The major strategies for designing surfaces that prevent fouling due to proteins, bacteria, and marine organisms are reviewed. Biofouling is of great concern in numerous applications ranging from biosensors to biomedical implants and devices, and from food packaging to industrial and marine equipment. The two major approaches to combat surface fouling are based on either preventing biofoulants from attaching or degrading them. One of the key strategies for imparting adhesion resistance involves the functionalization of surfaces with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) or oligo(ethylene glycol). Several alternatives to PEG-based coatings have also been designed over the past decade. While protein-resistant coatings may also resist bacterial attachment and subsequent biofilm formation, in order to overcome the fouling-mediated risk of bacterial infection it is highly desirable to design coatings that are bactericidal. Traditional techniques involve the design of coatings that release biocidal agents, including antibiotics, quaternary ammonium salts (QAS), and silver, into the surrounding aqueous environment. However, the emergence of antibiotic- and silver-resistant pathogenic strains has necessitated the development of alternative strategies. Therefore, other techniques based on the use of polycations, enzymes, nanomaterials, and photoactive agents are being investigated. With regard to marine antifouling coatings, restrictions on the use of biocide-releasing coatings have made the generation of nontoxic antifouling surfaces more important. While considerable progress has been made in the design of antifouling coatings, ongoing research in this area should result in the development of even better antifouling materials in the future.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/adma.201001215

Antifouling coatings: recent developments in the design of surfaces that prevent fouling by proteins, bacteria, and marine organisms.

Polymer surface modification for the attachment of bioactive compounds

Perspectives for chitosan based antimicrobial films in food applications

https://ciptaindomedica.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/antimicrobial-herb-and-spice-compounds-in-food.pdf

Antimicrobial herb and spice compounds in food.

Antioxidant activity has been assessed in many ways. The limitation of many newer methods is the frequent lack of an actual substrate in the procedure. The combination of all approaches with the many test methods available explains the large variety of ways in which results of antioxidant testing are reported. The measurement of antioxidant activities, especially of antioxidants that are mixtures, multifunctional or are acting in complex multiphase systems, cannot be evaluated satisfactorily by a simple antioxidant test without due regard to the many variables influencing the results. Several test procedures may be required to evaluate such antioxidant activities. A general method of reporting antioxidant activity independent of the test procedure is proposed.

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/datastore/608-46.pdf

Methods for testing antioxidant activity

The main goal of this paper was to design a synbiotic yogurt containing Bifidobacterium infantis and Gluten Friendly FlourTM; the proposed approach relies upon milk fermentation through the classical starter of yogurt (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) to avoid a strong production of acetic acid by bifidobacterial and inoculum of B. infantis after the fermentation. The research was divided in 3 steps. The aim of the first step was the optimization of fermentation kinetic by L. delbureckii and S. thermophilus, by combining the amount of flour (either Gluten Friendly Flour-GF- or Control Flour-CF) in milk, temperature and inoculum level; the factors were combined through a mixture design. As a result of this step, the best combination was pointed out: flour at 2.5 g/l; L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus at 6 log cfu/ml; temperature at 37-40°C. The goal of the second step was to study the effect of flour (2.5 g/l) on the viability of B. infantis. GF prolonged the viability of the probiotic for 14 days. In the last step, a synbiotic yogurt, supplemented with GF and fermented with L. delbureckii and S. thermophilus, and then inoculated with B. infantis, was produced. The product was stored at 8 and 15°C. A positive effect of GF was found at 15°C, with B. infantis at 7.0 log cfu/g in GF sample and 5.5.5.7 log cfu/g in CF sample.

/pdf/a-preliminary-report-on-the-use-of-the-design-of-experiments-4iylbcavtq.pdf

A Preliminary Report on the Use of the Design of Experiments for the Production of a Synbiotic Yogurt Supplemented With Gluten FriendlyTM Flour and Bifidobacterium infantis.

Ethnic fermented foods

Yeasts are eukaryotic organisms that are included in a group of organisms called “fungi,” which also includes molds and mushrooms. Yeasts can have both positive and negative effects on fermented products consumed by humans and animals. Yeasts are used as starter cultures in cheeses and bread, as well as wine, beer, and other alcoholic fermentation products, but they can also initiate spoilage in foods, such as yoghurt, fruit juice, salads, and mayonnaise. A group of authors have published a list of yeasts that are frequently associated with the spoilage of foods and beverages: to these lists of “dangerous” spoiling yeasts four other yeast species have also been added, which were the members of the “second-division spoiling yeasts.” The ability of some yeasts to survive in harsh conditions makes them potent food spoilage organisms responsible for large economic losses of some food products.

Chapter 5 – Yeasts

This study aimed to design marinated sea bream fillets, inoculated with either Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (strains 11, 68, 69) or Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DSM 10140. In the first step, the optimization of brine composition was performed through a centroid; the factors of the design were citric acid, vinegar, and salt. As a result of optimization, the optimal composition of brine was set to 0.75% citric acid, 55% vinegar, and 3% NaCl. In the second step, sea bream fillets were inoculated with L. plantarum strain 69 and B. animalis subsp. lactis, marinated and then packed in a conditioning solution (oil or diluted brine); the samples were stored at 4 °C for 21 days. The viability of the strains and sensory scores were assessed. The bacteria retained a high viability throughout storage (21 days); however, the sensory scores were at their highest level for 4 days. In particular, sensory assessment suggested a preference for a conditioning solution with oil, rather than with a diluted brine. In addition, a slightly higher preference was found for B. animalis subsp. lactis.

https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/3/661/pdf

Marinated Sea Bream Fillets Enriched with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis: Brine Optimization and Product Design

Ultrasound (US), Thermo-sonication (TS) and High Pressure Homogenization (HPH) were studied as tools to inactivate the spores of Penicillium spp. and Mucor spp. inoculated in distilled water. For US, the power ranged from 40% to 100%, pulse from 2 to 10 s, and duration of the treatment from 2 to 10 min. TS was performed combining US (40-80% of power, for 8 min and pulse of 2 s) with a thermal treatment (50, 55 and 60°C at 4, 8 and 12 min). Homogenization was done at 30-150 MPa for 1, 2 and 3 times. Power was the most important factors to determine the antifungal effect of US and TS towards the conidia of Penicillium spp.; on the other hand, in US treatments Mucor spp. was also affected by pulse and time. HPH exerted a significant antifungal effect only if the highest pressures were applied for 2-3 times.

Milena Sinigaglia

Papers

A Preliminary Report on the Use of the Design of Experiments for the Production of a Synbiotic Yogurt Supplemented With Gluten FriendlyTM Flour and Bifidobacterium infantis.

Ethnic fermented foods

Chapter 5 – Yeasts

Marinated Sea Bream Fillets Enriched with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis: Brine Optimization and Product Design

Using homogenization, sonication and thermo-sonication to inactivate fungi