Different Methods to Assess the Nutritional Status of Alzheimer Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the body composition and nutritional state of patients with Alzheimer's (Global Deterioration Scale GDS-4) using different methods and to investigate the correlation among methods. METHODS: A total of 25 Alzheimer GDS-4 patients participated in this transversal descriptive observational study, which used anthropometry, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), the Nutrition Screening Initiative Check List (NSI) and a 24-hour recall questionnaire (R24h). RESULTS: Anthropometric observations pointed to obesity in patients of both sexes. The MNA showed that 76% of the population was "at risk of malnutrition", and the NSI suggested that 32% had a high nutritional risk, 48% had an "average" nutritional risk, and the remaining 20% a low nutritional risk. The Bland-Alman concordance plot between the NSI and MNA tests pointed to a high degree of agreement, meaning that both tests provided similar results for the group of studied subjects. The nutritional analysis, based on the Kruskal-Wallis test, showed there were significant differences between R24h and MNA in the case of ascorbic acid, iron, zinc and potassium (p < 0.05), and between R24h and NSI in the case of the double unsaturation index and vitamin D3 (p < 0.05). These results suggest that both questionnaires are equally valid for evaluating the nutritional status of Alzheimer patients. CONCLUSION: Although the NSI and MNA tests provide similar results, we recommend an initial nutritional assessment using the NSI since it is short but provides information on any alteration in food intake as a result of restrictions and/or metabolic alterations.

Saffron: An Old Medicinal Plant and a Potential Novel Functional Food.

The spice saffron is made from the dried stigmas of the plant Crocus sativus L. The main use of saffron is in cooking, due to its ability to impart colour, flavour and aroma to foods and beverages. However, from time immemorial it has also been considered a medicinal plant because it possesses therapeutic properties, as illustrated in paintings found on the island of Santorini, dated 1627 BC. It is included in Catalogues of Medicinal Plants and in the European Pharmacopoeias, being part of a great number of compounded formulas from the 16th to the 20th centuries. The medicinal and pharmaceutical uses of this plant largely disappeared with the advent of synthetic chemistry-produced drugs. However, in recent years there has been growing interest in demonstrating saffron's already known bioactivity, which is attributed to the main components-crocetin and its glycosidic esters, called crocins, and safranal-and to the synergy between the compounds present in the spice. The objective of this work was to provide an updated and critical review of the research on the therapeutic properties of saffron, including activity on the nervous and cardiovascular systems, in the liver, its antidepressant, anxiolytic and antineoplastic properties, as well as its potential use as a functional food or nutraceutical.

Evaluation of antioxidant activity and nutritional composition of flavoured dehydrated soups packaged in different formats. Reducing the sodium content.

The antioxidant activity and nutritional composition of four dehydrated soups (vegetables, meat, chicken and fish) packaged in four formats - carton, plastic, and aluminium bags (the last with and without modified atmosphere) - were evaluated during 12 months' storage. The results showed that all four soups had a good or very good antioxidant capacity as tested by the lipid peroxidation, deoxyribose, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) tests. Of interest from a nutritional point of view was the finding that the lipid fraction of all the soups was below 1 %. The sodium content of the four soups and their ingredients was also analysed. By modifying some of the ingredients, a 25 % reduction in the sodium content of the soups was obtained, permitting them to be labelled as "sodium reduced". The monosodium glutamate (MSG) content of the reformulated soups (lower sodium content) was below levels permitted by European legislation.

Revalorisation of Sage (Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl) By-Product Extracts as a Source of Polyphenol Antioxidants for Novel Jelly Candies.

Sage (Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl) aqueous extracts (SE) obtained from distillation by-products were assessed as antioxidants for nutritionally enhanced jelly candies. Two experimental SEs with a different content of phenolic acids and flavonoids were tested: (i) SE38 (37.6 mg/g) and (ii) SE70 (69.8 mg/g), with salvianic and rosmarinic acids as main polyphenols, respectively. Flavour alteration, stability of sage polyphenols, physical quality traits and antioxidant capacity (AC) were studied in strawberry candies formulated without sugars and enriched with SEs at 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 g/kg. Despite their different quantitative composition, SE38 and SE70 provided similar antioxidant properties, which were dose dependent. Salvianic and rosmarinic acids were stable without degrading to candy processing (up to 80 °C), keeping their antioxidant potential. There were no relevant differences in flavour or physical traits (pH, °Brix and CIELab colour) between untreated and SE-enriched strawberry candies. The addition of 0.75 g SE/kg resulted in relevant increases of candy AC: (i) from 30 to 38 mg GAE/100 g (total phenolics); (ii) from 10 to 17 mg TE/100 g (DPPH• radical scavenging assay); (iii) from 5 to 13 mg TE/100 g (ABTS·+ radical scavenging assay); (iv) from 84 to 163 µmol Fe2+/100 g (FRAP capacity) and (v) from to 75 to 83% (inhibition of deoxyribose damage). Sage distillation by-products can be revalorised as a source of natural antioxidants to produce healthier candies.

Assessing nutritional status of acute intermittent porphyria patients.

BACKGROUND: Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a metabolic disease of haem synthesis, whose haem precursors may accumulate in the body. A well-balanced diet may prevent the symptoms, so that porphyric patients should be monitored closely during therapy for possible complications concerning any progression of acute porphyria. The aim was to evaluate the nutritional status of patients with AIP and to assess their compliance with nutritional recommendations, comparing the findings with a control group and assessing any possible nutritional deficiency. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with AIP and a control group were evaluated by means of a lifestyle questionnaire, the Nutrition Screening Initiative checklist and a dietary questionnaire. The following diet quality indicators were calculated: animal and vegetal proteins, protein quality index, PUFA/SFA and MUFA + PUFA/SFA ratios, insoluble dietary fibre (DF)/total DF, soluble DF/total DF and insoluble DF/soluble DF ratios, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin density and the vitamin B6/protein ratio. STATISTICAL METHODS: Differences in continuous variables were compared using the unpaired Student's t-test and the chi-square test for nonparametric variables. The odds ratio (OR) of malnutrition was also used. RESULTS: Our patients showed a low intake of carbohydrates, a high lipid intake and very high protein intake, and accompanied by an inadequate intake of zinc, folic acid and tocopherol, increasing the risk of malnutrition for energy, Ca, Fe, Mg, K, folic acid and tocopherols. CONCLUSIONS: The patients with AIP studied individually show an increased risk of malnutrition and, given the potential increase of oxidative stress in patients with porphyria, it is recommended that they should increase their intake of carbohydrates, minerals and antioxidant nutrients.

Rosemary Extracts Improved the Antioxidant Status of Low-Fat Yoghurt Sauces Enriched with Inulin.

Yoghurt sauces are considered fatty products which are quite susceptible to oxidation and must be stabilised using antioxidants. Novel formulations for yoghurt sauces often involve replacement of fat with dietary fibres and use of natural preservatives. The aim of the present research was to design healthier formulations for yoghurt sauces based on the replacement of sunflower oil (SO) with chicory inulin (IN) and the use of rosemary extracts (RE) as natural antioxidants. Different sauces were developed by adding IN at 2 and 5% w: w and/or 300 mg/kg lipo- and/or water-soluble rosemary extracts (RLE and/or RWE) containing 120 and 146 mg polyphenols per g extract, respectively. Nutritional value (proximate composition and caloric contribution), some physical properties (pH and CIELab colour) and antioxidant status (deoxyribose, DPPH radical scavenging, Rancimat, lipid peroxidation and linoleic acid assays) were assessed in the sauces. Replacement of SO with IN (5%) reduced fat content by 30%, roughly 15% low calories, thereby obtaining healthier sauces. As expected, the RLE was more effective than the RWE in improving antioxidant activity in lipidic environment. Using RLE enhanced the antioxidant capacity of lipid peroxidation by 44%. In the Rancimat test, this increased the oxidative protection of the sauce made with and without IN (5%) by around 20% or 45%, respectively. Similarly, using RLE doubled protection against linoleic acid oxidation. Application of IN in yoghurt sauce has nutritional (replacement of lipids with dietary fibre) and technological interest (foaming agent) and can be combined with RE of high polyphenol content as a potential functional ingredient capable of stabilising the sauces against oxidation.

Assessment of a Diterpene-Rich Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) Extract as a Natural Antioxidant for Salmon Pâté Formulated with Linseed.

The use of natural plant extracts with standardised antioxidant properties is a growing strategy to stabilise food products. The use of a rosemary lipophilic extract (RLE), obtained from the by-product of high-yield selected plants and rich in polyphenols (334 mg/g, with diterpenes such as carnosic acid and carnosol as main compounds), is here proposed. Four RLE doses (0, 0.21, 0.42 and 0.63 g/kg) were tested in a salmon pâté formulated with sunflower oil and linseed, which was pasteurised (70 °C for 30 min) and subjected to storage at 4 °C and 600 lux for 42 days. Rosemary diterpenes resisted pasteurisation without degrading and showed antioxidant activities during the shelf-life of pasteurised pâté. RLE addition led to increased peroxide value (from 3.9 to 5.4 meq O2/kg), but inhibited formation of secondary oxidised lipids such as malondialdehyde (from 1.55 to 0.89 mg/g) and cholesterol oxidation products (from 286 to 102 µg/100 g) and avoided discolouration (slight brownness) in the refrigerated pâté. However, this did not entail relevant changes in fatty acid content or in the abundance of volatile organic compounds from oxidised lipids. Increasing the RLE dose only improved its antioxidant efficacy for some oxidation indexes. Thus, the oxidative deterioration of these types of fish emulsion can be naturally controlled with rosemary extracts rich in diterpenes.

Antioxidant Activity in Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata L.) Fed with Diet Supplemented with Moringa.

Gilthead seabream is bred mainly in fish farms in the Mediterranean Sea. One important factor responsible for the deterioration of fish quality is lipid oxidation. Moringa oleifera leaves have been described as having high antioxidant content. This work investigates the effect of dietary supplementation with Moringa leaves on the antioxidant activity of seabream. Gilthead seabream specimens were divided into four groups, the control group (fed a commercial diet) and three other groups fed diets enriched with Moringa (5%, 10% and 15%). The antioxidant capacity was measured by assays of free radical scavenging (OH·, H2O2, lipoperoxyl and ABTS), Rancimat test and linoleic acid system in muscle and skin of gilthead seabream, commercial diet, enriched diet and Moringa. Finally, the polyphenol content of Moringa and the fatty acid composition of seabream fed diets with and without Moringa were determined. Results showed an increase in antioxidant activity in gilthead seabream fed with diets enriched with a higher percentage of Moringa; therefore, Moringa could be considered a functional ingredient in diets for fish bred in fish farms and. The antioxidant potential of Moringa leaves could be mainly attributed to the presence of polyphenolic compounds.

Assessment of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) Extract as Antioxidant in Jelly Candies Made with Fructan Fibres and Stevia.

Enrichment with rosemary antioxidants is proposed as a possible strategy to obtain healthier jelly candies. Two aqueous rosemary extracts (RE) containing 73.9 (RE74) and 145.6 (RE146) mg polyphenols per g fresh weight were assessed as antioxidants in jelly candies based on fructooligosaccharides, inulin and stevia. Up to 15 phenolic acids, flavonoids and diterpenes were determined in the extracts, with rosmarinic acid as the main active compound. Sensory tolerance, physical properties, rosmarinic acid recovery, polyphenol content, and antioxidant capacity were determined in jelly candies. The threshold of sensory detection was established at 0.26 g RE146/kg of raw candy, below which rosemary off-flavours were avoided without altering pH, brix, texture, CIELab colour, and consumer acceptance. Adding 0.26 g RE146 per kg increased (p < 0.001) polyphenol content from 197 to 411 µg GAE/g and the antioxidant capacity from 1.77 to 4.14 µmol Trolox/g. Rosemary polyphenols resulted in being resistant to cooking, acted as secondary antioxidants and showed good interaction with the other jelly ingredients. Aqueous extracts from rosemary distillation by-products can be incorporated at acceptable levels to jelly candy formulations leading to higher oxidative stability and an increased content of dietary polyphenols.

Simple phenolic composition, flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacities in water-methanol extracts of Tunisian common date cultivars (Phoenix dactylifera L.).

The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the phenolic acid composition, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of fruits from common date cultivars. The simple phenolic content ranged from 15.73 (Mermella variety) to 54.66 mg/100 g fresh weight (Korkobbi variety). Korkobbi had also the highest content of total flavonoids (54.46 quercetin equivalents/100 g fresh weight). The percentage of inhibition can reach 83% in the lipoperoxyl radical of the Korkobbi variety, while it was about 95% with the Rotbi variety for OH.. The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity value provided a ranking in decreasing order at 6 min: Korkobbi > Bouhattam > Baht = Smiti > Bekreri = Garn ghzal > Mermilla = Kenta > Nefzaoui = Rotbi. It seems that the highest level of flavonoids in the Korkobbi variety was principally responsible for the highest antiradical efficiency of this cultivar.

[Nutrition and gastronomy in the community of Murcia Region]. / Nutrición y gastronomía en la comunidad de la Región de Murcia.

INTRODUCTION: Noncommunicable diseases are responsible for a high number of deaths in industrialized populations. The interventions of health promotion and prevention of these diseases, which affect their modifiable factors such as not smoking, not being overweight, maintaining normal blood pressure values, are more effective when they have a population focus. The Fifty-Fifty Program reflects that the knowledge and promotion of gastronomy and its nutritional value with the Mediterranean connotations, typical of the Region of Murcia, can induce changes that promote cardiovascular health (1). The literature search was conducted to assess the influence of Murcia gastronomy on the regional diet. In the consumption of foods in the Region of Murcia highlights a greater intake of fresh vegetables, soft drinks, prepared dishes, dairy products and bread with respect to the national average. This region with lower energy consumption, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids than the rest of Spain, shows the highest rates of obesity, probably due to other factors such as the extra domestic consumption of food, sedentary lifestyle, etc. In addition, the percentages of macronutrients have values similar to those observed at the national level that are out of the nutritional recommendations. The Region of Murcia, due to its Mediterranean characteristics, allows a high availability of food such as fruits, vegetables and a great gastronomic offer. Therefore, the education and training of the consumer should be improved, so that the choice of food is the most appropriate for their health and weight control.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Las enfermedades no transmisibles son las responsables de un elevado número de fallecimientos en las poblaciones industrializadas. Las intervenciones de promoción de salud y prevención de estas enfermedades, que inciden sobre sus factores modificables (como no fumar, no tener exceso de peso o mantener valores normales de tensión arterial), son más eficaces cuando tienen un enfoque poblacional. El programa Fifty-Fifty refleja que el conocimiento y la promoción de la gastronomía y su valor nutricional, con las connotaciones mediterráneas que tiene nuestra Región de Murcia, pueden inducir cambios que promocionen la salud cardiovascular (1). Realizamos una búsqueda bibliográfica en relación con el tema para evaluar la influencia de la gastronomía murciana sobre la dieta regional. En el consumo de alimentos, en la Región de Murcia destaca una mayor ingesta de hortalizas frescas, bebidas refrescantes y gaseosas, platos preparados, derivados lácteos y pan con respecto a la media nacional. Esta región, con menor consumo de energía, de hidratos de carbono, proteínas y lípidos que el resto de España, muestra los mayores índices de obesidad, probablemente debido a otros factores, como el consumo extradoméstico de alimentos, el sedentarismo, etc. Además, los porcentajes de macronutrientes tienen valores similares a los observados a nivel nacional, que se alejan de las recomendaciones nutricionales. La Región de Murcia, dadas sus características mediterráneas, permite una elevada disponibilidad de alimentos, con prevalencia de frutas, verduras y hortalizas, y una gran oferta gastronómica, por lo que deberíamos mejorar la educación y la formación del consumidor para que sus elecciones sean las más adecuadas para su salud y control de peso.

Influence of Diet in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review.

Nutrition is considered to be a possible factor in the pathogenesis of the neurological disease multiple sclerosis (MS). Nutrition intervention studies suggest that diet may be considered as a complementary treatment to control the progression of the disease; a systematic review of the literature on the influence of diet on MS was therefore conducted. The literature search was conducted by using Medlars Online International Literature (MEDLINE) via PubMed and Scopus. Forty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria. The reviewed articles assessed the relations between macro- and micronutrient intakes and MS incidence. The patients involved used alternative therapies (homeopathy), protocolized diets that included particular foods (herbal products such as grape seed extract, ginseng, blueberries, green tea, etc.), or dietary supplements such as vitamin D, carnitine, melatonin, or coenzyme Q10. Current studies suggest that high serum concentrations of vitamin D, a potent immunomodulator, may decrease the risk of MS and the risk of relapse and new lesions, while improving brain lesions and timed tandem walking. Experimental evidence suggests that serum vitamin D concentration is lower during MS relapses than in remission and is associated with a greater degree of disability [Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score >3]. The findings suggest that circulating vitamin D concentrations can be considered a biomarker of MS and supplemental vitamin D can be used therapeutically. Other studies point to a negative correlation between serum vitamin B-12 concentrations and EDSS score. Vitamin B-12 has fundamental roles in central nervous system function, especially in the methionine synthase-mediated conversion of homocysteine to methionine, which is essential for DNA and RNA synthesis. Therefore, vitamin B-12 deficiency may lead to an increase in the concentration of homocysteine. Further research is clearly necessary to determine whether treatment with vitamin B-12 supplements delays MS progression.

Haem Biosynthesis and Antioxidant Enzymes in Circulating Cells of Acute Intermittent Porphyria Patients.

The aims of the present study were to explore the expression pattern of haem biosynthesis enzymes in circulating cells of patients affected by two types of porphyria (acute intermittent, AIP, and variegate porphyria, VP), together with the antioxidant enzyme pattern in AIP in order to identify a possible situation of oxidative stress. Sixteen and twelve patients affected by AIP and VP, respectively, were analysed with the same numbers of healthy matched controls. Erythrocytes, neutrophils and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were purified from blood, and RNA and proteins were extracted for quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western-blot analysis, respectively. Porhobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) and protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPOX) gene and protein expression was analysed. Antioxidant enzyme activity and gene expression were additionally determined in blood cells, together with protein carbonyl content in plasma. PBMCs isolated from AIP patients presented low mRNA levels of PBGD when compared to controls, while PBMCs isolated from VP patients presented a decrease in PPOX mRNA. PPOX protein content was higher in AIP patients and lower in VP patients, compared to healthy controls. Regarding antioxidant enzymes, PBMCs and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) presented statistically significant higher activity in AIP patients compared to controls, while catalase activity tended to be lower in these patients. No differences were observed regarding antioxidant gene expression in white blood cells. Circulating cells in AIP and VP patients present altered expression of haem biosynthetic enzymes, which could be useful for the differential diagnosis of these two types of porphyria in certain difficult cases. AIP patients present a condition of potential oxidative stress similar to VP patients, evidenced by the post-transcriptional activation of SOD and possible catalase impairment.

Anthropometric and Quality-of-Life Parameters in Acute Intermittent Porphyria Patients.

The porphyrias are a group of rare metabolic disorders. The incidence and prevalence are low because the acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is rare. Our aim was to assess the use of anthropometric and quality-of-life parameters in porphyric patients in order to identify predictor factors that might help in characterizing AIP patients.Sixteen AIP patients from Murcia (Spain) were recruited from local health centers in 2008 and 2009. A control group of 16 healthy people was established. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometric measurements: body weight; height; knee-heel height; waist, hip, upper arm and calf circumferences (CCs); biacromion and biiliac diameters; bicondylar and biepicondylar width; and triceps, subscapular, supraspinale, and calf skinfold thickness. Anthropometric indicators were obtained from anthropometric measurements. A quality-of-life evaluation was carried out using the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaire and Barthel and Katz indexes. Significant differences in means were tested by unpaired Student t test. Group differences in anthropometric measurements were tested with a 2-way analysis of variance (group × condition: age group, overweight, and adiposity degree). Relative frequencies were obtained for noncontinuous variables. Significant differences in prevalence were calculated by means of χ.AIP patients showed statistically significant differences in terms of knee-heel height, biiliac diameter, CC, triceps skinfold thickness, BIA, ponderal index, endomorphy, and ectomorphy. Only 1 quality-of-life indicator, visual analog scale, in the EQ-5D questionnaire showed significant differences between porphyric and control groups.Some anthropometric parameters and the EQ-5D questionnaire could be used to appreciate the presence or follow the evolution of the disease in AIP patients.

Antioxidant evaluation in dessert spices compared with common food additives. Influence of irradiation procedure.

The antioxidant properties of seven dessert spices (anise, cinnamon, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg, and vanilla) were compared with those of the common food antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) (E-320), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (E-321), and propyl gallate (E-310). The influence of irradiation process on antioxidant activity was also evaluated. Mint and cinnamon exhibited a higher percentage of inhibition of oxidation than the other spices analyzed and the food antioxidants, as tested by the lipid peroxidation assay (LOO*). Nutmeg, anise, and licorice showed the strongest protection in the deoxyribose assay (OH*). Vanilla exhibited the highest antioxidant activity in the peroxidase-based assay (H2O2). Nutmeg, propyl gallate, ginger, and licorice improved the stability of oils (sunflower, corn, and olive) and fats (butter and margarine) against oxidation (110 degrees C Rancimat). Cinnamon was a better superoxide radical scavenger than the other analyzed spices and additives. When the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay was used to provide a ranking order of antioxidant activity, the result in decreasing order of antioxidant capacity was cinnamon approximately equal to propyl gallate > mint > anise > BHA > licorice approximately equal to vanilla > ginger > nutmeg > BHT. Irradiated samples did not show significant differences (p < 0.05) in the antioxidant activity with respect to the non-irradiated samples (1, 3, 5, and 10 kGy) in the assays used.

Evaluation of antioxidant capacity of cereal brans.

Several oat brans (crunchy oat bran, oat bran alone, and oat breakfast cereal) and wheat brans (wheat bran alone, wheat bran powder, wheat bran with malt flavor, bran breakfast cereal, tablet of bran, and tablet of bran with cellulose) used as dietary fiber supplements by consumers were evaluated as alternative antioxidant sources (i) in the normal human consumer, preventing disease and promoting health, and (ii) in food processing, preserving oxidative alterations. Products containing wheat bran exhibited higher peroxyl radical scavenging effectiveness than those with oat bran. Wheat bran powder was the best hydroxyl radical (OH*) scavenger. In terms of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging, wheat bran alone was the most effective, while crunchy oat bran, oat bran alone, and oat breakfast cereal did not scavenge H2O2. The shelf life of fats (obtained by the Rancimat method for butter) increased most in the presence of crunchy oat bran. When the antioxidant activity during 28 days of storage was measured by the linoleic acid assay, all of the oat and wheat bran samples analyzed showed very good antioxidant activities. The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay was used to provide a ranking order of antioxidant activity. The wheat bran results for TEAC (6 min), in decreasing order, were wheat bran powder > wheat bran with malt flavor > or = wheat bran alone > or = bran breakfast cereal > tablet of bran > tablet of bran with cellulose. The products made with oat bran showed lower TEAC values. In general, avenanthramide showed a higher antioxidant level than each of the following typical cereal components: ferulic acid, gentisic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin, and phytic acid.

Antioxidant activity of edible fungi (truffles and mushrooms): losses during industrial processing.

The antioxidant properties of two raw truffles (Terfezia claveryi Chatin and Picoa juniperi Vittadini) and five raw mushrooms (Lepista nuda, Lentinus edodes, Agrocybe cylindracea, Cantharellus lutescens, and Hydnum repandum) were tested by subjecting these truffles and mushrooms to different industrial processes (freezing and canning) and comparing them with common food antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol [E-307], BHA [E-320], BHT [E-321], and propyl gallate [E-310]) with regard to their ability to inhibit lipid oxidation. All of the truffles and mushrooms analyzed exhibited higher percentages of oxidation inhibition than did the food antioxidants according to assays based on lipid peroxidation (LOO*), deoxyribose (OH*), and peroxidase (H2O2). Frozen samples exhibited a small reduction in free radical scavenger activity, but the results did not show a significant difference (P < 0.05) with respect to the raw samples, while canned truffles and mushrooms lost some antioxidant activity as a consequence of industrial processing. All of the raw and frozen truffles and mushrooms except frozen Cantharellus improved the stability of oil against oxidation (100 degrees C Rancimat), while canned samples accelerated oil degradation. Antioxidant activity during 30 days of storage was measured by the linoleic acid assay, and all of the samples except canned Terfezia, Picoa, and Hydnum showed high or medium antioxidant activity. The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay was used to provide a ranking order of antioxidant activity as measured against that of Trolox (a standard solution used to evaluate equivalent antioxidant capacity). The order of raw samples with regard to antioxidant capacity was as follows (in decreasing order): Cantharellus, Agrocybe, Lentinus, Terfezia, Picoa, Lepista, and Hydnum. Losses of antioxidant activity were detected in the processed samples of these truffles and mushrooms.

Flavonoid Determination in the Quality Control of Floral Bioresidues from Crocus sativus L.

A high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection method (HPLC-DAD) was validated for the analysis of floral bioresidues obtained in saffron spice production by using three different solvent mixtures [water/hydrochloric acid (HCl) (100:1, v/v), water/acetonitrile/trifluoroacetic acid (47:50:3, v/v/v), and water/acetonitrile/HCl (50:50:1, v/v/v)]. Fifteen phenolic compounds were tentatively identified, kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside and delphinidin 3,5-di-O-glucoside being the main ones. The extracts showed very different phenolic profiles obtained by HPLC-DAD coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MSn), and several experiments were carried out to explain this. The use of acetonitrile as solvent causes the chromatographic splitting of the peak of the delphinidin 3,5-di-O-glucoside into two peaks. Results obtained in this paper show that the extract prepared with water/HCl (100:1, v/v) would be the best suited for determining phenolic compounds in the quality control of the floral bioresidues from Crocus sativus L.

Increasing the applications of Crocus sativus flowers as natural antioxidants.

UNLABELLED: Large amounts of floral bio-residues (92.6 g per 100 g of flowers) are generated and wasted in the production of saffron (Crocus sativus) spice. Progress in mechanization of saffron crop offer the opportunity to expand the uses of C. sativus flowers, beyond the spice (dried stigmas). The antioxidant potential of flowers of saffron, their separate parts (tepals, stamens, styles, and stigmas) and floral bio-residues were evaluated by 4 in vitro assays: lipid peroxidation, deoxyribose assay, Rancimat test, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity. Phenolic content and crocetin ester composition were also determined. All the samples studied showed to be potential antioxidants. The highest phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents were observed in tepals. Stamens showed lower phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents than those of whole flowers, tepals, and floral bio-residues. Crocetin esters were not found in tepals or stamens. Stamens exhibited the most potent LOO(•) and OH(•) radicals scavenging activity, being higher than those of food antioxidant propyl gallate. Flowers of saffron, tepals, stamens, styles, and floral bio-residues showed LOO(•), OH(•), and ABTS(•-) radicals scavenging activity, while stigmas showed LOO(•) and ABTS(•-) radicals scavenging activity. All samples studied improved the oxidative stability of sunflower oil in Rancimat test. These antioxidant properties could suggest the application of this floral material as functional ingredients with the subsequent added value. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Saffron spice, the most valuable spice worldwide, is the dried stigma that only represents 7.4% of Crocus sativus flowers. Other parts of the flowers different to stigmas are discarded. Flower harvest and all the postharvest steps to produce saffron spice are performed manually. Mechanization of flower collection, stigma separation, and dehydration process is a revolution in saffron spice production, which increases the productive capacity making it possible to extend the uses of C. sativus flowers, beyond the production of saffron spice. Flowers possessed high-phenolic content and excellent antioxidant properties that could contribute to their application as functional ingredients.