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The present review gives an overview of the use of fluorescence spectroscopy (i.e., conventional, excitation-emission matrix, and synchronous fluorescence) for determining changes in food products and their quality during technological process and storage. From the present review, it was shown that fluorescence spectroscopy is able to determine several properties (functional, composition, nutritional) without the use of chemical reagents. This is due to the use of chemometric tools (descriptive and predictive methods). The review focuses on the use of fluorescence spectroscopy for the determination of the quality of animal (i.e., dairy, meat, fish, and egg) and vegetable (oils, cereal, sugar, fruit, and vegetable) products as well as the identification of bacteria of agro-alimentary interest.

Introduction. Microalgae can be considered as one of the most reliable natural sources of nutrients and other valuable substances that could satisfy the growing needs in food and energy. In this review article, the global potential for the use of microalgae and the protein content of a number of microalgae is examined with a brief description of the microalgae species.Literature. Despite the high protein content and the presence of other valuable substances in microalgal biomass, microalgae mass production is still at its embryonic level. Microalgal proteins exhibit good nutritional, functional and technofunctional properties when compared to some conventional protein concentrates.Conclusions. There is therefore a need for the mass production of microalgae to be boosted by public and private institutions in order to avoid protein shortages. Les microalgues comme une source potentielle de protéines d’origine unicellulaire (synthèse bibliographique)Introduction. Les microalgues peuvent être considérées comme une des sources fiables de nutriments et d’autres substances de valeur pouvant satisfaire le besoin croissant en aliment et en énergie. Dans la présente revue, le potentiel global en microalgues, la teneur en protéines et une brève description de certaines espèces de microalgues sont présentés.Littérature. Malgré leur teneur élevée en protéines et en d’autres substances de valeur, la production industrielle des microalgues est encore à l’état embryonnaire. Les protéines des microalgues présentent de bonnes propriétés nutritionnelles, fonctionnelles et technofonctionnelles lorsqu’elles sont comparées aux protéines conventionnelles.Conclusions. La production des microalgues doit donc être encouragée par les autorités publiques et privées afin d’éviter les pénuries de protéines.

Quinoa peptides are the bioactive components obtained from quinoa protein digestion, which have been proved to possess various biological activities. However, there are few studies on the anticancer activity of quinoa peptides, and the mechanism has not been clarified. In this study, the novel quinoa peptides were obtained from quinoa protein hydrolysate and identified by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The anticancer activity of these peptides was predicted by PeptideRanker and evaluated using an antiproliferative assay in colon cancer Caco-2 cells. Combined with the result of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) inhibitory activity assay, the highly anticancer activity peptides FHPFPR, NWFPLPR, and HYNPYFPG were screened and further investigated. Molecular docking was used to analyze the binding site between peptides and HDAC1, and results showed that three peptides were bound in the active pocket of HDAC1. Moreover, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and Western blot showed that the expression of HDAC1, NFκB, IL-6, IL-8, Bcl-2 was significantly decreased, whereas caspase3 expression showed a remarkable evaluation. In conclusion, quinoa peptides may have the potential to protect against cancer development by inhibiting HDAC1 activity and regulating the expression of the cancer-related genes, which indicates that these peptides could be explored as functional foods to alleviate colon cancer.

This study examined the effect of the incorporation of flesh fibre concentrate (FFC) from apple, pear, and date pomaces on wheat bread dough performance and bread quality. The nutritional composition and techno-functional properties (water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, swelling capacity) of FFC were determined beforehand. Dough performance was evaluated by farinograph, alveograph and visco-amylograph. Bread quality was assessed by physical (weight, specific volume, and color) and textural (hardness and elasticity) parameters. Digital imaging analysis was also performed in order to better understand the observed effects. Results showed that the addition of FFC in wheat flour significantly improved ( P  < 0.05) dough properties inducing an increase of water absorption (from 55 to 60 %), of stability (from 4 to 31 min),of tenacity (from 83 to 116 mmH 2 O) , a reduction of extensibility (from 69 to 29 mm), of softening (from 60 to 20 BU), of breakdown (from 34 to 25 BU) and of setback (from 103 to 93 BU) in comparison to the control dough (without fibre). The formulation containing FFC produced loaves that had various colors (crust, 0 < Δ E * < 10 and crumb, 0 < Δ E * < 20; Δ E * corresponding to color variation), a comparable specific volume (2.7 vs 2.9 cm 3 /g for control) and a more aerated internal crumb structure compared to the control. During storage of breads at 20 °C, there was no significant difference ( P  < 0.05) between enriched and control bread crumb and crust texture profiles.

Starch gelatinization has been widely studied previously, but there is still a lack of systematical research on the relationship between the degree of starch gelatinization (DSG) and its physicochemical and structural properties. In this study, potato starch samples with DSG ranging from 39.41% to 90.56% were obtained by hydrothermal treatment. The thermal, rheological, and structural properties, as well as the water-binding capacity of samples were investigated. A starch solution with a DSG of 39.41% was partially sedimented at room temperature, while starch with a DSG of 56.11% can form a stable paste with a fine shear-thinning property, as well as samples with a DSG larger than 56.11%. The endothermic enthalpy, gelatinization range, and short-range ordered structure of starch were negatively correlated with DSG, whereas onset gelatinization temperature, apparent viscosity, and water-binding capacity were positively correlated. The viscoelasticity of starch gels was negatively correlated with the DSG after full gelatinization (DSG > 39.41%). Starch granules gradually lose their typical shape and less birefringence can be observed with increasing DSG. Hydrothermal treatment has a more significant effect on the amount of exposed hydroxyl groups than the ordered and amorphous structures of partially gelatinized starch. This study built linear correlations between starch physicochemical properties and the DSG and provided comprehensive insight into the characteristics of partially gelatinized potato starch.

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L. 1758), is an omnivorous saprophagous insect with a high potential for valorizing organic by-products rich in carbohydrates. Among carbohydrates, H. illucens relies on soluble sugars for the growth and storage lipid synthesis. This study aimed to assess the impact of common soluble sugars on the development, survival, and fatty acid composition of H. illucens . Monosaccharides and disaccharides were individually incorporated into a chicken feed diet. Cellulose was used as a control. Larvae fed glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose grew faster than control larvae. In contrast, lactose exhibited anti-nutritional effects on larvae, slowing down growth and reducing final individual weight. However, all soluble sugars produced larvae fatter than the control diet. Notably, the tested sugars shaped the fatty acid profile. Maltose and sucrose increased saturated fatty acid content compared to cellulose. Conversely, lactose increased the bioaccumulation of dietary unsaturated fatty acids. This study is the first to demonstrate the effect of soluble sugars on the fatty acid profile of H. illucens larvae. Our findings highlight that the tested carbohydrates have significant effects on black soldier fly fatty acid composition and can thus determine their final applications.

Edible insects are gaining more and more attention as a sustainable source of animal protein for food and feed in the future. In Belgium, some insect products can be found on the market, and consumers are sourcing fresh insects from fishing stores or towards traditional markets to find exotic insects that are illegal and not sanitarily controlled. From this perspective, this study aims to characterize the microbial load of edible insects found in Belgium (i.e., fresh mealworms and house crickets from European farms and smoked termites and caterpillars from a traditional Congolese market) and to evaluate the efficiency of different processing methods (blanching for all species and freeze-drying and sterilization for European species) in reducing microorganism counts. All untreated insect samples had a total aerobic count higher than the limit for fresh minced meat (6.7 log cfu/g). Nevertheless, a species-dependent blanching step has led to a reduction of the total aerobic count under this limit, except for one caterpillar species. Freeze-drying and sterilization treatments on European species were also effective in reducing the total aerobic count. Yeast and mold counts for untreated insects were above the Good Manufacturing Practice limits for raw meat, but all treatments attained a reduction of these microorganisms under this limit. These results confirmed that fresh insects, but also smoked insects from non-European trades, need a cooking step (at least composed of a first blanching step) before consumption. Therefore, blanching timing for each studied insect species is proposed and discussed.

This study investigated the effects of extrusion parameters (barrel temperature, screw speed) and oil content on the physicochemical and textural properties of corn flour-based snacks, using a Box–Behnken response surface design. Significant predictive models (adjusted R2 > 90%) were established for specific mechanical energy (SME), expansion ratio, bulk density, hardness, compression work, water activity (aw) and dry matter content. The results showed that increasing oil content dramatically reduced SME (from 229.5 Wh/kg at 5% oil and 110 °C to 68.2 Wh/kg at 10% oil and 180 °C) and expansion ratio (maximum 3.73 at 145 °C, 150 rpm, 0% oil), while increasing bulk density (up to 0.271 g/cm3 at 10% oil). High oil content also led to a sharp increase in hardness (from 67.9 N at 0% oil to 466.9 N at 10% oil). Conversely, higher barrel temperature (up to 180 °C) and screw speed (up to 250 rpm) generally improved snack texture by reducing hardness and density and increasing expansion. Water activity ranged from 0.24 to 0.50 and was positively influenced by oil content and negatively by temperature and screw speed. Overall, oil content had the strongest detrimental impact on snack properties, but optimizing temperature and screw speed allowed the production of snacks with acceptable qualities.

This paper discusses the total replacement of egg white (EW) with faba bean protein concentrate (FPC) in a marshmallow formulation. The physico-chemical and techno-functional characterizations of the ingredients revealed that FPC, with a protein content of 68%, exhibited an interesting foaming capacity (200%) compared to EW, which had comparable foaming stability. The physico-chemical properties of the final products indicated that the FPC marshmallow (FPCM) had a higher density (0.519 g/mL), lower moisture (17.337%), and a water activity within the recommended range for this type of product. The FPCM had the highest hardness and elasticity values but the lowest cohesiveness and adhesiveness. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the FPCM structure is similar to that of the EW marshmallow (EWM). In front-face fluorescence spectroscopy measurements, the FPCM exhibited higher emission intensity for tryptophan with a maximum at 382 nm and vitamin A with a maximum located around 338 nm. FTIR analysis presented higher peaks at 850, 918, and 1034 cm−1 for the EWM compared to the FPCM. In a hedonic evaluation, the majority of descriptors (hardness, odor, and general acceptability) showed similar scores for both formulations. All results demonstrated the success of the total substitution of egg white by FPC in the marshmallow formulation.

We tested the hypothesis that changing the gut microbiota using pectic oligosaccharides (POS) or inulin (INU) differently modulates the progression of leukemia and related metabolic disorders. Mice were transplanted with Bcr-Abl-transfected proB lymphocytes mimicking leukemia and received either POS or INU in their diet (5%) for 2 weeks. Combination of pyrosequencing, PCR-DGGE and qPCR analyses of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that POS decreased microbial diversity and richness of caecal microbiota whereas it increased Bifidobacterium spp., Roseburia spp. and Bacteroides spp. (affecting specifically B. dorei) to a higher extent than INU. INU supplementation increased the portal SCFA propionate and butyrate, and decreased cancer cell invasion in the liver. POS treatment did not affect hepatic cancer cell invasion, but was more efficient than INU to decrease the metabolic alterations. Indeed, POS better than INU delayed anorexia linked to cancer progression. In addition, POS treatment increased acetate in the caecal content, changed the fatty acid profile inside adipose tissue and counteracted the induction of markers controlling β-oxidation, thereby hampering fat mass loss. Non digestible carbohydrates with prebiotic properties may constitute a new nutritional strategy to modulate gut microbiota with positive consequences on cancer progression and associated cachexia.