Development of hemp seed oil nanoemulsions loaded with ascorbyl palmitate: Effect of operational parameters, emulsifiers, and wall materials

The perceived health properties of hemp seed oil, as one of the few plant-basedsources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids with an ideal ratio of 1:3, suggest its incorporation in food-grade emulsions to improve its water solubility and oxidative stability. The current research's main aim was nanoemulsification of hemp seed oil using the oil-in-water emulsification method followed by ultrasonication. The entrapment efficiency of the nanoemulsions for antioxidant ascorbyl palmitate and its impact on oxidative stability of the oil was also evaluated. Gum arabic: maltodextrin in 75:25 ratio could result in nanoemulsion with entrapment efficiency of 97.10 % for ascorbyl palmitate and radical scavenging activity of oil-soluble bioactives of 92.13 %. Moreover, incorporation of ascorbyl palmitate could effectively retard the oxidation, specifically in nanoemulsions containing gum Arabic. The optimum formulation of nanoemulsion having an average droplet size of 293 nm can be applied as an ideal vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Biotransformation of aflatoxin B1 by Lactobacillus helviticus FAM22155 in wheat bran by solid-state fermentation

Lactobacillus helveticus FAM22155 was the most efficient among five lactic acid bacteria at removing aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) during solid-state fermentation on wheat bran substrate. The mechanism of removal was explored by comparing different fermentation modes. Liquid fermentation had little effect on the breakdown of AFB₁. However, a protein extract from the fermented bran was equally effective at degrading aflatoxin B₁ as living cell digestion. After treatment with heat and protease K, the degrading capacity of the protein extract was significantly reduced. Taken together, the observed biotransformation of AFB₁ was mainly associated with proteins produced during bran fermentation. Four products of U-[¹³C₁₇]-AFB₁ were found by mass spectrometry, including Ⅱ-1 (C₁₁H₁₀O₄), Ⅱ-2 (C₁₁H₁₀O₄), III (C₁₅H₁₂O₅), and IV (C₁₄H₁₀O₄). These products all lack the lactone ring indicating lower toxicity than aflatoxin B₁.

Analysis of carotenoid content and diversity in apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) grown in China

The carotenoids in the peel and flesh of 41 apricot cultivars were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed by UHPLC-APCI-MS/MS, and the L*, a*, b* and quality indexes of the fruits were determined. The results showed that the L*, a*, b* and quality indexes of the fruits were quite different, and 13 carotenoids were detected in the peel and flesh of apricots, among which ε-carotene, α-cryptoxanthin and apocarotenal were newly detected carotenoids in apricots. The total carotenoid content of the 41 apricot cultivars varied from 20.983 to 320.278 μg/g FW, and the total carotenoid content varied from 17.353 to 222.098 μg/g FW in the peel and from 2.536 to 98.179 μg/g FW in the flesh. The main components of apricot fruits were β-carotene and (E/Z)-phytoene, followed by β-cryptoxanthin and lutein. This study shows that carotenoids in apricot fruits have rich metabolic diversity.

Identification of a freshness marker metabolite in stored soybean sprouts by comprehensive mass-spectrometric analysis of carbonyl compounds

The objective of this study was to identify metabolites that quantitatively indicate degrees of freshness of soybean sprouts. Self-cultivated soybean sprouts were stored at 5 °C, 10 °C or 20 °C, and respiratory CO2 production rates were monitored using gas chromatography during storage. Carbonyl compounds (CCs) were analyzed comprehensively using mass-spectroscopic metabolomics analyses. CCs were derivatized using dansyl hydrazine (DH) and were then analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) with multiplexed multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). In the MRM chromatogram, 171 to 358 peaks were observed from stored soybean sprouts. Principle component analysis and discriminant analysis (PCA-DA) selected the CC-DH derivative ion with a m/z 512 at a retention time of 9.34 min as the most significant metabolite. Searching online metabolomics databases and matching fragment patterns of product ion mass spectra of an authentic standard revealed abscisic acid is a freshness marker of soybean sprouts.