Characterization of Muffins Reformulated with Chia and Lyophilized Peach Powder in Terms of Some Technological and Sensory Aspects.

Research background: There is an increasing interest in foods with added nutritional value. This study presents the opportunity for the reformulation of muffins using chia seeds and lyophilized peach powder in view of the emerging societal challenges regarding unhealthy eating patterns and food intolerances. Experimental approach: Two new formulations were developed to eliminate the use of eggs and alter the flour content and type. Physical characteristics, texture analysis, water activity, microbial load, antioxidant potential and sensory profile aided in the evaluation of the newly developed products. Results and conclusions: The results indicate an inversely proportional relationship between the relative mass of the dough and physical parameters (density, volume and height) of all muffin formulations. The modification of the original recipe compared to the control sample led to decreased baking losses, increased total phenolic content, as well as enhanced nutritional value in terms of fibre content. The addition of chia seeds and peach powder led to positive sensory changes. The alteration of the original recipe resulted in significant effect on the colour, making the muffins darker and less yellow than the control sample. In terms of texture characteristics, the new formulations had a profile close to the control. Novelty and scientific contribution: Recipe reformulation without deteriorating quality attributes is important for the food technology field. Reformulation should comply with the new expectations of the modern consumer. The study targets an approach where new products with enhanced functional characteristics are presented.

Design and Volatile Compound Profiling of Starter Cultures for Yogurt Preparation.

Stable symbiotic starter cultures were created using selected strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus with antimicrobial activity against pathogens and necessary antibiotic sensitivity, growth kinetic parameters, and metabolic profiles. The volatile compound profiles of the obtained starter cultures were determined and their specificity was proven depending on the ratio of monocultures in each combination. The influence of the freeze-drying process on the starter cultures in relation to the production of aromatic components was investigated and it was demonstrated that this process had a significant effect on the content of the aroma-forming substances in the fermented milk. However, the influence of the pre-cooling process and crude fat content from 1.5 to 3.0% did not notably affect the levels of volatile compounds synthesized by the selected starter cultures. Comprehensive data for all volatile aromatic metabolites in the fermented milk were also obtained. These designed symbiotic starter cultures can be used to produce traditional Bulgarian yogurt with increased functional and probiotic properties.

Biopreservation of Chocolate Mousse with Lactobacillus helveticus 2/20: Microbial Challenge Test

Probiotic bacteria are used for food biopreservation because their metabolic products might contribute to ensuring food microbiological safety and/or increase its shelf life without the addition of chemical preservatives. Moreover, biopreserved foods are excellent vehicles for the delivery of probiotic bacteria. The aim of the study was to investigate the potential of chocolate mousse food matrix for the delivery of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus helveticus 2/20 (Lb. helveticus 2/20) and to investigate its capacity to inhibit the growth of two foodborne pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli). Therefore, the populations of free or encapsulated in calcium alginate Lb. helveticus 2/20 cells and/or of each pathogen (used to voluntarily contaminate each sample) were monitored both in complex nutrient medium (MRS broth) and in chocolate mousse under refrigeration conditions and at room temperature. Lb. helveticus 2/20 alone in free or encapsulated state effectively inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 in chocolate mousse when stored at 20 ± 2 °C. Practically no viable unwanted bacteria were identified on the 7th day from the beginning of the process. High viable Lb. helveticus 2/20 cell populations were maintained during storage under refrigerated conditions (4 ± 2 °C) and at room temperature. Chocolate mousse is thus a promising food matrix to deliver probiotic Lb. helveticus 2/20 cells, which could also protect it from contamination by unwanted bacteria.

Chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from tangerine (Citrus reticulata L.), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi L.), lemon (Citrus lemon L.) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume).

The phytochemical and biological properties of tangerine (Citrus reticulata L.), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi L.), lemon (Citrus lemon L.) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) essential oils were examined. The chemical composition of the essential oils determined using chromatography analysis revealed that D-limonene and cis-cinnamaldehyde were the main components. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oils have been studied by the DPPH radical-scavenging assay and the disc-diffusion method, respectively. All essential oils had antimicrobial activity against saprophytic (Bacillus subtilis, Penicillium chrysogenum, Fusarium moniliforme, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and pathogenic microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Salmonella abony, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans), with the highest inhibitory activity being observed in cinnamon oil, followed by grapefruit zest oil, tangerine zest oil and lemon zest oil; the MIC ranging from 6 to 60 ppm. In addition, they exhibited high antioxidant activity with the highest antioxidant activity being determined for the grapefruit zest essential oil, followed by the lemon zest essential oil, the tangerine zest essential oil and the cinnamon essential oil. The demonstrated promising results for the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the studied essential oils would give reason for their inclusion in the development of bio-preservation strategies for food emulsion preservation.

Bio-preservation of chocolate mousse with free and immobilized cells of Lactobacillus plantarum D2 and lemon (Citrus lemon L.) or grapefruit (Citrus paradisi L.) zest essential oils.

BACKGROUND: The bio-preservation of food products using various natural ingredients and metabolites from various types of beneficial microorganisms released during targeted fermentation is a method that simultaneously has a preservative effect on the food product and provides a model of its composition in order to ensure its functional and health properties. This double effect can be achieved by incorporating ingredients with proven preservative and functional effects into the food product, such as essential oils from various plant species and probiotic bacteria. The aim of the present research was to study the synergistic effect of selected probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and essential oils with high antimicrobial activity against pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms for the bio-preservation of chocolate mousse food emulsion. METHODS: The susceptibility of the selected probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum D2 to different concentrations of the selected lemon or grapefruit essential oil was examined using the disc-diffusion method. Nine chocolate mousse variants were prepared with the inclusion of free or immobilized cells of the probiotic strain L. plantarum D2 and/or lemon or grapefruit zest essential oils. The chocolate mousse variants were stored for 20 days in refrigerated conditions, and changes in the concentration of viable lactobacilli cells, the pH and the microbiological purity were monitored in accordance with standard requirements by taking samples on the 0th, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th days of storage. An organoleptic evaluation of the chocolate variants was performed on the 0th day. RESULTS: Concentrations of up to 1% lemon or grapefruit essential oil did not affect the growth of the probiotic strain L. plantarum D2, which revealed opportunities for their joint application for the bio-preservation of food emulsions. The obtained chocolate mousse variants were characterized by preserved organoleptic characteristics and microbiological safety. Free or immobilized probiotic L. plantarum D2 cells applied alone or in combination with lemon or grapefruit essential oils provided bio-preservation of the food emulsions, maintaining a high concentration of viable cells (106-107 cfu/g) during storage under refrigerated conditions for 20 days. CONCLUSIONS: The combined application of free or immobilized probiotic LAB and lemon or grapefruit essential oils resulted in better bio-preservation results than in the use of probiotic LAB or essential oils alone, thus suggesting a synergistic effect between the two bio-preservative agents. Moreover, the obtained chocolate mousse emulsions can be classified as functional foods and the chocolate mousse food matrix can successfully be used as a vehicle for delivery of probiotic LAB to a wide range of food consumers. The obtained results and the developed successful bio-preservation strategy for the production of chocolate mousse food emulsions would provide grounds for the future selection of other probiotic lactobacilli strains, essential oils and synergistic combinations of them for the development of successful bio-preservation strategies for other types of food and beverage products.

Biological preservation of mayonnaise with Lactobacillus plantarum LBRZ12, dill, and basil essential oils.

In this study, different variants of egg-free mayonnaise containing free and immobilized Lactobacillus plantarum LBRZ12 cells and essential oils taken from basil and dill were prepared. The composition and antimicrobial properties of essential oils were investigated. The main constituents of basil oil were methyl chavicol (36.81%), methyl eugenol (20.40%), ß-linanool (14.35%), eugenol (10.55%), and L(-)-carvone (39.05%), whereas dill oil contained mostly d-limonene (21.11%) and α-phellandrene (22.68%). The essential oils exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against all test-microorganisms. The mayonnaise variants were kept refrigerated for 40 days and changes in pH, concentration of viable cells of lactobacilli, microbiological, and organoleptic characteristics were monitored. The pH decreased from 6.5 to 4.5 over the period of storage. The number of undesired microflora in mayonnaise preserved with lactobacilli and essential oils decreased significantly (0 after the 20th day) indicating their effectiveness as biological preservatives. The mayonnaise variants demonstrated pleasant organoleptic characteristics, thus meet customers' requirements.

Chemical composition, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Citrus aurantium L zest against some pathogenic microorganisms.

This study aims to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity of Citrus aurantium L zest essential oil. The identification of the chemical compounds was done using chromatography analysis. The antioxidant activity was studied by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. Results showed that the main components of the essential oil were limonene (85.22%), ß-myrcene (4.3%), and α-pinene (1.29%). Regarding the DPPH radical scavenging ability, the zest essential oil showed higher activity than limonene. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil against pathogenic [Staphylococcus aureus NBIMCC 3703, Salmonella sp. (clinical isolate), Pseudomonas aeruginosa NBIMCC 1390, Bacillus subtilis NBIMCC 1208, Escherichia coli NBIMCC 3702] microorganisms by disc-diffusion method was examined. Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to the oil (inhibition zones being between 9 and 12.5 mm) and the minimum inhibitory concentration was more than 600 ppm; Gram-negative bacteria were less sensitive. The obtained essential oil displayed promising results for its application as a biopreservative agent.