The rapid growth of the dairy industry has resulted in a significant increase in the generation of effluents, which are characterized by a high organic content that poses environmental challenges. In alignment with sustainable practices and the principles of the circular economy, this study investigates the valorization of cheese whey (CW) effluents through the cultivation of the microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta under mixotrophic conditions. The research aims to utilize cheese whey effluents as a supplemental growth medium to enhance the production of algal biomass and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). The results reveal that CW facilitated a 37% improvement in D. tertiolecta growth and led to an approximately eight times greater biomass productivity compared to under photoautotrophic conditions, while the EPS production increased by 30%. Chemical and techno-functional analyses of the microalgal biomass and EPSs suggest promising applications as natural product additives for the food industry. Biomass derived from photoautotrophic culture demonstrated greater antioxidant activity and total polyphenols content. Additionally, the lipid profile revealed 16 distinct fatty acids. On the other hand, biomass from the mixotrophic culture exhibited higher protein levels and eight fatty acids, indicating the influence of the cultivation mode on the biochemical composition. Regarding the EPSs, mixotrophic cultivation resulted in elevated antioxidant activity and total polyphenols content, as well as higher protein and sugar levels. Furthermore, the EPSs produced under mixotrophic conditions exhibited superior techno-functional properties compared to those of the photoautotrophic culture, making them ideal candidates for use as alternative natural food additives.

The growing demand for clean-label food ingredients drives interest in novel marine flavorings. This study evaluated the physicochemical, antioxidant, volatile (GC-MS), and sensory profiles of freeze-dried powders from blue crab roe (Callinectes sapidus), sea urchin roe (Paracentrotus lividus), and beluga caviar (Huso huso) to assess their culinary potential. Results revealed that sensory quality is governed by the synergy between a matrix’s lipid composition and endogenous antioxidant capacity. Sea urchin powder, possessing a low polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) profile and high carotenoid content, exhibited exceptional oxidative stability, yielding a concentrated marine aldehyde signature and top consumer scores. Blue crab roe demonstrated a robust PUFA matrix buffered by high phenolic content, facilitating controlled lipid peroxidation into desirable savory volatiles (ketones and aldehydes). Conversely, the high-fat, monounsaturated-dominant beluga caviar lacked sufficient antioxidants, leading to lipid degradation, oxidized hydrocarbons, earthy off-flavors, and poor texture. Both crab and caviar powders exhibited favorable Atherosclerosis and Thrombogenicity indices. Ultimately, balancing lipid composition and endogenous antioxidants is crucial for flavor stability, highlighting the commercial and environmental potential of transforming underutilized or invasive species like blue crab into stable, nutrient-dense marine flavoring agents.

Listeria monocytogenes remains a persistent food-safety challenge, sustaining interest in biopreservation with lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The mechanisms underlying LAB-mediated suppression, and their dependence on nutrient availability, remain incompletely resolved. Nine LAB isolates (four Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, two Lactiplantibacillus pentosus, three Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis) were evaluated against L. monocytogenes Scott A using overlay agar-spot assays, co-culture kinetics at three effector-to-target ratios (1:1, 100:1, 10,000:1), co-culture under glucose limitation, and targeted chemical and enzymatic treatment of cell-free supernatants (CFSs). Competitive exclusion was dose-dependent: at equal inocula, most isolates permitted growth comparable to the monoculture control, whereas at 10⁵ and 10⁷ CFU/mL, pathogen growth was arrested within 6–8 h. Multivariate analysis of kinetic parameters at 10⁵ CFU/mL resolved three efficacy clusters, and efficacy tracked the onset of acidification rather than LAB growth rate: strains that lowered pH within the first 6 h achieved 31–41% inhibition, while those with an 8–10 h delay achieved <20%. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DSM 20205 reached the same acidification onset as the faster-growing Lc. lactis strains despite a lower μ_max, indicating higher acidifying efficiency per unit biomass. Glucose removal reduced inhibition to <6% for all Lactiplantibacillus isolates, whereas Lc. lactis BL1 and BL8 retained approximately 16%. CFS assays indicated that organic acids provide the baseline activity in nutrient-rich medium, that catalase-sensitive activity appeared in co-culture but not monoculture supernatants, and that protease-sensitive activity was present in all nine isolates under carbohydrate limitation. These results support selecting bioprotective cultures on rapid acidification combined with acid-independent mechanisms rather than on acidification alone.