Search Results (23)

Background: Snake envenomation represents a significant health concern in some regions of the world, with fatal cases occasionally requiring forensic investigation to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI). However, the influence of venom on carrion decomposition dynamics and arthropod succession patterns remains poorly understood, potentially compromising postmortem interval (PMI) estimations in such cases. Objectives: This study investigated the effects of Naja haje and Cerastes cerastes venoms on decomposition progression and necrophagous arthropod succession. Methods: Fifteen rabbits were allocated into three experimental groups. Two groups received median lethal intravenous doses (LD₅₀) of N. haje or C. cerastes venom, whereas the control group received a saline injection followed by CO₂ euthanasia. The carcasses were subsequently placed under natural field conditions and monitored daily for 15 days. Results: The presence of venom significantly altered decomposition dynamics. C. cerastes venom accelerated early decomposition, shortening both the fresh stage (1 ± 0.22 days vs. 2 ± 0.31 days in controls,) and bloating stage (3 ± 0.35 days vs. 5 ± 0.35 days), while extending both the decay stage (6 ± 0.3 days vs. 6 ± 0.17 days) and the dried stage (5.0 ± 0.44 days vs. 2 ± 0.039 days). N. haje venom showed intermediate effects. Overall arthropod abundance peaked on day 5 and declined thereafter. Control carcasses exhibited significantly higher arthropod abundance than carcasses envenomed with C. cerastes or N. haje. Conclusions: Snake envenomation significantly influenced decomposition kinetics and arthropod colonization patterns. Envenomation with C. cerastes venom produced more pronounced alterations than envenomation with N. haje venom. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of protein-based (zein) and polysaccharide-based (carboxymethylcellulose, CMC) edible coatings and citric acid (CA) applied prior to freeze-drying on the quality parameters of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) slices from ‘Albik’ and ‘Rubik’ cultivars. Freeze-drying increased inulin extraction efficiency (57–61 g 100 g⁻¹ vs. 44–45 g 100 g⁻¹ in fresh samples). In the ‘Albik’ cv., CMC and CA coatings significantly minimized L-ascorbic acid losses, with a 10–20% reduction vs. control. For the same cultivar, enhanced polyphenol retention was observed (up to 13%) when CA coating was applied, while the use of zein reduced vitamin C content in both cultivars. Sensory analysis (PCA, 92.4% variance) revealed that CMC improved appearance, texture, and overall acceptability, while zein imparted an off-taste, odor, and fragility. Image texture analysis showed elevated parameters (e.g., HMean) post freeze-drying, with CA inducing the greatest structural changes and zein yielding samples most similar to raw material. Machine learning classification (quadratic/linear SVM, 10-fold CV) achieved 91.5% (‘Albik’) and 81.9% (‘Rubik’) accuracy, perfectly distinguishing raw slices (100%). These findings demonstrate that CMC and CA coatings optimize bioactive retention, sensory quality, and textural differentiation in freeze-dried Jerusalem artichoke, supporting their application in functional food production. Full article

The Gannan navel orange (GNO) industry is large but constrained by limited deep-processing. This study employed vacuum freeze-drying (FD) and hot-air drying (HD) methods to prepare dried GNO slices, comparing their physical properties, volatile/non-volatile compounds, antioxidant activity, and sensory quality. Compared with the HD sample (ΔE= 10.11), the color changes were more pronounced in the FD sample (ΔE= 34.39), which appeared whiter and brighter. The FD method preserved more vitamin C (9.09% loss) than the HD method (27.28% loss). In contrast, HD samples contained significantly higher levels of total flavonoids, total phenols, hesperidin, narirutin and didymin, with respective increment percentages of 13.81%, 19.27%, 17.03%, 27.56% and 33.33% compared to FD samples. Volatile analysis revealed that drying treatments led to a decrease in terpene content compared with fresh slices (fresh 48.84% vs. FD 47.81% vs. HD 47.42%), while ester content increased (fresh 13.87% vs. FD 14.59% vs. HD 14.45%). Both methods reduced key monoterpenes (e.g., β-terpineol, terpinolene, 3-carene, α-terpineol, β-thujene and α-terpinene), possibly converting them into compounds such as p-mentha-1(7),8-diene-ol and thymol. Notably, HD samples contained much higher levels of harmful compounds 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural. FD samples exhibited superior antioxidant activity and were preferred in sensory evaluation for appearance, aroma, texture, and taste. The findings indicate that FD offers advantages in terms of morphological retention, vitamin C preservation, antioxidant activity, safety and sensory perception, underscoring the market potential of FD navel orange slices as a high-value, healthy food product. Full article

Alternaria species produce diverse secondary metabolites that act as critical virulence factors during plant pathogenesis. In cultivation areas of Chrysanthemum morifolium ‘Fubai’—a key cultivar for herbal tea—black spot disease caused by A. alternata manifests as necrotic leaf lesions progressing to wilting. Despite this disease’s economic impact, information on its associated toxins is limited, and the types of toxins produced by the black spot pathogen of Chrysanthemum morifolium ‘Fubai’ in particular remain unclear. Furthermore, whether toxins are present in the flowers when the leaves show symptoms is uncertain, but their inflorescence is not visibly infected. Using two previously characterized A. alternata strains (F16/F20) isolated from ‘Fubai’ in earlier studies, we demonstrated the concomitant production of altenuene (ALT) and tenuazonic acid (TeA) in both strains, with strain-specific yield variations (F20 TeA: 342.16 µg/mL vs. F16: 21.84 µg/mL; ALT: 0.28 µg/mL vs. 0.90 µg/mL). Time-course monitoring revealed coordinated accumulation of both toxins in inoculated petals, reaching 18.07 μg/g ALT and 2.59 µg/g TeA by day 9. Notably, these two toxins were detected only in flower samples from black spot-infected plants, and their concentrations correlated closely with disease severity in the leaves. Moreover, although the inflorescences did not display symptoms, both fresh and dried flowers retained detectable toxin levels. We established a technical system for the extraction and quantitative detection of the toxins ALT and TeA produced by the black spot pathogen in tea chrysanthemum. This work provides the first confirmation of ALT/TeA co-contamination in Chrysanthemum morifolium ‘Fubai’, revealing substantial dietary exposure risks through tea consumption. Our findings suggest that, from a food safety risk reduction perspective, integrated management strategies should be developed to minimize toxin contamination in tea chrysanthemum, including improved disease prevention measures and potential regulatory considerations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the most common global diseases, with an ever-growing need for prevention and treatment solutions. Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) offers a good source of fiber, minerals, bioavailable calcium, unsaturated fatty acids, prebiotic carbohydrates, vitamins, health-promoting secondary plant metabolites, as well as higher amounts of proteins and essential amino acids compared to other vegetables. The objective of this study was to investigate whether daily intake of freeze-dried kale powder can provide health benefits for T2D patients vs. placebo. Methods: This study was designed as a 12-week, blinded, randomized, controlled trial. Thirty T2D patients were randomly assigned to either a placebo bar (control) or a kale bar (intervention). Participants in the intervention group were instructed to consume three bars/day, each containing 26.25 g of freeze-dried kale (corresponding to approx. 341 g fresh kale/day). At baseline and 12 weeks, all participants underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), 24 h blood pressure measurements, DEXA scans, and fasted blood samples were taken. Results: A significant reduction in HbA1c, insulin resistance, body weight, and calorie intake was observed in the intervention group compared to control. Positive trends were detected in fasted blood glucose and LDL-cholesterol for those in the kale intervention group. No significant differences were found in total body fat mass and area under the curve glucose 240 min OGTT. Conclusions: Given the positive effects of high daily kale intake observed in this study, further research with a larger sample size is needed to better understand the health benefits of kale bars. This could potentially lead to new dietary recommendations for patients with T2D. Full article

Almond hulls (AH) are frequently used in dairy ruminant feeding, but information on variability of their nutritive value and their potential effects on CH₄ production is still scarce. The influence of almond variety (Guara vs. Soleta) on chemical composition and energy value of AH was investigated using 10 samples per variety collected in 2 consecutive years. Guara-AH had greater (p ≤ 0.015) ash, protein, and fat content, but lower (p ≤ 0.001) fiber than Soleta-AH. The metabolizable energy content estimated from chemical composition and in vitro gas production was 8.5% greater for Guara than for Soleta samples. Harvesting year significantly affected most of the chemical fractions. The in vitro ruminal fermentation of diets for dairy ruminants including increasing amounts of dried AH (8, 16 and 24% of the total diet; fresh matter basis) indicated that AH can be included up to 16% of the diet, partially substituting corn, wheat bran and sugar beet pulp without detrimental effects on in vitro volatile fatty acid (VFA) production. In contrast, when AH replaced alfalfa hay and corn, VFA production was reduced at all levels of AH inclusion. No antimethanogenic effects of AH were detected in the in vitro incubations. Full article

Studies focused on the association between dietary patterns and elevated blood pressure (BP) and hypertension (HTN) among children and adolescents remain insufficient. This study aimed to explore a dietary pattern that could be helpful for the prevention of abnormal BP and to investigate the association between this dietary pattern and elevated BP and HTN among Chinese children and adolescents. A total of 52,080 Chinese children and adolescents aged 6~17 years old from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance (CNHS) 2015–2017 were included in the current study. The reduced rank regression (RRR) method was applied to derive a dietary pattern that is associated with BP. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between dietary pattern (DP) and elevated BP and HTN. The Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score was also calculated for each participant as a comparative method to validate the dietary pattern derived with the RRR method. A protective dietary pattern (PDP) for BP among Chinese children and adolescents was derived, which was characterized by high intakes of dairy products, mushrooms/edible fungi, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, fresh eggs, aquatic products, mixed legumes, soybeans and related products, offal, dried fruits, and coarse cereals, with low intakes of refined grains. After multiple adjustments, there were significant inverse associations between PDP scores and the odds of elevated BP and HTN (elevated BP: Q5 vs. Q1, OR = 0.849, 95%CI = 0.755–0.931, P-trend < 0.05; HTN: Q5 vs. Q1, OR = 0.795, 95%CI = 0.694–0.911, P-trend < 0.05). The DASH diet was also observed to have protective effects on elevated BP in model I (Q5 vs. Q1, OR = 0.899, 95%CI = 0.828–0.975, P-trend < 0.05), but was not observed to have protective effects on HTN (HTN: Q5 vs. Q1, OR = 0.958, 95%CI = 0.876–1.048, P-trend > 0.05). The current study suggested that greater adherence to the PDP for BP among Chinese children and adolescents might be associated with lower odds of elevated BP and HTN. Full article

Blueberries beneficially modulate physiologic mechanisms relevant to the pathogenesis of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID). Forty-three patients with FGID received freeze-dried blueberries (equivalent to 180 g fresh blueberries) or sugar and energy-matched placebo in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over study. After 6 weeks of treatment, the differences in Gastrointestinal Clinical Rating Scale (GSRS) scores and abdominal symptom relief were compared as primary outcome measures. The quality of life and life functioning ratings (OQ45.2 questionnaire), Bristol stool scales, and fructose breath test results constituted secondary outcome measures. Blueberry treatment resulted in more patients with relevant abdominal symptom relief compared to placebo (53% vs. 30%, p = 0.03). Total and pain GSRS scores improved insignificantly (mean treatment differences [95% CI]: −3.4 [−7.4 to 0.6] (p = 0.09) and −1.0 [−2.2 to 0.1] (p = 0.08), respectively). OQ45.2 scores improved during blueberry treatment compared to placebo (treatment difference −3.2 [95% CI: −5.6 to −0], p = 0.01). Treatment effect differences for the further measures did not reach statistical significance. Blueberries relieved abdominal symptoms and improved general markers of well-being, quality of life, and life functioning more than placebo in patients with FGID. Consequently, the polyphenol and fiber components of blueberries exert broad beneficial effects separate from the sugars present in both treatments. Full article

Species belonging to the Zingiberaceae family are of high nutritional, industrial, and medicinal values. In this study, we investigated the effect of processing steps (fresh vs. dried milled rhizomes) and extraction methodologies (hydrodistillation vs. hexane extraction) of curcuma essential oil on its chemical content (using GC-MS analysis), its antioxidant behavior (using in vitro assays such as DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelation), and its enzyme inhibitory activities (on tyrosinase, acetylcholinesterase, butylcholinesterase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase) supported by multivariate analysis, in silico studies, and molecular dynamics. The GC-MS investigations revealed a high degree of similarity in the chemical profile of fresh hydrodistilled and hexane-extracted essential oils with tumerone and curlone being the major metabolites. The extraction techniques affected the concentrations of other minor constituents such as terpinolene, caryophylla-4(12), 8(13)-dien-5α-ol, and neo-intermedeol, which were almost exclusively detected in the hydrodistilled fresh essential oil; however, zingiberene and β-sesquiphellandrene were predominant in the hexane-extracted fresh essential oil. In the dried curcuma rhizomes, tumerone and curlone contents were significantly reduced, with the former being detected only in the hydrodistilled essential oil while the latter was doubly concentrated in the hexane-derived oil. Constituents such as D-limonene and caryophyllene oxide represented ca. 29% of the dried hydrodistilled essential oil, while ar-turmerone was detected only in the dried hydrodistilled and hexane-extracted essential oils, representing ca. 16% and 26% of the essential oil composition, respectively. These variations in the essential oil chemical content have subsequently affected its antioxidant properties and enzyme inhibitory activities. In silico investigations showed that hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding were the characteristic binding modes of the bioactive metabolites to their respective targets. Molecular dynamics revealed the stability of the ligand-target complex over time. From the current study we conclude that fresh hexane-extracted essential oil showed the best radical scavenging properties, and fresh rhizomes in general display better enzyme inhibitory activity regardless of the extraction technique. Full article

Gelidium corneum (syn. sesquipedale) is an industrially and ecologically important species of red alga used for the production of high-quality agar. However, the species is also of growing interest for the production of other valuable compounds, such as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), with potential cosmeceutical and biomedical applications. Novel methods using two pulsed power techniques, high-voltage electrical discharges (HVED) and pulsed electrical fields (PEF), were evaluated for efficacy of MAA extraction. Algal suspensions were prepared at two ratios (1:20 and 1:40 w:v). Four different extraction protocols were compared: (i) high-voltage electrical discharges, (ii) pulsed electric fields, (iii) maceration at room temperature, and (iv) maceration at 50 °C. The algae were treated in three states: freshly harvested, dried, and powdered. HVED and PEF treatments were effective when performed on fresh algae, and in particular the HVED treatment resulted in yields of MAAs twenty times higher than the control: 0.81 ± 0.05 mg/g_{Dry Weight (DW)} vs. 0.037 ± 0.002 mg/g_DW. This effect was not observed to the same extent when the algae were dried or powdered, although HVED remained the most selective method overall. Full article

Extruded noodles made from whole Tartary buckwheat are widely known as healthy staple foods, while the treatment of fresh noodles after extrusion is crucial. The difference in sensory and functional quality between frozen noodles (FTBN) and hot air-dried noodles (DTBN) was investigated in this study. The results showed a shorter optimum cooking time (FTBN of 7 min vs. DTBN of 17 min), higher hardness (8656.99 g vs. 5502.98 g), and less cooking loss (5.85% vs. 21.88%) of noodles treated by freezing rather than hot air drying, which corresponded to better sensory quality (an overall acceptance of 7.90 points vs. 5.20 points). These effects on FTBN were attributed to its higher ratio of bound water than DTBN based on the Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance results and more pores of internal structure in noodles based on the Scanning Electron Microscopy results. The uniform water distribution in FTBN promoted a higher recrystallization (relative crystallinity of FTBN 26.47% vs. DTBN 16.48%) and retrogradation (degree of retrogradation of FTBN 34.67% vs. DTBN 26.98%) of starch than DTBN, strengthening the stability of starch gel after noodle extrusion. FTBN also avoided the loss of flavonoids and retained better antioxidant capacity than DTBN. Therefore, frozen treatment is feasible to maintain the same quality as freshly extruded noodles made from whole Tartary buckwheat. It displays significant commercial potential for gluten-free noodle production to maximize the health benefit of the whole grain, as well as economic benefits since it also meets the sensory quality requirements of consumers. Full article

The objective of this study is to evaluate food bolus properties (mass, moisture content and food comminution) in patients wearing fixed or removable dental prostheses. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of patients aged at least 55 years old. Patients chewed a 10 g sample of fresh raw carrot until they felt ready to swallow. The mass of the food bolus was determined as collected and after drying. Food comminution was assessed by the multiple sieve method. Results: Patients with fixed prostheses compared to those with removable prostheses registered a similar mass of food bolus as collected (4.40 g vs. 4.60 g; p = 0.856); a higher mass of dried food bolus (3.46 g vs. 0.86 g; p < 0.001); lower moister of food bolus (24.65% vs. 82.35%; p < 0.001); and better food comminution (mass of smaller particles, of size below 2 mm, represented 65.93% vs. 20% of dried food bolus). In removable denture wearers, food comminution was slightly better in partially than in completely edentulous patients, and rather similar in completely edentulous patients with either implant overdenture or complete denture in the mandible, and complete denture in the maxilla. Conclusions: The current results suggest that food bolus properties are dependent on the dentate and prosthetic status. Full article

Swell-Drying operation (SD) was applied on mangoes to evaluate its effect on drying kinetics: starting accessibility (δW), apparent drying coefficient (D_app), and time to obtain a final moisture content of 20% d.b (t_f = 20% d.b). Swell-drying consisted of (1) submitting fresh mangoes to a first pre-drying stage under Convective Air Drying (CAD) until a moisture content of 37% d.b; (2) applying Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) treatments on pre-dried mangoes by following a central composite rotatable design (steam pressure: 0.2–0.6 MPa and treatment time: 5 and 55 s); and (3) apply post-drying of mangoes under CAD. In both cases, CAD was performed at 60 °C and airflow of 1 m/s. Results showed that both the treatment time and the steam pressure impacted the D_app and the δW. By comparing to the control, SD (0.54 MPa and 48 s) increased the D_app and δW to 12.2 and 2.7 times, respectively. Moreover, SD triggers a significant reduction in post-drying time (t_f = 20% d.b), being this of 2.4 h vs. 30.8 h. These results could be linked to the expansion of the internal pores of mangoes generated by the instant autovaporization of residual water triggered by DIC treatment. Full article

As a common agricultural waste, corn straw (CS) has a refractory structure, which is not conducive to anaerobic digestion (AD). Appropriate pretreatment is crucial for addressing this problem. Thus, freeze vacuum drying (FVD) was proposed. In this study, fresh CS (F-CS) pretreated (5 h, −40 °C) by FVD and naturally dried CS (D-CS) were compared. Differences in substrate surface structure and nutrient composition were first investigated. Results show that a loose and porous structure, crystallinity, and broken chemical bonds, as well as higher proportions of VS, C, N, cellulose, hemicellulose, and crude proteins in F-CS show a potential for methane production. Besides, process performance and stability were also examined in both high (4, VS basis) and low (1, VS basis) S/I ratio AD. A higher degradation ratio of hemicellulose as well as richer dissolved microbial metabolites, coenzymes, tyrosine-like proteins, and hydrolysis rate of particulate organic matter in the F-CS system enhanced the efficiency of methane conversion. The cumulative methane yield increased from 169.66 (D-CS) to 209.97 (F-CS) mL/gVS in the high S/I ratio system (p = 0.02 < 0.05), and 156.97 to 171.89 mL/gVS in the low S/I ratio system. Additionally, 16S-rRNA-gene-based analysis was performed. Interestingly, the coordination of key bacteria (Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Bacillus, Terrisporobacter, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_7, Thermoclostrium, UCG-012, and HN-HF0106) was more active. Poorer Methanosarcina and Methanomassiliicoccus as well as richer Methanobrevibacter and Methanoculleus stimulated the co-relationship of key archaea with diverse methanogenesis pathways. This study aims to verify the positive effect of FVD pretreatment on AD of CS, so as to provide a reference for applications in waste management. Full article

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biopolymers with potential to replace conventional oil-based plastics. However, PHA high production costs limit their scope of commercial applications. Downstream processing is currently the major cost factor for PHA production but one of the least investigated aspects of the PHA production chain. In this study, the extraction of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) produced at pilot scale by a mixed microbial culture was performed using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) as digestion agents of non-PHA cellular mass. Optimal conditions for digestion with NaOH (0.3 M, 4.8 h) and NaClO (9.0%, 3.4 h) resulted in polymers with a PHA purity and recovery of ca. 100%, in the case of the former and ca. 99% and 90%, respectively, in the case of the latter. These methods presented higher PHA recoveries than extraction by soxhlet with chloroform, the benchmark protocol for PHA extraction. The polymers extracted by the three methods presented similar PHA purities, molecular weights and polydispersity indices. Using the optimized conditions for NaOH and NaClO digestions, this study analyzed the effect of the initial intracellular PHA content (40–70%), biomass concentration (20–100 g/L) and biomass pre-treatment (fresh vs. dried vs. lyophilized) on the performance of PHA extraction by these two methods. Full article