This study evaluated the microbiological quality of fresh-cut bell pepper and ginger, as well as the inactivation effects of intense pulsed light (IPL) on E. coli ATCC 25922 inoculated in the fresh-cut samples by varying the treatment voltages (1,200-2,400 V) and time (1–7 min). The contamination levels of mesophilic bacteria, psychrophilic bacteria, yeast and mold for bell pepper and ginger were 6.64±0.81 and 6.35±1.96 log CFU/g, 6.75±1.13 and 5.63±1.89 log CFU/g, and 4.68±0.43 and 4.57±1.25 log CFU/g respectively. Through the IPL treatment at 2,400 V for 7 min, 2.04 and 2.11 log of E. coli ATCC 25922 inoculated in bell pepper and ginger were reduced, respectively, with a negligible temperature rise (< 2.2oC). Although the reduction rate varied, the bactericidal effect of E. coli ATCC 25922 showed an increase as treatment time and voltage increased. Under the same treatment conditions, temperature increased by 1.71oC and 2.13oC for bell pepper and ginger, respectively. These results demonstrate that IPL is a suitable device for inactivating E. coli ATCC 25922 on fresh-cut bell pepper and ginger.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extraction yield and physicochemical characteristics of mucin from the epidermal mucus of Misgurnus mizolepis. Ninety percent ethanol produced the highest yield of mucin. At higher concentrations, mucin had more elastic properties, as revealed by dynamic viscoelasticity measurements. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated that mucin is a thermostable glycoprotein. Denaturation enthalpy increased as mucin concentration increased. Mucin inhibited the growth of both Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus, but had better antimicrobial activity in the former. Mucin also exhibited antioxidant activity, equivalent to 66.64% of that of L-cysteine. Mucin inhibited elastase activity and MMP-1 & MMP-2 expression activity, and induced hyaluronic acid expression. It is indicating that mucin is effective in moisturizing and anti-aging the skin. Thus, mucin from the epidermal mucus of Misgurnus mizolepis could have great potential as a non-food material in various industries.

In this study, Bacillus sp. SRCM 112835 was isolated from soybean paste (Doenjang, Korean Fermented Soy Paste). Bacillus sp. SRCM 112835 showed biosorption of the Cu (II) in aqueous solution. The strain effectively absorbed 30.2% of the Cu (II) from a 52.3 mg/L within 60 min. The properties of the Bacillus sp. SRCM 112835 were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), point of zero charge (pHpzc), and phylogenetic analysis. The influence of initial pH (2.08-9.98) and biomass dosage (0.005-0.07 g) were likewise probed. Isotherm and kinetic experiment results suggested that the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models well-fitted the experimental data, respectively.

In this study, the effects of heat-moisture treatment (boiling or steaming for 45 min) prior to hot air drying (70 o C for 8 h) on water activity (Aw), moisture (MC), Brix, color, and texture of dried sweet potato slices were investigated to identify the best pretreatment condition for producing dried sweet potato with the best eating quality. Dried sweet potato slices pretreated by boiling (BL) showed significantly lower Aw, MC, and hardness while Brix was significantly higher than with steaming (ST) treatment. There were no significant differences for the color, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and brittleness indexes. At 8 h drying, the Aw, MC, Brix, and hardness of the BL and ST samples were 0.81 and 0.82, 19.71% and 25.53%, 53.80% and 49.40%, and 20.49 kg/cm 2 and 31.98 kg/ cm 2 , respectively. This information will be useful for manufacturers in the production of dried sweet potato slices. These findings provide evidence of the feasibility of heat-moisture treatments in the production of dried sweet potato.

Flavonoids are a group of plant polyphenol secondary metabolites, which widely exist in plant systems. Recently, flavonoids from plant-based sources have been gaining more interest due to their versatile biological activities. The biological activities of flavonoids are dependent upon their chemical structures, which in turn rely on their structural class, level of hydroxylation, substitution pattern, connection position, existence of C2=C3 double bond, and level of polymerization. Flavonoids are considered nutraceuticals in diet. They help prevent many chronic and degenerative illnesses through various biological activities, such as free radical scavenging, anti-lipid peroxidation, and xanthine oxidase inhibition, as well as their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer activities. The goal of the present review is to evaluate flavonoids’ chemical structural features and their biological activities as they relate to preventing chronic diseases affecting human health, and further navigate the relationship between the chemical structure and their biological function.