Carpathian Journal of Food Science and Technology

Optimization of potato flour based complementary food using D-optimal design

Neelam Yadav, Pinki Saini, Devinder Kaur, Urvashi Sharma, Unaiza Iqbal — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The huge demand of nutritious, calorie dense, non allergenic and cost effective complementary food is continuously increasing so as to curb the prevalence of malnutrition among children especially in developing countries having limited resources. Therefore, it becomes essential that the synergistic effects of the primary constituents should be exploited to yield maximum optimal functional properties. This study was carried out to develop a weaning mix by using Rice flour (A), Potato Flour (B) and Chickpea Protein Isolates (C) to obtain a formulation having optimal physicochemical properties (Water Absorption capacity, Water Solubility Index, Texture) and sensorial properties by Optimal Mixture Model Design of response Surface Methodology. The lower limit (Rice flour- 50; Potato flour- 20 and Protein isolate-5) and upper limit (Rice flour- 70; Potato flour- 30 and Chickpea Protein isolate-10) for each mixture component was used. Experimental designs had 16 experimental runs with physicochemical and sensorial properties as their responses. The constraint fixed for optimization of the weaning mix was to maximize the overall acceptability and keeping the physicochemical properties WAC, WSI and texture within range. Within these constraints, d optimal design selected the variation 65A:28.1B:6.9C as the most desirable one. The predicted and observed values of the analyzed responses of the optimized formula were compared (p<0.05) and the results were found to be in good agreement with the predicted values.>< 0.05) and the results were found to be in good agreement with the predicted values.

Study on determining the freezing mode of frozen fillet bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus)

Hoan Thi Pham, Linh T.K. Do, Tuan Thanh Chau, Dzung Tan Nguyen — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), a kind of delicious seafood, can be processed to be several valuable products. To maintain the product quality, harvested tunas had been strictly persevered, transported and frozen at low temperature. This study was carried out to determine the technological mode of the freezing process of the fillet tuna to find the optimum temperature and freezing time to reduce mass loss and keep its quality. The combining twolevel orthogonal arrays was used to build the relationship between objective functions and income variables. The results found the optimized freezing mode of the fillet tuna: the freezing environment temperature was -42.5^oC and the freezing time was 2.12h. Carrying out the experiment with optimized freezing mode, showed that the temperature at the end of the fillet tuna freezing process was reached at –22.5^oC and the yield of weight loss was is 3.1%. That meaned all internal water of the product was completely crystallized and the loss of quality was negligible. The freezing mode can be applied in industrial scale for the frozen fillet tuna manufacturing process.

Development and evaluation of free sugar jelly made with leafy vegetables as a functional food

Sara Adel Amer, Hanaa Sayed Mohamed Abd El-Rahman — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Commercial jellies are infamous for their excessive sugar content and for offering no nutritional or functional benefits. Hence, this research is intended to produce sugar-free, healthy jellies utilizing leafy vegetables, including leek, Swiss chard, and celery juice. The findings demonstrated that these products were softer, less gummy, easier to chew, and had nearly the same range of springiness and cohesiveness compared with commercial ones. Also, they have an appealing green hue. Besides, these products are rich sources for manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, and calcium, providing an average of 110, 72, 52, 30, 25, and 22.9% of the daily values (DV), respectively. They are also considered a moderate source of vitamins A, C, and B6, giving an average of 16.7, 10.36, and 8.8% DV. Moreover, they could cover up to 55% of the daily value required from dietary fibers. Conversely, they have a lower percentage of carbohydrates, energy density, and glycemic index than the commercial equivalent. Additionally, they showed a high amount of flavonoids (100–348 mg QE/100 g), total phenolic components (318–824 mg GAE/100 g), and significant antioxidant activity (112.91–255.43 mg TE/100 g). Therefore, these novel varieties of jellies provide a nutritious and multifunctional source to satisfy consumers' desire for value-added products.

Molecular characterization, production and optimization of pectinase producer and its industrial applications

Nimisha D. Patel, Dharmesh A. Patel — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A naturally occurring component called pectin is present in many fruits, including berries and apples. Almost all plants contain it, where it adds to the structure of the cell. Pectinase is an enzyme product that is used professionally to break down pectin. Pectinases are widely used in the wine and citrus juice industries. It is used in the fruit juice business for clarification because it lowers viscosity, which results in the creation of clear juice. In the current research, soil samples were taken from six different regions in the Ahmedabad district in an effort to isolate bacteria that produce pectinase from those samples. Primary screening produced a total of 41 strains, of which 14 showed pectinase activity. Screening was done by using Vincent’s agar medium containing pectin. Best pectinolytic activity was determined by clear zone of hydrolysis on selective media. Among 14 isolates, Isolate 1 was showing highest zone of utilization which was selected for further study. Pectinase was produced by submerge fermentation technique and physicochemical parameters were optimized in which isolate 1 showed highest activity at pH 7.4, temperature 37ºC, incubation period 48hrs., inoculation size, substrate, carbon source, nitrogen source. Isolate 1 was characterized by its cultural, morphological, biochemical and molecular basis by 16S rRNA sequencing and designated as Bacillus subtilis. This isolate was applied for fruit juice clarification and demucilization.

Phytochemical profile of Agrimonia eupatoria L. from Bulgaria and effects of its extracts on Galleria mellonella (L.) (lepidoptera: pyralidae) larvae

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Plants contain polyphenolic compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes, lignans, essential oils, etc., which are endowed with antioxidant properties. This study aimed to correlate the total phenolic compound and flavonoid content of Agrimonia eupatoria L. with its antioxidant properties and to determine some mineral elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P). The antioxidant capacity of the extract was tested by three methods (DPPH, FRAP, and TEAC). According to the results, the antioxidant content of A. eupatoria was found to be high (IC50=38.03±0.01μg/mL). Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were found as 13.66±0.38 mg GAE/g and 4.65±0.01mg QE/g, respectively. Besides, the major components found in A. eupatoria were α-pinene (62.72%), n-hexadecanoic acid (11.41%), (5E,9E)-farnesyl acetone (6.64%), and (5E,9Z)-farnesyl acetone (3.65%). Heavy metal content in A. eupatoria was found within WHO limits. It was also investigated whether A. eupatoria has toxic effects. Because a medicinal plant is not supposed to harm metabolism, for this investigation, larvae stage of Galleria mellonella had selected as a test organism. In order to investigate the toxic effects, oxidative stress parameters (SOD, CAT, GST, GPx, MDA) and AChE activity were measured. And no harmful effects were observed at the doses administered at 24, 48, and 72 h.

Evaluation of quality parameters of parboiled and nonparboiled zinc biofortified BRRI dhan84 rice variety in Bangladesh

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Zinc deficiency is a global public health problem in developing countries, including Bangladesh, where rice is the primary consumed staple food. To combat zinc deficiency in Bangladesh, BRRI dhan84 (paddy) has been released as a zinc-biofortified and high-yielding rice variety. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in physicochemical properties, nutritional attributes, and contents of zinc in newly released rice variety after parboiling and cooking using standard methods. Significant differences were noted among different properties. The study revealed that the parboiling method increased fat (2.36%), protein (9.42%), and zinc (2.741%), whereas those not using parboiling methods resulted in 1.72% fat, 6.68% protein and 2.732% zinc. In contrast, other components like fiber, carbohydrates, ash, and iron decreased after parboiling. Physicochemical analysis showed that parboiled rice was found to be slightly higher in length (6.507 mm), broader in width (2.032 mm), lower in solid gruel loss (0.090%), and also higher in head rice yield (80.09%) than non-parboiled rice. A prolonged cooking time of approximately 39.41 minutes was observed in parboiled rice as compared to non-parboiled rice. However, the cooking process negatively affected the nutrient contents of both parboiled and non-parboiled rice than uncooked or raw rice. Zinc content was generally similar between parboiled and non-parboiled rice after cooking (2.264-2.344 mg/100g). The sensory test further revealed that the parboiled rice obtained more overall acceptability, although the rice color was darker than that of non-parboiled rice. The study concluded that, depending on desired physicochemical and nutritional properties, the zincbiofortified BRRI dhan84 rice variety could be the important option for improving rice grain nutritional quality to overcome the micronutrient problem in Bangladesh.

Effects of xanthan gum on the quality of gluten-free bora rice and corn flour noodles using D-optimal mixture design approach

Subhajit Ray, Rangina Brahma, Manuj Kumar Hazarika — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Bora rice found in Assam contains a significant amylopectin concentration (i.e., > 95%) and has a waxy, branched polymer, indicating physical durability and resistance to enzymatic action. This category of rice starch hydrates and expands when exposed to cold water, generating sols that contribute to its bio-adhesive characteristics. Due to glutinous nature, it poses a challenge in making extruded products. Now, xanthan gum has the ability to replace the gluten network of bora rice and blended with corn flour to develop noodles by using extrusion technology. The study was based upon the experiments for three independent variables using a Doptimal mixture design (DOMD). Different responses viz. cooking time, cooking loss, swelling power and solubility were studied. Numerical optimization was done and the optimum values were found to be rice flour (82.3%), corn flour (15%), and xanthan gum (2.6%). The developed noodle product was then analyzed for physiochemical, sensory, and storage properties. The recorded readings were swelling index (37gg−1), solubility (36.5%), cooking loss (27%) and cooking time (209 s). The moisture, protein and ash content were found as approximately 2.5%, 30% and 0.213% respectively. Therefore, based on DOMD optimization technique, a good balance between the bora rice, corn flour and xanthan gum led to the development of extruded noodle with characteristic physicochemical property, storage stability and satisfactory sensory quality.

Fermentation potentials of baobab (Adansonia digitata) pulp powder in the production of yoghurt from cow milk

Adegbola Dauda, Odunola Abdulkadir, Miracle Ajayi — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Yoghurt was produced from fresh cow milk inoculated with baobab pulp powder. Baobab pulp powder was added at 0.34%, 0.52%, 0.69%, and 0.85% respectively, while the control sample (A) was yoghurt produced from fresh cow milk inoculated with regular commercial starter culture. The physical, chemical, microbiological, anti-nutritional and sensory properties of the samples were analysed using standard procedures. The moisture content, crude protein and fat content decreased with the added baobab pulp powder, while the fibre, ash and carbohydrate contents increased. The pH ranged from 4.34 to 4.74, coupled with negligible anti-nutritional composition. The titratable acidity increased with added baobab pulp powder from 0.52-0.69%. Brix and viscosity of treated samples increased respectively from 30.85-40.02 and 200.05-200.14. Total bacterial and fungi counts ranged from 8.65×104 to 15.51×104 Cfu/mL and 1.12×104 to 4.54×104 Cfu/mL respectively, with the control sample having the higher loads. The over-all acceptability of the samples were significant (p>0.05); sample E (0.85% inoculation) was the most preferred, followed by sample B (0.34% inoculation), while the least accepted sample was the control. Inoculating milk with baobab pulp powder produced yoghurt with improved and acceptable qualities.

Development of Lycopene content in tomatoes at colour break and variation of it during storage and processing

G.E.D.A.M. Jayarathna, S.B. Navaratne, I. Wickramasinghe — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Lycopene is a natural pigment present in tomatoes and is responsible for red colour, Lycopene content in tomatoes is varied based on the variety, climatic condition, soil type and rainfall pattern in cultivated areas and also on the maturity stage of the fruit. So also, it is varied with the stage of harvest, harvesting season, storage condition, storage period and different types of processing. Harvesting at the colour break stage and storing at low temperatures (22⁰C – 30⁰C) is favourable for lycopene development rather than storing at high temperatures. Ethylene gas treatment can be used to enhance the lycopene content and it accelerates the ripening process in tomatoes. Processing at high temperatures for long periods and exposure to bright lights causes to decrease the lycopene content.Further, processing of tomatoes increases the lycopene bioavailability and many health benefits according to the results of previous studies. Processing waste of tomato skin and pericarp can be used as a lycopene source for the food industry as well as to the formation of many tablets which are enriched with many vitamins and nutrients. Extracted lycopene can be used as a natural food colorant for artificial colorants in avoiding harmful effects. There is an emerging future trend in preparing many products by increasing the lycopene content in the natural product on the well-being of the consumers.

Basic quality criteria and shelf life of hot smoked Antalya barb (Capoeta Antalyensis)

Soner Çetinkaya — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this study, the hot smoking process and storage time of C. antalyensis was examined. The moisture, protein, ash, and fat content of fresh raw fish was 76.52±0.43%, 17.29±0.05%, 1.90±0.29%, and 1.73±0.13%, respectively. The changes in the findings of the smoked samples compared to the raw fresh sample were found to be significant (p<0.5). During the study, TVB-N, TBA and pH findings changed. The TVB-N value was 35.04±0.77mg/100g on the day 91^st, and the TBA value was 9.11±0.65μg MDA/g on the day 70^th. The pH values obtained as 6.8 on the day 49^th, and 7.0 on the day 91^st. An average score of 1.90±0.46 was obtained for the odor criterion on the day 56^th. On the day 35^th, the Total Plate Count (TPC) was 6.30±0.00 log cfu/g, and the Total Psychrophilic Bacteria count was 6.43±0.15 log cfu/g. The total number of yeast-mold was determined as 7.15±0.15 log cfu/g on the day 42^nd. In the analysis of C. antalyensis, 27 different fatty acids were determined. Of the saturated fatty acids (SFA), C16:0 had the highest value. It was determined that the species can be processed by the hot smoking method, by nutrient content, and by the sensory taste appreciated.

Identification of the potential bioactive peptides in edible bird’s nest

Khuzma Din, Amiza Mat Amin, Fisal Ahmad, Amin Ismail, Adawiyah Suriza Shuib — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The major component in edible bird’s nest (EBN) is protein. Thus, it is a potential source of bioactive peptides. Thus, this study aimed to determine the potential bioactive peptides from proteomic profiles of EBN using BIOPEP database. In this study, a proteomic profiling of soluble EBN proteins was carried out using high sensitivity liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Five proteins were selected as potential precursors for bioactive peptides which were deleted in malignant brain tumors 1, lysyl oxidase 3, acidic mammalian chitinase, NK-lysin and mucin-5AC for further analysis. It was found that the chosen proteins gave six dominant bioactivities which were angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP IV) inhibitor, dipeptidyl peptidaseIII (DPP III) inhibitor, antioxidative, stimulating and renin inhibitor. Furthermore, the most potential bioactive peptides from soluble EBN proteins were angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP IV) inhibitor. Meanwhile for in silico proteolysis of EBN proteins using 33 type of enzymes, stem bromelain and pepsin were found to give the highest degree hydrolysis and to produce the highest number of bioactive peptides. Five tripeptides were generated after gastrointestinal digestion simulation for each ACE inhibitory activity, which were IRA, YPG, MKY, IVR and AVL and DPP IV inhibitory peptides that were WRD, WRT, WRS, VPL and APG, respectively. However, all these tripeptides have been reported in previous studies. This study showed that EBN has a promising source of bioactive peptide and in silico approach provide better understanding of theoretical and prediction of functional peptides.

Prevention of melanosis and quality loss of pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) by ethanol Persicaria odorata extract during frozen storage

Toan Duc Nguyen, Tinh Trung Ho, Dzung Tan Nguyen, Dao Thi Anh Phan — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Ethanolic extract from Persicaria odorata leaf was applied to investigate the ability to preserve Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during frozen storage of 5 days at -21^oC in comparison with 1.25% sodium metabisulfite. From evaluating the effects of P.odorata extract concentration and immersion time on melanosis formation, shrimps treated with the extract at 1/15 (mg/mL, w/v) in 10 minutes showed the lowest degree of melanosis. Microbiological analyses showed that Pacific white shrimp treated with P. odorata extract possessed lower values in total plate count and Enterobacteriaceae count compared with the control (p<0.05). pH and total volatile base content saw a lower increase in samples treated with P. odorata crude extract (p<0.05). Freshness loss, protein degradation, and melanosis growth in shrimps with crude extract treatments were impeded. The results show that P. odorata extract can be used a potential source of melanosis inhibitors, and natural preservatives for shelf-life extension of Pacific white shrimp during frozen storage.

Exploring the incorporation of mulberry (Morus Alba L.) into freeze-dried yogurt for enhanced nutritional value and quality

Nu Yen Nhi Huynh, Thi Bich Tram Phan, Thi Tuu Tran, Thanh Viet Nguyen — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Yogurt, popular worldwide, is nutrient-rich with calcium, potassium, protein, B vitamins, and beneficial microorganisms. Mulberries possess medicinal qualities, notably anthocyanins, which have antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-bacterial effects. Though fruit-flavored yogurt is popular, producing it is challenging because of its limited shelf life. However, freezedrying technology can address this, allowing prolonged storage without compromising its quality. This study evaluated incorporating mulberry into yogurt to enhance its nutritional value and quality while seeking an optimal production process for freeze-dried mulberry yogurt. Mulberry syrup was added in various ratios, demonstrating statistically significant effects on the yogurt's physicochemical properties. Particularly, a 9:1 mulberry syrup to yogurt ratio exhibited a total polyphenol content of 170.84 mg GAE/100 g, marking a 94% increase compared to the yogurt without mulberry syrup. This substantial enhancement signifies an improvement in yogurt efficiency when mulberry is integrated. Similarly, DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging activities for the 9:1 ratio were observed at 12.22 mgAAE/100g and 22.55 mgAAE/100g, which is an enhancement of 1.89% and 15.99%, respectively, compared to the reference yogurt sample (10:0 ratio). The quality changes in the freeze-dried mulberry yogurt were monitored over a 28-day storage period. The results revealed relatively stable physicochemical properties, microbiological density, and biological activity throughout the storage, highlighting the potential of freeze-drying technology in creating innovative and nutritious yogurt products.

Characteristics of yoghurt enriched with protein hydrolysate from parrotfish (Chlorurus Sordidus) head

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Production of parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) fillets has increased significantly in Indonesia. The processing only uses fish meat, thus producing plenty of by-products. Fish by-products contain valuable protein that can still be processed into fish protein hydrolysate (FPH). FPH can be used to improve yoghurt's physicochemical and organoleptic. This study aimed to determine the effect of protein hydrolysate from parrotfish head addition on the characteristics of yoghurt. The FPH concentrations used were 0%, 0.1%, 0.15%, 0.2%, 0.25 and 3%. This research was conducted by an experimental method using a completely randomized design with six treatments and five replications. The results showed that the variation of FPH concentration significantly affected the pH, total acid, viscosity, syneresis, water holding capacity, colour L*, a*, b*, appearance, aroma, and taste of yoghurt. However, the addition of FPH did not significantly affect the a* colour and texture of yoghurt. The best treatment was observed from the addition of 0.15% FPH with a viscosity value of 2.432 N•s/m², syneresis 49.67%, WHC 37.4%, pH 4.36, TTA 0.76%, colour L* 74.55, colour a* - 3.76, colour b* 8.2, taste score 5.39, aroma score 5.33, texture score 5.23, and appearance score 5.8.

Carpathian Journal of Food Science and Technology

Optimization of potato flour based complementary food using D-optimal design

Study on determining the freezing mode of frozen fillet bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus)

Development and evaluation of free sugar jelly made with leafy vegetables as a functional food

Molecular characterization, production and optimization of pectinase producer and its industrial applications

Phytochemical profile of Agrimonia eupatoria L. from Bulgaria and effects of its extracts on Galleria mellonella (L.) (lepidoptera: pyralidae) larvae

Evaluation of quality parameters of parboiled and nonparboiled zinc biofortified BRRI dhan84 rice variety in Bangladesh

Effects of xanthan gum on the quality of gluten-free bora rice and corn flour noodles using D-optimal mixture design approach

Fermentation potentials of baobab (Adansonia digitata) pulp powder in the production of yoghurt from cow milk

Development of Lycopene content in tomatoes at colour break and variation of it during storage and processing

Basic quality criteria and shelf life of hot smoked Antalya barb (Capoeta Antalyensis)

Identification of the potential bioactive peptides in edible bird’s nest

Prevention of melanosis and quality loss of pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) by ethanol Persicaria odorata extract during frozen storage

Exploring the incorporation of mulberry (Morus Alba L.) into freeze-dried yogurt for enhanced nutritional value and quality

Characteristics of yoghurt enriched with protein hydrolysate from parrotfish (Chlorurus Sordidus) head