Plant-based proteins from agro-industrial waste and by-products: Towards a more circular economy.

There is a pressing need for affordable, abundant, and sustainable sources of proteins to address the rising nutrient demands of a growing global population. The food and agriculture sectors produce significant quantities of waste and by-products during the growing, harvesting, storing, transporting, and processing of raw materials. These waste and by-products can sometimes be converted into valuable protein-rich ingredients with excellent functional and nutritional attributes, thereby contributing to a more circular economy.

Special Issue "Smart Polymeric Films and Coatings for Food Packaging Applications".

Smart polymeric films and coatings represent a significant step forward in packaging technology [...

Application of Taro () Mucilage as a Promising Antimicrobial Agent to Extend the Shelf Life of Fresh-Cut Brinjals (Eggplants).

Taro rhizomes are a rich source of polysaccharides, including starch and mucilage. However, mucilage has excellent anti-microbial efficacy, and unique gel-forming and techno-functional properties. Therefore, this study aimed to extract and utilize taro mucilage (TM), which is viscous and has a gel-like texture, for the shelf-life enhancement of fresh-cut brinjals (eggplants).

Microbial Synthesis of Lactic Acid from Cotton Stalk for Polylactic Acid Production.

Cotton stalk, a waste product in agriculture, serves as a beneficial, low-cost material as a medium for microbial synthesis of lactic acid as desired for polylactic acid synthesis. Cotton stalk was used as a substrate for microbial lactic acid synthesis, and a novel strain of was reported to synthesize 51.4 g/L lactic acid using cellulose recovered from the cotton stalk.

Microbial Secondary Metabolites via Fermentation Approaches for Dietary Supplementation Formulations.

Food supplementation formulations refer to products that are designed to provide additional nutrients to the diet. Vitamins, dietary fibers, minerals and other functional compounds (such as antioxidants) are concentrated in dietary supplements. Specific amounts of dietary compounds are given to the body through food supplements, and these include as well so-called non-essential compounds such as secondary plant bioactive components or microbial natural products in addition to nutrients in the narrower sense.

Optimized Peppermint Essential Oil Microcapsules Loaded into Gelatin-Based Cryogels with Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity.

In this study, chitosan (Chi) was used to microencapsulate peppermint essential oil (PEO). A novel gelatin-based cryogel loaded with PEO microcapsules was further developed and characterized for potential applications. Four different cryogel systems were designed, and the morphological, molecular, physical and antibacterial properties were investigated.

Microwave assisted fluidized bed drying of bitter gourd: Modelling and optimization of process conditions based on bioactive components.

Bitter gourds were dried under varied drying conditions in a microwave assisted fluidized bed dryer, and the process was optimized using response surface methodology. Microwave power, temperature and air velocity were used as process variables for drying and the process parameters were varied between 360 and 720 W, 40-60 °C and 10-14 m/s, respectively. The responses determined for deciding the optimal criteria were vitamin C, total phenolics, IC, total chlorophyll content, vitamin A content, rehydration ratio, hardness and total color change of the dried bitter gourd.

Effect of incorporation of wheat bran, rice bran and banana peel powder on the mesostructure and physicochemical characteristics of biscuits.

Various types of natural fiber-rich ingredients are added into bakery-based products to improve their fiber content for health promotional purposes. But the majority of these products usually include exotic dietary fiber components. The aim of this study was to develop biscuits incorporated with wheat bran, rice bran and banana peel powder and to evaluate the effects on physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability of these different biscuit samples.

Recent advancements in NIR spectroscopy for assessing the quality and safety of horticultural products: A comprehensive review.

The qualitative and quantitative evaluation of agricultural products has often been carried out using traditional, i.e., destructive, techniques.

Microencapsulated curcumin from modulates diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in Sprague Dawley rats.

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the major causes of cardiovascular ailments. The study has been conducted on the hypothesis that hypercholesterolemia can be modulated by microencapsulated curcumin due to its enhanced bioavailability. In this context, curcumin obtained from fresh rhizomes of by conventional (CSE) and supercritical fluid (SFE) extractions, has been successfully microencapsulated using a mixture of gelatin and maltodextrin.

Design consideration and modelling studies of ultrasound and ultraviolet combined approach for shelf-life enhancement of pine apple juice.

Although both ultraviolet (UV) radiation and ultrasound (US) treatment have their capabilities in microbial inactivation, applying any one method alone may require a high dose for complete inactivation, which may affect the sensory and nutritional properties of pineapple juice. Hence, this study was intended to analyse and optimise the effect of combined US and UV treatments on microbial inactivation without affecting the selected quality parameters of pineapple juice. US treatment (33 kHz) was done at three different time intervals, viz.

A comprehensive review on clove (.) essential oil and its significance in the formulation of edible coatings for potential food applications.

Many studies have demonstrated the use of synthetic preservatives and chemical additives in food is causing poisoning, cancer, and other degenerative disorders. New solutions for food preservation with quality maintenance are currently emerging. As a result, public concern has grown, as they desire to eat healthier products that use natural preservatives and compounds rather than synthetic ones.

Replacement of refined sugar by natural sweeteners: focus on potential health benefits.

Refined sugar is a processed product containing 99% sucrose, which is obtained from sugarcane (70%) or sugar beet (30%). In modern societies, sugar continues to play a significant role in the diet, recognised not only for its flavour and special sweetening properties but also for its role in food preservation. On the other hand, a high consumption of refined sugar is associated with non-communicable diseases and many health issues such as a high risk of dental caries, overweight and neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

Consumer acceptance of new food trends resulting from the fourth industrial revolution technologies: A narrative review of literature and future perspectives.

The growing consumer awareness of climate change and the resulting food sustainability issues have led to an increasing adoption of several emerging food trends. Some of these trends have been strengthened by the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (or Industry 4.0), and its innovations and technologies that have fundamentally reshaped and transformed current strategies and prospects for food production and consumption patterns.

Milk protein-based active edible packaging for food applications: An eco-friendly approach.

Whey and casein proteins, in particular, have shown considerable promise in replacing fossil-based plastics in a variety of food applications, such as for O susceptible foods, thereby, rendering milk proteins certainly one of the most quality-assured biopolymers in the packaging discipline. Properties like excellent gas barrier properties, proficiency to develop self-supporting films, adequate availability, and superb biodegradability have aroused great attention toward whey and other milk proteins in recent years. High thermal stability, non-toxicity, the ability to form strong inter cross-links, and micelle formation, all these attributes make it a suitable material for outstanding biodegradability.

Applications of Innovative Non-Thermal Pulsed Electric Field Technology in Developing Safer and Healthier Fruit Juices.

The deactivation of degrading and pectinolytic enzymes is crucial in the fruit juice industry. In commercial fruit juice production, a variety of approaches are applied to inactivate degradative enzymes. One of the most extensively utilized traditional procedures for improving the general acceptability of juice is thermal heat treatment.

Evaluating the Effects of Wheat Cultivar and Extrusion Processing on Nutritional, Health-Promoting, and Antioxidant Properties of Flour.

Wheat has been considered one of the most important staple foods for thousands of years. It is one of the largest suppliers of calories in the daily diet, which is added to many different products. Wheat is also a good source of health-benefiting antioxidants.

Electrospun Smart Oxygen Indicating Tag for Modified Atmosphere Packaging Applications: Fabrication, Characterization and Storage Stability.

Pack integrity is essential for the success of modified atmosphere packaging of food products. Colorimetric oxygen leak indicators or tags are simple and smart tools that can depict the presence or absence of oxygen within a package. However, not many bio-based electrospun materials were explored for this purpose.

Effect on the Properties of Edible Starch-Based Films by the Incorporation of Additives: A Review.

At present, people more actively pursuing biodegradable-based food packaging to lower the environmental problems of plastic-based packaging. Starch could become a promising alternative to plastic because of its properties (easily available, nontoxic, tasteless, biodegradable, ecofriendly, and edible). This review article is focused mainly on the impact of the properties of starch-based biodegradable films, such as their thickness, morphology, and optical, water-barrier, mechanical, oxygen-barrier, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, after the incorporation of additives, and how such films fulfill the demands of the manufacturing of biodegradable and edible food-based film with preferable performance.

Enrichment in Different Health Components of Barley Flour Using Twin-Screw Extrusion Technology to Support Nutritionally Balanced Diets.

Due to its good dietary role, barley has attracted a growing amount of interest for the manufacture of functional foods in recent years. In barley, a number of bioactive components, including as phenolic compounds, have been discovered, and barley extrudates could be used to formulate various processed foods, including ready-to-eat cereals, baby, and pet foods and support nutritionally balanced diets. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of extrusion processing on resistant starch (RS), glycemic index (GI), and antioxidant compounds of barley flour.

Applications of Inorganic Nanoparticles in Food Packaging: A Comprehensive Review.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have acquired significance in technological breakthroughs due to their unique properties, such as size, shape, chemical composition, physiochemical stability, crystal structure, and larger surface area. There is a huge demand for packaging materials that can keep food fresher for extended periods of time. The incorporation of nanoscale fillers in the polymer matrix would assists in the alleviation of packaging material challenges while also improving functional qualities.

Recent developments in cold plasma-based enzyme activity (browning, cell wall degradation, and antioxidant) in fruits and vegetables.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations reports, approximately half of the total harvested fruits and vegetables vanish before they reach the end consumer due to their perishable nature. Enzymatic browning is one of the most common problems faced by fruit and vegetable processing. The perishability of fruits and vegetables is contributed by the various browning enzymes (polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) and ripening or cell wall degrading enzyme (pectin methyl-esterase).

Development and Characterization of Active Native and Cross-Linked Pearl Millet Starch-Based Film Loaded with Fenugreek Oil.

In this study, cross-linked pearl millet starch and fenugreek oil was used to develop active starch edible films to overcome the limitations of native starch and to substitute artificial preservatives with natural one. The starch was cross-linked at three levels (1%, 3% and 5%) using sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP), and physicochemical properties were studied. Moreover, a comparative study was conducted among four samples of films prepared using native starch, cross-linked starch, and native and cross-linked starch loaded with fenugreek oil for physical, thermal, mechanical, morphological, and antibacterial properties.