Approximately $20 billion of apple sales are generated annually in the United States. With an estimated 5 million tons produced yearly in the U.S. within the last decade, apple consumption is considered ubiquitous. Apples are comprised of bioactive constituents such as phytochemicals and prebiotics that may potentiate intestinal health and the gut microbiome. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Empire apple juice, pomace, and pulp soluble extracts on intestinal functionality, morphology, and the microbiome in vivo (Gallus gallus). There were five treatment groups: non-injected (NI); 18 MΩ H₂O (H₂O); 6% apple juice (AJ); 6% apple pomace (APo); 6% apple pulp (APu). The eggs were treated by intra-amniotic administration of the samples on day 17 of incubation. After hatching, the blood, tissue, and cecum samples were collected for further analyses—including duodenal histomorphology, hepatic and duodenal mRNA expression, and cecal bacterial populations. Crypt depth was significantly (p < 0.5) shortest in AJ when compared to APo and APu. APo and APu soluble extracts significantly improved villi surface area compared to NI and H₂O control groups. The highest count of Paneth cells per crypt was observed in APo as compared to all groups. In addition, the expression of brush border membrane micronutrient metabolism and functional proteins varied between treatments. Lastly, Lactobacillus cecal microbial populations increased significantly in the AJ group, while AJ, APu, and APu increased the abundance of Clostridium (p < 0.5). Ultimately, these results indicate the potential of Empire apple pomace to improve host intestinal health and the gut microbiome.

This is a preliminary study evaluating the effect of different fractions of Concord grapes (Vitis labrusca L.) on the brush border membrane (BBM) morphology, duodenal gene expression, and specific gut bacterial populations. For this study, we utilized a unique intraamniotic approach, wherein, the test substances are administered into the amnion of the Gallus gallus egg (on day 17). The embryo orally consumes the amniotic fluid along with the injected test substance before the hatch. We randomly divided ~50 fertilized eggs into 5 groups including 6% grape (juice, puree, and pomace) along with controls (no injection and diluent—H₂O). The grape juice was prepared by crushing the grapes; the grape residues were used as pomace. The grape puree included the grape skin, endocarp, mesocarp, and juice but not the seeds. On day 21, the hatch day, the blood, pectoral muscle, liver, duodenum, and large intestine were harvested. Our results showed no significant differences in blood glucose, pectoral glycogen level, or body weight. However, significant (p < 0.05) differences in duodenal and liver gene expression were observed between the treatment groups. The grape puree treatment resulted in higher Clostridium numbers and lower Bifidobacterium numbers when compared to all other groups. In summary, the dietary consumption of grape polyphenols has the potential to beneficially modulate aspects of intestinal health provided their concentration is limited.

Drinkable yogurts are low-viscosity beverages often created by diluting yogurt with water or high-value-fluid milk. Yogurt acid whey, a typically discarded byproduct of the Greek yogurt industry, may serve as an upcycled ingredient for these types of products with minimal processing. In this study, differing concentrations of acid whey (35%, 40%, and 45% w/w) were added to a mango yogurt beverage with 0.2% and 0.4% w/w stabilizer and analyzed for physicochemical properties over a 40-day period. The analysis indicated that the percentage of acid whey was positively correlated with both viscosity and water-holding capacity. A hedonic sensory analysis of the beverages indicated positive consumer acceptance of such upcycled products, with enhanced acceptance at 25–35% addition. This study demonstrates the potential for consumer acceptance of yogurt beverages upcycled with native-acid whey, providing insights into sustainable practices within the food industry.

Iron deficiency remains a public health challenge globally. Prebiotics have the potential to improve iron bioavailability by modulating intestinal bacterial population, increasing SCFA production, and stimulating expression of brush border membrane (BBM) iron transport proteins among iron-deficient populations. This study intended to investigate the potential effects of soluble extracts from the cotyledon and seed coat of three pea (Pisum sativum) varieties (CDC Striker, CDC Dakota, and CDC Meadow) on the expression of BBM iron-related proteins (DCYTB and DMT1) and populations of beneficial intestinal bacteria in vivo using the Gallus gallus model by oral gavage (one day old chicks) with 1 mL of 50 mg/mL pea soluble extract solutions. The seed coat treatment groups increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium compared to the cotyledon treatment groups, with CDC Dakota seed coat (dark brown pigmented) recording the highest relative abundance of Bifidobacterium. In contrast, CDC Striker Cotyledon (dark-green-pigmented) significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (p < 0.05). Subsequently, the two dark-pigmented treatment groups (CDC Striker Cotyledon and CDC Dakota seed coats) recorded the highest expression of DCYTB. Our study suggests that soluble extracts from the pea seed coat and dark-pigmented pea cotyledon may improve iron bioavailability by affecting intestinal bacterial populations.

Protein-enriched fruit gels, such as spoonable sauces and cuttable gels, can meet consumers’ desire for high protein/fiber value-added health foods. High pressure processing (HPP) is a nonthermal pasteurizing method that has shown additional usage as a novel structuring method for gels by affecting protein–protein interactions. This work studied HPP (575 MPa, 3 min, 5 °C) compared to heat (85–90 °C, 3–10 min) pasteurization as a method to produce novel fruit gels from whole Concord grapes enriched with 4, 6, and 8% (w/w) chickpea and pea protein. Physicochemical and rheological analyses were conducted, as well as sensory evaluation of a model gel. Heat-treated gels produced spoonable high viscosity gels compared to free standing gels produced through HPP. Chickpea protein-enriched samples exhibited a greater change with an increase in heat processing due to non-protein constituents compared to pea protein. Sensory analysis showed a desire for added nutritional value, though flavor was ultimately the deciding factor in preference, with heat-treated gels achieving higher liking scores compared to a HPP counterpart.