This study investigates the significance of various parameters, including water content, total acid content, sugar content, polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, anthocyanin content, and flavonoid content, on the quality of apples and their resistance to Penicillium expansum infection and subsequent patulin production. The research was conducted on four apple cultivars, namely, the traditional cultivars 'Wagener' and 'Ilzer Rosenapfel', and the commercial cultivars 'Jonagold' and 'Idared'. Among the cultivars, 'Wagener' demonstrated the highest values for total soluble matter (15.9%), sugar content (15.22 ± 0.03%), total polyphenol content (707.63 ± 22.81 mg/kg), and antioxidant activity (0.29 ± 0.00 mmol TE/kg dw). 'Jonagold' exhibited the highest anthocyanin content (5.76 mg/kg) and total flavonoid content (104.74 ± 3.11 g CE/kg), while 'Idared' displayed the highest acid content (0.13 g/100 g). Furthermore, the presence of patulin, a mycotoxin produced by Penicillium expansum in infected apple fruits, was analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The levels of patulin varied among the cultivars, with 'Wagener' exhibiting the highest concentration (18592 ± 101.82 µg/kg), followed by 'Idared' (4732.4 ± 57.10 µg/kg), 'Jonagold' (292.56 ± 20.93 µg/kg), and 'Ilzer Rosenapfel' (130.92 ± 0.06 µg/kg). In conclusion, the comparative analysis of the data provides valuable insights into the composition, quality attributes, and potential resistance to Penicillium expansum infection among different apple cultivars. These findings have implications for the selection and cultivation of apple varieties with desirable characteristics, such as taste, antioxidant potential, and reduced mycotoxin contamination. This research was funded by the Croatian Science Foundation (UIP-2020-02-8461).

According to the World Health Organization, foodborne illnesses have resulted in millions of cases worldwide and the consumption of unsafe food is responsible for the loss of approximately 33 million healthy years of life, likely underestimated.

Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in global recognition regarding the significance of food safety. It has become increasingly apparent that various hazards, encompassing biological, chemical, and environmental factors, can infiltrate our food supply, including those originating from the marine environment.

Many emerging contaminants including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, plastic-additives, and microplastics, have been present in the environment for years, yet some have only recently been identified, and many of these compounds remain unregulated. Analytical methods have been developed to determine the concentrations, toxicity, and risk of different families of contaminants.

The work to be presented will focus on analytical methods for the assessment of plastic additives and pesticides in fish bought in local supermarkets from the Oporto area (species: Scomber scombrus, Trachurus trachurus, Scomber colias) captured from northeast of the Atlantic Ocean. The QuEChERS extraction methodology and Gas Chromatography were explored and used in a monitoring study of fish samples. The method underwent thorough optimization and validation, demonstrating good performance for Organophosphate Pesticides and Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants. In the final analysis, traces of certain Organophosphate Ester compounds were detected in the Scomber colias species.

The objective of this endeavor was to carry out targeted research aimed at developing analytical methods that facilitate the evaluation of sustainability, safety, and the overall health of fish. By doing so, the goal is to ensure the production of safe and healthy seafood, thereby promoting food and nutrition security for all, in alignment with the principles of the blue economy and sustainable fisheries.

Funding/Acknowledgments

This work has been developed within the scope " Blue Bioeconomy Innovation Pact " (Project No. C644915664-00000026) funded by NextGenerationEU, under the "Agendas for Business Innovation" incentive line of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). This work was supported by projects REQUIMTE/LAQV—UIDB/50006/2020, UIDP/50006/2020, and financed by FCT/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (MCTES) through national funds.

Bread has been present in the human diet since the beginning of history. A new variety of gluten-free bread emerged after the rise of technologies and medical research. A necessary product for the population group that, due to hereditary genetic conditions, allergies or intolerances, is unable to digest gliadins and glutenins. After this new type of bread was launched, the development of ingredients capable of simulating the elastic network of gluten has grown exponentially.

The study aimed to compare and assess the organoleptic quality of three different formulations of gluten-free bread, each with varying amounts of several hydrocolloids, compared to a control sample. The hydrocolloids used in the formulations were hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), psyllium, and xanthan gum.

In the first formulation, the amount of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) was increased, as happened with psyllium in the second. Finally, in the third formulation, the xanthan gum was removed. The conclusions were based on the measurements by texture profile analysis (TPA) and colour in the breadcrumb.

In the TPA analysis a decrease in hardness and gumminess was observed when xanthan gum quantity was removed. At the same time, an increase in adhesiveness was shown in this formulation. By contrast, the gumminess increased when the formula had more psyllium.

Regarding the colour analysis, it was observed that the removal of xanthan gum decreased the value of a*, producing a crumb with less redness. On the other hand, the increase in psyllium had the opposite effect, leading to a redder tone in the crumb.

Interestingly, the increases in HPMC in the formulation did not present significant differences. This suggests that HPMC might not have a pronounced impact on the organoleptic qualities of gluten-free bread in terms of texture and colour.

Platelet function is closely linked with cardiovascular health. Excessive or uncontrolled platelet activation leads to platelet aggregation and formation of a thrombus, and occurrence of acute cardiovascular events.

Certain Mediterranean foods like fish and yogurt are enriched in bioactive polar lipids that can combat inflammation, and thus are regarded as functional foods that may prevent incidence of chronic disease linked with inflammation. Prior research has also confirmed that fermented dairy foods display enhanced anti-platelet activity, for example, ovine or sheep milk has altered antithrombotic activity from in vitro studies.

Thus, the project aim was to assess the effect of an ovine yogurt drink on platelet sensitivity, both in a human trial and in vitro. Briefly, fermented ovine yogurt was prepared by a small Irish business and used in lipid extraction procedures to recover total, neutral and polar lipids. Lipid fractions were tested for platelet inhibition, and following this, volunteers were recruited for a double-blind crossover dietary study.

Overall, in vitro studies proved that lipid fractions of yogurt can inhibit platelet aggregation. Results from dietary intervention showed that YD intake reduces platelet activation against thrombin pathway, compared to placebo. This is notable since yogurt contains relatively low doses of polar lipids, yet a strong anti-platelet effect is observed. However, larger scale studies are required to more robustly establish the effect of yogurt intake on platelet sensitivity, following this interim analysis.

This research aimed to investigate the effect of dietary fiber from pomelo albedo (PF) to improve the nutritional quality of bread. The PF was extracted from pomelo albedo and dried at 65 ^oC for 24 h. Dried PF was milled and then sieved through an 80-mesh screen. The physicochemical properties demonstrated that the total dietary fiber of PF was approximately 76.1% db. The water and oil absorptions of PF were 18.26 and 4.28 g/g dry sample, respectively. The emulsion activity and emulsion stability of PF were about 47 and 46%, respectively. The experiment was designed to investigate the effect of PF content (1-5%) on the quality of wheat bread. The sample with no PF was used as a control. Due to the high-water absorption of PF, the amount of water was measured using a Farinograph as required to reach 500 BU of consistency. The addition of PF in wheat bread for up to 1% did not show a significant difference in loaf-specific volume. The increase of PF significantly increased (P<0.05) crumb firmness and REL but had no effect on crumb porosity. The total dietary fiber of bread increased from 3.96 to 9.02% db when the PF was added up to 5%. Overall, PF has the potential usage in bread-making to increase daily fiber intake. The output of this research suggests that PF can also be used as a source of dietary fiber in other food products and food industrial applications.

Extraction methods such as hot water, alkali, acidic, enzyme-assisted, microwave-assisted, and subcritical water extractions were employed to crude polysaccharides–complex carbohydrates composed of short and long chains of sugar molecules. The extracted polysaccharides could be used as prebiotic, nutrients for gut microorganisms. In this study, a screw press machine and supercritical CO₂-ethanol extractor were employed to defat rambutan seed before extracted crude polysaccharides. Proximate analysis showed that DRS contained carbohydrates of 61.63 %, fat of 18.80%, protein of 10.04%, crude fiber of 5.79%, and ash of 1.87%. The defatted seed powder was extracted by a hot water extraction (HWE) at 100°C as a reference condition. Subcritical water extraction (SCWE) were performed at 120–160°C and initial pressure of 2 MPa. The sample to water ratio of 1:10 (w/w) and extraction time of 60 min were held constant for both methods. To identify the structure, the crude polysaccharides was purified by membrane dialysis to remove small molecules (less than 3.5 kDa) and then anion exchange column to separate mono- and oligosaccharides. The results show that the gravimetric extraction yield of 13.95 % and total sugar of 6.78 g/100 extract were obtained from HWE. For SCWE, the extraction yields were in the range of 22.96–33.95 %, whilst the total sugar were in the range of 15.44–32.41 g/100 extract. Antioxidant activities of crude polysaccharides were measured by DPPH, NO, and ABTS assays. To ensure the prebiotic properties, amounts of inhibitors such as furfural, 5-hydroxy furfural, and total phenolic content of extracted polysaccharides were examined as well. The results from this study could be used for further research and development in industrial production of prebiotic.

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is rich in plant-based foods that provide antioxidants associated with a lower risk of chronic degenerative diseases, with Valencian paella (mainly composed of rice, flat green and lima beans, chicken, rabbit, tomato and olive oil) being one of its most representative dishes. To date, there are few studies that analyse the antioxidant properties in complete dishes and consider both extractable and non-extractable antioxidant fractions. Therefore, this study provides information on the antioxidant properties of paella, evaluating total polyphenols (TP)(Folin-Ciocalteu) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC)(TEAC and ORAC methods) both in extractable and non-extractable fractions. Per 100g, the values for total (extractable+non-extractable) ranged from 835.65 mg GAE /dry weight (DW) in TP, while for TAC they were 1286.80 and 77803.54 µM Trolox/DW, for TEAC and ORAC, respectively, like other MD dishes. Throughout the study, there was a higher prevalence of the non-extractable antioxidant fraction for TAC compared to the extractable fraction in paella and in each of its ingredients, accounting for up to 82% (ranging from 61% to 95%). Additionally, it is worth noting that there was an antioxidant synergy in a complete serving of paella compared to the sum of its ingredients: TP (478.74 vs. 168.37), TEAC (2111.10 vs. 1669.98), and ORAC (127642.42 vs. 47023.59), respectively. The results can contribute to expanding the information present in CAT and TP databases since there are few studies on complete dishes, and these tend to significantly underestimate the total values due to the lack of determination of non-extractable antioxidants.

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have been considered as an important source of curative remedy for many years, due to their potential chemical components which can promote health and prevent diseases. According to TCM, influenza is differentiated into 2 kinds, namely, wind-cold syndrome and wind-heat syndrome. Many traditional Chinese medicinal plants have been found to exert impacts against both cold and influenza viruses. This article included randomized control experiments, observational and analytical designs, and review articles which have been searched in Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The most important antiviral herbs for cold and flue are honey-suckle flowers (Lonicera periclymenum L.), thyme leaf (Thymus vulgaris L.), green chireta (Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. Ex Nees), Calendula (Calendua officinalis L.), and peppermints leaf and oil (Mentha piperita L.). The most notable expectorant herbs for cold and flu are snake root (Ageratina altissima (L.) R.King & H.Rob), tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.), licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra Muhl) and marshmallow osha root (Althea officinalis L.), clove (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry), and sage leaf (Salvia officinalis L.). Immunostimulant herbs for cold and flu are eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globuls Labill), Echinacea root (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench), ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Mey), garlic (Allium sativum L.), marshmallow (Althaea officinalis L.), Isatis root (Isatis tinctoria L.), ginger root (Zingiber officinale Rosc) and myrrh resin (Commiphora myrrha (T.Nees) Engl.). The most famous and practical herbal prescriptions from China are Jinchai, Rorrico, Ge Gen Decoction, Gegen Qinlian Decoction, Xin-Jia-Xiang-Ru-Yin, Yi-Zhi-Hao pellet, IMOD, and Arbidol combination. Traditional Chinese medicinal plants and herbs with antiviral activities and prescriptions which are common in China can be considered for prevention and treatment of influenza and cold.

We examined the effects of informative pitch and multisensory contexts as potential factors influencing individuals’ affective and sensory experience of tofu with soy sauce and the amount consumed in a setting outside the lab. 216 participants watched one of two pitches, either promoting vegetarian diets or promoting exercise. Subsequently, the participants were guided into one of three multisensory contexts. These were designed following a ‘sustainable’, ‘meat’, or ‘neutral’ theme, with matching objects, odor, and music. A cup of soy sauce was served with four pieces of tofu. Participants rated the aroma and appearance of soy sauce, and the taste of tofu dipped in soy sauce using the ‘EmojiGrid’ valence (pleasantness) and arousal measuring tool on a smartphone that allows for quick and intuitive ratings. We hypothesized that the vegetarian pitch and sustainable context would increase both the positive ratings of tofu and soy sauce and the number of tofu pieces consumed. Our results showed that the ‘meat’ context increased arousal rating on soy sauce and tofu, and a tendency to consume more tofu relative to the other contexts. Pitch did not influence affective ratings or amount consumed. We conclude that multisensory context has the potential to positively affect food choice and perception, and discuss which elements of the multisensory context were likely drivers of the found effect.

The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of different ratios of whey protein concentrate (WPC) conjugated with galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) as 2:1, 1:1, and 1:2 and different reaction times (0, 2, 4, and 6 h) on the structural characteristics and functional properties of the WPC-GOS conjugates. The WPC was glycated with GOS via the Maillard reaction using wet-heating treatment. The color development, SDS-PAGE, FTIR, microstructure analysis, and functionality of the WPC-GOS were determined. A glycation degree of up to 30-35 % was achieved after the reaction between WPC and GOS, and treated mixtures WPC-GOS clearly developed color changes due to the Maillard reaction. The WPC-GOS ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 at 4-6 h showed improvement in emulsifying property, and foaming stability. The antioxidative properties of the WPC-GOS conjugate were also significantly enhanced 2-fold at 6 h (inhibition of DPPH, ABTS), 1:2 showed the highest ferrous reducing power (10.12 µmole/g) followed by 1:1 (9.03 µmole/g) and 2:1 (8.89 µmole/g) under the same heating time. This conjugation can be further advantageous in developing food ingredients and novel materials for prebiotic and bioactive compounds.