Elif Ekiz

Although the development of fermented plant-based milk alternatives has become quite popular, the relatively low nutritional value and functional properties of these products present significant challenges. This situation is driving the search for alternative protein sources to improve the quality of plant-based products, and legume proteins are attracting attention as promising components. Accordingly, this study aimed to enrich oat-based vegan yogurt alternatives with different legume protein isolates and evaluate their effects on product quality. In the present study, physicochemical, microbiological, antioxidant capacity, FAA profile, peptide profile, and FTIR analyses were performed on vegan yogurts produced using oat milk as well as mung bean and black bean protein isolates. It was determined that different plant protein isolates used in vegan yogurt production had a statistically very significant (n = 2, p < 0.01) effect on dry matter, protein, pH, L. acidophilus, antioxidant capacity, and all FAA profiles except asparagine and aspartic acid. The addition of legume protein isolates to vegan yogurts contributed to an increase in dry matter content (11.57–14.14%), protein content (2.92–5.20%), ash content (0.22–0.32%), and pH value (4.49–4.59) compared to the control group. Similar effects were also observed in S. thermophilus count (5.79–6.38 log cfu/g), L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus count (5.72–6.43 log cfu/g), DPPH inhibition (10.29–19.93%), and ABTS inhibition (14.66–28.48%). It was determined that the addition of mung bean protein isolate (MBPI-2 and MBPI-4), compared to black bean protein isolate, contributed more to nutritional properties in vegan oat yogurt samples. Vegan yogurts were found to match more frequently with antioxidant, ACE inhibitor, DPP III, and DPP IV inhibitor activity in potential bioactivity predictions. FTIR analysis revealed that using different legume protein isolates in vegan yogurt production did not result in the formation of new absorption bands, but it did affect the intensity of existing regional bands. In conclusion, the addition of different legume protein isolates to oat yogurt was found to generally contribute positively to the parameters examined and represents a promising approach for individuals who cannot consume cow milk due to health problems, as well as for vegans.

In the current study, the impacts of using cumin (0.5% and 1%, w/w) in beef meatballs on heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) formation and some quality characteristics when cooked at 150 and 250 °C were investigated. It was found that using of cumin at different ratios in beef meatballs showed a significant (p < 0.01) effect on pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive (TBARS) value, and total HAA. The cooking process significantly (p < 0.01) affected the meatballs’ water content, pH, and TBARS values, while the cooking loss and total HAA content of meatballs were significantly (p < 0.01) affected by cooking temperature. It was found that the cumin usage rate in meatballs increased the pH value, while it was found to decrease the TBARS value. As expected, the cooking process was associated with a reduction in water, while it was found to result in an increase in the pH and TBARS values. On the other hand, both cooking temperature and cumin addition to meatballs led to an increase in their total HAA content. Diverse samples exhibited detectable levels of IQx, MeIQx, MeIQ, and PhIP compounds. The presence of MeIQx compound was found in all samples, except for the control group cooked at 150 °C. Additionally, the use of 0.5% and 1% cumin in meatballs cooked at temperature of 250 °C had an inhibitory effect on MeIQx compound. Our results revealed that the incorporation of cumin in the meatballs resulted in an increase in the total HAA content, likely due to its prooxidant effect. However, it was found that the use of cumin at certain rates could reduce the formation of MeIQx compound with an antioxidant effect. However, in this study found that even if 100 g of meatballs with the highest concentration of total HAA were consumed, the maximum HAA exposure limit value (0–15 µg/day) was not exceeded.

Summary: Microbiota plays an essential role in human development and body homeostasis. Individual and environmental variables influence the diversity of microbiota, which performs crucial biochemical activities in the human body and influences health status and disease in later years. Many diseases in adulthood may be prevented or treated if the relationship between the microbiome, nutrition, especially the immune system, and growth and development could be fully understood. For a healthy gut microbiota, the diet‐related changes in the core microbiota must be long‐lasting, achieving permanence in microbiota change. This process is possible by maintaining a sustainable diet and adhering to this diet for a long time. Therefore, this study reviewed the relationship between nutrition, microbiota, and various life‐threatening diseases.

Summary: The impact of using chia seeds at different rates (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%) in meatball on the water content, pH and lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS), cooking loss and heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) content of meatballs cooked at 150, 200, and 250 °C was investigated. The chia seed significantly affected water content (P < 0.01), cooking loss (P < 0.05), pH (P < 0.05) and total HAAs content (P < 0.01), whereas no significant impact (P > 0.05) was detected on TBARS value. With cooking, water content decreased (P < 0.01), while the pH and TBARS values increased (P < 0.01). Cooking temperatures significantly affected (P < 0.01) the water content, cooking loss and total HAAs content. The content of total HAAs of the meatballs increased with increasing the cooking temperature. The results illustrated that IQ, 7,8‐DiMeIQx, 4,8‐DiMeIQx, AαC and MeAαC were below the detectable limit (<LOD) in all samples, while MeIQx was the dominant compound among the detected HAAs compounds. The research indicated that the use of chia seeds increased the total HAA content, and the highest level was found in meatballs prepared with 1% chia seeds.

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are mutagenic/carcinogenic compounds that can be formed during the cooking process of proteinaceous foods such as meat. Therefore, it is needed to inhibit or reduce their formations in cooked meats. Hereby, the effects of sumac usage (0.5%, w/w) in beef meatball preparation on the formation of HAAs and some quality parameters (water, pH, cooking loss, and lipid oxidation values) of meatballs cooked at 150 and 250 °C were investigated. The sumac usage caused a reduction in pH (p < 0.01), cooking loss (p < 0.05), lipid oxidation level (TBARS, p < 0.01), and total HAA amount (p < 0.05) of the samples. In addition, increasing the cooking temperature significantly decreased the pH value (p < 0.01) and increased the cooking loss (p < 0.05) of the samples. Only one compound, 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo [4,5-ƒ]quinoxaline (MeIQx), from nine different HAAs studied in this study, could be determined, and the levels of the other HAAs studied were lower than their detection limits. On the other hand, MeIQx was not detected in the samples cooked at 150 °C, it was only determined in the control group samples cooked at 250 °C. The sumac usage completely inhibited MeIQx formation in the samples. Due to its positive effect on cooking loss value, lipid oxidation level, and MeIQx formation, it can be suggested to use sumac powder in meatball preparation.