Influence of different cooking methods on the nutritional and potentially harmful components of peanuts

Mediators of the association between nut consumption and cardiovascular diseases: a two-step mendelian randomization study

Previous observational studies have reported inconsistent associations between nut consumption and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This study aims to identify the causal relationship between different types of nuts consumption and CVD, and to quantify the potential mediating effects of cardiometabolic factors. We utilized Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) data to assess the causal effects of nut consumption on CVD using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) and a two-step MR analysis. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method indicated that processed (salted or roasted) peanuts were potentially and positively associated with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) (OR 1.4866; 95%CI 1.0491-2.1065). No causal relationships were found between nuts consumption and other CVD outcomes, including atrial fibrillation, angina, coronary atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, IHD, myocardial infarction, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral haemorrhage and stroke. Both MR-Egger and median-based methods yielded similar results to IVW. Furthermore, in the two-step MR analysis, fasting insulin, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and fasting blood glucose were identified as mediators in the potential causal relationship between processed peanuts and IHD, explaining 16.98%, 6.38% and 4.91% of the mediation, respectively. In total, these mediators accounted for 28.27% of the association between salted or roasted peanuts and IHD.

Peanut-Colonized Piriformospora indica Enhanced Drought Tolerance by Modulating the Enzymes and Expression of Drought-Related Genes

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important cash and oil seed crop, mostly distributed in arid and semi-arid areas. In recent years, due to the influence of atmospheric circulation anomalies and other factors, drought has become frequent and increasingly serious in China. This has posed serious challenges to peanut production. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of the endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica to form a symbiotic relationship with peanut plants and to evaluate the drought tolerance of P. indica-colonized peanut plants subjected to a simulated drought stress treatment using 20% polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000). The endophytic fungus P. indica affected the physiological characteristics of the host plant by colonizing the plant roots, thereby conferring greater resistance to drought stress. This fungus strongly colonized the roots of peanuts and was found to enhance root activity after 24 h of P. indica colonization under PEG6000. Catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities were increased at 24 h in peanut leaves colonized with P. indica. Expression of drought-related genes, such as AhNCED1, AhP5CS, and DREB2A was upregulated at 24 h of P. indica colonization. In addition, after PEG6000 treatment, proline, soluble protein, and abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations in plants were increased, while the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was decreased in P. indica colonized peanut. In conclusion, P. indica mediated peanut plant protection against the detrimental effects of drought resulted from enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, and the upregulated expression of drought-related genes for lower membrane damage.

Residue changes, degradation, processing factors and their relation between physicochemical properties of pesticides in peanuts during multiproduct processing

This study systematically investigates the residue changes, processing factors (PFs), and relation between the physicochemical properties of pesticides during peanut processing. Results revealed that peeling, washing, and boiling treatments removed partial or substantial pesticide residues from peanuts with PFs of 0.29-1.10 (most <1). By contrast, pesticides appeared to be partially concentrated during roasting, stir-frying, and deep-frying peanuts with PFs of 0.16-1.25. During oil pressing, 13 of the 28 pesticides were concentrated in the peanut oil (PF range: 1.06-2.01) and 25 of the pesticides were concentrated in the peanut meal (1.07-1.46). Physicochemical parameters such as octanol-water partition coefficient, degradation point, molecular weight, and melting point showed significant correlations with PFs during processing. Notably, log Kow exhibited strong positive correlations with the PFs of boiling, roasting, and oil pressing. Overall, this study describes the fate of pesticides during multiproduct processing, providing guidance to promote the healthy consumption of peanuts for human health.

Nitrogen application in pod zone improves yield and quality of two peanut cultivars by modulating nitrogen accumulation and metabolism

Cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) represents one of the most important oil and cash crops world-widely. Unlike many other legumes, peanuts absorb nitrogen through their underground pods. Despite this unique feature, the relationship between yield and nitrogen uptake within the pod zone remains poorly understood. In our pot experiment, we divided the underground peanut part into two zones-pod and root-and investigated the physiological and agronomic traits of two peanut cultivars, SH11 (large seeds, LS) and HY23 (small seeds, SS), at 10 (S1), 20 (S2), and 30 (S3) days after gynophores penetrated the soil, with nitrogen application in the pod zone. Results indicated that nitrogen application increased pod yield, kernel protein content, and nitrogen accumulation in plants. For both LS and SS peanut cultivars, optimal nitrogen content was 60 kg·hm- 2, leading to maximum yield. LS cultivar exhibited higher yield and nitrogen accumulation increases than SS cultivar. Nitrogen application up-regulated the expression of nitrogen metabolism-related genes in the pod, including nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NIR), glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate synthase (NADH-GOGAT), ATP binding cassette (ABC), and nitrate transporter (NRT2). Additionally, nitrogen application increased enzyme activity in the pod, including NR, GS, and GOGAT, consistent with gene expression levels. These nitrogen metabolism traits exhibited higher up-regulations in the large-seeded cultivar than in the small-seeded one and showed a significant correlation with yield in the large-seeded cultivar at S2 and S3. Our findings offer a scientific basis for the judicious application and efficient utilization of nitrogen fertilization in peanuts, laying the groundwork for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms of peanut nitrogen utilization.

Nutritional and chemical composition of Alpinia zerumbet leaves, a traditional functional food

Alpinia zerumbet, a species of the Zingiberaceae family, is a common plant in tropical and subtropical areas used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases and also included as food in the traditional Okinawan diet (Japan). The leaves and rhizomes of this plant are used as spice and flavoring in foods such as rice, meats, and pasta. Studies of the chemical and nutritional characteristics of fresh leaves and of leaves submitted to thermal treatments such as boiling and steaming are lacking. In the current study, the leaves of A. zerumbet were subjected to boiling or steaming for 10, 20, and 30 min as part of the thermal treatments. The study also provides noteworthy results regarding the proximate composition, physical-chemical data, minerals, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, volatile compounds, and LC-MS chromatographic profiles of the extracts produced with fresh leaves and with thermal treatments. The carbohydrate content of A. zerumbet leaves improved during the thermal treatments, showing an increase after steaming (18.86 to 19.79%) and boiling for 30 min (25.85%). After boiling treatment for 20 min, a significant amount of protein was found (6.79%) and all heat treatments resulted in low content of lipid (<1.0%). The boiling treatment for 10 min (BT10) resulted in the highest concentrations of total phenolic components (TPC), 339.5 mg/g, and flavonoids (TF), 54.6 mg/g, among the three thermal treatments (BT10, BT20 and BT30). The results of the steaming treatments (ST 10, 20, and 30 min) differed, with ST20 leading to higher TPC (150.4 mg/g) and TF (65.0 mg/g). The quantity of total phenolics and flavonoids, as well as the antioxidant activity, were significantly affected by the cooking method and the length of time of sample exposure to heat. The samples boiled for 30 and 10 min had higher concentrations of antioxidant activity as measured by the phosphomolybdenum and DPPH methods (151.5 mg/g of extract and 101.5 μg/mL, respectively). Thirty-eight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified by chromatographic analysis of fresh and thermally treated leaves of A. zerumbet. Terpenoids were the predominant class of volatile compounds in the fresh leaves and in all thermal treatments. p-Cymene, 1,8-cineole, 4-terpineol, linalool, α-copaene and β-bisabolene have the greatest impact on overall aroma perception, with odor activity values (OAV) greater than five. Among the phenolic compounds identified by LC-HRMS in the extracts of fresh and thermally treated leaves were proanthocyanidins, (+) catechin, (-) epicatechin, quercetin-3-O-glucoronide, isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoronide, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, pinocembrin, alpinetin, pinostrobin, and other compounds. The present results support the traditional use of this plant as a potential food with properties that certainly contribute to health improvement.

Antioxidant Properties of Protein-Rich Plant Foods in Gastrointestinal Digestion—Peanuts as Our Antioxidant Friend or Foe in Allergies

Thermally processed peanuts are ideal plant models for studying the relationship between allergenicity and antioxidant capacity of protein-rich foods, besides lipids, carbohydrates and phytochemicals. Peanut is highly praised in the human diet; however, it is rich in allergens (>75% of total proteins). One-third of peanut allergens belong to the products of genes responsible for the defence of plants against stress conditions. The proximate composition of major peanut macromolecules and polyphenols is reviewed, focusing on the identity and relative abundance of all peanut proteins derived from recent proteomic studies. The importance of thermal processing, gastrointestinal digestion (performed by INFOGEST protocol) and their influence on allergenicity and antioxidant properties of protein-rich plant food matrices is elaborated. Antioxidant properties of bioactive peptides from nuts were also considered. Moreover, there are no studies dealing simultaneously with the antioxidant and allergenic properties of protein- and polyphenol-rich foods, considering all the molecules that can significantly contribute to the antioxidant capacity during and after gastrointestinal digestion. In summary, proteins and carbohydrates are underappreciated sources of antioxidant power released during the gastrointestinal digestion of protein-rich plant foods, and it is crucial to decipher their antioxidant contribution in addition to polyphenols and vitamins before and after gastrointestinal digestion.

Investigation on the contents of heat-induced hazards in commercial nuts

The purpose was to investigate the contents of heat-induced hazards by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in 44 commercial nuts. Results showed that content ranges of Acrylamide (AA), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), N^ε-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), N^ε-carboxyethyl-lysine (CEL), 3-Deoxyglucosone (3-DG), Glyoxal (GO), and Methylglyoxal (MGO) were ND-123.57 µg/kg, 0.57-213.42 mg/kg, 3.18-18.67 mg/kg, 3.98-57.85 mg/kg, 1.5-133.86 mg/kg, 0.45-1.59 mg/kg and 0.29-13.84 mg/kg, respectively. Sunflower seeds contained more heat-induced hazards followed by pistachios, cashews, almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts. The content of 5-HMF was positively correlated with the content of 3-DG. CML exhibited positive correlation with content of GO while no correlation between CEL and MGO. Higher levels of 3-DG and 5-HMF were observed in nuts produced with sugar and honey. Deep processing had a stronger promoting effect on CML and CEL formation. These data could provide a crucial guide for consumers to select nut products which might reduce heat-induced hazards intake.

Seaweed proteins are nutritionally valuable components in the human diet

The global population is expected to reach 11 billion people by the year 2100 and will require sustainable sources of dietary protein. Most dietary protein originates from animal and terrestrial plant agriculture, which leads to deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Discovering alternative protein sources that are nutritionally adequate for the human diet without harmful environmental effects is imperative. Seaweeds are a promising option as they produce abundant protein with a low carbon footprint. Experimental evidence shows that seaweeds contain high concentrations of the essential amino acids (EAAs) necessary for human consumption, but seaweeds have yet to be evaluated with standardized metrics to compare their nutritional value to other protein sources. In this technical note, independent literature describing the EAA content and protein digestibility of 3 commonly consumed species of seaweeds was evaluated alongside traditional protein sources using a novel hybrid protein quality (HPQ) metric. HPQ is derived from the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score and digestibility indispensable amino acid score but includes modifications to address the lack of in vivo digestibility data for seaweeds. Seaweed proteins are similar in quality to common plant protein sources such as peas, soy, and tree nuts. Furthermore, seaweed proteins from different species have complementary EAA profiles and can be mixed to form protein blends that are nutritionally on par with animal products such as milk and whey. Thus, seaweeds may be viable protein sources with a reduced footprint that provide beneficial ecosystem services.

Influence of ozonation and roasting on functional, microstructural, textural characteristics, and aflatoxin content of groundnut kernels

The present study was conducted to evaluate the influence of ozonation, roasting and their combination on the moisture content, color, functional, structural, textural components, and aflatoxins in groundnut kernels. Samples were subjected to three treatments namely, dry roasting (R): 166°C for 7 min; gaseous ozone treatment (O): 6 mg/L for 30 min; combined ozonation-roasting (OR): gaseous ozonation at 6 mg/L for 30 min followed by dry roasting at 166°C for 7 min. The ozonated-roasted samples had the lowest moisture content (3.45%), the highest total phenolic content (4.18 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g), and antioxidants capacity (69.59%). The treatments did not induce significant changes in color of kernels (p < .05). Scanning electron microscopy indicated cracking of granules in roasted and swelling in ozonated kernels whereas more uniform orientation of granules was observed in ozonated-roasted kernels. Roasted and ozonated kernels indicated a significant reduction of fracturability force to 54.60 and 14.11%, respectively, whereas ozonated-roasted samples demonstrated a nonsignificant increase (4.37%). An increase in wave number of ozonated samples to 3,289.37 cm^-1 in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum (FTIR) indicated stretching in OH groups. FTIR spectrum of ozonated-roasted kernels suggested the formation of a new compound with CC and CC groups. The major aflatoxin B1 was reduced to maximum, that is, 100% in ozonated-roasted kernels followed by ozonated (80.95%) and roasted (57.14%) samples. The findings indicate that the ozonation-roasting treatment had a prominent role in the enhancement of functional compounds, structural and textural attributes along with the considerable reduction in aflatoxin content.

Comparative physiological and coexpression network analyses reveal the potential drought tolerance mechanism of peanut

BACKGROUND

Drought stress has negative effects on plant growth and productivity. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of physiological responses and gene expression was performed. The responses and expressions were compared between drought-tolerant (DT) and drought-sensitive (DS) peanut varieties to investigate the regulatory mechanisms and hub genes involved in the impact of drought stress on culture.

RESULTS

The drought-tolerant variety had robust antioxidative capacities with higher total antioxidant capacity and flavonoid contents, and it enhanced osmotic adjustment substance accumulation to adapt to drought conditions. KEGG analysis of differentially expressed genes demonstrated that photosynthesis was strongly affected by drought stress, especially in the drought-sensitive variety, which was consistent with the more severe suppression of photosynthesis. The hub genes in the key modules related to the drought response, including genes encoding protein kinase, E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, potassium transporter, pentatricopeptide repeat-containing protein, and aspartic proteinase, were identified through a comprehensive combined analysis of genes and physiological traits using weighted gene co-expression network analysis. There were notably differentially expressed genes between the two varieties, suggesting the positive roles of these genes in peanut drought tolerance.

CONCLUSION

A comprehensive analysis of physiological traits and relevant genes was conducted on peanuts with different drought tolerances. The findings revealed diverse drought-response mechanisms and identified candidate genes for further research.

New Strategy for Inducing Resistance against Bacterial Wilt Disease Using an Avirulent Strain of Ralstonia solanacearum

Ralstonia solanacearum is one of the globally significant plant pathogens that infect a wide host range of economically important plants. A study was conducted to evaluate the hypothesis that an avirulent strain of R. solanacearum can act as a biocontrol mediator for managing potato bacterial wilt. Virulent R. solanacearum was isolated and identified (GenBank accession number; OP180100). The avirulent strain was obtained from the virulent strain through storage for 3 weeks until the development of deep red colonies. The virulent strain had higher lytic activity than the avirulent strain. Tubers' treatments by the avirulent strain of R. solanacearum, (supernatant, boiled supernatant, and dead cells) significantly reduced plant disease rating and increased the growth, physiological activities, and biomass of potato compared to the untreated, infected control. The major components detected by GC-MS in the supernatant revealed 10.86% palmitic acid (virulent), and 18.03% 1,3-dioxolane, 2,4,5-trimethyl- (avirulent), whereas the major component in the boiled supernatant was 2-hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactone in the virulent (21.17%) and avirulent (27.78%) strains. This is the first research that assessed the influence of boiled supernatant and dead cells of virulent and avirulent R.solanacearum strains in controlling bacterial wilt disease. Additional work is encouraged for further elucidation of such a topic.

Solvents effect on phenolics, iridoids, antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity, and pancreatic lipase inhibition activity of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) fruit extract

This study focused on the relationship between content levels of phytochemicals and the biological activities of noni (Morinda Citrifolia L.) fruit extracts (NFEs) prepared with traditional solvents and deep eutectic solvents (DESs). The results indicated the total phenolic content in Bet-Gly (Betaine: Glycerol) extracts (11.89 mg GAE/g DW) and total iridoid content in 70% ethanol extracts (26.38 mg CE/g DW) were the highest. A total of 17 compounds were identified and quantified in NFEs. Traditional solvent extracts, except ethyl acetate, exhibited higher antioxidant activities than DESs. Three DES extracts showed higher activities against pancreatic lipase than traditional solvent extracts. Multivariate analysis revealed that the type of extraction solvent exerts a significant influence on the phytochemical compositions and biological activities of NFEs. This study provided valuable information on the efficient extraction of phytochemicals from noni fruits and DESs are promising green solvent for the extraction of bioactive compounds from noni fruits.

The Effect of Microwave Baking Conditions on the Quality of Biscuits and the Control of Thermal Processing Hazards in the Maillard Reaction

To reduce thermal processing hazards (TPHs), microwave baking has been extensively used in food thermal processing. In this study, the influence of microwave power and microwave time on the formation of TPHs and their precursors was explored in microwave-baked biscuits. The results indicated that the content of acrylamide, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, methylglyoxal, and 3-deoxyglucosone increased linearly with the extension of microwave time (2, 2.5, and 3 min) and microwave power (440, 480, and 520 W). There was a significant correlation between the four TPHs. 3-Deoxyglucosone may directly or indirectly participate in the formation of the other three TPHs. The relationship between TPH levels with some heat-induced sensory characteristics was analyzed. The correlation between the sensory characteristics and the content of TPHs is L* &gt; a* &gt; hardness &gt; Water activity (AW). The correlation coefficients between L* value and the four TPHs are −0.950, −0.891, −0.803, and −0.985. Furthermore, the content of TPHs produced by traditional baking and microwave baking under the same texture level was compared. Compared with traditional baking (190°C, 7 min), microwave baking at 440 W for 3 min successfully decrease methylglyoxal, 3-Deoxyglucosone, acrylamide, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural content by 60.75, 30.19, 30.87, and 61.28%, respectively. Traditionally baked biscuits, which had a more obvious color, as characterized by lower L* value, larger a* and b* values, are more susceptible to the formation of TPHs. Therefore, microwave baking can reduce the generation of TPHs.

Influence of cooking process on the content of water-soluble B vitamins in rice marketed in Iran

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of cooking method on thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), and pyridoxine (B6) vitamin content of rice samples consumed in Iran by using high-performance liquid chromatography technique. The amount of B1, B2, and B6 obtained ranged from 2.98 to 15.89, 1.15 to 22.19, and 0.96 to 4.44 μg/g, respectively, for the boiling method. In the traditional method, these vitamins had a concentration between 4.09 and 29.55, 4.87 and 16.19, and 1.52 and 12.18 μg/g, respectively. However, limit of detection (LOD) values for B1, B2, and B6 vitamins were 0.159, 0.090, and 0.041 μg/ml, respectively. Multivariate methods and heatmap visualization were applied to estimate the correlation among the type and amount of vitamins and cooking methods. According to heatmap findings, B1 and B6 vitamins and the cooking method had the closest accessions, representing that this variable had similar trends. Nevertheless, it can be concluded that the traditional cooking method can maintain more vitamins in rice samples.

Comparative Evaluation of the Antioxidant Properties of Whole Peanut Flour, Defatted Peanut Protein Meal, and Peanut Protein Concentrate

Defatted peanut meal is a low value agro-industrial residue from peanut oil production with potential use as a value addition food ingredient. In this study, peanuts were roasted at 100°C for 5 min, de-skinned and milled into whole peanut flour (WPF) from which the defatted meal (DPM) was prepared by acetone extraction and the peanut protein concentrate (PPC) obtained from the DPM using isoelectric pH precipitation. The protein content, amino acid profile, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and in vitro antioxidant properties of the peanut samples were then determined. Results showed that DPM had a TPC of 0.12 ± 0.02 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g, which was significantly (p &lt; 0.05) higher than and twice the levels in WPF and PPC (0.06 ± 0.03 mg GAE/g). However, WPF had TFC of 0.21 ± 0.01 μg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g, which was significantly (p &lt; 0.05) higher than DPM (0.16 ± 0.03 μg QE/g) and PPC (0.11 ± 0.05 μg QE/g). However, PPC had superior amino acid profile in addition to stronger radical scavenging and metal chelation activities than WPF and DPM. The results suggest that PPC is a protein rich product that could be utilized as an ingredient in food product fortification to enhance nutritional quality and in the formulation of functional foods with antioxidant benefits.

Impact of Germination Time on Resveratrol, Phenolic Acids, and Antioxidant Capacities of Different Varieties of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.) from China

In China, peanut sprouts are popular among consumers as functional vegetables. This study reports the change in total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), monomeric anthocyanin content (MAC), vitamin C, trans-resveratrol content, antioxidant capacities, and phenolic profile of three different varieties of peanut during 8 days of germination. The TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacity of peanut samples were reduced and then increased with an increase in germination time. TFC values were highly correlated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values. MAC values of peanuts were first increased and then decreased during 8 days of germination. The TFC, DPPH, and FRAP values of germinated peanuts were lower compared to the non-germinated peanut. Germination of peanut samples enhanced the total phenolic acids and trans-resveratrol content, but the vitamin C content of peanut sprouts was lower than ungerminated peanuts.

Aqueous Extraction of Seed Oil from Mamey Sapote (Pouteria sapota) after Viscozyme L Treatment

In this study, aqueous enzymatic extraction (AEE) was evaluated during the process of obtaining oil from mamey sapote seed (OMSS). Viscozyme L enzyme complex was used at pH 4 and 50 °C during the optimization of the extraction process by central composite design and response surface methodology. Optimal conditions were: 3.5% (w/w) of enzyme (regarding the seed weight), 5.5 h of incubation time, 235 rpm of agitation rate, and 1:3.5 of solid-to-liquid ratio. These conditions enabled us to obtain an OMSS yield of 66%. No statistically significant differences were found in the fatty acid profile and physicochemical properties, such as the acid and iodine values and the percentage of free fatty acids, between the oil obtained by AEE or by the conventional solvent extraction (SE). However, the oxidative stability of the oil obtained by AEE (11 h) was higher than that obtained by SE (9.33 h), therefore, AEE, in addition to being an environmentally friendly method, produces a superior quality oil in terms of oxidative stability. Finally, the high oil content in mamey sapote seed, and the high percentage of oleic acid (around 50% of the total fatty acid) found in this oil, make it a useful edible vegetable oil.

Inhibition of Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxins production on peanuts over α-Fe2O3 nanorods under sunlight irradiation

Peanut is an important resource of edible oil and digestible protein in daily life, which is rich in the nutriments and antioxidants such as vitamins, minerals and polyphenols. However, peanut is susceptible to the contamination of Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus), which can produce highly carcinogenic toxins that brings serious threats to human health and food safety. Exploring green and effective methods to control A. flavus is meaningful. Herein, a green and economical way to control A. flavus on peanuts was demonstrated. It was found that the growth of A. flavus hyphae and germination of its spores could be inhibited in the presence of α-Fe₂O₃ nanorods under sunlight irradiation according to the agar diffusion method, flat colony counting method and fluorescence-based live/dead test. The diameter of inhibition zone was 22.3 ± 0.2 mm and the inhibition rate of spores germination was about 60 ± 5%, when the concentration of α-Fe₂O₃ was 10 mg/mL for 7 h sunlight irradiation. Most important, α-Fe₂O₃ showed the photocatalytic inhibition of A. flavus on peanuts under sunlight irradiation with the inhibition rate of about 90 ± 5%, and the production of aflatoxin B₁ and aflatoxin B₂ were reduced by 90 ± 2% and 70 ± 3%, respectively. By comparing the fat contents, protein contents, acid value, peroxide value and antioxidative compositions of peanuts, it was found that there was no obvious effect on the quality of peanuts after inhibition treatment. The findings provide a green, safe and economical strategy to control A. flavus on peanuts, which may be as a promising way to be used in food and agro-food preservation.

Effect of Microwave Heating on the Acrylamide Formation in Foods

Acrylamide (AA) is a neurotoxic and carcinogenic substance that has recently been discovered in food. One of the factors affecting its formation is the heat treatment method. This review discusses the microwave heating as one of the methods of thermal food processing and the influence of microwave radiation on the acrylamide formation in food. In addition, conventional and microwave heating were compared, especially the way they affect the AA formation in food. Available studies demonstrate differences in the mechanisms of microwave and conventional heating. These differences may be beneficial or detrimental depending on different processes. The published studies showed that microwave heating at a high power level can cause greater AA formation in products than conventional food heat treatment. The higher content of acrylamide in microwave-heated foods may be due to differences in its formation during microwave heating and conventional methods. At the same time, short exposure to microwaves (during blanching and thawing) at low power may even limit the formation of acrylamide during the final heat treatment. Considering the possible harmful effects of microwave heating on food quality (e.g., intensive formation of acrylamide), further research in this direction should be carried out.