Chitosan dispersed in aqueous solutions of acetic, glycolic, propionic or lactic acid as a thickener/stabilizer agent of O/W emulsions produced by ultrasonic homogenization

Garlic and Chitosan Improve the Microbial Quality of Hummus and Reduce Lipid Oxidation

This study investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of garlic and chitosan on hummus. Hummus was prepared by using 0.5% or 1% (w/w) chitosan, with or without 1% (w/w) garlic, and samples were stored at 4, 10, or 25 °C for 28, 21, or 7 d, respectively. The behavior of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Pseudomonas spp., aerobic bacteria, and yeasts and molds was then investigated. Color, pH, TBARS, and rheological properties were also measured. In hummus, both with and without garlic, chitosan added at 0.5% and 1% w/w significantly (p < 0.05) decreased LAB, aerobic bacteria, yeasts, and molds, and Pseudomonas spp., at 4 °C. However, at 10 °C, adding chitosan at 1% w/w significantly reduced only aerobic bacteria (2.2 log cfu/g) and Pseudomonas spp. (1.0 log cfu/g). The pH values (regardless of treatment) decreased upon storage. The addition of garlic or chitosan did not significantly affect the lightness (L*) or yellowness (b*). However, garlic, regardless of chitosan concentration, notably reduced lipid oxidation (0.8-1.4 MDA Eq/kg of sample) and had a greater impact on the sensory properties compared to chitosan. The results of this study will encourage producers to produce hummus that has a better flavor due to garlic with enhanced microbial quality.

Strategies to Improve the Quality of Goat Yogurt: Whey Protein Supplementation and Milk Pre-Treatment with High Shear Dispersion Assisted by Ultrasound

This work investigated the fermentation kinetics and characteristics of goat yogurt supplemented with bovine whey protein isolate (WPI) (0%, 2.5% and 5.0%) subjected to high shear dispersion (HSD) assisted by ultrasound (US). Protein supplementation and the physical processes increased the electronegativity of the zeta potential (≤60%), whereas particle size reduction was observed only with physical processes (≤42%). The addition of 2.5% WPI reduced yogurt fermentation time by 30 min. After 24 h of storage at 7 °C, lactic acid bacteria counts did not differ between samples (≥8 log CFU/mL), and the supplementation was sufficient to increase the apparent viscosity (≤5.65 times) and water-holding capacity (WHC) of the yogurt (≤35% increase). However, supplementation combined with physical processes promoted greater improvements in these parameters (6.41 times in apparent viscosity and 48% in WHC) (p < 0.05), as confirmed by the denser and better-organized protein clusters observed in microscopic evaluation. Thus, both approaches proved to be promising alternatives to improve goat yogurt quality. Therefore, the decision to adopt these strategies, either independently or in combination, should consider cost implications, the product quality, and market demand.

Ultrasonic and homogenization: An overview of the preparation of an edible protein-polysaccharide complex emulsion

Emulsion systems are extensively utilized in the food industry, including dairy products, such as ice cream and salad dressing, as well as meat products, beverages, sauces, and mayonnaise. Meanwhile, diverse advanced technologies have been developed for emulsion preparation. Compared with other techniques, high-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) are two emerging emulsification methods that are cost-effective, green, and environmentally friendly and have gained significant attention. HIUS-induced acoustic cavitation helps in efficiently disrupting the oil droplets, which effectively produces a stable emulsion. HPH-induced shear stress, turbulence, and cavitation lead to droplet disruption, altering protein structure and functional aspects of food. The key distinctions among emulsification devices are covered in this review, as are the mechanisms of the HIUS and HPH emulsification processes. Furthermore, the preparation of emulsions including natural polymers (e.g., proteins-polysaccharides, and their complexes), has also been discussed in this review. Moreover, the review put forward to the future HIUS and HPH emulsification trends and challenges. HIUS and HPH can prepare much emulsifier-stable food emulsions, (e.g., proteins, polysaccharides, and protein-polysaccharide complexes). Appropriate HIUS and HPH treatment can improve emulsions' rheological and emulsifying properties and reduce the emulsions droplets' size. HIUS and HPH are suitable methods for developing protein-polysaccharide forming stable emulsions. Despite the numerous studies conducted on ultrasonic and homogenization-induced emulsifying properties available in recent literature, this review specifically focuses on summarizing the significant progress made in utilizing biopolymer-based protein-polysaccharide complex particles, which can provide valuable insights for designing new, sustainable, clean-label, and improved eco-friendly colloidal systems for food emulsion. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Utilizing complex particle-stabilized emulsions is a promising approach towards developing safer, healthier, and more sustainable food products that meet legal requirements and industrial standards. Moreover, the is an increasing need of concentrated emulsions stabilized by biopolymer complex particles, which have been increasingly recognized for their potential health benefits in protecting against lifestyle-related diseases by the scientific community, industries, and consumers.

Stabilization of oil-water emulsions with protein concentrates from the microalga Tetradesmus obliquus

The present work used water-soluble protein concentrates from the microalga Tetradesmus obliquus to stabilize sunflower oil emulsions. Microalgal cells were disrupted by sonication, and proteins were separated from the biomass using two methods, isoelectric and solvent precipitations. The protein extracts were concentrated by lyophilization, and the concentrates were used to produce emulsions with three amounts of Tetradesmus obliquus protein concentrate (TobPC) (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0% w/v). Emulsions were homogenized through sonication and characterized for creaming index, optical microscopy, size distribution, ζ-potential, and rheology. Isoelectric precipitation resulted in TobPC with a high protein content (51.46 ± 2.37%) and a better dispersibility profile. Emulsion stability was higher for both the isoelectric TobPC and control systems than for the TobPC solvent. Solvent TobPC does not efficiently stabilize emulsions at low protein concentrations that showed microscopically larger oil droplets and flocculation spots. A high phase separation velocity was observed for solvent TobPC, probably due to the higher hydrodynamic droplet diameters. The increase in TobPC content in the emulsions resulted in more stable emulsions for all samples. Therefore, Tetradesmus obliquus protein concentrates are a potential emulsifying agent.

Ultra-stable high internal phase emulsions stabilized by protein-anionic polysaccharide Maillard conjugates

This paper reports the production of O/W high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) using protein-anionic polysaccharide Maillard conjugates. First, Maillard conjugates were prepared from soy protein isolate (SPI) or sodium caseinate (SC) proteins and Alyssum homolocarpum seed gum (AHSG) or kappa-carrageenan (kC) polysaccharides. The conjugation process was confirmed and monitored by UV spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared, circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopies, and differential scanning calorimetry. Under the optimized reaction conditions, SC-AHSG conjugates exhibited the highest glycation degree and emulsifying properties. Next, HIPEs were made using the optimized conjugates, and their microstructure, droplet size, and physical stability were evaluated. The emulsion stabilized by SC-AHSG conjugate had the lowest mean droplet size (363.07 ± 34.56 nm), orderly-packed oil droplets with monomodal distribution, the highest zeta potential (-27.70 ± 0.70 mV), high storage stability (no creaming or oil-off) and was ultra-stable against environmental stresses. Results of this research are helpful for development of emulsion-based foods with novel functionality.

Anti-aging properties of phytoconstituents and phyto-nanoemulsions and their application in managing aging-related diseases

Aging is spontaneous and inevitable process in all living beings. It is a complex natural phenomenon that manifests as a gradual decline of physiological functions and homeostasis. Aging inevitably leads to age-associated injuries, diseases, and eventually death. The research on aging-associated diseases aimed at delaying, preventing or even reversing the aging process are of great significance for healthy aging and also for scientific progress. Numerous plant-derived compounds have anti-aging effects, but their therapeutic potential is limited due to their short shelf-life and low bioavailability. As the novel delivery system, nanoemulsion can effectively improve this defect. Nanoemulsions enhance the delivery of drugs to the target site, maintain the plasma concentration for a longer period, and minimize adverse reaction and side effects. This review describes the importance of nanoemulsions for the delivery of phyto-derived compounds and highlights the importance of nanoemulsions in the treatment of aging-related diseases. It also covers the methods of preparation, fate and safety of nanoemulsions, which will provide valuable information for the development of new strategies in treatment of aging-related diseases.

Aqueous solutions of glycolic, propionic, or lactic acid in substitution of acetic acid to prepare chitosan dispersions: a study based on rheological and physicochemical properties

Chitosan (CH) is a biopolymer derived from chitin, which is the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature, after cellulose. Their functional groups -NH₂ and -OH can form intermolecular interactions with water and other molecules, enabling a variety of applications for CH. -NH₂ groups become protonated in acidic solutions, causing an increase in electrostatic repulsion between CH chains, which facilitates their dispersion in aqueous media. Aqueous solutions of acetic acid and/or acetates buffers have been used to disperse CH, but may not be adequate for technological applications, espeacially because of the strong flavor this acid confers to formulations. In this study, 0.125; 0.250; 0.500; 0.750 and 1.000 g (100 g)^-1 CH dispersions were prepared in acidic aqueous media (50 mmol L^-1), not only with acetic (AA), but also with glycolic (GA), propionic (PA), or lactic (LA), acid aiming to evaluate the effects of biopolymer concentration and type of organic acid on: electrical conductivity, pH, density and rheological characteristics of dispersions. Moreover, ζ potential values of CH chains dispersed in these acidic aqueous media were assessed. pH, density and consistency index were influenced by the biopolymer concentration, but not by the acid type. At a given biopolymer concentration, ζ potential signs (+) and values suggested that electrostatic interactions between CH chains and counter-anions occurred, regardless of the type of the organic acid. Thus, at least from a physicochemical point of view, GA, PA or LA showed to be suitable to replace AA when preparing dispersions containing from 0.125 to 1.000 g (100 g)^-1 CH for technological purposes, such as thickening or stabilizer in formulated food products.

Microfluidic Assembly: An Innovative Tool for the Encapsulation, Protection, and Controlled Release of Nutraceuticals

Nutraceuticals have been gradually accepted as food ingredients that can offer health benefits and provide protection against several diseases. It is widely accepted due to potential nutritional benefits, safety, and therapeutic effects. Most nutraceuticals are vulnerable to the changes in the external environment, which leads to poor physical and chemical stability and absorption. Several researchers have designed various encapsulation technologies to promote the use of nutraceuticals. Microfluidic technology is an emerging approach which can be used for nutraceutical delivery with precise control. The delivery systems using microfluidic technology have obtained much interest in recent years. In this review article, we have summarized the recently introduced nutraceutical delivery platforms including emulsions, liposomes, microspheres, microgels, and polymer nanoparticles based on microfluidic techniques. Emphasis has been made to discuss the advantages, preparations, characterizations, and applications of nutraceutical delivery systems. Finally, the challenges, several up-scaling methods, and future expectations are discussed.