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Microencapsulation improves the stability of liquid food by moving it to a free form of powder. In the current study, Nigella sativa Oil (NSO) emulsion mixture was spray dried under various operating conditions, including inlet air temperature (IAT) of 130, 145, and 160 °C, wall material (WM), 10, 15, and 20%; feed rate (FR), 6, 9, and 12 mL/min; and needle speeds (NS) of 6, 8, and 10 s. The conditions of 130 °C (IAT), 15% (WM), 9 mL/min (FR), and 6 s (NS) produced the highest encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 89.51 ± 0.90%. At 160 °C (IAT), 15% (WM), 9 mL/min (FR), as well as 8 s (NS), the minimum EE was observed to be 79.15 ± 0.61%, and the maximum model predicted value of (EE) was 89.46 ± 0.80%. IAT has a substantial impact on EE while improving the oxidative quality of spray-dried microcapsule (SDM) samples. The SDM sample sensory scores fell within acceptable limits. Therefore, the spray-drying method developed from Nigella sativa Oil can be recommended for different fortifying food products.

Cysteine and homocysteine (Hcy), both sulfur‐containing amino acids (AAs), produced from methionine another sulfur‐containing amino acid, which is converted to Hcy and further converted to cysteine. This article aims to highlight the link between cysteine and Hcy, and their mechanisms, important functions, play in the body and their role as a biomarker for various types of diseases. So that using cysteine and Hcy as a biomarker, we can prevent and diagnose many diseases. This review concluded that hyperhomocysteinemia (elevated levels of homocysteine) is considered as toxic for cells and is associated with different health problems. Hyperhomocysteinemia and low levels of cysteine associated with various diseases like cardiovascular diseases (CVD), ischemic stroke, neurological disorders, diabetes, cancer like lung and colorectal cancer, renal dysfunction‐linked conditions, and vitiligo. Cysteine and homocysteine, both sulfur‐containing amino acids (AAs) produced from methionine another sulfur‐containing amino acid, which is converted to homocysteine and further converted to cysteine. The aim of this article is to highlight the link between cysteine and homocysteine, and their mechanisms, important functions, play in the body and their role as a biomarker for various different types of diseases. Hyperhomocysteinemia (elevated levels of homocysteine) is considered as toxic for cells and is associated with different health problems. Not only hyperhomocysteinemia but also low levels of cysteine in most cases is used as a biomarker for various diseases like cardiovascular diseases (CVD), ischemic stroke, neurological disorders, diabetes, cancer like lung and colorectal cancer, renal dysfunction‐linked conditions, and vitiligo.

Background Omega-3 fatty acids (Ω-3 PUFAs) may help to improve health status in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) by reducing numerous metabolic disorders (insulin sensitivity, hyperinsulinemia, lipid profile, obesity and inflammation). To evaluate the current objective, 16 weeks (6 weeks of adjustment period followed by 10 weeks of collection period) research trial was planned to check the impact of different sources of Ω-3 PUFAs (synthetic Ω-3, flaxseed and fish oil) on nutrient digestibility, weight gain, productive (lipid profile, glucose and insulin), reproductive profile (progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen, luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin) and histological study of ovarian tissues in Wistar female rats. Methods Forty-five rats of 130 ± 10 g weight were divided into 5 groups, each having 9 rats: NC (negative control without PCOS), PC (positive control with PCOS), SO (synthetic omega-3 containing ALA, EPA and DHA), FO (flaxseed oil) and F (fish oil) fed at 300 mg/kg/orally/daily of these sources were added in the basal diets while PC and NC received only the basal diet. Food and water were offered ad libitum. PCOS was induced in the rats fed of PC, SO, FO and F diets group by single intramuscular injection of estradiol-valerate (4 mg/rat/IM). Body weight and blood glucose was recorded weekly. At 16 th week of trial, blood samples were collected for lipid and hormonal analysis. Ovarian tissues were removed for pathological evaluation. Digestibility was measured by total collection method. Results Cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins were reduced in SO, FO and F groups when compared with rats of PC group. However, increasing trend of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was found in same groups. The highest HDL (36.83 ± 0.72 mg/dL) was observed in rats fed F diet. In case of a hormonal profile, testosterone, LH and insulin levels showed a significant reduction after treatments. Blood glucose results showed significantly reducing trend in all the rats fed with Ω-3 PUFAs sources than PC from 5 to 10th week of trial. However, similar trend was noticed in rat’s body weight at the end of 6th week. In ovarian morphology, different stages of follicles were observed in groups fed SO, FO and F diets. Nutrient digestibility in PCOS induced rats was remained non-significant. Conclusions The three sources of Ω-3 PUFAs had effective role in improving lipid and hormonal profile, reducing blood glucose, weight gain and histopathological damages in PCOS rats. However, fish oil source might be an innovative approach to cure PCOS via reducing the weight and metabolic anomalies due to EPA and DHA.

Plant proteins can be an important alternative to animal proteins subject to minor modification to address sustainability issues. The impact of ultrasound application on the yield, techno-functional properties, and molecular characteristics of protein extracted from Moringa oleifera seeds was studied. For this purpose, a central composite design (CCD) was applied to optimize ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) parameters such as amplitude (25–75%), solute-to-solvent ratio (1:10–1:30), and pH (9–13) for obtaining the maximum protein yield. At the optimized conditions of 75% amplitude, 1:20 solute-to-solvent ratio, and 11 pH, a protein yield of 39.12% was obtained in the UAE process. Moreover, the best sonication time at optimized conditions was 20 min, which resulted in about 150% more extraction yield in comparison to conventional extraction (CE). The techno-functional properties, for instance, solubility, water (WHC)- and oil-holding capacity (OHC), and emulsifying and foaming properties of the protein obtained from UAE and CE were also compared. The functional properties revealed high solubility, good WHC and OHC, and improved emulsifying properties for protein obtained from UAE. Although protein from UAE provided higher foam formation, foaming stability was significantly lower.

Flaxseed is naturally a rich source of essential omega-3 fatty acid, α-linolenic acid (ALA), which exhibits nearly 57% of its entire fatty acid profile. Oxidation of omega-3 fatty acids during processing and storage results in reduced shelf stability of food products and limited health potentials. Spray-drying is considered a processing technique to shield omega-3 fatty acids from oxidative damage. For the purpose, the extracted flaxseed oil (FSO) together with the emulsifier (flaxseed meal polysaccharide gum) was passed through a mini spray-dryer to prepare spray-dried flaxseed oil (SDFSO) samples. The SDFSO samples for quality were evaluated at 0th, 30th, and 60th days of storage at two different temperatures of 4°C and 25°C, accordingly. The maximum oil protection efficiency was recorded as 90.78% at 160°C. The highest percentage for ALA retention was recorded as 54.7% and 53.9% at 4°C, while the lowest retention was observed as 48.6% and 46.2% at 25°C after 30 and 60 days of storage, respectively. The inlet (160°C) and outlet air temperatures (80°C) were considered as key factors contributing a decline in retention of ALA of the SDFSO samples. The free fatty acid contents of FSO and SDFSO samples reached to their peaks, i.e., 1.22% and 0.75%, respectively, after 60 days of storage at 25°C. The initial peroxide value of FSO (control) was 0.16, which increased to 0.34 (4°C) and 1.10 (25°C) meq/kg O2 at the end of 60 days storage. The value for malondialdehyde of SDFSO samples was increased from 0.17 (0 day) to 0.34 nmol/g of lipids at 60 days (4°C), and the same increasing trend was observed at 25°C. In the case of color and overall acceptability, the lowest evaluation scores were awarded to FSO samples in comparison to SDFSO samples. Overall, SDFSO possessed improved oxidative quality and can be recommended as a fortifying agent in various functional food products.

Modification of insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) to soluble dietary fiber (SDF) improves not only the various health benefits but also the functional properties for improved product development. This research aimed to examine the effects of sonication treatment on the functional and physicochemical properties with possible structural changes in chia seeds dietary fiber. Central composite design was applied to optimize the sonication treatment process (amplitude 55%, time 20 min, and temperature 40°C) based on the oil holding capacity (OHC) and water holding capacity (WHC) as responses. Under these optimum conditions, ultrasound-treated IDF exhibited better functional and physicochemical properties such as OHC, WHC, glucose adsorption capacity (GAC), and water retention capacity (WRC) than untreated IDF. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy further confirmed the structural changes in treated and untreated IDF to explain the changes in the studied parameters.

Nowadays, blend of different fruit juices as functional beverages is highly recommended to retain maximum concentration of nutrients due to their integrated effect against processing, to utilize underconsumed fruits and/or vegetables, and to provide healthy product to the consumer. The novelty in this particular work is optimization of blend using stevia-based low caloric extract as sweetener to replace high caloric sugar contents. For this purpose, juices of apple and carrot along with the extract of stevia leaves underwent the process optimization using a statistical approach of D-optimal mixture design. The best beverage formulation with high sensory scores was composed of apple juice 70%, carrot juice 27%, and stevia extract (5 g/100 ml) 3%. The optimized beverage was then processed with conventional pasteurization at 95°C for 1 min and compared with ultrasound processing for 15 min at four different amplitudes (20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%). According to the observation, the treatment US60 (60% amplitude for 15 min) showed better retention for total phenolic content (78.65 ± 1.37 mg GAE/100 mL), total flavonoid content (23.53 ± 0.15 mg CE/100 mL), DPPH (66.43 ± 1.45 %), and FRAP (65.17 ± 1.10 mmol Trolox/100 mL) as compared to pasteurized and control samples while keeping other physicochemical properties in range. The research therefore indicates that ultrasound is good alternative to pasteurization and stevia to sugar in terms of functional beverage development.

Abiotic stresses are major constraints to sustainable agriculture. Among this salinity is a critical abiotic stress that severely affects crop productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. It impaired physiological and biochemical functions of plants. It also affects nutrient uptake and causes ionic disbalance. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of four selected exogenously applied amino acids (methionine, tryptophan, glycine betaine, and lysine) in mitigating salt stress and improving physiological performance of maize. Although amino acids are widely used as bio-stimulants but comparative evidence on their parameter specific effects under salinity is limited. The current study has been designed to investigate the effect of different concentrations (0, 25, 75, 100 ppm) of each amino acid in alleviating the effect of salt stress (120 mM NaCl) in Zea mays L. plants. Two factorial (amino acid treatments & salt stress) completely randomized design pot experiment with three replicates was conducted in control conditions. Salt stress reduced the morpho-physiological parameters along with antioxidant activities in Z. mays plants. Conversely, the applications of amino acids increased the growth parameters. Maximum shoot length and biomass were noted under the application of lysine. While maximum increase in root length, number of leaves and biomass of roots was observed under the application of glycine betaine, methionine, and tryptophan, respectively. Photosynthetic pigments were maximized under the influence of glycine betaine. Amino acids also triggered antioxidant activity and increased the production of metabolites. Like, total phenolics, total soluble proteins (TSP) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were maximized by the application of glycine betaine. Similarly, catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and flavonoids were maximized by the application of tryptophan, and total free amino acids (TFA) were maximized under the effect of methionine application. With increase in concentration of amino acids the studied parameters were also increased gradually. It is concluded that specific amino acids target distinct biochemical pathways to exhibit potential to induce tolerance against saline stress. These findings highlight the potential of amino acids, as bio-stimulants to enhance salt stress tolerance in maize. This indicates a role in boosting the plant’s antioxidant defense system under salt stress. However, validation under field conditions will be crucial to clarify molecular mechanisms to optimize the role of amino acids in sustainable crop production.

The current study was aimed to observe the influence of pulsed electric field (PEF) on the extraction of bioactive components; antioxidant activity and physicochemical properties of date palm fruit extract (DPFE) as compared to the extract untreated by PEF. The fruit was treated with PEF (frequency: 10 Hz, time: 100 µs, pulses number: 30, electric field strength (EFS): 1, 2, and 3 kV/cm. The results show that PEF has a positive impact on the total content of carotenoids, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and phenolics by increasing the EFS. DPFE treated with PEF exhibit a strong antioxidant activity as compared to untreated extract, while electrical conductivity, pH values, and titratable acidity were not affected by PEF. The results indicate a notable increase in the volatile components in DPFE treated with PEF at 3 kV/cm. Thus, PEF treatment can assist the ethanolic extraction of DPFE to improve the bioactivity and antioxidative activity. These findings suggest that PEF can be a more suitable technique to enhance solvent extraction on a commercial basis.

Background In developing and developed countries, several versions of safe and shelf-stable Ultra High Temperature, UHT-treated products are manufactured. Terminologies and formulations of UHT-treated tea whitener, milk and dairy drink considerably vary. Comprehensive studies have been performed on UHT-treated milk; however, fatty acids compositional changes and oxidation status of UHT-treated tea whitener and dairy drink at different storage intervals have not been reported in literature. Methods UHT-treated tea whitener, milk and dairy drink samples (450 each) of the same manufacturing date were purchased from the market and stored at ambient temperature (25-30 °C) for 90 days. At the time of collection, all the samples were only one week old. Samples of UHT-treated tea whitener, milk and dairy drink were regarded as treatments and every treatment was replicated five times. Chemical composition, fatty acid profile, 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyle (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, total antioxidant activity, reducing power, antioxidant activity in linoleic acid system and induction period were determined at 0, 45 and 90 days of storage. Results Fat content in freshly collected samples of UHT treated-tea whitener, milk and dairy drink were 6 and 3.5%. UHT treated milk had highest total antioxidant capacity, antioxidant activity in linoleic acid and 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyle (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity followed by UHT tea whitener and dairy drink. In freshly collected samples of UHT-treated milk, concentrations vitamin A and E were 0.46 μg/100 g and 0.63 mg/100 g, respectively. UHT-treated tea whitener had the lowest concentrations of vitamin A and E. With the progression of storage period, amount of vitamin A and E decreased. In freshly collected samples, amount of short, medium and unsaturated fatty acids in UHT-treated milk were 10.54, 59.71 and 27.44%, respectively. After 45 days of storage of UHT-treated milk, the loss of short, medium and unsaturated fatty acid was 7%, 7.1 and 5.8%, respectively. After 90 days of storage of UHT-treated milk, the loss of short, medium and unsaturated fatty acid was 8.53, 13.51 and 11.88%, accordingly. After 45 days of storage of UHT-treated tea whitener, the loss of medium and unsaturated fatty acid was 1.6 and 0.99%, respectively. After 90 days of storage, the loss of medium and unsaturated fatty acids were 8.2 and 6.6%, respectively. The induction period of fresh UHT-treated tea whitener, milk and dairy drink was 15.67, .74 and 7.27 h. Strong correlations were recorded between induction period and peroxide value of UHT-treated products. Conclusion This investigation disclosed that UHT-treated tea whitener had 6% fat content with no short-chain fatty acids. Antioxidant capacity of UHT-treated milk was higher than dairy drink and tea whitener. Due to the presence of partially hydrogenated fat, oxidative stability of UHT-treated tea whitener was better than UHT-treated milk and dairy drink. Vitamin A and E was not found in UHT-treated tea whitener. For the anticipation of oxidative stability of UHT-treated milk, dairy drink and tea whitener, induction period/ Rancimat method can be used.