Pattavara Pathomrungsiyounggul

The development of functional ingredients from perishable tropical fruits supports sustainable food systems by reducing postharvest losses while retaining bioactive compounds. This study developed and optimized black lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) extracted powder (BLEP) by spray drying and evaluated its physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant stability during storage. A 2² factorial design was employed to investigate the effects of maltodextrin concentration (5–30%) and inlet temperature (160–200 °C). Graphical optimization using an overlay plot identified 17.80% maltodextrin and an inlet temperature of 200 °C as the best compromise among the significant responses within the range tested. The optimized BLEP contained vanillic acid and epicatechin as the predominant phenolic compounds together with essential amino acids, including leucine. Degree of glycation (DG) and HMF were measured as indirect indicators of Maillard reaction progress. Over six months at 4, 25, 35, and 45 °C, color parameters, DG, and HMF remained stable, whereas total phenolic content (TPC) declined from 437.11 to 225–252 mg GAE/100 g db and ABTS radical scavenging activity declined progressively. TPC was strongly associated with antioxidant capacity (r = 0.914 with ABTS, p < 0.01), and its degradation followed zero-order kinetics (adjusted R² = 0.931–0.971) with a predicted half-life (L₅₀) of 199–220 days. The optimized powder therefore showed good physical and chromatic stability with partial loss of antioxidant-related compounds over time.

Honeybee brood is a nutrient-rich food source containing natural umami-active compounds, such as glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and 5′-nucleotides, which are responsible for its characteristic umami taste. This study aimed to optimize drying conditions to enhance the umami composition and sensory properties of honeybee brood umami powder (HBb-UP). A factorial design was employed to evaluate the effects of drying temperature and time on umami-related amino acids, 5′-nucleotides, and equivalent umami concentration (EUC). Drying temperature and time significantly influenced the formation of umami compounds, with the optimized drying condition (65 °C for 3 h) promoting higher umami composition and improved sensory attributes of HBb-UP. Volatile flavor analysis using GC–MS and an electronic nose revealed a diverse range of aroma compounds contributing to the overall flavor profile. Descriptive sensory evaluation and electronic tongue analysis indicated that umami and saltiness were the dominant taste attributes, accompanied by mild seasoning and fishy notes associated with interactions between amino acids and nucleotides. Principal component analysis demonstrated positive correlations among umami-related amino acids, nucleotides, EUC, and sensory attributes, confirming their combined contribution to taste perception. These findings highlight the potential of optimized HBb-UP as a natural flavor enhancer and functional ingredient for use in sustainable food systems.

Thermal aging is an effective strategy for improving the functional properties of fruit-based ingredients via physicochemical modifications. This research investigates the effect of thermal aging on the physicochemical, antioxidant, and Maillard conjugation properties of dried lychee pulp aged at 50, 60, 70, and 80 °C for 20 days under controlled relative humidity. Comprehensive analyses were performed, including total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), individual phenolic profiles, saccharide composition, free amino acid content, degree of glycation (DG), peptide molecular weight distribution, and antioxidant activity assessed by ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. The results demonstrated that aging at moderate temperatures (60–70 °C) significantly enhanced TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity, alongside an increased degree of glycation, peaking at approximately 47% at 70 °C. Principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed strong correlations between these compositional changes and antioxidant responses. In contrast, aging at 80 °C led to the degradation of thermolabile phenolics, sugars, and amino acids, resulting in reduced antioxidant activity compared with non-aged samples. Overall, the results highlight a temperature-dependent balance between constructive Maillard conjugation and thermal degradation, identifying 60–70 °C as an optimal aging range for improving the functional quality of dried lychee pulp. These findings provide mechanistic insight into thermal modulation of fruit bioactivity and support the potential application of controlled thermal aging in the development of value-added functional food ingredients.

Honeybee brood biopeptides (HBb-Bps) are a novel source of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. In this study, HBb-Bps were conjugated with honey via a Maillard reaction and their physicochemical properties, digestive stability, antioxidant capacity, and anti-obesogenic effects were evaluated. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion revealed significantly enhanced resistance after conjugation, with the residual content increasing from 46.99% for native HBb-Bps to 86.12% for the honey-conjugated forms; furthermore, antioxidant activity was largely preserved according to the DPPH and ABTS assays. In the in vivo experiments, 30 male BrlHan: WIST@Jcl (GALAS) (Wistar) rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce obesity and orally administered honey-conjugated HBb-Bps at doses of 200, 500, or 1000 mg/kg body weight for 16 weeks. The highest dose led to significant reductions in body weight gain, the Lee index, and body mass index. The serum lipid profiles markedly improved, with decreases in the total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL levels, as well as cardiovascular risk indices. Furthermore, fecal analysis showed increased levels of short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyrate. These changes suggest enhanced gut microbial activity; however, the prebiotic effects were inferred from the SCFA profiles, as the gut microbiota composition was not directly analyzed. In conclusion, honey-conjugated HBb-Bps improve gastrointestinal stability and exhibit antioxidant, hypolipidemic, and gut-modulating effects, supporting their potential use as functional ingredients for managing diet-induced metabolic disorders.

Edible insect honeybee brood and natural honey are rich in proteins and saccharides, with inherent bioactive properties such as antioxidant activity. To enhance their antioxidative potential under simple thermal conditions, this research employed spontaneous aging via a moist-dried heating process, primarily driven by the Maillard reaction. Honeybee brood bio-peptides (HBb-BPs), produced through Rhizopus oligosporus fermentation, were mixed with honey in varying ratios of 70:30, 50:50, and 30:70 (%w/w). The mixtures underwent interaction under controlled conditions (60 °C for 20 days at ~75% relative humidity). A comparative analysis was performed on the mixtures before and after the thermal interaction, focusing on chemical characterization and antioxidant activity (ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays). Results revealed that the post-process mixtures exhibited significantly enhanced antioxidant activity, with higher honey concentrations correlating to greater antioxidative effects. Furthermore, allulose and mannose were detected after processing, while levels of fructose, glucose, and free amino acids decreased. These changes likely indicate the formation of complex compounds, molecular rearrangements, and the production of phenolic compounds that contributed to the increased antioxidative capacity. This study highlights the pivotal role of the Maillard reaction in augmenting antioxidant activity, elucidates changes in sugar–amino acid interactions, and validates the effectiveness of the moist-dried heating process. These findings provide valuable insights for potential future applications of this simple and scalable method.

This study addresses the growing interest in natural functional ingredients by evaluating the prebiotic and health-promoting functions of honeybee brood biopeptides (HBb-Bps) and their conjugates. The purpose was to investigate their antioxidant activities, enzyme inhibition properties, and effects on probiotic growth and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. The HBb-Bps were conjugated with honey, glucose, and fructose via the Maillard reaction. Antioxidant activities were assessed using DPPH and ABTS assays. The inhibitory effects on amylase, pancreatic lipase, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) were measured. Probiotic growth and SCFA production were evaluated using L. plantarum TISTR846, and L. lactis TISTR1464. The HBb-Bps and their conjugates exhibited enhanced antioxidant activities post-Maillard reaction. They showed moderate enzyme inhibition, which decreased after conjugation. However, ACE inhibition increased with conjugation. The HBb-Bps significantly promoted probiotic growth and SCFA production, with further enhancement by the Maillard reaction. Overall, the HBb-Bps and their conjugates demonstrate significant prebiotic and health-promoting functions, suggesting their potential as natural ingredients in functional foods and nutraceuticals. Further research should focus on the in vivo effects and, given their solubility and stability these biopeptides could be incorporated into functional food formulations, such as health beverages, protein bars, and other fortified foods designed to deliver specific health benefits.

This study investigated the formation of soy protein isolate hydrolysate–yeast cell extract (SPIH-YCE) conjugates through a humid–dry heating process and their impact on bioactivity. The incubation of SPIH-YCE samples at 60 °C and ~75% humidity for varying durations (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 days) resulted in a significant decrease in reducing sugars and free amino acids, while the degree of glycation increased by approximately 65.72% after 10 days. SDS-PAGE analysis and size exclusion chromatography revealed the presence of peptides and glycoprotein molecules, with an increase in the distribution of larger peptide size chains. The conjugated SPIH-YCE (10 days) exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity compared to the other samples at different incubation times. A comparative study between SPIH-YCE (day 0) and SPIH-YCE after 10 days of incubation showed significantly higher anti-inflammatory and ACE inhibitory activities for the conjugates subjected to the humid–dry heating process. This suggests that SPIH-YCE conjugates could serve as an alternative substance with the potential to provide health benefits by mitigating or preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This research highlights the importance of the Maillard reaction in enhancing bioactivity and offers insights into the alterations of the chemical structure of these conjugates.

The objective of this research was to improve functional property of rice by fortification with gac aril using vacuum impregnation (VI) process. Effects of rice variety, preparation method and VI condition on gac aril fortified rice quality were investigated. Sao Hai (SH) and Khaw Dok Mali 105 (KDML 105) were prepared to achieve polished and unpolished rice. The samples were impregnated with 30% gac aril solution under VI condition (vacuum pressure 500 mmHg), 0% gac solution was used as a control. After drying, the samples were analyzed for physicochemical property i.e. texture, color L*, a* and b*, total fiber, lycopene, β-carotene and total phenolic (TPC) content and antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) as well as sensory quality (9-point hedonic scale). The results showed that both varieties of unpolished rice had higher hardness and darker colour than polished samples. Unpolished SH impregnated with gac aril showed the highest content of β-carotene (22.10±0.83 mg/g), lycopene (8.38±0.11 µg/g), and TPC (0.24±0.03 mg GAE/g) while antioxidant activity of all gac aril fortified samples were not significantly different (p>0.05) (DPPH value ranged 1.39-1.72 mmol TE/ g) and higher than control. However, sensory evaluation showed that gac fortified unpolished KDML 105 had the highest score of the overall acceptability. Based on all properties, unpolished KDML 105 was chosen for studying the suitable VI condition in further step. Unpolished KDML 105 was soaked in 30% gac aril solution under different vacuum pressures (0, 300 and 500 mmHg) and pressurizing techniques (single and pulse pressure). The dried samples were analyzed and it was found that the high vacuum pressure at 500 mmHg and pulse pressure gave the highest β-carotene (41.41 ± 4.53 mg/g), lycopene (25.07 ±1.74 µg/g) and TPC (0.21±0.03 mg GAE/g) content and DPPH value (2.91±0.90 mmol TE/ g), while physical properties, texture and sensory were not significantly different (p>95%). In addition, glycemic index (GI) of rice after VI process was decreased from 84.24 to 72.04. Finally, it can be concluded that non-polishing process, high vacuum pressure and pulse pressurizing are the suitable condition to prepare gac aril fortified rice. The health benefits of rice are improved with high antioxidant activity and lower GI.