Natural Pigments of Anthocyanin and Betalain for Coloring Soy-Based Yogurt Alternative.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the color stability of betalain- and anthocyanin-rich extracts in yogurt-like fermented soy, in order to develop a preliminary understanding of how these pigments behave in this type of food system during storage for 21 days at 4 °C. Thus, the extracts of red beetroot, opuntia, hibiscus and red radish were integrated into the yogurt-like fermented soy in two different ways-directly after lyophilization, and encapsulated in nanosystems based in soybean lecithin-as this approach has never been used to further increase the value and potential of the dairy-free alternatives of yogurt-like fermented soy. The results showed that non-encapsulated betalain-rich extracts from red radish are the most promising for coloring yogurt-like fermented soy. However, encapsulated opuntia extracts can also be an alternative to supplement the soy fermented beverages with betalains, without changing significantly the color of the system but giving all its health benefits, due to the protection of the pigments by nanoencapsulation.

Application of Natural Pigments in Ordinary Cooked Ham.

The possibility of obtaining a carmine or pink color on ordinary cooked ham by applying natural dyes from three plant species, namely red radish (Raphanus sativus L.), hibiscus (Roselle sabdariffa L.) and red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.), was investigated. The extracts were evaluated for the stability at physical-chemical parameters and subjected to cytotoxicity assays in the gastric cell line AGS Encapsulation of the extracts in soybean lecithin liposomes and maltodextrin microcapsules was performed. Lyophilized extracts before and after encapsulation in maltodextrin were applied in the formulation of ordinary cooked ham and used in a pilot scale of production. The color of cooked ham samples from different assays was evaluated visually and by colorimetry. The results suggest that the coloration of ordinary cooked ham obtained with extracts of red beetroot is very promising for future applications in this type of meat product.

Transcription of succinate dehydrogenase subunit 4 (sdh4) gene in potato: detection of extensive RNA editing and co-transcription with cytochrome oxidase subunit III (cox3) gene.

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) mitochondrial cox3/ sdh4 gene cluster was previously identified by heterologous hybridization using a Marchantia polymorpha sdh4 probe. In this work, this potato gene cluster was cloned, sequenced and its expression was evaluated. The gene sequence and gene locus organization were found to be similar to the corresponding gene cluster in other dicot species, where known. Northern hybridizations with potato and cauliflower (Brassica oleraceae) mtRNA and RT-PCR analyses using potato mtRNA indicated that cox3 and sdh4 are co-transcribed in both species, generating a complex transcription pattern, where several transcripts from 1.1 kb to 4.4 kb are found. The potato transcript from this cluster displayed 14 and 13 RNA-editing sites, in the cox3 and sdh4 genes respectively, which changed the codon identity to amino acids and created a sdh4 partially edited stop codon. Forty-three cDNA clones were analyzed for editing process and revealed different partial-editing with no apparent sequential processing in the sdh4 gene.