1,720,996 research outputs found
Modeling microbial inactivation by high-pressure homogenization with a machine learning approach
No full textThis study leverages machine learning to create advanced predictive models for microbial inactivation during high-pressure homogenization (HPH). Unlike conventional models, which often focus solely on operating conditions, these models integrate additional factors, such as homogenizer-specific hydrodynamics, liquid media properties, and microorganism-specific characteristics. These factors are typically omitted in conventional models due to their wide variability across studies and the challenge of transforming them into a limited set of quantifiable variables. For instance, the influence of variations in homogenization valve geometry or changes in fluid viscosity are rarely incorporated, despite their significant impact on HPH outcomes. Through a comprehensive meta-analysis of literature data and the incorporation of dimensionless number to cluster diverse independent operating variables, various models, including artificial neural network (ANN) and random forest (RF), are trained and tested. While RF models exhibit faster runtimes without sacrificing performance compared to neural networks, a hybrid model was also devised to enhance prediction accuracy. This hybrid approach integrates RFs with the empirical Weibull model, linking microbial inactivation with applied pressure and the number of HPH passes. Notably, the hybrid model outperforms others, aligning well with expected inactivation trends. Challenges persist, such as the need for additional data and the inclusion of more relevant variables, underscoring the study's significance in advancing our comprehension of HPH's impact on microbial inactivation, thereby bolstering food safety and prolonging shelf-life
O/W Pickering Emulsions Stabilized with Cellulose Nanofibrils Produced through Different Mechanical Treatments
Full text linkThis work aimed at studying the stabilization of O/W Pickering emulsions using nanosized cellulosic material, produced from raw cellulose or tomato pomace through different mechanical treatments, such as ball milling (BM) and high-pressure homogenization (HPH). The cellulose nanofibrils obtained via HPH, which exhibited longer fibers with higher flexibility than those obtained via ball milling, are characterized by lower interfacial tension values and higher viscosity, as well as better emulsion stabilization capability. Emulsion stability tests, carried out at 4 °C for 28 d or under centrifugation at different pH values (2.0, 7.0, and 12.0), revealed that HPH-treated cellulose limited the occurrence of coalescence phenomena and significantly slowed down gravitational separation in comparison with BM-treated cellulose. HPH-treated cellulose was responsible for the formation of a 3D network structure in the continuous phase, entrapping the oil droplets also due to the affinity with the cellulose nanofibrils, whereas BM-treated cellulose produced fibers with a more compact structure, which did adequately cover the oil droplets. HPH-treated tomato pomace gave similar results in terms of particle morphology and interfacial tension, and slightly lower emulsion stabilization capability than HPH-treated cellulose, suggesting that the used mechanical disruption process does not require cellulose isolation for its efficient defibrillation
Effect of formulation on properties, stability, carvacrol release and antimicrobial activity of carvacrol emulsions
No full textThe structural design of essential oil emulsions can be exploited to modulate their antimicrobial activity, through the effect that the main formulation parameters (oil phase composition and type of emulsifier) have on the release of encapsulated antimicrobial compounds. In this work, different emulsions containing carvacrol, selected as model essential oil component, were characterized in terms of emulsions size, stability, and carvacrol release and solubilization, determined in Franz cells, and tested for minimum inhibitory and microbicidal concentration against P. fluorescens, S. epidermidis, and S. cerevisiae. The results showed that carvacrol fraction in the oil phase significantly affected oil viscosity, density, and O/W interfacial tension. Carvacrol solubilization in the aqueous phase, in equilibrium with the oil mixture, increased with the concentration of carvacrol in the oil phase and with the presence of an emulsifier/stabilizer in the aqueous phase. However, when encapsulated in emulsions carvacrol solubilization exhibited a weak dependence on carvacrol fraction in oil phase because part of the emulsifier/stabilizer was adsorbed at the O/W interface. Higher carvacrol solubilization was observed for WPM Pickering emulsions, followed by WPI and T80 emulsions. The antimicrobial activity was proportional to carvacrol solubilization, suggesting that emulsion droplets act as micrometric tanks for carvacrol, which is steadily released over time in the aqueous phase. The high carvacrol solubilization in the aqueous phase at higher carvacrol fractions in the oil phase (≥75% w/w) was also responsible for lower T80 and WPI emulsion stability because of coalescence, whereas all WPM emulsions exhibited signs of flocculation
Cellulose Isolation from Tomato Pomace Pretreated by High-Pressure Homogenization
No full textThis work proposes a biorefinery approach for the utilization of agri-food residues, such as tomato pomace (TP), through combining chemical hydrolysis with high-pressure homogenization (HPH), aiming to achieve the isolation of cellulose with tailored morphological properties from underused lignocellulose feedstocks, along with the valorization of the value-added compounds contained in the biomass. Cellulose was isolated from TP using sequential chemical hydrolysis in combination with mechanical pretreatment through HPH. The chemical and structural features of cellulose isolated from TP pretreated by HPH were compared with cellulose isolated from untreated TP through light scattering for particle size distribution, optical and scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. HPH pretreatment (80 MPa, 10 passes) not only promoted a slight increase in the yield of cellulose extraction (+9%) but contributed to directly obtaining defibrillated cellulose particles, characterized by smaller irregular domains containing elongated needle-like fibers. Moreover, the selected mild chemical process produced side streams rich in bioactive molecules, evaluated in terms of total phenols and reducing activity. The liquors recovered from acid hydrolysis of TP exhibited a higher biological activity than those obtained through a conventional extraction (80% v/v acetone, 25◦C, 24 h at 180 rpm)
The use of nanocellulose in edible coatings for the preservation of perishable fruits and vegetables
No full textThe usage of edible coatings (ECs) represents an emerging approach for extending the shelf life of highly perishable foods, such as fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. This review addresses, in particular, the use of reinforcing agents in film-forming solutions to tailor the physi-cochemical, mechanical and antimicrobial properties of composite coatings. In this scenario, this review summarizes the available data on the various forms of nanocellulose (NC) typically used in ECs, focusing on the impact of their origin and chemical or physical treatments on their structural properties (morphology and shape, dimension and crystallinity) and their functionality. Moreover, this review also describes the deposition techniques of composite ECs, with details on the food engineering principles in the application methods and formulation optimization. The critical analysis of the recent advances in NC-based ECs contributes to a better understanding of the impact of the incorporation of complex nanoparticles in polymeric matrices on the enhancement of coating properties, as well as on the increase of shelf life and the quality of fruits and vegetables
Changing the vision in smart food design utilizing the next generation of nanometric delivery systems for bioactive compounds
No full textIn modern foods, the delivery systems for bioactive compounds play a fundamental role in health promotion, wellbeing, and disease prevention through diet. Nanotechnology has secured a fundamental role in the fabrication of delivery systems with the capability of modulating the in-product and in-body behavior for augmenting bioavailability and activity of bioactive compounds. Structured nanoemulsions and nanoparticles, liposomes, and niosomes can be designed to improve bioactives preservation after ingestion, mucoadhesion, as well as of their release and pathophysiological relevance. In the future, it is expected that the delivery systems will also contribute to augment the effcacy of the bioactive compounds, for example by improving the intestinal absorption and delivery in the bloodstream, as well as promoting the formation of additional bioactive metabolites by regulating the transformations taking place during digestion and the interaction with the intestinal microbiota
High-pressure Homogenization for the Recovery of Value-added Compounds from Vegetable Matrices
Full text linkHigh-pressure homogenization (HPH) has been recently reported to be an effective mechanical cell disruption technology to unlock the intracellular compounds, tightly entrapped in vegetable tissues, using only water as an extraction medium. In this work, HPH was used to promote the recovery of the bioactive compounds contained in white and black sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum). Aqueous suspensions (10% w/w) of the seeds, obtained by high-shear mixing (HSM) for 5 min at 20000 rpm, were treated by HPH at 100 MPa or 140 MPa for up to 10 passes and different temperatures (25 and 50 °C). The HPH treatment caused a considerable cell deagglomeration and fragmentation effect, as shown by the decrease in the size distribution of the suspended particles. At the same time, the HPH treatment also significantly increased, more than two-fold, the polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity of the aqueous extracts, in comparison to HSH. Remarkably, a significant decrease (-20%) in antioxidant activity was observed during HPH processing at a higher temperature, likely due to the degradation of thermolabile compounds. Higher operating pressures increased the antioxidant activity of the aqueous extracts but caused also the increased release of polyphenol oxidases, which induced a higher degradation of the antioxidant activity of the extracts over time in comparison with samples processed at lower pressure. However, spray drying of the HPH-treated suspensions, without any further treatment or additive, resulted in the efficient stabilization of the extracts
Oil structuring through capillary suspensions prepared with wheat middlings micronized directly in oil by high-pressure homogenization
Full text linkEdible Coating and Pulsed Light to Increase the Shelf Life of Food Products
Full text linkThe application of edible coatings (EC) in combination with pulsed light (PL) treatments represents an emerging approach for extending the shelf life of highly perishable but high value-added products, such as fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. The surface of these products would benefit from the protective effects of ECs and the PL decontamination capability. This review describes in detail the fundamentals of both EC and PL, focusing on the food engineering principles in the formulation and application of EC and the delivery of efficient PL treatments and the technological aspects related to the food characterization following these treatments and discussing the implementation of the two technologies, individually or in combination. The advantages of the combination of EC and PL are extensively discussed emphasizing the potential benefits that may be derived from their combination when preserving perishable foods. The downsides of combining EC and PL are also presented, with specific reference to the potential EC degradation when exposed to PL treatments and the screening effect of PL transmittance through the coating layer. Finally, the potential applications of the combined treatments to food products are highlighted, comparatively presenting the treatment conditions and the product shelf-life improvement
- …
