Life Sciences Commons^™

Seaweeds As Nutraceuticals For Health And Nutrition, Emer Shannon, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

Throughout human history, seaweeds have been used as food, folk remedies, dyes, and as mineral-rich fertilisers. Seaweeds as nutraceuticals or functional foods with dietary benefits beyond their fundamental macronutrient content are now a major research and industrial development concept. The occurrence of dietary and lifestyle related diseases, notably type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, and metabolic syndrome has become a health epidemic in developed countries. Global epidemiological studies have shown that countries where seaweed is consumed on a regular basis have significantly fewer instances of obesity and dietary-related disease. This review outlines recent developments in seaweed applications for human health from …

Effect Of Fermentation On Enhancing The Nutraceutical Properties Of Arthrospira Platensis (Spirulina), Elena Demarcocastro, Emer Shannon, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

Abstract:Arthrospira platensis(spirulina), a filamentous fresh-water planktonic cyanobacterium,possesses diverse biological activities and a unique nutritional profile, due to its high contentof valuable nutrients. This study aimed to further improve the bioactive profile of spirulina, byfermenting it with the lactic acid bacteriumLactobacillus plantarum.In vitrocomparison of thetotal phenolic content (TPC), C-phycocyanin, free methionine, DPPH radical scavenging capacity,ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and proteinfragmentation via SDS-PAGE in untreated versus 12 to 72 h fermented spirulina is reported here.After 36 h fermentation, TPC was enhanced by 112%, FRAP by 85% and ORAC by 36%. After 24 h,the DPPH radical scavenging …

Spent Coffee Waste As A Potential Media Component For Xylanase Production And Potential Application In Juice Enrichment, Rajeev Ravindran, Gwilym Williams, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

In this study, spent coffee waste (SCW) was used as the sole carbon source for xylanase production in solid state fermentation mode using Aspergillus niger. A Box–Behnken design was constructed using three parameters viz. temperature, initial moisture content, and log number of sporestodeterminetheoptimalfermentationcondition. Thebestfermentationconditionsforxylanase productionwerefound to beincubation at30◦Cwith aninitial moisture contentof 70%and usingan inoculum of 6.5×106 spores/g of dry SCW. Furthermore, the design of experiments revealed that maintaining a medium composition of 0.2 g of yeast extract, 0.04 g of K2HPO4, and 0.03 g of MgSO4 increased xylanase production. Under optimised solid-state fermentation conditions an enzyme activity of 6495.6 IU/g …

Efficacy Of Cold Plasma Functionalised Water For Improving Microbiological Safety Of Fresh Produce And Wash Water Recycling, Apurva Patange, Peng Lu, Daniela Boehm, Patrick Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is an effective method for microbiological decontamination. This study evaluated an alternative water-based decontamination approach for inactivation of bacterial population from fresh produce and in the wash water generated from fresh produce washing. The study characterised ACP inactivation of attached Listeria innocua and Pseudomonas fluorescens inoculated on lettuce in comparison to chlorine treatment. P. fluorescens was sensitive to ACP treatment and was reduced below detection limit within 3 min of treatment. L. innocua population was reduced by ∼2.4 Log10 CFU/g after 5 min of treatment; showing similar inactivation efficacy to chlorine treatment. The microbial load in …

Degradation Kinetics Of Cold Plasma-Treated Antibiotics And Their Antimicrobial Activity, Chaitanya Sarangapani, Dana Ziuzina, Patrice Behan, Daniela Boehm, Brendan F. Gilmore, Patrick Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Antibiotics, such as ofloxacin (OFX) and ciprofloxacin (CFX), are often detected in considerable concentrations in both wastewater effluents and surface water. This poses a risk to non-target organisms and to human health. The aim of this work was to study atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) degradation of antibiotics in water and meat effluent and to explore any residual antimicrobial activity of samples submitted to the plasma process. The results revealed that ACP successfully degraded the studied antibiotics and that the reaction mechanism is principally related to attack by hydroxyl radicals and ozone. According to the disk diffusion assay, the activity of …

Antimicrobial Effects Of Microwave-Induced Plasma Torch (Minimip) Treatment On Candida Albicans Biofilms, Oliver Handorf, Uta Schnabel, André Bösel, Thomas Weihe, Sander Bekeschus, Alexander C. Graf, Jörg Ehlbeck

Articles

The susceptibility of Candida albicans biofilms to a non-thermal plasma treatment has been investigated in terms of growth, survival and cell viability by a series of in vitro experiments. For different time periods , the C. albicans strain SC5314 was treated with a microwave-induced plasma torch (MiniMIP). The MiniMIP treatment had a strong effect (reduction factor (RF) = 2.97 after 50 s treatment) at a distance of 3 cm between the nozzle and the superior regions of the biofilms. In addition, a viability reduction of 77% after a 20 s plasma treatment and a metabolism reduction of 90% after a …

Development And Diagnostics Of Novel Non-Thermal Plasmatreatment Systems, Laurence Scally

Doctoral

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) has been a point of interest in many areas over the last few decades. Much research has been,and continues to beundertaken,to understand the fundamentals of plasma discharges. This is such a broad topic due to the very nature and variable dependencies that set the conditions for plasma discharge to occur. This can come in the form of electrode geometry and spacing, dielectric barrier thickness, humidity of environment, material selection for electrodes and dielectric barriers, the power supply used, and the operating gas(es) used. A lot of these influencing factors can be set and kept constant, but still …

High Voltage Atmospheric Cold Air Plasma Control Of Bacterial Biofilms On Fresh Produce, Apurva Patange, D. Boehm, Dana Ziuzina, Patrick Cullen, Brendan Gilmore, Paula Bourke

Articles

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) offers great potential for decontamination of food borne pathogens. This study examined the antimicrobial efficacy of ACP against a range of pathogens of concern to fresh produce comparing planktonic cultures, monoculture biofilms (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas fluorescens) and mixed culture biofilms (Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas fluorescens). Biotic and abiotic surfaces commonly occurring in the fresh food industry were investigated. Microorganisms showed varying susceptibility to ACP treatment depending on target and process factors. Bacterial biofilm populations treated with high voltage (80 kV) ACP were reduced significantly (p < 0.05) in both mono- and mixed species biofilms after 60 s of treatment and yielded non-detectable levels after extending treatment time to 120 s. However, an extended time was required to reduce the challenge mixed culture biofilm of L. monocytogenes and P. fluorescens inoculated on lettuce, which was dependent on biofilm formation conditions and substrate. Contained treatment for 120 s reduced L. monocytogenes and P. fluorescens inoculated as mixed cultures on lettuce (p < 0.05) by 2.2 and 4.2 Log10 CFU/ml respectively. When biofilms were grown at 4 °C on lettuce, there was an increased resistance to ACP treatment by comparison with biofilm grown at temperature abuse conditions of 15 °C. Similarly, L. monocytogenes and P. fluorescens exposed to cold stress (4 °C) for 1 h demonstrated increased tolerance to ACP treatment compared to non-stressed cells. These finding demonstrates that bacterial form, mono versus mixed challenges as well as environmental stress conditions play an important role in ACP inactivation efficacy.

Effect Of Cold Plasma On The Techno-Functional Properties Of Animal Protein Food Ingredients, Juan M. Pérez-Andrés, Carlos Álvarez, Patrick Cullen, Brijesh K. Tiwari

Articles

Proteins, as food ingredients, are employed in the food industry, not only for their high nutritional value, but also because of their techno-functional properties. Modifications of their native structure due to the action of external factors such as pH, temperature or processing by emerging technologies, can lead to changes in their functionality; and consequently, their applicability. The present study investigates the effects of cold atmospheric air plasma on the techno-functional properties of two common food ingredients (haemoglobin and gelatine from pork), and a novel source of functional proteins extracted from a meat co-product (bovine lung protein). Significant effects were found …

Lignocellulosic Biorefineries In Europe: Current State And Prospects, Amit Jaiswal, Shady Hassan, Gwilym A. Williams

Articles

In 2012, the European Bioeconomy strategy was launched, defining the bioeconomy as "the 33 production of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and waste 34 streams into value added products". This strategy and its action plans increased the turnover 35 of the total bioeconomy in the EU from 2.09 trillion Euro in 2008 to 2.29 trillion in 2015 .

Knowledge Of Food Safety And Food Handling Practices Amongst Food Handlers In The Republic Of Ireland, Nora A. Moreb, Anushree Priyadarshini, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

Food safety concerns have existed for a long time, as millions of people across the globe suffer from food borne disease every year. Contamination of food owing to limited knowledge of food safety practices primarily increases the risk of food borne illnesses. In the present study, quantitative research was carried out to gauge the level of food safety knowledge amongst people living in Ireland. A total of 1069 participants from all over the Republic of Ireland contributed to the survey (of which 821 were included in this research). Results showed that the residents of Ireland overall had an average levelonknowledge …

Seaweed Carotenoid Fucoxanthin As Functional Food., Nissreen Abu-Ghannam, Emer Shannon

Books/Book Chapters/ Proceedings

Fucoxanthin is a bioactive compound found in one of the most prolific and sustainable organisms on the planet, alga. Its efficacy and potential in terms of health applications have been widely reported in clinical studies. Technical modifications, such as encapsulation, and sensory trials must be undertaken before fucoxanthin can be successfully utilised as a functional food ingredient. Factors to consider include solubility in the food matrix, organoleptic effects, stability, preservation against oxidation, consumer acceptability, bioavailability, and toxicity risk. Possible solutions may include the development of more efficient and greener extraction technologies, which require shorter extraction times and less solvent, and …

Controlling Brochothrix Thermosphacta As A Spoilage Risk Using In Package Atmospheric Cold Plasma, Apurva Patange, Daniela Boehm, Carmen Bueno-Ferrer, Patrick Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Brochothrix thermosphacta is a predominant spoilage microorganism in meat and its control in processing environments is important to maintain meat product quality. Atmospheric cold plasma is of interest for control of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in foods. This study ascertained the potential of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DBD-ACP) for control of B. thermosphacta in response to key parameters such as treatment time, voltage level, interactions with media composition and post treatment storage conditions. Challenge populations were evaluated as suspensions in PBS, as biofilms in meat model medium and surface attached on raw lamb chops under MAP.

ACP treatment …

Achieving Reactive Species Specificity Within Plasma Activated Water Through Selective Generation Using Air Spark And Glow Discharges, Paula Bourke, Patrick Cullen, Peng Lu, Daniela Boehm

Articles

Plasma activated liquids (PAL) attract increasing interest with demonstrated biological effects. Plasma exposure in air produces stable aqueous reactive species which can serve as chemical diagnostics of PAL systems. Here, we tailor aqueous reactive species inside plasma activated water (PAW) through treating water with AC air spark and glow discharges in contact with water. Chemical probing demonstrated species specificity between two types of PAW. Spark discharge PAW contains 2 2 H O and 3 NO , while 2 NO and 3 NO are generated in glow discharge PAW. Species formation in different PAWs have been discussed in terms of discharge …

Assessing Stress Responses To Atmospheric Cold Plasma Exposure Using Escherichia Coli Knock Out Mutants, Lu Han, Daniela Boehm, Sonal Patil, Patrick Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Aim: This study investigated the effect of Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) exposure induced stress on microbial inactivation patterns and the regulation of genes involved in the microbial stress response in conjunction with key processing parameters of exposure time and post treatment storage time.

Methods and Results: Cell suspensions of Escherichia coli BW 25113 and its isogenic knock-out mutants in rpoS, soxR, soxS, oxyR and dnaK genes were treated with high voltage ACP in a sealed package for 1, 3 and 5 min followed by 0, 1 and 24 h post-treatment storage. ROS densities and colony formation were …

Microbiological Control And Mechanisms Of Action Of High Voltage Atmospheric Cold Plasma, Lu Han

Doctoral

Dielectric barrier discharge-atmospheric cold plasma (DBD-ACP) is a promising non-thermal technology effective against a wide range of microorganisms. These studies were performed using a custom built DBD-ACP system. The inactivation efficacy was found to be governed by a series of critical control parameters, including treatment time, mode of exposure (Direct/Indirect exposure), applied voltage, applied gas content but was also very dependent on the characteristics of treatment targets. In this study, these parameters were investigated using in-package design along with a post-treatment storage procedure to align with industrial processing times as well as mitigation of post-process contamination. A range of food …

Controlling Microbial Safety Challenges Of Meat Using High Voltage Atmospheric Cold Plasma, Lu Han, Dana Ziuzina, Caitlin Marie Heslin, Daniela Boehm, Apurva Patange, David Millan-Sango, Vasilis Valdramidis, Patrick Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is a non-thermal technology, effective against a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms. Inactivation efficacy results from plasma generated reactive species. These may interact with any organic components in a test matrix including the target microorganism, thus food components may exert a protective effect against the antimicrobial mode of action. The effect of an in-package high voltage ACP process applied in conjunction with common meat processing MAP gas compositions as well as bacteria type and meat model media composition have been investigated to determine the applicability of this technology for decontamination of safety challenges associated with meat …

Cold Plasma Inactivation Of Internalised Bacteria And Biofilms For Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium, Listeria Monocytogenes And Escherichia Coli, Dana Ziuzina, Lu Han, Patrick Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Microbial biofilms and bacteria internalised in produce tissue may reduce the effectiveness of decontamination methods. In this study, the inactivation efficacy of in-package atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) afterglow was investigated against Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli in the forms of planktonic cultures, biofilms formed on lettuce and associated bacteria internalised in lettuce tissue. Prepared lettuce broth (3%) was inoculated with bacteria resulting in a final concentration of ~ 7.0 log₁₀ CFU/ml. For biofilm formation and internalisation, lettuce pieces (5 × 5 cm) were dip-inoculated in bacterial suspension of ~ 7.0 log₁₀ CFU/ml for 2 h and …

Cold Plasma Inactivation Of Bacterial Biofilms And Reduction Of Quorum Sensing Regulated Virulence Factors, Dana Ziuzina, Daniela Boehm, Sonal Patil, Patrick Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

The main objectives of this work were to investigate the effect of atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) against a range of microbial biofilms commonly implicated in foodborne and health- care associated human infections and against P. aeruginosa quorum sensing (QS)-regu- lated virulence factors, such as pyocyanin, elastase (Las B) and biofilm formation capacity post-ACP treatment. The effect of processing factors, namely treatment time and mode of plasma exposure on antimicrobial activity of ACP were also examined. Antibiofilm activity was assessed for E. coli, L. monocytogenes and S. aureus in terms of reduction of cultur- ability and retention of metabolic activity using …

Modelling The Effects Of Natural Antimicrobials As Food Preservatives, Amit Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Books/Book Chapters/ Proceedings

A predictive food microbiological model is a mathematical representation of mechanisms that describes the growth, survival, inactivation or biochemical process of an organism and are used in the food industry to predict food pathogen growth and to help in the evaluation of food safety. Furthermore, it reduces the number of expensive and time-consuming experiments; however, adequate statistical analysis is a crucial step during all phases of model development and validation. Therefore, the present chapter is focused on the basic concept of mathematical modelling which can be applied to estimate the effects of natural antimicrobials as food preservatives. Initial section discusses …

Atmospheric Cold Plasma Inactivation Of Escherichia Coli, Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium And Listeria Monocytogenes Inoculated On Fresh Produce, Dana Ziuzina, Sonal Patil, Patrick Cullen, Kevin Keener, Paula Bourke

Articles

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) represents a potential alternative to traditional methods for non-thermal decontamination of foods. In this study, the antimicrobial efficacy of a novel dielectric barrier discharge ACP device against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes inoculated on cherry tomatoes and strawberries, was examined. Bacteria were spot inoculated on the produce surface, air dried and sealed inside a rigid polypropylene container. Samples were indirectly exposed (i.e. placed outside plasma discharge) to a high voltage (70kVRMS) air ACP and subsequently stored at room temperature for 24 h. ACP treatment for 10, 60 and 120 s resulted in reduction …

Kinetic Studies For The Preparation Of Probiotic Cabbage Juice: Impact On Phytochemicals And Bioactivity, Amit Jaiswal, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

A kinetic study for the production of probiotic cabbage juice was carried out under controlled pH and dissolved oxygen using several strains of Lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Furthermore, effect of probiotic fermentation on polyphenolic content and antioxidant capacity was investigated. Results showed significant growth in Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus corresponding to 9.19, 9.47 and 10.6 log CFU/ml after 24 h of fermentation, which is satisfying criteria for a food product to be characterized as probiotic. Lactic acid (LA) was the major end product of the fermented cabbage juice attaining the concentrations of 6.97, 9.69 and 12.2 g/l …

Enhancement Of The Phytochemical And Fibre Content Of Beef-Patties With Himanthalia Elongata Seaweed, Sabrina Cox, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

The effect of adding Himanthalia elongata seaweed (10 - 40% w/w) as a source of antioxidants and dietary fibre on physical, chemical, microbial and sensory traits of cooked beef patties was studied throughout chilled storage. Patties with seaweed showed reduced cooking losses and were nearly 50% more tender as compared to patties without seaweed. Microbiological counts and lipid oxidation were significantly lower in patties containing seaweed (P < 0.05), by day 30 of storage there was no bacterial growth in samples with ≥ 20% seaweed and lipid oxidation levels were low (0.61 mg malondialdehyde/kg of sample). Seaweed incorporation significantly increased the dietary fibre (1.64 g per 100 g fw in 40% seaweed-patties), total phenolic content (up to 28.11 mg GAE/100 g fw) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (up to 52.32%) of patties compared to the control. Sensory analysis indicated that the seaweed-patties were accepted by consumers in terms of aroma, appearance, texture and taste. Patties containing 40% seaweed were rated highest in terms of overall acceptability, most likely due to improvement in texture and mouthfeel. Addition of seaweed in the formulation of beef patties leads to the enhancement of the nutritional and technological quality together with an acceptable sensory quality.

Isolation And Partial Characterization Of Bioactive Fucoxanthin From Himanthalia Elongata Brown Seaweed: A Tlc-Based Approach, Gaurav Rajauria, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

Seaweeds are important sources of carotenoids, and numerous studies have shown the beneficial effects of these pigments on human health. In the present study, Himanthalia elongata brown seaweed was extracted with a mixture of low polarity solvents, and the crude extract was separated using analytical thin-layer chromatography (TLC).The separated compounds were tested for their potential antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes bacteria using TLC bioautography approach. For bio-autography, the coloured band on TLC chromatogram was visualized after spraying with DPPH and triphenyltetrazolium chloride reagents which screen antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds, respectively, and only one active compound was screened …

Innovative Food Product Development Using Molecular Gastronomy: A Focus On Flavour And Sensory Evaluation, Mark Traynor

Doctoral

The primary goal of this research was to develop novel ice cream products using the principles of molecular gastronomy. An ice cream model system (emulsion) was developed, in which the effects of ingredient levels on stability and formation were investigated and optimised using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Two characteristic volatiles of banana (isoamyl acetate and furfuryl acetate) were added to the optimised emulsion, and their headspace emission was quantified using Solid Phase Microextraction with Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry. RSM was used to investigate the main and interactive effects of ingredient, salt and pH levels on the headspace emission of these …

The Effect Of Non-Thermal Processing Technologies On Microbial Inactivation: An Investigation Into Sub-Lethal Injury Of Escherichia Coli And Pseudomonas Fluorescens, Rachel Halpin, L. Duffy, O. Cregenzán-Alberti,, J.G Lyng, F. Noci

Articles

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in food processing technologies that could lessen the thermal impact on food products. In the present study, thermosonication (TS) and pulsed electric fields (PEF), applied individually or in combination (TS/PEF), were investigated to determine their effects on inactivation and sub-lethal injury of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Escherichia coli. TS was applied at a low (L) and high (H) wave amplitude (18.6 μm and 27.9 μm, respectively), while PEF was applied at a low and high electrical field strength (29 kV cm⁻¹ and 32 kV cm⁻¹, respectively). In addition, …

Optimization Of Fermentation Conditions For The Utilization Of Brewing Waste To Develop A Nutraceutical Rich Liquid Product, Shilpi Gupta, Amit Jaiswal, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

Utilization of brewers’ spent grain (BSG), for the development of a fermented liquid product rich in value-added phenolic compounds was investigated. Changes in and liberation of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity during fermentation of BSG was studied. The effect of various particle size (PS), solid liquid (SL) ratio, fermentation time and rotation speed was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) for the purpose of improving bacterial growth and the enhancement in the release of polyphenolic compounds. Contour maps generated using the response surface equation showed that the experimental variables significantly affected the response. A production of 10.4 log cfu/ml, 2.95 …

Response Surface Methodology Approach For The Optimization Of Lab Fermentation Using Vegetable Based Substrate, Amit Jaiswal, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam, Juan Valverde

Conference papers

In the present studies, an attempt was made to optimize the conditions for the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation using Irish York cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata alba subvar. conica) as a substrate. Prior to fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum, York cabbage was blanched at 95°C for 12 min to inactivate surface microflora. To achieve an optimal fermentation condition which would result in higher release of phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity in the broth, Box-Behnken design integrating a desirability approach was used. The optimized factors (fermentation time 36h, solid/liquid ratio 0.25 g/ml and agitation rate 100 rpm) were used for …

Optimization Of Lactic Acid Fermentation Of York Cabbage For The Development Of Potential Probiotic Products, Amit Jaiswal, Shilpi Gupta, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

In the present study, York cabbage was used as the sole substrate for the lactic acid (LA) fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum. York cabbage was blanched at 95°C for 12min to inactivate surface microflora prior to fermentation. To achieve an optimal fermentation condition which would result in higher release of phytochemicals and antioxidant (AO) capacity in the broth, Box-Behnken design integrating a desirability approach was used. A second-order polynomial equation was developed indicating the effect of solute/liquid ratio, agitation rate and fermentation time on desired parameters. The optimized factors were used for fermenting York cabbage to obtain maximum bacterial growth, …

Recent Advances In The Application Of Non Thermal Methods For The Prevention Of Salmonella In Foods, Shilpi Gupta, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Books/Book Chapters/ Proceedings

Food-borne illness as a result of consumption of foods contaminated with pathogenic bacteria is a world-wide concern. The presence and subsequent growth of micro-organisms in food in addition to improper storage not only results in spoilage but also in a reduction of food quality. The microbiological safety in ready to eat products is a cause of big concern not only for the consumers and food industries but also for the regulatory agencies. The number of documented outbreaks of foodborne diseases has increased in the last decade with Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli being responsible for the largest number …