Recent developments in the valorization of agri-food waste and byproducts by fermentation.

The agri-food industry generates huge amounts of waste and byproducts (AFWBs), which threaten the environment if not properly managed. Biological approaches such as fermentation have been proven to be versatile routes for increasing the nutritional potential of AFWBs and production of value-added bioactive compounds. The present paper reviews the results of recent studies that have been conducted on the effect of fermentation of AFWBs from different origins and fermentation techniques on generation of bioactive compounds.

Reduced-Calorie Apricot-Based Lacto-Fermented Beverages: Evaluation of Probiotic Content, Physicochemical, and Sensory Properties.

Optimizing the formulation is essential to enhance probiotic viability, sensory quality, and shelf-life stability, thereby supporting the development of a consumer-acceptable and commercially viable non-dairy functional beverage. This study focused on optimizing the fermentation process of apricot-based beverages using three probiotic strains: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum XL963 (LP), Limosilactobacillus fermentum W8 (LF), and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus ML104 (LPN). Fermentation conditions were optimized by varying sugar content (9-15%) and fermentation temperatures (20°C, 28.

Fabrication and Characterization of Poly(hydroxybutyrate)- and Poly(caprolactone)-Based Active Biodegradable Films Incorporating Allyl Isothiocyanate.

In this study, in order to overcome the fragility and cost disadvantages of PHB-based films, PHB was blended with PCL. Additionally, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) was incorporated as an active component. The resulting PHB, PCL, and PHB/PCL composite films with/without allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) prepared via the casting method were analyzed for their physicochemical, thermal, mechanical, barrier, morphological properties and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.

Formulation of Fiber-Enriched Crackers with Oleaster Powder: Effect on Functional, Textural, and Sensory Attributes.

The objective of this study was to produce fiber-enriched crackers by substitution of corn flour and whole wheat flour with oleaster powder (OP) at levels of 0% (C-0), 10% (C-10), 20% (C-20), 30% (C-30), and 50% (C-50) and to determine their sensory, textural, color, and bioactive properties, as well as revealing their dietary fiber and glycemic index values. The results showed that the L* values of the samples were found to range from 62.39 (C-30) to 67.

Microplastic Release from Single-Use Plastic Beverage Cups.

Microplastics (MPs) have attracted considerable attention as one of the most remarkable food and drink pollutants in recent years. Disposable cups, which are widely used as single-use containers, have been suspected as the primary sources of MPs found in cold and hot beverages. In this study, the effect of different exposure times (0, 5, 10 and 20 min) and temperatures (4 °C, 50 °C and 80 °C) on MP release from the single-use cups made of four different materials [polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE) coated paper cups and expanded polystyrene (EPS)] into the water was investigated.

Use of cellulose microfibers from olive pomace to reinforce green composites for sustainable packaging applications.

To valorize abundant, unexploited, and low-cost agro-industrial by-products, olive pomace is proposed as a sustainable and renewable raw material for cellulose microfibers (CMFs) production. In this study, CMFs were extracted from olive pomace using alkaline and bleaching treatments and characterized in terms of morphological, structural, and thermal properties. Afterward, the reinforcing capability of microfibers was examined using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as a polymer matrix by the solvent casting process.

Development and characterization of a novel sodium alginate based active film supplemented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum postbiotic.

In this study, sodium alginate based biodegradable films were prepared by the supplementation with postbiotics of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum (L. plantarum) W2 strain and the effect of probiotics (probiotic-SA film) and postbiotics (postbiotic-SA film) incorporation on physical, mechanical (tensile strength and elongation at break), barrier (oxygen and water vapor permeability), thermal and antimicrobial properties of the films was investigated.

Role of non-thermal treatments and fermentation with probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum on in vitro bioaccessibility of bioactives from vegetable juice.

Background: Lactic acid fermentation is a natural way to increase the bioactive and functional properties of fruit and vegetable juices. In this study, the in vitro gastrointestional digestion of phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity of mixed vegetable juice was investigated as affected by fermentation with probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum and non-thermal treatments (ultraviolet (UV) and/or ultrasonic (US) treatment). For this purpose heat, US, UV or US/UV treated vegetable juice samples were fermented by probiotic L.

Development and characterization of sodium alginate based active edible films incorporated with essential oils of some medicinal plants.

The aim of this study was to develop sodium alginate based active films incorporated with essential oils (EO) of R. officinalis L, A. herba alba Asso, O.