Journal of Food Quality

To explore the key odorants and their concentration changes in high-salt liquid-state fermentation soy sauce (HLFSS) during storage, solvent extraction coupled with solvent-assisted flavor evaporation was applied to isolate the volatiles in HLFSS, and the volatiles were analyzed by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry-olfactory and gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector-olfactometry combined with the aroma extract dilution assay. A total of 37 odor-active compounds with flavor dilution (FD) factors ranging from 1 to 1024 were identified, and 23 aroma components with odor activity values ≥1 were considered as key odorants. Methional, 3-methylbutanoic acid, phenethyl alcohol, sotolon, 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-ethyl-3(2H)-furanone (HEMF), and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethylfuran-3(2H)-one (HDMF) had the highest FD factors of 1024. The results of quantitative analysis through the internal standard curve showed that the concentrations of HEMF, HDMF, acetic acid, 1-hydroxy-2-butanone, acetol, and furfuryl alcohol varied greatly during storage, so these compounds might be used as the indicators to determine the shelf life of HLFSS. The recombination experiment also confirmed the important contribution of these compounds. This result will provide valuable information for understanding the flavor changes of HLFSS.

Motherwort (Leonurus japonicus Houtt) is an important medicinal plant known for its excellent antioxidant properties. Nonetheless, in South Korea, its availability remains limited due to the challenge of low seed germination rates, affecting field production. To tackle this problem, it is imperative to focus on controlled production methods. In our study, we conducted experiments in a laboratory setting, employing various combinations of light-emitting diode (LED) lights to cultivate motherwort. The influence of LED light quality on seed germination, initial growth, and functionality of motherwort is evaluated. The germination rate of motherwort ranged from 36.1 ± 7.35% to 75.0 ± 1.60%, and the highest value was observed in the red LED 100% treatment. The mean shoot length also varied depending on LED light quality. The longest shoot length (3.45 ± 0.13 g) was obtained in the red LED 100% treatment. The highest shoot weight (0.266 ± 0.011 cm) and root weight (0.051 ± 0.008 cm) were obtained in the red LED 70% and blue LED 30% mixed treatment. The total phenolic content of the motherwort sprout ranged from 2.50 ± 0.30 mg GAE/g to 3.01 ± 0.09 mg GAE/g, with the highest value from the white LED (control) treatment, but no significant differences were observed among the treatments. The red LED 30% and blue LED 70% mixed treatment showed the highest total flavonoid content (11.62 ± 0.79 mg QE/g) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (57.64 ± 2.95%). The red LED 70% and blue LED 30% mixed treatment had a similar level of DPPH scavenging activity as the control, and there was no positive or negative effect on the functionality of motherwort sprout. Overall, the results suggest that the red LED 70% and blue LED 30% mixed treatment can be effectively used to increase productivity in motherwort without decreasing its important quality.

Kajmak, a traditional Serbian dairy product, is a top, crust layer of milk containing a high amount of aggregated milk fat and proteins, formed during long cooling of boiled milk. Due to variations in production technologies, environmental conditions, and the composition of raw milk which varies from region to region, the quality of kajmak produced traditionally in households is very inconsistent. Attempts to produce kajmak in the industry environment (dairy plants) turned out to be highly challenging in terms of achieving a uniform quality and safety of the product. In order to have a deeper insight into the quality of kajmak produced by the traditional manufacture and the industry, the main objective of the study was to investigate sensorial, physicochemical, and textural properties of kajmak produced in households and dairy plants and distributed through open markets and retail stores, respectively. A total of 36 samples of kajmak were analyzed for thirteen quality characteristics. The results obtained showed a high variability in kajmak quality. The study applied a mathematical calculation of a single total quality index (TQI) that makes all quality attributes comparable. Based on the obtained results, it was determined that kajmak produced in households had a better TQI, which leads to the conclusion that in terms of kajmak quality, the traditional production method is still superior to the industrial one. The correlation between the examined quality characteristics was investigated using Pearson’s bivariate correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). By applying PCA, four principal components highlighting the most important quality characteristics were extracted. The results of the study suggest that further research on the quality of this valuable dairy product, as well as government support and investment in the small scale dairy sector, could be beneficial.

The study was conducted to evaluate raw cow milk microbial quality in the Assosa district from January to March 2021. Sixty farmers were chosen from 200 surveyed households for milk samples to determine microbial analysis using standard procedures. From each farmer, 450 mL of the fresh morning raw cow milk sample was collected aseptically using a sterile sampling bottle. The milk samples were analyzed in duplicates immediately after 12 hrs upon laboratory arrival. Milk microbial analysis, sampling, transportation, and handling followed standard procedures. The average aerobic mesophilic bacterial count, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, yeast and mold count, and coliform count were 9.0, 5.3, 7.8, 9.2, and 6.8 log₁₀ CFU/mL, respectively. However, significant differences between urban and rural locations were observed except for the last parameter. The counts of all microbial parameters, including the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus found in this study, were higher than the acceptable limit set by the Ethiopian standard authority. This indicates that smallholder milk was highly contaminated and may have originated from a single source. Consequently, the hygienic quality of milk is not safe for consumption; instead, it can cause different types of foodborne pathogens. Therefore, identification of the contamination sources of milk and urgent remedial actions will be taken to protect consumers’ health.

The dehydration behavior of turkey berries was analysed in a fluidized bed dryer at various inlet air velocities (0.8, 2.1, and 3.4 m/s) and temperatures (50, 60, and 70°C). The drying parameters and physiochemical values of fruits were extensively studied, as were the moisture content, rate of drying, moisture diffusivity of the sample, shrinking percentage, color variations, retention of vitamin C, β-carotene, antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content. The activation energy varies between 36.82 and 45.63 kJ/mol under different bed conditions. According to the experimental results, it has been observed that the maximum moisture diffusion rate was 2.898 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s and maximum retention rates of vitamin C, β-carotene, antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content were 1.91 mg/100 g d.m, 184 μg/100 g d.m, 21.34 mg AAE/100 g d.m, and 513 mg GAE/100 g, during the drying of the sample at 70°C and 3.4 m/s. The minimum shrinkage (49.1%) and color variation (ΔE = 11.08) were detected at 3.4 m/s and 70°C. The Midilli et al. model was fitted, which is the most preferable model for predicting the dehydration characteristics of turkey berries.

The anticancer activity of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn extract (PPDE) was investigated in vitro in the HepG2 human hepatoma cell line and compared to normal human liver cells (L02 cells). The effect of the PPDE on the proliferation of the cells was measured by MTT assays, and the levels of enzymes and small molecules implicated in oxidative stress regulation were measured using specific reagent kits. The expression levels of genes implicated in apoptosis (Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9) and oxidative stress (SOD1 and SOD2) were quantified by RT-qPCR. Lastly, HPLC was employed to analyze the composition of the PPDE. PPDE was found to significantly inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells but had little effect on the proliferation of normal liver cells. PPDE increased the levels of reactive oxygen species and malonaldehyde, a lipid peroxidation product, in HepG2 cells, and it reduced the activities of antioxidant enzymes, as well as the levels of γ-GCS and reduced glutathione (GSH), suggesting that it inhibited the ability of cancer cells to regulate intracellular oxidative stress. PPDE also increased the expression of the genes encoding Bax, caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 and decreased the expression of Bcl-2, SOD1, and SOD2 in HepG2 cells, suggesting that PPDE induced the apoptosis of the liver cancer cells. HPLC analysis identified that the components of PPDE included caffeic acid, isochlorogenic acid C, myricetin, baicalin, luteolin, and kaempferol, all of which have demonstrated antioxidant properties.