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Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) has been recognized as a technique with several advantages over other extraction methods, such as reduction of costs, extraction time, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions. In this study, MAE was performed to obtain essential oils from two different herbs (basil and epazote). A factorial design was conducted in order to determine the effect of solvent quantity, power, and heating time on essential oil yields. Chemical composition, physical properties and yield percentage of essential oils from MAE were compared with essential oils obtained by steam distillation (SD). Amount of solvent and heating time significantly affected the yields (p < 0.05). Chemical composition and physical properties of the essential oils from basil and epazote were not affected by the extraction method (MAE or SD), with similar yielding obtained by both methods (p < 0.05).

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The growing interest in the consumption and study of traditionally fermented food worldwide has led to the development of numerous scientific investigations that have focused on analyzing the microbial and nutritional composition and the health effects derived from the consumption of these foods. Traditionally fermented foods and beverages are a significant source of nutrients, including proteins, essential fatty acids, soluble fiber, minerals, vitamins, and some essential amino acids. Additionally, fermented foods have been considered functional due to their prebiotic content, and the presence of specific lactic acid bacterial strains (LAB), which have shown positive effects on the balance of the intestinal microbiota, providing a beneficial impact in the treatment of diseases. This review presents a bibliographic compilation of scientific studies assessing the effect of the nutritional content and LAB profile of traditional fermented foods on different conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and gastrointestinal disorders.

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The potential antioxidant power of basil essential oil under frying conditions was explored. Two concentrations (200 or 500 ppm) were added to palm olein (PO) to evaluate their effect on fat oxidation/degradation during repeated frying of French fries at 180 °C. A higher oxidative stability index was detected for PO with basil essential oil at 200 ppm. Both concentrations showed lower p‐anisidine values than PO without basil essential oil after 5 d of frying. Addition at 500 ppm resulted in the lowest total polar compounds and free fatty acids contents. Thus, the addition of basil essential oil improved the performance of PO during repeated frying of French fries.

Vacuum frying (VF) is a process developed at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in which lower temperatures are employed to remove moisture from the food and reduce the oil content in the final product. Diverse studies have been published for VF or assisted with microwave and ultrasound, facing the challenges of accomplishing the physical and sensory properties appreciated in fried products. The studied matrices under VF include mainly vegetable origin foods (apple, banana, carrot, donuts, kiwi, mushroom, pea, pear, potato and sweet potato) and some animal origin products (chicken nuggets, fish fillets and surimi products). This review aimed to show recent and relevant findings of the application of VF, analysing both the effects on the frying medium and the impact on the fried foods. The inclusion of microwave and ultrasound technologies aids in the obtention of high-quality products in terms of sensory and textural attributes, oil content as well as reduced oil degradation. This technique may provide safer and stable fried foods with lower oil content aiding in improving the diet of consumers and reducing production costs.