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Natural Additives in Food III

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 22529

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Dr. Lillian Barros

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Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Interests: natural bioactive compounds; medicinal chemistry; bioactivity and toxicology; functional applications
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Dear Colleagues,

Natural additives have great potential for the food industry, due to the growth of consumer interest in alternatives to artificial counterparts. After a first and second Special Issue published in 2019 (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/natural_additives?view=compact&listby=type) and 2020 (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/natural_food_additive_ii), we have the pleasure to announce a third edition of the Special Issue in Molecules called “Natural Additives in Food III” to highlight the significant progress in this area.

The plant and fungi kingdoms are great sources of bioactive compounds, that can be used to develop natural food ingredients. These natural ingredients can be added as extracts, taking advantage of the synergistic effects between compounds, or as individual molecules, after purification, thus adding the most bioactive ones to the foodstuff. Although quite promising, natural additives still face some drawbacks and limitations. Therefore, an important research topic is the discovery of new alternative sources of natural additives fulfilling the different classes: preservatives (antimicrobials, antioxidants, and anti-brownings), nutritional additives, coloring agents, flavoring agents, texturizing agents, and miscellaneous agents.

This Special Issue “Natural additives in Food III” invites researchers to contribute original research or review articles related to natural ingredients (e.g., colorant, preservative, aromatic, bioactive compounds) for food applications, including natural compounds obtained from plants, mushrooms, marine and bee products, extraction procedures, chemical identification, stabilization techniques, and food incorporation.

Prof. Dr. Lillian Barros
Guest Editor

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Research

20 pages, 3961 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quality of Beef Burgers Formulated with Fat Substitute in a Form of Freeze-Dried Hydrogel Enriched with Açai Oil

by Monika Hanula, Arkadiusz Szpicer, Elżbieta Górska-Horczyczak, Gohar Khachatryan, Ewelina Pogorzelska-Nowicka and Andrzej Poltorak

Molecules 2022, 27(12), 3700; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27123700 - 09 Jun 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2363

Abstract

The growing number of people at high risk of cardiovascular disease development contributed to both changes in diets by consumers and the reformulation of food products by food producers. Cardiovascular diseases are caused by the i.a. consumption of meat that contains animal fat rich in saturated fatty acids (SFA). The use of fat substitutes in meat seems to be a promising tool for the reduction of cardiovascular disease occurrence. In the presented study, beef fat was replaced at 0 (CO), 25 (S-25%), 50 (S-50%), 75 (S-75%), and 100% (S-100%) by a fat substitute in a form of a lyophilized hydrogel emulsion enriched with encapsulated açai oil. The chemical (TBARS, volatile compound profile, fatty acid profile, pH), and physical (TPA, consumer rating, L*a*b* color, cooking loss) analyses were performed on raw and grilled burgers subjected to storage at cold conditions (4 °C) in days 0 and 7. Burgers formulated with hydrogels had a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) of about 32% (p < 0.05) and reduced SFAs by 22%. Reformulation of the burger resulted in lower nutritional indices of the atherogenicity index (AI) (0.8 for CO, 0.3 for S-100%, p < 0.05) and thrombogenicity index (TI) (1.8 for CO, 0.6 for S-100%, p < 0.05), as well as led to an increased h/H ratio (1.3 for CO, 3.9 for S-100%, p < 0.05). Furthermore the application of freeze-dried hydrogels reduced cooking loss. Moreover, consumers did not observe significant differences (p < 0.05) between the control and S-25% and S-50% burgers. Thus, the use of lyophilized hydrogels formulated with konjac flour and sodium alginate and enriched with encapsulated acai oil can be successfully applied as a fat substitute in beef burgers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Additives in Food III)

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14 pages, 2248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Ziziphus and Cordia Gums on Dough Properties and Baking Performance of Cookies

by Abdellatif A. Mohamed, Mohamed Saleh Alamri, Shahzad Hussain, Mohamed A. Ibraheem, Akram A. Abdo Qasem, Ghalia Shamlan and Ibrahim A. Ababtain

Molecules 2022, 27(10), 3066; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27103066 - 10 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1533

Abstract

The influence of 2% and 5% Cordia (CG) and Ziziphus (ZG) gums on dough characteristics and cookie quality was investigated. Micro-DoughLab, a texture analyzer (TA), a rapid viscoanalyzer (RVA), and solvent retention capacity were used to examine the effect of CG and ZG gums on dough physicochemical parameters (SRC) and cookie quality. The diameter, thickness, spread, and sensory evaluation of cookies were evaluated. With the addition of CG and ZG, dough softness, mixing time, and mixing tolerance index (MTI) increased, whereas stability and water absorption decreased. TA data showed that adding gums resulted in softer and less sticky doughs than the control, whereas RVA data showed that adding CG resulted in a significant increase in peak viscosity, but no change in flour gel setback. In comparison to the control and CG samples, the ZG samples exhibited the most dough extensibility. The thickness and diameter of the cookies increased but the spread decreased, due to the added gums. The gum-containing cookies had a lower overall acceptability by panelists than the control, although only by a small margin. Gum-containing cookies, on the other hand, can deliver up to 5% soluble fiber. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Additives in Food III)

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19 pages, 3284 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioactive Hydrolysates from Chlorella vulgaris: Optimal Process and Bioactive Properties

by Sara A. Cunha, Ezequiel R. Coscueta, Paulo Nova, Joana Laranjeira Silva and Maria Manuela Pintado

Molecules 2022, 27(8), 2505; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27082505 - 13 Apr 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3088

Abstract

Microalgae have been described as a source of bioactive compounds, such as peptides. Microalgae are easy to produce, making them a sustainable resource for extracting active ingredients for industrial applications. Several microalgae species have interesting protein content, such as Chlorella vulgaris with around 52.2% of protein, making it promising for peptide hydrolysate production. Therefore, this work focused on the production of water-soluble hydrolysates rich in proteins/peptides from the microalgae C. vulgaris and studied bioactive properties. For that, a design of experiments (DOE) was performed to establish the optimal conditions to produce hydrolysates with higher levels of protein, as well as antioxidant and antihypertensive properties. Four experimental factors were considered (cellulase percentage, protease percentage, hydrolysis temperature, and hydrolysis duration) for three responses (protein content, antioxidant activity, and antihypertensive activity). The optimal conditions determined by the DOE allowed producing a scaled-up hydrolysate with 45% protein, with antioxidant activity, measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, of 1035 µmol TE/g protein, IC₅₀ for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition activity of 286 µg protein/mL, and α-glucosidase inhibition of 31% (30 mg hydrolysate/mL). The obtained hydrolysates can be used as functional ingredients for food and nutraceuticals due to their antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic potential. Moreover, the antioxidant potential of the extracts may be relevant for the cosmetic industry, especially in antiaging formulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Additives in Food III)

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11 pages, 985 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of the Integrated Addition of a Red Tara Pods (Caesalpinia spinosa) Extract and NaCl over the Neo-Formed Contaminants Content and Sensory Properties of Crackers

by Franco Pedreschi, Joans Matus, Andrea Bunger, Romina Pedreschi, Nils Leander Huamán-Castilla and María Salomé Mariotti-Celis

Molecules 2022, 27(3), 1020; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27031020 - 02 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2216

Abstract

A 2k factorial design with three centrals points was considered to evaluate the effect of adding red Tara pods extract (Caesalpinia spinosa) (440–2560 µg/mL of dough water) and NaCl (0.3–1.7 g/100 g of flour) on the acrylamide (AA) and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content and sensory attributes of crackers. Additionally, the best formulation, defined as that with the lowest AA and HMF content, was compared with a commercial formulation cracker. Red Tara pods extracts were obtained through conventional extraction using pure water (60 °C, 35 min). AA and HMF content were quantified by GC-MS and HPLC-DAD, respectively. The sensory evaluation was carried out using a descriptive analysis on a 10 cm non-structured linear scale. Red Tara pods extract significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the AA and HMF content, while NaCl only influenced the HMF formation. However, the sensory attributes did not significantly change (p > 0.05), excepting the violet-gray color and salty flavor, but at acceptable levels compared with the control sample. The higher the red Tara pods extract concentration (2560 µg/mL of dough water), the lower the neo-formed contaminants (NFCs) content of crackers (AA: 53 µg/kg and HMF: 1236 µg/kg) when salt level was below 3 g/100 g of flour. The action of the proanthocyanidins present in the extracts which trapped the carbonyl groups of sugars probably avoided the formation of both NFCs. Contrarily, NaCl addition (from 0.3 to 1.7 g/100 g of flour) significantly increased (p < 0.05) the HMF formation (from 1236 µg/kg to 4239 µg/kg, respectively), probably through the dehydration of carbohydrates during the Maillard reaction. When explored treatments were compared with a commercial formulated cracker, the highest mitigation effect (reductions of 40% and 32% AA and HMF, respectively) was reached with the addition of 2560 µg/mL of dough water of red Tara pods extract and 0.3 g/100 g of flour of NaCl. The addition of red Tara pods extracts integrated with the control of NaCl levels mitigated the NFCs in crackers, preserving their sensory properties. Future research should be focused on scaling this mitigation technology, considering a better chemical characterization of red Tara pods extracts as well as the validation of its use as functional food ingredient. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Additives in Food III)

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17 pages, 1077 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Obtaining Aromatic Extracts from Portuguese Thymus mastichina L. by Hydrodistillation and Supercritical Fluid Extraction with CO₂ as Potential Flavouring Additives for Food Applications

by Júlia C. Kessler, Vanessa A. Vieira, Isabel M. Martins, Yaidelin A. Manrique, Andreia Afonso, Patrícia Ferreira, Filipa Mandim, Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira, Lillian Barros, Alírio E. Rodrigues and Madalena M. Dias

Molecules 2022, 27(3), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27030694 - 21 Jan 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2568

Abstract

Humans often respond to sensory impulses provided by aromas, and current trends have generated interest in natural sources of fragrances rather than the commonly used synthetic additives. For the first time, the resulting aroma of a selected culture of Thymus mastichina L. was studied as a potential food ingredient. In this context, dried (DR) and fresh (FR) samples were submitted to carbon dioxide (CO₂) supercritical extraction (SFE) and hydrodistillation (HD) methods. The extracts were characterised according to their volatile composition by GC-MS, cytotoxicity against a non-tumour cell culture, and sensory attributes (odour threshold and olfactive descriptors). The most abundant aromas were quantified, and the analysis performed by GC-MS revealed an abundance of terpenoids such as thymol chemotype, followed by the precursors α-terpinene and p-cymene. DR and FR extracts (EX) obtained from SFE-CO₂ show the highest content of thymol, achieving 52.7% and 72.5% of the isolated volatile fraction. The DR essential oil (EO) contained the highest amount of terpenoids, but it was also the most cytotoxic extract. In contrast, SFE-CO₂ products showed the lowest cytotoxic potential. Regarding FR-OE, it had the lowest extraction yield and composition in aroma volatiles. Additionally, all samples were described as having green, fresh and floral sensory notes, with no significant statistical differences regarding the odour detection threshold (ODT) values. Finally, FR-EX of T. mastichina obtained by SFE-CO₂ presented the most promising results regarding food application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Additives in Food III)

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20 pages, 1382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Probiotic Yoghurts with Sea Buckthorn, Elderberry, and Sloe Fruit Purees

by Dorota Najgebauer-Lejko, Katarzyna Liszka, Małgorzata Tabaszewska and Jacek Domagała

Molecules 2021, 26(8), 2345; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26082345 - 17 Apr 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2660

Abstract

Elderberries, sea buckthorn, and sloe berries are fruits of wild-grown bushes, valued in folk medicine for their health-promoting properties but still rarely applied in food. The aim of the present study was to produce probiotic yoghurts with a 10% addition of sweetened purees prepared from elderberries (EPY), sea buckthorn (SBPY), and sloe berries (SPY) and to assess their chemical composition, acidity, content of polyphenols and anthocyanins, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and antiradical power (ARP), level of starter microbiota, concentration of acetaldehyde and diacetyl, syneresis, instrumentally measured color and texture parameters, and sensory acceptance. The results were compared to those obtained for plain probiotic yoghurt (PPY) and the changes tracked during 1 month of cold storage at 2 week intervals. The addition of elderberry and sloe berries significantly increased the antioxidant capacity of probiotic yoghurts, probably due to a high content of polyphenols, especially anthocyanins. However, anthocyanins were more stable in the EPY when compared to the SPY. All yoghurt treatments were characterized by good sensory quality and viability of starter microorganisms, including probiotic strains during cold storage. Elderberries promoted the evolution of diacetyl in yoghurts during storage and, together with sloe berries, produced increased syneresis and the greatest changes in color profile compared to PPY. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Additives in Food III)

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19 pages, 382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioactive and Nutritional Potential of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant (MAP) Seasoning Mixtures

by Cláudia Novais, Carla Pereira, Adriana K. Molina, Ângela Liberal, Maria Inês Dias, Mikel Añibarro-Ortega, Maria José Alves, Ricardo C. Calhelha, Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira and Lillian Barros

Molecules 2021, 26(6), 1587; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26061587 - 13 Mar 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2206

Abstract

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), worldwide appreciated and used as condiments, dyes, and preservatives, possess several biological properties that justify their continuous application in the food industry. In the present study, the nutritional and chemical profiles, as well as the bioactive properties of four combinations of condiments, sold for seasoning poultry, meat, fish, and salads, were evaluated. Twenty-five phenolic compounds (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS) were identified, with apigenin-O-malonyl-pentoside-hexoside as the major compound detected in all extracts. Oxalic and citric acids were identified in all mixtures (UFLC-PDA), as well as all the four tocopherol isoforms (HPLC-fluorescence). Regarding bioactivities, the mixtures for meat and salads (TBARS) and meat and poultry (OxHLIA) stood out for their antioxidant potential, whereas for the anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties, the mixtures revealing the greatest results were those for poultry and salad, respectively. In terms of antimicrobial activity, all the mixtures revealed the capacity to inhibit the growth of some bacterial strains. In brief, condiment mixtures showed to be a good source of bioactive compounds, as they confer health benefits, validating the importance of their inclusion in the human diet as a good dietary practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Additives in Food III)

13 pages, 1544 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Composition and Bioactive Characterisation of Impatiens walleriana

by Eleomar de O. Pires, Jr., Eliana Pereira, Carla Pereira, Maria Inês Dias, Ricardo C. Calhelha, Ana Ćirić, Marina Soković, Gustavo Hassemer, Carolina Castilho Garcia, Cristina Caleja, Lillian Barros and Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira

Molecules 2021, 26(5), 1347; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26051347 - 03 Mar 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2778

Abstract

The attractive colour characteristics of the flowers of the species Impatiens walleriana have been arousing great interest in the food industry, which is looking for potential natural sources of colouring ingredients. In this sense, the present work focused on the chemical and bioactive characterization of pink and orange flowers of I. walleriana. The phenolic compounds were determined by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS; in addition, different bioactivities (antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxicity) were also analysed. Both samples studied showed significant amounts of phenolic compounds, especially phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, which justifies the excellent performance in the different bioactivities studied. The orange variety, despite having a greater variety of phenolic compounds, showed a total amount of compounds lower than the pink variety. Overall, the flowers of I. walleriana emerge as a promising resource to be explored by the food industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Additives in Food III)

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14 pages, 1144 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Intestinal Permeability Ex Vivo and Immune Cell Activation by Three Commonly Used Emulsifiers

by Elin Oscarsson, Tim Lindberg, Kathrin S. Zeller, Malin Lindstedt, Daniel Agardh, Åsa Håkansson and Karolina Östbring

Molecules 2020, 25(24), 5943; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25245943 - 15 Dec 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2041

Abstract

Food additives such as emulsifiers are used in increasing quantities in the food industry. The aim of this study was to compare three different emulsifiers (polysorbate 80 (P80), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and β-lactoglobulin (β-lac) with regards to their effect on the stimulation of immune cells and intestinal permeability. The immune stimulatory effects were studied in the myeloid cell line MUTZ-3-cells, while the change in intestinal permeability was studied in the Caco-2 cell line and ex vivo in the Ussing chamber system using small intestinal fragments from rats. The tested concentrations of the emulsifiers ranged from 0.02% up to 1%, which are concentrations commonly used in the food industry. The results showed that P80 affected both the myeloid cells and the intestinal permeability more than CMC (p < 0.05) and β-lac (p < 0.05) at the highest concentration. CMC was found to neither affect the permeability in the intestine nor the MUTZ-3 cells, while β-lac changed the permeability in the total part of the small intestine in rats. These findings indicate that P80 might be more cytotoxic compared to the other two emulsifiers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Additives in Food III)

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