Potential antimicrobial activity of camel milk as a traditional functional food against foodborne pathogens in vivo and in vitro.

Foodborne pathogens are a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Therefore, strategies focused on functional foods are urgently required to tackle this issue. As a result, camel milk is one of the most important traditional functional foods since it contains a variety of bioactive components, which all have antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens. The study aims to investigate the potential antimicrobial activity of raw camel milk against foodborne pathogens in both in vitro agar well diffusion and infected mice, especially Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli, particularly in societies that rely on consuming camel milk in its raw form. A total of eighty C57BL/6 mice were divided into ten groups and gavaged with or without camel milk for two consecutive weeks. A blood plasma analysis and serum insulin levels were measured. Histological investigations of the liver, pancreas, kidney, spleen, lung and testicles were also performed. In both in vivo and in vitro studies when compared to other pathogenic bacteria, E. coli was the most affected by raw camel milk, with a significant clear zone of 2.9 ± 0.13 cm in vitro and in all measured parameters in vivo (p < 0.05). As a result, we advocated for further research to improve camel breeding, raise milk yield and extend its reproductive capability as one of the most important farm animals.

Postbiotic Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid and Camel Milk Intervention as Innovative Trends Against Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipidemia in Streptozotocin-Induced C57BL/6J Diabetic Mice.

Diabetes is a serious disease that threatens human health worldwide. The study hypothesis is to investigate the novel trends that may aid in the prevention of diabetic complications. Camel milk was presented as traditional functional food, and Lactobacillus brevis KLDS1.0727 and KLDS1.0373 strains were shown to synthesize postbiotic Gamma-aminobutyric acid as a potential food additive, which can therapeutically intervene against hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in streptozotocin-induced C57BL/6J mice. During a four-week timeframe, body weight and postprandial blood glucose levels were monitored. Post-euthanasia, blood plasma was obtained to investigate hyperlipidemia, insulin concentrations, liver, and renal functions. The liver, pancreas, kidney, and spleen underwent histopathological examinations. The results demonstrated that KLDS1.0727 and KLDS1.0373 (LACS1 , LACS2 ) and camel milk treatments all had a significant influence on hypoglycemic activity, as evidenced by reduced postprandial blood glucose levels. LACS1 , LACS2 , and camel milk therapy significantly reduced blood hypolipidemic, and some liver enzymes such as (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase) levels. Therefore, we recommend consuming camel milk regularly and expanding its use with fermented foods containing L. brevis, one of the probiotics capable of producing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as future food additives that can improve human health and reduce the prevalence of several diseases disorders.

Effect of Chitosan Nanoparticles as Edible Coating on the Storability and Quality of Apricot Fruits.

Apricots are a fragile fruit that rots quickly after harvest. Therefore, they have a short shelf-life. The purpose of this work is to determine the effect of coatings containing chitosan (CH) as well as its nanoparticles (CHNPs) as thin films on the quality and shelf-life of apricots stored at room (25 ± 3 °C) and cold (5 ± 1 °C) temperatures. The physical, chemical, and sensorial changes that occurred during storage were assessed, and the shelf-life was estimated. Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the size and shape of the nanoparticle. The nanoparticles had a spherical shape with an average diameter of 16.4 nm. During the storage of the apricots, those treated with CHNPs showed an obvious decrease in weight loss, decay percent, total soluble solids, and lipid peroxidation, whereas total acidity, ascorbic acid, and carotenoid content were higher than those in the fruits treated with CH and the untreated fruits (control). The findings of the sensory evaluation revealed a significant difference in the overall acceptability scores between the samples treated with CHNPs and the other samples. Finally, it was found that CHNP coatings improved the qualitative features of the apricots and extended their shelf-life for up to 9 days at room temperature storage and for 30 days in cold storage.

Supplementation of Labneh with Passion Fruit Peel Enhanced Survival of E. coli Nissle 1917 during Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion and Adhesion to Caco-2 Cells.

Passion fruit peel powder (PFPP) was used to supplement the probiotic labneh to increase the activity of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) during production and storage. Labneh was manufactured with PFPP (0.5% and 1%) and analyzed at 0, 7, and 15 days of cold storage for postacidification and sensory properties and viability of EcN, survival of EcN to simulated gastrointestinal tract stress, and adhesion potential of EcN to Caco-2 cells. Acidification kinetics during fermentation showed that supplementation with PFPP reduced the time needed to decrease pH and reach the maximum acidification rate. PFPP addition contributed to postacidification of labneh during storage. PFPP had a beneficial effect (p < 0.05) on counts of EcN in labneh during different storage periods. Consumer preference expectations for labneh enriched with PFPP (0.5% and 1%) were higher than those for the control. PFPP provided a significant protective action for EcN during simulated gastrointestinal transit and had a positive effect on EcN adhesion to Caco-2 cells in vitro, although this decreased during storage with labneh. Labneh supplementation with PFPP can be recommended because of the positive effect on EcN viability and the high nutritional value, which may increase the appeal of the product to consumers.

Bioactive Compound, Antioxidant, and Radical Scavenging Activity of Some Plant Aqueous Extracts for Enhancing Shelf Life of Cold-Stored Rabbit Meat.

The potential radical scavenging, antioxidant activities (DPPH and ABTS) and bioactive constituents of several plant aqueous extracts (Curcuma longa, CL; Myristica fragrans, MF; Zingiber officinale, ZO; Cymbopogon citratus, CC and Thymus vulgaris, TV as well as their mixture) were investigated. The effect of these extracts on quality aspects (sensory characteristic, color traits, and Thiobarbituric acid) of rabbit meat during a 16-day cold (4 ± 2 °C) storage were investigated. Total phenolics and flavonoid contents of all extracts ranged from 13.27 ± 0.57 to 25.23 ± 0.49 mg GAE/g and 6.57 ± 0.22 to 13.24 ± 0.19 mg quercetin/g, respectively. The aqueous extract of MF had the highest (p ≤ 0.05) ABTS scavenging activity (4.55 µ mol Te/g dry extract), whereas the highest (p < 0.05) DPPH scavenging activity was detected in ZO extract (9.32 µ mol Te/g dry extract). Identification of extracts' bioactive compounds by GC-MS revealed that Eugenol (34.51%), Cinnamaldehyde (44.71%), Carvacrol (40.49%), Eicosane aldehyde (31.73%), and thymol (50.04%) are the first abundant bioactive compounds of CL, MF, ZO, CC, and TV aqueous extracts, respectively. Generally, the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) of all cold stored rabbit meat increased (p < 0.05) by increasing the storage time. The lowest TBARS values were detected for the samples treated with 0.2% of plant extracts mixture, which increased the shelf life of cold-stored rabbits by 50%. Significant (p < 0.05) increases in both L* and b* were observed with extended storage time. Meanwhile, the redness of the cold stored rabbit meat had an opposite trend. Treating the cold stored rabbit meat with 0.2% of the extract's mixture doubled the storage time with acceptable odor and taste. The results indicated that the studied plant extracts may be effective against rancidity and may be used as a natural antioxidant to prolong the shelf life of cold-stored rabbit meat.

Biological Effects of Red Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Consumption on High Fat Diet Female Albino Rats.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The evidence for safe consumption of chili pepper to gain health benefits is insufficient as high doses reported to cause gastric erosion. The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of red chili pepper ethanol extract (RCEE) to weight loss in high fat dieted female albino Wistar rats while monitoring adverse effects of high dose consumption. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Body weight gain, lipid profile, oxidative stress parameters, liver, kidney and thyroid biochemical functions were determined in addition to histopathological examination of liver and kidney to determine biological effects of 2 ingested concentrations of red chili pepper extract (5 and 10 mg). RESULTS: Red chili pepper ethanol extract (RCEE) showed anti-obesity potentials and hypolipidemic effects through decreased levels of total cholesterol (T.Ch), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) reached 25, 55, 45 and 45%, respectively, in parallel with increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels by 22.6%. The antioxidative potentials of RCEE were pronounced through significant increases in glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) activities (346.43 mU mL-1 and 15.33 U L-1 in group 2, respectively). Histological examination of liver and kidney showed adverse results but that did not significantly reflect on their functional biochemical parameters. CONCLUSION: Results introduced scientific evidence that red chili pepper possesses functional pharmacological properties but the excessive consumption induces liver and kidney damage.