Emulsion-based edible chitosan film containing propolis extract to extend the shelf life of strawberries.

In this study, propolis was first loaded into a conventional oil-in-water emulsion, which was combined with a chitosan film-forming solution to produce propolis emulsion-loaded film (PEF). Strawberries inoculated with Botrytis cinerea coated with PEF and blank emulsion-loaded films (BEF) were stored for 14 days at 4 °C. Compared to BEF, PEF showed superior mechanical and oxygen barrier properties, as well as antioxidant activities, but higher moisture permeability. PEF showed less oil agglomeration on the film surface after drying, as demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Compared to uncoated strawberries, coatings did not have a significant effect on weight loss or firmness during storage. In contrast, coated strawberries showed elevated total phenolics, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid retention; however, PEF-coating yielded higher values. Moreover, the PEF coating resulted in a significantly lower reduction of organic acid and total soluble solids. Mold growth was visible in both uncoated and BEF-coated strawberries after 7 days of storage, while PEF-coated fruits showed no visible mold until the end of storage. Starting from day 4, PEF-coated fruits showed lower mold counts (~2 log CFU/g) than other samples. Therefore, the PEF prepared in this study has application potential for the preservation of fresh fruits.

Antagonistic Activities of Metschnikowia pulcherrima Isolates Against Penicillium expansum on Amasya Apples.

Postharvest fungal diseases cause serious fruit losses and food safety issues worldwide. The trend in preventing food loss and waste has shifted to environmentally friendly and sustainable methods, such as biological control. Penicillium expansum is a common postharvest contaminant fungus that causes blue mould disease and patulin formation on apples. This study aimed to provide biocontrol using Metschnikowia pulcherrima isolates against P. expansum, and to understand their antagonistic action mechanisms. In vitro, 38.77-51.69% of mycelial growth inhibition of P. expansum was achieved by M. pulcherrima isolates with the dual culture assay, while this rate was 69.45-84.89% in the disc diffusion assay. The disease symptoms of P. expansum on wounds were reduced by M. pulcherrima, on Amasya apples. The lesion diameter, 41.84 mm after 12 d of incubation in control, was measured as 24.14 mm when treated with the most effective M. pulcherrima DN-MP in vivo. Although the antagonistic mechanisms of M. pulcherrima isolates were similar, there was a difference between their activities. In general, DN-HS and DN-MP isolates were found to be more effective. In light of all these results, it can be said that M. pulcherrima isolates used in the study have an antagonistic effect against the growth of P. expansum both in vitro and in vivo in Amasya apples, therefore, when the appropriate formulation is provided, they can be used as an alternative biocontrol agent to chemical fungicides in the prevention of postharvest diseases.

Sequential Extraction and Characterization of Essential Oil, Flavonoids, and Pectin from Industrial Orange Waste.

Orange is one of the primary fruits processed into juice and other products worldwide, leading to a vast amount of waste accumulation. Such waste has been considered as an attractive candidate for upcycling to obtain bioactive components remaining. The present study investigated the extraction of essential oil (EO), flavonoids, and pectin from industrial orange waste with a holistic approach. To maximize EO yield and d-limonene concentration, hydrodistillation (HD) conditions were selected to be 5.5 mL water/g solid for 180 min. Remaining solids were further used for flavonoid extraction where conventional solvent, sequential ultrasound + solvent, and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UE) were applied. UE applied for 50 min with 120 mL solvent/g solid yielded the highest total phenolic (TPCs) and total flavonoid contents (TFCs), antioxidant capacity, and hesperidin and neohesperidin concentrations. In terms of TPC, TFC, antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial activity, both EO and flavonoid fractions demonstrated moderate to high bioactivity. At the final step, ethanol precipitation was applied to obtain the pectin that was solubilized in hot water during HD and it was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, degree of esterification, and galacturonic acid content. Practical application: to ensure utilization in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, this study presents a combined method to obtain several value-added compounds from industrial orange waste. Bioactive EO and flavonoids obtained could have applications in functional food, supplements, or cosmetic formulations, whereas extracted pectin can be used in many formulated foods and drugs.

Chitosan/alginate/pectin biopolymer-based Nanoemulsions for improving the shelf life of refrigerated chicken breast.

This study investigated the use of nanoemulsions and various polymer coatings to enhance the quality and shelf life of chicken breast. This comprehensive study explored the antibacterial activity of essential oils (EOs) against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as the characterization of nanoemulsions (Nes) and nanoemulsion-based coatings. The antimicrobial potential of EOs, such as cinnamon, tea tree, jojoba, thyme, and black cumin seed oil, was evaluated against microorganisms, and thyme oil exhibited the highest inhibitory effect, followed by cinnamon and tea tree oil by disk diffusion analysis. The MIC and MBC values of EOs were found between 0.16-2.5 mg/mL and 0.16-5 mg/mL, respectively, while thyme EO resulted in the lowest values showing its antimicrobial potential. Then, the essential oil nanoemulsions (EONe) and their coatings, formulated with thyme oil, alginate, chitosan, and pectin, were successfully characterized. Optical microscope observations confirmed the uniform distribution of droplets in all (EONe), while particle size analysis demonstrated multimodal droplet size distributions. The EONe-chitosan coating showed the highest efficacy in reducing cooking loss, while the EONe-chitosan, EONe-alginate, and EONe-pectin coatings displayed promising outcomes in preserving color stability. Microbial analysis revealed the significant inhibitory effects of the EONe-chitosan coating against mesophilic bacteria, psychrophilic bacteria, and yeasts, leading to an extended shelf life of chicken breast. These results suggest the potential application of thyme oil and NE-based coatings in various industries for antimicrobial activity and quality preservation.

Development of a Near-Zero-Waste Valorization Concept for Waste NdFeB Magnets: Production of Antimicrobial Fe Alginate Beads via Adsorption and Recovery of High-Purity Rare-Earth Elements.

Nowadays, with the evolution of technology, rare earths are raw materials for a multitude of products, especially in high technological applications. A high amount of REEs is used in the production of permanent magnets, particularly NdFeB. The demand for some of the REEs, including neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium, is expected to increase in the coming years. REEs are defined as critical materials due to their high supply risk and economic importance. Recycling secondary raw materials for supplying REEs in the future is one promising option, and one of the best candidates is NdFeB magnets. NdFeB magnets include approximately 30% REEs and 66% of iron. For the near-zero-waste concept, the recovered iron from NdFeB must be evaluated in other applications. In this study, the near-zero-waste valorization concept for EoL-NdFeB magnets is developed, and high-purity REEs are achieved with a two-step process, including leaching and adsorption using alginate beads. Moreover, antimicrobial Fe alginate beads are produced in the leach liquor via adsorption. The antimicrobial activity of the produced Fe alginate beads is evaluated with disc diffusion and broth dilution methods against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. The most effective antibacterial Fe alginate beads are against E. coli and S. aureus with inhibitions of 87.21 and 56.25%, respectively.

Hypericum perforatum Oil and Vitamin A Palmitate-Loaded Gelatin Nanofibers Cross-Linked by Tannic Acid as Wound Dressings.

Recent studies in wound dressing applications offer new therapies to promote the wound healing process. The main strategy of this study is to combine the traditional perspective of using medicinal oils with polymeric scaffolds manufactured by an engineering approach to fabricate a potential tissue engineering product that provides both new tissue formation and wound healing. Thus, Hypericum perforatum oil (HPO) and vitamin A palmitate (VAP) incorporated gelatin (Gt) nanofibrous scaffolds were successfully prepared by the electrospinning method. Tannic acid (TA) was used as the cross-linking agent. The amounts of VAP and HPO loaded in the base Gt solution [15% w/v in 4:6 v/v acetic acid/deionized water] were 5 and 50 wt % (based on the weight of Gt), respectively. The obtained scaffolds were studied regarding their microstructure, chemical structure, thermal stability, antibacterial activity, in vitro release study, and cellular proliferation assay. In the light of these studies, it was determined that VAP and HPO were incorporated successfully in Gt nanofibers cross-linked with TA. Release kinetic tests confirmed that the patterns of TA and VAP release were consistent with the Higuchi model, whereas HPO release was consistent with the first-order kinetic model. In addition, this membrane was biocompatible with L929 fibroblast cells and had antibacterial activity and thermal stability. This preliminary study suggests potential applicability of the proposed dressing to treat skin wounds in clinics.

Biocontrol Potential of Antagonistic Yeasts on In Vitro and In Vivo Aspergillus Growth and Its AFB1 Production.

Aspergillus flavus is a major aflatoxin B1, posing significant health concerns to humans, crops, and producer fungi. Due to the undesirable consequences of the usage of synthetic fungicides, biological control using yeasts has gained more attention. In this study, eight isolates of epiphytic yeasts belonging to Moesziomyces sp., Meyerozyma sp. and Metschnikowia sp., which have been identified as antagonists, were isolated from different plants, including grapes, blueberries, hawthorns, hoskiran, beans and grape leaf. While volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by Moesziomyces bullatus DN-FY, Metschnikowia aff. pulcherrima DN-MP and Metschnikowia aff. pulcherrima 32-AMM reduced in vitro A. flavus mycelial growth and sporulation, only VOCs produced by Metschnikowia aff. fructicola 1-UDM were found to be effective at reducing in vitro AFB1 production. All yeasts reduced the mycelial growth of A. flavus by 76-91%, while AFB1 production reduced to 1.26-10.15 ng/g and the control plates' growth was 1773 ng/g. The most effective yeast, Metschnikowia aff. Pulcherrima DN-HS, reduced Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin B1 production on hazelnuts. The AFB1 content on hazelnuts reduced to 333.01 ng/g from 536.74 ng/g. To our knowledge, this is the first report of yeasts isolated from plants being tested as potential biological control agents to reduce AFB1 production on hazelnuts.

Recent Insights into the Use of Antagonistic Yeasts for Sustainable Biomanagement of Postharvest Pathogenic and Mycotoxigenic Fungi in Fruits with Their Prevention Strategies against Mycotoxins.

Fungi-induced postharvest diseases are the leading causes of food loss and waste. In this context, fruit decay can be directly attributed to phytopathogenic and/or mycotoxin-producing fungi. The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals aim to end hunger by 2030 by improving food security, sustainable agriculture, and food production systems. Antagonistic yeasts are one of the methods presented to achieve these goals. Unlike physical and chemical methods, harnessing antagonistic yeasts as a biological method controls the decay caused by fungi and adsorbs and/or degrades mycotoxins sustainably. Therefore, antagonistic yeasts and their antifungal mechanisms have gained importance. Additionally, mycotoxins' biodetoxification is carried out due to the occurrence of mycotoxin-producing fungal species in fruits. Combinations with processes and agents have been investigated to increase antagonistic yeasts' efficiency. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive summary of studies on preventing phytopathogenic and mycotoxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins in fruits, as well as biocontrolling and biodetoxification mechanisms.

Photocatalytic and Antimicrobial Properties of Electrospun TiO2-SiO2-Al2O3-ZrO2-CaO-CeO2 Ceramic Membranes.

In this study, TiO2-based ceramic nanofiber membranes in the system of TiO2-SiO2-Al2O3-ZrO2-CaO-CeO2 were synthesized by combining sol-gel and electrospinning processes. In order to investigate the thermal treatment temperature effect, the obtained nanofiber membranes were calcined at different temperatures ranging from 550 to 850 °C. Different characterization methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) were conducted on the obtained membranes to investigate the structural and morphological properties of the nanofibers. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of the nanofiber membranes was very high (46.6-149.2 m2/g) and decreased with increasing calcination temperature as expected. Photocatalytic activity investigations were determined using methylene blue (MB) as a model dye under UV and sunlight irradiation. High degradation performances were achieved with the calcination temperatures of 650 and 750 °C because of the high specific surface area and the anatase structure of the nanofiber membranes. Moreover, the ceramic membranes showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli as a Gram-negative bacterium and Staphylococcus aureus as a Gram-positive bacterium. The superior properties of the novel TiO2-based multi-oxide nanofiber membranes proved as a promising candidate for various industries, especially the removal of textile dyes from wastewater.

The production of pH indicator Ca and Cu alginate ((1,4)- ß -d-mannuronic acid and α -l-guluronic acid) cryogels containing anthocyanin obtained via red cabbage extraction for monitoring chicken fillet freshness.

In recent days, intelligent food packaging has gained attention due to consumers' needs and monitoring of the freshness of food. Biopolymers are used to produce matrix parts and dye chemicals, because of their unique properties, such as biodegradability and biocompatibility. In this study, alginate molecules and anthocyanins were used to produce to monitor chicken fillet freshness via pH response characteristics. Anthocyanins' color and UV characteristics at different pHs were investigated. The obtained anthocyanin solution showed visible color response at different pH level. In the red cabbage extract, the anthocyanin concentration was as 0.65 ± 0.03 mg/g. Alginate and extracted anthocyanins from red cabbage were mixed at the solution phase, then metal alginate hydrogels were synthesized via crosslinking Ca2+ and Cu2+ with alginate molecules. Due to the porous structure of the cryogels, hydrogels were freeze dried at -80 °C for 24 h at vacuum atmosphere. The obtained cryogel indicated significant color changes from pH 4 to pH 10, and at a basic environment, the color change was observed with the naked eye. The porosity amounts and sizes of the produced cryogels were examined, the average pore amount of cryogels was found to be 85.46 ± 4.36 %, and the average pore size 97.98 ± 26.20 µm. Furthermore, it was seen that the color change was not directly related to the porosity, but the interaction of anthocyanin and metal alginate matrix effected color changes degree of cryogels. Due to the electronegativity of Cu2+ ions, and the use of a low amount of anthocyanin was found to be more suitable for color change. The color was changed to blue-purple while total volatile basic nitrogen content increased to 46.67 mg/100 g from 14.00 mg/100 g. As a result, prepared cryogels should be a better candidates for use as a freshness indicator and intelligent packaging.

Phenolic compounds as natural microbial toxin detoxifying agents.

Despite the abundance of promising studies, developments, and improvements about the elimination of microbial toxins from food matrices, they are still considered as one of the major food safety problems due to the lack of their complete avoidance even today. Every year, many crops and foodstuffs have to be discarded due to unconstrained contamination and/or production of microbial toxins. Furthermore, the difficulty for the detection of toxin presence and determination of its level in foods may lead to acute or chronic health problems in many individuals. On the other hand, phenolic compounds might be considered as microbial toxin detoxification agents because of their inhibition effect on the toxin synthesis of microorganisms or exhibiting protective effects against varying damaging mechanisms caused by toxins. In this study, the effect of phenolic compounds on the synthesis of bacterial toxins and mycotoxins is comprehensively reviewed. The potential curing effect of phenolic compounds against toxin-induced damages has also been discussed. Consequently, phenolic compounds are indicated as promising, and considerable natural preservatives against toxin damages and their detoxification potentials are pronounced.

Antifungal Activities of Different Essential Oils and Their Electrospun Nanofibers against Aspergillus and Penicillium Species Isolated from Bread.

Mold growth, especially Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp., deteriorates the quality of bakery products. Essential oils (EOs) have been categorized as good natural antimicrobials. Hereby, this study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of six EOs, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, origanum, and clove, and their volatile compounds against fungal strains isolated from bread: Penicillium carneum DDS4, Aspergillus flavus DDS6, and Aspergillus niger DDS7 by disc diffusion and disc volatilization methods, respectively. Among EOs, cumin, cinnamon, origanum, and clove were found to be effective against fungal strains, and their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) were determined. The observed lowest MIC value of EOs was obtained at 1000 µg/mL concentration, and the lowest MFC value was obtained from the results of clove at a concentration of 1000 µg/mL. Based on the MIC and MFC values, clove and cinnamon EOs were found to be more effective at lower concentrations. Electrospun nanofiber films of clove and cinnamon were produced with 6% poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), 2% ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD), and 2% EO to overcome the unfavorable sensory impact of EOs on food products. The inhibitory activity of cinnamon EO film (2.64-2.51 log(CFU/mg)) was considerably lower than clove EO film (3.18-3.24 log(CFU/mg)) against P. carneum DDS4 and A. niger DDS7. Furthermore, these nanofiber films prevented fungal growth on bread samples visibly and were shown to be an alternative application for active food packaging.

Simultaneous Detection of Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxins in Industrial and Traditional Red and isot Pepper Flakes along with Dietary Exposure Risk Assessment.

This study focused on the co-occurrence of aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in traditionally and industrially dried red pepper flakes (DRPFs) and isot pepper flakes (IPFs). Following the multitoxin immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) was used to quantify AFs and OTA. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values were 0.11 and 0.18 µg kg-1 (AFB1), 0.04 and 0.08 µg kg-1 (AFB2), 0.13 and 0.18 µg kg-1 (AFG1), 0.04 and 0.11 µg kg-1 (AFG2), and 0.10 and 0.21 µg kg-1 (OTA), respectively. AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and OTA were found to be positive in 93, 74, 17, and 94% of all samples, respectively. The contamination levels in positive samples ranged from 0.23 to 38.69, 0.04 to 2.14, 0.13 to 0.88, and 0.18 to 52.19 µg kg-1 for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and OTA, respectively, while no AFG2 was found above the detection limit (0.04 µg kg-1). None of the industrial isot peppers exceeded the European Union limits, while the levels of AFB1 (5 µg kg-1), total AFs (10 µg kg-1), and OTA (20 µg kg-1) of the traditional peppers were above the limit by 30% (16/54), 26% (14/54), and 4% (2/54), respectively. Co-occurrence of AFB1-AFB2-OTA was the most frequent, accounting for 54% (29/54) of all samples. At the upper bound (UB), estimated average exposure to AFB1, total AFs, and OTA was determined to be 0.175, 0.189, and 0.124 ng kg-1 bw day-1 in all samples, respectively. The margin of exposure (MoE) value of AFB1 and total AFs was found to be 977 and 909, indicating high health concerns compared to OTA (MoE >10,000). AFB1 and total AFs may result in 0.0058 and 0.0062 liver cancer cases/100,000 person/year at UB, respectively, and weekly OTA exposure was 0.868 ng kg-1 bw, well below the provisional tolerable weekly intake, hence not of health concern. AFs exposure could endanger health, whereas OTA posed no toxicological concerns through dried red pepper consumption.

Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antimycotoxigenic, and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils: An Updated Review.

The interest in using natural antimicrobials instead of chemical preservatives in food products has been increasing in recent years. In regard to this, essential oils-natural and liquid secondary plant metabolites-are gaining importance for their use in the protection of foods, since they are accepted as safe and healthy. Although research studies indicate that the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of essential oils (EOs) are more common compared to other biological activities, specific concerns have led scientists to investigate the areas that are still in need of research. To the best of our knowledge, there is no review paper in which antifungal and especially antimycotoxigenic effects are compiled. Further, the low stability of essential oils under environmental conditions such as temperature and light has forced scientists to develop and use recent approaches such as encapsulation, coating, use in edible films, etc. This review provides an overview of the current literature on essential oils mainly on antifungal and antimycotoxigenic but also their antibacterial and antioxidant activities. Additionally, the recent applications of EOs including encapsulation, edible coatings, and active packaging are outlined.

Cold active pectinase, amylase and protease production by yeast isolates obtained from environmental samples.

The present study was performed to screen for psychrophilic yeasts that are able to secrete cold active enzymes. Yeast isolates were obtained from environmental samples from northern Turkey and examined for enzyme production at low temperatures. The isolates which were capable of cold active enzyme production on plates were identified by molecular identification techniques. It has been found that the isolates belonged to three genera of yeasts, i.e., Rhodosporidiobolus, Cystofilobasidium and Yamadazyma. The isolates were then fermented in different media at 15 °C and the pectinase, amylase and protease activities were determined in the range of 0.76-1.73, 0.5-1.57 and 2.11-10.53 U/mL, respectively. Maximum enzyme activities were found in Yamadazyma isolates for all three enzymes. To the best of our knowledge, cold active pectinase, amylase and protease production by Yamadazyma spp. were investigated for the first time in the present study. Besides, this is the first report which indicates cold active amylase production by Cystofilobasidium capitatum and pectinase production by Rhodosporidiobolus colostri. Yeast isolates obtained in this study may have potential for industrial cold active enzyme production.

Cardamom, Cumin, and Dill Weed Essential Oils: Chemical Compositions, Antimicrobial Activities, and Mechanisms of Action against Campylobacter spp.

Natural antimicrobials as well as essential oils (EOs) have gained interest to inhibit pathogenic microorganisms and to control food borne diseases. Campylobacter spp. are one of the most common causative agents of gastroenteritis. In this study, cardamom, cumin, and dill weed EOs were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli by using agar-well diffusion and broth microdilution methods, along with the mechanisms of antimicrobial action. Chemical compositions of EOs were also tested by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that cardamom and dill weed EOs possess greater antimicrobial activity than cumin with larger inhibition zones and lower minimum inhibitory concentrations. The permeability of cell membrane and cell membrane integrity were evaluated by determining relative electric conductivity and release of cell constituents into supernatant at 260 nm, respectively. Moreover, effect of EOs on the cell membrane of Campylobacter spp. was also investigated by measuring extracellular ATP concentration. Increase of relative electric conductivity, extracellular ATP concentration, and cell constituents' release after treatment with EOs demonstrated that tested EOs affected the membrane integrity of Campylobacter spp. The results supported high efficiency of cardamom, cumin, and dill weed EOs to inhibit Campylobacter spp. by impairing the bacterial cell membrane.

Angiotensin-I-Converting Enzyme (ACE)-Inhibitory Peptides from Plants.

Hypertension is an important factor in cardiovascular diseases. Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors like synthetic drugs are widely used to control hypertension. ACE-inhibitory peptides from food origins could be a good alternative to synthetic drugs. A number of plant-based peptides have been investigated for their potential ACE inhibitor activities by using in vitro and in vivo assays. These plant-based peptides can be obtained by solvent extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis with or without novel food processing methods, and fermentation. ACE-inhibitory activities of peptides can be affected by their structural characteristics such as chain length, composition and sequence. ACE-inhibitory peptides should have gastrointestinal stability and reach the cardiovascular system to show their bioactivity. This paper reviews the current literature on plant-derived ACE-inhibitory peptides including their sources, production and structure, as well as their activity by in vitro and in vivo studies and their bioavailability.

A review on traditional Turkish fermented non-alcoholic beverages: microbiota, fermentation process and quality characteristics.

Shalgam juice, hardaliye, boza, ayran (yoghurt drink) and kefir are the most known traditional Turkish fermented non-alcoholic beverages. The first three are obtained from vegetables, fruits and cereals, and the last two ones are made of milk. Shalgam juice, hardaliye and ayran are produced by lactic acid fermentation. Their microbiota is mainly composed of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei in shalgam fermentation and L. paracasei subsp. paracasei and Lactobacillus casei subsp. pseudoplantarum in hardaliye fermentation are predominant. Ayran is traditionally prepared by mixing yoghurt with water and salt. Yoghurt starter cultures are used in industrial ayran production. On the other hand, both alcohol and lactic acid fermentation occur in boza and kefir. Boza is prepared by using a mixture of maize, wheat and rice or their flours and water. Generally previously produced boza or sourdough/yoghurt are used as starter culture which is rich in Lactobacillus spp. and yeasts. Kefir is prepared by inoculation of raw milk with kefir grains which consists of different species of yeasts, LAB, acetic acid bacteria in a protein and polysaccharide matrix. The microbiota of boza and kefir is affected from raw materials, the origin and the production methods. In this review, physicochemical properties, manufacturing technologies, microbiota and shelf life and spoilage of traditional fermented beverages were summarized along with how fermentation conditions could affect rheological properties of end product which are important during processing and storage.

Natural occurrence of ochratoxin A in dried figs.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in dried figs was investigated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection after extraction with methanol and orthophosphoric acid and clean up by an immunoaffinity column. The limit of detection for OTA was 0.12 microg kg(-1). One hundred and fifteen samples were taken during the drying stage from 7 different districts in the Aegean Region in 2003 and 2004. Fifty-five (47.2%) of the 115 samples were found to contain detectable levels of ochratoxin A, ranging from 0.12 to 15.31 microg kg(-1). However, the OTA level for a majority of the samples was low, with only 4 samples containing OTA exceeding 1 microg kg(-1). The calculated overall median for the OTA level was below the limit of detection and the overall mean was estimated as 0.52 microg kg(-1). Frequency of ochratoxin A contamination in dried figs harvested in 2003 and 2004 are 47 and 50%, respectively. Highest contamination ratio was determined in dried figs from Erbeyli (60%), followed by Selcuk (56%), and Ortaklar (50%).