The application of electrostatics in both powder and liquid coating can improve the quality of food, such as its appearance, aroma, taste, and shelf life. Coatings can be found most commonly in the snack food industry, as well as in confectionery, bakery, meat and cheese processing. In electrostatic powder coating, the most important factors influencing coating quality are powder particle size, density, flowability, charge, and resistivity, as well as the surface properties and characteristics of the target. The most important factors during electrostatic liquid coating, also known as electrohydrodynamic coating, include applied voltage and electrical resistivity and viscosity of the liquid. A good understanding of these factors is needed for the design of optimal coating systems for food processing.

This review article focuses on volatile formation in tomatoes, tomatillos, strawberries, jalapeño peppers, bell peppers, garlic, cocoa beans and liquors, cashew nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and carrots, as measured by Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS). The formation of several key volatile compounds occurs due to enzymatic activity, especially by lipoxygenase. (Z)-3-hexenal and hexanal increase after tissue disruption, reach maximum concentration at a similar time and then decrease due to conversion to other compounds, such as (E)-2-hexenal and hexanol. As temperature increases, there is a higher rate of enzyme activity and increased volatility, resulting in an increase in volatile compounds. During frozen storage, (Z)-3-hexenal and hexenol increase initially during storage and then decrease since (Z)-3-hexenal is converted into (E)-2-hexenal while hexenol is degraded into other compounds. In strawberries, damage stimulates the production of LOX-derived volatiles. During the early ripening stage, the concentration of LOX-derived volatiles is high and fruity esters are low, but the concentrations reverse as ripening progresses. During chewing, some volatile compounds in tomatoes and strawberries increase in the mouthspace and nosespace since chewing breaks intact tissue cells and releases LOX enzymes, resulting in the formation of volatile compounds, especially (Z)-3-hexenal and (E)-2-hexenal. Consumption of some foods, such as water, milk, and sodium caseinate solutions, can reduce volatile levels in the mouth, including malodorous garlic breath. The Maillard reaction is responsible for the formation of many volatiles during roasting and increases with temperature and pH. Both roasting and drying promote the formation of furan compounds.

Bifidobacteria, a major bacterial group, have several beneficial impacts on health, such as enhancing the intestinal flora by limiting the colonization of pathogenic microorganisms and stimulating the immune system. As a result, bifidobacteria have been extensively included in various food products. In this study, Bifidobacterium breve TISTR 2130 was microencapsulated using an emulsion technique with sodium alginate and calcium lactate in green soybean milk as wall materials. This study found that microbeads prepared with 2.0% (w/v) sodium alginate and 2.0% (w/v) calcium lactate had the highest microencapsulation efficiency (MEE) of 99.8% ± 0.07%. In addition, the viability of microencapsulated B. breve TISTR 2130 and free cells was evaluated following a simulated gastrointestinal treatment. Microencapsulated B. breve TISTR 2130 showed higher cell viability than free cells under the simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The viability reduction of free cells dropped substantially to zero after 1 h of incubation in simulated gastrointestinal juice (SIJ), while the viable cell count of microencapsulated B. breve TISTR 2130 remained greater than 5 log CFU/mL and the survival rate was greater than 64% at the end of the sequential digestion. During refrigerated storage of green soybean yogurt (GSY) fortified with microencapsulated B. breve, the viability of B. breve TISTR 2130, syneresis, and acidity decreased, while the pH and viscosity increased. Microencapsulated B. breve TISTR 2130 has the potential to be used as a probiotic fortification in GSY since the viability remained above the recommended minimal limit of 6 log CFU/mL for 10 days during refrigerated storage. The present study demonstrated that the optimized microencapsulated B. breve TISTR 2130 sodium alginate matrix could survive the human gastrointestinal tract to provide health benefits and the possibility of incorporation into functional foods.

Green soybeans, or edamame (Glycine max L. Merril), serve as a superior source of phytochemicals and other nutritive substances and are commonly used as ingredients and additives in food products due to their polyphenols’ functional properties and antioxidant activity. Hence, it is very important to use a process to extract compounds with functional roles from plants as efficiently as possible. In this study, we sought to identify the optimal conditions for extracting genistein, belonging to the aglycone subgroup of isoflavones, from edamame using the cold plasma (CP) and enzyme method. Additionally, the impact of various drying techniques (spray-drying and freeze-drying) and storage conditions on the crude genistein extract powder was evaluated. The findings showed that the maximum values for the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and genistein (22.5 ± 0.23 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g; 15.3 ± 0.13 mg of catechin equivalents (CAE)/100 g; and 12.6 ± 0.10 mg/100 g, respectively) were achieved under optimal pretreatment conditions using a CP gas flow rate of 5 L/min for 30 min, followed by enzymatic treatment at a specific enzyme concentration of 2.0% (v/v) for 240 min of incubation. Moreover, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis demonstrated that the CP and enzyme treatment induced significant structural changes, as evidenced by the presence of deeper pores on the surface of the powder granules. Spray-drying demonstrated a superior efficacy compared to freeze-drying for encapsulating the crude isoflavone extract. This study’s results also demonstrated that storage at 4 °C significantly stabilized the TPC, TFC, and genistein content and the antioxidant activity while preserving the physical properties (solubility and color) of the crude extract powder for up to 45 days. In summary, cold plasma pretreatment and enzymatic treatments offer practical solutions by enhancing the efficiency of non-thermal extraction processes, thereby increasing the yield of bioactive compounds, maintaining quality, and diminishing reliance on traditional, harsh methods. The elevated genistein content in the crude extract powder indicates its prospective application as a functional ingredient in various food and nutraceutical contexts.

Green soybean (Glycine max L.) seeds (GSS) are rich in various antioxidants and phytonutrients that are linked to various health benefits. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technology was used for extracting the effective components from GSS. A response surface method (RSM) was used to examine the influence of liquid-to-solid ratio and extraction temperature on the bioactive compounds and antioxidant characteristics. The optimal conditions were a liquid-to-solid ratio of 25:1 and a UAE temperature of 40 °C. The observed values coincided well with the predicted values under optimal conditions. Additionally, the effects of drying methods on the procyanidins and antioxidant activities of GSS extract were evaluated. The spray-dried GSS extract contained the highest levels of procyanidins (21.4 ± 0.37 mg PC/g), DPPH (199 ± 0.85 µM Trolox eq/g), and FRAP (243 ± 0.26 µM Trolox eq/g). Spray drying could be the most time- and energy-efficient technique for drying the GSS extract. The present study also assessed the effects of storage temperature and time on procyanidins and antioxidant activities in GSS extract powder. Procyanidins were found to degrade more rapidly at 45 °C than at 25 °C and 35 °C. Storage under 25 °C was appropriate for maintaining the procyanidin contents, DPPH, and FRAP activities in the GSS extract powder. This study contributed to the body of knowledge by explaining the preparation of procyanidin extract powder from GSS, which might be employed as a low-cost supply of nutraceutical compounds for the functional food industry and pharmaceutical sector.