Nutraceutical properties and toxicity studies of fruits from four Cactaceae species grown in Argentine Northwestern

Fruits are known as good sources of phytochemicals, essential to prevent degenerative diseases like cancer and cardiovascular diseases. They contain a variety of antioxidants, which are useful to scavenge radical oxygen species (ROS). Considering the importance of natural products as a functional food, comparative studies between the antioxidant activity (AOA) and antimutagenic properties as well as phytochemical profile of Cactaceae fruits (Lepismium lorentzianum, Lepismium lumbricoides, Rhipsalis floccosa, and Pfeiffera ianthothele) from Argentinean Yungas, were performed. Different assays were applied: ABTS radical scavenging capacity, inhibition of lipid peroxidation using ??-carotene-linoleate model system and mutagenicity/antimutagenicity by Ames test. A pigment like betalain was detected in fruits of both Lepismium species; L. lorentzianum aqueous extracts showed a higher pigment content (60.6 mg BE/100 g FM) than L. lumbricoides (9.2 mg BE/100 g FM). Fruit preparations of L. lorentzianum (aqueous and ethanolic extractions) showed significantly higher total phenolic compound and pigments content than the other berries. In all preparations, high antioxidant activity was demonstrated. Lepismium species were more active than Rhipsalis and Pfeiffera (SC_50ABTS values between 1.3 and 4.5 ??g/ml and IC_{50 ??-carotene-linoleate} values between 9 and 45.8 ??g/ml). A significant correlation between pigment and phenolic compounds content and AOA was observed. The preparations showed no sign of mutagenicity at tested concentrations (until 50 ??g/plate). A significant antimutagenic effect was observed for L. lumbricoides, and a weak effect was shown for P. ianthothele and R. floccosa. Because of the diversity and abundance of bioactive phytochemicals found in these species, food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications could be proposed.     

Enzymatic production of human milk fat substitutes containing palmitic and docosahexaenoic acids at sn-2 position and oleic acid at sn-1,3 positions

This paper studies the synthesis of structured triacylglycerols (STAGs) rich in palmitic and docosahexaenoic acids (PA and DHA) at sn-2 position and oleic acid (OA) at sn-1,3 positions by a four step process. First, triacylglycerols (TAGs) were obtained with 63–66 mol PA/100 mol total fatty acids and 10 mol DHA/100 mol by acidolysis of tuna oil and commercial PA, catalyzed by the non-positionally specific lipase Novozym 435. Then these TAGs were purified neutralizing the free fatty acids (FFAs) by KOH hydroethanolic solutions and extracting TAGs with hexane; these TAGs were completely recovered as pure TAGs (without FFAs). The third step involved the displacement of fatty acids located at sn-1,3 positions by acidolysis of PA and DHA enriched TAGs with OA rich FFAs, catalyzed by the sn-1,3 specific lipase DF from Rhizopus oryzae, immobilized on Accurel MP-1000; TAGs with 67 mol OA/100 mol at sn-1,3 positions and 52.1 and 15.4 mol PA and DHA, respectively, per 100 mol at sn-2 position were obtained. Both acidolysis reactions were carried out in stirred tank reactors (STRs) with lipase both dispersed in the reaction medium and contained in a cartridge filter attached to the stirrer rod. Finally STAGs were purified and obtained with yields of over 80 mol STAGs/100 mol STAGs in the reaction product (no FFAs were detected).     

A comprehensive study of hazelnut oil composition with comparisons to other vegetable oils,particularly olive oil.

Crude and refined hazelnut oils from different countries were characterised by major and minor compounds. Fatty acids, triacylglycerides, waxes, sterols, methyl-sterols, terpenic and aliphatic alcohols, tocopherols, tocotrienols and hydrocarbons were identified and quantified by gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The levels of these chemical compounds in hazelnut oils together with the equivalent carbon numbers and triacylglyceride carbon numbers, were compared with the results of analyses of samples of other vegetable oils. The statistical procedure of cluster analysis was used to characterise hazelnut oils versus other edible oils.     

Isolation and characterization of predominant microorganisms during decomposition of waste materials in a field-scale composter

A self-heating field-scale composter treating agro-industrial wastes within a period of 30 d was analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) (Pedro et al., J. Biosci. Bioeng., 91, 159-165, 2001). Three major bands were derived from Propionibacterium acnes, Methylobacterium mesophilicum or M. radiotolerans, and Bacillus thermocloacae. Strains MSP09A and MSP06G with close affiliation to P. acnes and B. thermocloacae, respectively, were successfully isolated. Based on quantitative-PCR results, the relative population of MSP09A increased towards the end of the composting process (mesophilic stage) while MSP06G seemed to predominate during the middle period (thermophilic stage). These results correlated highly with their growth temperatures. MSP09A and MSP06G had different metabolic profiles which were largely affected by culture conditions. MSP09A was able to utilize large complex molecules of lipids and proteins. An interspecies relationship in terms of metabolites such as propionic acid was expected between the two microorganisms.     

Factors affecting acceptability of dry-cured ham throughout extended maturation under "bodega" conditions

The evolution of biochemical, instrumental colour and texture, sensory parameters and consumer acceptability of 12-month dry-cured hams maintained up to 26 months under “bodega” conditions (18 °C, 75% relative humidity) was assessed, in order to investigate the influence of extended ripening on their sensory characteristics and acceptability. Results demonstrated that ham acceptability showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) from 12 to 22 months, while it decreased significantly (p < 0.05) until 26 months. Principal component analysis of all data brought about a comprehensive explanation of the biochemical, instrumental and sensory parameters involved in the acceptability decrease. In fact, high pastiness and adhesiveness values, as measured by both sensory and instrumental methods, appeared to be most related to decreasing acceptability. Those attributes were the result of an excessive proteolysis, as revealed by biochemical maturation indices.     

Adverse effects of pharmacological therapy for nicotine addiction in smokers following a smoking cessation program.

This multicenter, community-based, prospective, longitudinal study evaluated the safety of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion, and combined therapy of NRT and bupropion for smokers seeking to quit, when these therapies were used under real-world conditions following a smoking cessation program. Participants were smokers aged 18 years or older who attended five smoking cessation clinics. Evaluations were made at 15, 30, 60, and 90 days. We investigated the possible existence of adverse effects as well as the severity of each adverse effect and its influence on the treatment course. The study included 904 smokers: 370 received NRT, 413 received bupropion, and 121 received combined therapy. At 15, 30, 60, and 90 days, adverse effects were reported by 43.8%, 33.1%, 22.3%, and 5.7% of subjects, respectively. Adverse effects were significantly more frequent in subjects receiving combined therapy or bupropion alone than in NRT-treated subjects at the 15-, 30-, and 60-day follow-ups. A total of 83 smokers (9.3%) withdrew from treatment and 116 (12.8%) stopped temporarily because of adverse effects. No differences were found in the percentages of discontinuation among the different treatment options. Adverse effects rarely were severe (n=10). Nevertheless, 41 subjects (4.5%) discontinued drug therapy indefinitely and 55 (6.1%) discontinued it temporarily because of mild adverse effects. Pharmacological therapies for smoking cessation are safe as long as they are appropriately prescribed and supervised by clinicians according to clinical practice guidelines. Adverse effects are primarily mild. Nonetheless, mild adverse effects may be perceived by patients as a serious enough problem to cause them to discontinue treatment.     

High pressure gelation of soy proteins: Effect of concentration, pH and additives

The global demand for soybean protein has increased dramatically over the last few years due to its versatility. High pressure (HP) processing is emerging as an effective alternative to thermal processing of foods. The HP treatment of protein solutions at different process conditions can cause partial unfolding of proteins that can lead to the irreversible gelation of the product. In this study, the influence of protein concentration (5–20% w/v), pH (3–7), sugar (5% w/v), CaCl₂ (5% w/v), pressure level (up to 650 MPa) and holding time (0.1 and 10 min), and process temperature (20 and 40 °C) on the dynamic rheology of soybean protein concentrate (SPC) solutions was evaluated. Furthermore, the protein structural changes caused by HP were studied, through the use of the extrinsic fluorescence of the probe 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid (ANS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Results indicated a strong influence of protein concentration on both elastic (G′) and viscous (G″) moduli, increasing with concentration. Increase in pressure and holding time produced an increase on both G′ and G″ for SPC concentrations higher than 10%; at 15% SPC concentration, a relatively low pressure treatment of 250 MPa achieved the cross-over of G′ over G″. The structure of the soybean proteins suffered limited changes after HP treatment; hydrophobicity increased, as well as the relative proportion of random coil, while the β-sheet content decreased. HP treatment can be used to enhance the viscoelastic behavior of SPC after which SPC can be used to enrich both protein content and textural properties of foods.