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Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 51910

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Prof. Dr. Tuba Esatbeyoglu

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Development and Food Quality, Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover, Am Kleinen Felde 30, 30167 Hannover, Germany
Interests: secondary plant metabolites; analytical chemistry; food chemistry; mass spectrometry; separation techniques; bioactivity-guided isolation; biological activity; cell culture studies; natural antioxidants; bioaccessibility; bioavailability; functional food
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Banu Bayram

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Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Health Sciences, Selimiye Mah. No: 38, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey
Interests: nutrigenomics; functional foods; food chemistry; cell culture studies; animal studies; analytical techniques; biological activity of food components

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to the World Health Organisation, the prevalence of diet-related diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, is rapidly increasing worldwide. Diet quality has a positive effect on healthy eating, which is scientifically proven by epidemiological studies. “Diet quality” is a broad and imprecise term. It simultaneously reflects various fields, including food quality, food chemistry, nutrition, food product development, food toxicology, food safety, and the sensory analysis.
To assess food quality and nutrition, multiple food components have to be analyzed by various analytical and molecular biology methods in order to characterize the foods. In recent years, the application of fingerprinting and non-targeted methods has become very common. In these applications, spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques, such as NIR, NMR or mass spectrometry, are widely used, resulting in complex information on food composition which is interpreted by chemometrics.
Diet quality indices have been applied for the assessment of nutrition solely or as a combination which have nutritient-based or food/food-group-based indicators. The most important indeces are DQI (diet quality index), HEI (healthy eating index), HDI (healthy diet indicator), and MDS (Mediterranean diet score).
This Special Issue on “Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition” invites researchers to submit original research or review articles related to this topic.

Prof. Dr. Tuba Esatbeyoglu
Assist. Prof. Dr. Banu Bayram
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Functional foods
Food quality
Heath effects
Sensory analyses
Analytical methods
Diet quality
Food habits
Lifestyle
Fingerprinting
Nutritional quality
Dietary quality indices
Dietary pattern

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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20 pages, 1993 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Phenolics and Antioxidant Properties of Black and Purple versus White Eggplant Cultivars

by Nesrin Colak, Aynur Kurt-Celebi, Jiri Gruz, Miroslav Strnad, Sema Hayirlioglu-Ayaz, Myoung-Gun Choung, Tuba Esatbeyoglu and Faik Ahmet Ayaz

Molecules 2022, 27(8), 2410; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27082410 - 8 Apr 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4467

Abstract

The total phenolic content, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, antioxidant capacity and α-amylase inhibitory activity of black (Aydin Siyahi), purple (Kadife Kemer) and white (Trabzon Kadife) eggplants grown in Turkey were subjected to a comparative investigation. The black cultivar exhibited the highest total phenolic (17,193 and 6552 mg gallic acid equivalent/kg fw), flavonoid (3019 and 1160 quercetin equivalent/kg fw) and anthocyanin (1686 and 6167 g delphinidin-3-O-glucoside equivalent/kg fw) contents in crude extracts of the peel and pulp. The majority of the caffeic acid was identified in the ester (2830 mg/kg fw) and ester-bound (2594 mg/kg fw) forms in the peel of ‘Kadife Kemer’ and in the glycoside form (611.9 mg/kg fw) in ‘Aydin Siyahi’, as well as in the pulp of these two eggplants. ‘Kadife Kemer’ (purple eggplant) contained the majority of the chlorogenic acid in free form (27.55 mg/kg fw), compared to ‘Aydin Siyahi’ in the ester (7.82 mg/kg fw), glycoside (294.1 mg/kg dw) and ester-bound (2.41 mg/kg fw) forms. The eggplant cultivars (peel and pulp, mg/kg fw) exhibited a relatively high delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside concentration in the peel of ‘Aydin Siyahi’ (avg. 1162), followed by ‘Kadife Kemer’ (avg. 336.6), and ‘Trabzon Kadife’ (avg. 215.1). The crude phenolic extracts of the eggplants exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity values (peel and pulp, µmoL Trolox equivalent/kg fw) of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH, 8156 and 2335) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC, 37,887 and 17,648). The overall results indicate that black and purple eggplants are the cultivars with greater potential benefits in terms of their phenolics and antioxidant values than the white eggplant. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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18 pages, 644 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Unique, Environmental Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains in the Traditional Production of Organic Cheeses from Unpasteurized Cow’s Milk

by Anna Łepecka, Anna Okoń, Piotr Szymański, Dorota Zielińska, Katarzyna Kajak-Siemaszko, Danuta Jaworska, Katarzyna Neffe-Skocińska, Barbara Sionek, Monika Trząskowska, Danuta Kołożyn-Krajewska and Zbigniew J. Dolatowski

Molecules 2022, 27(3), 1097; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27031097 - 7 Feb 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3536

Abstract

The aim of this study was to use local LAB cultures for the production of organic acid-rennet cheeses from unpasteurized cow’s milk. Under industrial conditions, three types of cheese were produced, i.e., traditionally with acid whey (AW), with starter culture L. brevis B1, or with starter culture L. plantarum Os2. Strains were previously isolated from traditional Polish cheeses. Chemical composition, physico-chemical, microbiological, and sensory studies during 2 months of storage were carried out. As a result of this research, it was found that the basic composition was typical for semi-hard, partially skimmed cheeses. Mainly saturated fatty acids were detected. The cheeses were rich in omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and were characterized by good lipid quality indices (LQI). All of the cheeses were characterized by a high number of lactic acid bacteria, with Enterobacteriaceae, yeast, molds, and staphylococci contaminants, which is typical microbiota for unpasteurized milk products. Water activity, pH, and total acidity were typical. A lower oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of cheeses with the addition of strains and stability of the products during storage were observed. The B1 and Os2 cheeses were lighter, less yellow, had a more intense milk and creamy aroma, were softer, moister, and more elastic than AW cheese. The research results indicate the possibility of using environmental LAB strains in the production of high-quality acid-rennet cheeses, but special attention should be paid to the production process due to the microbiological quality of the cheeses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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12 pages, 858 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enrichment of Zinc and Iron Micronutrients in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) through Biofortification

by Salwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Vivek Sharma, Arvind Kumar Shukla, Janpriya Kaur, Vibha Verma, Prabhjot Singh, Harkirat Singh, Shams H. Abdel-Hafez, Samy Sayed, Ahmed Gaber, Reham Ali and Akbar Hossain

Molecules 2021, 26(24), 7671; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26247671 - 18 Dec 2021

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3861

Abstract

Biofortification of pulse crops with Zn and Fe is a viable approach to combat their widespread deficiencies in humans. Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a widely consumed edible crop possessing a high level of Zn and Fe micronutrients. Thus, the present study was conducted to examine the influence of foliar application of Zn and Fe on productivity, concentration, uptake and the economics of lentil cultivation (LL 931). For this, different treatment combinations of ZnSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) and FeSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%), along with the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), were applied to the lentil. The results of study reported that the combined foliar application of ZnSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) + FeSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) at pre-flowering (S1) and pod formation (S2) stages was most effective in enhancing grain and straw yield, Zn and Fe concentration, and uptake. However, the outcome of this treatment was statistically on par with the results obtained under the treatment ZnSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) + FeSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) at S1 stage. A single spray of ZnSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) + FeSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) at S1 stage enhanced the grain and straw yield up to 39.6% and 51.8%, respectively. Similarly, Zn and Fe concentrations showed enhancement in grain (10.9% and 20.4%, respectively) and straw (27.5% and 27.6% respectively) of the lentil. The increase in Zn and Fe uptake by grain was 54.8% and 68.0%, respectively, whereas uptake by straw was 93.6% and 93.7%, respectively. Also the benefit:cost was the highest (1.96) with application of ZnSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) + FeSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) at S1 stage. Conclusively, the combined use of ZnSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) + FeSO₄·7H₂O (0.5%) at S1 stage can contribute significantly towards yield, Zn and Fe concentration, as well as uptake and the economic returns of lentil to remediate the Zn and Fe deficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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14 pages, 836 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Mineral Composition of Date Palm Fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.) under Low to High Salinity Irrigation

by Rania Dghaim, Zied Hammami, Rola Al Ghali, Linda Smail and Dalia Haroun

Molecules 2021, 26(23), 7361; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26237361 - 4 Dec 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2976

Abstract

Adaptability to salinity varies between different varieties of date palm trees. This research aims to explore the long-term impact of different salinity irrigation levels on the mineral content of 13 date palm varieties grown in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Date varieties were grown using three irrigation water salinity levels of 5, 10 and 15 dS m⁻¹. The mineral composition (B, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P and Zn) of date palm fruits was determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). High salinity levels showed no effect on the mineral content of Ajwat AlMadinah, Naghal, Barhi, Shagri, Abu Maan, Jabri, Sukkari and Rothan varieties. All date varieties remained good sources of dietary potassium, magnesium, manganese and boron even at high salinity levels. Increased salinity had no effect on the percent Daily Value (%DV) categories of most of the analyzed minerals. While no genotypes showed a general adaptation to different saline environments, Barhi, Ajwat Al Madinah, Khinizi, Maktoumi and Shagri varieties were more stable towards salinity variation. In the UAE, the genotype x saline-environment interaction was found to be high which makes it impossible to attribute the variation in mineral content to a single varietal or salinity effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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14 pages, 1687 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Coconut and Chestnut Flour Supplementations on Texture, Nutritional and Sensory Properties of Baked Wheat Based Bread

by Marianna Raczyk, Bartosz Kruszewski and Dorota Michałowska

Molecules 2021, 26(15), 4641; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26154641 - 30 Jul 2021

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 6413

Abstract

Wheat bread, produced by the single-phase method, is a common food consumed all over the world. Due to changes in lifestyle and nutritional trends, alternative raw materials are sought to increase the nutritional value and improve the taste of daily consumed products. Additionally, customers seek a wide variety of foods, especially when it comes to basic foods. Nuts, such as coconuts or chestnuts, might provide an attractive flavour with benefits to the nutritional quality. In this study, the effect of substituting wheat flour with coconut or chestnut flour (flour contribution level: 5, 10, 15, 30, 50% w/w), was evaluated in terms of the breads specific volume, texture, colour, nutritional composition, and dietary fibre fraction contents. Moreover, a sensory evaluation was conducted to assess potential consumer acceptance. Based on the consumer’s perception, the overall acceptance of bread with 15% w/w of coconut and chestnut flour was in privilege compared to the control sample. As a result, taking all of the tested parameters into account, the breads with 5, 10, and 15% supplementation of chestnut or coconut flour were still of good quality compared to the wheat bread and their fibre content was significantly higher. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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21 pages, 2492 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Properties, and the Allergenic Protein Mal d 1 in Different Selenium-Biofortified Apple Cultivars (Malus domestica)

by Sabrina Groth, Christoph Budke, Timo Weber, Susanne Neugart, Sven Brockmann, Martina Holz, Bao Chau Sawadski, Diemo Daum and Sascha Rohn

Molecules 2021, 26(9), 2647; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092647 - 30 Apr 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3065

Abstract

Notable parts of the population in Europe suffer from allergies towards apples. To address this health problem, the analysis of the interactions of relevant allergens with other substances such as phenolic compounds is of particular importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between the total phenolic content (TPC), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, antioxidant activity (AOA), and the phenolic compound profile and the content of the allergenic protein Mal d 1 in six apple cultivars. It was found that the PPO activity and the content of individual phenolic compounds had an influence on the Mal d 1 content. With regard to the important constituents, flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids, it was found that apples with a higher content of chlorogenic acid and a low content of procyanidin trimers and/or epicatechin had a lower allergenic potential. This is probably based on the reaction of phenolic compounds (when oxidized by the endogenous PPO) with proteins, thus being able to change the conformation of the (allergenic) proteins, which further corresponds to a loss of antibody recognition. When apples were additionally biofortified with selenium, the composition of the apples, with regard to TPC, phenolic profile, AOA, and PPO, was significantly affected. Consequently, this innovative agronomic practice seems to be promising for reducing the allergenic potential of apples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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19 pages, 7553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Immunological Analysis of Isothiocyanate-Modified α-Lactalbumin Using High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography

by Jenny Spöttel, Johannes Brockelt, Svenja Badekow and Sascha Rohn

Molecules 2021, 26(7), 1842; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26071842 - 25 Mar 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2990

Abstract

Undirected modifications between food proteins and secondary plant metabolites can occur during food processing. The results of covalent interactions can alter the functional and biological properties of the proteins. The present work studied the extent of which covalent conjugation of the bioactive metabolite benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC; a glucosinolate breakdown product) to the whey protein α-lactalbumin affects the protein’s allergenicity. Additional to the immunological analysis of native untreated and BITC-modified α-lactalbumin, the analysis of antigenic properties of proteolytically digested protein derivatives was also performed by high performance thin layer chromatography and immunostaining. As a result of the chemical modifications, structural changes in the protein molecule affected the allergenic properties. In this process, epitopes are destroyed or inactivated, but at the same time, buried epitopes can be exposed or newly formed, so that the net effect was an increase in allergenicity, in this case. Results from the tryptic hydrolysis suggest that BITC conjugation sterically hindered the cleavage sites for the enzyme, resulting in reduced digestibility and allergenicity. Residual antigenicity can be still present as short peptide fragments that provide epitopes. The desire to make food safer for allergy sufferers and to protect sensitized individuals from an allergenic reaction makes it clear that the detection of food antigens is mandatory; especially by considering protein interactions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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15 pages, 3112 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Flavonoid Glycosides in Brassica Species Respond to UV-B Depending on Exposure Time and Adaptation Time

by Susanne Neugart and Christiane Bumke-Vogt

Molecules 2021, 26(2), 494; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26020494 - 18 Jan 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3883

Abstract

Recently, there have been efforts to use ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) as a biotechnological tool in greenhouses. Leafy Brassica species are mainly considered for their ability to synthesize glucosinolates and are valued as baby salads. They also have a remarkable concentration of chemically diverse flavonoid glycosides. In this study, the effect of short-term UV-B radiation at the end of the production cycle was investigated without affecting plant growth. The aim was to verify which exposure and adaptation time was suitable and needs to be further investigated to use UV as a biotechnological tool in greenhouse production of Brassica species. It is possible to modify the flavonoid glycoside profile of leafy Brassica species by increasing compounds that appear to have potentially high antioxidant activity. Exemplarily, the present experiment shows that kaempferol glycosides may be preferred over quercetin glycosides in response to UV-B in Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis, for example, whereas other species appear to prefer quercetin glycosides over kaempferol glycosides, such as Brassica oleracea var. sabellica or Brassica carinata. However, the response to short-term UV-B treatment is species-specific and conclusions on exposure and adaptation time cannot be unified but must be drawn separately for each species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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12 pages, 1744 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Noticeable Quantities of Functional Compounds and Antioxidant Activities Remain after Cooking of Colored Fleshed Potatoes Native from Southern Chile

by Stefano Ercoli, José Parada, Luis Bustamante, Isidro Hermosín-Gutiérrez, Boris Contreras, Pablo Cornejo and Antonieta Ruiz

Molecules 2021, 26(2), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26020314 - 9 Jan 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2713

Abstract

The effect of cooking on the concentrations of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities in 33 colored-fleshed potatoes genotypes was evaluated. The phenolic profiles, concentrations, and antioxidant activity were evaluated with a liquid chromatography diode array detector coupled to a mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionization interface (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS). Eleven anthocyanins were detected; in the case of red-fleshed genotypes, these were mainly acyl-glycosides derivatives of pelargonidin, whereas, in purple-fleshed genotypes, acyl-glycosides derivatives of petunidin were the most important. In the case of the purple-fleshed genotypes, the most important compound was petunidin-3-coumaroylrutinoside-5-glucoside. Concentrations of total anthocyanins varied between 1.21 g kg⁻¹ in fresh and 1.05 g kg⁻¹ in cooked potato and the decreases due to cooking ranged between 3% and 59%. The genotypes that showed the highest levels of total phenols also presented the highest levels of antioxidant activity. These results are of relevance because they suggest anthocyanins are important contributors to the antioxidant activity of these potato genotypes, which is significant even after the drastic process of cooking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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14 pages, 1707 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Ultrasound Combined with Acetic Acid and Peracetic Acid: Microbiological and Physicochemical Quality of Strawberries

by Priscila Donatti Leão Alvarenga, Christiane Mileib Vasconcelos and Jackline Freitas Brilhante de São José

Molecules 2021, 26(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26010016 - 22 Dec 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3371

Abstract

This work evaluated the application of organic acids (acetic and peracetic acid) and ultrasound as alternative sanitization methods for improving the microbiological and physicochemical qualities of strawberries. A reduction of up to 2.48 log CFU/g aerobic mesophiles and between 0.89 and 1.45 log CFU/g coliforms at 35 °C was found. For molds and yeasts, significant differences occurred with different treatments and storage time (p < 0.05). Ultrasound treatments in combination with peracetic acid and acetic acid allowed a decimal reduction in molds and yeasts (p < 0.05). All evaluated treatments promoted a significant reduction in the Escherichia coli count (p < 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy revealed fragmented E. coli cells due to treatment with acetic acid and ultrasound. Storage time significantly affected pH, total titratable acidity, total soluble solids and the ratio of the total titratable acidity to the total soluble solids (p < 0.05). Anthocyanin content did not change with treatment or time and generally averaged 13.47 mg anthocyanin/100 g of strawberries on fresh matter. Mass loss was not significantly affected by the applied treatments (p > 0.05). The combination of ultrasound and peracetic acid may be an alternative to chlorine-based compounds to ensure microbiological safety without causing significant changes in the physicochemical characteristics of strawberries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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10 pages, 2215 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

α-Tocomonoenol Is Bioavailable in Mice and May Partly Be Regulated by the Function of the Hepatic α-Tocopherol Transfer Protein

by Andrea Irías-Mata, Nadine Sus, Maria-Lena Hug, Marco Müller, Walter Vetter and Jan Frank

Molecules 2020, 25(20), 4803; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25204803 - 19 Oct 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2773

Abstract

Tocomonoenols are vitamin E derivatives present in foods with a single double bond at carbon 11’ in the sidechain. The α-tocopherol transfer protein (TTP) is required for the maintenance of normal α-tocopherol (αT) concentrations. Its role in the tissue distribution of α-11′-tocomonoenol (αT₁) is unknown. We investigated the tissue distribution of αT₁ and αT in wild-type (TTP^+/+) and TTP knockout (TTP^−/−) mice fed diets with either αT or αT₁ for two weeks. αT₁ was only found in blood, not tissues. αT concentrations in TTP^+/+ mice were in the order of adipose tissue > brain > heart > spleen > lungs > kidneys > small intestine > liver. Loss of TTP function depleted αT in all tissues. αT₁, contrary to αT, was still present in the blood of TTP^−/− mice (16% of αT₁ in TTP^+/+). Autoclaving and storage at room temperature reduced αT and αT₁ in experimental diets. In conclusion, αT₁ is bioavailable, reaches the blood in mice, and may not entirely depend on TTP function for secretion into the systemic circulation. However, due to instability of the test compounds in the experimental diets, further in vivo experiments are required to clarify the role of TTP in αT₁ secretion. Future research should consider compound stability during autoclaving of rodent feed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Food Quality and Nutrition)

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22 pages, 326 KiB

Open AccessReview

Minerals in Pregnancy and Their Impact on Child Growth and Development

by Patricia Miranda Farias, Gabriela Marcelino, Lidiani Figueiredo Santana, Eliane Borges de Almeida, Rita de Cássia Avellaneda Guimarães, Arnildo Pott, Priscila Aiko Hiane and Karine de Cássia Freitas

Molecules 2020, 25(23), 5630; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25235630 - 30 Nov 2020

Cited by 69 | Viewed by 9838

Abstract

During pregnancy, women undergo metabolic and physiological changes, and their needs are higher, to maintain growth and development of the fetus. If the nutritional status of the expectant mother is not satisfactory, some maternal and neonatal complications can occur. In the second and third trimester of pregnancy, there is a reserve of nutrients in the fetus that can be utilized after birth; thereby, children present an accelerated growth in the first years of life, which is a proven response to the available nutrition pattern. However, if such a pattern is insufficient, there will be deficits during development, including brain function. Therefore, despite many recent published works about gestational nutrition, uncertainties still remain on the mechanisms of absorption, distribution, and excretion of micronutrients. Further elucidation is needed to better understand the impacts caused either by deficiency or excess of some micronutrients. Thus, to illustrate the contributions of minerals during prenatal development and in children, iodine, selenium, iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium were selected. Our study sought to review the consequences related to gestational deficiency of the referred minerals and their impact on growth and development in children born from mothers with such deficiencies Full article

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