Carbohydrates are important compounds in natural products where they primarily serve as a source of energy, but they have important secondary roles as precursors of aroma or bioactive compounds. They are present in fresh and dried (cured) tobacco leaves as well. The sugar content of tobacco depends on the tobacco variety, harvesting, and primarily on the curing conditions (temperature, time and moisture). If the process of curing employs high temperatures (flue-curing and sun-curing), final sugar content is high. In contrast, when air curing has a lower temperature, at the end of the process, sugar level is low. Beside simple sugars, other carbohydrates reported in tobacco are oligosaccharides, cellulose, starch, and pectin. Degradation of polysaccharides results in a higher yield of simple sugars, but at the same time reduces sugars oxidization and transfer into carbon dioxide and water. Loss of sugar producers will compensate with added sugars, to cover undesirable aroma properties and achieve a better, pleasant taste during smoking. However, tobacco carbohydrates can be precursors for many harmful compounds, including formaldehyde and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. Keeping in mind that added sugars in tobacco production are unavoidable, it is important to understand all changes in carbohydrates from harvesting to consuming in order to achieve better product properties and avoid the formation of harmful compounds. This review summarizes current knowledge about tobacco carbohydrates, including changes during processing with special focus on carbohydrates as precursors of harmful compounds during smoking.

Sous-vide is a technique of cooking foods in vacuum bags under strictly controlled temperature, offering improved taste, texture and nutritional values along with extended shelf life as compared to the traditional cooking methods. In addition to other constituents, vegetables and seafood represent important sources of phytochemicals. Thus, by applying sous-vide technology, preservation of such foods can be prolonged with almost full retention of native quality. In this way, sous-vide processing meets customers’ growing demand for the production of safer and healthier foods. Considering the industrial points of view, sous-vide technology has proven to be an adequate substitute for traditional cooking methods. Therefore, its application in various aspects of food production has been increasingly researched. Although sous-vide cooking of meats and vegetables is well explored, the challenges remain with seafoods due to the large differences in structure and quality of marine organisms. Cephalopods (e.g., squid, octopus, etc.) are of particular interest, as the changes of their muscular physical structure during processing have to be carefully considered. Based on all the above, this study summarizes the literature review on the recent sous-vide application on vegetable and seafood products in view of production of high-quality and safe foodstuffs.

This is the first report on the extraction of cocoa bean shell (CBS) using deep eutectic solvents (DESs). Screening results with 16 different choline chloride-based DESs showed how choline chloride:oxalic acid DES was the most suitable solvent for the extraction of the bioactive compounds from CBS and that concentrations varied greatly depending on the used solvent. The DES extraction was compared to the DESs coupled with microwave extraction (MAE), and the yields of the extracted compounds were higher for DES/MAE. For theobromine, the obtained yields for DES extraction were 2.145–4.682 mg/g, and for caffeine, were 0.681–1.524 mg/g, whereas for DES/MAE, the same compounds were obtained in 2.502–5.004 mg/g and 0.778–1.599 mg/g. Antioxidant activity was also determined, using DPPH method, obtaining 24.027–74.805% activity for DES extraction and 11.751–55.444% for DES/MAE. Water content significantly influenced the extraction of targeted active compounds from CBS, whereas extraction time and temperature did not show statistically significant influence. The extraction temperature only influenced antioxidant activity. The study demonstrated how extraction using DES and microwaves could be of a great importance in the future trends of green chemistry for the production of CBS extracts rich in bioactive compounds.

Background: Fermented dairy products are known for their many positive effects on human health and are consumed worldwide. The supplementation of food with plant extracts as sources of valuable nutritional compounds has recently gained a lot of attention. Milk and fermented products are deficient in bioactive components such as phenolic compounds and iron. Moringa oleifera leaf extract is rich in vitamins, minerals (iron), polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins and proteins. Its addition to milk before fermentation might represent an excellent way to enrich fermented milk products. Methods: Yoghurts enriched with moringa extract (ME) (1, 3 and 4-%, v/v) were produced and compared to a control yoghurt without ME. In all samples, acidity, microbiological parameters, syneresis and water holding capacity, rheology parameters, total colour difference, mineral content, total phenols and antioxidant capacity (FRAP method) and sensory properties were determined. Results: The addition of ME to milk before fermentation resulted in a shorter fermentation time, lower yoghurt pH, increased growth of yoghurt bacteria, better rheological properties and an increased total phenols content as well as antioxidant capacity of yoghurts. Moreover, yoghurts with ME addition had a higher mineral content and gained a better sensory score when compared to the control sample.

The study describes and compares bio-functional properties and thein vitrodigestibility of protein isolates from apricot oil cakes obtained by supercritical fluid extraction and cold pressing, as control. Protein isolates have the potential to be food ingredients with amygdalin contents in an amount considerably lower than regulatory. Isolates showed hypoglycemic activity, studied by the inhibition of α-glucosidase, also functional properties were determined.Good digestibility of proteins, which were done using gastrointestinal proteases (pepsin and pancreatin) were proven by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis SDS-PAGE analysis. Moreover, it was evident that the protein isolates were completely digested. The biologically active potential of the digests was evaluated measuring in vitro antioxidant capacity by three complementary methods and enzyme inhibitory effects towards Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme (ACE) related with the onset of hypertension. All hydrolysates act as a DPPH and ABTS scavenger, as a reducing agents and an ACE enzyme inhibitor. In conclusion, protein isolates obtained from apricot kernel cake showed to be a promising source of natural products for food applications, with good functional and bioactive properties and easy digestibility.

In the present study, six Lactococcus lactis and seven Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains isolated from artisanal Sardinian dairy products were evaluated for their efficacy in controlling the growth of Listeria monocytogenes during the storage of miniature fresh cheese manufactured on a laboratory scale to exploit their possible use as biopreservatives. The strains were tested for antimicrobial activity and some technological characteristics before using them in miniature fresh cheese to evaluate their in situ antilisterial effect. Our results showed that five strains (L. lactis 16FS16-9/20234-11FS16 and Lpb. plantarum 1/14537-4A/20045) could be considered suitable candidates for use as protective cultures in fresh cheese manufacture since they significantly lowered the pathogen counts by 3–4 log units compared to the control; however, all strains tested were capable of decreasing L. monocytogenes numbers. Our results suggest that the single and combined action of the acidifying power and the production of bacteriocin of these strains was capable of controlling and/or reducing the growth of L. monocytogenes. Considering their technological characteristics, they might be used as starter/adjunct cultures to increase the safety of the products, perhaps in association with other antimicrobial hurdles.