Search Results (2,704)

Food products containing plant ingredients are particularly vulnerable to economically motivated adulteration (EMA), which poses risks to consumer trust and regulatory compliance. While traditional methods—such as microscopy, chemical profiling or targeted PCR—struggle to detect adulterants in processed food products or complex mixes, DNA metabarcoding offers a non-targeted, high-throughput alternative. This study presents a nanopore sequencing-based technique that is easy to implement, cost-effective and sufficiently sensitive to detect substitutions, with a focus on spices and herbal teas as model matrices. The method was evaluated using eight single-species reference samples and five commercial multi-ingredient products. It reliably detected undeclared contaminants (e.g., mint in oregano) and species substitutions. Compared to single-barcode approaches, the combination of ITS2 + matK + trnH-psbA markers achieved higher sensitivity. The proposed workflow requires minimal infrastructure and a 2–4-day turnaround time. However, factors such as DNA degradation in highly processed foods, database gaps, and biological diversity limited detection in some cases. These findings demonstrate the workflow’s potential as a first-line screening tool for food authenticity testing, aligning with requirements such as EU regulation 1169/2011 on food labelling or the FDA’s Economically Motivated Adulteration (EMA) program. Future work should validate the method against regulatory thresholds and expand testing to a broader variety of species and matrices. Full article

The demand for plant-based proteins has been steadily increasing; however, their functionality when applied in food product formulations requires comprehensive evaluation and, when necessary, deliberate modification to ensure that it mimics that of animal-derived proteins. In the present study, protein was extracted from sesame cake, a by-product of sesame oil production, through conventional alkaline extraction, with or without ultrasound or enzymatic pretreatments. Cold plasma treatment was subsequently applied to sesame cake proteins (SCPs) to induce structural modifications. Both the extraction method and cold plasma treatment markedly influenced the compositional and technofunctional properties of the SCPs, including the protein purity, amino acid profile, color, structural integrity, thermal stability, solubility, emulsifying capacity, foaming behavior, and proteomic profile. Importantly, combined ultrasound and cold plasma treatments altered the proteomic landscape, leading to the downregulation of proteins associated with allergenicity and thereby mitigating the adverse effects of SCPs. Notably, this study provides the first demonstration of the interplay between the extraction method and protein responsiveness to cold plasma treatment. Full article

Given the increasing need to reduce food losses and implement circular economy strategies, plant-based processing byproducts represent a promising source of functional ingredients. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the potential of pumpkin peels as a raw material for enriching cereal products, as a value-added ingredient for wheat pasta, and to analyze their nutritional and technological properties. Pumpkin peels were dried, ground, and thoroughly analyzed for chemical composition, bioactive compound content, and functional properties. Model pastas were developed with a 5–15% addition of pumpkin peel powder and assessed for their chemical composition, cooking quality, rheological behavior, antioxidant properties, starch digestibility, texture, oxidative stability, and in vitro prebiotic potential, as well as their health-promoting potential. The results demonstrated that pumpkin peel powder was a rich source of dietary fiber, polyphenols, and carotenoids, which translates into high antioxidant activity. Enriching the pasta with this raw material significantly increased the content of bioactive components and fiber, while having a moderate impact on technological properties. The most beneficial effects were achieved with a 10–15% addition, although higher levels may affect texture and cooking parameters. Pumpkin peels can therefore be a valuable ingredient in functional foods, supporting waste valorization and circular bioeconomy strategies. Full article

Introduction: Restrictive diets are increasingly encountered in pediatric practice and may be adopted voluntarily or prescribed for medical conditions. Although they can support normal growth when appropriately planned, exclusion of nutritionally important foods may increase the risk of nutrient inadequacy. This narrative review examined nutritional deficiencies and laboratory monitoring in children following plant-based, food-allergy elimination, gluten-free, ketogenic, and protein-restricted diets for inherited metabolic disorders. Methods: Targeted searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were conducted through 30 June 2026 using pediatric, diet-specific, nutritional-status, and biomarker terms. Because this was a narrative review, the literature was selected and synthesized qualitatively rather than through a formal systematic-screening process; no fixed study count, duplicate independent screening, or formal risk-of-bias assessment was performed. Professional guidelines and position papers were prioritized when discussing monitoring considerations, while pediatric studies were used to describe dietary intake, biochemical findings, clinically manifest deficiency, and growth outcomes. Results: Nutritional risks differed according to the foods or nutrients restricted. Vitamin B12 and iron were major concerns in plant-based diets, whereas cow’s milk and multiple-food elimination increased the risk of inadequate calcium, vitamin D, iodine, protein, and energy intake. Gluten-free diets were commonly associated with low fiber, iron, folate, and B-vitamin intake, particularly when refined, non-fortified products predominated. Ketogenic dietary therapy required attention to selenium, vitamin D, bone-related minerals, carnitine in selected patients, and linear growth. In phenylketonuria and related disorders, nutritional adequacy depended strongly on protein-substitute adherence and appropriate provision of essential amino acids and micronutrients. Across all dietary patterns, laboratory results required interpretation in relation to dietary intake, growth, supplementation, inflammation, medication, and the underlying condition. Across dietary patterns, inadequate intake, biochemical abnormalities, clinically manifest deficiency, and impaired growth were considered related but distinct outcomes. Conclusions: Nutritional monitoring should be individualized and based on the actual dietary restriction and clinical risk. The principal contribution of this review is a practical, risk-based framework that links the specific dietary restriction and adequacy of replacement foods with growth, symptoms, supplementation, and targeted laboratory biomarkers. Full article

Plant diseases have long been considered a major threat to global food production systems. Therefore, early diagnosis is vital to mitigate the risk of these diseases. This task can be challenging, as the number of harmful diseases is substantial. One technology that has gained widespread interest is artificial intelligence, specifically deep learning, which is used to identify plant diseases using leaf patterns. This paper presents two deep learning models, a custom CNN model and a transfer learning model based on the DenseNet-121 architecture. Experiments were carried out using the PlantCity dataset, which consists of twelve subsets of diverse crop species representing fruits, vegetables, and grains with variations among the subsets, including the number of classes, the subset sizes, class distribution, and visual complexity of disease symptoms. The two models were evaluated using multiple metrics, including accuracy, loss, precision, recall, and F1-score. Explainable AI using the LIME technique was deployed to better interpret the acquired results. Results showed that the developed transfer learning model based on DenseNet-121 had superior performance over the CNN model, with accuracies ranging from 86% to 99% across eleven experimented crops. In order to perform an independent experimental validation for the developed model, future work will focus on constructing a local crop dataset captured from Iraqi fields to evaluate the developed models based on the local environment. Full article

Germinated Andean lupin whole flour (GAL) is rich in protein, dietary fiber, essential amino acids, and bioactive compounds, representing a promising alternative for the development of sustainable plant-based foods. This study investigated the feasibility of partially replacing soy protein isolate (SPI) with GAL in high-moisture extruded meat analogues. A central composite design was applied to evaluate the effects of the GAL ratio (0:100–50:50) and feed moisture content (50–70%) on the technological properties of the extrudates. The Response Surface Methodology was used to model and optimize the process. The incorporation of GAL significantly affected the (p < 0.10) water solubility index (WSI), oil absorption capacity (OAC), cooking loss (CL), yellowness (b*), cohesiveness, and adhesiveness, generating predictive models with satisfactory goodness-of-fit (R² > 0.75). Increasing GAL levels increased the WSI from 6.21 to 18.79% and cooking loss from 1.01 to 3.84%, while reducing OAC from 239.42 to 166.57%, indicating substantial modifications in matrix organization and hydration behavior. Numerical optimization identified an optimal formulation containing 12% GAL, 88% SPI, and 65.5% feed moisture, with a desirability of 77.82%. Model validation showed relative deviations lower than 10% between predicted and experimental values. The optimized meat analogue exhibited high protein content (84.44%), favorable techno-functional properties, and improved nutritional quality, with higher levels of branched-chain amino acids (17.34 g·100 g⁻¹ protein), essential amino acids (33.32 g·100 g⁻¹ protein), and in vitro protein digestibility (90.1%) compared with the control formulation. Multivariate analyses confirmed that phenylalanine, histidine, methionine, and leucine were the main variables that discriminated between the protein sources and the extruded products. Overall, GAL demonstrated strong potential as a sustainable functional ingredient to produce nutritionally enhanced high-moisture meat analogues. Full article

Cannabis sativa L. is a multipurpose plant widely cultivated for fiber, food, medicinal products, and the production of bioactive compounds, including psychoactive cannabinoids. Fungal endophytes are a promising source of antimicrobial compounds used for biological control and sustainable crop production. However, the fungal endophytes associated with C. sativa have been poorly investigated, and their biological activities are still largely unexplored. Thus, this study aimed to identify fungal endophytes from C. sativa (marijuana and hemp biotypes) and to screen for their antagonistic activities against some plant pathogens. Based on ITS sequence analysis, a total of 103 fungal endophyte isolates (21 genera) were preliminarily identified from both biotypes, including 62 isolates (13 genera) from hemp and 41 isolates (nine genera) from marijuana. Fusarium was the dominant genus found in hemp (45%), while Nigrospora was the dominant genus isolated from marijuana (32%). Ten selected fungal endophytes were evaluated for in vitro antagonistic activity against four bacterial pathogens, Pectobacterium spp. (PC 01 and PC 02) and Ralstonia solanacearum (RA 01 and RA 02), and four fungal pathogens, Fusarium solani (FU 01), F. oxysporum (FU 02), and Sclerotium sp. (SC 01 and SC 02), all of which are causal agents of potato diseases. Among the tested fungal endophytes, Colletotrichum sp. (SLLC-M24) and Nigrospora sp. (SLLC-H15) exhibited the strongest antifungal activity against Fusarium spp. (FU 01 and FU 02), with inhibition rates ranging from 56 to 64%. In addition, Pestalotiopsis sp. (SLLC-H5) demonstrated effective antibacterial activity against all tested bacterial pathogens, producing inhibition zones ranging from 19 to 23 mm. This finding represents an important step toward discovering novel and promising endophytes associated with Cannabis and their biological control potential for utilization in sustainable agriculture. Full article

Eggs are a widely consumed and nutritionally valuable food, increasingly recognized for their potential to deliver not only essential nutrients but also health-promoting phytochemicals such as carotenoids and polyphenols. However, the presence and variability of these compounds in eggs remains poorly understood, particularly in pasture-raised systems where hens have access to fresh forage. This review explores the current state of knowledge regarding the transfer of phytochemicals from forage to eggs, highlighting the factors that influence their deposition and the implications for egg nutrient quality, hen health, and consumer health. Forage composition, which varies by plant species, season, and management practices, plays an important role in determining phytochemical intake of the hen, and consequently the egg content. While evidence suggests pasture access enhances yolk carotenoid levels and may contribute to polyphenol deposition, little is known about farm-to-farm variation and the degree of nutrient transfer. As pasture-based egg systems continue to gain popularity, understanding and optimizing phytochemical transfer from diet to egg could improve the consistency and nutritional value of eggs while supporting sustainable food production goals. Full article

Calendula officinalis L. (pot marigold) is a medicinal and edible plant used as a source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in functional foods. This review brings together current data on the phytochemical profile, biological activity, agronomic factors, and food applications of C. officinalis, based on 76 publications. More than 500 secondary metabolites have been reported in this species, including flavonoids, carotenoids, terpenoids, polysaccharides, coumarins, and essential-oil components. Reported levels depend strongly on cultivar, growing conditions, plant part, and analytical method. Total flavonoid content in dried flowers ranges from 0.21 to 0.68% across 20 European cultivars, with up to 1.7% in selected Estonian-grown cultivars such as ‘Radio’. Reported total carotenoid values cover almost two orders of magnitude (about 48 to 3510 mg/100 g of dried material), reflecting differences in plant part, colour variant, and method (spectrophotometric sum vs. HPLC). Dried flowers contain up to 62.33 g/100 g of total dietary fibre (mostly insoluble). The associated activities are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, regenerative, cytotoxic, and neuroprotective. Recent food-application studies show useful effects in yogurt (0.25 g lyophilized extract/100 g), wheat bread (10–15% of formulation water replaced with aqueous extract), and fresh pasta (5% flower powder substitution), with notable increases in antioxidant capacity and acceptable sensory scores. The number of full food-product trials is still small, and this review identifies the processing variables and the research gaps that determine whether C. officinalis can be used as a standard functional-food ingredient. Full article

Limited access to quality seed constrains vegetable productivity and food security in Uganda, where informal seed systems remain central to farmers’ access to seed but are inadequately documented and largely unregulated. This study documented vegetable seed production and management practices, identified opportunities and constraints within informal seed systems, and examined the role of community seed banks in strengthening seed security. Using a mixed-method approach, quantitative surveys and key informant interviews were conducted with seed producers, seed traders, and community seed bank leaders across Uganda. Study respondents were predominantly men, with most respondents aged ≥35 years, despite women’s and youth’s primary role in vegetable production. Respondents reported key seed management constraints of seed storage pests, low-quality seeds, inconsistent market supply and price fluctuations, limited capital, and weak regulatory oversight. Seed treatment practices primarily consisted of sun-drying and plant-based pesticides, while seed quality assessment relied largely on experience and visual inspection, using cues such as seed color, size, and cleanliness, with limited use of standardized testing. Given that most vegetable growers obtain seeds through community-based seed channels, strengthening actors’ capacity to produce and supply high-quality seed is essential for sustaining vegetable production, improving farmer incomes, and enhancing food and nutrition security. Full article

Climatic changes are heavily affecting the sustainability of vegetable crops crucial for food supply worldwide, mainly in subtropical countries. One of the main threats to food security is the spread of diseases caused by plant viruses, favored by irregular rains and extreme temperatures, which reduce crop yield and quality. During a preliminary field survey carried out in two provinces of Angola in 2024, a few symptomatic plants of tomato, habanero pepper, common bean and a wild weed were sampled. These plants generally showed dwarfing, yellowing and leaf curl and were submitted to high-throughput sequencing to detect any viral agent. The evidence of mixed infections of several polyphagous viruses with RNA or DNA genomes, variously affecting the selected plants, was assessed from the sequence analysis and further confirmed for most samples by molecular tests, like (RT)-PCR or qPCR. Emerging polero-, begomo and tobamoviruses were denoted as infecting these plants. A novel, previously unknown carlavirus was also described in a wild weed. Most of those viruses are efficiently mechanically transmitted or airborne vehiculated by insect vectors. Although based on a limited number of samples, this study provides a first insight into the diversity of viruses infecting vegetable crops in Angola. It also highlights the pressing need for a broader monitoring to better understand virus distribution and epidemiology, and suggests the use of virus-free seeds to reduce the potential risk to crop production. Full article

Diet represents a key determinant of the body’s acid–base balance because foods are metabolized into non-volatile acids or bases. An increase in dietary acid load can elicit low-grade metabolic acidosis, which has been associated with systemic inflammation and the risk of adverse cardiometabolic conditions, including obesity. Potential renal acid load (PRAL) and Net Endogenous Acid Production (NEAP) represent the major markers of dietary acid load. The aim of this secondary analysis was to compare the acid load of four different diets and investigate its association with Body Mass Index (BMI) in a sample of the general population. In an online survey, the INVITA study, four dietary patterns (meat-eaters, fish-eaters, lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and vegans) were compared for their corresponding PRAL and NEAP values, and the associations of both parameters with BMI were evaluated. Multiple linear regression models were progressively adjusted for dietary pattern, energy intake, age, sex, physical activity, smoking status, and education level. The stepwise decrease in animal food consumption across the four dietary patterns was associated with a progressive reduction in dietary acid load, with vegan participants showing the lowest values. While PRAL did not prove consistently associated with BMI in this cohort, NEAP remained significantly associated with BMI even after full adjustment for lifestyle confounders (β = 0.032, p = 0.00013). However, because NEAP includes an anthropometric component based on body surface area, this association should be interpreted cautiously, as it may partly reflect mathematical coupling rather than a purely diet-derived effect. PRAL should be considered the more diet-specific marker, while NEAP represents a composite index combining dietary acid load and anthropometric scaling. Because PRAL and NEAP do not account for protein origin, future studies should assess whether diet-specific reference ranges could improve their comparisons for dietary patterns including mostly or exclusively plant protein. Full article

With the increasing consumption of plant-based foods, allergies to these foods are becoming more widespread and seriously affect human health. This review focuses on the properties of major plant-based food allergens, including those from soybeans, peanuts, wheat, sesame, and tree nuts. The composition, stability, structure, and IgE-binding epitopes of allergens from these major plant allergenic foods are summarized. For peanuts, the major allergens include Ara h 1, Ara h 2, Ara h 3, and Ara h 6, with Ara h 2 and Ara h 6 being notably heat- and protease-resistant. Gly m 4, Gly m 5, and Gly m 6 are the predominant allergens in soybeans. The primary sesame allergens are Ses i 1, Ses i 2, Ses i 3, Ses i 6, and Ses i 7, with Ses i 1 serving as a stable and highly specific diagnostic marker. Wheat allergens are categorized by exposure route, with ingestion of allergens such as gliadins and glutenins being particularly relevant for food-induced reactions. Major storage proteins and lipid transfer proteins are central to the allergenicity of nut varieties (such as almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts). Understanding these molecular characteristics is crucial for developing hypoallergenic food products using targeted processing methods. Further studies are needed to comprehensively investigate these allergenic characteristics. Full article

The search for sustainable and ethical alternatives to conventional protein production has become increasingly important due to climate change, population growth, and the need to reduce the environmental impact of food systems. This work explores the development of animal-free proteins produced in laboratory settings using innovative technologies such as precision fermentation, submerged fermentation, plant cell culture, and molecular engineering. These methods enable the production of high-quality proteins without relying on animal farming or large-scale traditional agriculture. In addition to reviewing traditional plant-based protein sources and their nutritional limitations, the study highlights novel protein sources derived from fungi, algae, and bacteria, focusing on their nutritional profiles, production methods, and challenges related to digestibility, safety, and consumer perception. Special attention is given to downstream processing techniques that preserve protein functionality and enhance key food attributes such as texture, flavor, and stability. The use of agro-industrial residues is also discussed as a strategy to improve sustainability and economic viability. Key barriers to large-scale implementation, including production costs, regulatory approval, and consumer acceptance, are addressed, alongside emerging applications beyond food, such as cosmetics, animal nutrition, and biodegradable materials. Overall, animal-free proteins represent a promising path toward a more sustainable, resilient, and ethical global food system. Full article

Rice is a staple food for more than half of the global population, but its production is threatened by insect pests such as planthoppers, stem borers, leafhoppers, and defoliators. The widespread use of chemical pesticides has raised concerns regarding environmental contamination, pest resistance, and negative effects on beneficial arthropods. This review examines the role of biological control and habitat management in sustainable rice pest management. It highlights the diversity and ecological roles of natural enemies, including parasitoid wasps, mirid bugs, ladybird beetles, and spiders, which help suppress pest populations in rice ecosystems. Key habitat management approaches, such as conservation biological control, ecological engineering, banker plant systems, flower strips, and the preservation of non-crop habitats, are discussed for their capacity to enhance the abundance and effectiveness of natural enemies. The review also considers integrating these approaches into IPM programs to reduce reliance on pesticides while maintaining crop productivity. Evidence from rice-growing regions demonstrates the effectiveness of habitat-based strategies in improving pest suppression and strengthening ecosystem resilience. However, challenges related to landscape complexity, farmer adoption, long-term implementation, and the need for a clear roadmap for future landscape-scale entomological research remain. Future research should focus on optimizing habitat management practices and integrating ecological approaches with modern agricultural technologies to support sustainable rice production. Full article