Green tea is an economic resource in Thailand because it is derived from smallholder agriculture and has expanded into food production. The purpose of this study is to optimize the parameters of pulsed electric field (PEF) assisted green tea extraction to produce a natural health product. A central composite design was involved to determine the effect of independent variables, including the intensity of electric field (I; 3-5 kV/cm), number of pulses (Np; 1000 to 3000 pulses) and green tea-to-water ratio (GT/W; 0.05-0.15 g/mL) on catechin (C), epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), total phenolic compound, antioxidant and sirtuin 1 enzyme stimulating activities. The results indicated that the Np had the most significant impact (p < 0.05) on the content of catechin and its derivatives and sirtuin 1 enzyme stimulating activity. The observations revealed that the I had a greater impact on antioxidant activities compared to the Np. The optimal conditions for PEF using the response surface method were determined to be I of 5 kV/cm, Np of 3000 pulses, GT/W of 0.14 g/mL and specific energy of 27 kJ/kg. Under the optimized conditions, the content of C, EC, ECG, EGC and EGCG were 7.34 ± 0.33, 11.26 ± 0.25, 3.75 ± 0.13, 7.53 ± 0.77 and 37.78 ± 0.58 mg/g extract, respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that green tea extract exhibited the ability to modulate the deacetylation activity of the sirtuin 1 enzyme, with a value of 22.63 ± 0.17 FIR. The results emphasized that the PEF led to achieving better responses compared to without pre-treatment using the PEF. Therefore, innovative technologies as PEF can be utilized for green tea extraction to produce natural ingredients, which can contribute to improved accessibility to healthcare. Additionally, the implementation of innovation techniques, such as PEF, in the extraction industry can enhance productivity growth and economic development.

This study aimed to develop perilla fruit oil (PFO)-fortified soybean milk (PFO-SM), identify its sensory acceptability, and evaluate its health outcomes. Our PFO-SM product was pasteurized, analyzed for its nutritional value, and had its acceptability assessed by an experienced and trained descriptive panel (n = 100) based on a relevant set of sensory attributes. A randomized clinical trial was conducted involving healthy subjects who were assigned to consume deionized water (DI), SM, PFO-SM, or black sesame-soybean milk (BS-SM) (n = 48 each, 180 mL/serving) daily for 30 d. Accordingly, health indices and analyzed blood biomarkers were recorded. Consequently, 1% PFO-SM (1.26 mg ALA rich) was generally associated with very high scores for overall acceptance, color, flavor, odor, taste, texture, and sweetness. We observed that PFO-SM lowered levels of serum triglycerides and erythrocyte reactive oxygen species, but increased phagocytosis and serum antioxidant activity (p < 0.05) when compared to SM and BS-SM. These findings indicate that PFO supplementation in soybean milk could enhance radical-scavenging and phagocytotic abilities in the blood of healthy persons. In this regard, it was determined to be more efficient than black sesame supplementation. We are now better positioned to recommend the consumption of PFO-SM drink for the reduction of many chronic diseases. Randomized clinical trial registration (Reference number 41389) by IRSCTN Registry.

Consumer scrutiny of fat content in foods is becoming a notable trend in health concerns. This study aims to develop a novel functional low-fat goat feta cheese by utilizing polydextrose (PDX) and inulin as dietary fiber-based fat replacers to improve its overall characteristics. The physicochemical and textural properties, along with consumer acceptance, of the feta cheese were evaluated across three fat levels (full-fat [FFC], reduced-fat [RFC], low-fat [LFC]) and three fibers: PDX, inulin, and their combination. The intercorrelation of all characteristics was assessed through principal component analysis and Pearson’s correlation. Fat reduction significantly altered the cheese’s visual properties, increasing lightness and the total color difference, which inversely correlated with a* and b* values. Lower-fat cheeses exhibited decreased pH and increased lactic acid, with salinity playing a crucial role in both lactic acid development and texture. Under Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), PDX yielded a cheese matrix with a finer pore structure than inulin or the combined fibers. Lower-fat cheeses exhibited greater hardness, with PDX resulting in the highest hardness among the fiber treatments. Crucially, the RFC with PDX was as well-received by consumers as the FFC. These findings not only empower goat farmers and cheese entrepreneurs to increase their product value for niche market but also contribute to sustainability by providing a healthier food option for functional benefits.

Valorisation of agro-industrial biomass into functional coatings offers a sustainable approach to developing bio-based materials for postharvest applications. Although polysaccharide–lipid coatings are widely studied for their barrier properties, their effects on fruit–packaging friction remain poorly understood. This study recovered pectin-rich polysaccharides (OP) from okra-processing biomass and developed OP–beeswax (BW) composite coatings to modify mango–packaging friction and evaluate selected postharvest quality attributes. Conventional thermal extraction (CTE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) yielded OP with comparable degrees of esterification but distinct hydration properties, with extraction yields of 4.28% and 5.47%, respectively (p > 0.05). The recovered OP exhibited low-methoxyl characteristics, with a degree of esterification of approximately 47%. Film optical and microstructural properties varied with OP and BW levels. Coating performance was evaluated on three independent mango fruits per treatment (n = 3; 21 fruits in total), with the same fruits used for friction and all quality measurements. Static and kinetic coefficients of friction (COFs) at the mango–corrugated plastic board interface were in the ranges of 0.45–0.59 and 0.42–0.58, respectively, demonstrating formulation-dependent frictional behaviour. T3 (1.0% OP + 1.0% BW) exhibited static and kinetic COFs of 0.46 and 0.42, respectively, comparable to the uncoated control (0.46 and 0.45), whereas T4 (2.0% OP + 1.0% BW) showed the highest values (0.59 and 0.58). After three days of storage, coating treatments significantly affected weight loss, firmness, and titratable acidity (TA), with the lowest weight loss observed in T6 (3.25%) and the highest TA in T2 (0.47%), whereas total soluble solids and pH did not differ among treatments. These findings demonstrate the potential of okra-processing biomass for developing bio-based coatings with tunable fruit–packaging friction, although their effectiveness in reducing transportation-induced damage requires further investigation.