Search Results (931)

Moringa oleifera, renowned for its medicinal potency, was investigated to discern the impact of varying storage temperatures (4 °C, 25 °C, 40 °C) and light conditions (dark and light) on the quality attributes of its leaf powder during a 12-month storage period. The study encompassed comprehensive analyses of phytochemical levels, nutritional properties, microbial contamination, and colour changes in response to these diverse storage environments. The lightness L* colour value changed significantly (40 to 60) from baseline tests when stored at 40 °C in transparent packaging. Results highlighted distinct variations in phytochemical composition and nutritional content based on the interplay between temperature and light conditions. Lower temperatures, particularly 4 °C, in both dark and light environments, demonstrated superior preservation of bioactive compounds, with mean values for quercetin-3-rutinoside of 3.34 µg/g and 3.19 µg/g, respectively; both are significantly higher compared to other treatments (p < 0.05). This trend was also observed for rutin, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin. Conversely, higher temperatures (25 °C, 40 °C) coupled with light exposure hastened degradation, notably impacting phytochemical stability. Microbial proliferation was evident in elevated temperatures, indicating potential safety risks. Further observations unveiled significant colour changes within the leaf powder, notably influenced by storage temperatures and light exposure. Lower temperatures exhibited diminished colour alterations compared to higher temperatures, underscoring their impact on product quality. This study underscores the critical role of controlled storage conditions, especially cooler temperatures and reduced light exposure, in maintaining the potency and quality of M. oleifera leaf powder. Recommendations advocate for stringent temperature control (preferably 4 °C) and light shielding during storage to uphold phytochemical stability and mitigate microbial proliferation. While this study provides valuable insights into temperature-mediated alterations, future research avenues should delve deeper into elucidating the underlying mechanisms of colour changes and long-term temperature effects on phytochemical and nutritional integrity. Full article

This study presents the evaluation of the photometric performance and energy-saving potential of light-coloured pavement mixtures (LCPMs) in road lighting applications, along with their effects on surface friction, macrotexture, and specularity. The application of LCPMs in tunnels can enhance road surface illumination, thereby improving driver visibility, increasing road safety and comfort, and reducing energy consumption per kilometre. While such surface treatments enable more efficient and cost-effective lighting, maintaining an optimal balance in surface performance poses many challenges due to the impact on concurrent targets in terms of friction, macrotexture, noise contribution, and specularity. Indeed, issues related to friction performance, macrotexture characteristics, and the concurring energy-saving potential of LCPMs remain insufficiently explored. To this end, investigations were conducted to assess the energy-saving potential of light-coloured surface treatments and to evaluate the photometric, frictional, and macrotexture properties of different densely graded LCPMs. A new method was set up and implemented to compare different surface treatments. The results indicate that light-coloured surface treatments increased the average luminance coefficient (up to 0.2406), with glass-containing mixtures offering greater potential for improved surface texture, friction, and energy-efficient road lighting. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare dried apple (A), chokeberry (C), grape (G), raspberry (R), and red currant (RC) pomace as potential additives to food, beverages, and cosmetics. Their physicochemical properties and nutritional composition were examined. The fruit pomace was characterised by significant differences in acidity ranging 1.41 (G) to 7.96 g·100 g⁻¹_d.w. (R), water holding capacity (2.36–4.25 g·g⁻¹, C-A), and oil holding capacity (1.86–2.41 g·g⁻¹, C-G). The colour parameters of the pomace differed significantly. The highest lightness L* was recorded for the apple pomace (66.29). Samples RC and R were characterised by the highest redness (32.99; 26.76), while A, G, and R showed high b* values, amounting to 28.54, 22.84, and 20.40 (yellowness), respectively. The highest protein (13.01%), fat (6.82%), and fibre (67.38%) contents were recorded in the redcurrant pomace. The mineral analysis revealed high potassium, phosphorus, and calcium contents in all pomace samples, with the grape and redcurrant pomace containing the highest mineral content. These results highlight the potential of fruit pomace as a sustainable, nutritionally enriching ingredient, primarily for food products, and the potential to reduce food waste. Full article

As native bovine whey (WHEY) poses environmental concerns as a high-water-content by-product, this trial aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a thermal–mechanical microparticulation coupled with a fermentative process to concentrate it into a high-protein soft dairy cream. Compared to native whey, in microparticulated (MPW) and fermented (FMPW) matrices, there was a significant increase in proteins (from 0.7 to 8.8%) and lipids (from 0.3 to 1.3%), and a more brilliant yellowness colour. A factorial discriminant analysis (FDA) showed that FMPW had a higher content of saturated fatty acid (SFA) and some specific polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) n-6, and also identified C14:0, C18:1, C18:1 t-11, C18:2 n-6, and C18:3 n-6 as informative biomarkers of microparticulation and fermentative treatments. The SDS-PAGE indicated no effects on the protein profile but indicated its rearrangement into high molecular weight aggregates. Z-sizer and transmission electron microscopy analyses confirmed a different supramolecular structure corresponding to a higher variability and greater incidence of very large molecular aggregates, suggesting that MPW could be accounted as a colloidal matrix that may have similar ball-bearing lubrication properties. Microparticulation of whey could facilitate its circularity into the dairy supply chain through its re-generation from a waste into a high-value fat replacer for dairy-based food production. Full article

The addition of sea buckthorn(Hippophae rhamnoides L.) fruits as well as their extracted juice or, even more interestingly, related by-products into chocolate results in manufacturing an innovative functional food rich in bioactive substances. Thirteen treatments derived from the factorial combination of three types of H. rhamnoides materials (total fruit powder; fruit by-product powder; and fruit juice) and four concentrations (10%, 15%, 20% and 25%), plus an untreated control, were compared in terms of texture, quality, colour, antioxidant, mineral and sensorial properties of white chocolate. The untreated control showed the highest values of most of the texture parameters, as well as of pH, dry matter, soluble solids and colour component ‘L’. The colour component ‘b’ was best influenced by the 10% by-product addition to chocolate, whereas mineral substances, ash and colour component ‘a’ augmented with the increasing concentration of added H. rhamnoides materials. Compared to the untreated control, protein and fat contents in chocolate decreased with the rising added concentration of sea buckthorn fruit juice but showed the opposite trend under the integration of the whole fruit and its by-products. The antioxidant compounds and activity increased from the untreated chocolate to the highest concentration of added sea buckthorn materials. The juice addition to the chocolate best affected vitamin C, total carotenoids, β-carotene and lycopene, whereas the whole fruit integration led to the top levels of flavonoids, polyphenols and antioxidant activity. Potassium and zinc contents decreased from the untreated control to the highest H. rhamnoides material addition, whereas opposite trends were shown by calcium, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus. The integration of H. rhamnoides fruit materials into chocolate presents a valuable strategy to produce innovative health beneficial functional food. Full article

The present study investigates the luminescent behaviour of sol–gel derived Y₂SiO₅ powders doped with Eu³⁺ ions, subjected to spark plasma sintering. The sintering process induces the partial reduction of Eu³⁺ to Eu²⁺, and the phenomenon is strongly dependent on the holding time within the SPS chamber. The luminescent properties are tunable via the initial Eu concentration, holding time and excitation wavelength, resulting in a wide range of emission colours from red (Eu³⁺) at 220 nm excitation to blue (Eu²⁺) at 365 nm, and mixed colours at 257 nm. Moreover, the Eu³⁺/Eu²⁺ redox process is reversible. Overall, the results demonstrate that SPS conditions can be exploited to modulate the valence state of luminescent centres, which is reversible by oxidation under ambient conditions, enabling controlled modulation of the optical properties. Full article

This study investigated the microbiological, physicochemical, textural, and sensory characteristics of ayran and kefir samples produced from milk treated with different doses of UV-C radiation. For this purpose, raw milk was passed through a UV-C column at three different flow rates (15, 30, and 45 mL/min), and irradiated with doses of 72, 36, and 24 J/mL, respectively, corresponding to the flow rate. Samples produced from milk pasteurised by thermal treatment were used as the control group. This research indicated that UV-C treatment effectively reduced the microbial load in milk to a level comparable to that achieved through conventional pasteurisation. A reduction of 2.15 log cfu/mL in total aerobic mesophilic bacteria count was achieved, while total coliform group bacteria counts were decreased to an undetectable level. Samples produced from milk treated with UV-C showed lower pH and higher titration acidity (% lactic acid). Furthermore, the organic acid content was higher in these samples. Lactic acid, the main organic acid, levels in the ayran and kefir samples were measured at their highest as 11,951.51 mg/kg and 12,989.34 mg/kg, respectively, in the UV45 sample with a radiation dose of 24 J/mL. The treatment of UV-C resulted in a minor change in the colour and textural properties of the samples. Nonetheless, this change was not significant enough to influence consumer acceptance. The application of UV-C to raw milk, depending on the radiation level used, can enhance the fermentation process in the production of ayran and kefir. This study showed that the application of UV-C has improved the quality of drinkable fermented milk products. This research has shown that, while reducing nutritional losses caused by thermal processing, microbial safety is obtained at an approximate value similar to pasteurisation. As a result, UV-C application decreases the loss of dietary compounds and provides an alternative method for microbial inactivation. Full article

Chronic metabolic disorders have increased recently due to changes in dietary habits and lifestyle. Red-coloured fruits, such as sweet cherries, are rich in anthocyanins and other (poly)phenolic compounds with health-promoting properties, which has garnered growing scientific interest. Melatonin elicitation has emerged as a promising strategy to improve the functional quality of these fruits. This research investigates, for the first time, the combined effect of pre- and postharvest melatonin treatments, followed by a cold storage (2 °C) of 21 days, on the endogenous melatonin and phenolic compound levels of 90 sweet cherries (n = 3) from the ‘Sunburst’ cultivar and harvested from 9 trees per treatment. Single preharvest or postharvest melatonin treatments increased the endogenous melatonin content via direct absorption and activation of key biosynthetic genes, while they reduced anthocyanin, hydroxycinnamic acid, and flavonol levels, likely due to a ripening-delaying effect at harvest. Nevertheless, the combined treatment increased endogenous melatonin levels 5-fold compared to harvest and increased all measured polyphenolic compound levels, including a 29% rise in total anthocyanins reverting the delay in the ripening process. These effects suggest upregulation of genes in the phenylpropanoid pathway and could improve fruit’s functional quality. The response to melatonin is cultivar- and dose-dependent. Future research should investigate genetic and transcriptomic validation to confirm these potential effects and assess whether increased bioactive compound content would translate into measurable human health benefits. Full article

Frying is one of the most widely used cooking techniques, and olive oil is considered a suitable medium due to its high monounsaturated fatty acid content and natural antioxidants. Different olive oil categories vary in quality and price, yet their impact on fried food quality remains underexplored. This study used commercial chicken nuggets, a product commonly fried at home (180 °C), to evaluate how extra virgin, refined, and pomace olive oils influence nutritional (moisture, fat, and fatty acids), physicochemical (mechanical and acoustic properties, colour, and volatiles), and sensory attributes (Rate-All-That-Apply and hedonic tests). Overall, oil type produced minimal differences. Fat content did not vary (18.00–18.58 g/100 g), and although some fatty acid differences were significant, they were nutritionally negligible. Instrumental colour and most texture parameters were also unaffected. Volatile analysis showed terpenes as the most abundant class, with significantly higher levels in nuggets fried in extra virgin olive oil (344.8) compared with refined and pomace oils, which were similar (218.6 and 172.8, respectively). Nuggets fried in pomace olive oil were more often associated with toasted and burnt notes, supported by higher pyrazine levels (124.8 vs. 80.1 and 33.5), yet overall liking did not differ significantly (6.4 vs. 6.7 and 6.8). These results suggest that pomace olive oil, being considerably more affordable, represents a cost-effective frying alternative without compromising product quality. Full article

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of dyer’s woad (Isatis tinctoria L.) as a sustainable, plant-based colouring agent for enhancing the visual properties of wood surfaces. Veneers of oak (Quercus sp.) and poplar (Populus sp.) were used as materials and dyed with aqueous extracts derived from fresh and dried woad leaves. To facilitate dye uptake, the veneer surfaces were pretreated with various mordants: alum, citric acid, acetic acid, and distilled water (as a control). The aim was to assess the impact of both the form of the plant material and the type of mordant on the resulting colour change. Colour modifications were measured using spectrophotometry and subjected to statistical analysis. The results revealed distinct differences between untreated and dyed veneers, as well as among samples treated with different mordants. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the dye varied depending on whether fresh or dried leaves were used. These findings confirm the feasibility of employing Isatis tinctoria L. as a natural wood dye and highlight its potential as an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic surface treatments in decorative wood applications. Full article

This research explores the visual and non-visual (circadian) perception of light in humans and their brain responses in the urban spaces of two contrasted cities: Madrid and Toledo, in Spain. Lighting has been demonstrated to induce the synthesis of neurotransmitters, which can function as regulators or disruptors of our biological system, causing diseases due to the alteration in our circadian rhythms; these responses are contingent upon the technical properties of the lighting (type of incidence, intensity, colour temperature, and primarily, wavelength), as well as the time and duration of exposure. In Madrid, we analyse Gran Vía, an iconic and busy avenue with high commercial and touristic activity. This has resulted in an excess of illumination, which has a notable impact on the night environment and, in particular, on the biology of the human beings who transit and inhabit these areas. In contrast to Toledo—a small, protected city (a UNESCO World heritage site since 1986) that has maintained a low population density, controlled commercial areas, and a low level of urban lighting at night—Madrid represents an opposite situation. In Madrid, measurements of both lux and light spectrum were taken to demonstrate the excessive light incidence, along with the high emission of short-wavelength light produced by LED screens, which, at night, disrupt our circadian cycle. This paper demonstrates how artificial light at night (ALAN) affects human circadian rhythms. Furthermore, this study suggests directions for urban lighting design, considering human circadian rhythms. Full article

Furniture surfaces are prone to the accumulation of bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms, especially in humid environments such as kitchens and bathrooms. The antimicrobial treatment of coatings has been demonstrated to enhance the performance of wood, prolong its service life, and improve hygiene and safety. Consequently, by investigating the most effective preparation process for antimicrobial microcapsules and incorporating them into the coating, the coating can be endowed with antimicrobial properties, thereby expanding its application range. Microcapsules were prepared using a composite wall material consisting of chitosan (CS) and Arabic gum (AG), with tea tree essential oil (TTO) serving as the core material. The best CS-AG coated TTO microcapsules were prepared when the core–wall ratio was 1.2:1, the emulsifier concentration was 2%, the pH was 3, and the mass ratio of AG to CS (m_AG:m_CS) was 3:1. The m_AG:m_CS was identified as the most significant factor affecting the microcapsule yield and encapsulation rate. With the increase in m_AG:m_CS, the antimicrobial rate of the coating against Escherichia coli (E. coli) exhibited a trend of first rising and then falling, while the antimicrobial rate against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) demonstrated a trend of first rising, then falling, and then rising again. The colour difference (ΔE) and gloss exhibited an overall downward trend, the light loss rate demonstrated a fluctuating upward trend, and the roughness exhibited a trend of first falling and then rising. The visible light band transmittance exhibited minimal variation, ranging from 86.43% to 92.76%. Microcapsule 14# (m_AG:m_CS = 3:1) demonstrated remarkable antimicrobial properties (E. coli 65.55%, S. aureus 73.29%), exceptional optical characteristics (light transmittance 92.12%, 60° gloss 24.0 GU), and notable flexibility (elongation at break 18.10%, modulus 0.10 GPa). The waterborne coating was modified by microcapsule technology, thus endowing the coating with antimicrobial properties and concomitantly broadening the scope of application of antimicrobial microcapsules. Full article

The present work investigated how cube size (10 × 10 × 10 mm and 20 × 20 × 20 mm) and culinary technique (stir-frying, steaming, with raw zucchini as control) influence the nutritional profile, bioactive components, texture, and sensory properties of zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.). Parameters assessed included moisture, dry matter, ash, protein, fat, antioxidant capacity (AC), total phenolic content (TPC), texture profile, and consumer acceptance. Cutting size significantly affected dry matter and ash contents, with larger cubes showing higher values. While TPC remained stable across sizes and methods, AC varied with both factors, reflecting contributions from non-phenolic antioxidants and retention differences. Hardness was unaffected by cutting size, but raw larger cubes had higher adhesiveness; cooking markedly reduced both parameters. Stir-frying increased dry matter, ash, protein, fat, and AC, partly due to incorporation of oil-derived antioxidants, whereas steaming preserved visual attributes and produced the highest sensory scores for appearance, colour, and texture. Smaller cubes were generally preferred in sensory evaluation. In summary, the culinary technique exerted a stronger effect than cube size: stir-frying boosted specific nutritional parameters, whereas steaming was more effective at maintaining sensory quality. Full article

The need to diversify food products on the market, the interest of producer-farmers and food processors in nutritionally healthy raw materials, and especially the demand among consumers for new, high-quality product assortments have led to the introduction of ancient wheat species into cultivation. Ancient plant species are often grown using environmentally friendly agricultural technologies. The aim of the study was to compare the technological parameters, rheological properties of dough, and baking indicators of grains (and the flour milled from them) from ancient wheat species T. sphaerococcum and T. persicum with common wheat. These were cultivated using both traditional ploughing and simplified shallow tillage systems. The wheat grain was obtained from field experiments located in three certified organic farms in Poland. In the plant material samples, physical, technological and rheological parameters were determined. The grain, flour, baked bread, and the colour of grain and flour were characterised. It was found that the tested cultivation systems did not have a significant effect on the analysed traits (except for dough parameters: dough stability time, dough softening, and bread weight after removal from the oven and 24 h after baking where shallow tillage turned out to be more advantageous). In turn, the wheat species significantly influenced the tested traits. This factor was found to determine relatively high (higher than common wheat) values of protein complex and water absorption characteristics in ancient wheat flour (T. persicum: TPC/TPCF—156/150 g·kg⁻¹, WG/WGF—39.4/34.5%, WA—62.9%; T. sphaerococcum: TPC/TPCF—145/142 g·kg⁻¹, WG/WGF—38.5/33.3%, WA—58.2%). The obtained results for the technological and rheological properties of the grain and flour indicate that ancient wheat species, particularly T. persicum, can be a potential raw material for the production of healthy food, including bread baking. Full article

Hybrid meat products, i.e., the combination of animal proteins with plant, microbial, algal or cultured ingredients, are becoming increasingly important as a pragmatic approach to reducing the environmental and health impact of conventional meat while retaining familiar sensory properties. This review highlights that moderate substitution rates (20–50%) can maintain or improve texture, juiciness and nutritional balance, whereas higher incorporation rates often lead to off-flavours, colour changes and texture issues. Advances in extrusion, co-processing and protein structuring have enabled increasingly sophisticated formulations. Studies show that the choice of ingredients has a strong influence on the sensory results. For example, faba beans, rice by-products or insect proteins are more acceptable at low to moderate levels, while excessive use of pulses or texturised proteins can produce beany or earthy notes. Nutritional improvements, such as more fibre and healthier fatty acid profiles, are possible but require careful optimisation. Consumer acceptance is increasing, particularly among flexitarians, but remains dependent on sensory performance, familiarity, and perceived health benefits. Ongoing obstacles include unclear regulatory requirements, high production costs and scalability issues. Future progress will require optimisation of ingredient blends, robust life cycle assessments to verify sustainability claims and transparent communication to increase consumer confidence. Full article