Raciye Meral

In the present study, zein (ZN)-based nanofibers incorporating flaxseed oil (FSO), curcumin (CUR), and gallic acid (GA) were fabricated, systematically characterized, and investigated as active edible coatings for chicken meatballs stored under refrigerated conditions (4 ± 2 °C). Three different nanofiber formulations were developed: curcumin-loaded zein nanofibers (ZNC), zein nanofibers co-loaded with flaxseed oil and curcumin (ZNFC), and zein nanofibers simultaneously incorporating flaxseed oil, curcumin, and gallic acid (ZNFCG). The produced nanofibers exhibited uniform morphologies with average fiber diameters ranging from 135.93 to 338.55 nm and demonstrated high encapsulation efficiencies (97.13–98.03%). Antimicrobial activity against selected foodborne pathogens was confirmed, as evidenced by inhibition zone diameters of 14–16 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration values as low as 0.05 mg/mL. In addition, in vitro release profiles, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity assessed by the DPPH assay were evaluated. Following the application of nanofiber coatings, chicken meatballs were monitored throughout refrigerated storage until the total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB) count reached the microbiological acceptability threshold of 6 log CFU/g. Changes in microbiological quality, including TMAB, total psychrophilic bacteria, and total yeast and mold counts, as well as oxidative stability parameters such as thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values and protein carbonyl content, were systematically analyzed during storage. On the third day of storage, the TMAB count in the uncoated control samples reached 6.11 log CFU/g, whereas ZNFCG-coated samples maintained significantly lower levels (3.40 log CFU/g). Overall, the application of zein-based nanofiber coatings effectively suppressed microbial proliferation and oxidative degradation, with the ZNFCG formulation exhibiting the most pronounced protective effect. These results indicate that multibioactive zein nanofiber coatings, particularly the ZNFCG formulation, have promising potential as a laboratory-scale active coating system for improving the refrigerated storage stability of chicken meatballs. However, further food-contact safety, migration, mechanical integrity, adhesion, and refrigerated-release studies are required before practical or industrial application.

The main objective of this study was to determine the bioaccessibility of bioactive components in gluten-free cookies fortified with rice bran (RB) and quinoa (Q). The data set includes measurements of total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging), and sensory evaluation scores. Cookies containing 15% RB exhibited the highest total phenolic content (0.634 mg GAE g-1) and antioxidant activity (88.13% DPPH inhibition) before digestion. After simulated gastrointestinal digestion, these cookies showed a remarkable increase in antioxidant activity, with a 4.3-fold improvement in DPPH radical scavenging and a 2.53-fold increase in ABTS radical inhibition. Additionally, the addition of 15% quinoa resulted in a 1.58-fold increase in total phenolic content bioaccessibility. In this study, cookie hardness ranged from 35.89 to 62.92 N and increased significantly with the incorporation of RB and Q. A progressive rise in TBA values was noted with increasing levels of RB and Q substitution. Notably, RB15 showed a significantly higher TBA value compared to RB5 and RB10, with a similar pattern also observed in the quinoa group. Sensory evaluation highlighted that cookies with 5% quinoa were the most preferred, receiving the highest scores in overall acceptability. While higher enrichment levels (15% RB or Q) led to superior antioxidant potential and bioaccessibility, these formulations were less favored in sensory evaluation, suggesting a trade-off between nutritional enhancement and consumer acceptance. This study demonstrates that incorporating RB and Q into gluten-free cookies not only enhances their nutritional value and antioxidant properties but also improves their sensory appeal.

This study investigated the effects of maltodextrin-based nanoemulsions as fat substitutes in cookies, focusing on the oxidative stability and physical properties. Full-fat cookies (control, C) and 50% fat-reduced cookies with nanoemulsions (FC) were produced. The addition of nanoemulsions increased the cookie diameter from 46.3 mm (control) to 56.1 mm and reduced the thickness, resulting in a desirable texture. Initial hardness values (30.3 and 45.8 N) were lower in nanoemulsion samples and remained reduced over a 90 day storage period. Black cumin oil-loaded nanoemulsions provided the lowest peroxide values (1.7, 2.7, and 2.4 mequiv O₂/kg), maintaining oxidative stability during storage. Final free fatty acid (FFA) values ranged from 0.23% to 0.44% after storage. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values indicated slower lipid oxidation, with values ranging from 1.47 to 2.51 mg MDA/kg on day 0 and increasing to a maximum of 4.13 mg MDA/kg by day 90 in fat-reduced cookies. Among the tested formulations, nanoemulsions enriched with black cumin oil demonstrated the highest effectiveness, yielding enhanced oxidative stability and improved quality characteristics. This study presents an innovative strategy by utilizing maltodextrin-based nanoemulsions containing naturally antioxidant-rich oils as fat replacers, offering a clean-label alternative to improve the oxidative resilience and physical quality of cookies.

This study explored the effectiveness of fish oil (FO)-loaded nanoemulsions, averaging 197 nm in diameter, as fat substitutes in creating low-calorie cookies. The cookies' diameter, thickness, and spread ratio were measured, ranging from 46.33 to 57.15 mm, 6.45 to 7.51 mm, and 6.16 to 8.86, respectively. Notably, cookies containing nanoemulsions exhibited a significant increase in the spread ratio compared to the control. The control sample had the highest hardness value at 43.81 N, while the nanoemulsion group had the lowest at 26.98 N. The energy value, which was 508 kcal/100 g in the control group, decreased to 442 kcal/100 g in the group containing the nanoemulsion. The total n-3 fatty acid content in cookies rose from 0.46% in the control cookies to 3.90% in the cookies containing nanoemulsion. Sensory evaluations showed that cookies containing fish ol-loaded nanoemulsion received the highest scores, indicating that the fat reduction did not compromise the desired ″greasy″ sensation. This is especially noteworthy, as it showed that the fat content could be reduced by half without compromising the sensory quality. Utilizing FO-loaded nanoemulsions as a fat replacement in fat-reduced baked goods could provide valuable insights for other food products. The findings have significant implications for the food industry, suggesting that healthier, low-calorie baked goods can be developed without sacrificing physical quality and texture. This approach can cater to the growing market demand for health-conscious food options, potentially leading to new product innovations and enhanced nutritional profiles in a variety of food products.

Muscle foods are regarded as nutritionally dense foods while they are prone to spoilage by action of microorganism and oxidation. Recently, the consumer’s preference is mostly toward minimally processed foods as well as preserved with natural preservatives. However, natural extract directly to the food matrix has several drawbacks. Hence development and applications of nanoemulsion has gained importance for the preservation of muscle foods to meet consumer requirements with enhanced food safety. Nanoemulsion utilizes natural extracts at much lower concentration with higher preservative abilities over original components. Nanoemulsions offer protection to the active component from degradation and ensure longer bioavailability. Novel techniques used for formulation of nanoemulsion provide stability to the emulsion with desirable qualities to improve their impacts. The application of nanoemulsion is known to enhance the preservative action of nanoemulsions by improving the microbial safety and oxidative stability in nanoform. This review provides recent updates on different methods used for formulation of nanoemulsions from different sources. Besides, successful application of nanoemulsion derived using natural agents for muscle food preservation and shelf life extension are reviewed. Thus, the application of nanoemulsion to extend shelf life and maintain quality is suggested for muscle foods.

The present study investigated the effects of mulberry on some quality parameters of gluten-free muffins. The muffins were produced containing mulberry 0 (MB0), 5 (MB5), 10, (MB10), and 15% (MB15), respectively. The average specific volume of the MB0 muffin was 2.22 mL g-1, but the muffin volumes decreased to 2.18, 2.06, and 1.99 mL g-1 for other samples. The firmness increased with increased mulberry levels. While the firmness of MB0 was 0.61 kg, it increased to 0.64, 0.65, and 0.71 kg in the MB5, M10, and MB15. The addition of mulberry increased the total phenolic content (TPC) from 8.10 to 31.95 mg GAE g-1. ABTS and DPPH values for MB0 were 32.26 µmol TEAC g-1 and 138.8 µmol TEAC g-1, respectively. They increased to 80.79 and 225.61 µmol TEAC g-1 at MB15 samples. The rutin content of the muffin prepared with 15% mulberry (5.62 mg 100 g1) had five times higher than those of the MB0 muffin (0.94 mg 100 g1). The catechin and quercetin content of gluten-free muffins was very high compared to MB0 samples. Sensory analysis results revealed that mulberry can be successfully incorporated into gluten-free muffin formulations up to 15% ratio without any negative effects on all tested sensory properties.