 vs. 1.53-15.34), C8 (1.06 vs. 0.32-6.65), and C10 (0.62 vs. 0.41-3.74)], 7 acids [C4 (1.92 vs. 0.30-9.29), C6-C10 (0.05-4.48 vs. 0.11-30.45), and C12 (0.13 vs. 0.28-0.30)], 2 alcohols [(3-methyl-1-butanol (3.48 vs. 3.4-13.13) and phenylethyl alcohol (0.10 vs. 0.63-2.04)], and 1 ketone (acetoin; 1.22 vs. 0.28-0.99). The first 3 principal components explained 78.2% of the total variation and clearly distinguished 3 main groups. Cheese made with L. lactis R7 was classified in the same group as key compounds associated with Fresco cheese aroma and show potential as a starter in Mexican Fresco cheese manufacture.

Lignin and holocellulose from pecan nutshell as reinforcing fillers in poly (lactic acid) biocomposites.

Lignocellulose from agro-food biowaste represents a valuable source of cost-effective structural fillers for wholly renewable polymer composites. In this work, pecan (Carya illinoinensis) nutshell (NS) fiber and its structural components, holocellulose (HC) and acid insoluble lignin (AIL), were isolated, characterized and used as reinforcing fillers to manufacture poly(lactic acid) (PLA) based biocomposites. Thermal, morphological and mechanical properties of the prepared materials were analyzed. NS and HC acted as heterogeneous nucleating agents, potentially able to control PLA physical aging. Moreover, they significantly enhanced the viscoelastic response of PLA, mainly restricting the melt molecular mobility due to hydrodynamic effects and the formation of a three-dimensional particulate network. Flexural tests demonstrated that HC induced a 25% increase in modulus compared to the plain polymer. AIL, conversely, conferred higher ductility to the PLA matrix producing an increase in stress and strain at break of 55% and 65%, respectively. Finally, all the biocomposites showed lower resilience with respect to plain PLA due to the lack of chemical adhesion between filler and matrix. These results emphasize the potential of NS as a source of reinforcing filler in polymer-based biocomposites.

Migration of antioxidants from polylactic acid films, a parameter estimation approach: Part I - A model including convective mass transfer coefficient.

A two-step solution based on the boundary conditions of Crank's equations for mass transfer in a film was developed. Three driving factors, the diffusion (D), partition (Kp,f) and convective mass transfer coefficients (h), govern the sorption and/or desorption kinetics of migrants from polymer films. These three parameters were simultaneously estimated. They provide in-depth insight into the physics of a migration process. The first step was used to find the combination of D, Kp,f and h that minimized the sums of squared errors (SSE) between the predicted and actual results. In step 2, an ordinary least square (OLS) estimation was performed by using the proposed analytical solution containing D, Kp,f and h. Three selected migration studies of PLA/antioxidant-based films were used to demonstrate the use of this two-step solution. Additional parameter estimation approaches such as sequential and bootstrap were also performed to acquire a better knowledge about the kinetics of migration. The proposed model successfully provided the initial guesses for D, Kp,f and h. The h value was determined without performing a specific experiment for it. By determining h together with D, under or overestimation issues pertaining to a migration process can be avoided since these two parameters are correlated.

Migration of antioxidants from polylactic acid films: A parameter estimation approach and an overview of the current mass transfer models.

Migration studies of chemicals from contact materials have been widely conducted due to their importance in determining the safety and shelf life of a food product in their packages. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) require this safety assessment for food contact materials. So, migration experiments are theoretically designed and experimentally conducted to obtain data that can be used to assess the kinetics of chemical release. In this work, a parameter estimation approach was used to review and to determine the mass transfer partition and diffusion coefficients governing the migration process of eight antioxidants from poly(lactic acid), PLA, based films into water/ethanol solutions at temperatures between 20 and 50°C. Scaled sensitivity coefficients were calculated to assess simultaneously estimation of a number of mass transfer parameters. An optimal experimental design approach was performed to show the importance of properly designing a migration experiment. Additional parameters also provide better insights on migration of the antioxidants. For example, the partition coefficients could be better estimated using data from the early part of the experiment instead at the end. Experiments could be conducted for shorter periods of time saving time and resources. Diffusion coefficients of the eight antioxidants from PLA films were between 0.2 and 19×10-14m2/s at ~40°C. The use of parameter estimation approach provided additional and useful insights about the migration of antioxidants from PLA films.

Development of an antioxidant biomaterial by promoting the deglycosylation of rutin to isoquercetin and quercetin.

Quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (rutin), quercetin-3-O-glucoside (isoquercetin) and quercetin have shown antioxidant, cytoprotective, vasoprotective, antiproliferative and antiinflammatory properties. The aim of this work was to determine the conversion of rutin to isoquercetin and quercetin during the production of poly(l-lactic acid) films with potential to deliver these flavonoids toward tissues, pharmaceuticals or food matrices. Three poly(l-lactic acid) formulations with 17.7, 39.6 and 39.1mg/g of rutin were prepared by the extrusion process. Processing temperatures (130-165°C) promoted the deglycosylation of rutin to produce isoquercetin and subsequently quercetin, identified by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The effect of the process on the antioxidant activity of the films was determined by measuring the capacity to scavenge 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals. The material with the highest proportion of quercetin showed the highest antioxidant activity which could be used to produce delivering devices of the flavonoids to tissues, pharmaceuticals or food matrices.

Fabrication of an antimicrobial active packaging and its effect on the growth of Pseudomonas and aerobic mesophilic bacteria in chicken / Elaboración de un envase activo antimicrobiano y su efecto en el desarrollo de Pseudomonas y bacterias aerobias de pollo

Background: One of the aims of food packaging is to protect the product from environmental factors that can cause a reduction in quality. Surface growth of microorganism is one of the leading causes of food spoilage. One option is to use antimicrobial packaging to provide an increased margin of safety and quality. Objectives: The aim of this study was evaluate the effect of active packaging with eugenol on growth of Pseudomonas and aerobic mesophilic bacteria in fresh chicken pieces. Methods: Three batches of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film, containing 0, 9.0 and 7.7, mg g-1 eugenol (control, AAF1 and AAF2, respectively), were extruded in a pilot-plant scale blown-extrusion machine. The films with eugenol lost 42.7% and 36.8% (AAF1 and AAF2, respectively) of eugenol during processing and absorbed UV-visible light at 300-261 nm. The kinetics of eugenol release from the AAF1 into the air at 5°C and 25ºC displayed Fick's behavior, and a diffusion coefficient of 10-8 cm2 s-1 was calculated. Results: Eugenol showed antimicrobial activity on in vitro, using paper discs with 1.74, 0.87 and 0.36 mg eugenol on 108 CFU mL-1 of Pseudomonas fluorescens in Muller-Hinton agar. Chicken thighs were wrapped in the AAF2 film, and the effects on the growth of Pseudomonas and aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB) were evaluated after storage for 5 d at 5°C. The AAF2 showed a moderately antimicrobial effect in reducing the growth of Pseudomonas (1.1 x 106 CFU g-1) relative to growth in the control film (6.0 x 106 CFU g-1) (P < 0.05). The film with eugenol was effective in reducing the growth of AMB (9.0 x 105 CFU g-1) relative to growth in the control film (1.7 x 106 CFU g-1) (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Despite the high losses of eugenol during the extrusion of the films, they showed an antimicrobial effect during contact with fresh chicken under commercial conditions. This study shows the potential use of eugenol for application in LDPE antimicrobial packaging film.

Antecedentes: Uno de los principales objetivos del envasado de alimentos es protegerlo de factores que puedan afectar y causar una reducción en la calidad. El desarrollo de microorganismos en la superficie es uno de las causas principales del deterioro de los alimentos. Una opción es el empleo de envases con propiedades antimicrobianas. Objetivos: El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el efecto de un envase antimicrobiano conteniendo eugenol en el desarrollo de Pseudomonas y bacterias mesofílicas aerobias (BMA) en piezas de pollo. Métodos: Tres lotes de película de polietileno de baja densidad (PEBD) conteniendo 0, 9.0 y 7.7 mg g-1 de eugenol (control, AAF1, AAF2, respectivamente) fueron obtenidas por extrusión-soplo utilizando un extrusor a nivel planta piloto. Se calculó la cinética de liberación del eugenol de la AAF1 hacia el aire a 5°C y 25°C. Se evaluó la capacidad antimicrobiana in vitro del eugenol sobre 108 UFC mL-1 de Pseudomona fluorescens utilizando discos de papel conteniendo 1.74, 0.87 y 0.36 mg de eugenol en agar Muller-Hinton. Las piezas de pollo fueron envueltas en la película AAF2 y almacenadas a 5°C evaluando a los 5 días el efecto de la película en el desarrollo de Pseudomonas y en BMA. Resultados: El eugenol mostró actividad antimicrobiana inhibiendo el crecimiento de P. fluorescens. Las películas conteniendo eugenol perdieron durante el proceso de extrusión 42.7% y 36.8% (AAF1 y AAF2 respectivamente) del total añadido mostrando un comportamiento fickiano con un coeficiente de difusión de 10-8 cm2 s-1. Las AAF2 mostraron un efecto moderado en la reducción del desarrollo de Pseudomonas (1.1 x 106 CFU g-1) comparadas con el control (6.0 x 106 CFU g-1) (P < 0.05). Las películas con eugenol (AAF2) fueron efectivas al reducir el desarrollo de las BMA (9.0 x 105 CFU g-1) comparadas con la película control (1.7 x 106 CFU g-1) (P < 0.05). Conclusiones: A pesar de las pérdidas del eugenol durante el proceso de extrusión para la obtención de las películas, estas mostraron un efecto antimicrobiano sobre las piezas de pollo. Por lo tanto, este estudio muestra el uso potencial del eugenol para la aplicación en envases antimicrobianos elaborados a base de PEBD.

Development and evolution of natural antioxidant active packaging / Desarrollo y evolución de los empaques activos antioxidantes naturales

Since 1930s, production of synthetic plastics from non-renewable resources (mainly from petroleum) has been growing with applications in different fields. The use of plastics in packaging began after World War II. Polyethylene films introduced transparent and resealable bags, being the bread bags the first application of contact with food. Nowadays, packaging is the largest single market for plastics (about a quarter of the total production) with a high proportion used for direct contact with foods (1). Polymers and low molecular weight additives compose the plastics, where the latter are necessary to maintain the plastic properties (2). During the late-1970s and early-1980s there was a number of publications reporting that small molecules diffused through the polymer chains in the plastic and moved to the contained food by means of a process called migration (3, 4). This kind of interaction between plastic packaging and food opened a new research field, and many materials were analysed for migration. Also, the identity and quantification of the diffusion rate of the migrants were reported, and legislation was established in order to protect the health of consumers who were not aware about the plastic components contaminating their food (5). The beginning of the 21 Century brought new analytical technologies that helped to quantify migration levels that were not able to be detected with the 20 Century technologies. The researchers working in that field concluded at some point that the interaction between plastic and food exist in all the cases, and could be limited but not completely avoided.

Antioxidant activity and diffusion of catechin and epicatechin from antioxidant active films made of poly(L-lactic acid).

Active membranes and food packaging containing antioxidants like catechin and epicatechin, combined with the use of materials made of biopolymers obtained from renewable sources, could create a novel alternative to reduce oxidation in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products. Poly(94% L-lactic acid) films containing 1.28% catechin and 1.50% epicatechin were extruded in a pilot plant-scale extrusion machine. The diffusion kinetics of catechin and epicatechin into 95% ethanol at 20, 30, 40, and 50 °C and 50% ethanol at 40 °C displayed Fickian release behavior and diffusion coefficients between 0.5 and 50 × 10(-11) cm(2)/s. According to the Arrhenius equation, the energy of activation for the diffusion of catechin and epicatechin in the films was 110.43 and 98.92 kJ/mol, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the films was measured in methanol extracts containing 46.42 µg/mL of catechin and 57.52 µg/mL of epicatechin as 32.90 and 36.68% of scavenging the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, respectively.

Effect of a low-density polyethylene film containing butylated hydroxytoluene on lipid oxidation and protein quality of Sierra fish (Scomberomorus sierra) muscle during frozen storage.

Fresh sierra fish (Scomberomorus sierra) fillets were packed in low-density polyethylene films with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT-LDPE) added. Fillets packed in LDPE with no BHT were used as controls (LDPE). The packed fillets were stored at -25 degrees C for 120 days in which the film released 66.5% of the antioxidant. The influence of the antioxidant on lipid and protein quality, lipid oxidation, muscle structure changes, and shear-force resistance was recorded. As compared to LDPE films, fillets packed in BHT-LDPE films showed lower lipid oxidation, thiobarbituric acid values (4.20 +/- 0.52 vs 11.95 +/- 1.06 mg malonaldehyde/kg), peroxide values (7.20 +/- 1.38 vs 15.15 +/- 1.48 meq/kg), and free fatty acids (7.98 +/- 0.43 vs 11.83 +/- 1.26% of oleic acid). Fillets packed in BHT-LDPE films showed less tissue damage and lost less firmness than fillets packed in LDPE. A significant relationship between lipid oxidation and texture was detected (R2 adjusted, 0.70-0.73). BHT-LDPE films may be used not only to prevent lipid oxidation but also to minimize protein damage to prolong the shelf life of sierra fish.

Migration of bisphenol A (BPA) from epoxy can coatings to jalapeño peppers and an acid food simulant.

Effects of heat processing, storage time, and temperature on migration of bisphenol A (BPA) from an epoxy type can coating to an acid food simulant and jalapeño peppers were determined. Commercial jalapeño pepper cans (8 oz, dimensions 211 x 300) were stored at 25 degrees C for 40, 70, and 160 days. A solution of 3% acetic acid was canned in 211 x 300 cans from the same batch used for jalapeño peppers. Heat processing was applied to two-thirds of the cans, and the remaining cans were not heat processed. Cans were stored at 25 and 35 degrees C for 0, 40, 70, and 160 days. Results showed that there is a minimal effect of heat treatment. An effect of storage time on migration of BPA during the first 40 days at 25 degrees C was observed. An increase on migration of BPA was observed with storage time at 35 degrees C. The highest level of migration was 15.33 microg/kg of BPA at 160 days at 35 degrees C. A correction factor of approximately 0.4 was calculated for migration under simulating conditions of storage compared to the real ones. The highest level of BPA found in jalapeño peppers cans, surveyed from three supermarkets, was 5.59 +/- 2.43 microg/kg. Migration of BPA, performed according to the European and Mercosur conditions, was 65.45 +/- 5.29 microg/kg. All the migration values found in this study were below those legislation limits (3 mg/kg).

Aislamiento y caracterización parcial de la enzima fenoloxidasa de manzana (Malus domestica, var. Anna) / Isolation and partial characterization of phenoloxidase from apple (Malus domestica, var. Anna)

El objetivo de este trabajo fue el aislamiento y la caracterización parcial de la enzima polifenoloxidasa de manzana (Malus domestica Var. Anna), cosechada en la región semidesértica de la Costa de Hermosillo, Sonora, México. Se estudió el efecto que tienen el pH, temperatura, especificidad hacia sustratos y separación bajo condiciones de cromatografía hidrofóbica. La enzima se aisló a partir de manzanas maduras tratadas con acetona fría. Del polvo residual obtenido se extrajo la enzima con regulador de fosfatos, y el extracto se utilizó para realizar caracterización, encontrándose que el pH y temperatura óptimos eran 5.36 y 35§C, respectivamente. La especificidad hacia sustratos mostró ser decreciente desde 4-metil catecol, ácido clorogénico, catecol y ácido cafeico hasta 3.4-dihidroxifenilalanina (DOPA). La enzima resultó ser más termoestable que la generalidad de las oxidasas en el intervalo de temperatura de 35§C a 60§C. El comportamiento del extracto a través de cromatografía hidrofóbica produjo un solo pico con actividad polifenolásica, lográndose una purificación de aproximadamente 300 veces. El contenido de compuestos con grupo fenólico fue de 1.16 g/100 g de fruta fresca. Las características polifenolásicas encontradas se asemejan a las de manzanas de regiones templadas, aunque éstas presentan una mayor termoestabilidad, lo que explica hasta cierto grado la gran influencia que la temperatura ejerce sobre el fenómeno del oscurecimiento enzimático en las condiciones tan cálidas...