Food Chemistry Commons^™

Improvement Of Solubility, Stability, And Bioaccessibility Of Curcumin Using Colloidal Delivery Systems, Bingjing Zheng

Doctoral Dissertations

Curcumin is a yellow-orange crystalline substance found in certain foods (turmeric) that is claimed to exhibit a broad range of biological activities. Its application as a nutraceutical in functional foods and beverages is often limited by its relatively low solubility in aqueous media, its chemical instability, and its low bioavailability. Recent research suggests that colloidal delivery systems can overcome these hurdles and improve the efficacy and commercial value of curcumin in the food, supplement, and pharmaceutical fields. The purpose of this research was to develop colloidal delivery systems to improve the application of curcumin as a nutraceutical in foods. First, …

Formation, Characterization, And Utilization Of Multilayer Nanoemulsions In Foods, Jorge L. Muriel Mundo

Doctoral Dissertations

Multilayer coatings have been proposed as a promising nanotechnology for improving the performance of emulsion-based products in numerous research fields. In foods, these multilayer coatings can be used to improve the encapsulation and protection of bioactive ingredients in delivery systems during storage and passage through the gastrointestinal tract (1, 2). Therefore, there is strong interest in understanding the formation, properties, and performance of these novel coatings. Multilayer coatings are formed by layer-by-layer electrostatic deposition of oppositely charged biopolymers, such as proteins and polysaccharides. A better understanding of the formation and properties of biopolymer multilayer coatings could lead to …

Effects Of Tempeh Fermentation On Soy Free And Bound Phenolics: Release, Transformation, And Stimulated Production, Amadeus Driando Ahnan

Doctoral Dissertations

The fermentation of tempeh, a traditional source of protein originated in Indonesia, has been reported to enhance the health-promoting potentials of various grains, legumes, and beans. Tempeh fermentation on soybeans can modulate the bioavailability of phenolic compounds, particularly isoflavones, bioactive compounds that have been found to be protective against lung, prostrate, and colon cancers. However, the mechanism of the protective benefits was unknown. Using whole-food and in vitro models, this study addressed this research gap by investigating the effects of tempeh fermentation using various cultures on the compositions of soy free, bound, and minor phenolics, as well as their antioxidative, …

Analysis Of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles In Foods Using Raman Spectroscopic Techniques, Janamkumar Pandya

Doctoral Dissertations

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and its nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in various applications. Recently, the presence of TiO2 NPs in food and consumer products raised safety concerns to human health and the environment. The goal of this project is to explore the capability of Raman Spectroscopy in the analysis of TiO2-NPs and apply this technique for the analysis of TiO2-NPs in food and environmental samples. Two approaches, i.e. the ligand-based and the mapping-based, were evaluated. The ligand-based approach utilized the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) property of the TiO2 NPs as a substrate to enhance the signal of a surface …

Optical Meets Mechanical: Use Of Luminescence Spectroscopy To Assess Ageing In Biodegradable Films, Louis Colaruotolo

Masters Theses

With the growing concern of the accumulation of plastic-based food packaging waste, the search for bio-based biodegradable packages is on the rise. These materials differ from their petro-based counterparts in their degradation rates, which are much higher in the former. Not only do bio-based biodegradable materials degrade faster during post-usage processes but also they age faster during usage and storage, which affects their performance and functionality. The application of noninvasive testing methods with the capability to report on the matrix’s state could assist in the development of a more ubiquitous way to assess ageing in food packaging, particularly in biodegradable …

Extractable And Non-Extractable Polyphenols From Mango, Yuchao Ma

Masters Theses

Polyphenol from fruits and vegetables have been proved that can lower the risk of many chronic disease. However, most studies are only focus on the extractable polyphenols right now. Non-extractable polyphenols may also have many important biological effects. The objective of this study was to find the difference between the extractable polyphenol and non-extractable by alkaline hydrolysis, acid hydrolysis and enzyme hydrolysis, compare the total phenolic content, flavonoid content and tannin content, and study their anti-inflammation effect, anti-cancer effect and antioxidant effect. The results showed that NEP alkaline hydrolysis was the best way to extract mango polyphenol. It had the …

Enzyme Stabilization In Hierarchical Biocatalytic Food Packaging And Processing Materials, Dana Erin Wong

Doctoral Dissertations

The partnership of biocatalysts and solid support materials provides many opportunities for bioactive packaging and bioprocessing aids beneficial to the agricultural and food industries. Biocatalysis, or reactions modulated by enzymes, allows bioactive materials to assist in bringing a substrate to product. Enzymes are proteins which catalyze reactions by lowering the activation energy required to drive the production of a desired product. Enzymes are commonly utilized in food processing as catalysts with specificity in order to enhance product quality through the production of beneficial food components, and to break down undesirable components that may be harmful or may decrease product quality. …

Physicochemical And Toxicological Assessment Of Antimicrobial Ε-Polylysine-Pectin Complexes, Cynthia L. Lopez Pena

Doctoral Dissertations

ε-Polylysine is an appealing FDA-approved, all natural antimicrobial biopolymer effective against a wide range of microorganisms. Its implementation is greatly limited by its strong cationic charge, which has been linked to instability in food systems, perceived astringency and bitterness, and the ability to inhibit lipid digestion. Previous studies have shown that controlled complexation of ε-polylysine with anionic pectin is able to prevent instability and astringency in simplified model food systems, while maintaining the antimicrobial character of polylysine. Isothermal titration calorimetry, micro-electrophoresis, microscopy, and turbidity analyses of the stability of electrostatic pectin-polylysine complexes in the presence of strongly anionic κ-carrageenan, and …

Spray Fabrication Of Layer-By-Layer Antimicrobial N-Halamine Coatings, Anna Denis-Rohr

Masters Theses

Antimicrobial coatings in which the active agent (e.g. N-halamine) can regenerate activity represent a promising way to prevent microbial cross-contamination. A reported method for applying coatings containing antimicrobial N-halamines is layer-by-layer (LbL) application of polyelectrolytes, which form N-halamines upon cross-linking. Prior reports on dip layer-by-layer (LbL) fabrication have demonstrated the potential of this coating technology; however, spray LbL fabrication would enable more rapid coating and represents a more commercially translatable application technique. In this work, dip and spray LbL methods were used to coat polypropylene (PP) with N-halamine containing bilayers consisting of cross-linked polyethylenimine (PEI) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Further …

A Multidisciplinary Approach To Food Safety Evaluation: Hummus Spoilage And Microbial Analysis Of Kitchen Surfaces In Residential Child Care Institutions (Rcci) In Massachusetts, U.S.A., Elsina E. Hagan

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Food borne illnesses continues to be a public health challenge in the United States (U.S.); an estimated 9.4 million incident cases occurred in 2011. In view of this challenge we conducted two food safety studies; 1) related to product formulation (hummus spoilage challenge study) and 2) evaluating the microbial safety of domestic kitchen surfaces in Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCI pilot study).

Hummus is of Mediterranean origin but is currently eaten globally. This challenge study evaluates a variety of industrial hummus formulations (four in total, differing in pH and/or addition of a preservative (natamycin). Two batches were setup: batch 1; …