Diabetes is a metabolic disease with multifactorial causes which requires lifelong drug therapy as well as lifestyle changes. There is now growing scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of the use of herbal supplements in the prevention and control of diabetes. Curcumin is one of the most studied bioactive components of traditional medicine, but its physicochemical characteristics are represented by low solubility, poor absorption, and low efficacy. Nanotechnology‐based pharmaceutical formulations can help overcome the problems of reduced bioavailability of curcumin and increase its antidiabetic effects. The objectives of this review were to review the effects of nanocurcumin on DM and to search for databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE and ScienceDirect. The results showed that the antidiabetic activity of nanocurcumin is due to complex pharmacological mechanisms by reducing the characteristic hyperglycemia of DM. In light of these results, nanocurcumin may be considered as potential agent in the pharmacotherapeutic management of patients with diabetes.

Nowadays, plant‐based milks are being considered as an alternative to dairy milk due to their advantages, such as sustainability, reduced allergenicity, health benefits, and lactose‐free nature. Plant‐based milks are widely used in the preparation of desserts, cheese‐like products, and beverages, among other applications. The aim of the present study was to formulate vegan rice puddings using various commercially available plant‐based milks as a sustainable alternative to dairy milk. For this aim, central composition design was applied to optimize the key processing parameters of the Thermomix®, including temperature (80–90°C), time (6–14 min), and the amount of rice flour (6–10%, w/v), using response surface methodology (RSM). According to the RSM results, the optimum conditions were found to be 90°C for 12.5 min with 6.5% rice flour, as they exhibited minimal phase separation and similar rheological and textural properties to dairy rice pudding. Soya milk pudding had the highest hardness value among the other plant‐based milk puddings, and whole fat milk, soya, oat, coconut, and cow's milks showed the best gel unity, according to the cohesiveness results. Phase separation, an important parameter for storage stability, was not observed during 7‐day storage at 4°C in all groups, except for pistachio milk rice pudding. Rheological results demonstrated that all vegan pudding samples exhibited a gel‐like structure with storage modulus (G′) exceeding loss modulus (G″) values. According to the descriptive sensory evaluation, coconut, oat, and soya milk rice puddings received the highest scores in overall acceptability. Our findings suggest that industrial plant‐based rice puddings have great potential as a novel product that meets the dietary needs of the vegan community by offering acceptable flavor and texture.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most significant causes of economic loss in cereal crops, resulting in a loss of $50–300 million for Canadian agriculture. The infected grain (containing Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDKs)) is often both lower in quality and kernel weight, and it may be unsuitable for human and animal consumption due to mycotoxin presence. However, it still contains a considerable amount of nutrients. A method to recover the nutrients without the mycotoxins should be beneficial for the agricultural economy. In this study, our objective was to examine recovery methods of the nutrients in relation to mycotoxin accumulation in the insect. The FDKs were fermented with Aspergillus oryzae and/or Lactobacillus plantarum (solid-state fermentation (SSF)). The SSF kernels were then provided to 50 young, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) for 12 days. Weight gain, chemical composition, and mycotoxin bioaccumulation of BSFL and spent feed were evaluated. After 12 days of insect culture, the BSFL grew 5–6 times their initial weight. While the overall weights did not significantly vary, the proteins and lipids accumulated more in SSF FDK-fed insects. During the active growth period, the larval biomass contained deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin, at detectable levels; however, by day 12, when the larvae were in the pre-pupal stage, the amount of DON in the insect biomass was nearly negligible, i.e., BSFL did not accumulate DON. Thus, we conclude that the combination of BSFL and SSF can be employed to recover DON-free nutrients from FHB-infected grain to recover value from unmarketable grain.

Although the gluten‐free market is expanding and offers a variety of products, there are still some deficiencies in the nutritional and sensory quality of these products. Therefore, this study explores the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds, nutritional quality, and textural properties of gluten‐free muffins enriched with artichoke leaves and green lentil protein (GLP) isolate, two novel ingredients introduced together for the first time in this context. The incorporation of GLP isolate aims to enhance the protein content, while artichoke leaves are evaluated for its potential to improve phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The muffins were also subjected to in vitro digestion to assess the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds. The results demonstrated that the addition of GLP isolate increased the protein content 1.4 times, while artichoke leaves contributed to enhance the total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity (TAA), and ash content by 2.1, 5.4, 3.2–3.5, and 1.3 times, respectively. Nevertheless, the addition of artichoke leaves increased the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of gluten‐free muffins ( p  < 0.05). The bioaccessibility values of gluten‐free muffins varied between 138% and 220%, 142% and 206%, and 40% and 160% for TAA, TPC, and TFC, respectively. Chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and quercetin derivatives were found as main phenolic compounds in gluten‐free muffins enriched with artichoke leaves in undigested and all phase of digestion. This study provides valuable insights into the development of functional gluten‐free muffins, highlighting the potential of artichoke leaves and GLP isolate as innovative ingredients in gluten‐free food products. Practical Application: This study shows how adding green lentil protein and artichoke leaves to gluten‐free muffins can make them healthier by boosting their protein, antioxidants, and other nutrients. However, while muffins became more nutritious, their texture changes. Food companies could use this information to improve gluten‐free products, but they may need to adjust the recipe to improve the sensory properties.