The cost-effectiveness and high efficiency of atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) incentivise researchers to explore its potentials within the food industry. Presently, the destructive nature of this ...nonthermal technology can be utilised to inactivate foodborne pathogens, enzymatic ripening, food allergens, and pesticides. However, by adjusting its parameters, ACP can also be employed in other novel applications including food modification, drying pre-treatment, nutrient extraction, active packaging, and food waste processing. Relevant studies were conducted to investigate the impacts of ACP and posit that reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) play the principal roles in achieving the set objectives. In this review article, operations of ACP to achieve desired results are discussed. Moreover, the recent progress of ACP in food processing and safety within the past decade is summarised while current challenges as well as its future outlook are proposed.
An environmentally friendly mixed‐halide perovskite MA3Bi2Cl9−xIx with a bandgap funnel structure has been developed. However, the dynamic interfacial interactions of bandgap funneling in ...MA3Bi2Cl9−xIx perovskites in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) system remain ambiguous. In light of this, single‐ and mixed‐halide lead‐free bismuth‐based hybrid perovskites—MA3Bi2Cl9−yIy and MA3Bi2I9 (named MBCl‐I and MBI)—in the presence and absence of the bandgap funnel structure, respectively, are prepared. Using temperature‐dependent transient photoluminescence and electrochemical voltammetric techniques, the photophysical and (photo)electrochemical phenomena of solid–solid and solid–liquid interfaces for MBCl‐I and MBI halide perovskites are therefore confirmed. Concerning the mixed‐halide hybrid perovskites MBCl‐I with a bandgap funnel structure, stronger electronic coupling arising from an enhanced overlap of electronic wavefunctions results in more efficient exciton transport. Besides, MBCl‐I's effective diffusion coefficient and electron‐transfer rate demonstrate efficient heterogeneous charge transfer at the solid–liquid interface, generating improved photoelectrochemical hydrogen production. Consequently, this combination of photophysical and electrochemical techniques opens up an avenue to explore the intrinsic and interfacial properties of semiconductor materials for elucidating the correlation between material characterization and device performance.
The interfacial dynamics and electrochemical interactions of hybrid perovskites prepared by an anion‐exchange process in the photoelectrochemical system is investigated through computational simulation, experimental photophysical, and (photo)electrochemical analysis. The synergically interfacial dynamics and electrochemical analysis help to discover the intrinsic and interfacial properties of semiconductor materials.
Soybean products (soyfoods), reported as potential functional foods, are implicated in several health-enhancing properties, such as easing the symptoms of postmenopausal women, reducing the risk of ...osteoporosis, preventing cardiovascular disease, and antimutagenic effects. Isoflavone, for example, is one of the most important compounds abundantly found in soybean, mainly accounting for the health-enhancing properties as mentioned earlier. However, most biological activities of isoflavones are mainly attributed to their aglycone forms. It has also been demonstrated that isoflavone aglycones are absorbed faster and in greater amount than their glycosides in human intestines. Fortunately, deglycosylation of isoflavones can be achieved during fermentation process by several strains such as lactic acid bacteria, basidiomycetes, filamentous fungus, and
Bacillus subtilis
with their β-glucosidase activity. This article presents an overview of soybean’s chemistry, application, state-of-the-art advances in soybean fermentation processing and products as well as their applications in food and pharmaceutical industries. Different compounds, such as isoflavone, dietary fibers, and proteins which exhibit significant bioactivities, are summarized. The roles of different microorganisms in bioconversion and enhancement of bioactivities of fermented soybean are also discussed.
Highly efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) molecules are in urgent demand for solid‐state lighting and full‐color displays. Here, the design and synthesis of three ...triarylamine‐pyridine‐carbonitrile‐based TADF compounds, TPAPPC, TPAmPPC, and tTPAmPPC, are shown. They exhibit excellent photoluminescence quantum yields of 79−100% with small ΔEST values, fast reverse intersystem crossing (RISC), and high horizontal dipole ratios (Θ// = 86−88%) in the thin films leading to the enhancement of device light outcoupling. Consequently, a green organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) based on TPAmPPC shows a high average external quantum efficiency of 38.8 ± 0.6%, a current efficiency of 130.1 ± 2.1 cd A–1, and a power efficiency of 136.3 ± 2.2 lm W–1. The highest device efficiency of 39.8% appears to be record‐breaking among TADF‐based OLEDs to date. In addition, the TPAmPPC‐based device shows superior operation lifetime and high‐temperature resistance. It is worth noting that the TPA‐PPC‐based materials have excellent optical properties and the potential for making them strong candidates for TADF practical application.
Three 2,6‐diphenylpyridine‐3,5‐dicarbonitrile‐based compounds with excellent photoluminescent quantum yields (79–100%) and high horizontal dipole ratios (86−88%) in the thin films are demonstrated. With two methyl groups on the triarylamines, the spin−orbit coupling is enhanced due to the elevated locally excited triplet states (3LE), leading to a fast reverse intersystem crossing. Green thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) organic light‐emitting diodes based on them exhibit a record‐high external quantum efficiency of 39.8% without any optical extraction technique.
Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species, which has been shown to be associated with reproductive disorders in livestock, and to a lesser extent with ...hyperoestrogenic syndromes in humans. The aim of this study was to characterize a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain with ZEN removal ability. A pure culture of a strain designated LN isolated from moldy corn samples showed a high ZEN removal capability. Based on microscopic observations, biochemical characteristics, and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence, LN was identified as B. amyloliquefaciens. After incubation of B. amyloliquefaciens LN in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium containing 3.5 ppm of ZEN, the ZEN concentration fell below the detection limit within 24 h. In ZEN-contaminated corn meal medium, B. amyloliquefaciens LN decreased ZEN concentration by 92% after 36 h of incubation. In phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing 5 ppm of ZEN, B. amyloliquefaciens LN reduced the ZEN concentration from 5 ppm to 3.28 ppm immediately after coming into contact with ZEN, and further reduced the ZEN concentration to 0.36 ppm after 4 h of incubation. The amounts of ZEN adsorbed by the cells of B. amyloliquefaciens LN did not increase with the extension of incubation time, indicating that B. amyloliquefaciens LN not only possessed ZEN adsorption ability, but also exhibited the ability to degrade ZEN. In addition, B. amyloliquefaciens LN was non-hemolytic, non-enterotoxin producing, and displayed probiotic characteristics including acidic tolerance, bile salt tolerance, and anti-pathogenic activities. These findings suggest that B. amyloliquefaciens LN has a potential to be used as a feed additive to reduce the concentrations of ZEN in feedstuffs.
Bacterial cellulose (BC) as a never-dried biopolymer synthesized in abundance by Gluconacetobacter xylinus is in a pure form which requires no intensive processing to remove unwanted impurities and ...contaminants such as lignin, pectin and hemicellulose. In contrast to plant cellulose, BC, with several remarkable physical properties, can be grown to any desired shape and structure to meet the needs of different applications. BC has been commercialized as diet foods, filtration membranes, paper additives, and wound dressings. This review article presents an overview of BC structure, biosynthesis, applications, state-of-the-art advances in enhancing BC production, and its material properties through the investigations of genetic regulations, fermentation parameters, and bioreactor design. In addition, future prospects on its applications through chemical modification as a new biologically active derivative will be discussed.
Ganoderma
spp. are medical mushrooms with various pharmacological compounds which are regarded as a nutraceutical for improving health and treating diseases. This review summarizes current progress ...in the studies of
Gamoderma
ranging from bioactive metabolites, bioactivities, production techniques to clinical trials. Traditionally, polysaccharides and ganoderic acids have been reported as the major bioactive metabolites of
Ganoderma
possessing anti-tumor and immunomodulation functions. Moreover, recent studies indicate that
Gandoerma
also exerts other bioactivities such as skin lighting, gut microbiota regulation, and anti-virus effects. However, since these medical fungi are rare in natural environment, and that the cost of cultivation of fruiting bodies is high, industrial submerged fermentation of
Ganoderm
a mycelia promotes the development of
Ganoderma
by dint of an increase of biomass and bioactive metabolites used for further application. In addition, various strategies for production of different metabolites are well developed, such as gene regulation, bi-stage pH, and oxygen control. To date,
Ganoderma
not only has become one of the most popular nutraceuticals worldwide but also has been applied to clinical trials for advanced diseases such as breast and non-small-cell lung cancer.
Pullulan is a linear glucosic polysaccharide produced by the polymorphic fungus
Aureobasidium pullulans
, which has long been applied for various applications from food additives to environmental ...remediation agents. This review article presents an overview of pullulan’s chemistry, biosynthesis, applications, state-of-the-art advances in the enhancement of pullulan production through the investigations of enzyme regulations, molecular properties, cultivation parameters, and bioreactor design. The enzyme regulations are intended to illustrate the influences of metabolic pathway on pullulan production and its structural composition. Molecular properties, such as molecular weight distribution and pure pullulan content, of pullulan are crucial for pullulan applications and vary with different fermentation parameters. Studies on the effects of environmental parameters and new bioreactor design for enhancing pullulan production are getting attention. Finally, the potential applications of pullulan through chemical modification as a novel biologically active derivative are also discussed.
Black garlic is obtained from fresh garlic (Allium sativum L.) that has been fermented for a period of time at a controlled high temperature (60–90°C) under controlled high humidity (80–90%). When ...compared with fresh garlic, black garlic does not release a strong offensive flavor owing to the reduced content of allicin. Enhanced bioactivity of black garlic compared with that of fresh garlic is attributed to its changes in physicochemical properties. Studies concerning the fundamental findings of black garlic, such as its production, bioactivity, and applications, have thus been conducted. Several types of black garlic products are also available in the market with a fair selling volume. In this article, we summarize the current knowledge of changes in the components, bioactivity, production, and applications of black garlic, as well as the proposed future prospects on their possible applications as a functional food product.
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•Component change of garlic during fermentation is summarized.•Production, bioactivity, and application are summarized.•Different types and functions of black garlic products are introduced.