The increasing interest in plant phenolic compounds in the past few years has become necessary because of their several important physicochemical properties. Thus, their identification through non-destructive methods has become crucial. This study carried out comparative non-destructive measurements of Arabidopsis thaliana leaf powder sample phenolic compounds using Fourier-transform infrared and near-infrared spectroscopic techniques under six distinct stress conditions. The prediction analysis of 600 leaf powder samples under different stress conditions (LED lights and drought) was performed using PLSR, PCR, and NAS-based HLA/GO regression analysis methods. The results obtained through FT-NIR spectroscopy yielded the highest correlation coefficient ($R_p^2$) value of 0.999, with a minimum error (RMSEP) value of 0.003 mg/g, based on the PLSR model using the MSC preprocessing method, which was slightly better than the correlation coefficient ($R_p^2$) value of 0.980 with an error (RMSEP) value of 0.055 mg/g for FT-IR spectroscopy. Additionally, beta coefficient plots present spectral differences and the identification of important spectral signatures sensitive to the phenolic compounds in the measured powdered samples. Thus, the obtained results demonstrated that FT-NIR spectroscopy combined with partial least squares regression (PLSR) and suitable preprocessing method has a solid potential for non-destructively predicting phenolic compounds in Arabidopsis thaliana leaf powder samples.

The present study was focused on the investigation of physiochemical changes in tuna subjected to a novel supercooling preservation, which was assisted using a combination of pulsed electric fields (PEF) and oscillating magnetic fields (OMF). Fresh tuna fillets were stored without freezing at −3.2 °C for 8 days. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) parameter $P_y$ indicated that there was a significant difference between the frozen-thawed samples (36.3%) and fresh (46.6%) and supercooled (45.9%) samples, indicating that cell damage from ice crystal growth did not occur in the supercooled tuna sample. The microstructure observation and drip loss measurement further confirmed that the ice crystal damage was present in frozen tuna, whereas no cellular damage was found in the supercooled samples. The EIS proved its ability to distinguish between tuna samples that were frozen or chilled (i.e., refrigerated and supercooled) during storage; however, it was less sensitive in detecting the extent of spoilage. Instead, the K-value was used to evaluate tuna freshness, and the measured K-values of the refrigerated, supercooled, and frozen tuna samples after 8 days of storage were 74.3%, 26.4%, and 19.9%, respectively, suggesting that the supercooling treatment significantly preserved the tuna fillets fresh with the improved shelf-life when compared to conventional refrigeration.

Journal of Animal Science and Technology (JAST) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing original research, review articles and notes in all fields of animal science. Topics covered by the journal include: genetics and breeding, physiology, nutrition of monogastric animals, nutrition of ruminants, animal products (milk, meat, eggs and their by-products) and their processing, grasslands and roughages, livestock environment, animal biotechnology, animal behavior and welfare.

Salmon, rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, has a short shelf life of 1 to 3 days when stored at 2 to 8 °C. Freezing, used for long-term preservation, often results in ice crystal formation. Ice crystals can cause structural damage, leading to cell wall rupture, which can affect the texture and cause nutrient loss. Ultimately, this process reduces the overall quality of the salmon. Supercooling, which cools food below its freezing temperature without forming ice crystals, offers an alternative. This study investigated the effects of oscillating magnetic fields (OMFs) and pulsed electric fields (PEFs) on ice crystal formation during salmon supercooling. The results showed that using OMFs and PEFs in supercooling reduced the storage temperature of salmon, maintaining a similar thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value to that of frozen and refrigerated samples. There was no significant difference in meat color between the fresh and frozen samples, and drip loss weight was comparable between the fresh and supercooled samples. The microbiological counts were the lowest in the supercooled samples compared to the frozen and refrigerated ones. These findings suggest that supercooling storage with OMFs and PEFs can mitigate quality degradation in salmon typically associated with freezing.

Freezing extends the shelf-life of food by slowing down the physical and biochemical reactions; however, ice crystal formation can result in irreversible damage to the cell’s structure and texture. Supercooling technology has the potential to preserve the original freshness of food without freezing damage. In this study, fresh asparagus was preserved in a supercooled state and its quality changes such as color, weight loss, texture, chlorophyll and anthocyanin content, and enzymatic activities (superoxide dismutase and catalase) were evaluated. The asparagus samples were successfully supercooled at −3 °C with the combination treatment of pulsed electric field (PEF) and oscillating magnetic field (OMF), and the supercooled state was maintained for up to 14 days. Asparagus spears preserved in the supercooled state exhibited lower weight loss and higher levels of quality factors in comparison to the frozen and refrigerated control samples.

This study investigated the structural and physicochemical characteristics of malic acid-treated sweet potato starch. Sweet potato starch mixed with various concentrations of malic acid solution underwent either thermal or nonthermal treatment. Observation of samples under a light microscope ensured the maintenance of granular shape and the Maltese cross. FT-IR spectra displayed a distinct carbonyl peak at 1722 cm⁻¹, and analysis of the degree of substitution (DS) indicated an increase in the extent of ester bonds with increasing concentrations of malic acid. The DS of 2.0M-130 (0.214) was the highest and that of 0.5M-130 was the lowest (0.088) among the reacted starches. In vitro digestion test revealed an increased amount of resistant starch when a high concentration of malic acid was used. In addition, thermally treated samples maintained a higher content of resistant starch (RS) after 30 min of cooking at 100°C. After cooking, 2.0M-130 had an RS fraction of 53.4% which was reduced to 49.9% after cooking, revealing greater heat stability compared with nonthermally treated samples. The structure of malic acid-treated starch was investigated using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), an X-ray diffractometer, a rapid visco analyzer (RVA), and analysis of apparent amylose content. The results showed that thermal and malic acid treatment of starch caused not only partial hydrolysis but also rearrangement of the crystalline area and helix structure of starch by esterification. Analysis of malic acid-treated starch, using a rapid visco analyzer showed no pasting properties, due to lack of its swelling caused by the malic acid cross link.