Food Research Institute

Major life transitions, such as entering the workforce or retirement, often disrupt social ties and increase the risk of involuntary loneliness and social isolation. Smartphone use as a coping strategy during these periods is complex, but particularly relevant for young and older adults, who are especially vulnerable. While smartphones can facilitate social connection, they also carry a substantial risk of problematic use, which has been linked to reduced offline interaction, anxiety, and depression. Clear age-related patterns emerge: young adults more often rely on impulsivity-driven coping (e.g., disordered eating or substance misuse), whereas in older adults, digital engagement more frequently intersects with health-related vulnerabilities, including sleep disturbances, cognitive decline, and gut-brain interactions. Developing a comprehensive biopsychosocial model that integrates biological (e.g., gut microbiota diversity and metabolic markers), psychological (e.g., stress and emotion regulation), and social (e.g., relationships and daily routines) levels of analysis would help distinguish protective from risky digital use. Such an approach could also enable earlier identification of at-risk individuals and support the development of tailored, age-sensitive prevention and intervention strategies during major life transitions.

This paper reports an automated rotating platform tailored for an immuno-wall microdevice to achieve sample-in-result-out, rapid and sensitive competitive ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) for ultra-small molecules (< 900 Da). The operations of competitive ELISA such as sample/reagent delivery, mixing, and washing are automated by utilizing centrifugal force controlled by an automated rotating system, while the competitive ELISA is performed inside the immuno-wall platform. To confirm the feasibility of this automated rotating immuno-wall platform, a symbolic ultra-small molecule - cortisol was used as the target biomarker to perform the competitive ELISA. The total assay time is 40 min, and the LOD (limit of detection) is 0.52 ng/mL with a detection range of 0.52 - 100 ng/mL.

A study aimed to develop new products from spent hen meats to increase marketing value of meat, which is an excellent and inexpensive source of animal protein that can effectively reduce acute malnutrition resulting from protein and energy deficiency, especially in developing countries. Canning alone or combined with smoking liquid was used to produce ten treatments from spent hen meats. The first was a single piece of chicken breast (solid canned chicken), while the other four treatments were pieces (chunk) and shredded made from breasts and thighs. The last five treatments were created from the previous five treatments by incorporating 1% smoke liquid during canning. Raw chicken thighs samples had more moisture, fat, ash, and pH, but less protein than chicken breast samples. Canning for the three different types (solid, chunk and shredded) made from breasts or thighs reduced moisture and increased protein, fat, and ash content while decreasing muscle water-holding ability, with the exception of thighs, which have a higher fat content than breast meat. Total volatile nitrogen (TVN) content in canned chicken thighs was lower than that of canned breast meat, while thiobarbituric acid (TBA) levels were higher in canned thighs compared to canned breast meat due to the higher fat content of the thighs. However, the study results show that the TVN and TBA contents in all samples were below the permissible limits according to the Egyptian standard specifications. Canned chicken breast meat recorded a higher overall acceptability score than canned thighs, while solid samples recorded the highest quality score, followed by chunk and then shredded. Smoking improved the sensory attributes compared to unsmoked meat. All canned chicken samples (smoked or unsmoked) were negative for Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella spp., and spore-forming bacteria. The results show that all canned chicken samples are highly acceptable and safe for human consumption. Smoking reduced TVN and TBA levels, pH values, and increased WHC, elasticity, and water-holding capacity of the canned chicken meat compared to unsmoked.

Palm fatty acid distillate is a low-cost, sustainable feedstock for biodiesel. A catalyst-free process using a packed bubble column reactor with superheated methanol vapour at atmospheric pressure achieved high conversion.

Reviewers: P Munk (DTU National Food Institute) & M Vojtková (Technical University of Denmark) | 📒📒📒 ◻️◻️ • S Bofill-Mas and M Tarradas (University of Barcelona) | 📗📗📗📗◻️ • N Beerenwinkel & J Nitschke (ETH Zürich) | 📘📘📘📘📘

This study investigates the antioxidative and anticancer properties of Salvia officinalis L. hydroethanolic extract, along with its microencapsulation for enhanced delivery and functional fortification in frozen yoghurt. The extract antioxidative activity (0.5 mg/mL) was evaluated using DPPH radical scavenging and ferric reducing power assays, exhibiting 87.67 % scavenging and an increased absorbance of 0.45 compared to the blank sample at 700 nm, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity (MTT cell viability assay) was assessed against human prostate cancer (PC3), human epidermoid carcinoma (A431), and human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines, yielding IC 50 values of 36.43 µg/mL, 40.78 µg/mL, and 57.45 µg/mL, respectively, with significantly lower cytotoxicity against BJ1 human normal fibroblast cells. Quantitative analysis by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV) revealed that rosmarinic acid was the extract most abundant phenolic compound, followed by caffeic acid and quercetin. A molecular docking study was subsequently conducted to correlate the in vitro findings, offering insights into key phytochemicals interactions with target proteins. To enhance its bioavailability and stability, Salvia officinalis L. extract was encapsulated via complex coacervation using gum Arabic and whey protein concentrate. The resulting microcapsules were characterized for encapsulation efficiency, morphology, zeta potential, fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, and stability in a simulated gastrointestinal digestion model. These extract-loaded microcapsules were then incorporated into frozen yogurt to improve its functionality. The physicochemical properties, textural profile, viscosity, and sensory evaluation of the fortified frozen yogurt were assessed, demonstrating overall acceptance and enhanced characteristics. These findings highlight the potential of Salvia officinalis L. extract as a bioactive ingredient in dairy products, providing significant antioxidant and anticancer benefits with improved stability and delivery.

This Review Article summarizes outcomes from the ILSI Europe expert workshop on plant-based proteins in infant formula, held in November 2024. Experts from academia, clinical nutrition, and food science evaluated the current use and future potential of plant-based protein sources in infant formula, considering nutritional adequacy, allergenicity, sustainability, processing technologies, and regulatory constraints. While soy and hydrolyzed rice proteins are already approved and in use, emerging sources such as pea, lentil, and faba beans show promise but require further validation of their amino acid profiles, digestibility, safety, and suitability for infants. Key research priorities identified include the development of improved protein extraction methods, in vitro digestion and allergy modeling, and targeted clinical studies. This review synthesizes current evidence and expert perspectives to support the development of sustainable, nutritionally adequate plant-based infant formulas.

Abstract Objectives To prospectively evaluate the association of dietary flavonoid intake with incident depression risk and brain structural changes. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting UK Biobank. Participants 114 848 non-depressed individuals (with ≥ 2 eligible 24-h dietary recalls) for depression risk and a subgroup of 2120 for brain structural changes. Exposures Total flavonoid, the Flavodiet Score (reflecting servings of top 10 flavonoid-rich foods), and specific flavonoid subclasses and individual compounds. Main outcome measures Incident depression (ascertained via inpatient and death register data) and alterations in cortical volumes and white matter integrity. Results During a median follow-up of 10.5 years, 2965 incident depression cases were identified. After adjusting for demographic, major lifestyle, and clinical factors, total flavonoid intake and the Flavodiet Score were both linearly associated with a reduced depression risk, with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for quintile 5 vs. corresponding quintile 1 being 0.84 (0.75 to 0.95) and 0.77 (0.68 to 0.87). No significant interactions were found between total flavonoid intake and potential effect modifiers, such as demographic, lifestyle, and chronic disease factors. Subclass analysis showed that intakes of anthocyanins and flavanones both were linearly associated with a lower depression risk, with HRs (95% CIs) for quintile 5 vs. corresponding quintile being 0.63 (0.55 to 0.71) and 0.84 (0.95 to 0.94). Beyond specific compounds from flavanones and anthocyanins subclasses, proanthocyanidin dimers, catechin, and epicatechin as a cluster derived by the k-means method were also associated with a reduced depression risk. Path diagrams suggested a sequential chain of mediation via sarcopenia biomarkers (creatinine to cystatin C ratio and muscle quality index) and subsequent diabetes status in the association of total flavonoid intake with depression risk. Regarding brain structural changes, higher flavonoid intake was associated with less atrophy in specific cortical regions (left Caudal anterior cingulate, left Supramarginal, right Caudal middle frontal, and right Precentral) and a smaller increase in mean diffusivity in the left Anterior Thalamic Radiation tract (all P &lt; 0.05). Conclusions Our findings suggest that dietary flavonoids, notably anthocyanins and flavanones, may contribute favourably to depression risk reduction and may offer protection against adverse brain structural changes. Further mechanistic studies and randomized controlled trials are warranted to validate these effects and translate them into public health policy. Research summary WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC Flavonoids are known to exert beneficial effects through key mechanisms highly relevant to depression pathophysiology, as shown in preliminary research. Population-based research between flavonoid intake and risk of depression is generally scarce and largely supports the positive impact of total flavonoid intake on depression risk. Nevertheless, the association of flavonoid with depression risk is inconsistent in the subclass level and exploration analysis in the individual compound level is conducted ignoring the correlations in between. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS Partial monomers (i.e., catechin and epicatechin) and dimers of proanthocyanidins as a cluster from the k-means method were associated with a reduced depression risk, alongside specific compounds from flavanones and anthocyanins. The effect of total flavonoid intake on depression risk was mediated by a sequential chain of intermediate factors, specifically sarcopenia biomarkers and subsequent diabetes status. The total flavonoid intake and sum of servings for top 10 flavonoids-rich food items presented protection against depression-related brain structural changes.