Search Results (354)

This study proposes an integrated framework for sustainable tropical agriculture by combining biochemical waste valorization with spatial carbon footprint estimation in ‘Phulae’ pineapple production. Peel and eye residues from fresh-cut processing were enzymatically converted into rare sugar, achieving average conversion efficiencies of 35.28% for peel and 37.51% for eyes, with a benefit–cost ratio of 1.56 and an estimated unit cost of USD 0.17 per gram. A complementary zero-waste pathway produced functional gummy products using vinegar fermented from pineapple eye waste, with the preferred formulation scoring a mean of 4.32 out of 5 on a sensory scale with 158 untrained panelists. For spatial carbon modeling, the Bare Land Referenced Algorithm (BRAH) and Otsu thresholding were applied to multi-temporal Sentinel-2 and THEOS imagery to estimate plantation age, which strongly correlated with field-measured emissions (r = 0.996). This enabled scalable mapping of plot-level greenhouse gas emissions, yielding an average footprint of 0.2304 kg CO₂ eq. per kilogram of fresh pineapple at the plantation gate. Together, these innovations form a replicable model that aligns tropical fruit supply chains with circular economy goals and carbon-related trade standards. The framework supports waste traceability, resource efficiency, and climate accountability using accessible, data-driven tools suitable for smallholder contexts. By demonstrating practical value addition and spatially explicit carbon monitoring, this study shows how integrated circular and geospatial strategies can advance sustainability and market competitiveness for the ‘Phulae’ pineapple industry and similar perennial crop systems. Full article

In this study, two color morphs (red and green) of Asian swimming crab (Charybdis japonica) commonly distributed in the China Sea area were analyzed for their L*a*b* values, carapace and inner membrane histology, morphological characteristics, mitochondrial DNA sequences, muscle texture, and amino acid composition. The results showed that compared with the green morph group, the red morph group exhibits higher aggregation of melanocytes and fewer pigment cells in the inner membrane. In addition, L* and b* of the carapace, and L* values of the inner membrane were lower in red morph group. Both populations of C. japonica also exhibit significant differences in their morphological parameters, including carapace length, body weight, and pincer width. However, the coefficient of variation for these morphological parameters did not correspond to the subspecies level. The mitochondrial DNA analysis also revealed sequence identity of COI (98.96%) and ITS-1 (99.71%) genes in both groups, supporting them to belong to the same species. Both groups also presented significant differences in their muscle texture characteristics, including adhesiveness, springiness, and gumminess, but no significant differences were observed in the muscle amino acid composition. Overall, red and green morphs of C. japonica show differences in their body color, morphological characteristics, and muscle quality, but still belong to the same species. Full article

This study explored the effects of adding a newly developed type of polydextrose on the appearance, sensory score, and textural parameters of steamed bread and the microstructure of dough, as well as the pasting, thermal, and thermal mechanical properties of high-gluten wheat flours. The results revealed that, compared with a control sample, 3–10% of polydextrose addition significantly increased the hardness, adhesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness of steamed bread, but other textural parameters like springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience remained basically the same. Further, in contrast to the control sample, 3–10% polydextrose addition significantly reduced the specific volume and width/height ratio of steamed bread but increased the brightness index, yellowish color, and color difference; improved the internal structure; and maintained the other sensory parameters and total score. Polydextrose addition decreased the peak, trough, final, breakdown, and setback viscosity of the pasting of wheat flour suspension solutions but increased the pasting temperature. Polydextrose additions significantly reduced the enthalpy of gelatinization and the aging rate of flour paste but increased the peak temperature of gelatinization. A Mixolab revealed that, with increases in the amount of added polydextrose, the dough’s development time and heating rate increased, but the proteins weakened, and the peak torque of gelatinization, starch breakdown, and starch setback torque all decreased. Polydextrose additions increased the crystalline regions of starch, the interaction between proteins and starch, and the β-sheet percentage of wheat dough without yeast and of steamed bread. The amorphous regions of starch were increased in dough through adding polydextrose, but they were decreased in steamed bread. Further, 3–10%of polydextrose addition decreased the random coils, α-helixes, and β-turns in dough, but the 3–7% polydextrose addition maintained or increased these conformations in steamed bread, while 10% polydextrose decreased them. In unfermented dough, as a hydrogel, the 5–7% polydextrose addition resulted in the formation of a continuous three-dimensional network structure with certain adhesiveness and elasticity, with increases in the porosity and gas-holding capacity of the product. Moreover, the 10% polydextrose addition further increased the viscosity, freshness, and looseness of the dough, with smaller and more numerous holes and indistinct boundaries between starch granules. These results indicate that the 3–10% polydextrose addition increases the chewiness and freshness of steamed bread by improving the gluten network structure. This study will promote the addition of polydextrose in steamed bread to improve shelf-life and dietary fiber contents. Full article

Propolis is a bee-derived resin rich in phenolic compounds known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties; however, its limited solubility and stability hinder its incorporation into food matrices. This study aimed to optimize the microencapsulation of ethanolic propolis extract through complex coacervation using chia mucilage and gelatin as wall materials, followed by spray drying. A 3² factorial design was applied to evaluate the effects of coacervate concentration and inlet temperature on various microcapsule properties. The optimal formulation (3.13% coacervate and 120 °C) exhibited high phenolic retention (15.36 mg GAE/g), notable antioxidant capacity (60.10 µmol TE/g), good solubility, thermal stability, and sustained in vitro release. Phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by UPLC-PDA-QDa, including gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, rutin, myricetin, resveratrol, quercetin, and kaempferol. Incorporating the microcapsules into functional gummy candies significantly enhanced their antioxidant activity without compromising sensory attributes. These findings support the use of complex coacervation as an effective strategy for stabilizing propolis bioactives, with promising applications in the development of functional foods that offer potential health benefits. Full article

Tofu quality is critically influenced by coagulants, though their impact on protein digestibility remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the effects of calcium sulfate (CaSO₄), magnesium chloride (MgCl₂), and their combination (CaSO₄ + MgCl₂) on the physicochemical properties and protein digestibility of tofu. Water-holding capacity, cooking loss, texture, protein composition, and protein digestibility were analyzed. The results showed that the CaSO₄ + MgCl₂ combination yielded a water-holding capacity of 99.16%, significantly higher than CaSO₄ tofu (93.73%) and MgCl₂ tofu (96.82%), while reducing cooking loss to 2.03% and yielding the highest hardness (897.27 g) and gumminess (765.72). Electrophoresis revealed distinct protein retention patterns, with MgCl₂ (0.6% w/v) forming denser gels that minimized protein leakage into soy whey. During in vitro digestion, MgCl₂-coagulated tofu exhibited superior soluble protein release (5.33 mg/mL after gastric digestion) and higher intestinal peptide (5.89 mg/mL) and total amino acid (123.06 μmol/mL) levels, indicating enhanced digestibility. Conversely, the CaSO₄ + MgCl₂ combination showed delayed proteolysis in electrophoresis analysis. These findings demonstrate that coagulant selection directly modulates tofu’s texture, water retention, and protein bioavailability, with MgCl₂ favoring digestibility and the hybrid coagulant optimizing physical properties. This provides strategic insights for developing nutritionally enhanced tofu products. Full article

Surimi gel quality is crucial for seafood product texture and water retention, yet conventional processing often fails to maximize the potential of underutilized species like Hypomesus olidus. This study investigated the effects of ultrasonic power (100, 200, 400, 800 W) and time (5, 10, 15, and 20 min) on gel properties to establish optimal processing conditions. Results demonstrated that moderate ultrasonic treatment (200 W, 10 min) significantly enhanced gel quality, yielding a dense, uniform network with improved (p < 0.05) functionality: thr water-holding capacity increased by 35.88%, gel strength increased by 143.75%, and textural properties (hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness) improved by 124.02%, 25%, 8.69%, 201.29%, 188.08% while maintaining color stability (1.59% whiteness increase). These improvements were attributed to optimized protein cross-linking and network formation. These findings provide a scientific basis for the ultrasonic processing of Hypomesus solidus surimi, offering practical parameters for industrial applications to enhance product quality efficiently. Future research should explore scaling effects and synergistic processing methods. Full article

Background/Objectives: Smile esthetics are a crucial aspect of facial attractiveness, playing a central role in social interactions. Dental students’ perception of smiling esthetics may evolve as they progress through their education and clinical exposure. This study aimed to investigate the influence of educational level on dental students’ perception of altered smile esthetics. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 410 undergraduate dental students across five academic years at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Participants evaluated 22 digitally altered smile images, including single and combined esthetic discrepancies, using a visual analog scale (VAS). Perceived attractiveness scores were analyzed in relation to academic year, gender, and specific types of smile alterations. Results: The perception of smile attractiveness varied significantly across academic years for certain esthetic discrepancies, including central incisor length mismatch, midline diastema, and open gingival embrasures (p < 0.05). Clinical-year students (years 4–5) demonstrated a more critical assessment compared to preclinical students. Female students exhibited greater sensitivity to specific discrepancies, including fluorosis and reduced tooth lightness. The combination of a midline diastema, a gummy smile, and reduced lightness received the lowest attractiveness scores across all groups. Conclusions: The perception of altered smile esthetics among undergraduate dental students evolves throughout their education, although this progression does not follow a linear trajectory. Dental education appears to influence the perception of specific smile esthetic discrepancies, reflecting a selective influence on features. Clinical training appears to be a critical parameter of dental education, influencing the perception of smiling esthetics. Full article

Carrot pomace is a valuable, underutilized by-product suitable for obtaining novel foods. The durum wheat dough and pasta network structure is affected by fiber-rich ingredients like carrot pomace, leading to changes in rheological and texture parameters. In this context, this paper aimed to evaluate the rheological, textural, and color properties of durum wheat dough and pasta as affected by different varieties and addition levels of carrot pomace. For this purpose, oscillatory dynamic rheological tests, compression mechanical texture evaluation, cooking behavior observation, and reflectance color measurements were made. The results indicated that carrot pomace has a strengthening effect on the durum wheat dough protein–starch matrix, while the maximum creep compliance decreased with the addition level increase. A delay in starch gelatinization was suggested by the evolution of visco-elastic moduli during heating. Dough hardness and gumminess increased (from 2849.74 for the control to 5080.67 g for 12% Baltimore, and from 1073.73 for the control to 1863.02 g for 12% Niagara, respectively), while springiness and resilience exhibited a reduction trend (from 100.11% for the control to 99.50% for 12% Sirkana, and from 1.23 for the 3% Niagara to 0.87 for 12% Belgrado respectively) as the amount of carrot pomace raised. An increasing tendency of pasta solids loss during cooking and fracturability was observed with carrot pomace addition level increase. Color properties changed significantly depending on carrot pomace variety and addition level, indicating a reduction in lightness from 71.71 for the control to 63.12 for 12% Niagara and intensification of red nuance (0.05 for the control vs. 2.85 for 12% Sirkana). Cooked pasta elasticity, chewiness, gumminess, hardness, and resilience increased, while adhesiveness and stickiness decreased as the level of carrot pomace was higher. These results can represent a starting point for further industrial development of pasta enriched with fiber-rich ingredients like carrot pomace. The study highlights the possibility of using a fiber-rich waste stream (carrot pomace) in a staple product like pasta, providing a basis for clean-label pasta formulations. In addition, the novelty of the study consists in highlighting how compositional differences of different carrot pomace varieties lead to distinct effects on dough rheology, texture, color, and cooking behavior. Full article

The valorisation of underutilized male layer-type chickens offers a sustainable and ethically aligned opportunity for the poultry industry. This study evaluated the feasibility of male layer-type chicken meat in the production of chicken pâtés and compared the effects of different meat sources—commercial broiler (CP), and 5 (5wP) and 9-week-old (9wP) male layer-type chickens—on product quality during refrigerated storage using the general linear model with the Tukey–Kramer post-hoc test. Pâtés made from 5wP meat exhibited the most favourable technological properties, including the lowest (p < 0.05) total expressible fluid (TEF), highest (p < 0.05) water retention (TEF_Water), and lowest (p < 0.05) fat content (TEF_Fat) than CP and 9wP indicating superior emulsion stability. The 5wP pâtés also presented the lowest (p < 0.05) TBARS values on day 1, along with reduced colour deterioration (ΔE) over 7 days of storage. CP samples demonstrated the greatest (p < 0.05) hardness, cohesiveness, and gumminess, but lower (p < 0.05) springiness and resilience compared to 5wP and 9wP, yielding softer and elastic pâtés. Overall, pâtés formulated with 5wP can be a promising option for the development of value-added poultry products. The incorporation of male layer-type chicken meat into commercial formulations will encourage further research of their market potential. Full article

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of fermented pine needles on the carcass traits, meat quality, and antioxidant capacity of finishing pigs. In total, 80 Duroc × (Landrace × Large white) crossbred pigs of approximately 4 months of age, with an initial body weight of 60.5 ± 2.5 kg, were randomly assigned to four experimental treatments, which were then denoted as the control treatment (basal diet), the fermented pine needle (FR) 1 treatment, the FR2 treatment, and the FR3 treatment (the pigs were fed the basal diet supplemented with 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0% fermented pine needles, respectively) for 55 d. The obtained results showed that, compared with the CON group, the fermented pine needle treatments increased the lean meat percentage, total antioxidative capacity, and superoxide dismutase activity in the serum and longissimus dorsi muscle. In addition, the treatments increased the mRNA expression levels of SOD1, catalase, and Nrf2 in the muscle and decreased the malondialdehyde activity in the serum and longissimus dorsi muscle and the Keap1 mRNA expression level. Compared with the CON and FR1 treatment, the FR2 and FR3 treatments increased springiness, serum GSH-Px activity, and longissimus dorsi muscle CAT activity, and decreased hardness, chewiness, gumminess, and cohesiveness. Moreover, compared with the CON treatment and other fermented pine needle treatments, the FR2 treatment not only significantly elevated the carcass weight, dressing percentage, pH_24h, a* value (redness), and marbling scores of the finishing pigs, but also remarkably reduced the L* value (lightness), b* value (yellowness), and shear force in the meat quality. In conclusion, the experiment indicated that the addition of fermented pine needles to the diet has no negative impact on the carcass characteristics of finishing pigs and could improve the tenderness and freshness of the meat, as evidenced by the modified antioxidant enzyme activity and mRNA expression levels of antioxidant genes in the muscles of finishing pigs. Full article

Background/Objectives: Jaw deformities affect not only facial aesthetics but also various oral functions. While previous studies have demonstrated that mandibular prognathism (MP) alters masticatory-induced brain blood flow (BBF), the temporal characteristics of these hemodynamic changes have remained unclear. In this cross-sectional observational study, we investigated the following two specific objectives: (1) whether food hardness affects not only the magnitude but also the temporal patterns of BBF changes during mastication and (2) how malocclusion is associated with these temporal hemodynamic responses. Methods: Twenty-six participants with normal occlusion (NORM) and twenty patients with MP participated in this study. BBF was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, while participants chewed soft paraffin or hard gummy candy. Maximum oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) values and time-to-peak BBF were analyzed. Results: While food hardness did not significantly affect maximum oxy-Hb within groups, the MP group showed significantly lower responses during hard gummy candy mastication compared to the NORM group. The occlusal contact area exhibited significant positive correlation with maximum oxy-Hb values, while the ANB angle, an indicator of intermaxillary skeletal relationship, showed no significant correlation with BBF parameters. The hard gummy candy/paraffin ratio of maximum oxy-Hb was significantly higher in the NORM group compared to the MP group. Time-to-peak BBF was approximately twice as long for hard gummy candy compared to paraffin in both groups, with no significant differences between groups. Conclusions: These findings reveal that while MP attenuates the magnitude of masticatory-induced BBF, particularly during hard food mastication, the temporal adaptation to increased food hardness is preserved. This dissociation between magnitude and timing effects suggests that intact basic neurovascular coupling mechanisms would be maintained even in the condition of altered masticatory function in a MP subject, which is providing new insights for rehabilitation strategies in orthognathic surgery cases. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of marinade type and marinating time on the physicochemical and sensory properties of pork tenderloin cooked using low-temperature, vacuum-sealed cooking. The study included marinades based on pineapple juice, red wine, kefir and a mixture of dried herbs. The assessment of the effect of marinades was based on the analysis of the color, texture, chemical composition and organoleptic properties of the meat after cooking using the sous vide method. In the experimental part, instrumental determinations of color and texture, analysis of the chemical composition and sensory assessment of the meat were carried out. Marinating for 12 h in red wine and dry marinating causes darkening of the meat. The hardness of meat marinated after 2 h increased compared to the control group; similar relationships were observed for gumminess and chewiness. However, after 12 h of marinating, the hardness of cycle 1 and hardness of cycle 2, as well as chewiness and gumminess, were significantly reduced below the level of the characteristics for the control group, except for the meat marinated in wine. Meat marinated in red wine and using the dry method received higher scores, while longer marinating resulted in more favorable scores. Full article

Sourdough fermentation, a time-honored biotechnology known for enhancing the texture, flavor, and nutritional quality of steamed bread, has yet to be fully leveraged for optimizing microbial synergy, particularly between Kazachstania humilis (KH) and Lactobacillus plantarum (LP). In this study, we systematically evaluated the impact of fermentation dynamics on sourdough properties and steamed bread quality using single-strain (KH or LP) and co-fermentation (LP+KH) strategies. Our findings demonstrated that LP+KH co-fermentation significantly accelerated sourdough acidification, achieving the lowest pH (3.8) and highest total titratable acidity (TTA, 14.2 mL) among all groups. This synergy also enhanced dough gas retention, resulting in an 11.89% and 7.25% increase in specific volume compared to LP and KH monocultures, respectively. Steamed bread produced from the co-fermented dough exhibited markedly improved textural qualities, including reduced hardness, gumminess, and chewiness, along with increased cohesiveness. Moreover, the water content in bread from the LP+KH group remained significantly higher, contributing to better freshness retention over time. In conclusion, LP and KH co-fermentation offers a promising approach for elevating the quality and shelf-life of steamed bread, revealing untapped potential in microbial synergy during sourdough fermentation. Full article

Every year, around 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted globally, with fruits and vegetables making up a significant portion. One by-product of this waste is pomace—the solid remains after juice extraction—which is rich in valuable nutrients like fiber, polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, organic acids, vitamins, and minerals. Common sources of pomace are apples, grapes, citrus fruits, and berries. Researchers have highlighted its potential use in the confectionery industry. For example, replacing flour with pomace in cookies can improve antioxidant content and reduce hardness. Adding grape pomace to gummy candies increases levels of anthocyanins, flavanols, and proanthocyanidins while enhancing texture. Fortifying waffles with raspberry pomace boosts their nutritional value and may inhibit enzymes linked to free radical production. As a functional ingredient, pomace could help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and colon cancer. Using fruit waste in food production supports sustainability by reducing waste and improving nutrition. Public awareness efforts, such as the NRDC’s Save the Food campaign, underscore the importance of repurposing food waste. Investing in functional confectionery made with pomace offers both health and environmental benefits, making it a key ingredient for sustainable food innovation. However, despite increasing attention to functional foods, the potential of fruit pomace specifically in confectionery has not been reviewed comprehensively. This review aims to fill this gap, providing a focused synthesis on the use of fruit pomace in the confectionery industry, identifying research trends, challenges, and practical applications. Full article

Supposing that polydextrose molecules could improve the hard texture of cooked rice based on intermolecular interactions and forming a hydrogel-like network structure, this study added polydextrose (moisture content 1%) at 0%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 10% concentrations to rice (cv. Super Qianhao, SQ) milled from a 3-year-stored paddy and compared their cooking properties, their cooked rice texture, the pasting and thermal properties of their flours, the thermo-mechanical characteristics of their flour dough, and the microstructure of their cooked rice grains with a newly harvested japonica rice cv. Nanjing 5 (NJ5). With an increase in polydextrose addition, a General Linear Model (GLM) analysis showed that the cooking times of two japonica rice varieties was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced, and their gruel solid loss increased. Adding polydextrose significantly reduced the hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness of cooked rice and increased the cohesiveness and resilience. By increasing polydextrose addition in rice flours, the peak, breakdown, and setback viscosities of pasting were significantly decreased, but the pasting temperature and peak time increased. Adding polydextrose reduced the gelatinization enthalpy and increased gelatinization peak temperature of the rice flour and significantly decreased the ageing of the retrograded rice flour paste stored at 4 °C when measured at 21 days. A Mixolab test showed that the stability time of the rice flour dough increased, and the protein weakening, gelatinization peak torque, and starch breakdown, as well as the starch setback and the speeds of heating, gelatinization, and enzymatic degradation all decreased. The addition of 5–10% polydextrose significantly reduced the amorphous and crystalline regions of starch and relative percent of β-sheet in cooked rice grains, with an increase in the relative percent of α-helix, random coil, and β-turn. Observing the microstructure, we confirmed that polydextrose addition facilitated the formation of a soft and evenly swollen honeycomb structure of the cooked rice. These results suggest that polydextrose might decrease the cooked rice hardness and improve the eating quality of sea rice through intermolecular interactions. Full article