This study aimed to optimize the convective drying of blueberry pomace (BP) to enhance fiber functionality and bioactive compound retention. BP was dried at 50−90 °C with an airflow of 2.5 m s −1 . Drying kinetics were modeled using five mathematical models, with the Page model showing the highest accuracy (R2 = 0.9965−0.9996). Higher temperatures increased drying rates (3.7 × 10 −3 to 1.2 × 10 −2 kg H 2 O kg −1 db min −1 ) and moisture diffusivity (4.00 × 10 −8 to 2.17 × 10 −7 m 2 s −1 ), with an activation energy of 39.55 kJ mol −1 . Total dietary fiber remained stable (20.85 ± 0.17 g 100 g −1 db), while soluble fiber increased (3.11–4.66 g 100 g −1 db) with temperature. Water- and oil-holding capacities decreased (10.86–8.61 mL g −1 db and 3.85 to 3.44 mL g −1 db, respectively). The highest total phenolic content (13.65 ± 0.12 mg GAE g −1 db) and antioxidant activity (6.65 mg AAE g −1 db for DPPH) were observed at 70 °C. Energy consumption decreased significantly (13.88–6.95 kW h −1 ), leading to reduced CO 2 emissions. This study demonstrates the effective use of the Page model to optimize convective drying at 70 °C, reducing production costs by 47% and highlighting its potential to produce fiber-rich ingredients from BP with enhanced techno-functional and bioactive properties.

This study aimed to transform raspberry pomace, a by-product of the berry industry, into a sustainable, fiber-rich functional ingredient using convective drying. Drying experiments were conducted at temperatures of 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 °C to identify the optimal conditions that balance process efficiency and preservation of functional and bioactive properties. The best results were achieved at 70 °C, where a high drying rate (DR) of 0.46 kg H₂O·kg⁻¹ db·min⁻¹, effective moisture diffusivity (D_eff) of 1.53 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²·s⁻¹, and activation energy (E_a) of 34.90 kJ·mol⁻¹ were observed. The Page model accurately represented the drying behavior (R² = 0.9965−0.9997). Total dietary fiber (TDF) content remained stable across temperatures (52.52–64.76 g·100 g⁻¹ db), while soluble dietary fiber (SDF) increased by 43.40%, resulting in a solubility (SOL) of 71.8%, water-holding capacity (WHC) of 8.2 mL·g⁻¹ db, and oil-holding capacity (OHC) of 3.0 mL·g⁻¹ db. High retention of bioactive compounds was achieved at 70 °C, including phenolics (32.10 mg GAE·g⁻¹ db) and anthocyanins (25.84 mg C3G·g⁻¹ db), resulting in significant antioxidant activities (DPPH: 33.29 mg AAE·g⁻¹ db, IC₅₀ 0.016 mg·mL⁻¹; ABTS: 35.85 mg AAE·g⁻¹ db, IC₅₀ 0.029 mg·mL⁻¹). These findings demonstrated the potential of convective drying at 70 °C to efficiently transform raspberry pomace into a high-quality functional ingredient. This process promotes sustainable production and waste reduction in the berry industry.

Background: Few trials have evaluated liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS)–standardized ready-to-drink formulations, and short-term responses of composite lipid–glucose indices under controlled intake remain unquantified. This study assessed 8-week changes in Atherogenic and triglyceride–glucose indices (AIP and TyG) after the consumption of a Hibiscus–inulin (HIB–INU) beverage and tested whether baseline risk modified these effects. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in adults aged 18–50 years with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² (n = 100: 50 per group) who consumed a daily 60 mL Hibiscus–inulin shot or sensory-matched placebo for 8 weeks. The Hibiscus–inulin shot was LC–MS–standardized to ensure reproducible exposure; co-primary outcomes were AIP and TyG (pre-specified as exploratory), and secondary outcomes were mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP). ANCOVA adjusted for baseline, age, and sex was used to estimate between-group differences and to test for interactions by baseline risk. Results: Adjusted 8-week differences versus placebo were −0.09 for AIP (95% CI −0.15 to −0.03; p = 0.004) and −0.14 for TyG (−0.26 to −0.03; p = 0.020). MAP and PP showed no significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05). Effects were larger in high-risk baseline strata. Conclusions: A standardized hibiscus–inulin shot produced short-term improvements in composite lipid–glucose indices without hemodynamic change. Because minimal clinically important differences for AIP/TyG have not been established for short durations, these findings reflect analytical responsiveness rather than clinical benefits, supporting their exploratory use in short-term nutrition trials and cardiometabolic monitoring.

Among the most typical feed ingredients for shrimp, plants represent a low-cost source in substituting for traditional high-cost feed ingredients. Extrusion is a common grains processing technique to make plant nutrients available and more digestible to animal. Different levels (15, 30, 45, and 60%) of extruded low-quality chickpea meal were included in a formulated diet for the juvenile shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei cultured in a closed system for 75 days. The growth of shrimp fed with the tested diets was similar to the control group (P > 0.05). We concluded that the use of extruded cull chickpea meal is a potential food alternative to replace fishmeal effectively in diets for L. vannamei .