Edible insects are acknowledged as a valuable nutritional source and promising alternative to traditional feed ingredients, while the optimization of rearing conditions is required for their wider utilization in the animal feed industry. The main goal of this study was to compare and optimize the rearing conditions of the two species’ larvae and identify the most favorable nutritive composition of the full-fat larval meal. For that purpose, Tenebrio molitor (TM) and Zophobas morio (ZM) were reared on three different substrates and harvested after three time periods. An artificial neural network (ANN) with multi-objective optimization (MOO) was used to investigate the influence between the observed parameters as well as to optimize and determine rearing conditions. The optimization of the larval rearing conditions showed that the best nutritive composition of full-fat larval meal was obtained for ZM larvae reared on a mixture of cabbage, carrot and flaxseed and harvested after 104 days. The best nutritive composition contained 39.52% protein, 32% crude fat, 44.01% essential amino acids, 65.21 mg/100 g Ca and 651.15 mg/100 g P with a favorable ratio of 1.5 of n6/n3 fatty acids. Additionally, the incorporation of flaxseed in the larval diet resulted in an increase in C18:3n3 content in all samples.

Hemp is considered one of the potential novel crops for human and animal nutrition. This study aimed to determine the complete chemical composition of 29 different varieties of whole hempseeds. Fatty acid composition, amino acid profile, mineral composition, and cannabinoids content were also evaluated. All hempseed varieties were milled to obtain whole hempseed flour. Differences between hempseed varieties were significant (p < 0.05) for all measured parameters. Proximate composition results showed that crude protein and fat contents varied from 21.6–28.9% and 21.1–35.7%, respectively. Fatty acid profiles revealed that the three major fatty acids were linoleic acid (52.79–57.13%) followed by α-linolenic acid (12.62–20.24%), and oleic acid (11.08–17.81%). All essential amino acids were detected in all varieties, with arginine (12.66–17.56 mg/100 g protein) present in abundance, whereas lysine was limiting. Substantial differences were found in the mineral content, and potassium (509.96–1182.65 mg/100 g) and iron (5.06–32.37 mg/100 mg) were the main macro- and microminerals found. All cannabinoids were found in small traces and tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC) was only detected in five varieties. To conclude, the nutritional composition of hempseeds with hull makes them suitable to be added into the diets of humans or animals as a highly beneficial novel ingredient.

Probiotic organisms are increasingly being incorporated into foods in order to develop products to prevent and reduce many diseases. Saccharomyces boulardii, a probiotic yeast with unique properties, such as viability over a wide pH range, antibiotic resistance, and the ability to reach a steady state, has an advantage over bacterial probiotics. The present review highlights the potential application of S. boulardii in functional fermented dairy products and the genetic engineering of this probiotic microorganism as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of various infectious diseases. It was found that probiotic yeast stimulates the growth of lactic acid bacteria in dairy products, creating favorable conditions and positively affecting the product’s sensory characteristics. Moreover, its viability of more than 10⁶ cfu/mL at the end of the yogurt shelf life confirms its probiotic effect. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in the design of probiotic strains to improve their characteristics and fill existing gaps in their spectrum of action such as the inhibition of some bacterial toxins, as well as anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. The strengthening of immune functions and effective therapies against various diseases by S. boulardii was confirmed. However, considering this yeast species’ potential, further research is necessary to accurately determine the functional properties in terms of incorporation into food matrices and from the aspect of health and well-being claims.

Saccharomyces boulardii is unique probiotic and biotherapeutic yeast, known to survive in gastric acidity and it is not adversely affected or inhibited by antibiotics or does not alter or adversely affect the normal microbiota. S. boulardii has been utilized worldwide as a probiotic supplement to support gastrointestinal health. The multiple mechanisms of action of S. boulardii and its properties may explain its efficacy and beneficial effects in acute and chronic gastrointestinal diseases that have been confirmed by clinical trials. Caution should be taken in patients with risk factors for adverse events. Its potential application in various dairy foods could offer an alternative probiotic product to people suffering from antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This review discusses the evidence for efficacy and safety of S. boulardii as a probiotic for the prevention and therapy of gastrointestinal disorders in humans.

The quality of protein is based on their amino acid composition, especially on the content and availability of essential amino acids. Cereals are important sources of protein for human nutrition, but are limited in the amounts of essential amino acids, notably lysine. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition and amino acid profiles of different cereals that are important for nutritional purposes in human diet. The content of protein, moisture and crude fat in cereals varied significantly from 7.83 to 13.22%, 11.45 to 13.80%, and from 1.67 to 6.35%, respectively. The obtained results showed that oat had the highest contents of crude protein (13.22%), crude fat (6.35%) and crude cellulose (9.42%) compared to other cereals. Significant (p < 0.05) variation existed in the content of essential and nonessential amino acids among samples with the highest level in oat and wheat. Essential amino acids accounted for one-third of the total amino acids in the tested cereals. Glutamic acid was found to be the most abundant amino acid. It could be concluded that the amino acid composition of oat is the most favorable among cereals due to its high protein content and the content of lysine which can be found in limited amounts in most of the cereals.

Postbiotics are defined as non-viable metabolites or compounds produced by probiotic microorganisms with significant impact on human health. The growing interest in postbiotics is supported by numerous studies due to their additional benefits over probiotics that show positive outcomes for specific conditions, as well as their application as biopreservatives in the food industry. Their potential in functional foods and therapeutic applications is increasingly recognized as they exhibit stability, safety, and diverse biological activities. As for their most important biological roles, postbiotics have been shown to have effective anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, in addition to reducing food allergies. The application of postbiotics in functional foods contributes to improving intestinal health and reducing the risk of foodborne diseases. The concept of postbiotics is relatively new in the food industry. They offer a promising alternative to conventional food preservatives due to their ability to inhibit pathogenic bacteria and extend shelf life. Considering the diversity of postbiotic compounds and their significant biological activities, this review presents and discusses the mechanisms of action and future trends in their application in the food industry and their impact on human health. Increasing research and development in the production and formulation of postbiotics will play a key role in the upward trajectory of the market.