Currently, the exploration of natural colorants from vegetal waste has gained particular attention. Furthermore, incorporation of these natural sources into biopolymers is an encouraging environmentally friendly approach to establishing active films with biological activities for food packaging. The present study developed bioactive antioxidant films based on gelatin-sodium alginate (NaAlg) incorporated with aqueous beetroot peel extract (BPE). Firstly, the effects of combining gelatin-NaAlg and BPE at 0.25, 0.5, and 1% on the mechanical, physical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of the films were analyzed. With increasing BPE, mechanico-physical properties and antioxidant and anti-foodborne pathogen capacities were enhanced. Likewise, when added to gelatin-NaAlg films, BPE remarkably increased the instrumental color properties. Moreover, during 14 days of storage at 4 °C, the impact of gelatin-NaAlg coating impregnated with BPE on microbial and chemical oxidation and on the sensory characteristics of beef meat samples was periodically assessed. Interestingly, by the end of the storage, BPE at 1% limited the microbial deterioration, enhanced the instrumental color, delayed chemical oxidation, and improved sensory traits. By practicing chemometrics tools (principal component analysis and heat maps), all data provided valuable information for categorizing all samples regarding microbiological and oxidative properties, sensory features, and instrumental color. Our findings revealed the ability of gelatin-NaAlg with BPE as an antioxidant to be employed as food packaging for meat preservation.

An increased demand for natural products nowadays most specifically probiotics (PROs) is evident since it comes in conjunction with beneficial health effects for consumers. In this regard, it is well known that encapsulation could positively affect the PROs’ viability throughout food manufacturing and long-term storage. This paper aims to analyze and review various double/multilayer strategies for encapsulation of PROs. Double-layer encapsulation of PROs by electrohydrodynamic atomization or electrospraying technology has been reported along with layer-by-layer assembly and water-in-oil-in-water (W₁/O/W₂) double emulsions to produce multilayer PROs-loaded carriers. Finally, their applications in food products are presented. The resistance and viability of loaded PROs to mechanical damage, during gastrointestinal transit and shelf life of these trapping systems, are also described. The PROs encapsulation in double- and multiple-layer coatings combined with other technologies can be examined to increase the opportunities for new functional products with amended functionalities opening a novel horizon in food technology.

α‐Pinene, α‐terpineol, and 1,8‐cineole are compounds naturally present in essential oils, although their amounts vary from oil to oil. Although several studies have reported their antibacterial and antioxidant effects, there are few reports on the synergistic or antagonistic effects of their combinations. The objective of this study was to investigate the combined antibacterial effect of these three compounds. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the prediction of their optimal combination using the mixture design approach. The experimental antibacterial activity of the α‐pinene, α‐terpineol, and 1,8‐cineole mixtures depended on the proportion of each compound in the mixture and the target strain, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 0.31 to 1.85 mg/mL. Using the increased simplex‐centroid mixture design, the mixture containing 0.33% of each molecule proved to be the most effective against Bacillus cereus and had the lowest MIC values. In addition, α‐pinene, α‐terpineol, and 1,8‐cineole showed significant antioxidant activity against 2,2‐picryl‐1‐hydrazyl radical (DPPH), with IC₅₀ values of 24.53 ± 0.05, 65.63 ± 0.71, and 63.58 ± 0.01 μg/mL, respectively. Statistical planning and the development of utility profiles of the substance mixtures can predict the optimal composition that will exhibit the highest antibacterial activity against B. cereus as well as antioxidant properties. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of the mixtures can contribute significantly to their successful use as natural preservatives in various applications.

Questions have been raised apropos the emerging problem of microbial resistance, which may pose a great hazard to the human health. Among biosafe compounds are essential oils which captured consumer draw due to their multifunctional properties compared to chemical medication drugs. Here, we examined the chemical profile and the mechanism(s) of action of the Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TVEO) against a Gram‐negative bacterium Salmonella enterica Typhimurium ATTCC 10028 (S. enterica Typhimurium ATTCC 10028) and two Gram‐positive bacteria Staphyloccocus aureus ATCC 6538 (S. aureus ATCC 6538) and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19117 (L. monocytogenes ATCC 19117). Findings showed that TVEO was principally composed of thymol, o‐cymene, and γ‐terpinene with 47.44, 16.55, and 7.80%, respectively. Molecular docking simulations stipulated that thymol and β‐sesquiphellandrene (a minor compound at 1.37%) could target multiple bacterial pathways including topoisomerase II and DNA and RNA polymerases of the three tested bacteria. This result pointed plausible impairments of the pathogenic bacteria cell replication and transcription processes. Through computational approach, the VEGA quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) model, we revealed that among twenty‐six TVEO compounds, sixteen had no toxic effects and could be safe for human consumption as compared to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs (ciprofloxacin and rifamycin SV). Assessed by the SwissADME server, the pharmacokinetic profile of all identified TVEO compounds define their absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties and were assessed. In order to predict their biological activity spectrum based on their chemical structure, all TVEO compounds were subjected to PASS (Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances) online tool. Results indicated that the tested compounds could have multiple biological activities and various enzymatic targets. Findings of our study support that identified compounds of TVEO can be a safe and effective alternative to synthetic drugs and can easily combats hazardous multidrug‐resistant bacteria.

Nowadays, increasing interest has recently been given to the exploration of new food preservatives to avoid foodborne outbreaks or food spoilage. Likewise, new compounds that substitute the commonly used synthetic food preservatives are required to restrain the rising problem of microbial resistance. Accordingly, the present study was conducted to examine the chemical composition and the mechanism(s) of action of the Cupressus sempervirens essential oil (CSEO) against Salmonella enterica Typhimuriumand Staphyloccocus aureus. The gas chromatography analysis revealed α-pinene (38.47%) and δ-3-carene (25.14%) are the major components of the CSEO. By using computational methods, such as quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR), we revealed that many CSEO components had no toxic effects. Moreover, findings indicated that α-pinene, δ-3-carene and borneol, a minor compound of CSEO, could inhibit the AcrB-TolC and MepR efflux pump activity of S. enterica Typhimurium and S. aureus, respectively. In addition, our molecular docking predictions indicated the high affinity of these three compounds with active sites of bacterial DNA and RNA polymerases, pointing to plausible impairments of the pathogenic bacteria cell replication processes. As well, the safety profile was developed through the zebrafish model. The in vivo toxicological evaluation of (CSEO) exhibited a concentration-dependent manner, with a lethal concentration (LC₅₀) equal to 6.6 µg/mL.

Techniques for extracting important bioactive molecules from seafood byproducts, viz., bones, heads, skin, frames, fins, shells, guts, and viscera, are receiving emphasis due to the need for better valorization. Employing green extraction technologies for efficient and quality production of these bioactive molecules is also strictly required. Hence, understanding the extraction process parameters to effectively design an applicable optimization strategy could enable these improvements. In this review, statistical optimization strategies applied for the extraction process parameters of obtaining bioactive molecules from seafood byproducts are focused upon. The type of experimental designs and techniques applied to criticize and validate the effects of independent variables on the extraction output are addressed. Dominant parameters studied were the enzyme/substrate ratio, pH, time, temperature, and power of extraction instruments. The yield of bioactive compounds, including long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, peptides, enzymes, gelatine, collagen, chitin, vitamins, polyphenolic constituents, carotenoids, etc., were the most studied responses. Efficiency and/or economic and quality considerations and their selected optimization strategies that favor the production of potential bioactive molecules were also reviewed.