Consumption of protein-based food products has a key role in the improvement of human health. The crosslinking agent microbial transglutaminase (mTGase) is an effective and promising tool to modify ...animal proteins used in the food industry. Improvement in the gelation process, physicochemical and textural quality, and consumer's demand of protein-based food products could be attained by combining mTGase and some non-conventional food processing technologies.
New perspectives and key areas for future research in the development of high-quality food proteins and protein-based products as a function of interaction effect of mTGase and some new processing techniques (e.g. high pressure processing (HPP), ultrasound, microwave (MW) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation) are reviewed. The effect of conventional thermal and emerging processing methods on the mTGase crosslinking activity and protein gel functionality are also compared.
The crosslinking density and functional properties of protein gels can be strongly promoted by the synergistic action of mTGase and innovative processing methods. Compared to the conventional heating, HPP with further increase of mTGase affinity to proteins can result in products with better physicochemical quality and more complex and firmer gel structure. The yield, water holding capacity, surface hydrophobicity, strength, and viscoelastic characteristics of mTGase-catalyzed protein gels can be significantly increased by ultrasonication treatments. mTGase-crosslinked hydrogels subjected to high-intensity ultrasonic pretreatment have potential to be used as delivery vehicles for a wide spectrum of bioactive compounds. The application of MW and UV light can substantially improve the surface, textural and structural features of gels generated by mTGase-technology.
•Combining TGase and new processing methods improves the quality of protein gels.•The combination of TGase and HPP can develop products with firmer gel structure.•TGase-crosslinked gels after US treatment can be used as delivery vehicles.•The application of MW and UV improves the physical properties of TGase-induced gels.
•Pigments were extracted from seaweed using ultrasonic treatment.•Ultra-filtration was used for pigments recovery from seaweed extract.•Filtration fouling mechanism and threshold flux were ...determined.
The objectives of this study were first to evaluate the performance of seaweed pigments’ recovery through ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and ultra-filtration (UF), and second to investigate the membrane fouling mechanism and evidence the threshold flux during filtration. The pigments’ recovery from the extract was performed using 5kDa and 10kDa ultra-filtration membranes. Results showed that increasing the extraction temperature in the range of 40–60°C was proportional to chlorophyll extraction efficiency, while the maximal carotenoid yield was achieved at 50°C. Ultrasonic power (from 100W to 300W) facilitated the extraction of both chlorophylls and carotenoids. Results from ultra-filtration showed that most pigments (>90%) were available in permeate through 10kDa membrane, while 5kDa membrane partially retained the pigments. Filtration resistance was quantified with resistance-in-series’ model, showing that the cake layer was the most important fouling resistance during filtration. Threshold flux at different rotation speeds (200 and 600rpm) was determined by trans-membrane pressure stepping tests, which were around 10 and 14.5L/m2h, respectively. Results from this study demonstrated the efficiency of the multistage process involving UAE and UF to enhance the recovery of pigments from brown seaweeds.
Negative pressure cavitation (NPC) extraction is a novel effective and eco-friendly technology. In this method, cavitation is generated by negative pressure and continuously introduced into the ...liquid-solid system to enhance the turbulence, collision and mass transfer between the extracting solvent and solid matrix. This technique was found to be efficient for improving the substrate and enzyme mixing, increasing the enzymatic hydrolysis of the plant cell wall components and improving the intracellular contents release into the extraction solvent.
So far, several studies evaluated the feasibility of using this system alone or in combination with other extraction methods (e.g. enzyme, homogenization, microwave, ionic liquid solvents and deep eutectic solvents) for extraction of food active compounds (e.g. flavonoids, isoflavonoids, saponins, stilbenes, polyphenols and alkaloids) from plant materials. This review gives an overview of the principle of NPC method and its application alone or in combination with other extraction techniques for extraction of active compounds from plant materials.
The outcome of the studies using NPC demonstrated that this technique is a simpler procedure, requiring low cost, and provides high efficiency. It is eco-friendly, and possesses a remarkable potential application in the industrial production compared to other extraction techniques. Moreover, since this method is performed at room temperature, it can reduce or prevent the degradation of thermosensitive compounds.
•Negative pressure cavitation (NPC) as potential tool to recover valuable compounds.•NPC can be combined with other technologies to improve extraction process.•It is a useful tool to prevent degradation of thermolabile compounds.•NPC is a simple eco-friendly process, requiring low cost, and with high efficiency.
Lycopene, one of the most dominant carotenoids in a person’s diet, is a well-known natural compound that has protective effects against chronic diseases. Industrial and domestic processing and ...storage conditions significantly influence retention and isomerization of lycopene; thus, in recent years, great attention has been given for their preservative effects of lycopene. This review highlights recent strategies that have been developed to preserve lycopene in processed products, especially in tomato pulp, puree, paste, and juice. The key factors influencing lycopene degradation and isomerization, such as ingredients and intensity of thermal treatments, are also discussed. Special attention was paid to the crystalline structures of lycopene which facilitate its resistance to degradation and isomerization. Emerging non-thermal processing methods, such as ultrasound and high-pressure processing (HPP), are critically evaluated for their preservation of thermo-labile compounds. Novel trends to improve lycopene stability by micro- and nanoencapsulation and addition of antioxidants are also included to examine their efficacy to protect against light, heat, oxygen, and other oxidative processes. Finally, recommended processing and storage conditions are discussed to provide strategies to retain the highest possible amount of bioactive lycopene until consumption.
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Microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) has been currently utilized to form new food structures and matrices with high physicochemical stability. Incorporation of this multi-functional ...enzyme into structural composition of milk protein-based products, such as cheese and ice cream, can not only be a successful strategy to improve their nutritional and technological characteristics through intramolecular cross-linking, but also to reduce the production cost by decreasing fat and stabilizer contents. The recent research developments and promising results of MTGase application in producing functional formulations of cheese and ice cream with higher quality characteristics are reviewed. New interesting insights and future perspectives are also presented. The addition of MTGase to cheese led to significant improvements in moisture, yield, texture, rheology and sensory properties, without changes in the chemical composition. Furthermore, pH value of ice cream is not affected by the MTGase treatment. Compared to untreated ice creams, application of MTGase significantly promotes consistency, fat destabilization, overrun and organoleptic acceptance, while a substantial reduction in firmness and melting rate of samples was observed. The addition of MTGase to cheese and ice cream-milk provides reinforcement to the protein matrix and can be considered as a novel additive for improving the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of final products.
Essential oils (EO) are complex secondary metabolites, which are produced by aromatic plants and identified by their powerful odors. Present studies on EO and their isolated ingredients have drawn ...the attention of researchers to screen these natural products and evaluate their effect on the cardiovascular system. Some EO, and their active ingredients, have been reported to improve the cardiovascular system significantly by affecting vaso-relaxation, and decreasing the heart rate and exert a hypotension activity. Several mechanisms have been proposed for the role of EO and their main active components in promoting the health of the cardiovascular system. The objective of this review is to highlight the current state of knowledge on the functional role of EO extracted from plants for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and their mechanisms of action. Research on EO has the potential to identify new bioactive compounds and formulate new functional products for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension, angina pectoris, heart failure, and myocardial infarction.
Nutritional security determines the level of public health within a population while inadequate nutrition is one of the major factors in development of various health problems. This can be alleviated ...with sufficient and affordable access to currently available or newly designed nutritious foods.
Formulation of new foods can be very costly, so methods able to lower design expanses are of utmost importance to the industry. Hence, the purpose of this work was to rationalize utilization of modern computerized algebraic systems (CAS) in solving traditional problems for formulating food mixtures by food combinatoric principles (FCP).
Practical aspect of FCP approach was shown in a case of formulating new food with predefined nutritional features (targeting amino acids content) from 14 components (curd and 13 varieties of grains and beans). The application of FCP in CAS saves time and provides mathematically perfect solutions. Such solutions should be tested for supplementary production parameters (sensory, feasibility, etc.) prior to industrial production of large scale quantities.
•New product development is an expensive, complex and time-consuming task.•Computer software provides a quick and reliable way to calculate mix recipes.•Modern computerized algebraic systems can be used to formulate food mixtures.•Food combinatoric principles can prepare foods with predefined nutritional features.
