Current Nutrition & Food Science - Volume 20, Issue 3, 2024

Cardamom belongs to the family Zingiberaceae and is indigenous to India and Malesia. The crude drug has potential pharmacological applications such as antioxidant, analgesic, antibacterial antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Cardamom also contains bioactive constituents, including terpenoids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, essential oils, and carotenoids. The demand for herbal medicines has increased in most emerging nations, and their supply has steadily grown worldwide. Around 80% of people worldwide use herbal medicines to treat their illnesses. There are many dosage forms for herbal products, including tinctures, powders, liniments, lotions, capsules, balms, syrups, and tablets. "Herbal tincture" refers to concentrated herbal extracts with ethanol generally functioning as the solvent. Cardamom can be used as a tincture to extract its beneficial compounds and create a concentrated liquid form for various purposes. These are widely used as folk medicines and are even well-known in many medical systems, including Ayurveda and homeopathy. There are numerous herbal tinctures on the market, including those of tulsi, compound cardamom, and ginger. These preparations are simple to use and store. The current manuscript discusses several tincture preparation techniques, focusing on cardamom tincture and stability conditions, a market overview, and a few patents.This article briefly overviews the global trading markets for herbal tinctures, particularly cardamom tinctures. Even the paper has explored the general information of cardamom and a market overview of the herbal tinctures.

A bioactive containing packaging system is not only a traditional protective structure for a food product but also offers additional health-benefiting properties. Postbiotics (nonbiotics) are metabolites produced by probiotic microorganisms that have numerous health benefits. The safety and non-toxicity of postbiotics and their capability to prevent the growth of food spoilage microbes are the significant features of postbiotics (cell-free supernatants) in using these components in food manufacturing. In this comprehensive review, authors discuss the characteristics of postbiotics, different types and sources of postbiotics, their application in active packaging and the possibilities of their application in increasing the shelf-life of products with active packaging.

Background: Ananas comosus (L.) Merr., which is commonly known as pineapple, is a well-studied plant for its medicinal properties. In terms of commercial importance, it ranks third among tropical fruits. It has been used for its antidiabetic, antimalarial, anticancer, abortifacient, antioxidant, and antidiarrhoeal activities. The review aimed to study the effects of pineapples and their bioactive compounds on the SARS-CoV-2 virus.Methods: Research methods comprise significant studies on the treatment of COVID-19 utilizing pineapple and its bioactive compounds. To carry out the e-literature review, articles were downloaded from online search engines, including Elsevier, PubMed, and Google Scholar, using pineapple, bioactive compounds, bromelain, clinical trial, and COVID-19.Results: The literature showed that pineapple and its bioactive compounds showed antiviral effects in COVID-19 patients by inhibiting the proinflammatory cytokines and affecting various signaling molecules, including NF-ΚB, proinflammatory cytokines, and cyclooxygenase-2. They modulate apoptotic protein levels and also cause a reduction of ACE-2 and TMPRSS2 expression.Conclusion: For the development of phytomedicine that adheres to all safety regulations, pineapple, and its bioactive compounds can serve as lead molecules for clinical studies in SARS-CoV-2 infection treatment and therapy.

Herbs and spices are used since time memorable to transfuse color and add flavors to food. Their antibacterial properties also help preserve raw and cooked foods. Various diets composed of herbs and spices, as consistent with various researches, have been shown to influence life within the human digestive tract. This modulation forms the basis of various health effects that the herbs and spices and the microflora have on the human health. The intestinal microbiota is engaged in a critical function of promoting health, composed of favourable microbes (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) and potentially harmful microorganisms (Salmonella thyphimurium and Escherichia coli). Spices and herbs make double oddities, i.e., inhibiting the proliferation of hazardous microbes while promoting favorable ones. The paper reviews the relevant manuscripts published in the past 20 years to understand the microbial modulation dynamics of herbs and spices. PubMed, Mendeley, SciELO, Scopus, Science Direct, and other peer-reviewed databases were accessed for the review. Microbial modulation is achieved by means of herbs and spices owing to the reduction of oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen radicals, such as OH#137;, singlet O2, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide radical, which leads to a threat to the intestinal microbiota. Spices and herbs have essential oils that serve as prebiotics, reducing the demand to impart artificial antioxidants, thus avoiding the associated health risks. Thus, the present review explores the mechanisms and underlying functions of herbs and spices in the human gut biome.

Large numbers of grain varieties are exploited for different purposes and their characteristics contribute in varied manners to the type, quality of the product. The variety of the grain is an important factor in deciding the value of the product. Identifying these varieties and cultivars is a crucial procedure in a food supply system. Various methods are employed to identify the variety of grains based on morphological, biochemical, or genotypic characteristics of the grain. This note discusses the need for identifying the variety of grains and looks upon various methods that have been brought into action to meet the purpose. Each method of identification has its own set of benefits and drawbacks, making it possible to choose the appropriate one for cereal grains at different stages of the supply chain. The methods of identification described in the review present an alternative to conventional manual methods. Rapid detection and accuracy are expected from the identification methods. Lab-on-a-chip, web portals, and QR codes are just a few of the recent solutions that have the ability to overcome the drawbacks and make variety identification an uncomplicated job.

Background: Deep-fat frying induces organoleptic and physicochemical changes in both oils and fried products. Excessive use of frying oils accrues decomposition products with potential hazards to human health. Optimizing frying conditions and selecting the best frying oils are needed for better-fried products.Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the physicochemical changes and thermal behavior of vegetable oils (olive, canola, corn, sunflower and soybean oils) during deep-fat frying of potato chips, and determine the optimum conditions required to produce the best quality fried product.Methods: Thermal behavior, organoleptic characteristics, physicochemical properties (color index, viscosity, specific gravity, peroxide value, free fatty acids, total polar compounds), and fatty acid compositions of oils were investigated during the frying process every 8 hours up to 40 hours of heating.Results: Oils showed different quality and thermal stability. The optimum time and temperature for frying were 10 minutes and 180°C. Sensory attributes, physicochemical characteristics and fatty acid composition of oils were markedly affected by heating. Olive oil was the most stable for frying. Total polar compounds of 27% (the rejection point for frying oils) would be reached upon heating olive oil at 180°C for 114 hours. The corresponding times were 45, 43, 30 and 26 hours for canola, corn, sunflower and soybean oils, respectively.Conclusion: Olive oil showed the highest stability and produced the best-fried product, followed by canola oil. Frying time increased with extended heating, and it could be used as a good indicator of oil quality and when it should be discarded.

Aim: Processed meats are considered the most consumable products worldwide. However, there are several limitations related to these products such as health and environmental issues, and the high energy, time, and cost needed for their production, thus manufacturers are looking for effective alternatives for processed meats. Mycoprotein can be a useful approach for meat substitution.Introduction: This study’s objective was the partial and total replacement of meat with mycoproteins in the formulation of burgers and to investigate the characteristics of these novel formulations for comparison with the control sample (full meat burger).Methods: Cooking loss, mechanical, physicochemical, nutritional, color, and sensory properties were determined.Results: The results indicated that mycoprotein substitution could improve health and nutritional properties as a result of including high-value protein and lower lipid content (mostly unsaturated fatty acids). However, the beef burger had better mechanical properties such as cohesiveness, hardness, springiness, and gumminess compared to mycoprotein-containing burgers. Higher OBC (oil binding capacity) and WBC (water binding capacity) of mycoprotein were responsible for filling the interstitial spaces within the protein matrix and reducing the textural attributes. Thus, using less oil and water in mycoprotein-containing formulations is recommended. Moreover, the cooking loss percentage decreased by increasing the mycoprotein content of burgers, which has economic advantages. According to sensory evaluations, no significant changes (p>0.05) were shown in the overall acceptance and taste scores of the burgers.Conclusions: Mycoproteins are potential compounds to be used as promising ingredients for the complete substitution of meat in the burger.

Background: Malnutrition consists of a functional and structural alteration caused by an imbalance between specific needs, intake, or utilization of foods and nutrients.Objective: The aim of this trial is to establish whether PNI (Prognostic Nutritional Index) is related to the inflammation pattern in our patients and which type of AN gives more advantages in clinical practice in improving PNI, and so the prognosis.Methods: During hospitalization, we have identified the presence of malnutrition and its aetiology- type, and initiated artificial nutrition (AN), enteral (EN), or parenteral (PN). For efficacy, we can use many biochemical tests, such as pre-albumin, transferrin, RBP, PINI, and albumin. The retrospective study was conducted by analyzing 145 patients. At baseline and after 7 days, the concentration of Albumin, Platelets, Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, and RCP was measured and was calculated PNI, PLR, and NLR. The patients were divided into three groups according to the treatment received with artificial nutrition: 32 Parenteral (PG), 15 Enteral (EG), and 17 Combined (CG).Results: Between baseline and 7 days, no change was observed, while in EG a significant increase in albumin and RCP and a significant reduction in PNI were observed, and, in CG a significant increase in lymphocytes, in PNI and a significant reduction in NLR.Conclusion: In conclusion, a short-term nutritional intervention can benefit from a combined approach to improve prognostic such as PNI.

Introduction: Kefir is manufactured by inoculating milk with kefir grains, followed by a one-day fermentation phase at room temperature. The addition of extracts of Clitoria ternatea L. to kefir is used as a source of antioxidants which are beneficial for health.Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of adding extracts of C. ternatea L. on physicochemical characteristics, pH, titratable acidity, total lactic acid bacteria, antioxidant activity, and total phenol of goat milk kefir.Methods: This study used fresh goat milk, kefir granules, and C. ternatea L. extract. The administration of C. ternatea L .extract on goat milk kefir was A (0%), B (1.5%), C (3.0%), D (4.5%), and E (6.0%). Physicochemical characteristics (water, protein, fat, pH, titratable acidity), total lactic acid bacteria, antioxidant activity, and total phenol were observed in this study.Results: The statistical analysis results showed that adding C. ternatea L. extract to goat milk kefir significantly (P<0.05) decreased water content, pH, increased protein, total titrated acid, and antioxidant activity, total phenol and not significant (P#131;0.05) to total lactic acid bacteria. In this study, the pH value was 3.65-4.10, the total titrated acid was 0.78-1.23%, and the total lactic acid bacteria was 7.42-7.870129;¸CFU/ml.Conclusion: The results showed that adding C. ternatea L. extract could increase antioxidant activity and total phenol while also containing lactic acid bacteria, giving it the potential to be a nutrition probiotic food. Adding 1.5% C. ternatea L. extract to kefir produced the best results, with a pH of 3.88, titratable acidity of 0.88%, and total lactic acid bacteria of 7.87 108CFU/ml.

Introduction: The lactose-intolerant public represents an important portion of the population; however, the diversification of products that serve this population is still very limited.Objective: In this bias, this study aimed to develop a low-lactose yogurt added with blueberry jelly, combining sensory and functional characteristics of the fruit.Methods: Different concentrations of β-galactosidase were evaluated in the fermentations, in addition to four formulations of blueberry jelly that were sensorially tested for preference, a formulation was selected and its global acceptance and purchase intent were verified.Results: The use of 1.5 g L^-1 of β-galactosidase allowed for a more significant reduction of lactose during the fermentation process. Of the four jelly formulations tested, the whole fruit was sensory preferred, and the low-lactose two-layer yogurt showed 86% acceptance and 74% purchase intention.Conclusion: It was possible to develop a product with low lactose content and sensorially pleasant to the consumer.