Chemical characterisation of anthocyanins in tamarillo (Solanum betaceum Cav.) and Andes berry (Rubus glaucus Benth.) fruits

The anthocyanin composition of tamarillo (Solanum betaceum Cav., red variety) and Andes berry (Rubus glaucus Benth.) was determined by HPLC–PDA and HPLC–ESIMS. From the anthocyanin-rich extracts (AREs), pure compounds (1–7) were obtained by MLCCC (multilayer countercurrent chromatography) and further preparative HPLC, and their unequivocal structures were obtained by 1D and 2D NMR analyses. The new anthocyanin delphinidin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β-d-glucopyranoside-3′-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, as well as the known cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, pelargonidin-3-O-rutinoside, and delphinidin-3-O-rutinoside were identified as constituents of tamarillo fruit. Although the anthocyanin composition of Andes berry had been reported before in the literature, the unequivocal structure elucidation of the major compound, cyanidin-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-glucopyranoside, was achieved for the first time.     

Physicochemical and technological properties of beef burger as influenced by the addition of pea fibre

This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics and sensory attributes of beef burgers with the addition of pea fibre as a partial substitute of meat or fat. Three formulations were prepared: control (CON) – similar to the commercial formulation; fibre/less meat (FLM)—5% meat reduction and addition of 1% pea fibre; fibre/less fat (FLF)—7% fat reduction and addition of 1% pea fibre. Non-significant differences were obtained for pH, colour parameters (L* and b*), texture profile, cooking loss and size reduction among formulations. Moreover, sensory analysis with consumers of beef burgers did not indicate differences among the formulations for all the analysed attributes. Therefore, pea fibre is a promising partial replacer for meat and fat in beef burgers due to the preservation of technological parameters and sensory acceptance.     

Application of Fast Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry in Combination with the QuEChERS Method for the Determination of Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables

A fast gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method has been developed for multiresidue determination of up to 56 pesticides in fruits and vegetables in a chromatographic run time of <10 min, using a single quadrupole mass spectrometer operating in selected ion monitoring mode. The well-known acetate-buffering version of the QuEChERS method has been used for sample preparation. Programmable temperature vaporizer injection of 3 μL allowed reaching limits of detection between 0.15 and 15 μg/kg for most compounds in the sample matrices tested. The applicability of the method has been evaluated in apple, orange, carrot, and tomato. Recoveries at three fortification levels (0.01, 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) ranged from 70 to 120 % for most compounds, with relative standard deviations below 20 % in all cases. The developed method has been applied to fruit and vegetable samples from different Spanish provinces.     

Plant oil bioconversion into increase biological activity through lipases derived from wastes

The aim of this study was to show that abundant and inexpensive plant oils can be biotransformed to increase biological activity (antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity) through hydrolysis reaction catalysed by lipases. We tested homemade and commercial lipases through the biotransformation of nine different plant oils in forty different combinations. First, the chemical composition of the samples was investigated. Thereafter, biological tests were conducted to assess the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the sampled biotransformation products, as well as analyzed their influence on the viability of healthy and cancer cells. Summarising, sunflower, corn and olive oils modified by orange waste-obtained lipases presented the most promising results, reaching up to 90% of antioxidant activity increase and significant growth inhibition of bacteria colonies belonging to genera Escherichia, Listeria, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas and Salmonella. In addition, those compounds affected human oral squamous carcinoma cells. The bioconversion of plant oils through lipases improves their biological properties and might be an option for biotechnological application.