Cysteine and homocysteine (Hcy), both sulfur‐containing amino acids (AAs), produced from methionine another sulfur‐containing amino acid, which is converted to Hcy and further converted to cysteine. This article aims to highlight the link between cysteine and Hcy, and their mechanisms, important functions, play in the body and their role as a biomarker for various types of diseases. So that using cysteine and Hcy as a biomarker, we can prevent and diagnose many diseases. This review concluded that hyperhomocysteinemia (elevated levels of homocysteine) is considered as toxic for cells and is associated with different health problems. Hyperhomocysteinemia and low levels of cysteine associated with various diseases like cardiovascular diseases (CVD), ischemic stroke, neurological disorders, diabetes, cancer like lung and colorectal cancer, renal dysfunction‐linked conditions, and vitiligo.

No abstract

Date palm counts among the oldest fruit crops of the world and is mainly cultivated for its highly nutritious fruits consumed as a staple food in many countries, especially in the Gulf region. Dates are enriched with numerous therapeutic bioactives and functional compounds such as phenolics, flavonols, carotenoids, minerals, and vitamins that not only provide an appreciable amount of energy required for the human body but also act as an effective therapeutic agent against several diseases. This review aimed to provide a deep insight into the nutritional as well as phytochemicals profile of date fruit and its seeds in order to explore their biological (anti‐cancer, anti‐diabetic, cardio‐protective, anti‐inflammatory properties), functional food, and nutra‐pharmaceutical attributes. Practical applications This review provides updated information regarding the date fruits and seeds phytochemicals composition together with highlighting dates potential as a natural therapeutic agent against several diseases. The study also urges the importance of consuming dates as a great package to live a healthy life due to the functional food and nutraceutical properties of this valuable fruit. The study also provides information first time as recommending dates to cope with the hidden hunger or micronutrient deficiency faced by the third world inhabitants. Hence, the review may further help the industry and researchers to explore the potential of dates for future medicinal and nutra‐pharmaceutical applications.

Milk is highly perishable and deteriorates rapidly during storage. Although the thermal processing technologies successfully inactivate many enzymes and microorganisms up to a required level, they can negatively affect the natural flavour of dairy foods and decrease their nutritional value. Alternative nonthermal technologies have been established as an interesting approach to produce safe and healthy dairy products, without compromising their nutritional quality. These techniques have the ability to inactivate milk enzymes without affecting the milk quality. In addition, the combination of two different nonthermal techniques and mild heating has proven to be more effective to provide safety to milk when compared to the treatments alone. This review aims to evaluate the impact of nonthermal technologies, in particular, ultrasound, pulsed electric field, high-pressure processing and ultraviolet irradiation on milk enzymes.

No abstract

Apple-grape juice blend (50:50) were subjected to blanching (thermal), high temperature-short time (72°C: 15 s), ultra-sonication (5 & 10 min), thermo-ultrasound (5 min, 40°C; 10 min, 40°C), and thermo-ultrasound (5 min, 50°C; 10 min, 50°C) and were compared to control treatment for the antioxidant indices. Furthermore, one best treatment each from ultra-sonication (10 min), thermo-ultrasound at 40°C (5 min), and thermoultrasound at 50°C (5 min) was analyzed through high performance liquid chromatography diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) for the quantification of individual phenolic acids, flavanols, stilbenes, and anthocyanins. Polyphenolic profile (HPLC-DAD) of apple-grape juice blends treated with ultra-sonicated (10 min), thermo-ultrasound (5 min; 40°C), and thermo-ultrasound (5 min: 50°C), resulted in identification of 23 polyphenols (9 phenolic acids; 6 flavanols; 1 stilbene; 7 anthocyanins). Results of HPLC characterization revealed a significant (p < .05) effect of tested treatments on all the polyphenols. Among phenolic acids, chlorogenic acid was observed to be highest (422.12 mg/L) in ultra-sonicated juice blend (T U-10 :10 min) followed by caftaric, gallic, syringic, vanillic, caffeic, ferulic, and cinnamic acids. While, content of resveratrol (stilbene), epigallocatechin gallate (flavanol), and Malvidin 3, 5-diglucoside (anthocyanin) were also found to be maximum (33.08, 386.32, and 70.25 mg/L, respectively) in ultra-sonicated (10 min) apple-grape juice blend samples. Keeping in view the polyphenolic profile and consumer preferences, ultra-sonication could be employed industrially as an alternative substitute of thermal processing techniques to enhance the quality of apple-grape juice blend.Practical application: For years, several nonthermal techniques are used for the preservation and quality improvement of fresh juices mainly by preventing the microorganisms and enzymes. Among these technique, single nonthermal treatment has a capacity to reduce the amount of microorganism and enzymes while a combined technique such as thermo-ultrasound has a better effect than single treatment, which have been investigated in this study. Therefore, this article would encourage the juice industrialists by applying these techniques for commercialization of juice and juice products in a more effectual manner.

Sustainable food supply has gained considerable consumer concern due to the high percentage of spoilage microorganisms. Food industries need to expand advanced technologies that can maintain the nutritive content of foods, enhance the bio-availability of bioactive compounds, provide environmental and economic sustainability, and fulfill consumers’ requirements of sensory characteristics. Heat treatment negatively affects food samples’ nutritional and sensory properties as bioactives are sensitive to high-temperature processing. The need arises for non-thermal processes to reduce food losses, and sustainable developments in preservation, nutritional security, and food safety are crucial parameters for the upcoming era. Non-thermal processes have been successfully approved because they increase food quality, reduce water utilization, decrease emissions, improve energy efficiency, assure clean labeling, and utilize by-products from waste food. These processes include pulsed electric field (PEF), sonication, high-pressure processing (HPP), cold plasma, and pulsed light. This review describes the use of HPP in various processes for sustainable food processing. The influence of this technique on microbial, physicochemical, and nutritional properties of foods for sustainable food supply is discussed. This approach also emphasizes the limitations of this emerging technique. HPP has been successfully analyzed to meet the global requirements. A limited global food source must have a balanced approach to the raw content, water, energy, and nutrient content. HPP showed positive results in reducing microbial spoilage and, at the same time, retains the nutritional value. HPP technology meets the essential requirements for sustainable and clean labeled food production. It requires limited resources to produce nutritionally suitable foods for consumers’ health.

No abstract