Anthracnose Controlled by Essential Oils: Are Nanoemulsion-Based Films and Coatings a Viable and Efficient Technology for Tropical Fruit Preservation?

Physical and biological properties of alginate-based cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsions: Study of two different production strategies

Nanoemulsions are a promising alternative for essential oil incorporation into active coatings. The influence of the preparation steps order on nanoemulsions' physical properties is still little explored. This study aimed to analyze the effect of the sequence of preparation steps and of the oil and polymer concentration on the stability, physical properties, and antifungal activity of alginate-based cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsions. The nanoemulsions were produced by two strategies: (I) preparation directly into an alginate solution (Ultra-Turrax at 10,000 rpm for 5 min + Ultrasound 150 W for 3 min); and (II) preparation in water (Ultra-Turrax at 10,000 rpm for 5 min + Ultrasound 150 W for 3 min) followed by homogenization with a sodium alginate solution (Ultra-Turrax at 10,000 rpm for 1, 3 or 5 min). The nanoemulsion prepared by the second strategy showed better stability, physical properties, and antifungal activity. In general, the presence of alginate hindered the cavitation effects of ultrasound, leading to the increase of droplets size and consequently affecting emulsions stability, turbidity, and antifungal properties.

Limosilactobacillus fermentum Strains as Novel Probiotic Candidates to Promote Host Health Benefits and Development of Biotherapeutics: A Comprehensive Review

Fruits and their processing by-products are sources of potentially probiotic strains. Limosilactobacillus (L.) fermentum strains isolated from fruit processing by-products have shown probiotic-related properties. This review presents and discusses the results of the available studies that evaluated the probiotic properties of L. fermentum in promoting host health benefits, their application by the food industry, and the development of biotherapeutics. The results showed that administration of L. fermentum for 4 to 8 weeks promoted host health benefits in rats, including the modulation of gut microbiota, improvement of metabolic parameters, and antihypertensive, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. The results also showed the relevance of L. fermentum strains for application in the food industry and for the formulation of novel biotherapeutics, especially nutraceuticals. This review provides evidence that L. fermentum strains isolated from fruit processing by-products have great potential for promoting host health and indicate the need for a translational approach to confirm their effects in humans using randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.

Sustainable materials: a linking bridge between material perception, affordance, and aesthetics

The perception of material properties, which refers to the way in which individuals perceive and interpret materials through their sensory experiences, plays a crucial role in our interaction with the environment. Affordance, on the other hand, refers to the potential actions and uses that materials offer to users. In turn, the perception of the affordances is modulated by the aesthetic appreciation that individuals experience when interacting with the environment. Although material perception, affordances, and aesthetic appreciation are recognized as essential to fostering sustainability in society, only a few studies have investigated this subject matter systematically and their reciprocal influences. This scarcity is partially due to the challenges offered by the complexity of combining interdisciplinary topics that explore interactions between various disciplines, such as psychophysics, neurophysiology, affective science, aesthetics, and social and environmental sciences. Outlining the main findings across disciplines, this review highlights the pivotal role of material perception in shaping sustainable behaviors. It establishes connections between material perception, affordance, aesthetics, and sustainability, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary research and integrated approaches in environmental psychology. This integration is essential as it can provide insight into how to foster sustainable and durable changes.

Recent developments in nanoemulsions against spoilage in cold-stored fish: A review

Nanoemulsion-based technology is developing rapidly in the food industry, especially in the design of delivery systems for bioactive compounds. This review presents an in-depth understanding of the composition, function, antibacterial mechanism and successful application of nanoemulsions as preservative agents against fish spoilage. The results showed that the inclusion of bioactive substances in the food-grade nanoemulsions encapsulation system could improve its stability, control its release, inhibit the microbial growth and reproduction through a variety of targets. These nanoemulsions can inhibit fish spoilage via reducing microbial load and retarding the oxidation of proteins and lipids, thereby maintaining quality attributes of fish. In addition, nanoemulsions could be coupled with vacuum package for enhancing microbial destruction, retaining nutritional value and extending the shelf-life of fish. Accordingly, nanoemulsions are suggested as a promising strategy to inhibit fish spoilage.

Preparation and Characterization of a Novel Artemisia Oil Packaging Film and Its Application in Mango Preservation

In this work, a new food packaging film was synthesized via blending Artemisia oil (AO) into soybean protein isolate (SPI) and gelatin (Gel) for the postharvest storage of mango. The morphological architecture and mechanical properties of the films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and other technologies. The results show that the prepared films had relatively flat surfaces with good mechanical properties. AO enhanced the light-blocking ability of the film, increased the hydrophobicity, and affected the moisture content and water solubility of the film to a certain extent. Furthermore, the antioxidant performance and antifungal (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) capacity of the films increased with higher AO concentration due to the presence of the active components contained in AO. During mango storage applications, the films showed good freshness retention properties. The above results indicate that SPI-Gel films containing AO have excellent physicochemical and application properties and have great potential in the field of food packaging.

Helichrysum stoechas (L.) Moench Inflorescence Extract for Tomato Disease Management

Helichrysum stoechas is a singular halophyte that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and allelopathic properties. In the work presented herein, we have characterized its inflorescences hydromethanolic extract and assessed its antifungal activity for the pre- and postharvest management of tomato crop diseases. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry characterization of the extract showed that 4-ethenyl-1,3-benzenediol, 2,3-dihydro-benzofuran, quinic acid, 3,5-dihydroxy-6,7,8-trimethoxy-2-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one, 1,6-anhydro-β-D-glucopyranose, catechol, scopoletin, and maltol were the main constituents. The co-occurrence of pyranones, benzenediols, and quinic acids as phytoconstituents of H. stoechas extract resulted in promising in vitro minimum inhibitory concentrations of 500, 375, 500, 187.5, 187.5, and 375 μg·mL-1 against mycelia of Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum coccodes, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Verticillium dahliae, respectively. Further, to assess the potential of H. stoechas inflorescence extract for postharvest tomato crop protection, ex situ tests were conducted against C. coccodes, obtaining high protection at a dose of 750 μg·mL-1. Taking into consideration that the demonstrated activity is among the highest reported to date for plant extracts and comparable to that of the synthetic fungicides tested as positive controls, H. stoechas inflorescence extract may be put forward as a promising biorational and may deserve further testing in field-scale studies.