https://jift.irost.ir/ Innovative Food Technologies en daily 1 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://jift.irost.ir/article_1626.html Annona muricata L. (soursop) leaves are recognised as valuable sources of phenolic compounds with strong antioxidant potential, although conventional solvent extraction often provides limited selectivity and inadequate recovery of key bioactive constituents. Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) represent a greener extraction alternative, yet their performance in recovering phenolics, flavonoids, rutin, and antioxidant components from A. muricata leaf extract (AMLE) remains insufficiently explored. This study evaluated four NADES formulations, namely choline chloride–lactic acid (ChCl–LA), citric acid–L-proline (CA–LP), betaine–lactic acid (B–LA), and choline chloride–glycerol (ChCl–G), in comparison with water using ultrasound-assisted extraction. Physicochemical properties of the solvents, including pH and viscosity, were determined prior to extraction to elucidate their influence on solvent–solute interactions and extraction behaviour. Extraction efficiency was assessed through rutin content, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activities measured by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. All NADES systems exhibited acidic pH (1.80–4.97) and substantially higher viscosity than water, with ChCl–LA combining strong acidity and comparatively low viscosity, favourable for mass transfer. ChCl–LA demonstrated the strongest extraction of targeted bioactive constituents, achieving 164.16 ± 2.34 mg GAE/g TPC, 16.55 ± 0.52 mg QE/g TFC, 0.796 ± 0.023 mg/g rutin, and consistently high antioxidant activities across all assays. Correlation analysis indicated that FRAP activity was strongly associated with TPC, while DPPH and ABTS activities showed stronger associations with rutin and TFC, highlighting the contribution of different phenolic subclasses to antioxidant responses. The results demonstrate that solvent physicochemical properties, particularly acidity and viscosity, play a critical role in governing bioactive selectivity and antioxidant performance. ChCl–LA was identified as the most effective green solvent for producing antioxidant-rich AMLE suitable for development of functional foods and nutraceutical products. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1619.html Waffles are a popular wheat-based baked product that can be nutritionally enhanced through partial or complete substitution with legume flours such as mung bean powder, which is rich in protein and bioactive compounds. This study investigated the effects of substituting wheat flour with mung bean powder (0%, 50%, and 100%) on the physicochemical, textural, and sensory properties of waffles. Results showed a significant decrease in batter lightness from 89.58 (0%) to 69.10 (100%), accompanied by a shift in redness from –6.35 to –10.97 and an increase in yellowness from 38.50 to 44.69. The apparent viscosity of batter exhibited shear-thinning behavior across all formulations; however, viscosity increased significantly at 100% substitution (67.34 Pa•s) compared to the control (37.93 Pa•s). The ash content of waffles increased, reaching 2.57% at full substitution. pH decreased from 7.10 to 6.43, whereas acidity rose from 0.25% to 0.48% with higher mung bean incorporation. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (AC) were significantly enhanced, increasing from 1160.9 μg GAE/g and 67.4% in control samples to 1635.1 μg GAE/g and 81.2%, respectively, at 100% substitution. Color of baked waffles also changed, with lightness decreasing from 82.81 to 65.73, while yellowness increased from 54.73 to 60.71. Hardness increased from 0.47 to 1.15 N. Sensory evaluations revealed reduced scores for appearance, aroma, and texture at higher substitution levels, while flavor acceptance remained stable. Of course, the overall acceptance score for all samples remained above 8, indicating good consumer acceptability. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1640.html Barberry (Berberis spp.), a genus in the Berberidaceae family with 650 species, holds significant potential in the pharmaceutical and food industries. This review assesses the available information and carries out a meta-analysis of published research on bioactive compounds extracted from various Berberis species. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched extensively for articles published between 2009 and 2023. This analysis included 38 relevant articles, including those that evaluated multiple extraction methods. Four extraction methods involving different techniques and equipment were identified in the included studies and comparatively evaluated in this systematic review and meta-analysis. According to our meta-analysis of the published data, the frequency of use of the methods was as follows: Press Extraction (PE) (22.72%), Maceration Extraction (ME) (20.45%), Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE) (18.18%), and Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE) (6.82%). The most common solvents used in the selected studies were water (42.86%) and methanol (22.86%). In addition, this review investigated, based on the reported data, the effects of the extraction method on antioxidant activity (DPPH), Total Phenolic Content (TPC), and Total Anthocyanin Content (TAC). The results showed that, among the reported techniques, SWE was generally associated with the highest DPPH values. Moreover, UAE was most frequently used for determining TPC and TAC on a dry-weight basis, whereas ME and SWE were more commonly applied when data were expressed on a solution basis. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1649.html This study focused on formulating a natural dietary supplement based on a combination of freeze-dried quail egg powder and dried arugula (Eruca sativa) leaves. The integration of animal- and plant-derived components produced a nutritionally dense product enriched with essential nutrients and bioactive substances. Compositional analysis revealed that the supplement is a substantial source of high-quality protein (30 g/100 g), lipids (19 g/100 g), and carbohydrates (16 g/100 g). Furthermore, it provides appreciable levels of key minerals, including calcium (210 mg), magnesium (54 mg), and iron (5.7 mg). The presence of bioactive compounds was confirmed by the high contents of total phenolics (1500 mg GAE), flavonoids (500 mg QE), and vitamin E (160 mg/100 g), supporting its functional and antioxidant potential.A short-term human intervention was conducted in which participants consumed three capsules (1.5 g) of the supplement daily. Biochemical assessments demonstrated that serum uric acid (4.41–4.58 mg/dL) and blood glucose levels (82.59–85.59 mg/dL) remained within normal ranges throughout the study period. A modest enhancement in total antioxidant capacity (1.02–1.15 µmol TE/g) was observed, whereas malondialdehyde concentrations showed minimal variation (3.21–3.27 nmol/mL). These limited physiological changes are likely attributable to the low intake level, brief supplementation period, and inter-individual variability. In addition, chemical stability evaluation indicated favorable storage properties, as evidenced by low moisture content (3.40%), near-neutral pH (6.42), and a very low peroxide value (1.18 meq O₂/kg fat), reflecting minimal lipid oxidation. Collectively, these results suggest that the developed supplement is chemically stable, safe for consumption, and may provide moderate nutritional and antioxidant benefits in humans. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1604.html Manual date harvesting and sorting remain labor-intensive and error-prone, particularly when distinguishing intermediate ripeness stages such as Rotab. We present an image-based classification pipeline for the Berhi cultivar that assigns fruit to three ripeness stages—Khalal, Rotab, and Tamar—using compact deep structures and training strategies suited to small datasets. Rather than relying on generative or adversarial methods, our approach emphasizes (i) careful augmentation (classical transforms, automated policies, and sample-mixing), (ii) transfer and self-supervised pre training, and (iii) embedding- and metric-learning alternatives, with ensembles and test-time augmentation used as optional accuracy/robustness boosters. On a 150-image dataset (50 images per class) evaluated with 5-fold cross-validation, a ResNet18 baseline reaches about 95% average accuracy. Automated augmentation combined with MixUp/CutMix improves accuracy to 97%, and self-supervised pre training plus advanced augmentation and ensembling attain peak performance near 98%. Improvements are most pronounced for the visually ambiguous Rotab class. We also report practical robustness measures (common corruptions, geometric stability, and calibration), which show that augmentation and pre training substantially increase stability under realistic input variability. These results indicate that, for small and visually subtle datasets, augmentation and pre training—rather than synthetic data generation—offer a pragmatic path to high accuracy and robust behavior. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1625.html Food authenticity is a crucial aspect of consumer protection, food safety, and quality assurance. Conventional methods for meat authentication often require destructive, time-consuming, or labor-intensive processes. Hyperspectral imaging, which combines imaging and spectroscopy, has emerged as a non-destructive alternative for food classification. This study investigates the application of hyperspectral imaging for differentiating between beef, chicken, and turkey zhambons using one-dimensional convolutional neural networks and long short-term memory networks. Following preprocessing—including segmentation, noise reduction, and spatial averaging—spectral signatures were extracted and classified using deep learning models and then compared to traditional machine learning approaches. The long short-term architecture demonstrated superior performance by effectively modeling sequential spectral dependencies, achieving 99.94% accuracy in the binary classification of chicken versus beef and 98.12% accuracy in the three-class problem (beef, chicken, and turkey zhambons). The findings highlight the potential of hyperspectral imaging combined with machine learning approaches as an efficient tool for processed meat authentication. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1588.html This study investigated the effects of various drying methods including convective, infrared, and microwave drying on the moisture content, pH, acidity, color indices, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant capacity (AC) of sprouted quinoa powder. Initially, the quinoa seeds were soaked in magnetized water for 1 h. Then the quinoa seeds were incubated in a magnetic field at 25°C for 72 h for sprouting. To increase the phenolic compounds of the powders, the sprouts were treated by ultrasound for 5 min. The sprouts were dried in three ways and the powder prepared from them was analyzed. The infrared radiation facilitated removal of moisture from the quinoa sprouts, increased the effective moisture diffusivity coefficient, and shortened the dehydration duration. The moisture content and pH of the sprouted quinoa powders were in the range of 2.61 % to 7.03 %, and 5.95 to 6.08, respectively. The acidity of convective, infrared, and microwave dried sprouted quinoa powders was 1.24 %, 1.19 %, and 0.81 %, respectively. Among the sprouted quinoa powders, the sample dried using microwave treatment exhibited the lowest lightness value (67.78) and the highest redness (9.89) and yellowness (21.09) indices. The infrared-dried powders had the maximum TPC and AC. The TPC of convective, infrared, and microwave dried powders were 916.98, 1268.48, and 1262.46 μg gallic acid/g dry, respectively. In summary, using infrared was chosen as the best way to dry quinoa sprouts because it dries them faster, keeps the right color parameters, and results in the highest levels of beneficial compounds. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1612.html Protein bars are among the popular, healthy, and safe products; however, they may undergo physicochemical changes during storage, leading to reduced attractiveness and consumer acceptance. The use of natural compounds with antioxidant activity, particularly plant extracts, is considered an effective approach to control and mitigate undesirable changes. In this study, aqueous and ethanolic extracts of rice bran were employed as functional ingredients due to their antioxidant properties and the presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, aiming to improve the quality of protein bars. The stability of the rice bran extract–enriched products was evaluated in comparison with the control sample over a 28-day storage period at ambient temperature, with assessments conducted at 7-day intervals. Moisture, water activity, acidity, peroxide value, and color changes were measured, and suitable kinetic models were determined using the coefficient of determination and other error indices. The findings indicated that the addition of rice bran extracts, particularly the ethanolic form, effectively reduced undesirable changes, enhanced stability, and preserved higher product quality during storage. These results suggest that the incorporation of safe and natural compounds can improve the functional properties of food products and facilitate the development of healthier and more sustainable products. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1599.html Quinoa seeds have a higher nutritional value than other grains. In this study, the moisture and ash contents, pH, acidity, color indexes, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant capacity (AC) of powder prepared from Iranian and Peruvian quinoa seeds were examined and compared. Also, the impacts of untreated water, magnetized water, and magnetic field on the water absorption and weight gain of quinoa seeds following soaking (1 h at 25°C) and sprouting (72 h at 25°C) periods were studied. There were no significant difference in the diameter and thickness between the two quinoa groups (p>0.05). The average diameter of Iranian and Peruvian quinoa seeds was 1.685 mm and 1.757 mm, respectively, and, the average thickness of Iranian and Peruvian quinoa seeds was 1.020 mm and 1.042 mm, respectively. The moisture content, ash content, acidity, and lightness index of Peruvian quinoa seeds powder (QSP) were noticeably higher than that of Iranian QSP (p<0.05). The pH, and redness index of Iranian QSP were noticeably higher than that of Peruvian QSP (p<0.05). The two powders exhibited similar levels of yellowness, TPC, and AC, showing no significant variation (p>0.05). The application of magnetized water and magnetic field accelerated the growth rate of quinoa seeds. Furthermore, they enhanced the amount of water absorbed by the seeds after soaking, as well as their weight following sprouting. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1630.html Ultrasound, as an emerging non-thermal technology, offers a promising approach to enhance the physicochemical quality of pickled cucumbers while preserving their sensory attributes and nutritional value. In this study, the effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on the physicochemical, textural, microbial, and sensory properties of pasteurized pickled cucumbers were investigated at 40 kHz and 150 W for 5, 10, and 15 minutes. Ultrasonic treatment did not significantly affect pH (3.84-3.88) or titratable acidity (0.53-0.55 %), indicating the preservation of overall acidity. NaCl content decreased significantly with increased sonication time, reaching from 2.75 % to 2.46 % after 15 min (p<0.05). Color analysis revealed that moderate sonication (5 min) improved outer and inner lightness up to 59.65 and 55.10, respectively, while maintaining green hues and minimizing browning, whereas prolonged exposure (15 min) slightly reduced color quality. Textural evaluations showed significant enhancement in hardness, firmness, and chewiness for sonicated samples, with puncture hardness increasing from 5.51 N (control) to 7.26 N and cutting hardness from 20.50 N to 25.93 N. Microbial tests confirmed all samples were free from bacterial and mold growth, indicating microbiological safety. Sensory evaluation revealed that 5-10 min of sonication significantly enhanced color, flavor, texture, crispiness, and overall acceptance, whereas 15 min led to decreased sensory quality. Considering performance and energy efficiency, a 5-minute ultrasonic pretreatment was identified as the optimal condition to enhance the quality of pasteurized pickled cucumbers. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1637.html Thermal methods for accelerating green synthesis of nanoparticles to reduce energy consumption and improve product efficiency are highly important. Silver nanoparticles, due to their large surface-area-to-volume ratio and broad properties, are of great significance, and their green synthesis offers nanoparticles with suitable size, high surface stability, and low biological toxicity. In this study, mulberry leaf (Morus spp.) extract was used as the reducing agent for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles. After screening various heating methods, microwave irradiation was selected due to its high concentration (ppm 56) and smaller average particle size (nm 79) compared with other heating methods. Subsequently, an experimental design based on a response surface methodology was conducted over the extract concentration range (w/v) from 0.90 to 0.10 (interpreted as 0.09–0.10) and a silver nitrate solution volume range of 1 mM within 5–15 mL. The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles proceeded under these conditions. Following optimization, results indicated that a leaf extract concentration of w/v 0.06 and a silver nitrate volume of approximately 11.69 mL were the most suitable for the synthesis process, yielding the highest nanoparticle concentration and the smallest average particle size, at around 62.42 ppm and 72 nm, respectively. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1638.html This study explores the potential of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with machine learning for the non-destructive detection of ghoore (unripe grape) adulteration in brown sumac, a medicinally and economically valuable spice vulnerable to quality degradation. Samples with adulteration levels of 5%, 20%, 35%, 50%, and 100% were analyzed. Hyperspectral images were acquired and processed using spatial segmentation and Savitzky–Golay filtering to extract informative spectral features. Classification models including Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) were employed for both binary (pure vs. adulterated) and six-class (specific adulteration levels) classification. The SVM model achieved the highest accuracy, with 99.00% for binary classification and 94.55% for six-class classification. Key discriminative features identified through RF and XGBoost analysis included phase-related components, fractal dimension, and the area under the curve (AUC) in the 700–900 nm spectral range. The results demonstrate that the integration of HSI and machine learning enables a rapid, non-destructive, and reliable method for detecting sumac adulteration, offering significant potential for food quality assurance applications. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1639.html Combine harvesting has become widespread in northern Iran, improving efficiency but creating bottlenecks in drying capacity. This often leads to delayed drying and intermediate storage of high-moisture paddy, risking quality deterioration. This study investigated the effects of pre-drying temperature and storage duration on the milling quality of Hashemi rice, a major Iranian variety. Freshly harvested paddy (~20% moisture, w.b.) was pre-dried in a recirculating dryer at 40, 50, or 60 °C to 15% moisture, then stored for 15, 30, or 45 days before undergoing final drying in a conventional batch dryer to 8.5% moisture. A factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five replications was conducted. Results showed that both pre-drying temperature and storage duration significantly affected head rice yield (HRY) and grain fissure percentage (p < 0.01). Increasing the pre-drying temperature from 40 °C to 60 °C reduced HRY by approximately 2% and increased fissures by 3%. Similarly, extending storage from 15 to 45 days reduced HRY by 2.6% and increased fissures by 4.7%. Milling recovery was not significantly affected. These findings highlight that high-temperature pre-drying and prolonged intermediate storage negatively impact grain integrity. To optimize milling quality, it is recommended to use moderate pre-drying temperatures (≤40 °C) and minimize the time between pre- and final drying stages. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1641.html Evaluation of cakes based on image processing provides the possibility of objective and reproducible measurement of appearance characteristics such as color uniformity and texture indicators, and as a result, it provides the basis for applying more precise and simple control over the quality of the product. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of transglutaminase (TG) and whey protein concentrate (WPC) additives on the textural characteristics of sponge cake according to the color characteristics of the product. In this research, the effect of TG enzyme treatment (0%, 0.05% and 0.1%) and addition of WPC (0%, 10% and 20%) on improving the uniformity, homogeneity and texture quality of sponge cake was analyzed based on the evaluation of structural changes using the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) method. The findings indicated that TG reduced the contrast and increased correlation and order in the tissue by creating covalent bonds; while WPC, by forming hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds, reduced prominence, increased energy and contrast compared to TG. The treatments containing higher percentages of TG and WPC had more uniformity, and among them, treatments T36 and T27 showed the best performance. Although the values related to some tables were not statistically significant, the gradual improvement process was clearly visible and WPC played a stronger effect in reducing tissue changes. These findings were consistent with previous studies and the decrease in contrast and entropy and increase in correlation with the addition of TG and WPC were confirmed. Finally, the combination of these two additives was introduced as an effective tool to improve the quality of cake texture. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1643.html In this study, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of glabridin (GB) from licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) roots was carried out using CO2 as the solvent and ethanol as a co-solvent. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed for the design of experiments (DOEs), modeling and optimization of GB extraction recovery. Temperature (40-80 °C), pressure (8-24 MPa), CO2 flow rate (0.5-2.5 ml/min) and dynamic extraction time (20-100 min) were considered as independent operating variables. At all experiments the static extraction time and co-solvent flow rate were kept constant at 30 min and 5 vol. % of the CO2 flow rate, respectively. The GB content in the extracted samples was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The maximum extraction recovery of 60±2% was obtained at the optimal conditions of 40 °C, 24 MPa, 1.8 ml CO2/min and 76 min. The isotherms of GB recovery were also obtained as a function of time at 24 MPa and a CO₂ flow rate of 1.8 mL min⁻¹. Moreover, a mechanistic mass-transfer model incorporating solid-fluid equilibrium, interphase mass transfer, axial dispersion and intraparticle diffusion was developed to describe the extraction kinetics. The developed model successfully predicted the experimental data with an overall average absolute relative deviation (AARD) of approximately 4.2%. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1656.html Introduction: Oxidative rancidity is a major challenge for the shelf-life of polyunsaturated vegetable oils like sunflower oil.s. Barley and rice sprouts are rich sources of bioactive phenolic and flavonoid compounds with high antioxidant potential.. Cold plasma (CP) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) are two promising green methods. CP modifies surface structure via active species, while UAE enhances mass transfer through cavitation. Their combination may have synergistic effects. Furthermore, the low stability and bioavailability of plant extracts in food matrices necessitate encapsulation. Nanocapsulation using natural biopolymers like whey protein isolate (WPI) and Lepidium sativum seed gum (LPSG) can protect bioactive compounds and enable controlled release. This study aims to: 1) Evaluate and compare the efficiency of UAE, CP, and combined CP-UAE methods for extracting bioactive compounds from barley and rice sprouts, 2) Investigate the impact of encapsulating the best-performing extracts in WPI and LPSG on the physicochemical properties of nanocapsules, and 3) Determine the efficacy of optimized nanocapsules in enhancing the oxidative stability of sunflower oil, presenting an integrated natural alternative to synthetic antioxidants.Materials and Methods: Barley and rice sprouts were germinated,dried, and powdered. Extracts were obtained using three methods: UAE (35 kHz, 35°C, 30 min), CP (Dielectric Barrier Discharge, nitrogen, 30 kV, 5 min), and a combined method (CP pre-treatment followed by UAE). Extraction yield, total phenolic content (TPC, Folin-Ciocalteu), and total flavonoid content (TFC, aluminum chloride method) were measured. Antioxidant activity was evaluated via DPPH radical scavenging and FRAP assays at concentrations of 200-1000 ppm. Selected extracts were nanocapsulated using an emulsification-sonication method with WPI and LPSG as wall materials, followed by freeze-drying. Results and Discussion: The combined CP-UAE method yielded the highest extraction efficiency,TPC, and TFC for both sprouts, with barley sprout extract (BCP-UAE) showing the best results (14.01% yield, 4.11 mg GAE/g, 3.65 mg QE/g). https://jift.irost.ir/article_1657.html This study aimed to investigate the effects of heat (HE), ultrasound (US), and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on the structural and functional properties of whey protein isolate (WPI). The structural modifications were characterized by determining surface hydrophobicity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and steady shear rheological measurements. The functional performance was evaluated by studying adsorption kinetics, interfacial dilatational rheology, emulsifying activity index (EAI), and emulsion stability index (ESI). The results showed that all treatments increased surface hydrophobicity, with HE having the greatest impact (529.78 ± 11.81) , followed by HHP (402.35 ± 10.44) and US (245.48 ± 2.55). Each treatment also resulted in distinct changes in conformation and functionality. Specifically, US decreased viscosity, increased molecular flexibility (as evidenced by an increase in α-helix content to 20.9%), and resulted in the formation of an elastic interfacial film. It also accelerated both interfacial adsorption and rearrangement, yielding the highest EAI (1.22 ± 0.11 m²/g) and ESI (257.33 ± 13.49 min). HE treatment caused protein unfolding and aggregation into larger, more viscous structures, resulting in mobile interfacial films and moderate improvement in emulsification. HHP led to mild unfolding without altering viscosity, but reduced adsorption dynamics and relatively enhanced interfacial elasticity, ending up in diminished emulsifying performance (0.75 ± 0.12 m²/g). These findings provide a deep understanding of how different physical treatments affect the structure and function of WPI and can be used to tailor protein functionality for food emulsification applications. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1658.html The present study examines the oxidative stability and digestion behavior of vitamin D3 and E (α-tocopherol)-loaded flaxseed oil-in-water Pickering emulsions (PEs) stabilized with the insoluble fraction of Persian gum (IFPG) and polyphenolic compounds (quercetin and curcumin). The results of the oxidative stability measurements, which monitored changes in the levels of primary (lipid hydroperoxide, LH) and secondary (malondialdehyde, MDA) oxidation products, showed that IFPG-stabilized PEs were significantly more stable than non-emulsified oil during a 28-day storage period under both dark and light conditions. The incorporation of polyphenolics further enhanced the oxidative stability of the emulsions. Additionally, loading D3 and E vitamins into PEs reduced their degradation rate, with retention levels exceeding 80% after 28 days of storage. The presence of polyphenols also decreased the degradation rate of the vitamins, resulting in higher retention, potentially at the expense of their decomposition. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion studies demonstrated that IFPG-stabilized emulsions maintained their structural integrity, modulating the degree of lipolysis and bioaccessibility, with polyphenols playing a more significant role in this effect. Quantitatively, bioaccessibility of α-tocopherol and vitamin D₃ reached 29.4% and 58.9%, respectively, in PE systems, while lower values were observed in PECQ (18.1% and 26.5%), consistent with the reinforced interfacial structure and moderated lipolysis. These findings highlight the potential of IFPG-stabilized polyphenol-loaded Pickering emulsions as natural carriers for fat-soluble vitamins in functional foods, offering enhanced chemical protection, antioxidant activity, and controlled release, particularly when combined with polyphenols. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1659.html Rapid and low-waste assessment of grape quality remains a challenge for conventional analytical techniques; Raman spectroscopy combined with chemometric modeling provides a promising alternative for predicting the quality attributes of Asgari grapes. Fifty-five grape samples were collected from vineyards across Gonabad, Iran, and key physicochemical parameters—including pH, titratable acidity (TA), flavonoid content, total soluble solids (TSS), anthocyanin content, and the TSS/TA ratio—were measured. Dimensionality reduction was carried out using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS), followed by the development of predictive models using multiple linear regression (MLR) and support vector machines (SVM). The dataset was randomly divided into training (80%) and testing (20%) subsets. Model performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R²) and the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) and prediction (RMSEP). Among the evaluated models, the PCA–MLR hybrid demonstrated the best predictive performance, achieving R² values of 0.75 for anthocyanins, 0.74 for flavonoids, and 0.65 for TSS, with corresponding RMSEC values of 0.56, 0.67, and 1.51, respectively. These results confirm that Raman spectroscopy is a viable and efficient tool for grape quality assessment and represents a practical alternative to conventional chemical analytical methods. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1660.html As consumers become more health-conscious, researchers are innovating with new products and reformulating traditional items. As staple and affordable foods, bakery products serve as ideal carriers for bioactive compounds that can promote health and prevent diseases. Thus, manufacturers are fortifying bread and bakery products by incorporating various beneficial components. Oleaster is a highly nutritious fruit renowned for its potent antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Its rich bioactive profile and essential nutrients make it an excellent candidate for enhancing bakery products. The fruit contains a diverse array of beneficial bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, glycosidic compounds, gallic acid, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Additionally, it provides essential fatty acids, organic acids, and vital minerals such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, iron, calcium, zinc, and copper, which support various physiological functions. Due to its floury texture, unique taste, and functional properties including high dietary fiber content, minerals, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity, oleaster can serve a functional purpose in the creation of baked goods. The incorporation of oleaster into bakery products can confer numerous health benefits, such as increased antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory effects, lowering glycemic index, improved nutritional value, and improve shelf life which is fully discussed comprehensively in this review paper. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1662.html The objective of this study was to extraction and evaluation of bioactive compounds from the aerial parts of Amygdalus lycioides. Three extraction methods were evaluated. Decoction using ethanol–water and methanol–water solvents at 70 °C for 30 min;Maceration using ethanol–water and methanol–water solvents at 25 °C for 3 days; andUltrasonic-assisted extraction with ethanol–water and methanol–water solvents at 50 °C for 15 min under a continuous frequency of 40 kHz. The best extraction conditions were selected based on extraction yield, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content (TPC) using a fuzzy inference system. The results indicated that the ultrasound-assisted extraction with ethanol–water solvent exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (86.26%) and total phenolic content (429.25 mg GAE/100 mL), while the decoction method with methanol–water showed the lowest values (76.80% and 325.08 mg GAE/100 mL, respectively). According to the fuzzy ranking, the ultrasound-assisted ethanol–water method obtained the highest score (89.2), followed by the ultrasound-assisted methanol–water method (88.5), whereas the other extraction methods had equal scores of 50. Furthermore, HPLC–MS analysis of the Amygdalus lycioides extract revealed the presence of abundant polyphenolic compounds such as Quercetin (26.66 µg/mg) and Caffeic acid (9.069 µg/mg). Considering the actual values of extraction yield, phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and solvent safety, the ultrasound-assisted ethanolic extraction was identified as the most suitable and best method. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1664.html This study investigated the production and characterization of a functional flavored milk fortified with shrimp-derived astaxanthin (ASX)-rich oil in free and nanoencapsulated (hexosomal) forms. ASX-rich oil was extracted from green tiger shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus) processing by-products using supercritical CO₂ extraction and subsequently incorporated into food-grade hexosomes. The resulting ASX-loaded hexosomes exhibited a mean particle size of 164.3 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.29, and a ζ-potential of -36.5 mV. Encapsulation efficiency reached 85.1 ± 3.3%, demonstrating the effective incorporation of ASX-rich oil within the nanostructured lipid carriers. Fortified flavored milk samples were prepared using free and hexosomal ASX-rich oil and evaluated during 12 days of refrigerated storage (4 °C) in terms of physicochemical, rheological, color, and sensory properties. The hexosomal ASX-fortified samples showed pH and titratable acidity profiles comparable to the control, while samples enriched with free ASX exhibited a significantly greater pH decline and higher acidity. Apparent viscosity increased in fortified samples, particularly in those containing hexosomal ASX, reflecting enhanced structural interactions and dispersed phase contributions. Color analysis revealed that nanoencapsulation mitigated excessive increases in redness and yellowness, while maintaining higher lightness compared to free ASX-fortified samples. Sensory evaluation demonstrated that hexosomal encapsulation effectively masked undesirable fishy odor and preserved overall acceptability, whereas free ASX-fortified milk received significantly lower sensory scores. Overall, the results demonstrate that hexosomal nanoencapsulation is an effective strategy to improve the physicochemical stability, color quality, and sensory acceptance of flavored milk fortified with shrimp-derived ASX, highlighting its potential for developing value-added functional dairy products. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1665.html Osmotic solution concentration and ultrasonic pretreatment duration are crucial parameters influencing process efficiency and product quality in freeze-drying. Investigating the combined effect of these factors on the physicochemical properties of freeze-dried fruit is therefore essential. This study evaluated the impact of varying sucrose solution concentrations (40-60 wt%) and ultrasonic pretreatment times (10-50 min) on several characteristics of freeze dried apple cubes, including water loss after osmotic dehydration, weight loss after drying, water absorption capacity, textural properties (hardness and adhesiveness), overall color change (ΔE), surface shrinkage, edge parameters (EL and ED), and two-dimensional wavelet transform coefficients (LL, LH, HL, and HH). Response Surface Methodology (RSM) analysis revealed that increasing osmotic concentration significantly reduced surface shrinkage, overall color change, and edge parameters. Ultrasonic pretreatment duration significantly decreased hardness, while adhesiveness was unaffected by either variable. Wavelet analysis indicated that LL and HL subbands were significantly responsive to both factors, HH responded only to osmotic concentration, and LH showed no significant response. Overall, osmotic solution concentration played a dominant role in preserving visual quality and surface microstructure, whereas ultrasonic pretreatment primarily affected textural properties.The combined application of these two pretreatments may therefore improve several quality attributes of freeze dried apples simultaneously. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1666.html Global food supply chains are increasingly challenged by high levels of food loss, short shelf life of perishable products, and growing consumer demand for food safety, quality assurance, and transparency. Conventional food packaging systems, which primarily serve passive protective functions, are no longer sufficient to address these challenges, particularly for highly perishable fruits such as strawberries. In response, smart packaging has emerged as an innovative technological solution capable of monitoring product quality, environmental conditions, and supply chain integrity through the integration of sensors, indicators, and digital communication technologies. Despite its technical potential, the large-scale adoption of smart packaging remains limited, mainly due to uncertainties related to pricing, economic feasibility, and market acceptance. The price of smart packaging is influenced by a complex interaction of technological complexity, functional performance, and sustainability considerations. However, empirical studies that simultaneously quantify these economic drivers and contextualize them within global scientific trends remain scarce. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the key determinants of smart packaging pricing using a convergent mixed-methods approach. Specifically, it seeks to (i) quantitatively evaluate the effects of technological complexity, functional added value, and environmental sustainability on pricing, and (ii) qualitatively map the conceptual structure and dominant research streams in the international smart packaging literature. By integrating economic modeling with text-mining-based knowledge mapping, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of how scientific priorities align—or conflict—with market valuation mechanisms in the smart food packaging domain. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1667.html Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal, locally known as terung asam, is an underutilised tropical fruit with recognised nutritional and bioactive potential, yet its effective utilisation is constrained by limited extraction efficiency arising from complex plant matrices. This study evaluated enzyme-assisted ultrasound extraction of S. lasiocarpum fruit extract (SLFE) to enhance crude yield (CY), phytochemical content, and bioactivity, with specific focus on antioxidant and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities. Enzymatic pretreatment using pectinase, cellulase, and protease was applied prior to ultrasound-assisted extraction. CY, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activities assessed by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays, and pancreatic lipase inhibition based on IC₅₀ values were determined. Pectinase pretreatment produced the highest CY and TFC and consistently enhanced radical scavenging and reducing antioxidant activities. In addition, pectinase-pretreated SLFE exhibited the strongest pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity, followed by protease, while cellulase showed the weakest inhibition. Cellulase pretreatment resulted in the highest TPC but demonstrated limited effectiveness in lipase inhibition. Overall, enzyme specificity strongly influenced extraction efficiency and bioactivity, with pectinase favouring CY, flavonoid recovery, antioxidant capacity, and anti-lipase activity. These findings demonstrate that enzyme-assisted ultrasound extraction is an effective strategy for optimising functional compound recovery from S. lasiocarpum, supporting its potential application in functional food and nutraceutical development. https://jift.irost.ir/article_1678.html Precooling process and modified atmosphere packaging, have a significant effect on maintaining quality and increasing the shelf life of sweet cherry. In this study the effect of precooling methods, type of packaging and storage time were studied on the quality properties of sweet cherry. The precooling methods was the forced air cooling (FAC), hydrocooling (HC) and no cooling (NC). The type of packaging was the commercial package (CP) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Fruit was stored at 3 ˚C for 20 days and fruit quality was measured at the harvesting day, and days 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20. The quality properties were the mass loss, decay, stem browning and TSS. In addition, fruit were stored for 6 days at ambient temperature (28 ˚C) after storing at cold storage. For example, fruit which exited from cold storage after 4 days, were stored at laboratory (at 28 ˚C) for other 6 days. The results indicated the lowest mass loss by the value of 0.24 % was observed in the fruit cooled by FAC method and then packed as MAP (FAC+MAP). The stem browning in the fruit packed as MAP by the value of 7.64 % was lower than those packed in the CP (11.57 %). Firmness and TSS was better preserved in the fruit which cooled. At all treatment, no decay was observed during the cold storage of fruit. In addition, the storage of all fruit at the ambient temperature showed that the lowest mass loss of fruit (2.04 %) and stem browning (43.90 %) was obtained in the fruit treated by the FAC+MAP and no decay was observed in the fruit up to 4 days. Therefore, precooling of sweet cherry by the FAC and following packing as MAP was the best method to storage the fruit.