Journal of Food and Bioprocess Engineering
Volume:6 Issue: 2, Summer-Autumn 2023

In this study, functionalized superparamagnetic FePt nanoparticles (NPs) as carriers for targeted delivery of curcumin (CUR) to tumors were developed. FePt NPs were synthesized via the co-reduction of metal salts in the presence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) to form water-dispersible carboxyl-terminated superparamagnetic NPs. CUR molecules were then conjugated to the particles through the activation of the carboxyl functional groups by 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) and the formation of ester bonds. XRD, FTIR, TEM, DLS, EDS and VSM were performed to evaluate the structure and properties of the particles. As-synthesized CUR-conjugated FePt NPs (CUR-FePt) were spherical core-shell structured particles with an average size of 17 nm, and the particles showed superparamagnetic properties even after the CUR conjugation. The in-vitro release results indicated relatively high CUR conjugation stability, and only 22% of CUR molecules were released after a 16 h period. MTT cytotoxicity evaluations showed that the conjugation of CUR to the surface of the particles did not alert the anticancer activity of CUR against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Moreover, no cytotoxic activity was observed against HEK293 normal cells. The results qualify the as-synthesized functionalized FePt NPs as potent candidates for magnetically guided drug delivery for cancer treatment.

Development of antimicrobial nanofibers by the electrospinning process is one of the most emerging trends in food bio-packaging systems. In this study, the blend of chitosan (CS) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) was employed to fabricate electrospun nanofibrous mats. Thyme essential oil (TEO) was embedded into the electrospun CS/PEO mats at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% to create nanofibers with antibacterial properties.  Adding functional groups to the surface of the CS/PEO/TEO electrospun mat was achieved by dip-coating the mat into a poly (MMA-co-MAA) solution with two different compositions to enhance bacteria immobilization. The morphology and diameter of CS/PEO/TEO nanofibers before and after coating were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle (WCA) measurements demonstrated the physical properties of coated and uncoated electrospun mats. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was further utilized to reveal the chemical structure of nanofibrous mats. The inhibition zone diameter was employed as an indicator of antibacterial activity through the disk diffusion test. The study results showed that the TEO-loaded nanofibrous mats, fabricated by an electrospinning system and coated by poly (MMA-co-MAA) at a 7:3 ratio of MMA: MAA can effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria. This novel biopolymer-based electrospun mat proved to be a promising candidate for antimicrobial packaging material due to the remarkable properties of biocompatibility, biodegradability, and excellent antibacterial performance.

The consumption of baked aerated wheat flour products has spread in developing countries. The aim of this research was to determine the proximate, iron content and sensory attributes of cookies produced from different composite flours (cassava, millet, caterpillar). Each raw material was processed separately into flours. These flours were mixed in different proportions. The proximate analysis (proteins, fats, ash, crude fibers, moisture, carbohydrates, energy and iron determination) and the acceptability test was performed as per the protocol described in the literature. Cookies were evaluated for their sensory characteristics by 30 semi-trained panelists made up of students of the Department of Biology, University of Kinshasa. To compare different treatments, Friedman test was used and data were analyzed using XLSTAT 2011. The findings showed that the protein, fat, ash, crude fiber, moisture, carbohydrate contents and the energy density of the cookies ranged from 2.85% to 740.69%, 23.03 to 27.57%, 0.25% to 0.65%, 20.39% to 23%, 5% to 7.13%, 9.54% to 18.43% and 408.15 to 415.17 kcal respectively. While the iron content ranged from 10mg to 14mg. For sensory attributes, there was no significant difference between different formulas. Consumers reported that these formulas were not golden (color), have a pleasant aroma (aroma), a good taste (taste), moderately sweet (sweetness), quite hard (crispiness) and not appealing (external appearance). The overall acceptability was moderately scored compared to the standards. Cookies produced improved nutrients contents and were acceptable to the assessors. There is a need of improving the sensory attributes of these cookies for future studies.

 Rosa damascena Mill. is an important aromatic plant for the commercial production of rose oil and rose water. Its hydrosol is known in Iran as Golab (rose water) and has applications in religious ceremonies, foods, and pharmaceuticals. The increase in market demand has led to the production of inferior products. The aim of this study was to characterize the chemical composition of 22 rose water samples -were purchased from the Isfahan market in October 2022- in aqueous phase and its organic extract and also methanol and ethanol content of these rose water samples by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results were used to evaluate the quality of rose water samples and detection of artificial essence use.Methanol and ethanol levels in the tested samples were 5-120 and 20-835 mg/kg. Some samples unusually had no ethanol and methanol. Major constituents of the extracted essence were phenyl ethyl alcohol, β-linalool, eugenol, eugenol methyl ether, geraniol, α-terpineol, citronellol, eugenol methyl ether, terpin hydrate, isopulegol, benzyl alcohol and nerol.These findings show that in order to determine whether rose water samples are real or fake, it is necessary to examine the samples in terms of chemical composition both in the aqueous phase of rose water and in the extracted essential oil as well as in the amount of ethanol and methanol.

Dates are an excellent source of polyphenols which makes them a valuable avenue for pharmacological properties. However, there are underutilized date fruits in Oman. In this study, four commonly grown Omani date cultivars, namely Barni, Fard, Khalas and Madloki at Tamar stages, were investigated for their total phenolic contents, phenolic and flavonoid compounds, vitamin C, β-carotene, tannins and saponins. The acidic-aqueous and alcoholic extracts were obtained from the dried powder of date varieties. Total phenolic contents were determined spectrophotometrically by using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Phenolic acids, flavonoids, β-carotene and vitamin C, were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Tannins and saponins were analyzed qualitatively. The results showed that there were differences among date cultivars in terms of total phenolic and flavonoids compounds. Madloki date powder exhibited the highest concentration of vitamin C and total phenolic compounds. Fard date powder had the highest concentration of flavonoid compounds, though it showed a lower concentration of β-carotene. A comparatively higher concentration of quercetin was observed in Madloki dates. The study results provide evidence that the investigated Omani date fruits possess potential nutraceutical properties.

Infusions of different species of edible flowers have been used since ancient times as remedies for several disorders. Ocimum sanctum is a herb used in Ayurvedic treatment due to its bioactive composition and potential therapeutic properties. However edible flowers of this herb have been under-explored and there are no much studies which validate their health potential scientifically. Therefore the present study aims to investigate the bioactivities of O.sanctum flower infusions.The total phenolic content and total flavonoid content of the infusion was 68.41±0.91 µmol gallic equivalents per g and 8.32±1.44 µmol rutin equivalents per g respectively. Considering the antioxidant activity, the infusion was able to scavenge hydrogen peroxide, inhibit lipid peroxidation and expressed reducing power. The infusion also expressed good anti-diabetic property by inhibiting α-amylase, α-glucosidase and amyloglucosidase activities with IC50 values 2.05±0.21, 97.21±1.21 and 2.84±0.72 µg/mL respectively. The ability of the infusion to inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme and acetylcholinesterase enzyme indicates the potential of the infusion to be used as anti-hypertensive agent and anti-Alzheimer’s agent respectively.O.sanctum infusion is a good source of phenolic compounds which could exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and anti-Alzheimer’s activity. Therefore, it can be used as functional ingredient with wide applications in food and pharmaceutical industry.

Essential oils, such as sweets and juice flavorings, are widely used in the perfume, fragrance, and food industries. In addition, they are used as components of pharmaceuticals, antiseptics, and aromatherapy products. In this research, parsley essential oils from the Apiaceae family were investigated. Parsley was harvested in three consecutive months of spring and after each harvest, was carefully transported to the laboratory. After drying at ambient temperature and extraction of the essential oils of parsley by clevenger, its essential oils were analyzed by GC/MS. The family of chemical compounds was specified precisely. The results indicated that more compounds were detected in the third harvest. Parsley indicator compounds were present in all three harvests. The most identified compound from the first to the third harvest was Myristcin in the first and second harvests and 1,3,8-p-Menthatriene in the third. The amounts of these compounds would be various due to the different conditions of the product's surrounding circumstances (such as light or temperature).

Fruit juices, and especially lime juice, belong to the most targeted food commodities for fraud. Therefore, reliableand cost-effective analytical methodologies need to be developed to guarantee lime juice authenticity and quality.The manifestation of machine learning techniques (MLT) has paved the way for fast and reliable processing andanalysis of food and juice data for more effective use of inexpensive, readily available, and easy-to-use equipmentsuch as UV/Vis spectrometers for quality control. The study aimed to investigate UV/Vis spectrometry and MLT todetect at least 10% of water, acid, and sugar added to lime juice. For this purpose, 26 lime samples, includingMexican and Persian lime, were collected from the orchards of four main lime-cultivated areas in Iran to preparepure lime juice samples (as authentic samples). To investigate adulterated lime juice, four types of treatment weredefined by adding acid, sugar, a mix of acid and sugar solution, and water at different volume proportions (10, 20,30, 40, and 50 % v/v) to pure lime juice samples. Each treatment was repeated eight times. The absorption rate ofdifferent adulterated and pure lime juice samples was measured at different wavelengths in the 210–550 nm range.The evaluation results of different MLTs showed that the accuracy of separating samples using absorption data bydecision tree (DT), k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), random forest (RF), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and support vectormachine (SVM) were 75%, 79%, 80%, 87%, and 92%, respectively. SVM had the highest level of accuracy inseparating adulterated lime juice samples. Also, this model’s performance criteria (sensitivity and F-score) werehigher than other models for identifying adulterated samples using absorption data. This is the first time that thecommon adulterations in lime juice were identified by rapid and accessible screening methods using UV/Visspectroscopy and MLT with high accuracy, precision, and sensitivity.

The effect of moisture absorption and temperature on the thermal properties of dried tigernut was studied. Theproximate composition includes moisture content ranging from 0.97% to 6.45%, Ash content from 0.63% to 1.93%,fat from 12.95% to 16.63%, crude fiber from 18.71% to 33.78%, and carbohydrate from 43.58% to 58. 68%. Thethermal properties were determined by using the value obtained from the proximate composition and calculatedusing the Okoi and choi’s equation. The value obtained from the thermal properties are thermal conductivity whichranged from 0.28866 w/moc to 0.3562 w/moc, thermal diffusivity ranging from 0.1123m2/s to 0.2172ms/s andspecific heat capacity ranging 1.8484 kg/kgoc to 1.9261 kg/kgoc. The percentage moisture absorption capacity wasalso analyzed in the sample which ranged from 46.6% to 94.4%. Thermal properties refer to the response in theirtemperature. The result obtained showed that the sample conditioned at 100℃ had the highest thermal propertiesand this implied that the thermal properties of food is generally influenced by moisture, temperature and theirproximate composition. Further studies should be carried out on the Rheological properties of tigernut, kinetic rateof reaction of the nutrient with respect to time and the thermal properties should be utilized for the design ofequipment and for the mathematical model in terms of simulation and mass heat transfer in the material.

Enzymatic dehulling of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seeds was investigated in this research work. Since cellulose and hemicellulose are two main ingredients of sesame hull, cellulase and xylanase were used for sesame seeds dehulling. A full factorial experimental design was employed to investigate the effects of total enzyme activity in solution, the ratio of cellulase to xylanase activity, and mass percentage of seeds in solution on the dehulling process. Analysis of variance showed that all the three factors affected the process significantly. Efficiencies as high as 95% dehulling in 15 min was obtained with total enzyme activity of 10 U/ (g seeds), the cellulase to xylanase activity ratio of 1, and the sesame seed mass percentage in solution of 10% (w/w). In a separate experiment the rate of dehulling was determined as a function of time and seeds mass percentage in solution, and a rate equation was suggested for the rate of dehulling. Investigations, moreover, showed that the spent enzyme solution from one batch of dehulling could be reused up to four times without significant loss of enzyme activity.

Gellan gum was exploited to modulate the stability of sesame oil-in-water emulsion and fabricated stable droplets with mean size of ̴ 9 μm till 30 days, then gelified by CaCl2 solution with final concentration of 55mM or 1% GDL. Enrichment with CaCl2 increased the amount of compact structures in gels in conjunction with decreasing WHC values and textural features modification. Gellan bundles as visualised by microscopic images conferred a remarkable influence to gel samples; enrichment with GDL or control gels increased the WHC value and formed less coarse networks. Based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy it was suggested that was no major changes in the functional groups of different gel samples, also according to the results of XRD analysis all the emulsion gels had an amorphous nature. The results indicated close relationships between physicochemical properties and microstructures of gellan-stabilized emulsion gels and would be of vital importance for extending the present knowledge about the preparation and properties of emulsion gels from gellan gum.

In recent years, the consumption of healthy drinks has increased due to the increase in consumer awareness. In this research, the production of hibiscus tea probiotic dietary drinks based on stevia and inulin sweeteners was investigated. In order to prepare probiotic drinks, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum bacteria, hibiscus tea at levels of 2.5, 5 and 7%, inulin at levels of 2, 4, 6% and stevia at levels (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 percent) were used and pH, acidity, brix, formalin index, turbidity, total phenol, antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP, ABTS), sensory characteristics of the samples were investigated on day 1 and total microbial count and survival of probiotics on days 1, 3 and 15. According to the obtained results, at the highest levels of hibiscus tea and the lowest levels of inulin, the pH of the samples decreased significantly and the acidity increased (p<0.05). At the highest levels of hibiscus tea and inulin, Brix, Turbidity and formalin index of samples increased significantly (p<0.05). In the highest levels of hibiscus tea, inulin and stevia, total phenol and antioxidant activity and population of probiotics in the samples increased significantly (p<0.05). Sample H5, I4, S0.2 and sample H5, I6, S0.2 obtained the highest sensory score compared to other samples (p<0.05). Due to the higher sensory scores, antioxidant activity and proper survival of probiotics, sample H5, I4, S0.2 was selected as the best sample.