Cryoprotective role of vacuum infused inulin on the quality of artichoke: Interactive effects of freezing, thawing and storage period.

Freezing of artichoke is a promising alternative to storing it in brine and canning. The perishable vegetable was vacuum infused with inulin to improve freezing tolerance. Artichokes with and without inulin were frozen by static, air blast and individual quick freezing (IQF) methods and thawed by microwave, 25 °C and 4 °C temperature levels at each month of 6-months storage. Process conditions were evaluated by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and were found significant on the quality parameters. Inulin infusion better conserved the aw, color, texture, ascorbic acid and overall integrity of artichokes during frozen storage. Inulin incorporation and IQF showed mutual positive effect on drip loss. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity values fitted to 2nd order kinetic and the highest residuals were determined in static freezing. PPO showed alleviating effect on total phenolic content. Vacuum impregnation caused a color difference prior to freezing, but was found effective for maintaining color during storage. As a result, the use of quick freezing techniques together with the addition of cryoprotectant was effective in the preservation of artichoke quality attributes during frozen storage.

Functionality Enhancement of Pea Protein Powder via High-Intensity Ultrasound: Screening in-vitro Digestion, o/w Emulsion Properties and Testing in Gluten-Free Bread.

Structural modification of protein prior to food application is an emergent approach to improve functionalization. The effectiveness of high-power ultrasound at varying amplitudes (0-100%) on the properties of pea protein powder was investigated in this study. The resulting modification was also tested with model gluten-free bread formulation and by screening the emulsion properties within vegetable oil. The 50% and beyond amplitude levels had significant impact on protein solubility, viscosity, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra, emulsion activity and stability. Foaming capacity and stability were enhanced with 75 and 100% amplitudes while the 25% amplitude exhibited the highest absolute zeta-potential. There was a concomitant increase in ultrasound amplitude and oil-binding capacity (2.83-6.43 g/g) where the water-holding capacity gradually decreased (5.78-3.61 g/g) with the increase in ultrasound power. The increase in ultrasound power led to decrease in L* values but progressively increased the total color difference (ΔE). Sonication (50% amplitude) also promoted the in-vitro digestibility of proteins by 22% as compared to the untreated sample. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fairly depictured the structural modification and FTIR spectra clearly demonstrated conformational changes in protein powders. The fortification with restructured pea protein powder significantly affected the volume and adhesiveness of glutenfree bread.

Processing of verjuice by ultrasound-assisted microwave heating: An assessment on the enzyme activity retention, technological parameters, and bioactive properties.

The present study evaluated the effect of ultrasonication prior to microwave heating applied at 60 °C, 70 °C, and 80 °C on the quality characteristics of verjuice. The sole microwave heating and conventional heating were also performed at the same temperature levels, and effectiveness of three different treatments were evaluated. The required treatment times were decided based on obtaining <10% pectin methylesterase (PME) activity, and ultrasound pretreatment provided the least heating durations. Turbidity, browning index, and viscosity values increased by 3.4 to 14.8-fold, 0.24 to 1.26-fold, and 9.2% to 48.0%, respectively, after all thermal treatments, while Brix values decreased by 1.4% to 15.7%. Ultrasound pretreatment revealed relatively lower browning index in all temperature levels, and almost the highest viscosity values were obtained in sonication pretreated microwave heating as compared with sole microwave and conventional heating. The minimum turbidity value (0.035) was determined in ultrasound-assisted microwave heating at 60 °C. The highest antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS) values were achieved by ultrasound-assisted microwave heating (up to 4.96 and 28.4 mmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/kg, respectively) followed by microwave heating (up to 4.30 and 27.0 mmol TE/kg) and conventional heating (up to 3.72 and 26.8 mmol TE/kg). Furthermore, ultrasonication resulted in better retentions of PME residual activity during 60 days of refrigerated storage (4 °C). Ultrasound pretreatment prior to microwave heating could be a convenient approach for juice processing by reducing the required treatment time and by conserving the quality parameters.

Effects of natural nitrite sources from arugula and barberry extract on quality characteristic of heat-treated fermented sausages.

This study was designed to compare the effects of natural nitrite sources from the arugula leaves (arugula extract and pre-converted arugula extract) and the use of barberry extract (BE) in heat-treated fermented sausage formulations. Eight different sausages were manufactured as follows: pre-converted arugula extract (PA), arugula extract (A), pre-converted arugula extract + BE (PAB), arugula extract + BE (AB), nitrite +BE (POB), no nitrite+ BE (NEB), also positive and negative control groups were prepared with (POC) or without nitrite (NEC). The addition of arugula and barberry extracts reduced the residual nitrite content, in fact PAB had the lowest value with a reduction ratio of 47%. The addition of BE lowered the lipid oxidation compared to other counterparts. The use of arugula extract or pre-converted arugula extract resulted in a lower carbonylation than nitrite free samples. The use of natural extracts lowered the a* and b* values compared to control. At the end of the storage, no differences were observed on the overall acceptability of all samples. Combined use of barberry extract with arugula and pre-converted arugula extracts could be used as alternative novel curing agent in heat-treated fermented sausages.

The effect of high-power ultrasound pretreatment on drying efficiency and bioactive compounds of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa L.).

Chokeberry (aronia) fruit is a rich source of bioactive compounds with various health benefits. However, it has a limited shelf life and a firm (tight) structure that makes it difficult for moisture transfer during drying. Therefore, the aim of the study is to investigate the effects of high-power ultrasound pretreatment (550 W, 30 min) and air drying temperature (65, 70 and 75 °C) on the drying rate and bioactive compounds of chokeberry fruit. Accordingly, chokeberries were dried directly or after ultrasound pretreatment, and the retention rate of bioactive properties, i.e., total phenolic, flavonoid and monomeric anthocyanin contents along with antioxidant capacity values, were examined. The required time for drying as well as the activation energy values were significantly lower in ultrasound treated samples. Logarithmic and Midilli models exhibited the best fit for drying kinetics of samples. The pretreatment led to significantly lower moisture content and aw values. Compared to fresh sample, the highest retention rate for some bioactive properties was found in ultrasound pretreated sample dried at 75 °C. The ultrasonication also reduced the electricity consumption (kWh) in all temperature levels of drying operations. As a conclusion, the ultrasound pretreatment prior to drying had dual role by facilitating drying kinetics and by providing higher bioactive contents.

Principles and recent applications of vacuum technology in the processing of dough-based cereal products: A comprehensive review.

Cereal-based foods have been essential elements in nutrition throughout history. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the application of innovative strategies to improve technological and nutritional properties of dough-based cereal products. Literature studies indicate that the integration of vacuum technology into baking and noodle industry can significantly enhance the quality and feasibility of final products. The vacuum has direct impact on gluten network, gas distribution and interaction of components in food matrix, especially due to aerated structure of dough systems. In this respect, this review for the first time presents a comprehensive evaluation regarding to use of vacuum technology in processing steps (i.e., mixing, baking, and cooling) of dough-based products in light of recent studies. The implementation of vacuum in the processes provide desired impacts on productivity and profitability for manufacturing industries. Vacuum application provides many advantages including improved product quality, nutritive value, extended shelf life, and reduced energy consumption.

The Role of the Left Atrial Strain Parameters on Grading of Aortic Regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: Grading the severity of aortic regurgitation (AR) is very important for clinical follow-up. In AR, left atrial (LA) mechanics can be affected in time and LA strain variations can be illuminating for the grading of AR. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the LA strain parameters are associated with the severity of AR or not. METHODOLOGY: Sixty-four consecutive patients with AR were included in this study. Patients divided into three groups as mild (n: 22), moderate (n: 15), or severe (n: 27). All patients' LA strain measurements were performed and results were compared between groups. RESULTS: Between the groups, LA reservoir (LA-Res) in the mild, moderate, and severe AR groups was 42.0 ± 18.0, 41.4 ± 14.8, and 29.2 ± 6.0, respectively (P: 0.002) and LA pump in the mild, moderate, and severe AR groups was 21.2 ± 8.7, 19.3 ± 7.4, and 13.1 ± 4.4, respectively (P < 0.001), different, while no difference was noticed on LA SRs, LA SRe, and LA SRa. CONCLUSION: This study showed that LA-Res and LA pump parameters of the patients with severe AR significantly decreased compared to those of the mild and moderate AR group. The grading of the LA mechanics in patients with chronic AR might provide a supplementary contribution to the present parameters in the grading of AR.

Bioactive peptides derived from plant origin by-products: Biological activities and techno-functional utilizations in food developments - A review.

Agro-industrial by-products containing considerable amounts of protein (10-50%) such as soybean meal, rice bran and coconut pulp are promising bioactive peptide sources with annual disposal rate of 800 million tons in the world. More recently, plant by-products rich in protein content have been studied under various prisms that include recovery techniques, peptide production methods, determination of technological benefits and functional properties, and their applications in foods. The researches in bioactive peptides provide evidence over the techno-functional properties and the health benefits are highly dependent upon their amino acid sequences, molecular weights, conformations and surface properties. Research findings compared bioactive properties of the obtained peptides with respect to their amino acid sequences and also reported that hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties have direct effect on both functional and health effects. In addition, the resultant properties of the peptides could be affected by the conducted extraction method (alkaline, enzymatic, ultrasound assisted, microwave assisted, etc.), extraction solvent, precipitation and purification techniques and even by the final drying process (spray, freeze, vacuum, etc.) which may alter molecular weights, conformations and surface properties. Latest studies have investigated solubility, emulsifying, foaming, water/oil holding capacity and surface properties and also antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic, hypocholesterolemic, antihypertensive, immunomodulatory and opioid activities of bioactive peptides obtained from plant by-products. Moreover, the application of the bioactive peptides into different food formulations has been a recent trend of functional food development. These bioactive peptides' bitter taste and toxicity are possible challenges in some cases that need to be resolved before their wider utilization.

Sesame bran as an unexploited by-product: Effect of enzyme and ultrasound-assisted extraction on the recovery of protein and antioxidant compounds.

Significant amount of bran is discarded from sesame processing plants and yet it is seen as waste or animal feed. This study for the first time designed to recover protein and antioxidant compounds from sesame bran. In this respect, effectiveness of four different techniques i.e. viscozyme L, alcalase, ultrasound and ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extractions were tested and compared with standard alkaline method. RSM was used to investigate the effects of extraction parameters and to determine optimum process conditions. All of the independent parameters (enzyme concentrations, pH, ultrasound power, temperature and time) had significant effects on all of the responses. Alcalase exhibited higher recovery efficiency than viscozyme L. The highest protein yield, total phenolic compound and antioxidant capacities were found in ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction at 836 W ultrasound power, 43 °C, 98 min, 9.8 pH value and 1.248 AU/100 g enzyme concentration. SDS-PAGE and SEM analyses were also carried out to compare extraction techniques.

Sour Cherry By-products: Compositions, Functional Properties and Recovery Potentials - A Review.

Sour (tart) cherry is an industrial fruit where a considerable amount of by-products remain after processing. Sour cherry by-products consist of pomace (skin and flesh) and seeds (pit, stone) which remain after the fruit juice and IQF processes. Sour cherry pomace is characterized with a high content of phenolic compounds and the seed constitutes a high oil yield with beneficial effects on human health because of their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. There has been a great interest in sour cherry by-products due to the increasing production rate of sour cherry worldwide and the increasing efforts on seeking bioactive compounds from natural sources as functional food. Thus, there have been a number of studies regarding the sour cherry pomace and sour cherry seed, especially in the last five years. The present review summarizes the chemical, biological, functional, and technological properties of the sour cherry pomace and sour cherry seed with their current and potential applications.

Ultrasound-assisted vacuum impregnation on the fortification of fresh-cut apple with calcium and black carrot phenolics.

This study evaluated the simultaneous effect of ultrasound on vacuum impregnation process to enhance infusion of calcium lactate and black carrot phenolics into ready to eat apple tissues. A vacuum - ultrasonic equipment was developed for this purpose and effects of different ultrasound powers (96-198 W) at 35 kHz and stage of ultrasound application at vacuum and restoration periods were investigated. The simultaneous application of 130 W ultrasound during vacuum impregnation did not rupture cellular integrity, but it led to increases in calcium content (13.8%), total phenolics (11.8%), total flavonoids (17.3%), total anthocyanins (24.6%) and antioxidant capacities (23.6%) of apple discs compared to non-ultrasound vacuum impregnation. In addition, total population of psychrophilic and mesophilic microorganisms were enumerated in both black carrot infused and non-infused samples and results showed that ultrasound-assisted vacuum impregnation treatment in the presence of black carrot phenolics were highly effective on inhibition of microorganisms growth in apple discs over storage period.

Optimization of extraction parameters on the isolation of phenolic compounds from sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) pomace.

There is an increasing interest to bio-components obtained from fruit & vegetable wastes. Anthocyanin is one of the components regained from fruits especially from red ones. Sour cherry is considered as industrial fruit since most of the grown fruit is processed into juice and hence considerable amount of pomace is removed from process. The influences of process parameters on the extraction of phenolic compounds from sour cherry pomace were investigated. Fifty-one percent ethanol concentration, 75 °C temperature and 12 mL/g solvent to solid ratio were selected as optimum process parameters. Time effect on the process efficiency was monitored at three different temperatures (25, 50 and 75 °C) and total phenolic and total anthocyanin contents were found to reach equilibrium concentrations between 80 and 100 min time intervals. Ethanol concentrations affected differently extraction yield of anthocyanins and non-anthocyanin phenolics. Various individual phenolic compounds present in sour cherry pomace were identified and quantified by HPLC equipped with UV/Vis PDA. Of the phenolic compounds, cyanidin-3-glucosylrutinoside, neochlorogenic acid and catechin were the most abundant ones found in the pomace. 14.23 ± 0.38 mg/g total phenolic, 0.41 ± 0.02 mg/g total anthocyanin, 0.19 ± 0.02 mg/g cyanidin-3-glucosylrutinoside, 0.22 ± 0.01 mg/g neochlorogenic acid and 0.22 ± 0.02 mg/g catechin contents (dry weight) were determined in the pomace at optimum extraction conditions.