فصلنامه پژوهش و نوآوری در علوم و صنایع غذایی
سال سیزدهم شماره 1 (Winter 2024)

Flavonoids are naturally occurring plant molecules. Fisetin belongs to a class of flavonoids; it is a bioactive polyphenolic flavanol molecule found in fruits and vegetables with potential pharmacological activities. This study was designed to validate a simple method for estimating and evaluating fisetin in the strawberry extract by spectrophotometry. Methodology Isolation of fisetin from the methanolic extract of Fragaria ananassa with chloroform by liquid-liquid extraction technique. The wet granulation method was formulated for making the tablet by incorporating pure fisetin as a biomarker. Spectrophotometric detection was carried out at an absorption maximum of 362 nm using methanol as solvent. The method was validated by linearity, accuracy, and precision studies. In the validation study, fisetin obeyed Beer-Lambert's law in the concentration range of 1 to 8 µg/mL, and it was found to be linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.99, and the regression equation was found to be Y= 0.10x -0.04. Found the percentage relative standard deviation among all the responses was less than 2%, indicating the method's precision. The percentage recovery of fisetin was found to be in the range of 96.61 to 101.63%. The present study was statistically confirmed. Therefore, the proposed approach can accurately measure the active marker compound in the crude drug (fisetin). The analysis allows the optimization of a precise method for determining the fisetin in the fruit of Fragaria ananassa, which can be used to support the quality assessment of this herbal material.

Gelatin is a derived, protein-based biopolymer used in nourishments to enhance consistency, strength, and flexibility. The aim of this research is to optimize the organic acid extraction of gelatin from fish skin. In this work, effect of parameters such as acid (based on its type) concentration (0.05-0.15 M), extraction temperature (40-60 °C), and types of acid (formic, acetic and propionic acids) on extraction yield of gelatin was examined at constant extraction time of 7 d and skin to acid mass ratio of 1:20. Collagenous material was separated from fish skin, and a basic protein, collagen, was hydrolyzed to gelatin, a derived protein. Response surface methodology (RSM) based Box-Wilson design was used for optimization and the optimization results revealed that the maximum gelatin extraction of 11.91% was achieved at 0.1 M formic acid and 52 °C. Thus, it would be concluded that the fish skin could be the potential feedstock for gelatin extraction.

Wild foods are a source of nutrients. Garlic is a plant that contains some bioactive components. Fermented garlic can be used as a raw food material to formulate healthy food. Eating functional foods, such as Pastilles which include fermented garlic, can boost the body's immune. The purpose of this study was to analyze preference acceptance of and nutrition values in pastilles. This work applied a randomized experimental study design. Organoleptic properties with the hedonic tests were conducted using Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results showed that formula F1 (pastilles with sago flour and mint essence) was the most preferred level ingredient for the pastilles with the highest average score is 3.57. The content of sago powder and mint essence significantly affected the smell and taste of the pastilles (P<0.05). The addition of mint essence has been shown to increase the acceptance of fermented garlic pastilles with an above 40% score. Pastilles made from fermented garlic also offered enough nutrients and bioactive compounds. The conclusion of this study shows that pastilles with FG can be well received by respondents and have been tested to have bioactive content.

The biopolymer has become essential component in the recent years to overcome the environmental issues raised from the synthetic polymer. In this aspect we attempt to make such valuable and economical important biopolymer from the natural sources such as Abelmoscus esculentus and Gracilaria corticata in an eco-friendly approach with thermally stable biopolymer. Thermal analysis of Okra and Gracilaria corticata mucilage polysaccharide has been carried out to ascertain their thermal degradation behavior and thermal stability. Thermal analysis of Okra and Gracilaria corticata mucilage polysaccharide weighed in the range of 5-10 mg was carried out with TGA (thermal gravimetric analyzer) and DSC (differential scanning calorimeter). Activation energy of the biopolymers for degradation studies was predicted and compared with Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) model. The activation energy obtained showed high R2 value of 0.9999, 0.9951, 0.9997 for Okra and 0.9992, 0.9998, 0.9999 for Gracilaria corticata, respectively. The obtained results of this study established the thermal characteristics of Okra and Gracilaria corticata mucilage polysaccharide and suggest their potential application in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors.

The present study was performed to assess the presence of Enterobacteriaceae in raw meat in Iraq using cultivation and the VITEK®2 compact system. A total of 20 chicken raw meat samples were randomly purchased from butchers and local meat retailers located in Najaf, Iraq. Five bacterial isolates were recovered from these samples. Proteus mirabilis (70%) was found to be the most abundant, followed by Enterobacter cloacae complex (15%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica subsp. diarizonae (10%), and Enterobacter aerogenes (5%). The discovery of Salmonella enterica ssp. diarizonae in local chicken meat is the first of its kind in Iraq. Moreover, the presence of several Enterobacteriaceae in locally produced retail raw chicken meat raises concerns about the possibility of cross-contamination with other food items. Also enhances the danger of human infection from eating raw or undercooked meat. To lessen the danger of infection, veterinarians and public health authorities must coordinate and take synchronized action.

Fish has been a potential food source for humans. Labeo bata is a commonly consumed fresh water fish species, particularly in South India.  This study explored the effect of different cooking (boiling, steaming, microwaving, and frying) on structural, morphology, nutritional profile, and in-vitro antioxidant activity of Labeo bata. All these processing methods reduced the water content and improved the quantity of major nutrients. Foremost changes were obtained in the FT-IR spectra of processed fillets with respect to the intensity and shifting of major bands in specific regions. Amino acids, fatty acid profile and mineral content values were also varied significantly (P<0.05) upon processing. Physico-chemical characteristics including cooking loss, water activity, color, and pH of both raw and cooked Indian mackerel differed significantly (P<0.05). In-vitro antioxidant activity was analyzed using the QUENCHER procedure. The DPPH and ABTS scavenging capacity of cooked fillets ranged from 14.8 to 28.0 and from 19.3 to 34.5 mmol Trolox Eq./kg.fish dry basis, respectively.

Using in ovo injection method, specific nutrients and antioxidants can be provided in precise doses at certain times for maximum absorption by the embryo. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of in ovo injection of flaxseed oil on the quality and antioxidant properties as well as fatty acid profile of breast meat of day-old broilers. 20 one-day-old fertilized eggs were randomly divided into two groups of 10; one control and one FSO (flaxseed oil) which received 100 μL of flaxseed oil by injection into the allantoic sac. The amounts of fat, vitamin E, total phenol, carotenoid, TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) value, color, texture and fatty acid profile of the chicken breast meat were measured. In ovo injection of flaxseed oil significantly increased the fat content. The mean amounts of vitamin E in control and FSO were 0.54 and 0.71 mg/100g, respectively (P<0.05). Carotenoid content, redness and yellowness of the broilers breast meat in FSO increased in comparison to control, while TBARS value and lightness index decreased insignificantly. FSO showed lower saturated fatty acids and higher unsaturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, unsaturated/saturated and n-3 fatty acids, but these differences were not significant. Based on the results of this study, in ovo injection of flaxseed oil improved oxidative stability of day-old broiler breast meat through increasing vitamin E content.

The fermentation effects of melinjo (Gnetum gnemon) seed flour on the physicochemical and retrogradation properties were investigated. Fermented melinjo seed flour (FMF) was prepared using a Lactobacillus fermentum. The DSC and RVA were used to evaluate the properties of the samples. The results indicated that FMF had a higher significant (P<0.05) value for gelatinization temperature and enthalpy but lower values in the starch-lipid temperature, enthalpy, and viscosity peak than the unfermented sample (UMF). X-ray diffraction demonstrated that fermentation resulted had little effect and the crystalline pattern cannot be changed (type A), but it was shown that a crystalline region ratio to region amorphous increased from 30.9 to 36.66%. The FTIR spectra showed that FMF and UMF were identical. Furthermore, the observation of the FMF using a SEM showed that starch granules had slight superficial corrosion, but UMF has a smooth outer surface. The retrogradation rate (k) of UMF was slowed (0.63 day-1) when compared with the FMF (0.68 day-1). Thus, fermentation may alter starch amorphous region and chemical components, eventually transforming the physicochemical and retrogradation characteristics of melinjo seed flour.