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Functional potential of a new plant-based fermented beverage: Benefits through non-conventional probiotic yeasts and antioxidant properties
... Lately, fruit, vegetables, legume, cereal, coffee, and tea-based juices are rapidly gaining market prominence. In these beverages, the contribution of yeasts is crucial, providing probiotic properties beneficial to the consumer and placing them in a position of preference [11][12][13]. These properties expand the possibilities for functional food products, including probiotic beers with enhanced health benefits. ...
The use of autochthonous yeast strains from viticultural environments represents a novel approach in the brewing industry. Probiotic-fermented beers have generated growing interest as they combine traditional brewing with the increasing demand for health-oriented functional beverages. The application of mathematical modeling to fermentation kinetics becomes a crucial tool to adequately describe and subsequently improve the performance of functional beer fermentation. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae PB101 autochthonous yeast from San Juan (Argentina) was previously selected for its probiotic potential and its exceptional technological traits in beer wort production. It was subsequently used to ferment a Kölsch-style brewer’s wort in order to evaluate both its probiotic potential and its resistance to the human digestive system. The results showed a survival percentage of 73.49 ± 0.54 and 80.17 ± 3.73 in fermentations conducted in 2024 and 2025, respectively. These fermentation assays were used to explore kinetic microbial growth, ethanol production, and critical fermentation parameters. Traditional modeling approaches often fail to adequately capture the intricacies of probiotic fermentations, particularly lag phases associated with microbial adaptation and metabolite biosynthesis. To address these limitations, this study develops an innovative and simple modeling system for modeling probiotic beer fermentation by incorporating two state variables: total and dead cells. The dynamics of these two variables were modeled using either a First Order Plus Dead Time model or a logistic growth model. Furthermore, the modified Luedeking–Piret model was used to study the delay time that exists between the production of viable cells and ethanol. The proposed models demonstrate enhanced predictive accuracy and dependability, providing a solid foundation for optimizing fermentation processes and advancing the development of functional beverages with exceptional probiotic properties.
... In the era of globalization and rapid digitalization, a progressive village can only be realized when all its elements synergize towards the noble goal of creating community welfare. This is achieved by fulfilling needs through the utilization of both natural and human potential (Agarbati, 2024;Asiminicesei, 2020). It is not only creativity and innovation that are gained but the enhancement of the creative economy can be developed based on constructive ideas and concepts Putriani & Mujahidin, 2023;Sungkawati, 2024). ...
As an ecotourism village, Wates needs to take strategic steps to maximize its potential and attractions and maintain environmental sustainability. One way is to empower local communities through ecotourism management training and how to maximize the potential of coconut as a superior village product. This study aims to identify and develop the potential of coconut in Wates Village into creative and economical products, namely "Wates Coco Delight" and Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO). Using a participatory action research method involving 50 heads of families in Wates, this study utilized qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and questionnaires, then analyzed using descriptive analysis and simple statistics. The results showed that the use of coconut can increase village income by 40% in one year. The "Wates Coco Delight" and VCO products have proven to be innovations that are well received by local and regional markets, with sales reaching 500 units per month. In conclusion, the development of coconut-based products not only improves the local economy but also strengthens the cultural identity of the village. Thus, Wates Village can be a model for an ecotourism village based on local products. This study makes an important contribution to education and economic empowerment of village communities through sustainable natural resource management.
... Nevertheless, these plant-based beverages as an alternative to milk have gained space in the food systems, and new developments have been achieved to improve their nutritional and functional properties. One such approach was to improve plant-based fermented drinks through probiotics yeasts and antioxidant components [26]. A review by Sharma et al. [27] evidences some key challenges related to functional plant-based drinks. ...
Humans have been consuming milk obtained from domesticated animals since ancient times. Milk is a very complete food with important nutrients that can support life. However, the patterns of consumption of milk have been shifting. On one hand, due to the increase in the number of people with intolerances (to lactose, for example), and on the other hand, due to some trend to avoid foods from animal origin owing to specific conviction (like animal welfare, for example). In this context, this study focused on the milk consumption patterns in two different European Countries and the evaluation of possible differences. The object of study was milk obtained from animal sources, namely, cows, and no other derived fermented dairy products were included. For the development of the study, a questionnaire survey was applied to a sample of 542 participants from both countries using the Internet. The results showed that a high percentage of participants in both countries consume milk regularly, and the usual amount varies between 125 and 250 mL per day. For those who do not consume milk, the most relevant reason pointed out in both countries was because they do not feel the need to consume it. While in France, a high percentage also do not consume because they do not like milk, and in Portugal, a high percentage do not consume milk due to lactose intolerance. The most consumed is semi-skimmed milk, and preferences are towards consuming plain milk or consuming it with chocolate. Significant differences were found in the consumption of white brands, which are preferred in France, while in Portugal, consumers prefer commercial brands, as well as the preferred package, tetra packs for the Portuguese, while the French prefer plastic bottles. In conclusion, although the results showed some similar trends among the participants from both countries, some differences were also identified that can be used to better plan public policies in both countries.
... These value propositions are specific to the South African market. This finding was different from those reported in past studies (Moodi et al., 2021;Sharma et al., 2024;Agarbati et al., 2024) where nutraceutical benefits are the main reasons for consumer acceptance of functional dairy beverages. ...
Probiotic microorganisms are used to improve the health and wellness of people and the research on this topic is of current relevance and interest. Fifty-five yeasts, coming from honeybee’s ecosystem and belonging to Candida, Debaryomyces, Hanseniaspora, Lachancea, Metschnikowia, Meyerozyma, Starmerella and Zygosacchromyces genera and related different species, were evaluated for the probiotic traits. The resistance to gastrointestinal conditions, auto-aggregation, cell surface hydrophobicity or biofilm formation abilities as well as antimicrobial activity against common human pathogenic bacteria were evaluated. The safety analysis of strains was also carried out to exclude any possible negative effect on the consumer’s health. The influence of proteinase treatment of living yeasts and their adhesion to Caco-2 cells were also evaluated. The greatest selection occurred in the first step of survival at the acidic pH and in the presence of bile salts, where more than 50% of the strains were unable to survive. Equally discriminating was the protease test which allowed the survival of only 27 strains belonging to the species Hanseniaspora guilliermondii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Metschnikowia ziziphicola, Meyerozyma caribbica, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Pichia kluyveri, Pichia kudriavzevii and Pichia terricola. An integrated analysis of the results obtained allowed the detection of seven yeast strains with probiotic aptitudes, all belonging to the Meyerozyma genus, of which three belonging to M. guillermondii and four belonging to M. caribbica species.
Introduction: Natural remedies in the treatment of health conditions are an appealing option for many individuals. Previous studies reported that fermented and unfermented rooibos tea have considerable anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. Most of this knowledge, however, originates from animal and cell culture studies. Objectives: The aims of this review are to evaluate the existing, but limited, body of knowledge regarding rooibos tea interventions in humans and to identify the gaps in the literature. Methods: The PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were followed in the collation of this scoping review. Among the databases searched were Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science. Results: This review comprised 18 publications, with half (50%) of the studies being conducted in South Africa. There were 488 participants in all, ranging in age from six to 83 years, in the investigations. Rooibos tea was either fermented, unfermented, or black in 62% of the studies. Doses ranging from 200 mL to 1200 mL were employed. In both healthy and at-risk individuals, rooibos has been shown to enhance lipid profiles, boost antioxidant status, and lower blood glucose levels. The existing findings suggests that rooibos consumption demonstrated to improve lipid profiles, boost antioxidant status, and lower blood glucose levels in both apparently healthy, and individual at-risk individuals or diagnosed of chronic conditions. Conclusion: Thus, it can be presumed that rooibos tea provides some health benefits, yet these findings are based on a limited number of human intervention studies and a small total sample size. Additionally, a variety of rooibos dosages and types of tea in the experiments had inconsistent results that were probably impacted by the amount consumed. Future studies should include a dose-response study in humans, as well as large scaled clinical trials to evaluate the health effects of Rooibos.
Currently, an increasing number of intolerant and vegan consumers are driving the market towards plant-based milk alternatives. Here, selected probiotic yeasts, belonging to the Candida zeylanoides, Kluyveromyces lactis and Debaryomyces hansenii species, previously characterized for their aptitude to ferment animal milk, were tested in soy milk. Trials at different fermentation times with the developed yeast consortium (Yc) coinoculated with a lactic bacterium commercial strain were carried out.
Yc showed good fermentation performance, conferring distinctive analytical and aromatic properties to the resulted soy fermented beverage, a product similar to an industrial kefir. Analytical determinations did not show significant variations between the end of fermentation and cold storage (4 weeks at 4 °C), indicating full stability. Phenol amounts and antioxidant activity were significantly increased in soy fermented beverage fermented by Yc. All yeasts remained viable until the end of storage with a final concentration of approximately 8 Log CFU/ml, a value suitable for a probiotic commercial claim. Overall, the results suggest that Yc is a promising multistarter candidate for functional soy products.
Tea is grown around the world under extremely diverse geographic and climatic conditions, namely, in China, India, the Far East and Africa. However, recently, growing tea also appears to be feasible in many regions of Europe, from where high-quality, chemical-free, organic, single-estate teas have been obtained. Hence, the aim of this study was to characterize the health-promoting properties in terms of the antioxidant capacity of traditional hot brews as well as cold brews of black, green and white teas produced across the European territory using a panel of antioxidant assays. Total polyphenol/flavonoid contents and metal chelating activity were also determined. For differentiating the characteristics of the different tea brews, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry were employed. Overall, our findings demonstrate for the first time that teas grown in Europe are good quality teas that are endowed with levels of health-promoting polyphenols and flavonoids and that have an antioxidant capacity similar to those grown in other parts of the world. This research is a vital contribution to the characterization of European teas, providing essential and important information for both European tea growers and consumers, and could be of guidance and support for the selection of teas grown in the old continent, along with having the best brewing conditions for maximizing the health benefits of tea.
Supplementation of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) in poultry feeding is essential. For economic and environmental reasons, riboflavin is now produced biotechnologically, which, in most industrial production, is based on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Due to legislation, organic animals must be fed with GMO-free feeds, which also applies to the production processes of vitamin additives in the feed. Therefore, the main objective of experiments in this paper is the screening of GMO-free wild-type yeast strains overproducing riboflavin as a starting point to develop GMO-free riboflavin production lines that ensure the continuous supply of riboflavin for organic livestock. A screening of wild-type, non-GMO microorganisms overproducing riboflavin was conducted. The wild-type yeast Meyerozyma guilliermondii DSM 11947 produced the highest riboflavin concentration in the screening procedure. In order to provide a feasible and affordable certified organic animal vitamin B2 supplement, the possibility of minimizing the expensive media component, yeast extract, was shown. This work shows the possibility of using a wild-type strain to achieve higher levels of riboflavin by means of bioprocess engineering and without metabolic engineering. A fermentation strategy at the laboratory scale is provided, where a yield of 30 mg riboflavin per g dry matter of yeast cells was achieved.
Vitamin B12, also known as the anti-pernicious anemia factor, is an essential micronutrient totally dependent on dietary sources that is commonly integrated with food supplements. Four vitamin B12 forms—cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, 5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin, and methylcobalamin—are currently used for supplementation and, here, we provide an overview of their biochemical role, bioavailability, and efficacy in different dosage forms. Since the effective quantity of vitamin B12 depends on the stability of the different forms, we further provide a review of their main reactivity and stability under exposure to various environmental factors (e.g., temperature, pH, light) and the presence of some typical interacting compounds (oxidants, reductants, and other water-soluble vitamins). Further, we explore how the manufacturing process and storage affect B12 stability in foods, food supplements, and medicines and provide a summary of the data published to date on the content-related quality of vitamin B12 products on the market. We also provide an overview of the approaches toward their stabilization, including minimization of the destabilizing factors, addition of proper stabilizers, or application of some (innovative) technological processes that could be implemented and contribute to the production of high-quality vitamin B12 products.
During the last few years, consumer demand has been increasingly oriented to fermented foods with functional properties. This work proposed to use selected non-conventional yeasts (NCY) Lachancea thermotolerans and Kazachstania unispora in pure and mixed fermentation to produce craft beer fortified with hydrolyzed red lentils (HRL). For this, fermentation trials using pils wort (PW) and pils wort added with HRL (PWL) were carried out. HRL in pils wort improved the fermentation kinetics both in mixed and pure fermentations without negatively affecting the main analytical characters. The addition of HRL determined a generalized increase in amino acids concentration in PW. L. thermotolerans and K. unispora affected the amino acid profile of beers (with and without adding HRL). The analysis of by-products and volatile compounds in PW trials revealed a significant increase of some higher alcohols with L. thermotolerans and ethyl butyrate with K. unispora. In PWL, the two NCY showed a different behavior: an increment of ethyl acetate (K. unispora) and β-phenyl ethanol (L. thermotolerans). Sensory analysis showed that the presence of HRL characterized all beers, increasing the perception of the fruity aroma in both pure and mixed fermentation.
Saffron production from Crocus sativus flowers produces large amounts of by‐products that may represent an excellent source of polyphenols. The aim of this work was to evaluate infusions originating from different brewing processes and from different saffron flower portions, in terms of both functional and sensory traits. For this aim, total polyphenols and total flavonoids, in vitro antioxidant assays and an untargeted phenolic profiling were applied. In general, tepals showed higher polyphenol and flavonoid content than stamen infusions, and their bioactive content depended more on brewing temperature than brewing time. These findings were consistent with both antioxidant capacity and phenolic profiling. Multivariate statistics highlighted polyphenols discriminating ‘boiled’ vs. ‘cold’ infusions, being mainly flavonoids, phenolic acids and the alkylphenol 5‐pentadecylresorcinol (showing a strong down‐accumulation at the higher brewing temperatures). Positive correlations could be highlighted between anthocyanins, flavones, flavonols and lignans, and the in vitro antioxidant assays. In general, cold brewing was successful in extracting phenolic compounds and provided better sensory properties, thus indicating that this may represent a valuable strategy to develop saffron‐based functional beverages with better consumers' acceptability.
Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Traditionally, dairy products are the major and most popular probiotic carriers. At present, there is a growing demand for non-dairy probiotic products. Both fermented and non-fermented non-dairy plant-based food products are becoming highly appealing to both dairy and non-dairy consumers worldwide. Non-dairy plant-based food matrices such as fruits, vegetables, plant-based milk, cereals, and legumes have been used successfully in producing probiotic products with the minimum recommended viable probiotic numbers at the time of consumption. However, due to the exclusion of dairy, whether these food matrices can enhance the functional properties of probiotics such as gastrointestinal survival and immune-enhancing effects needs a thorough investigation. Hence, this review focuses on some of the popular non-dairy plant-based probiotic food products and their microbiological quality characteristics in terms of maintaining probiotic viability during product storage. Their gastrointestinal tolerance in these products, other functional properties, and product qualities have also been briefly discussed.
An expanse of research has investigated the effects of black and green teas in relation to aspects of health. Rooibos tea, also known as Red bush is derived from the South African Cape fynbos plant, Aspalathus linearis, and is caffeine free, naturally sweet and abundant in polyphenols. Evidence related to the health aspects of drinking Rooibos tea is advancing, but does not appear to have been collated. Therefore, we aimed to examine the health effects of Rooibos tea through a systematic review of the literature. A PUBMED search was undertaken (2000 up to June 2020) for human and laboratory studies investigating the efficacy of Rooibos in relation to health. Seven human studies and 49 laboratory studies were identified. Overall Rooibos tea consumption seems to benefit the lipid and redox profiles of those at risk of cardiovascular disease. It also appears to possess other promising ‘general’ effects on glycaemic control, bone, liver, cognitive and respiratory health. Ongoing research using standardised interventions is now needed to help formulate congruent conclusions that are relevant to public health.
Ligusticum chuanxiong (LC) is a Chinese materia medica which is widely used in clinical settings to treat headaches, blood extravasation, and arthritis. Recent studies demonstrate that LC possesses versatile pharmacological functions, including antiatherosclerosis, antimigraine, antiaging, and anticancer properties. Moreover, LC also shows protective effects in the progression of different diseases that damage somatic cells. Oxidative stress and inflammation, which can induce somatic cell apoptosis, are the main factors associated with an abundance of diseases, whose progresses can be reversed by LC. In order to comprehensively review the molecular mechanisms associated with the protective effects of LC, we collected and integrated all its related studies on the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic effects. The results show that LC could exhibit the mentioned biological activities by modulating several signaling pathways, specifically the NF-κB, Nrf2, protein kinase, and caspase-3 pathways. In future investigations, the pharmacokinetic properties of bioactive compounds in LC and the signaling pathway modulation of LC could be focused.
Safflower honey is a unique type of monofloral honey collected from the nectar of Carthamus tinctorius L. in the Apis mellifera colonies of northwestern China. Scant information is available regarding its chemical composition and biological activities. Here, for the first time, we investigated this honey’s chemical composition and evaluated its in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Basic physicochemical parameters of the safflower honey samples in comparison to established quality standards suggested that safflower honeys presented a good level of quality. The in vitro antioxidant tests showed that extract from Carthamus tinctorius L. honey (ECH) effectively scavenged DPPH and ABTS⁺ free radicals. In lipopolysaccharides (LPS) activated murine macrophages inflammatory model, ECH treatment to the cells inhibited the release of nitric oxide and down-regulated the expressions of inflammatory-relating genes (iNOS, IL-1β, TNF-α and MCP-1). The expressions of the antioxidant genes TXNRD, HO-1, and NQO-1, were significantly boosted in a concentration-dependent manner. ECH decreased the phosphorylation of IκBα and inhibited the nuclear entry of the NF-κB-p65 protein, in LPS-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells, accompany with the increased expressions of Nrf-2 and HO-1, suggesting that ECH achieved the anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting NF-κB signal transduction and boosting the antioxidant system via activating Nrf-2/HO-1 signaling. These results, taken together, indicated that safflower honey has great potential into developing as a high-quality agriproduct.
In alignment with Hippocrates’ aphorisms “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food” and “All diseases begin in the gut”, recent studies have suggested that healthy diets should include fermented foods to temporally enhance live microorganisms in our gut. As a result, consumers are now demanding this type of food and fermented food has gained popularity. However, certain sectors of population, such as those allergic to milk proteins, lactose intolerant and strict vegetarians, cannot consume dairy products. Therefore, a need has arisen in order to offer consumers an alternative to fermented dairy products by exploring new non-dairy matrices as probiotics carriers. Accordingly, this review aims to explore the benefits of different fermented non-dairy beverages (legume, cereal, pseudocereal, fruit and vegetable), as potential carriers of bioactive compounds (generated during the fermentation process), prebiotics and different probiotic bacteria, providing protection to ensure that their viability is in the range of 106–107 CFU/mL at the consumption time, in order that they reach the intestine in high amounts and improve human health through modulation of the gut microbiome.
Lactic acid production is an important feature of the yeast Lachancea thermotolerans that has gained increasing interest in winemaking. In particular, in light of climate change, the biological acidification and ethanol reduction by the use of selected yeast strains may counteract the effect of global warming in wines. Here, the enological potential of a high lactate-producing L. thermotolerans strain (P-HO1) in mixed fermentations with S. cerevisiae was examined. Among the different inoculation schemes evaluated, the most successful implantation of L. thermotolerans was accomplished by sequential inoculation of S. cerevisiae, i.e., at 1% vol. ethanol. P-HO1produced the highest levels of lactic acid ever recorded in mixed fermentations (10.4 g/L), increasing thereby the acidity and reducing ethanol by 1.6% vol. L. thermotolerans was also associated with increases in ethyl isobutyrate (strawberry aroma), free SO2, organoleptically perceived citric nuances and aftertaste. To start uncovering the molecular mechanisms of lactate biosynthesis in L. thermotolerans, the relative expressions of the three lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) paralogous genes, which encode the key enzyme for lactate biosynthesis, along with the alcohol dehydrogenase paralogs (ADHs) were determined. Present results point to the possible implication of LDH2, but not of other LDH or ADH genes, in the high production of lactic acid in certain strains at the expense of ethanol. Taken together, the important enological features of P-HO1 highlighted here, and potentially of other L. thermotolerans strains, indicate its great importance in modern winemaking, particularly in the light of the upcoming climate change and its consequences in the grape/wine system.
In recent years, the request for the functional beverages that promote health and wellness has increased. In fact, fermented juices are an excellent delivering means for bioactive components. Their production is of crucial importance to supply probiotics, in particular, for people with particulars needs like dairy-product allergic consumers and vegetarians. This review focuses on recent findings regarding the microbial composition and the health benefits of fermented fruit and vegetable beverages by lactic acid bacteria, kefir grains, and SCOBY as well as discussing the metabolites resulting from these fermentations process. Moreover, limits that could restrain their production at the industrial level and solutions that have been proposed to overcome these constraints are also reviewed.
In the last decades, there has been a growing interest from consumers in their food choices. Organic, natural, less processed, functional, and pre-probiotic products were preferred. Although, Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii is the most well-characterized probiotic yeast available on the market, improvement in probiotic function using other yeast species is an attractive future direction. In the present study, un-anthropized natural environments and spontaneous processed foods were exploited for wild yeast isolation with the goal of amplifying the knowledge of probiotic aptitudes of different yeast species. For this purpose, 179 yeast species were isolated, identified as belonging to twelve different genera, and characterized for the most important probiotic features. Findings showed interesting probiotic characteristics for some yeast strains belonging to Lachancea thermotolerans, Metschnikowia ziziphicola, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Torulaspora delbrueckii species, although these probiotic aptitudes were strictly strain-dependent. These yeast strains could be proposed for different probiotic applications, such as a valid alternative to, or in combination with, the probiotic yeast S. cerevisiae var. boulardii.
Nowadays, consumers require quality beer with peculiar organoleptic characteristics and fermentation management has a fundamental role in the production of aromatic compounds and in the overall beer quality. A strategy to achieve this goal is the use of non-conventional yeasts. In this context, the use of Torulaspora delbrueckii was proposed in the brewing process as a suitable strain to obtain a product with a distinctive aromatic taste. In the present work, Saccharomyces cerevisiae/T. delbrueckii mixed fermentation was investigated at a microbrewery plant monitoring the evolution of the main aromatic compounds. The results indicated a suitable behavior of this non-conventional yeast in a production plant. Indeed, the duration of the process was very closed to that exhibited by S. cerevisiae pure fermentation. Moreover, mixed fermentation showed an increase of some aromatic compounds as ethyl hexanoate, α-terpineol, and β-phenyl ethanol. The enhancement of aromatic compounds was confirmed by the sensory evaluation carried out by trained testers. Indeed, the beers produced by mixed fermentation showed an emphasized note of fruity/citric and fruity/esters notes and did not show aroma defects.
Consumption of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) as herbal tea is growing in popularity worldwide and its health-promoting attributes are mainly ascribed to its phenolic composition, which may be affected by the brewing conditions used. An aspect so far overlooked is the impact of cold brewing vs regular brewing and microwave boiling on the (poly) phenolic profile and in vitro antioxidant capacity of infusions prepared from red (‘fermented’, oxidized) and green (‘unfermented’, unoxidized) rooibos, the purpose of the present study. By using an untargeted metabolomics-based approach (UHPLC-QTOF mass spectrometry), 187 phenolic compounds were putatively annotated in both rooibos types, with flavonoids, tyrosols, and phenolic acids the most represented type of phenolic classes. Multivariate statistics (OPLS-DA) highlighted the phenolic classes most affected by the brewing conditions. Similar antioxidant capacities (ORAC and ABTS assays) were observed between cold- and regular-brewed green rooibos and boiled-brewed red rooibos. However, boiling green and red rooibos delivered infusions with the highest antioxidant capacities and total polyphenol content. The polyphenol content strongly correlated with the in vitro antioxidant capacities, especially for flavonoids and phenolic acids. These results contribute to a better understanding of the impact of the preparation method on the potential health benefits of rooibos tea.
Objective
Tiopronin is an antioxidant. This study investigated the protective effect of tiopronin on oxidative stress in patients with severe burns.
Method
Patients aged between 16 and 65 years old with >30% body surface area burns admitted to our burn unit from July 2011 to September 2016 were randomly divided into 3 groups: group A treated with tiopronin (15 mg/kg. 24 hrs), group B with vitamin C (792 mg/kg. 24 hrs), the other group with standard treatment (group C). All 3 groups also received standard treatment. Blood superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and the biochemical indexes of liver, kidney, and heart were determined before treatment and 24 and 48 hrs after treatment. Samples from 8 normal healthy adult volunteers were also measured. The resuscitation fluid volume requirement for the first 24 hrs was calculated for 3 groups.
Results
The serum levels of MDA and the biochemical indexes in severely burned patients were higher than those in healthy volunteers (P<0.01). The serum SOD level of burn patients was lower (P<0.01). After treatment, the levels of SOD increased, the levels of MDA decreased, and the biochemical indexes of heart, liver, and kidney improved; these changes were more obvious in group A and group B compared to group C (P<0.05), and these changes were more obvious in group A compared to group B (P<0.05) at 48 hrs after treatment. There is less resuscitation fluid volume requirement to maintain adequate stable hemodynamic and urine output in the first 24 hrs in group A and group B compared to group C (P<0.05).
Conclusion
Treatment with tiopronin could exert protective effects against burn-induced oxidative tissue damage and multiple-organ dysfunction, and also could reduce the volume of required fluid resuscitation in severely burned patients.
Aromatic amino acid metabolism in yeast is an important source of secondary compounds that influence the aroma and flavour of alcoholic beverages and foods. Examples are the higher alcohol 2-phenylethanol, and its acetate ester, 2-phenylethyl acetate, which impart desirable floral aromas in wine, beer and baker’s products. Beyond this well-known influence on the organoleptic properties of alcoholic beverages and foods, there is a growing interest in understanding and modulating yeast aromatic amino acid metabolism. The tryptophan derivatives melatonin and serotonin have bioactive properties and exert positive effects on human health, and aromatic amino acids are also the precursors of products of industrial interest, such as nutraceuticals, fragrances, and opium-derived drugs. This mini-review presents current knowledge on the formation of compounds from aromatic amino acids by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, from genetic and environmental influences on their flavour impacts in alcoholic beverages to their potential as bioactive compounds, and the use of yeast as microbial factories for the production of commercially relevant aromatic compounds.
Yeasts not belonging to species of the Saccharomyces genus, called nonconventional
yeasts, have gained prominence recently in the biotechnological scenario. For
many years, they have been generally characterized as undesirable contaminants in
fermentative processes. However, several studies pointed them as useful for many
biotechnological applications. This chapter will cover some of these applications,
highlighting the most widely employed nonconventional yeasts. The use of non-
Saccharomyces strains in (I) xylose fermentation for the production of ethanol and
xylitol, (II) brewing industry, (III) improvement of coffee and cocoa fermentation,
and (IV) plant growth promotion will be presented.
In this study, bioactive compounds, oil, sugar, fatty acid, and mineral contents of grape wastes (pomace, skin, and seeds) obtained from wine, grape juice, and boilled grape juice production were investigated. Total phenol and tannin contents of grape by‐products varied between 31.2 mgGAE/g (molasses skin) and 98.97 mgGAE/g (wine seed); 96.93 mgTAE/g (grape juice pomace) and 138.67 mgTAE/g (molasses pomace), respectively. The highest (377.57 g/kg) and lowest (20.00 g/kg) total sugars were determined in molasses and wine skin wastes, respectively. Epicatechin contents of samples were found between 439.67 mg/kg (molasses skin) and 3,444.57 mg/kg (molasses seed). The lowest and highest linoleic acids were determined in molasses skin oil (40.00%) and grape juice skin oil (51.10%). α‐Tocopherol contents of wine by‐product oils changed between 3.35 mg/kg (seed) and 6.42 mg/kg (pomace). The lowest and highest P contents were determined in molasses skin (17,563 mg/kg) and wine seed (29,634 mg/kg), respectively.
Practical applications
The residue may represent from 13.5 to 14.5% at the total volume of grapes, and may reach 20%. The most abundant phenolic compound in wine pomace is anthocyanins concentrated in the skin, and flavonols present mostly in the grape seed (56–65% total flavonol). Grape is a phenol‐rich plant, and these phenolics are mainly distributed in the skin, stem, leaf, and seed of grape, rather than their juicy middle sections. Skins and seeds of grapes are produced in large quantities by the winemaking industry. These by‐products have become valuable raw materials due to their high content of polyphenols, tocols, and other macro‐ and micronutrients. Seed and skins of grape produced in large quantities by the wine making industry have become valuable raw materials for extraction of polyphenols.
During the production of fermented alcoholic beverages, such as wine or beer, the loss of aroma active compounds (AACs) has a significant impact on the overall product aroma. This paper presents the results of an experimental technique in which a condenser was placed on the top of the fermenter in order to reduce such losses. AAC concentrations in beers produced in this way were compared with a control produced without a condenser. There were two main findings: (i) some AACs could be recovered during fermentation and (ii) the technique stimulated the de novo synthesis of esters from carboxylic acids and alcohols. In particular, the production of ethyl esters from the reaction between ethanol and organic acids and the production of acetates from the reaction between acetic acid and alcohols were demonstrated. Consequently, the addition of the condenser changed the final aroma of the beverage. The effect was confirmed by a panel test and AAC quantitation using HS-SPME-GC-MS. The technique could be used by brewers as a tool to modulate the flavor and aroma of beer.
Monoterpene alcohols (linalool, β-citronellol, nerol and geraniol) and their derivatives (geranyl acetate and cis-linalool oxide), β-ionone and several esters (isobutyl isobutyrate, isoamyl isobutyrate, 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate and ethyl heptanoate) were focused on as possible contributors on hop varietal aroma. We measured flavour compounds in late-hopped beers and dry-hopped beers brewed with eighteen hop varieties. On the basis of the results, we discuss the comparison of varietal profiles of hop-derived flavour compounds among eighteen hop varieties, the relationship among certain monoterpene alcohols and their derivatives and the effect of hopping procedure on the flavour profiles in beers.
Citrus is well-known for its nutrition and health-promotion values. This reputation is derived from the studies on the biological functions of phytochemicals in Citrus fruits and their derived products in the past decades. In recent years, the antioxidant activity of Citrus fruits and their roles in the prevention and treatment of various human chronic and degenerative diseases have attracted more and more attention. Citrus fruits are suggested to be a good source of dietary antioxidants. To have a better understanding of the mechanism underlying the antioxidant activity of Citrus fruits, we reviewed a study on the antioxidant activity of the phytochemicals in Citrus fruits, introduced methods for antioxidant activity evaluation, discussed the factors which influence the antioxidant activity of Citrus fruits, and summarized the underlying mechanism of action. Some suggestions for future study were also presented.
TThe enzymes produced by yeasts in the extracellular environment are the main factors that influence the secondary aromas of the wines obtained according to the primary varietal character of the processed varieties. Pectolytic enzymes are essential in the depolymerization of pectins and the release of color compounds, especially anthocyanins from the epicarp of black grape berries. Proteolytic enzymes break down proteins into amino acid chains, which help the multiplication of yeasts and the formation of specific aromas.
The beany flavor adversely influences consumer acceptance of soymilk (SM) products. Thus, in this work, the co-fermentation of isolated new yeasts (Kluyveromyces marxianus SP-1, Candida ethanolica ATW-1, and Pichia amenthionina Y) and Kluyveromyces marxianus K (a commercial yeast) along with an XPL-1 starter (including five strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB)) was utilized to mend the beany flavor of fermented SM (FSM) beverages. Probiotic count, pH, titratable acidity, syneresis, water holding capacity, rheological characteristics, and sensory attributes were investigated. Furthermore, the free amino acids, nucleotides, and volatile compounds (VCs) were analyzed, also presenting the collected VC data by exploiting a principal component analysis (PCA) and a heatmap with a hierarchical cluster analysis. The co-fermentation with Kluyveromyces marxianus SP-1 and K remarkably enhanced the LAB strain growth and acid production, improving the rheological attributes, whereas that of yeast along with XPL-1 as a mullite starter could reduce the beany odor. PCA chart displayed that higher amounts of alcohols, ketones, acids, and esters that significantly improved the flavor quality of FSM beverages were generated throughout the co-fermentation process. The co-fermentation with Pichia amenthionina Y generated the highest acetoin (36.19%) and diacetyl (2.02%), thus improving the overall acceptance of FSM, as well as the sensory characteristics of FSM beverages with the highest umami, sweet, odorless amino acids, and umami nucleotides, and the lowest content of alcohol and inosine. Taken together, the co-fermentation of Pichia amenthionina Y along with XPL-1 within SM provides novel insights regarding the development of FSM and fermented beverages.
Fermented soybean products are gaining attention in the food industry owing to their nutritive value and health benefits. In this study, we performed genomic analysis and physiological characterization of two Debaryomyces spp. yeast isolates obtained from the traditional Korean fermented soy sauce “ganjang”. Both Debaryomyces hansenii ganjang isolates KD2 and C11 showed halotolerance to concentrations of up to 15% NaCl and improved growth in the presence of salt. Ploidy and whole-genome sequencing analyses indicated that the KD2 genome is haploid, whereas the C11 genome is heterozygous diploid with two distinctive subgenomes. Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis using intron sequences indicated that the C11 strain was generated via hybridization between D. hansenii and D. tyrocola ancestor strains. The D. hansenii KD2 and D. hansenii-hybrid C11 produced various volatile flavor compounds associated with butter, caramel, cheese, and fruits, and showed high bioconversion activity from ferulic acid to 4-vinylguaiacol, a characteristic flavor compound of soybean products. Both KD2 and C11 exhibited viability in the presence of bile salts and at low pH and showed immunomodulatory activity to induce high levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. The safety of the yeast isolates was confirmed by analyzing virulence and acute oral toxicity. Together, the D. hansenii ganjang isolates possess physiological properties beneficial for improving the flavor and nutritional value of fermented products.
Flavonoids are a group of natural polyphenol substances abundant in vegetables, fruits, grains, and tea. As plant secondary metabolites, flavonoids play essential roles in many biological processes and responses to environmental factors in plants. Flavonoids are common in human diets and have antioxidant effects as well as other bioactivities (e.g., antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties), which reduce the risk of disease. Flavonoid bioactivity depends on structural substitution patterns in their C6-C3-C6 rings. However, reviews of plant flavonoid distribution and biosynthesis, as well as the health benefits of its bioactivity, remain scarce. Therefore, in the present review, we systematically summarize recent progress in the research of plant flavonoids, focusing on their biosynthesis (pathway and transcription factors) and bioactive mechanisms based on epidemic evidence, in vitro and in vivo research, and bioavailability in the human body. We also discuss future opportunities in flavonoid research, including biotechnology, therapeutic phytoproducts, and dietary flavonoids.
The use of non-conventional yeasts could be an interesting source of biodiversity for developing innovative fermented beverages. Here, 43 wild yeast strains belonging to different genera such as Lachancea, Kluyveromyces, Torulaspora, Metschnikowia, Kazachstania, Brettanomyces, Pichia, Candida, Hanseniaspora, Rhodotorula, Rodosporidobolus and Saccharomyces, previously evaluated for their probiotic traits, have been tested for craft beer production. Different experimental lines were carried out to develop a new beverage which could combine increased aromatic characteristics and improved nutritional properties: i) beers produced from pils wort (PW); ii) beers from pils wort enriched with lentil (PLW) or chickpea flour extracts (PCW).
PW beer trials were characterized by a low ethanol content. The PCW results in beer with an unpleasant aromatic taste, while the presence of lentil (PLW) confers effective fermentative characters and pleasant aromatic notes to the final beers.
The selected strains Lachancea thermotolerans, Kazachstania unispora and Saccharomyces cerevisiae determined a significantly increase in the main aromatic compounds such as ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate and higher alcohols in PLW. The sensorial profile indicated that the beers were characterized with emphasized aromatic attributes. The yeasts selected here, could contribute to obtain a premium craft beer, with highly nutritional and functional characteristics, with a distinctive aromatic character.
Ninety-two yeasts isolated from cheeses and different dairies in the Marche region (Italy) were identified and characterized as potential functional co-starter cultures. The prevalent isolates were Debaryomyces hansenii (58%), Candida zeylanoides (25%) and Yarrowia lipolytica (5.5%), while other species belonging to the Candida, Kluyveromyces, Moniliella and Yamadazyma genera were minorities. The yeasts identified were subjected to typing analysis with the purpose of clustering the biotypes to detect the strain specificity for each dairy. Furthermore, the occurrence of some functional and/or probiotic properties was evaluated. D. hansenii, C. zeylanoides and Y. lipolytica showed 16, 4 and 2 different biotypes, respectively. Y. lipolytica biotype II and Candida parapsilosis biotype I exhibited high antioxidant activities. The unique Kluyveromyces lactis biotype showed a minimal ability to grow in the presence of bile salts at 37 °C and pH 2.5, but it exhibited high antioxidant activity. Most of the D. hansenii and C. zeylanoides biotypes showed relevant preliminary probiotic and technological traits. Thus, considering these preliminary evaluations, selected strains of C. zeylanoides, Y. lipolytica and K. lactis could be proposed in association with lactic acid bacteria as innovative co-starters that are able to develop functional cheeses characterized by a distinctive aroma.
Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and honeybush (Cyclopia species) are popular indigenous herbal teas originating from South Africa. Both are enjoyed for their taste and aroma and more importantly, valued for their medicinal properties such as antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory activity. In the European Union, rooibos and honeybush are protected as Geographical Indications. The Geographical Indication refers to products with unique characteristics that are related to their geographical origin. The authentication of products labelled as GIs is regarded as an issue of food quality and safety. Routine quality control procedures of GIs products prevent their fraud and counterfeiting on the market. However, techniques to determine adulteration or mislabelling of rooibos and honeybush do not exist yet. Therefore, in this study, the authentication of rooibos and honeybush based on their elemental composition was investigated. The methodology presented in this study combines energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) for elemental analysis and a one-class classification approach. Elemental composition of plant material highly depends on soil on which the plant has been grown, but also on some other factors such as, e.g., atmospheric pollution, or plant metabolism. Determination of the elemental composition of the samples by EDXRF is non-destructive and does not require any complex sample preparation. One-class classification methods are well suited for authentication and origin verification problems. Based on the EDXRF data of samples from studied teas, individual class models were constructed for rooibos and honeybush. Several linear and nonlinear classification techniques were tested in order to find the model that handles the authentication task the best. For honeybush tea, the best classification results were obtained with the use of a nonlinear method based on Potential Functions. For rooibos tea, the highest classification outcomes were obtained by nonlinear One Class Partial Least Squares (OC-PLS) and the machine learning technique, Support Vector Domain Description (SVDD). The methodology implemented in the present study has the potential to be successfully applied for routine authentication of honeybush and rooibos teas.
Inflammatory bowel disease comprises a series of related conditions characterized by idiopathic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. To develop therapeutic agents to combat these conditions, a better understanding of the inflammatory mechanisms is of paramount importance. Isoorientin is a c-glycosylflavone common to plants such as Phyllostachys japonicus and buckwheat. While it has been documented to exhibit multiple biological activities, its effects on inflammatory bowel disease, and the potential regulatory mechanism remain to be explored. We have shown here that isoorientin relieves the intestinal tissue injury and decreases the activity and expression of myeloperoxidase in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-exposed rats. Furthermore, isoorientin alleviated cytokine secretion in rats after trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid exposure. Also, isoorientin suppressed the levels of the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat-containing protein family and enhanced the Nrf2/NQO1 pathway in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced bowel disease. In conclusion, isoorientin could serve as a promising drug for the treatment of chronic enteritis.
There are mainly two options for the dealcoholization of beer: evaporation of ethanol by heat treatment, whereby desired aroma-active compounds are also removed, and stopped fermentation that leads to beers still containing high amounts of unfermented sugar in parallel with lower amounts of aroma-active fermentation products. Thus, dry-hopping could be an opportunity to compensate these aroma deficiencies. Therefore, following the sensomics approach, odorants were characterized in dry-hopped (Hallertauer Mandarina Bavaria, Hallertauer Cascade, or Hallertauer Mittelfrüh) top- and bottom-fermented alcohol-free beers either after thermal dealcoholization or stopped fermentation. Twenty-three odorants were quantitated via stable isotope dilution analysis and odor activity values (OAVs; ratio of concentration to odor threshold) were calculated. Thermally dealcoholized samples showed high losses (up to 100%) of key odorants like 3-methyl-1-butanol or 3-methylbutyl acetate. During stopped fermentation, aroma compounds like ethyl butanoate or 2-phenylethanol were formed in relevant concentrations, leading to OAVs ≥ 1, but the amounts were significantly lower compared to beers with normal alcohol contents. For hop-derived odorants (linalool, geraniol, myrcene, esters), transfer rates between 20% and 90% were found, leading to OAVs ≥ 1 in beer. Furthermore, hop addition apparently induced the formation of ethyl esters of hop-derived monocarboxylic acids.
Insulin is important for brain function and neuronal survival. Insulin signaling is initiated by the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate‐1 (IRS‐1) at tyrosine (pTyr) residue. However, IRS‐1 is inhibited by phosphorylation at serine (pSer). In Alzheimer's disease (AD), oxidative stress and accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) induce neuroinflammation, which augments pSer‐IRS‐1 and reduces pTyr‐IRS‐1 disturbing insulin signaling pathway. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and biotin possess antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties, and, in this study, their impact on insulin signaling is investigated in an aluminium chloride (AlCl3) model of AD. AD was induced by oral administration of AlCl3 (75 mg/kg) for 60 days. Biotin (2 mg/kg), CoQ10 (10 mg/kg), and their combination were supplemented concomitantly with AlCl3 for 60 days. Memory test and histological examination were performed. Brain levels of lipid peroxides, antioxidants (reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase), inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐6 [IL‐6], IL‐1, and nuclear factor κB), and phosphorylated Akt (survival kinase) as well as protein levels of Aβ, IRS‐1 (pTyr and pSer), and caspase‐3 (apoptotic marker) were determined. AlCl3 resulted in impaired memory, significant increase in Aβ, lipid peroxides, inflammatory markers, caspase‐3, and pSer‐IRS‐1, with significant reduction of the antioxidants, pTyr‐IRS‐1, and p‐Akt reflecting Aβ‐induced inflammation and defective insulin signaling. Histological examination revealed focal aggregations of inflammatory cells and neuronal degeneration. The biochemical deviations and histological changes were attenuated by the concomitant treatment with biotin and, to greater extent, with CoQ10 and the combination. In conclusion, biotin and CoQ10 could protect against AD via attenuating inflammatory response and enhancing insulin signaling.
Foodborne diseases can be highlighted as one of the most significant health concerns among the last decades. Probiotic food products can be considered as the promising approaches for modulating of gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota due to their interactions within the GIT. However, no comprehensive review regarding the involved mechanisms in inhibiting foodborne pathogens in foods by probiotics, besides their interaction is available.
Scope and Approach
The current article provides an overview considering the interactions between probiotics and pathogens in hosts as well as in foods aiming to gain insights regarding relevant properties to be used in further developments of probiotic-based food products.
Key findings and conclusions
The interaction between probiotics and pathogens in foods and in the hosts and different mechanism of probiotics in control of enteric pathogens colonization were reviewed in the current study. While the mechanisms of action correlated with probiotic strains in the GIT are diverse and well-studied, their interactions with pathogens in foods is overlooked. Revealing how probiotic strains interact with foodborne pathogens in foods is of key relevance in a contemporary context that demand the development of more robust formulations. Although several mechanisms such as production of substances such as organic acids, bacteriocins, and hydrogen peroxide have been suggested regarding probiotics actions in food matrices, still substantial challenges exist concerning the molecular mode of their antimicrobial action. Additionally, it is required to comprehend the appreciate dose, species, and a combination of probiotics in controlling the pathogens.
Consumption of soy milk has greatly increased in Asian countries due to its multifaceted health benefits. However, soy contains a negligible amount of riboflavin (B2) which participates in a wide range of biological redox reactions and its deficiency in the human diet leads to oxidative stress which results in various health complications. Moreover, oxidative stress triggers gut leakage and causes a metabolic imbalance which ultimately may alter the gut composition. Lately, B2 has been recognized as a substance that can affect the microbiome on the basis of redox-mediated prebiotic potential, but its underlying mechanism has not yet been elucidated. In previous studies, it was discovered that the gut microbiota of the large intestine can be a B2 vitamin supplier to the body of the host. Based on these facts a few studies have reported the development of novel fermented soy milk by using a B2-producing Lactobacillus strain to restore the B2 deficiency in depletion–repletion and preventive mice models. The design of soybean-based functional B2 biofortified milk constitutes an interesting alternative to existing fortification methods. The research strategy offers an economically feasible biotechnological alternative that could be easily adopted by the food industries to develop novel vitamin-enriched functional foods with enhanced nutrition value as well as increased consumer appeal. Moreover, the inclusion of B2 in the prebiotic category can afford a more rational basis for the credentials of novel prebiotic compounds for modulating the gut microbiota. This chapter focuses on the prebiotic potential of the essential vitamin B2 based on its redox-mediated gut modulation.
Now in two volumes and containing more than seventy chapters, the second edition of Fruit and Vegetable Phytochemicals: Chemistry, Nutritional Value and Stability has been greatly revised and expanded. Written by hundreds of experts from across the world, the chapters cover diverse aspects of chemistry and biological functions, the influence of postharvest technologies, analysis methods and important phytochemicals in more than thirty fruits and vegetables. Providing readers with a comprehensive and cutting-edge description of the metabolism and molecular mechanisms associated with the beneficial effects of phytochemicals for human health, this is the perfect resource not only for students and teachers but also researchers, physicians and the public in general.
Cereal-based fermented beverages are non-dairy products which are considered possible carriers for probiotic strains and alternatives for use by vegans and lactose-intolerant consumers. In the present work, the commercial probiotic, Lactobacillus paracasei LBC-81, was used singly and in co-culture with potential probiotic yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae CCMA 0731, S. cerevisiae CCMA 0732, and Pichia kluyveri CCMA 0615, to ferment a maize-based substrate. All tested strains showed viability higher than 6 log CFU/mL, as recommended for food probiotic products, except for the yeast P. kluyveri which decreased during fermentation and storage time. A reduction in pH value, from approximately 7 to 4, was observed. This decrease was due organic acid production, which did not affect the microbial viability. Lactic and acetic acids were the main organic acids produced during fermentation, and they decreased over 28 days of storage (<0.5 and 0.1 g/L for lactic and acetic acids, respectively). Ethanol was detected in the S. cerevisiae assays; however, the content was <5 g/L in a non-alcoholic beverage. Seventy volatile compounds were detected, including acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, and other compounds. Sensory analysis showed score of 5.93–4.57, respectively for appearance and taste. This is an important result, considering that the beverage had no flavoring additive and lacked a sweet taste. Therefore, probiotic beverages were successfully obtained by maize fermentation inoculated with co-culture of S. cerevisiae (CCMA 0731 or CCMA 0732) and L. paracasei LBC-81.
Plant-based foods are gaining popularity and the market is developing fast. This trend is based on several factors, like the change of lifestyle, interest in alternative diets, and the increasing awareness about sustainable production of food and especially proteins. Plant-based dairy substitutes can serve as an option to traditional food products, meeting many of these interests. However, the market is in its infancy and needs to progress. Trends show, that the market will change from being focused on mainly soya, almond and rice-based products, due to their unsustainable farming, and nutritional concerns, like genetic modification and low protein content. The market is likely to shift towards alternative plants to meet consumers' needs and desire for healthy, flavourful and intriguing products. In this regard, the aspect of allergy-free, like gluten-free products gain in importance. Research studies are approaching the nutritional quality of plant-based dairy substitutes, such as improving the protein quality and glycaemic properties. Furthermore, the application of these products or plant proteins as functional ingredients or substitutes for cow's milk in dairy products like cheese and yoghurt are disseminated. However, there is still a need for much more diversified studies in order to overcome stability, textural, nutritional and sensory problems.
Cachaça is the typical Brazilian spirit, obtained by distillation of fermented sugarcane must, whose production is closely related to regional heritage and geographical traits. In this work, we investigate the influence of different autochthonous yeast species, in comparison to other commercial strains, on the chemical profile of cachaça. Fermentations were performed with four different wild species, a mixed starter culture with native yeasts, and two commercial strains. Procedures were carried out simulating traditional practices, the distillates analyzed by gas chromatography, and results data analyzed by multivariate statistics. Results show that the overgrowth of some non-Saccharomyces during fermentation can lead to higher concentration of contaminant compounds in the distillate. However, those microorganisms do not impress negative traits when working in cluster association, and may indeed contribute to the distinctive chemical quality and flavor of cachaça. Spontaneous fermentation are still the traditional method used for the production of cachaça, and our results indeed suggest that higher diversity, and evened fermentative environments, enable yeasts to act as a complex cluster and imprint a distinctive, quality chemical profile to the distillate. Finally, this study may help to understand the role of the native microbiota and its influence on cachaça’s chemical and sensory profiles, besides demonstrating the importance of adopting insightful handling practices and strict control of technical guidelines.
Plant-based or non-dairy milk alternative is the fast growing segment in newer food product development category of functional and specialty beverage across the globe. Nowadays, cow milk allergy, lactose intolerance, calorie concern and prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, more preference to vegan diets has influenced consumers towards choosing cow milk alternatives. Plant-based milk alternatives are a rising trend, which can serve as an inexpensive alternate to poor economic group of developing countries and in places, where cow’s milk supply is insufficient. Though numerous types of innovative food beverages from plant sources are being exploited for cow milk alternative, many of these faces some/any type of technological issues; either related to processing or preservation. Majority of these milk alternatives lack nutritional balance when compared to bovine milk, however they contain functionally active components with health promoting properties which attracts health conscious consumers. In case of legume based milk alternatives, sensory acceptability is a major limiting factor for its wide popularity. New and advanced non-thermal processing technologies such as ultra high temperature treatment, ultra high pressure homogenization, pulsed electric field processing are being researched for tackling the problems related to increase of shelf life, emulsion stability, nutritional completeness and sensory acceptability of the final product. Concerted research efforts are required in coming years in functional beverages segment to prepare tailor-made newer products which are palatable as well as nutritionally adequate.
Diets high in glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) have been associated with a higher diabetes risk. Beer explained a large proportion of variation in GI in a Finnish and an American study. However, few beers have been tested according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) methodology. We tested the GI of beer and estimated its contribution to dietary GI and GL in the Netherlands. GI testing of pilsner beer (Pilsner Urquell) was conducted at The University of Sydney according to ISO international standards with glucose as the reference food. Subsequently, GI and GL values were assigned to 2556 food items in the 2011 Dutch food composition table using a six-step methodology and consulting four databases. This table was linked to dietary data from 2106 adults in the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 2007–2010. Stepwise linear regression identified contribution to inter-individual variation in dietary GI and GL. The GI of pilsner beer was 89 (
sd
5). Beer consumption contributed to 9·6 and 5·3 % inter-individual variation in GI and GL, respectively. Other foods that contributed to the inter-individual variation in GI and GL included potatoes, bread, soft drinks, sugar, candy, wine, coffee and tea. The results were more pronounced in men than in women. In conclusion, beer is a high-GI food. Despite its relatively low carbohydrate content (approximately 4–5 g/100 ml), it still made a contribution to dietary GL, especially in men. Next to potatoes, bread, sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages, beer captured a considerable proportion of between-person variability in GI and GL in the Dutch diet.
Rooibos, produced from the endemic South African fynbos plant, Aspalathus linearis, has become popular on the global markets as a caffeine-free herbal tea and antioxidant food ingredient. It is mostly sold in fermented form, but a demand exists for unfermented (green) rooibos due to its higher antioxidant activity. The major antioxidant in the unprocessed plant material is the novel C-glucoside dihydrochalcone, aspalathin, which is highly susceptible to oxidation during processing of the plant material. Common food ingredients such as citric acid and ascorbic acid improved both its stability during heat sterilization and the shelf-life of ready-to-drink rooibos iced teas. Oxidation of aspalathin plays a key role in the development of the characteristic red-brown color of fermented rooibos. Its oxidation products include the flavones, isoorientin and orientin, colorless dimers, yellow dibenzofurans and unidentified brown polymers. The flavones are less active than aspalathin as radical scavengers and inhibitors of lipid peroxidation.