mohammad noshad

Urtica dioica L., commonly known as nettle is a perennial herbaceous plant that is widely distributed throughout the world. This plant is rich in antioxidant compounds and possesses anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiallergic properties. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the bioactive compound groups, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity of aqueous leaf extract of nettle plant. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used for identifying the bioactive compound groups. Additionally, the total phenolic content was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, the total flavonoid content was determined by the aluminum chloride colorimetric method, and the antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and the 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay. The results showed that the aqueous leaf extract of nettle contained 59.83 mg GAE/g of total phenols, 29.44 mg QE/g of total flavonoids, and exhibited antioxidant activity with 66.47% and 81.32% inhibition of DPPH and ABTS radicals, respectively. This study demonstrates that the aqueous leaf extract of nettle is a significant source of natural antioxidants and can be considered as a suitable alternative to synthetic antioxidants in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times as a source for treating diseases. Nettle (Urtica dioica) possesses anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antihistamine, antimicrobial, and immune-boosting properties.. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of nettle leaf aqueous extract using agar disc diffusion, agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) methods against a number of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Results from agar disc diffusion and agar well diffusion tests showed that the most sensitive and resistant fungal strains to nettle leaf aqueous extract were Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi, respectively. As the concentration of nettle leaf extract increased, the zone of inhibition for all tested fungal strains significantly increased. The results indicated that the minimum inhibitory concentration for gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 128, 256, and 256 mg/ml, respectively, and for gram-positive bacteria including Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus was 128, 64, and 128 mg/ml, respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentration for all tested strains was greater than 512 mg/ml. This study suggests that nettle leaf aqueous extract can be used as a natural antimicrobial compound in the food industry or in the treatment of certain infectious diseases.

German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is a well-known medicinal plant that is distributed worldwide and is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. In this study, the essential oil of M. chamomilla was extracted by water distillation method and its total phenol content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial effect were investigated. The total phenol content of the essential oil was 39.70 mg GAE/g and its total flavonoid content was 18.80 mg QE/g. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was evaluated based on two methods of inhibiting free radicals DPPH and ABTS; the essential oil was able to inhibit free radicals DPPH (58.60 %) and ABTS (61.60 %). The antimicrobial effect of the essential oil against Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella dysenteriae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Salmonella typhimurium was investigated by disk diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration. The findings of the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil by the disk diffusion agar and well diffusion agar, showed that S. pyogenes and E. aerogenes were the most sensitive and resistant microbial strains to M. chamomilla essential oil, respectively. The results of this study showed that the essential oil of M. chamomilla has shown strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, which can be a potential candidate for the preparation of antioxidant and antimicrobial drugs.

In this study, the hydroalcoholic extract of Ferula persica was extracted based on soaking method, and then the content of total phenols, total flavonoids, free radical scavenging activity (based on DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging methods) and antifungal effect (based on antimicrobial methods of disk diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentrations, and minimum fungicidal concentrations) were evaluated against fungi species causing strawberry and grape fruits rot (Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus niger, and Rhizopus stolonifer). The results of this study showed that the hydroalcoholic extract of Ferula persica contained 101.38 mg GAE/g total phenols and 37.41 mg QE/g total flavonoids. In addition, the antioxidant activity of hydroalcoholic extract based on the percentage of inhibition of DPPH and ABTS free radicals was 68.59 and 63.32%, respectively. Findings of antifungal activity based on disk diffusion agar and well diffusion agar tests showed that the antifungal effect of the extract was dependent on its concentration and increasing the concentration caused a significant increase in the diameter of the growth inhibition zone. Rhizopus stolonifer and Aspergillus niger were the most resistant and sensitive fungal strains to the hydroalcoholic extract, respectively, and the minimum lethal concentrations for these two strains were 256 and 64 mg/ml, respectively. Therefore, Ferula persica hydroalcoholic extract can be used as a natural preservative to increase the shelf life of horticultural products.

The present study aims to investigate the impact of knowledge-based technological strategies and the mediating role of open innovation on the sustainable innovative performance of food industry SMEs in Khuzestan province. This quantitative study describes the causal relationships between research components using a survey method. The statistical population includes all production managers and technical experts of food industry SMEs in Khuzestan province, totaling 233 individuals, from which 140 were selected randomly based on the Krejcie and Morgan table. The data collection tool is a researcher-made questionnaire, which has been validated for face validity by experts. Additionally, the reliability of the research constructs was estimated to be at a satisfactory level by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability. The results of structural equation modeling indicate that knowledge-based technological strategies have a significant positive impact on the components of open innovation input and output, as well as on sustainable innovative performance. Furthermore, the impact of open innovation input on sustainable innovative performance has been reported as positive and significant. Overall, the findings suggest that the constructs of the proposed model are strong and capable of explaining 57.5 percent of the variance changes in sustainable innovative performance. Based on the research results, it is recommended that food industry companies, science and technology parks, universities, and research centers in the province, while focusing on creating mutual connections, provide a space for exchanging ideas and needs to develop technical knowledge and knowledge-based businesses.

The aim of this study was to determine the total phenol and flavonoid content and investigate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Perovskia abrotanoides essential oil. The total phenol content was determined using the Folin Ciocalteu method, the total flavonoid content using the colorimetric aluminum chloride method, the antioxidant potential using the DPPH and ABTS free radical inhibition methods, and the antimicrobial activity using the disc diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration methods. The total phenol, total flavonoid, DPPH free radical inhibition, and ABTS free radical inhibition of the essential oil were found to be 24.26 mg of gallic acid per gram, 13.15 mg of quercetin per gram, 52.49%, and 56.79%, respectively. The antimicrobial results showed that the antimicrobial effect of the essential oil was higher against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative types, and Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi were the most sensitive and resistant microbial strains against P. abrotanoides essential oil, respectively. The diameter of the growth inhibition zone in the disc diffusion agar and well diffusion agar tests, as well as the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations for S. aureus, were 16.50 mm, 17.30 mm, 2 mg/mL, and 128 mg/mL, respectively, and these values for S. typhi were 7.60 mm, 9.20 mm, 16 mg/mL, and 512 mg/mL, respectively. In general, P. abrotanoides essential oil can be used as a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial compound.

This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant properties, and antimicrobial activity of Tanacetum balsamita L. essential oil. The essential oil was extracted using the water distillation method, and then the total phenolic content (using the Folin-Ciocalteu method), total flavonoid content (using the aluminium chloride colorimetric method), antioxidant activity (using DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging methods), and antimicrobial activity (using disk diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration methods) were evaluated. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the essential oil were found to be 29.50 mg gallic acid equivalent per gram and 14.90 mg quercetin equivalent per gram, respectively. The essential oil exhibited significant antioxidant activity, with the ability to scavenge 50.40% and 53.55% of free radicals DPPH and ABTS, respectively. According to the results of disc diffusion agar method, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhi were the most sensitive and resistant bacterial strains, respectively, with zone of inhibition diameters of 16 mm and 10.50 mm. The zone of inhibition diameters for these bacteria in the well diffusion agar method were obtained as 16.30 mm and 10.80 mm, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration for B. subtilis were determined as 4 mg/mL and 32 mg/mL, respectively, and for S. typhi, they were 64 mg/mL and greater than 512 mg/mL, respectively. According to the results, T. balsamita essential oil can be used as a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent in food products.

Adding chemical preservatives increases the shelf life of food products, but long-term and indiscriminate use of chemical preservatives increases the resistance of microorganisms and health risks associated with their absorption. Medicinal plants have a great diversity both in the world and in Iran and have the potential to be used as alternatives to chemical compounds. In this study, the antimicrobial effect of Pterocarya fraxinifolia essential oil against Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella dysenteriae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Salmonella typhi was investigated by disk diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration. The total phenol and flavonoid content of the essential oil was determined using Folin Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride methods, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was evaluated using two methods of inhibiting free radicals DPPH and ABTS. The total phenol and flavonoid content of the essential oil was 38.63 mg of gallic acid/g and the flavonoid content was 19.20 mg of quercetin/g. The essential oil of P. fraxinifolia was able to inhibit free radicals DPPH (58.60%) and ABTS (59.80%). The results of the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil by the disk diffusion agar and well diffusion agar methods showed that B. subtilis and E. aerogenes are the most sensitive and resistant microbial strains to the essential oil, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration for these bacteria was 2 and 64 mg/mL, respectively, and the minimum bactericidal concentration was 32 and > 512 mg/mL, respectively.

Flour products have played a significant role in human nutrition for a long time. Among these bakery and flour products, cake stands out due to its relatively high variety and long shelf life. Cake is especially famous among different people, particularly children. However, there is limited knowledge regarding to the enrichment of sponge cake as a popular product among various communities (especially children). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to produce sponge cake with soy protein isolate particles enriched with barberry concentrate. The study also aimed to investigate the nutritional, physicochemical and sensory properties of cake.

In this study, we investigated the effect of adding soy protein isolate particles enriched with barberry water concentrate (SPI-BC) at four different levels (zero, 10%, 20% and 30% based on flour weight) on various nutritional characteristics (protein, ash), physicochemical characteristics (moisture, pH, total phenol, texture, color) and sensory characteristics (color, aroma, taste overall acceptance of the sample). Each tests were repeated three times and the statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS-20 software with a significance level of 5%. The experiment was designed in a completely random format and followed a factorial design.

Based on the obtained results, barberry concentrate contained 204 ± 1.4 mg/liter of total anthocyanins, while the soy protein isolate particles enriched with barberry concentrate contained 22.59 ± 1.6 mg/liter of total anthocyanin. Additionally, the results of this study showed that adding SPI-BC to the sponge cake formula increased the amount of protein, ash. and total phenol. Increasing the amount of SPI-BC had a significant effect on pH with the pH of the samples decreasing as the amount of SPI-BC increased. The textural parameters (hardness, stickiness, springiness, and chewing) increased on days 1, 7, and 14 days after cooking with the increase of SPI-BC. Furthermore, the results showed that the use of SPI-BC caused a significant difference in the color of the product. The addition of SPI-BC to the sponge cake resulted in a decrease in L* value, which attracted the attention of many panelists. Sensory evaluation showed that the sponge cake with 10% soy protein isolate was the most acceptable among the samples.

Therefore, it can be stated that by using a cost-effective source of isolated soy protein particles enriched with blackberry juice concentrate in the composition of sponge cake, it is possible to create a product with a higher protein content that is well-received by consumers.

Considering the importance of physicochemical characteristics on the quality of produced flour, and the fact that the quality of flour depends on many physicochemical parameters, choosing the most important physicochemical characteristics to evaluate flour quality becomes a multi-criteria decision making problem. Fuzzy DEMATEL methods and hierarchical analysis are among the newest multi-criteria decision making methods. In this research, the quality of flours from Khuzestan province was first examined based on physicochemical and microbial characteristics. The combination of two methods, Fuzzy DEMATEL and TOPSIS, was then used to select the best physicochemical and microbial characteristics for evaluation. The research aimed to answer the question of what the most important physicochemical and microbial properties affecting the quality of flour are, and what the relationship model between them is. Based on the research and expert opinions, 2 indicators (physicochemical and microbial) characteristics (and 15 sub-indices) were identified amount of ash insoluble in acid, total ash, moisture content, iron, amount of gluten, pH, aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, acidity, protein, heavy metals, total aflatoxin, total mold count, mesophilic microorganisms count and live pests count) were divided. According to the research, five factors (moisture content, iron content, acidity, total ash content and total aflatoxin content) play a significant role in the evaluating the quality of flour, affecting other factors or criteria. Aflatoxin B1 and mesophilic microorganisms are related, indicating that other factors influence these two factors. On the contrary, factors such as pH level, ash insoluble in acid and ochratoxin A are considered negligible or eliminated. By identifying unimportant and omitted factors, it is possible to streamline the evaluation process of flour quality, ultimately saving time and money.

The use of safe ingredients to preserve food is steadily increasing. The high time and cost of production and approval of synthetic food additives and the reduction of public acceptance of these compounds have caused serious problems in their utilization. Excessive use of synthetic preservatives, which some of them are suspected to be toxic, has completely eliminated these additives and led to the use of natural alternatives to preserve or extend the shelf life of food products. Many plant-based bioactive compounds are good alternatives to synthetic antimicrobial and antioxidant supplements. Plant extracts have significant biological activity including antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, which has increased their use in food products. In addition, plant-derived antimicrobial compounds have been considered in the pharmaceutical industry to control microbial pathogens. Natural antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds are receiving a lot of research and industrial attention in food preservation technologies. In the last 2 decades, the use of herbal medicines rich in bioactive molecules (including polyphenols, carotenoids and flavonoids) with medicinal and health effects such as delaying the onset of some diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and cancer have increased.The plant Prosopis farcta grown in arid and semi-arid regions. In Iran, it is found in the southern regions of the country. In traditional medicine, this plant is used to prevent hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, to treat hemorrhoids, intestinal diseases and diarrhea, and leprosy, and to reduce abortion. In addition, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of various species of Prosopis have been reported. Accordingly, in this study, after examining the of total phenols and flavonoids concentrations, the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of ethanolic extract of Prosopis farcta were determined. 

The ethanolic extract of P. farcta was obtained maceration method. Total phenol content (by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method), total flavonoid content (by aluminum chloride method), antioxidant activity (by DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging and beta-carotene bleaching methods), and antimicrobial effect against Escherichia coli, Shigella dysentery, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis (by disk diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum fungicidal concentration) of the extract were evaluated. 

farcta ethanolic extract showed high phenol content (145.58 ± 1.30 mg GAE/g), while its total flavonoid content was 72.37 ± 1.48 mg QE/g. Antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of melon root using different methods of DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging and beta-carotene bleaching inhibition were 62.60, 71.82 and 54.50%, respectively. Antibacterial activity of P. farcta ethanolic extract against Escherichia coli, Shigella dysentery, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis according to disk diffusion agar and well diffusion agar methods showed that the antimicrobial activity of the extract was concentration dependent and Shigella dysentery and Staphylococcus aureus were the most resistant and sensitive bacterial strains to the extract respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of ethanolic extract of P. farcta root for Escherichia coli, Shigella dysentery, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis were 8, 8, 4 and 4 mg/ml, respectively; while the minimum bactericidal concentrations for these bacteria were 128, 256, 32 and 64 mg/ml, respectively. 

In the present study, ethanolic extract obtained from the roots of P. farcta was identified as a rich source of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The ethanolic extract showed effective antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The results greatly indicated the promising effect of P. farcta root extract against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species. As the microbial resistance is constantly increasing, ethanolic extract of P. farcta root can be considered as a suitable complementary option to tackle this problem. In addition, the identification of individual components of P. farcta ethanolic extract and their biological functions or their combination with common antioxidant and antimicrobial agents could be the subject of future research.

Chemical properties and antimicrobial effect of Thymus trautvetteri essential oil against some of the bacteria causing infection and food poisoning were evaluated in this study. For this purpose, T. trautvetteri essential oil was extracted with the help of hydrodistillation method and its total phenol content was based on Folin-Ciocalteu method, its antioxidant activity was based on DPPH and ABTS free radical inhibition methods and its antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus were investigated based on disc diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration methods. The results showed that T. trautvetteri essential oil contained 6.27 mg of catechin/g total phenol and its inhibitory activity against DPPH and ABTS free radicals was obtained as 12.32 and 10.20 mg/ml, respectively. The results of the antibacterial activity of the essential oil showed that S. aureus and E. coli were the most sensitive and resistant bacterial strains against T. trautvetteri essential oil, respectively. The inhibition zone in the disc diffusion agar and well diffusion agar methods, and the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations for S. aureus were 14.60 mm, 16 mm, 1 mg/ml and 4 mg/ml, respectively. According to the findings of this research, T. trautvetteri essential oil can be used as a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent to prevent oxidative reactions and microbial spoilage in food.

Nowadays, with the increase in diseases and consumers’ preference for organic foods, the use of natural plant compounds to improve and increase their shelf life is on the rise. In addition, the use of medicinal plants, which can have therapeutic properties, has attracted attention. Black seed oil has attracted a lot of attention in the past due to its unique therapeutic properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activity and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of black seed oil against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus. The amount of phenolic compounds in black seed oil was measured by Folin-Ciocalteu. The antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging methods. The antimicrobial effect of Nigella sativa oil was investigated according to well diffusion  agar, disk diffusion agar, interaction, minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration methods.The Nigella sativa oil had 16.25 mg GAE/g phenolic compounds. The antioxidant activity based on DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging were 86.62% and 94.85%, respectively.The Nigella sativa oil showed a significant antimicrobial effect on the tested microorganisms. In the combined mode (interaction) of Nigella sativa oil with chloramphenicol antibiotic, synergistic mode was observed for all bacterial strains. Given the significant antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effect of Nigella sativa, it can be used in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Nowadays, Functional food products as healthy diets have been considered extensively among consumers. Moreover, the use of particular microorganisms, for instance probiotic bacteria, offers probabilities to progress novel foods with appropriate shelf life. In the current research, in order to produce a functional ultrafiltrated (UF)-cheese, demineralized UF-whey powder (DUWP) at the levels of 0, 1 and 2%, and lactulose powder at the levels of 0 and 1% were used. Furthermore, bifidobacterium bifidum was used as probiotic bacteria. The textural characteristics in terms of hardness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness and sensorial propertis of the symbiotic cheese samples including odor, color, texture and taste were evaluated during 60 days of storage period at 4 ◦C. Results showed that addition of DUWP and lactulose powders except for adhesiveness and springiness caused significant decrease in all textural parameters (P<0.001). Besides, except for adhesiveness and cohesiveness, the mean values of textural parameters usually enhanced up to middle of the storage time and thereafter decreased up to end of storage period (p<0.05). Sensory results revealed that although addition of both DUWP and lactulose powders resulted in lower sensory scores, no significant differences were found between control (without DUWP and lactulose) and sample containing 1% of each both mentioned powders (P>0.05). Therefore, based on the obtained results, sample having 1% of DUWP and 1% of lactulose determined as the best symbiotic UF-cheese sample. Since the potential contribution of this product in community health promotion and reduction of diseases risk, the production and consumption of this functional cheese is proposed.

Prangos ferulacea is a plant that has been used in traditional medicine for its therapeutic properties. The present study was conducted to investigate the antifungal effect of P. ferulacea aqueous extract on Alternaria alternata, Alternaria solani, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Fusarium solani. The antifungal methods used were disc diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC). The extract concentrations used in the study were 20, 40, 60, and 80 mg/mL. The study found that the antifungal effect was concentration-dependent and increased with concentration. S. cerevisiae was the most sensitive species to the extract while F. solani was the most resistant. At 80 mg/mL, the inhibition zones for S. cerevisiae were found to be 11.90 mm and 13.00 mm in disc diffusion agar and well diffusion agar methods, respectively. The corresponding zones were 9.60 mm and 10.20 mm for F. solani, respectively. In the combined mode (interaction) of P. ferulacea aqueous extract with nystatin antibiotic, synergistic mode was observed for all fungal strains. The MIC and MFC values for S. cerevisiae were 32 and 128 mg/mL, respectively. The MIC and MFC results for F. solani were found to 256 and > 512 mg/mL, respectively. The results of this study showed that P. ferulacea aqueous extract could be used as a natural antifungal agent to inhibit the growth of pathogenic fungi on fresh fruits and vegetables.

The aim of this research was to optimize the formulation of a functional drink based on sugarcane juice using the response surface method (RSM) and in the form of Box Benken design. The ingredients used in the formulation were lemon juice (0.3, 6), turmeric (0.6, 0.3) and mint extract (0, 250, 500) in percentage and their physicochemical properties (pH, acidity, soluble solids, turbidity, color, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity) and sensory characteristics were investigated. The results showed that increasing the amount of lemon juice increased acidity, turbidity, L index, b index, phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity and overall acceptance, but decreased pH, soluble solids and a index. The increase of turmeric caused a slight increase in the amount of soluble solids, b index and total phenolic compounds, while it decreased the antioxidant property and overall acceptance of the samples. With the increase in the amount of mint extract, turbidity, a and b indices, phenolic compounds and overall acceptance increased, but the amount of soluble solids and L index decreased. Finally, the optimization results showed that the sugarcane juice drink containing lemon juice (6%), turmeric (0.2%) and mint extract (418%) had the best physicochemical properties and the highest overall acceptance and can be recommended as a healthy drink in the industry.

Datura stramonium is well known as a valuable drug in many diseases including inflammation, wounds, fever and toothache, and its extract has significant antimicrobial activity. Therefore, this study was performed to isolate the ethanolic extract of D. stramonium leaves and to investigate its antimicrobial activity. In this study, D. stramonium extract was obtained using the maceration method. Antimicrobial methods of disk diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration were used to determine the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extract of D. stramonium leaves against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. The antimicrobial activity of the extract was concentration dependent and the highest diameter of growth inhibition zone was observed at a concentration of 60 mg/ml of the extract. According to disk diffusion agar and well diffusion agar tests, S. aureus and S. typhimurium had the highest and lowest diameter of growth inhibition zones, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations for E. coli, S. typhimurium, S. aureus and B. cereus were 16, 16, 8 and 8 mg/ml, respectively, and the minimum bactericidal concentrations for these bacteria were 256, 256, 64, and 128 mg/ml, respectively. In general, Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to the extract than Gram-negative types. Ethanolic extract of D. stramonium leaves can be used as a natural antimicrobial agent to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria and treat related diseases.

During last decades, consumer awareness in importance of healthy intake has led their tendency towards the potential health benefits of particular foods and food ingredients. These conditions resulted in development of functional foods. In the current research, the effect of different concentrations of demineralized ultrafiltrated whey powder (DUWP) at levels of 0, 1 and 2% (W/V) and lactulose at levels of 0 and 1% (W/V) on symbiotic ultrafiltrated cheese were evaluated as a functional food. The color values, total acceptability and survival ability of Bifidobacterium bifidium during 60 days of storage at 4 °C were studied. Results showed that as the amount of lactulose and DUWP powders increased, the number of probiotics enhanced meaningfully, while the number of probiotic bacteria deceased with passing the storage time (p<0.001). However, the count of probiotic bacteria in samples containing lactulose and 1 or 2% DUWP at the end of 60 days of storage time were in the standard range of probiotic foods (>107 Log cfu/g). The colorimetric results showed that as the amount of DUWP and the storage time increased, the lightness (L*) decreased significantly (p<0.001); but addition of both powders had no significant effect on a* and b* values. Based on the obtained results, the synbiotic cheese containing 1% DUWP and 1% lactulose powder as compare to control sample had a higher count of probiotic bacteria. Meanwhile, no differences in color quality and total acceptability were found between these two samples. Therefore, this synbiotic ultrafiltrated cheese was determined as the best functional cheese sample.

Strawberry and grapes are generally infected with pathogenic fungi (e.g., Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, Rhizopus stolonifera, etc.). Synthetic fungicides are commonly used as the first line of defense against post-harvest pathogens on packaging lines. However, disposal of toxic waste is a costly process and the hazardous waste causes serious environmental problems. In addition, fungal pathogens have shown a worrying trend of resistance to these fungicides, thus shortening the shelf life of products. Compounds that can be equally effective in controlling pathogens, but preventing or minimizing the waste problems will be inevitable. The large volume of internationally processed agricultural products, as well as the increasing demand for organically produced fruits, emphasizes the need to replace synthetic fungicides with safer and biodegradable alternatives. Natural plant-derived products effectively meet this criterion and have great potential to influence modern agricultural research. Catechins and other polyphenols in green tea show strong antioxidant activity. Also, the antimicrobial activity of green tea extract against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans has been reported. Therefore, the present study was performed to prepare the ethanolic extract of green tea and to determine the content of total phenol, total flavonoids, antioxidant activity, and its antifungal effect against Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, and Rhizopus stolonifer (causing rot in strawberry and grapes).

Fresh green tea leaves were dried at room temperature and then powdered. Then, ethanol (70%) was added to the powdered leaves (solvent to powder ratio of 10:1 v/w) and the mixture was refluxed for 120 min. The resulting mixture was filtered through a filter paper and then concentrated under vacuum and finally dried in an oven.Total phenol content (by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent at 756 nm), total flavonoid content (spectrophotometrically at 510 nm), antioxidant activity (by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging methods), and antifungal effect (by disk diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum fungicidal concentration) of the extract were evaluated.

The extract contained 175.60 mg GAE /g total phenol and 47.53 mg QE/g total flavonoids and its antioxidant activity using DPPH and ABTS free radical assays was 78.89% and 86.57%, respectively. The results of antifungal activity showed that the diameter of the growth inhibition zone increased significantly with increasing the concentration of the extract, and Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus stolonifer were the most sensitive and resistant fungal strains to the extract, respectively. The minimum fungicidal concentrations for the strains of Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus stolonifer were 64 and 512 mg/ml, respectively.

The results of the present study showed that the ethanolic extract of green tea could be considered as potential source of natural antioxidant and antifungal agents. The presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds may be responsible for the antifungal and antioxidant effects of the extract. However, due to the fact that this study was performed with the crude extract of green tea, it is difficult to identify compounds responsible for antifungal and antioxidant activity. On this point, only the separation of the components of the extract allows the detection of antifungal and antioxidant compounds. This study provides a basis for further researches, in particular the use of these antioxidants and antifungal compounds. Green tea extract is especially suitable for products with high sensitivity to lipid oxidation and infection with molds.

Ultrafiltrated (UF)-white cheese is almost a new generation of white-cheeses that is produced throughout ultrafiltration process. This cheese has a soft and spreadable texture and is distributed in the market after a short storage period. Lactulose is a prebiotic compound that in addition to its positive effect on the growth of probiotic bacteria, its beneficial health effects on human well-being is proved. In the current research, synbiotic cheese samples were produced with the usage of demineralized ultrafiltrated whey powder (DUWP) at 3 levels of 0, 1 and 2%, lactulose at 2 levels of 0 and 1%, and bifidobacterium bifidum as probiotic bacteria. Experimental samples were analyzed and tested for physicochemical analysis including pH, acidity, moisture, syneresis, fat, protein and soluble nitrogen to total nitrogen ratio (TSN/TN) during 60 days of storage at 4 ◦C. Results revealed that addition of DUWP and lactulose, except for protein, had significant effects on the other tested parameters. In addition, the time of storage period had noticeable impact on all the examined physicochemical properties (P<0.01). Based on the results of this study, it was found that the best UF-white synbiotic cheese could be produced with the usage of 1% of each DUWP and lactulose powders.

Hyperspectral imaging, a technology that combines imaging and spectroscopy, provides extensive spatial and spectral information, simultaneously. It is currently being developed as a non-destructive and rapid diagnostic tool for assessing food quality and safety. In this study, hyperspectral imaging was utilized to investigate the process of bread staleness and its effect on the behavior of the bread crumb within the wavelength range of 950-400 nm and with a resolution of 0.795 nm. Principal components were extracted and three modeling methods - PCR, PLSR, and GRNN - were employed to predict texture characteristics during six days of storage. Based on the findings of this study, it was observed that the General Regression Neural Network (GRNN) method demonstrated superior performance in terms of R2 values for both springiness and stiffness, with values of 0.96 and 0.94, respectively. Furthermore, the GRNN method also exhibited the lowest Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values for cohesiveness and stiffness, with values of 0.11 and 0.32, respectively. This demonstrates the capability of the generalized regression neural network model to predict the textural characteristics of bread.

 The addition of chemical preservatives increases the shelf life of food products, but prolonged and indiscriminate use of chemical preservatives increases the resistance of microorganisms and the health risks associated with theiruptake. Medicinal plants have a wide variety in the world as well as in Iran. In recent years, the use of natural preservatives such as plant extracts and essential oils, due to their importance and role in controlling the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, has been proposed as an alternative to chemical preservatives. Black pepper is an aromatic medicinal plant. The specific properties of black pepper essential oil, such as its antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, have also been confirmed. Amphotericin B is one of the effective antibiotics for treating infections caused by pathogenic fungi. The mechanism of action of amphotericin B is to destroy fungal cells in such a way that by binding to ergosterol in the cell membrane of fungi, it creates pores and eventually destroys them. One of the most important and common antibiotics used in the treatment of infections caused by pathogenic bacteria is chloramphenicol. This antibiotic is effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria due to its broad spectrum. The aim of this study was to identify bioactive functional groups, antioxidant potential, phenol and total flavonoid compounds and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of black pepper extract against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus coagulans and Aspergillus niger.

 In this study, the antimicrobial effect of black pepper aqueous extract was investigated against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus coagulans and Aspergillus niger by disc diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration methods. Total phenol and flavonoid contents of the species were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and AlCl3 assays, respectively. Three biochemical assays, namely 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azinobis 3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) free radical scavenging and β- caroten/linoleic acid activity systems, were used to evaluate antioxidant activity. Identification of functional groups as well as the structure of organic compounds in black pepper extract was also performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). To evaluate the synergistic effect of black pepper extract in combination with amphotericin B and chloramphenicol antibiotics, Sub-MIC was used.

 The peaks observed in aqueous black pepper extract confirmed the presence of O-H (3000-3500 cm-1), C-H (2800-3000 cm-1), C=O (1613.62-1633.52 cm-1) and C-O (100.57-1038.82 cm-1) functional groups of bioactive compounds. The total phenol and flavonoids content of the extract were 45.12 mg GAE/g extract and its flavonoid content was 29.66 mg QUE/g extract which had an important role in its antioxidant activity. The aqueous black pepper extract had remarkable DPPH free radical scavenging activity (IC50=32.37 μg/ml), ABTS free radical scavenging activity (IC50=28.45 μg/ml) and beta-carotene bleaching inhibitory effect (46.45%), revealing the electron/hydrogen donating ability of the essential oil. The results of measuring the antimicrobial activity of extract by disk diffusion and agar well showed that black pepper extract showed more antimicrobial effect on gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus coagulans than gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This could be due to the difference in their cell wall structure. Aspergillus niger is the most sensitive species to aqueous black pepper extract. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of extract for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus coagulans and Aspergillus niger were equal to 32, 16, 4, 8 and 4 mg/ml, respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentration of black pepper extract for two bacterial species, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was more than 512 mg/ml. Also, the minimum bactericidal concentration for Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus coagulans was 128 and 256 mg/ml, respectively, and 128 mg/ml for Aspergillus niger. The results of interaction of black pepper extract with chloramphenicol antibiotic showed that the Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were synergistic, but antagonism was observed for the gram-positive Bacillus coagulans.

In this study, Chia seed mucilage (CSM) as a new source and polyvinly alcohol (PVA) as co-polymer was used to prepare of nanofibers. Different solutions with CSM/PVA volume ratios of 100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, 0:100 were prepared. Results show the increase in the CSM in the polymer solution increased the viscosity, electrical conductivity and viscosity of solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was to evaluate the morphology of nanofibers. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies were used to evaluate chemical structure, crystalline structure and thermal characteristics of nanofibers of CSM/PVA. The crystallization index of CSM, PVA, and CSM/PVA nanofibers was 52%, 38%, and 44%, respectively. The non-formation of a new peak and presence of CSM and PVA peaks in the FTIR spectrum of the produced nanofibers are indicative of the lack of chemical reactions between CSM and PVA. Also, the addition of PVA to CSM improves the thermal resistance of the nanofibers.

The aim of this study was to isolate the ethanolic extract of Quercus persica leaves via maceration method and determination of its total phenol content (via Folin-Ciocalteu method), total flavonoid content (via aluminium chloride colorimetric method), antioxidant activity (based on DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging methods), and antimicrobial effect (based on disk diffusion agar, well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration procedures). The extract contained 79.21 mg GAE/g phenolic compounds and 35.10 mg QE/g flavonoid compounds. The leaf ethanolic extract of Q. persica had a remarkable antioxidant activity, and it showed 52.60% DPPH free radical scavenging effect and 60.50% ABTS free radical scavenging activity. The extract had a concentration-dependent antimicrobial activity. The highest and lowest inhibition zones were respectively observed for Staphylococcus epidermidis (18.60 mm) and Salmonella typhi (14.80 mm), through disk diffusion agar method, in the presence of 100 mg.ml-1 extract. In well diffusion agar method, the inhibition zones for the above bacterial species were 14.90 mm and 15.10 mm, respectively. Moreover, the minimum inhibitory concentrations for the sensitive species (S. epidermidis) and the resistant bacteria (S. typhi) were 32 and 256 mg.ml-1, respectively. The results of this study show that the leaf ethanolic extract of Q. persica could be used as a naturally bioactive compound to substitute synthetic preservative agents.

The aim of this study was to assess protection mechanisms against Escherichia coli by analyzing aggregation, adherence, antagonistic activity and safety characteristics of potentially probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus B103.

Potentially probiotic L. acidophilus B103 has been investigated in various aspects. Studied key characteristics included its pH and bile resistance, cell surface hydrophobicity and aggregation, cholesterol removal ability, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and adhesion ability to Caco-2 cell monolayers. Antagonistic activity of the strain was assessed by adhesion competition on E. coli via competition, inhibition and replacement assays. Moreover, safety characteristics were investigated through DNase, hemolytic activity, biogenic amine production and antibiotic susceptibility assays.

L. acidophilus B103 included high stability to acidic pH (2.5 and 4.5), simulated gastric and intestinal juices and bile salt concentrations (up to 5% w/v). Moreover, L. acidophilus B103 showed relatively high hydrophobicity (51.79%), auto-aggregation (42.38%), co-aggregation (34.48%), cholesterol removal (46.27%) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities (51.36%). Competition, replacement and inhibition anti-adhesion assays of the strain against E. coli were 52.13, 25.20 and 46.40%, respectively. Furthermore, L. acidophilus B103 adhered to simulated epithelial cells with a capacity of 11.85%. Neither DNase nor hemolytic activity was observed in the bacterial strain and the strain was highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin.

Based on the results, safety assessments and its food origin, L. acidophilus B103 demonstrates potential for use in the food industry. It can serve as starter culture, co-culture and bio-protective agent, effectively enhancing safety and quality of the food products.