Browning inhibition in fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut under high pressure CO2 treatment: Regulation of reactive oxygen species and membrane lipid metabolism

Fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut (CWC) was treated with high pressure CO₂ (HPCD) to inhibit the browning reactions, and the underlying mechanism was investigated in this study. Results showed that HPCD at 2 MPa pressure significantly inhibited lipoxygenase activity and enhanced superoxide dismutase activity, leading to decreased malondialdehyde and H₂O₂ contents in surface tissue. Moreover, HPCD could reduce total phenols/flavonoids content of surface tissue. Compare with control, homoeriodictyol, hesperetin, and isorhamnetin contents of 2 MPa HPCD-treated samples on day 10 were reduced by 95.72%, 94.31%, and 94.02%, respectively. Furthermore, HPCD treatment enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, and improved the O₂^- scavenging ability and reducing power of inner tissue. In conclusion, by regulating ROS and membrane lipid metabolism, HPCD treatment with appropriate pressure could retard the biosynthesis of flavonoids and enzymatic oxidation of phenolic compounds in surface tissue, and enhance antioxidant activity of inner tissue, thereby, delaying the quality deterioration of fresh-cut CWC.

Mechanism of inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores by high pressure CO2 at high temperature

Spores of wild-type Bacillus subtilis and some isogenic mutant strains were treated by high pressure CO₂ (HPCD) at high temperature (HT) (HPCD + HT) at 20 MPa and 84-86 °C for 0-60 min, and centrifuged on a high density solution to obtain pelleted spores that retained CaDPA and light spores that lost CaDPA. All treated spores were analyzed for viability, and tested for germination, outgrowth, core protein damage, mutagenesis and inner membrane (IM) properties. The results showed that (i) with HPCD + HT treated spores, most pelleted spores and all light spores were dead; ii) a significant amount of dead HPCD + HT-treated spores that retained CaDPA germinated, but outgrowth was blocked; (iii) minimal mutants were generated in survivors of HPCD + HT treatment; (iv) the GFP fluorescence decrease in HPCD + HT-treated spores with high GFP levels was slower than spore inactivation; (v) the IM of HPCD + HT-treated spores that retained CaDPA lost its ability to retain CaDPA at 85 °C, and almost all of these spores' outgrowth in high salt was blocked; and (vi) HPCD + HT-treated spores that retained CaDPA germinated with l-valine or AGFK were almost all stained with propidium iodide. These results indicated that HPCD + HT inactivated B. subtilis spores by damaging spores' IM, thus blocking spore outgrowth after germination.

Role of peach proteins in juice precipitation induced by high pressure CO2

To better understand the role of peach proteins in juice precipitation induced by high pressure CO2 (HPCD), proteins extracted from peach juice were subjected to HPCD and heat, and changes in particle size distribution (PSD) and structure were investigated. PSD analysis showed aggregations of proteins were both induced by HPCD and heat, but HPCD induced a stronger aggregation. The endotherm of HPCD- and heat-treated proteins moved to lower temperature, indicating that higher-order structures were altered after treatments. Furthermore, proteins related to HPCD- and heat-induced precipitation were analyzed by proteomics and bioinformatics. It was found that proteins with low content of α-helix and hydrogen bonds were more inclined to precipitate under HPCD, and HPCD precipitated proteins with more compact structures than heat, which might cause the stronger aggregation of proteins by HPCD. In conclusion, HPCD could induce the aggregation of peach proteins by destroying higher-order structures, which contributes to juice precipitation.

Potential application of high pressure carbon dioxide in treated wastewater and water disinfection: Recent overview and further trends

Recently emerging disadvantages in conventional disinfection have heightened the need for finding a new solution. Developments in the use of high pressure carbon dioxide for food preservation and sterilization have led to a renewed interest in its applicability in wastewater treatment and water disinfection. Pressurized CO2 is one of the most investigated methods of antibacterial treatment and has been used extensively for decades to inhibit pathogens in dried food and liquid products. This study reviews the literature concerning the utility of CO2 as a disinfecting agent, and the pathogen inactivation mechanism of CO2 treatment is evaluated based on all available research. In this paper, it will be argued that the successful application and high effectiveness of CO2 treatment in liquid foods open a potential opportunity for its use in wastewater treatment and water disinfection. The findings from models with different operating conditions (pressure, temperature, microorganism, water content, media …) suggest that most microorganisms are successfully inhibited under CO2 treatment. It will also be shown that the bacterial deaths under CO2 treatment can be explained by many different mechanisms. Moreover, the findings in this study can help to address the recently emerging problems in water disinfection, such as disinfection by-products (resulting from chlorination or ozone treatment).

Comparison of disinfection effect of pressurized gases of CO2, N2O, and N2 on Escherichia coli

Based on the production of gas bubbles with the support of a liquid film-forming apparatus, a device inducing contact between gas and water was used to inactivate pathogens for water disinfection. In this study, the inactivation effect of CO2 against Escherichia coli was investigated and compared with the effects of N2O and N2 under the same pressure (0.3-0.9 MPa), initial concentration, and temperature. The optimum conditions were found to be 0.7 MPa and an exposure time of 25 min. Under identical treatment conditions, a greater than 5.0-log reduction in E. coli was achieved by CO2, while 3.3 log and 2.4 log reductions were observed when N2O and N2 were used, respectively. Observation under scanning electron microscopy and measurement of bacterial cell substances by UV-absorbance revealed greater cell rupture of E. coli following treatment with CO2 than when treatment was conducted using N2O, N2 and untreated water. The physical effects of the pump, acidified characteristics and the release of intracellular substances caused by CO2 were bactericidal mechanism of this process. Overall, the results of this study indicate that CO2 has the disinfection potential without undesired by-product forming.