Session Introduction

Maria Touraki

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Title: Bioactive novel foods: A case study employing the use of probiotics in edible insects rearing

Biography:

Maria Touraki is a chemistry and biology graduate with a PhD in biology, and is currently an ass. professor at the Department of Biology, School of Sciences, in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. She has been working on in improving the health and wellbeing of humans and animals through environmentally friendly treatments as well as on the development of analytical methods for the determination of antibiotics residues in animal tissues. She is interested in the study of host–pathogen interactions, the discovery of novel natural antibiotics, and the study of potential applications of probiotics against animal and human diseases.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: The steady population increase poses a demand for higher food production on available production systems. The main sources of the most essential nutrient, namely protein, are animal based and include livestock and fish. Livestock requires land, feed and water and emit greenhouse gases and ammonia, while fish populations are declining due to overuse. The tendency towards healthier protein sources to lower disease risk led to the use of novel foods, such as edible insects, that contain high quality protein, suitable for human consumption, or livestock feeds. Since insect consumption might entail risks, the use of probiotics was recommend (Grau et al., 2017). The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the incorporation of probiotic bacteria on growth performance and nutritional value of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor to be used as feed. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Three probiotic bacteria, were immobilized on wet feed and administrated to mealworms. Growth in terms of body weight, length gain and time until pupation were recorded. Nutritional quality was evaluated in terms of protein, lipids, carbohydrates, ash content and fatty acid analysis. Findings: The results showed that probiotics resulted in weight and length gain and a significantly shorter time until pupation. Regarding nutritional value, probiotics resulted in higher protein and dry matter content, lower fat content, while palmitic and myristic acid significantly decreased and stearic levels increased in all bacterial treatments. Conclusion & Significance: The inclusion of probiotic bacteria in the insects’ diet, resulted in significantly improvement of growth and of the nutritional profile of mealworms. The results of our study combined with insect processing by freeze drying, may provide insect industry a means towards the production of nutritious insect-powders enriched with probiotics, to cover current and future food market demands.

Tamer M. El-Messery

Dairy Department, National Research Center, Egypt

Title: Functional Yoghurt Enriched with Microencapsulated Olive Leaves Extract Powder Using Polycaprolactone via Double Emulsion/Solvent Evaporation Technique

Biography:

Tamer M. El-Messery completed my Ph.D. at the age of 33 years from Ain Shams University and postdoctoral studies from Murcia University Department of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bromatology. I published more than 20 papers in reputed journals.

Abstract:

Olive leaves (OLs), the main by-product of olive oil industry, have a considerable amount of phenolic compounds. The exploitation of these compounds represents the current trend in food processing. In this study, OLs polyphenols were microencapsulated with Polycaprolactone (PCL) and utilized in formulating novel functional yoghurt. PCL-microcapsules were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry analysis. Their total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC) contents, and antioxidant activities (DPPH, FRAP, ABTS), and polyphenols bioaccessibility were measured after oral, gastric, and intestinal steps of in vitro digestion. The four yoghurt formulations (containing 0, 25, 50, and 75 mg of PCL-microsphere/100g yoghurt) were evaluated for their pH, acidity, syneresis, viscosity, and color during storage. In vitro digestion significantly affected the phenolic composition in non-encapsulated extract while had a lower impact on encapsulated phenolics. Higher protection was provided for encapsulated OLs extract and their higher release was observed at the intestinal phase. Yoghurt with PCL-microsphere had lower viscosity, syneresis, and color parameters, as compared to control yoghurt. Thus, OLs represent a valuable and cheap source of polyphenols which can be successfully applied, in microencapsulated form, to formulate functional yoghurt.

Souad Bensaada

Université de Bordeaux, France

Title: An improved food process reducing Isoflavones in soy-based foodstuffs to decrease their impact on health

Biography:

Souad Bensaada is passionate about health and maintaining it. Pharmacist, she studied plants with health values at Bordeaux University where she is currently doing her PhD on endocrine disrupting effects of soy isoflavones. Her understanding of the subject is not only based on academic knowledge but also on a long experience in the pharmaceutical industry where she learned the industrial constraints and the quality approach. This double competence allows her to bring powerful insight in the research team.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Isoflavones are natural active compounds occurring in soy and other legumes as part of their anti-predators’ arsenal. They have shown estrogenic, anti-estrogenic, anti-androgenic and thyroid effects. An intake over 40 mg/day induces an impairment of menstrual cycles in women, proliferating effects on women’s breast cancer, goiters in children fed soy infant formulas and a reduction of men’s sperm quality. Therefore, according to current knowledge, the risk/benefit balance of their consumption tilts towards a reduced exposure. Meanwhile, the daily consumption of isoflavones is increasing in Western countries, either directly through the consumption of soy-based foodstuff or indirectly through soy proteins hidden in processed dished. The purpose of this study is thus to achieve non-worrying isoflavones levels in soy-matter according to the reprotoxic LOAEL1 for genistein which was published in 2008 by the US-NTP2. Based on previous measurements, new steps were included by soy-food manufacturers which can remove up to 90% of the isoflavones of soy proteins-based dishes. Such treatments lead to adequate isoflavone intake for adults but not for children. To reduce isoflavones further, some food-processing steps mimicking those found in traditional Asian recipes were added to the production process of soy-proteins. Methodology & results: New food-processing steps were performed at both laboratory and pilot scales, on soy proteins. Isoflavone assays were performed using ELISA techniques. The optimization of the parameters resulted in an additional isoflavone removal over 40% which gives an adequate intake for the whole population. Conclusion & Significance: This study showed that it is possible to significantly reduce isoflavones in soy-proteins without impacting their main properties: size, water, lipid or protein content. This, provides a safer raw material for the food industry using soy proteins. Pre-industrial scale-up should confirm the accuracy of the selected parameters.

Ante Loncaric

Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia

Title: Patulin accumulation in Croatian traditional apple cultivars

Biography:

Ante Loncaric is affilated from Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Franje Kuhača 18, HR 31000 Osijek, Croatia

Abstract:

Penicillium expansum is the most common mold which invades wounded apples, causing blue mold decay and ensuring the production of patulin, a mycotoxin that could lead to acute subacute, and chronic toxic problems. Therefore, European Commission set strict limitations on the residual concentration of patulin in solid apples to 25 μg/kg by Commission Regulation No. 1881/2006. For this reason, the resistance of Croatian traditional apple cultivars was investigated by assessing the accumulation of patulin in Penicillium expansum-infected apples stored at room temperature and its relationship with the polyphenol profile of seven different Croatian traditional apple cultivars. For the research, 1 cm thick apple slices were sterilized and inoculated by 168 hours old P. expansum (CBS 325.48) disc grown on potato dextrose agar in Petri’s dish at 29°C. Inoculated apple samples were incubated at 29°C until the P. expansum colony reaches the edge of the apple slice. Polyphenol profile was determined by high- performance liquid chromatography with diode- array detector. After incubation, patulin was detected in four apple cultivars, ‘Ivandija’, ‘Srčika’, ‘Šampanjka’ and ‘Božičnica’ in amounts of 35.75; 19.35; 18.70 and 18.40 µg/kg, respectively. Patulin content was negatively correlated with procyanidin B1 (r=-0.652, p≤0.005), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (r=-0.643, p≤0.005) and procyanidin A2 (r=-0.614, p≤0.005). These results suggesting the protective effect of named polyphenols on patulin accumulation in apples. In investigated Croatian traditional apple cultivars, except in ‘Ivandija’, detected levels of patulin were below limitations (25 µg/kg) set by European Commission for solid apples.