Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a serious health concern among western societies. The disease is also on the rise in some East Asian countries and in Australia. Health professionals and dietitians around the world are facing an unprecedented challenge to prevent and control the increasing prevalence of IBD. The current therapeutic strategy that includes drugs and biological treatments is inefficient and are associated with adverse health consequences. In this context, the use of natural products is gaining worldwide attention. In vivo studies and clinical evidence suggest that well-planned dietary regimens with specific nutrients can alleviate gastrointestinal inflammation by modulating inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10. Alternatively, the avoidance of high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets is regarded as an effective tool to eliminate the causes of IBD. Many functional foods and bioactive components have received attention for showing strong therapeutic effects against IBD. Both animal and human studies suggest that bioactive functional foods can ameliorate IBD by downregulating the pro-inflammatory signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor κB, STAT1, STAT6, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, COX-2, TNF-α, and interferon γ. Therefore, functional foods and diets have the potential to alleviate IBD by modulating the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Future comprehensive studies are needed to corroborate the potential roles of functional foods and diets in the prevention and control of IBD.

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This study was carried out to investigate the possibility of adding nanopowdered eggshell (NPES) into yogurt to improve the functionality of yogurt and the effects of adding NPES on the physicochemical, microbial, and sensory properties of the products during storage. The pH and mean lactic acid bacteria counts of NPES-added (0.15-0.45%, wt/vol) yogurt ranged from 4.31 to 4.66 and from 6.56 × 10(8) to 8.56 × 10(8)cfu/mL, respectively, whereas these values ranged from 4.13 to 4.44 and 8.46 × 10(8) to 1.39 × 10(9), respectively, for the control samples during storage at 5 °C for 16d, which indicates a prolonged shelf-life with NPES-supplemented yogurt. Color analysis showed that the lightness (L*) and position between red and green (a*) values were not significantly influenced by the addition of NPES. However, the position between yellow and blue (b*) value significantly increased with the addition of the concentration (0.45%, wt/vol) of NPES at d 16 of storage. Sensory evaluation revealed that NPES-added yogurts showed a notably less sourness score and a higher astringency score than the control. An earthy flavor was higher in 0.45% NPES-supplemented yogurt compared with the control. Based on the results obtained from the current study, the concentration (0.15 to 0.30%, wt/vol) of NPES can be used to formulate NPES-supplemented yogurt without any significant adverse effects on the physicochemical, microbial, and sensory properties.

Summary This study was carried out to investigate the physicochemical properties of nanopowdered eggshell (NPES). These characteristics were determined based on the particle size, particle morphology, zeta potential, moisture sorption behaviour, purity and crystallinity. Homogeneous, aggregated and spherical crystals of NPES particles were observed through scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The average particle sizes of NPES and powdered eggshell (PES) were 202.3 ± 28.9 nm and 113.89 ± 79.37 μm, respectively. Zeta potentials of NPES (−15.41 mV) suggested an incipient instability of the colloidal system. Moisture sorption analysis indicated a higher water adsorption capacity of NPES than that of PES. X‐ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis confirmed the presence of calcite in both NPES and PES. The chemical compositions of the NPES and PES particles were strongly associated with the presence of calcium carbonate, as determined by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. Therefore, eggshell nanopowder has a great potential to be utilised as a component for biomedical applications.

This study was designed to determine the physicochemical and sensory properties of yoghurt supplemented with powdered peanut sprout extract microcapsules (PPSEM) (3–10 μm) during storage at 4 °C for 16 days. The releasing rates of the polyphenol, resveratrol, from yoghurts were minimised at lower concentrations of PPSEM (0.25 and 0.5%, w/v). The viscosity decreased gradually with higher concentrations of PPSEM added. In the sensory test, there were significant increases in yellowness, peanut and cooked scores (P < 0.05). Based on the results, it is concluded that the low concentrations (0.25 and 0.50%, w/v) could be used to produce PPSEM‐supplemented yoghurt without significant adverse effects on the physicochemical and functional properties.