Search Results (318)

Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the application of sulfonic acids as alternative materials for the pickling process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the action of pickling with p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate on derma’s collagen and the influence of this action on subsequent processes and properties of chromed and crust leather. The application of p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate in the pickling process led to a similar effect on collagen compared with conventional process. The solutions after experimental pickling contained lower amounts of total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, and chlorides. The chrome tanning process is improved after the pickling with p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate: the exhaustion of chromium compounds reaches 98%, while after conventional pickling, it is only 68.7%; accordingly, lower amounts of basic chromium sulfate can be used for chrome tanning to achieve the same chromium content in the wet blue leather. The crust leather produced after experimental pickling has properties close to the conventional one. Full article

Staphylococcus aureus biofilms represent a critical healthcare challenge, driving chronic infections and antimicrobial resistance. This study investigates the anti-staphylococcal efficacy of two Lactiplantibacillus strains isolated from traditional Bulgarian pickled vegetables (turshiya): L. plantarum IZITR_24 and L. paraplantarum IZITR_13. Combining whole genome sequencing (WGS) with functional assays, we established a robust genotype-to-phenotype framework to characterize their antimicrobial arsenal. Based on WGS, we identified conserved plantaricin (plnJK, plnEF) clusters in both isolates, with IZITR_13 additionally carrying genes for pediocin and enterolysin A—alongside the confirmed absence of virulence factors. Reconstituted lyophilized cell-free supernatants (LCFSs) were evaluated in dose–response microtiter assays to determine the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Both strains demonstrated clear, dose-dependent inhibitory activity against the S. aureus growth and biofilm formation. Microscopy (SEM/CLSM) confirmed significant biofilm disruption and cell membrane permeabilization. The observed consistency between genome-inferred capacity and phenotypes highlights the strong predictive value of a genome-first screening approach for selecting bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These findings position IZITR_24 and IZITR_13 as promising postbiotic producers with potent antibiofilm activity against S. aureus. By utilizing their stable postbiotic products rather than relying on live colonization, this study proposes a targeted, antibiotic-sparing strategy to combat persistent staphylococcal biofilms. Full article

Background/Objectives: Equol, a gut microbial metabolite of the soy isoflavone, daidzein, is associated with estrogenic activity and potential benefits for women’s health. While equol production depends on individual gut microbial composition, its dietary and clinical correlates in young women remain incompletely characterized. This study explored the relationship between urinary equol production, dietary habits, and premenstrual symptom severity in healthy university-aged women. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 41 Japanese women, aged 19–20 years. Urinary equol was measured using a validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method, following enzymatic hydrolysis. Participants were classified as either equol producers or non-producers, based on urinary concentration thresholds. Dietary intake was evaluated using a dietary questionnaire focused on soy products and dietary fiber sources. Premenstrual symptoms were assessed using a standardized Japanese questionnaire for premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Results: Twelve percent of participants were classified as equol producers. Compared with non-producers, equol producers reported higher consumption of pumpkin, soybean sprouts, and green tea. Among non-producers, higher consumption of certain vegetables and fiber-rich foods, including broccoli, pickled radish, konjac, and konjac jelly, was associated with greater premenstrual symptom severity, whereas such associations were not observed among equol producers. The analytical method demonstrated high sensitivity and reproducibility for urinary equol measurement. Conclusions: These findings suggest that equol production status may be associated with distinct dietary patterns and with differences in the relationship between food intake and premenstrual symptom severity in young women. Although the cross-sectional design and limited sample size preclude causal inference, these findings suggest that urinary equol is a promising candidate biomarker for future research on diet-related modulation of premenstrual symptoms. Full article

The processing of ginger-processed Pinellia ternata (Zhejiang) has long relied on empirical judgment, lacking objective and real-time monitoring methods. This study introduces an intelligent framework that combines a multi-frequency electronic tongue with chemometric modeling—including principal component analysis–discrimination index (PCA–DI) and wrapper-based support vector machine (SVM) classification—for dynamic process monitoring. Taste-response signals were systematically collected from key processing, water-leaching, and pickling stages. PCA–DI analysis demonstrated clear separability among seven key processing nodes (DI = 93.77%). Notably, samples from days 2 and 3 of water-leaching showed high similarity, suggesting an optimal soaking duration, while a marked transition on pickling day 6 indicated a critical transformation point. The wrapper–SVM models achieved high classification accuracies of 95.51% for key nodes, 100% for water-leaching, and 89.32% for pickling. These findings demonstrate that integrating electronic tongue sensing with machine learning effectively captures dynamic quality variations, offering a robust and objective strategy for the standardization and optimization of traditional medicine processing. Full article

In this study, the characterization of some bioactive content of exopolysaccharide (EPS) extracted from Pediococcus ethanolidurans isolated with Smilax excelsa L. from conventionally produced pickles were investigated. Background: Although this study is the main study involving the characterization of EPS obtained from Pediococcus ethanolidurans, it is important because it has determined a natural polysaccharide that can be used in different fields in the industry. According to the obtained results, sugar analysis by GC-MS revealed that EPS consisted of glucose (7.59%), mannose (41.96%), fructose (16.98%), arabinose (3.15%) and rhamnose (30.30%). From the thermal behavior determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), it was concluded that it should not be heated close to 250 °C. At the same time, according to the thermogram obtained as a result of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, it was found to have a crystalline structure. EPS, which reached 73.844% efficiency, showed antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, while 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) scavenging activity was detected at 0.24 mM. It also has remarkable results, seen in cytotoxicity analysis against healthy HT-29 cells, demonstrating that it has proliferative activity as high as %125 In short, Pediococcus ethanolidurans was found to be a novel EPS producer with impressive properties. Full article

Aspartic acid (ASP) and its derivatives are eco-friendly and cost-effective scale inhibitors but exhibit limited corrosion inhibition in acidic media. To enhance their performance against acid corrosion, a facile, purification-free one-pot aqueous reaction was developed to synthesize an L-ASPME/GA hybrid inhibitor from L-aspartic acid β-methyl ester (L-ASPME) and glutaraldehyde (GA). The resulting inhibitor solution was directly introduced into a 0.5 M H₂SO₄ pickling solution to achieve synergistic corrosion inhibition for Q235B steel. The corrosion inhibition performance was systematically evaluated using weight loss tests, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle measurements, with temperature effects also assessed. The results demonstrate that the L-ASPME/GA hybrid, particularly at molar ratios of 2:3–4:1, achieves 90.7%–96.1% inhibition efficiency, significantly outperforming L-ASPME or GA alone. Notably, the 2:3 L-ASPME/GA hybrid shows superior high-temperature acid corrosion resistance versus single components. This synergistic effect is attributed to a co-adsorption mechanism, forming a compactly oriented, thermally robust film driven by hydrogen-bonding networks, Fe²⁺ coordination, and electrostatic attraction. These findings offer a practical strategy to improve the acid corrosion resistance of ASP–like inhibitors. Full article

This study utilized the high salt concentrations of liquid albumen (LA), a by-product of salted duck eggs, to enhance the traditional pickling process for hog casings (HCs) and investigated the feasibility of replacing salt brine with LA at varying concentrations and pickling periods. In addition, physicochemical properties, textural profile analysis (TPA), aroma analysis, and sensory evaluation were performed on sausages post-production to assess the recycling value of LA. This study revealed no significant differences among the groups compared to the control for proximate composition, apparent color, and aroma component profiles of the sausages. However, HC pickled in 50% LA for 7 days exhibited excellent sausage hardness, cohesiveness, and elasticity performance. It also achieved the highest scores for mouthfeel, aroma, and overall preference, indicating that this is a suitable concentration for brine substitution. According to the findings of this study, the application of LA as a substitute for traditional brine in pickling HCs has potential for improving the texture and sensory properties of sausage products. This can contribute to the accomplishment of a circular bioeconomy. One limitation of this study was that the HC pickling conditions (concentration and duration) required deeper optimization to facilitate subsequent large-scale production and application. Full article

The aim of the present study was to assess the microbiological and physical–chemical quality of pickled vegetables produced by rural family agribusinesses in the mountainous region of Espírito Santo State, Brazil. This descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study was carried out on the basis of secondary data provided by the Food Monitoring Program of Espírito Santo State, Brazil. Data were extracted from sample collection terms and from analysis reports on 58 samples of pickled vegetables produced by 37 rural family agribusinesses, which were collected between June and September 2022. The analyses applied to these samples included Salmonella sp. incidence; molds, yeasts, and Enterobacteriaceae counts; and pH, titratable acidity, and chloride content in sodium chloride determination. The microbiological limits for these products are the absence of Salmonella sp., 10² for Enterobacteriaceae, and 10³ for molds and yeasts. For physical–chemical quality, these products must have a pH of 4.5 or lower. All samples were in compliance with the legislation provided for Salmonella and Enterobacteriaceae. In total, 13.79% of the samples (n = 8) presented mold and yeast counts higher than the microbiological limit of 10³. The pH of 12.06% (n = 7) of the samples was higher than 4.5, which exceeded the limit established by the legislation. The titratable acidity ranged from 0.25 to 2.82 g of acetic acid/100 g; its mean value reached 0.89 g of acetic acid/100 g. The chloride values ranged from 0.10 to 5.70 g of NaCl/100 g; its mean value reached 1.85 g of NaCl/100 g. Thus, 25.86% (n = 15) of the samples did not comply with the legislation. These results suggested that microbiological and physical–chemical quality were compromised in some of the analyzed samples. This finding indicated likely flaws in good manufacturing practices and quality controls, and it can pose risks to consumer health. Full article

Cashew apples, a byproduct of the cashew nut industry with an estimated global production of 38 million tonnes, are rich in several essential nutrients and are widely processed into juice, syrup, wine, pickles, and other value-added products. However, their morphological and physicochemical properties vary significantly across varieties, complicating in-field characterization, maturity assessment, and biochemical analysis. These challenges originate from the reliance on costly chemicals, skilled manpower, limited time, and sophisticated equipment. This study employed a user-developed computer vision-based ImageJ 1.x batch processing plugin to assess 15 physicochemical properties across six diverse cashew apple varieties from the images of slices and whole samples. Five methodologies—color grid, surface morphology, gray level co-occurrence matrix, local binary pattern, and color indices—generated image-based metrics rapidly ($2.87\pm 0.79$ s/image). The correlation of wet chemistry with image-based parameters, linear modeling, and wet chemistry parameters prediction with an independent dataset were successfully performed, and the successfully modeled properties include acidity, antioxidants, carbohydrates, carotenoids, crude fat, flavonoids, pH, phenolics, proteins, tannins, vitamin C, and total soluble solids. The results demonstrated the feasibility of predicting 11 out of 15 physicochemical properties of cashew apples ($R^2>0.5$). This methodology offers a faster, safer, and cost-effective alternative to wet chemistry and can be extended to other horticultural crops. Full article

Cognitive impairment is acknowledged as an early stage between normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease, emphasizing the need for prompt intervention. There is growing evidence that the gut–brain axis plays a role in regulating cognitive function, indicating that probiotics and their derivatives may impact cognitive functions through the brain–gut axis. In this study, we isolated and identified a novel bacterial strain Limosilactobacillus fermentum IOB802 (IOB802) from traditionally fermented pickles. This strain showed promising probiotic properties, and its postbiotic was also prepared. Both the probiotic IOB802 and its postbiotic preparation significantly improved memory and learning abilities by using a mouse model with cognitive impairment induced by scopolamine. In comparison to the scopolamine group, IOB802 and IOB802 postbiotic administration decreased acetylcholinesterase activity by 59.2% and 29.51%, increased antioxidant enzyme activity by 44.45% and 29.43%, and lowered lipid peroxidation by 44.19% and 32.53%, respectively. Moreover, IOB802 postbiotic notably boosted acetylcholine levels by 72.08%. In addition, the treatments preserved the integrity of neurons in specific regions of the hippocampus, as shown by histological analysis. The IOB802 postbiotic increased the expression of neurotrophic factors BDNF and NGF by 1.36- and 1.73-fold, while reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β by 2.05-, 1.85-, and 2.46-fold, respectively. Compared to the scopolamine group, IL-6 and IL-1β expression decreased by 1.32- and 2.37-fold in the IOB802 group. Additionally, IOB802, especially its postbiotic, was found to restore disrupted intestinal flora caused by scopolamine. These findings suggest that IOB802 and its postbiotic can improve cognitive function through enhancing cholinergic activity, reducing oxidative stress, providing neuroprotection, and restoring gut microbiota composition. Postbiotics, in particular, may represent a promising alternative to live probiotics for supporting cognitive health. Full article

The freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) is a promising aquaculture species due to its strong environmental adaptability, tolerance to low temperatures, rapid growth rate, high nutritional value, high-quality texture (garlic-clove-shaped flesh), and absence of intermuscular bones. Nevertheless, processing technologies related to freshwater drum remain largely unexplored. Salting pretreatment serves as a viable strategy for enhancing the quality attributes of frozen fish products. This study investigated the effects of different sodium chloride (NaCl) pickling concentrations (0.25, 1, and 3 mol/L) on the physicochemical properties and quality attributes of frozen–thawed freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens). Results indicated that elevated NaCl concentrations (1–3 mol/L) significantly (p < 0.05) shortened the transit time through the maximum ice crystal formation zone during freezing, effectively mitigating structural damage to myofibrillar networks. As the NaCl concentration increased from 0 to 3 mol/L, the water content decreased from 71.26 ± 0.22% to 68.64 ± 0.50%, while the salt content increased from 0.31 ± 0.01% to 8.46 ± 0.12%. Pickling pretreatment markedly enhanced water-holding capacity and improved texture profiles, including hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness. Histological analysis revealed preserved myofibril integrity in high-salt-treated samples, supported by reduced fluorescence intensity of myofibrillar proteins, indicating mitigated freeze-induced denaturation. Low-field NMR confirmed salt-induced redistribution of water states, with decreased free water proportion. Our results identify that pretreatment with NaCl at concentrations ≥ 1 mol/L is an effective strategy to preserve the post-thaw quality. Due to 3 mol/L NaCl resulting in a relatively high salt content, 1 mol/L NaCl pretreatment is more suitable for maintaining the quality of freeze–thawed freshwater drums. Full article

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) has been regaining its reputation as a valuable food and source of nutrients and biologically active compounds, but a high content of oxalates reduces mineral bioavailability and poses nutritional limitations. This study evaluated the influence of culinary processing on oxalate content in purslane and the potential of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for non-destructive assessment of total oxalates, ascorbic acid, and total organic acid. The ascorbic acid and total organic acid in fresh samples, and the total oxalate content of fresh, blanched, and pickled samples were determined. Culinary treatments (blanching and pickling) reduced oxalate content. The highest oxalate content was observed in fresh samples (33.38–61.84 g/100 g), lower in blanched samples (19.07–34.36 g/100 g), and the lowest content in pickling samples (10.48–18.31 g/100 g). NIR spectra (900–1700 nm) of the analyzed samples were measured, and PLS regression was used for the determination of tested components. The NIR spectroscopy achieved high predictive accuracy for ascorbic acid, total organic acid, and oxalate content. Rcval > 0.98 and SECV values between 0.02 and 0.38 g/100 g for oxalate content. NIR spectroscopy provides a rapid, accurate, and non-destructive alternative to conventional methods for oxalate determination in fresh, blanched, and pickled plant tissues, ascorbic acid and organic acid in fresh samples. Full article

Industrialized processing has increased the complexity of the food supply chain. Concerns about food-related risks have increased consumer interest in food traceability. Traceability systems are regarded as effective tools for mitigating information asymmetry and enhancing food quality and safety. However, the design of traditional food traceability systems overlooks the risk of information overload. Based on information overload theory, this study designs an artificial intelligence (AI) traceability assistant as an innovative tool to optimize traditional food traceability systems and examines its positive effects. This study focuses on prepared foods as the research objects, selecting three types of prepared foods (Kung Pao chicken, fish-flavored shredded pork, and pickled fish) and three food traceability tasks (preservatives, sweeteners, and drug residues) as experimental stimuli. Through three online scenario experiments, 747 valid responses were collected. This study explores the impact of AI traceability assistant design on positive consumer engagement behaviors and its underlying mechanism. The results reveal that the AI traceability assistant significantly promotes positive consumer engagement behaviors. This positive effect is mediated by perceived system ease of use. Furthermore, perceived product risk positively moderates the impact of the AI traceability assistant on perceived system ease of use. Perceived product risk strengthens the mediating effect of perceived system ease of use. This study contributes a novel theoretical perspective for research on food traceability systems and reveals the underlying mechanism through which the AI traceability assistant exerts its positive effect. In practice, it provides actionable guidance for food producers implementing digital traceability solutions. Full article

Based on the physicochemical properties of waste phosphate-based rare earth phosphors containing glass, this paper proposes a novel recovery method for rare earth elements (REEs) that integrates pre-enrichment, alkali roasting, and enhanced leaching. Initially, preliminary enrichment of REEs was achieved through sieving to remove silicon (from glass components) and pickling to reduce calcium content (originating from calcium phosphate compounds). The enriched material was then subjected to alkaline roasting, followed by washing for impurity removal, hydrochloric acid leaching, and finally oxalic acid precipitation to extract the rare earth elements. Experimental results demonstrate that the overall recovery rate of rare earth oxides (REO) reached 96.6%, indicating highly efficient extraction and separation of REEs from the waste phosphors. Furthermore, the mechanism of the alkali roasting process was investigated via differential thermal analysis (TG-DSC). Microstructural and phase changes in the waste phosphors before and after roasting were systematically characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that green phosphor (REPO₄) was converted into rare earth oxides and water-soluble sodium phosphate under alkaline roasting conditions. The Na₃PO₄ could be effectively removed through washing, while the rare earth elements were retained in the form of oxides within the washed residue. This study provides an important theoretical foundation and technical approach for the efficient recovery of rare earth resources from waste phosphate-based phosphors. Full article

This study investigates the surface characteristics and corrosion behavior of a high-C martensitic stainless steel (AISI 440C) at different stages of its manufacturing process. As a class, these steels prioritize high mechanical properties and wear resistance over superior corrosion resistance. Hot working operations, such as rolling, create a surface oxide scale that must be removed via pickling to restore the material’s inherent corrosion resistance. This process also eliminates the underlying Cr-depleted layer, allowing for the re-establishment of a protective passive film. Using potentiodynamic polarization curves and micrographic analysis, the material’s behavior in different conditions, as-rolled, with a post-heat treatment oxide scale, and in a bare, oxide-free state, has been assessed. The results showed that the material lacks stable passive behavior under all conditions. The as-rolled and heat-treated conditions both exhibited active behavior and formed thick, non-adherent corrosion products. The oxide layer formed after heat treatment performed the worst, showing a significant increase in corrosion current density. These findings confirm the material’s susceptibility to corrosion in Cl⁻ ion-rich environments, highlighting the need for limited storage in such conditions and rapid pickling after thermal processing to mitigate surface damage. Full article