Search Results (6)

In recent years, the different dietary needs of consumers due to their health problems, such as food allergies and lactose intolerance, or lifestyle changes, well-being trends, and increasing awareness about environmental concerns, causes an increment in consumers’ demand to have more plant-based foods in the diet. In this regard, more sustainable alternatives for different food systems come into prominence, and the market size for new plant-based alternatives, especially for dairy products, is ever-increasing. Ice cream is a complex colloidal structure and is defined as a frozen foam that is considered a suitable matrix for plant-based milk substitutes. Although it is hard to obtain a stable colloidal ice cream structure when replacing cow’s milk with plant-based alternatives, the coconut-based, soy-based, and almond-based milk alternatives are regarded as some of the most suitable choices for ice cream production. According to studies, coconut milk’s fat and protein content helps the formation of emulsion and stabilization of the foam system. Also, it is indicated that soy-based ice cream is a good carrier for probiotics, has a better melting resistance, and has comparable sensorial properties with dairy ice cream when used together with milk alternative combinations. However, some technological, microbiological, and sensorial properties of plant-based ice creams were not similar to ice cream made with cow’s milk. Eventually, innovative approaches to producing ice cream with different milk alternatives could be promising and beneficial for the sustainable food industry and should continue to be developed to meet the current needs and interests. Full article

Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is associated with the pathogenesis of intestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and metabolic disease states such as allergies, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes. SIBO is a condition characterized by an increased number (>1 × 10³ CFU) of abnormal bacterial species in the small intestine. Interest in SIBO has gained importance due to increased awareness of the human microbiome and its potential relationships with human health and disease, which has encouraged new work in this area. In recent years, standard antibiotic regimens (rifaximin and metronidazole) have been used to treat SIBO, but solo antibiotics or their derivatives are insufficient. In this study, the therapeutic effects of the probiotic form, which contains coconut oil and traces of peppermint-lemon-patchouli essential oil, were evaluated on the Dysbiosis-Based Rat SIBO Model. There are significant differences between sick and healthy rats (p = 0.014), between sick rats and rats treated with the oil mix plus probiotic mix protocol (p = 0.026), and between rats treated with only the probiotic and only oil protocols (p = 0.030) in the evaluation of TNF-α levels. Histologically, villi distortion and loss of crypts, epithelial shedding and necrotic changes in the apical regions of the villi, and inflammatory cell infiltrations extending to the lamina propria and submucosa were observed in sick rats. Mitotic figures in villus epithelium and crypts were observed in rats treated with 9.2 × 10⁹ CFU/1000 mg/coconut oil + trace amounts of peppermint-lemon-patchouli essential oil and a probiotic mixture (oil + probiotic mix protocol). A regression of inflammatory reactions and an increase in goblet cells were observed. A decrease was observed in inflammation markers in sick rats. On the other hand, the oil plus probiotic mix protocol recovered digestive system defects in the animals caused by dysbiosis. In the future, these treatment approaches can be effective in the treatment of SIBO. Full article

Probiotic foods such as kefir drinks help to improve the health and well-being of consumers. Since Salmonella resistance to current antibiotic drugs is rising at an alarming rate worldwide, especially in Africa and Asia, this has raised the need for alternative ways of preventing and treating infectious diseases in humans and animals. Thus, a dairy-free probiotic drink can be an alternative for people with milk allergies or for those who avoid dairy products as a lifestyle choice. This study aims to optimize the quality of the coconut milk kefir drink for its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and to identify the peptides and metabolites present. The time, temperature, and inoculum size that resulted in the optimal antioxidant and antimicrobial activities using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were found to be 13.4 h, 25 °C, and 5.4 g/100 mL, respectively. The metabolic changes of coconut milk kefir at the beginning and end of fermentation were identified using ¹H-NMR-based metabolomics. Some of the metabolites that were identified in the optimized product are γ-Aminobutyric acid, Biotin, Riboflavin, Butyrate, Lactate, and Caprylate. Moreover, 10 peptide sequences were identified using LC-MS/MS. The findings of this study demonstrated a high potential for coconut milk fermented using kefir grains as a functional healthy drink. Full article

Background: Cultivated buckwheat include two species originating from China: common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tartaricum). Buckwheat can cause IgE-mediated allergy, including severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. Exposure can occure when eating buckwheat food (food allergen), when producing or handling buckwheat food (occupational exposure) or when sleeping on buckwheat husk pillows (houeshold environmental exposure). Methods: A search on buckwheat allergy in the medical datbase PubMed from 1970–2020. Result: A number of allergenic proteins have been identified in common buckwheat (e.g., Fag e 1, Fag e 2 and Fag e 3) and in tartary buckwheat (e.g., Fag t 1, Fag t 2, Fag t 3). Clinically relevant cross-reactivity has been described between buckwheat and peanut, latex, coconut, quinoa, and poppy seed. The prevalence of buckwheat allergy in the population can be estimated as 0.1–0.4% in Japan, Korea and buckwheat consuming areas of China. Among patients in allergy clinics in different countries, 2–7% has confirmed buckwheat allergy. School studies from Japan and Korea found 4–60 cases of buckwheat-related anaphylaxis per 100,000 school children. The incidence of severe allergic reactions to buckwheat, including anaphylaxis, can be estimated as 0.1–0.01 cases per 100,000 person-years. Conclusions: Buckwheat allergy is a neglected allegy deserving further attention but severe allergic reactions are rare. Full article

So far, only a few cases of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated coconut allergies have been described in the literature. Due to a growing consumption of coconut-containing foods in occidental countries, the number of coconut allergies may also increase. As there is no causative immunotherapy in clinical routine, appropriate food labelling is particularly important, also with regard to cross-contamination, to prevent serious health consequences. The purpose of this study was to develop a DNA-based detection method for coconut (Cocos nucifera). Initially, three sets of coconut-specific primers were designed and tested. A TaqMan™ probe was then developed to identify and quantify coconut by real-time PCR assay. With 27 other plant and animal species, the specificity of the primer/probe system was tested and cross reactivity was excluded. In a dilution series, a limit of detection of 1 pg/µL was determined. Thus, the developed real-time PCR assay is a suitable method to detect coconut in food. Full article

Despite concerns voiced often by food-allergic patients, allergy to coconut is rare, not directly associated with nut allergy and few cases are reported so far in the literature. We present an interesting case of coconut allergy in a child that was previously tolerant to coconut and regularly exposed via both the skin and gastrointestinal route. Full article