Renáta Tihanyi-Kovács, Balázs Ásványi, Erika Lakatos, Ferenc Bánáti, László Varga, Péter Böröcz
Effect of simulated transport conditions on microbiological properties of bottled natural mineral water
WATER 15:9 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.3390/w15091757
In the spirit of returning to nature and using science to increase crop productivity without posing any threat to the environment, researchers are paying attention to making natural products alternative sources of nutrients for plants at affordable prices. On top of this, chitosan and cyanobacteria have become popular in agriculture as metabolic enhancers, biofertilizers, and antimicrobial properties. Cyanobacteria are known to possess bio stimulating properties, whereas chitosan is well known for its inherent biological properties. To minimize nitrogen application, this experiment was conducted for the first time to check whether application of chitosan, microalgae or both with 50% nitrogen can balance the nutrient requirement for different physiological and biochemical development as effectively as a 100% nitrogen dose. The data were recorded only for the early vegetative stages, as the seeds were non-vernalized. The basic parameters recorded were hexose content, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total phenol content (TPC) and relative water content (RWC). In most parameters, comparable results were found between the control (with a 100% recommended nitrogen dose) and other treatments (where either microalga, chitosan, or both were added). Whereas it was clearly shown that 50% of recommended nitrogen doses reduce the hexose, chlorophyll, and relative water contents. Thus, the treatments were effective in supplementing the developmental requirements. Therefore, the combined use of chitosan and cyanobacteria in crops significantly reduces nitrogen fertilization, increases photosynthesis, increases resistance to water stress, and increases antioxidant activity in modern agriculture.
Beatrix Sik, Zsolt Ajtony, Erika Lakatos, Laura Hanna Gál, Rita Székelyhidi
Evaluation of the physical, antioxidant, and organoleptic properties of biscuits fortified with edible flower powders
Food Science & Nutrition 12 (5), 3265–3272 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3993
Foods enriched with plants have gradually become an area of increasing research interest because plant ingredients may offer several positive effects on human health and the body. The aim of our study was to develop biscuits fortified with three different types of edible flowers (marigold, lavender, and rose) and examine their physical and antioxidant characteristics, as well as consumer acceptability. The antioxidant properties and characterization of biscuits highlighted that edible flowers may cause increased total polyphenol and total flavonoid yields, as well as DPPH radical scavenging activities. Concerning biscuits fortified with rose petals, the total monomer anthocyanin content was also raised. In addition, the results showed that the antioxidant properties of biscuits increased with increasing concentration (from 2.5% to 5.0%) of edible flowers. Despite this, the consumer acceptability results clearly showed that the addition of marigold and lavender at a concentration of 5.0% caused significantly decreased overall acceptance. We found that the fortification step may increase the spread ratio, which is an important quality attribute of biscuits. We found slight variations in the diameter, thickness, and baking loss parameters of fortified biscuits compared to the control. All in all, the best results were obtained when the biscuits were fortified with rose petals at a concentration of 5%.
Renáta Tihanyi-Kovács, Balázs Ásványi, Erika Lakatos, Ferenc Bánáti, László Varga, Péter Böröcz
Effect of simulated transport conditions on microbiological properties of bottled natural mineral water
Water 15 (9), 1757 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.3390/w15091757
Bottled mineral water is distributed globally through complex supply chains, making it available far beyond its bottling plants. In low-viscosity food matrices, invisible changes may occur due to shaking. The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the potential correlation between the intensity of mechanical agitation and the number of detectable microorganisms in bottled mineral water. The simulation of dynamic mechanical vibration was conducted using both time-accelerated and real-time tests. Freshly bottled natural mineral water and commercially available mineral water brands from different bottling locations and times were subjected to random vibration at three intensities as specified by the ASTM D-4169-16 standard, which simulates road transport on semi-trailer trucks. The study investigated the specific growth rate, the generation time, and the maximum cell numbers of microorganisms. The quantitative PCR (qPCR) technique was used to determine and compare the concentrations of microbes. Dynamic mechanical vibration affected the microbiome of mineral waters, influencing growth rates and generation times. In the case of waters from different bottling locations and times, the specific growth rate varied significantly for each water and for each intensity. This finding demonstrates that the microbiome composition of the water source and the interaction between microbes influence the response to mechanical impact. The time-accelerated test was shown to be suitable for analyzing the reaction of the microbiome of the tested matrix to the intensity and duration of vibration. The applied test protocol enabled the monitoring of changes in cell numbers by qPCR. All three intensities of the time-accelerated method were effective in testing the effects of real-time mechanical agitation on the microbiome.