VALORTECH
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Kirje Amperometric method for the determination of cellulase activity and its optimization using response surface method(SpringerOpen, 2022) Nero, Georg; Kivirand, Kairi; Othman, Sana Ben; Rinken, ToonikaCellulases are a group of enzymes, which catalyse different steps of cellulose hydrolysis, and are broadly used in industry as unpurified mixtures of several enzymes. The total activity of cellulase is defined as the ability of the enzyme to produce glucose, which is the final product of cellulose hydrolysis, and is expressed in cellulase units. However, common strategies for the determination of the cellulolytic activity of industrial cellulase preparations are based on the assessment of different steps of cellulose hydrolysis, and the results obtained with different methods are not similar. The aim of the present study was to develop an assay for the determination of cellulase activity that relies on the amperometric determination of the final product of cellulose hydrolysis glucose. The assay conditions were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) combined with Box-Behnken design. The detection limit of the proposed method was 1.71 ± 0.06 U. We compared the results of the amperometric method with the ones obtained with the spectrophotometric method and viscosimetry in a commercial cellulose preparation.Kirje Antioxidants Characterization of the Fruit, Juice, and Pomace of Sweet Rowanberry (Sorbus aucuparia L.) Cultivated in Estonia(MDPI, 2021) Sarv, Viive; Venskutonis, Petras Rimantas; Rätsep, Reelika; Aluvee, Alar; Kazernavičiūtė, Rita; Bhat, Rajeev; Polli Horticultural Research Centre, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Estonian University of Life Sciences; ERA Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies (VALORTECH). Estonian University of Life SciencesThis study aimed to identify promising candidates of rowanberry cultivars for a wider cultivation and utilization. Antioxidant properties and phenolic content were evaluated for fruit, juice, and pomace samples of 16 different sweet rowanberry cultivars (cvs) and wild rowanberry (S. aucuparia L.), while the antioxidant potential was assessed using three different methods, based on the capacity to scavenge ABTS + and DPPH and measure the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). In general, the radical scavenging capacity was higher for hybrid cultivars, e.g., for cvs Likernaja, Burka, Granatnaja, and Rubinovaja in all assays. The highest value in the ABTS + assay was determined for the fruit sample Likernaja, and in DPPH assay in the pomace sample of cv. Likernaja, at 527.55 and 1068.28 M TE/g dw, respectively. The highest ORAC value was found in the fruit sample of Burka (456.53 M TE/g dw). Among the Nevezhino rowans, the highest radical scavenging values of all fractions were determined in cv. Solnechnaja. Regarding the total phenolic content (TPC), higher values were obtained in the whole fruits than in separated fractions, juice, and pomace. The tested hybrids had higher TPC values, either in fruit and pomace or in juice extracts, than those in the other analyzed S. aucuparia L. cultivars. While the fruit and juice samples showed higher anthocyanin (ACY) values, the pomace samples had higher hydroxycinnamic acid (HCA) contents on average. The results revealed that the different fractions of selected rowanberry cultivars can be a promising source of antioxidants and polyphenols for further potential applications. It is envisaged that the results of this study will serve in valorizing sweet rowanberry cultivars as value-added functional ingredients for food and non-food applications.Kirje Application of Raw and Defatted by Supercritical CO₂ Hemp Seed Press-Cake and Sweet Grass Antioxidant Extract in Pork Burger Patties(MDPI, 2021) Kerner, Kristi; Jõudu, Ivi; Tänavots, Alo; Venskutonis, Petras Rimantas; Chair of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences. Estonian University of Life Sciences; ERA Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies (VALORTECH). Estonian University of Life Sciences; Chair of Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences. Estonian University of Life SciencesThere is an increasing tendency toward the application of plant origin ingredients in meat products. This study evaluates the physicochemical properties and oxidative stability of pork burger patties produced with the addition of dried raw and defatted by supercritical CO2 extraction hemp seed press-cake as protein-rich ingredients (1.5–2.0%) and sweet grass ethanolic extract (0.5%) as a strong natural antioxidant. The main aim of using such a combination was to assess the possibility of mitigating the negative effects of hemp seed press-cake, containing approx. 10% of highly unsaturated oil, on the oxidation of meat products. The patties were compared with the control sample (without additives) during storage on days 0, 4, 8, 15, and 21 at 4 °C in modified atmosphere conditions. Plant ingredients reduced the lightness of pork patties, while their effects on other physicochemical characteristics were insignificant. The patties with fully defatted hemp seed flour showed the lowest grilling losses. Based on the measurement of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, raw hemp seed press-cake increased the oxidative rate of pork patties; however, remarkably, the addition of sweet grass extract completely inhibited oxidation during the whole period of storage. The sensory characteristics of the products were acceptable; however, the patties with sweet grass extract received lower evaluation scores.Kirje Batch and fed-batch ethanol fermentation of cheese-whey powder with mixed cultures of different yeasts(MDPI, 2019) Farkas, Csilla; Rezessy-Szabó, Judit M.; Gupta, Vijai Kumar; Bujna, Bujna; Pham, M. Pham; Pásztor-Huszár, Klára; Friedrich, László; Bhat, Rajeev; Thakur, Vijay Kumar; Nguyen, Quang D.; ERA Chair-VALORTECH. Estonian University of Life SciencesEight yeast strains of Lachancea thermotolerans, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Kluyveromyces waltii have been tested for their ability to ferment lactose into ethanol in mashes containing 10% (w/v) cheese whey powder (CWP). The K. marxianus NCAIM Y00963 achieved 3.5% (v/v) ethanol concentration at 96–120 h of fermentation. The ethanol production by the selected lactose-positive strains and the well-known ethanologenic Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Levuline Fb) in mixed culture was also investigated at different CWP concentrations and inoculation techniques in batch mode. The mixed culture in an equal ratio (1:1) of cell counts of K. marxianus and S. serevisiae showed an increase in lactose conversion rate. The two yeast strains in a ratio of 3:1 (three-quarters of K. marxianus and a quarter of S. cerevisiae in a total of 4.5 × 1010 cells) resulted in 72.33% efficiency of lactose bioconversion and 7.6% (v/v) ethanol production at 17.5% (w/v) of CWP concentration. In the repeated inoculation process, with the addition of three-quarter part of 3:1 ratio of mixed culture (3.3 × 1010 cells of K. marxianus) into 150 mL CWP mash at initiation and the rest quarter part (1.2 × 1010 cells of S. cerevisiae) at 24 h, 8.86% (v/v) ethanol content with 87.5% efficiency of lactose conversion was reached. Both the ethanol concentration and efficiency of bioconversion were increased to 10.34% (v/v) and 92%, respectively, by combination with fed-batch fermentation technology. Our results can serve a very good basis for the development of industrial technology for the utilization of cheese whey.Kirje Bio-Based Formulations for Sustainable Applications in Agri-Food-Pharma(MDPI, 2021) Sharma, Minaxi; Bhat, Rajeev; Usmani, Zeba; McClements, David Julian; Shukla, Pratyoosh; Raghavendra, Vinay B.; Gupta, Vijai Kumar; Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies (VALORTECH) ERA Chair. Estonian University of Life SciencesCurrently, there is a strong enduring interest towards obtaining high-value, sustainable bio-based bioactive compounds from natural resources, as there is great demand for these compounds in various market sectors such as agriculture, food, pharma, cosmeceuticals, and others. This demand has encouraged researchers to isolate, identify and characterize novel natural bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic and commercial values with industrial importance [1]. These bioactive compounds are generally secondary metabolites (synthesized via plant biosynthetic pathways) and include polyphenols, carotenoids, flavonoids, sterols, dietary fiber, essential vitamins, coenzyme Q, phytosterols, glucosinolates and others with potential beneficial roles as nutraceuticals, surfactants and bio-stimulants. Understanding the molecular characteristics, physicochemical properties, biological activity, and stability of these bioactives under different conditions is vital for their commercial exploitation. The efficacy of these bioactives can often be improved by encapsulating them in nanobased-formulations designed for application in the agriculture, food, pharmaceutical industries. These delivery systems can be designed to increase the dispersibility, stability, bioavailability, and bioactivity imparted by the bioactives. Moreover, they may be useful for minimizing undesirable side-effects, facilitating targeted delivery to certain cells, and enhancing the shelf life of food products. The bioactive molecules are partly or wholly derived from resources of biological origin mainly those of plants, animal and microbial resources (e.g., biomass/feed stock from agri-food sector, food wastes and by-products, algae, marine organisms, etc.). These molecules have recently emerged on the global market as a highly reliable environmentally friendly alternative to chemically synthesized compounds. The natural bioactive compounds provide additional benefits to health and overall wellbeing beyond basic nutrition. For instance, bioactive compounds have been well established for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-hypertensive and other biological activities under in vitro and in vivo conditions. The isolation, purification and safety efficacy of these compounds obtained from natural resources is a vital criterion that needs to be considered.Kirje Bioactives from agri-food wastes: present insights and future challenges(MDPI, 2020) Ben-Othman, Sana; Jõudu, Ivi; Bhat, Rajeev; ERA Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (VALORTECH). Estonian University of Life Sciences; Chair of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences. Estonian University of Life ScienceSustainable utilization of agri-food wastes and by-products for producing value-added products (for cosmetic, pharmaceutical or food industrial applications) provides an opportunity for earning additional income for the dependent industrial sector. Besides, effective valorisation of wastes/by-products can efficiently help in reducing environmental stress by decreasing unwarranted pollution. The major focus of this review is to provide comprehensive information on valorisation of agri-food wastes and by-products with focus laid on bioactive compounds and bioactivity. The review covers the bioactives identified from wastes and by-products of plants (fruits, exotic fruits, vegetables and seeds), animals (dairy and meat) and marine (fish, shellfish seaweeds) resources. Further, insights on the present status and future challenges of sustainably utilizing agri-food wastes/by-products for value addition will be highlighted.Kirje Bovine colostrum casein: Post-partum dynamics of micelle size, content, and associated traits(Elsevier, 2024) Sats, Andres; Kaart, Tanel; Jõudu, IviIn milk, casein exists in the form of colloidal casein micelles (CM), which are crucial for various biological functions such as neonatal nutrition, calcium phosphate control, and amyloid fibril suppression. However, bovine colostrum casein has received less attention despite its importance. The objective of this study was to investigate the size of colostrum CM and their relationship with compositional traits during four post-partum milkings. A total of 184 samples (collected at 12 ± 1 h intervals) were obtained from 46 cows over four sequential milkings. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in CM size of colostrum from 227.2 nm to 201.9 nm over the four post-partum milkings. Fat, protein, casein content, and Brix values also declined across milkings and showed a positive correlation with CM size, although the relationships were nonlinear. Understanding CM size can be valuable for decision-making regarding colostrum and transition milk processing due to its significant role.Kirje Bovine colostrum whey: Postpartum changes of particle size distribution and immunoglobulin G concentration at different filtration pore sizes(2020) Sats, A.; Kaart, T.; Poikalainen, V.; Aare, A.; Lepasalu, L.; Andreson, H.; Jõudu, I.; Chair of Food Science and Technology. Estonian University of Life Sciences; Animal Breeding and Biotechnology. Estonian University of Life Sciences; Food (By-)Products Valorisation Technologies of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (VALORTECH)Bovine colostrum, as vital as it is for calves, is also a valuable source of functional components with rich health benefits for humans. Bovine colostrum whey consists of a large number of bioactive proteins and peptides. The most abundant of these is IgG. Particle size distribution (PSD) is an important feature of many of the processes in the dairy food industries. Despite this, scientific literature on PSD of colostrum whey is scarce. The goal of this research was to describe bovine colostrum whey PSD with an emphasis on postpartum milking time, filtration (pore size 450, 100, and 20 nm), IgG concentration, and lactation number. For this purpose, 4 postpartum milking colostrum samples were sequentially milked from 46 Holstein cows at 12 ± 1 h intervals. Colostrum whey was prepared by renneting and diluted (1:200) for PSD analyses by a Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS (Malvern Instruments Ltd., Malvern, UK). Immunoglobulin G concentration of these diluted colostrum whey samples were analyzed by an Octet K2 (Molecular Devices LLC, San Jose, CA) system. Linear mixed model analysis revealed significant effects of filter pore size, postpartum milking, and lactation on colostrum whey IgG concentrations. The percentage of particles in the size interval 5 to 15 nm (the hydrodynamic diameter of IgG is around 10 nm) had an intermediate positive correlation (r = 0.50) with IgG concentration. Furthermore, we showed that PSD was associated with IgG concentration, postpartum milking time, and lactation number. The PSD measurement results showed the mean hydrodynamic diameter of 100 nm pore size filtered colostrum whey to be around 10 nm. This, with the IgG concentration results, suggests that even though the size of IgG is around 10 nm, a 100 nm pore size is adequate for membrane-involved IgG separations. In terms of energy efficiency of the filtration process, the use of a larger filter pore size can make a remarkable difference, for example, in pressurizing and cooling costs. Our work contributes to the development of sustainable and widely available colostrum-derived food and feed supplements.Kirje Bovine colostrum: Postpartum changes in fat globule size distribution and fatty acid profile(Elsevier, 2022) Sats, Andres; Yurchenko, Sergei; Kaart, Tanel; Tatar, Vilma; Lutter, Liis; Jõudu, IviAlthough “zero waste” valorization concepts are gaining increasing attention, colostrum, a byproduct of milk production, remains underused due to technological challenges. Information about the fat fraction and the size of fat globules is needed to address these challenges, but such information is currently lacking. This study aimed to fill this gap in the knowledge by measuring the size distribution of bovine colostrum fat globules (CFG) and analyzing its relationships with postpartum milkings, parity, and fatty acids (FA) profile. Four sequential postpartum colostrum samples were collected from 44 cows and analyzed for the abovementioned parameters. The results indicated that CFG size increases almost twice during postpartum milkings (from ~5 to ~10 μm), whereas lactation has little, if any, effect on CFG size. The FA profile analyses showed that the content of most FA in the fourth postpartum milking was different from the previous milkings. The correlation analyses between CFG size and FA profile also demonstrated that the fourth milking was clearly distinguishable from the first 3 postpartum milkings. For example, the saturated FA content from the first 3 milkings had a positive correlation with smaller CFG (and a negative correlation with larger CFG), whereas the fourth milking demonstrated no correlations. Based on these CFG size and FA profile analyses, the results of this study suggest that the first 3 postpartum milkings can be considered as colostrum, whereas the fourth milking represents transition milk. Information about CFG size distribution enables modification of the FA profile of colostrum products and the ability to create better valorization technologies for colostrum-based food and feed supplements.Kirje Compositional evaluation of hot-pressed rapeseed cake for the purpose of bioplastic production(2021) Jõgi, Katrin; Malenica, Dunja; Jõudu, Ivi; Bhat, Rajeev; Chair of Food Science and Technology. Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences. Estonian University of Life Science; ERA-Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (VALORTECH). Estonian University of Life SciencesRapeseed is widely cultivated for biodiesel or food-grade oil production. As the oil production process generates huge amounts of wastes and by-products (e.g. oil press cake and meal) that have relatively high crude protein content, valorisation as input material for protein-based bioplastics has a lot of potential. There is a limited number of studies undertaken on using rapeseed cake directly (without prior protein extraction) for biomaterial production, but the initial results have been very promising. As rape and turnip rapeseeds are also some of the most harvested crops in Estonia, the rapeseed oil press cake as a by-product is also available from local food-grade rapeseed oil production. In this regard, we investigated locally available rapeseed oil press cake for chemical composition and explored suitability for bioplastic production. The results indicate suitability for direct biomaterial production, meaning properties for biomaterial formation could be further explored.Kirje Dietary fiber from underutilized plant resources—a positive approach for valorization of fruit and vegetable wastes(MDPI, 2020) Hussain, Shehzad; Jõudu, Ivi; Bhat, Rajeev; ERA Chair for Food(By-) Products Valorisation Technologies (VALORTECH). Estonian University of Life Sciences; Chair of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences. Estonian University of Life ScienceAgri-food industries generate enormous amounts of fruit and vegetable processing wastes, which opens up an important research area aimed towards minimizing and managing them effciently to support zero wastes and/or circular economy concept. These wastes remain underutilized owing to a lack of appropriate processing technologies vital for their effcient valorization, especially for recovery of health beneficial bioactives like dietary fibers. Dietary fiber finds wide applications in food and pharmaceutical industries and holds high promise as a potential food additive and/or as a functional food ingredient to meet the techno-functional purposes important for developing health-promoting value-added products. Based on this, the present review has been designed to support ‘zero waste’ and ‘waste to wealth’ concepts. In addition, the focus revolves around providing updated information on various sustainability challenges incurred towards valorization of fruit and vegetable wastes for extraction of health promoting dietary fibers.Kirje Engineered Microbes for Pigment Production Using Waste Biomass(Bentham Science Publishers, 2020) Usmani, Zeba; Sharma, Minaxi; Sudheer, Surya; Gupta, Vijai K.; Bhat, Rajeev; ERA Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorization Technologies-VALORTECH. Estonian University of Life SciencesAgri-food waste biomass is the most abundant organic waste and has high valorisation potential for sustainable bioproducts development. These wastes are not only recyclable in nature but are also rich sources of bioactive carbohydrates, peptides, pigments, polyphenols, vitamins, natural antioxidants, etc. Bioconversion of agri-food waste to value-added products is very important towards zero waste and circular economy concepts. To reduce the environmental burden, food researchers are seeking strategies to utilize this waste for microbial pigments production and further biotechnological exploitation in functional foods or value-added products. Microbes are valuable sources for a range of bioactive molecules, including microbial pigments production through fermentation and/or utilisation of waste. Here, we have reviewed some of the recent advancements made in important bioengineering technologies to develop engineered microbial systems for enhanced pigments production using agrifood wastes biomass/by-products as substrates in a sustainable way.Kirje Evaluation of different blackcurrant seed ingredients in meatballs by using conventional quality assessment and untargeted metabolomics(Elsevier, 2023) Kerner, Kristi; Kazernavičiūtė, Rita; Jõudu, Ivi; Rocchetti, Gabriele; Lucini, Luigi; Tänavots, Alo; Hussain, Shehzad; Venskutonis, Petras RimantasBlackcurrants are sources of phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, possessing strong antioxidant, anti- microbial and antifungal activity. Therefore, the addition of different blackcurrant pomace ingredients may affect the overall meat quality. The actual chemical profile and bioactivities of blackcurrant pomace ingredients may strongly depend on its preparation; for instance, in our study the highest values of the in vitro antioxidant capacity were determined for blackcurrant seeds after supercritical CO2 extraction. Starting from these back- ground conditions, in this work, we evaluated the ability of three different concentrations (namely 1, 3, and 5% w/w) of blackcurrant (BC) seeds following EtOH/water extraction (BC-AE), before supercritical fluid CO2 extraction (BC-RS), and after supercritical fluid CO2 extraction (BC-ASC) to affect different quality parameters of pork meatballs. These latter were stored considering three different time-points, namely 1, 3 and 6 days at 4 ◦C packed under modified atmosphere (i.e., 70% N2 and 30% CO2). Untargeted metabolomics allowed to identify several lipid and protein-related oxidation products involved in redox reactions, such as 13-L-hydroperoxylino- leic acid, (12S,13S)-epoxylinolenic acid, 9,10-epoxyoctadecenoic acid, glutathione, glutathione disulfide, L- carnosine, L-ascorbic acid, and tocotrienols. Besides, multivariate statistics applied on the metabolomics dataset confirmed that the chemical profile of meatballs was an exclusive combination of both BC inclusion levels and type of BC-ingredients considered. Our findings showed that the higher the concentration of BC seed ingredients in meatballs, the lower the cooking loss and the higher the fibre content. Also, all the ingredients significantly affected the colour parameters.Kirje Extraction of carotenoids from pumpkin peel and pulp: Comparison between innovative green extraction technologies (ultrasonic and microwave-assisted extractions using corn oil)(MDPI, 2021) Sharma, Minaxi; Bhat, Rajeev; ERA-Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies (VALORTECH). Estonian University of Life SciencesNatural pigments improve aesthetic value as well as antioxidant potential of a food product. This study was designed to determine the effects of green extraction techniques on carotenoids, polyphenols and antioxidant activities of pulp and peel of two varieties of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima). Innovative green extractions (IGE; Ultrasound and Microwave-Assisted Extractions) synergised with corn oil (used as green solvent) were compared with conventional extraction (CE; hexane/isopropyl alcohol; 60:40, v/v). Results showed total carotenoids to be almost double on employing IGE (PM2-UAE-peel = 38.03 ± 4.21; PM4-UAE-peel = 33.78 ± 1.76 µg/g) when compared to conventional extraction (PM2-CE-peel = 19.21 ± 4.39; PM4-CE-peel = 16.21 ± 2.52 µg/g). Polyphenolic contents ranged between 510.69 ± 5.50 and 588.68 ± 7.26 mg GAE/100 g of extract in IGE, compared with conventional extracts (269.50 ± 2.17 to 318.46 ± 6.60 mg GAE/100 g) and percent inhibition of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) ranging between 88.32 ± 1.51 and 93.53 ± 0.30% in IGE when compared with conventional extraction (50.61 ± 1.44 to 57.79 ± 2.09%). Further, oxidative stability of carotenoids extracts from IGE (protection factor = 1.59 ± 0.01 to 1.81 ± 0.05) were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) than conventional extracts. Based on results, this study supports the use of innovative green extraction techniques to obtain bioactive pigments like carotenoids. It is anticipated that results generated will find potential applications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industriesKirje Immobilization of Pectinolytic Enzymes on Nylon 6/6 Carriers(MDPI, 2021) Ben-Othman, Sana; Rinken, Toonika; ERA Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies Valortech. Estonian University of Life SciencesPectinolytic enzymes are an important tool for sustainable food production, with a wide range of applications in food processing technologies as well as the extraction of bioactive compounds from pectin-rich raw materials. In the present study, we immobilized commercial pectinase preparation onto pellet and thread shaped nylon 6/6 carriers and assessed its stability and reusability. Five commercial pectinase preparations were tested for different pectin de-polymerizing activities (pectinase, polygalacturonase, and pectin lyase activities). Thereafter, Pectinex® Ultra Tropical preparation, exhibiting the highest catalytic activities among the studied preparations (p < 0.0001), was immobilized on nylon 6/6 using dimethyl sulfate and glutaraldehyde. The immobilization yield was in accordance with the carrier surface area available for enzyme attachment, and it was 1.25 0.10 U/g on threads, which was over 40 times higher than that on pellets. However, the inactivation of immobilized enzymes was not dependent on the shape of the carrier, indicating that the attachment of the enzymes on the surface of nylon 6/6 carriers was similar. The half-life of enzyme inactivation fast phase at 4 C was 12.8 days. After 5 weeks, the unused threads retained 63% of their initial activity. Reusability study showed that after 20 successive cycles the remaining activity of the immobilized pectinase was 22%, indicating the good prospects of reusability of the immobilized enzyme preparations for industrial application.Kirje Impact of weather conditions and farming systems on size distribution of starch granules and flour yield of winter wheat(MDPI, 2020) Keres, Indrek; Alaru, Maarika; Talgre, Liina; Luik, Anne; Eremeev, Viacheslav; Sats, Andres; Jõudu, Ivi; Riisalu, Anu; Loit, Evelin; Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Estonian University of Life Sciences; Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences. Estonian University of Life Sciences; ERA Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies of Estonian University of Life Sciences. Estonian University of Life SciencesThe size distribution of wheat-grain starch granules has an impact on the yield of fine flour. The aim of the study was to compare the impact of conventional (mineral fertilizers, pesticides) and organic farming treatments (cover crops, composted cattle manure) on (i) the size distribution of starch granules, (ii) the level of the first break whole and fine flour yield. The grain samples of winter wheat cv Fredis were taken from a long-term field crop rotation experiment established in 2008 at the Estonian University of Life Sciences in Tartu County (58 220 N, 26 400 E) on Stagnic Luvisol soil. The weather conditions during the grain filling period of winter wheat had a strong impact (p < 0.001) on the grain starch granule size distribution. The proportion of starch granules with a smaller diameter (C-type granules) was higher in years with a longer grain filling period. The size distribution of starch granules was not influenced by farming system. The increased proportion of C-type granules increased the fine flour yield significantly. Fertilisation with organic manure and twice with mineral nitrogen increased significantly the mean diameter value of different starch granules.Kirje Meat extenders from different sources as protein-rich alternatives to improve the technological properties and functional quality of meat products(Elsevier, 2023) Rocchetti, Gabriele; Ferronato, Giulia; Sarv, Viive; Kerner, Kristi; Venskutonis, Petras R; Lucini, LuigiIn the last years, animal proteins from meat and meat-derived products have represented one of the main concerns to achieve a sustainable food production. Within this perspective, the partial replacement of meat with nonmeat substances having a high- protein content, offers interesting opportunities to reformulate more sustainable meat products characterized also by potential health-promoting properties. Therefore, starting from these background conditions, this short review critically summarizes recent findings on extenders from different origins, namely pulses, plant-based ingredients, plant by-products, and unconventional sources, as valuable possibility to improve the technological profile and functional quality of meat, together with providing a focus on their ability to affect the sustainability of meat products.Kirje Natural pigments (anthocyanins and chlorophyll) and antioxidants profiling of European red and green gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa L.) extracted using green techniques (UAE-citric acid-mediated extraction)(Elsevier, 2023) Hussain, Shehzad; Sharma, Minaxi; Jarg, Tatsiana; Aav, Riina; Bhat, RajeevGreen techniques to extract natural pigments are gaining prominence among consumers and food industries. This trend is predominantly due to the harmful effects imparted by commonly used synthetic dyes and the unwarranted stress created on our ecosystem. The objectives of this study were to obtain natural pigments (anthocyanins and chlorophyll) from Estonian-gown European green and red gooseberries by ultrasonic-assisted citric acid-mediated extraction method and perform antioxidant profiling (quantification via HPLC analysis). Green gooseberry extracts showed lower content of targeted compounds, with low concentrations of rutin (0.7–1.2 mg/ L) and quercetin 3-glucoside (0.9–1.3 mg/L), while in the red gooseberry extracts, the amount was slightly higher (1.4–6.9 and 1.0–1.3 mg/L, respectively) with 0.6–6.8 mg/L cyanidin 3-glucoside and 0.32–0.35 mg/L peonidin 3 glucoside recorded. Further, the yield of anthocyanins ranged between 1.14–1.79 and 1.86–3.63 mg/100 g in green and red gooseberries, respectively. Total phenols ranged between 162–392 and 263–987 mg GAE/100 g in green and red gooseberry extracts, respectively. The DPPH free radicals scavenging activity showed 73–86% and 87–91% inhibition in both green and red gooseberry, respectively. Results showed significant improvements in pigment extraction with higher values obtained for targeted antioxidant compounds using conventional and UAE extraction (aqueous extract), thus confirming that green extractions are a reliable technique to obtain pigments of interest from natural sources. The results support consumers’ demand and open up the avenue to explore pigments as natural colourants in food and cosmetics applications.Kirje Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Phloretin and Other Phenolic Compounds from Apple Tree Leaves (Malus domestica Borkh.) and Comparison of Different Cultivars from Estonia(MDPI, 2021) Ben-Othman, Sana; Kaldmäe, Hedi; Rätsep, Reelika; Bleive, Uko; Aluvee, Alar; Rinken, ToonikaPolyphenolic compounds, plant secondary metabolites essential for plant survival, are known for their high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. In addition, several polyphenols, such as phloretin, also have potential antiviral effects, making these compounds potential ingredients of biofunctional foods. A promising source for the extraction of phloretin is a by-product of apple production—apple tree leaves. Focusing on green technologies, the first aim of the present study was to optimize the direct ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions to gain the maximum yield of phloretin from air-dried apple leaves. For the optimization of process parameters, we applied the response surface method with Box–Behnken design. The optimal extraction conditions were extraction time 14.4 min, sonication amplitude 10% and 10 g of sample per 100 mL solvent (70% ethanol, w/w). Using these conditions, we assessed the content of individual and total polyphenolic compounds along with antioxidant activity in the leaves of different autumn and winter apple cultivars grown in Estonia. The analyses were carried out with chromatographic (HPLC-DADMS/ MS) and spectrophotometric methods. The phloretin concentration ranged from 292 to 726 g/g and antioxidant activity from 6.06 to 11.42 mg GA eq./g, these being the highest in the local winter cultivars ‘Paide taliõun’ and ‘Tellissaare’, respectively.Kirje Phytochemical characterization of oil and protein fractions isolated from Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica) wine by-product(Elsevier, 2023) Ben-Othman, Sana; Bleive, Uko; Kaldmäe, Hedi; Aluvee, Alar; Rätsep, Reelika; Karp, Kadri; Maciel, Larissa Silva; Herodes, Koit; Rinken, ToonikaThe wine industry generates large quantities of by-products each year. Therefore, this work aimed to isolate and evaluate the oil and protein fractions of Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica, JQ) press residue, offering a partial utilization of valuable bioactive compounds of wine industry by-products. To study the JQ oil extract yield, composition and oxidation stability, we modified the co-solvent composition during the supercritical CO2 (SC–CO2) extraction of oil by adding different ethanol content. The remaining defatted material was used for the isolation of proteins. The SC-CO2 extraction yielded oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, and phytosterols. The use of ethanol as a co-solvent increased the oil yield but did not enhance its oxidative stability or content of antioxidants. We recovered protein isolate after removing tannins with 70% ethanol extraction in the next step. The JQ protein isolate contained all essential amino acids. In addition to its balanced amino acid composition, the protein isolate exhibited excellent emulsifying properties highlighting its potential as a food additive. In conclusion, JQ wine by-products can be utilized for the extraction of oil and protein fractions which can be used in food or cosmetic product formulation.