Water-Soluble Coffee Melanoidins Inhibit Digestive Proteases.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages around the world and its consumption contributes to the daily intake of dietary melanoidins. Despite the emerging physiological role of food melanoidins, their effect on digestive processes has not been studied so far. In this study, the activity of the gastrointestinal enzymes pepsin and trypsin was investigated in the presence of water-soluble coffee melanoidins. The gastric enzyme pepsin is only slightly affected, whereas the intestinal enzyme trypsin is severely inhibited by coffee melanoidins. The intestinal digestibility of casein was significantly inhibited by coffee melanoidins at a concentration achievable by regular coffee consumption. The inhibition of proteolytic enzymes by coffee melanoidins might decrease the nutritional value of dietary proteins.

Designing sustainable weaning foods for developing countries: not only a matter of nutrients.

Blended complementary foods from cereals and high-protein sources are used worldwide to cope with infants' malnutrition. However, the usefulness of the food matrix during traditional processes reaches suboptimal effectiveness due to cereal gelatinization and viscosity, which reduce consumption. The interplay between nutritional and physical qualities needed for weaning children presents further significant constraints. A combination of processing methods can improve and optimize the overall product quality. This paper investigated the nutritional, functional, and anti-nutritional factors of a complementary infant porridge made by combining fermented sorghum flour with germinated bottle gourd seed flour. Overall, the combination improved the functional and physical properties of the porridge suitable for children of 10 months and over. A serving of 100 g would contribute 115-145% and 23-31% of the recommended nutritional intake of protein and energy, respectively, for low breast milk energy between 6-24 months. The results demonstrate that a combination of strategies and technologies are needed to balance nutritional and physical quality.

Distinct effects of fiber and colon segment on microbiota-derived indoles and short-chain fatty acids.

Effects of pectin, inulin, and their combination on the production of microbiota-derived indoles and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from different colon segments were investigated in a batch system inoculated with microbiota from proximal colon (PC) and distal colon (DC) compartments of the Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem. Bacteria from DC compartment had a higher abundance of Firmicutes and a stronger capacity to produce indoles and SCFAs than bacteria from PC compartment. Fiber supplementation significantly increased the production of SCFAs, indole-3-propionic acid, and indole-3-lactic acid, but decreased the production of oxindole, tryptamine, and serotonin. Pectin specifically promoted the production of indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-aldehyde. Interestingly, supplementation of pectin or inulin increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes whereas supplementation of a mixture of two fibers decreased it. Overall, these results suggest that fiber supplementation and colon segment affect the composition of gut microbiota and the microbial catabolism of tryptophan.

Chemical refining methods effectively mitigate 2-MCPD esters, 3-MCPD esters, and glycidyl esters formation in refined vegetable oils.

Esters of 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPDE), 2-monochloro-1,3-propanediol (2-MCPDE), and glycidyl esters (GE) are processing contaminants that can be found in refined edible fats and oils. Recently, the European Commission has implemented maximum limits for the presence of free and bound 3-MCPDE in vegetable fats and oils and in marine and fish oils. This boosted the necessity of oil producers to develop refining methods to limit the concentration of both 3-MCPDE and GE in their final products. Physical refining may lack the potential to mitigate the formation of 2- and 3-MCPDE. Therefore, in this study, the chemical refining method were explored to provide a viable mitigation strategy aimed at industrial application. Several pilot plant treatments with organic palm oil were performed. The investigated refining methods included a neutralization, a water washing process, reduced deodorization temperature, and a combination of them. The best performing chemical refining treatment achieved a final concentration of 0.42 (-49%), 0.78 (-52%), and 0.99 (-73%) mg/kg for 2-MCPDE, 3-MCPDE, and GE in organic palm oil, respectively. Results thus showed chemical refining has great potential for the simultaneous mitigation of 2-, 3-MCPDE, and GE.

Leafy vegetables fortification enhanced the nutritional profile and reduced the glycemic index of yellow cassava pasta.

Food-to-food fortification of yellow cassava flour with leafy vegetable powders (Amaranthus and Telfairia occidentalis) was employed in this study to develop cassava-vegetable spaghetti-like pasta products (YP, YPA5, YPA10, YPU5, YPU10, YPA5O). The nutritional profile, micronutrient retention, bioaccessibility, starch digestibility and in vitro glycemic index were assessed. The incorporation of leafy vegetable powder enhanced the nutritional quality of the yellow cassava pasta (YCP) products. The fortification increased (up to 3-fold) the protein in fortified YCP, increased the fibre (11%), doubled the ash and increased the beta-carotene (about 7-fold), iron (72%) and zinc contents by 10%. The phenolic content of fluted pumpkin leaf-fortified pasta with 10% leaf powder inclusion (YPU10) was 1100 µg GAE g-1, almost four times higher than that of the unfortified YCP. Leaf powders in the cassava pasta also favoured the retention of micronutrients during cooking and slowed down the starch digestibility. The retention during cooking was up to 91% in YPU10 for beta-carotene with no loss in iron, while the bioaccessibility of beta-carotene was impeded, the zinc retention was high and became significantly more bioaccessible with leaf addition and cooking. The estimated glycemic index of YCP was reduced by 19% and 15% in YPU10 and YPA10, respectively. The inclusion of the vegetables also reduced the glycemic index of the fortified YCP. Thus, adding leafy vegetable powder up to 10% into YCP is a promising approach to both valorise yellow provitamin A biofortified cassava and enhance the nutritional value.

Tryptophan Supplementation Increases the Production of Microbial-Derived AhR Agonists in an In Vitro Simulator of Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays an important role in intestinal homeostasis, and some microbial metabolites of tryptophan are known AhR agonists. In this study, we assessed the impact of tryptophan supplementation on the formation of tryptophan metabolites, AhR activation, and microbiota composition in the simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem (SHIME). AhR activation, microbial composition, and tryptophan metabolites were compared during high tryptophan supplementation (4 g/L tryptophan), control, and wash-out periods. During tryptophan supplementation, the concentration of several tryptophan metabolites was increased compared to the control and wash-out period, but AhR activation by fermenter supernatant was significantly decreased. This was due to the higher levels of tryptophan, which was found to be an antagonist of AhR signaling. Tryptophan supplementation induced most microbial changes in the transverse colon including increased relative abundance of lactobacillus. We conclude that tryptophan supplementation leads to increased formation of AhR agonists in the colon.

Borate and phosphite treatments of potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) as a proof of concept to reinforce the cell wall structure and reduce starch digestibility.

Potatoes are one of the main sources of carbohydrates in human diet, however they have a high glycaemic index (GI). Hence, developing new agricultural and industrial strategies to produce low GI potatoes represents a health priority to prevent obesity and related diseases. In this work, we investigated whether treatments of potato plants with elicitors of plant defence responses can lead to a reduction of tuber starch availability and digestibility, through the induction of cell wall remodelling and stiffening. Treatments with phosphites (KPhi) and borate were performed, as they are known to activate plant defence responses that cause modifications in the architecture and composition of the plant cell wall. Data of suberin autofluorescence demonstrated that potato plants grown in a nutrition medium supplemented with KPhi and borate produced tubers with a thicker periderm, while pectin staining demonstrated that KPhi treatment induced a reinforcement of the wall of storage parenchyma cells. Both compounds elicited the production of H2O2, which is usually involved in cell-wall remodelling and stiffening reactions while only KPhi caused an increase of the total content of phenolic compounds. A two-phase digestion in vitro assay showed that treatment with KPhi determined a significant decrease of the starch hydrolysis rate in potato tubers. This work highlights the ability of cell wall architecture in modulating starch accessibility to digestive enzymes, paving the way for new agronomic practices to produce low GI index potatoes.

Inhibition of α-glucosidases by tea polyphenols in rat intestinal extract and Caco-2 cells grown on Transwell.

Inhibition of maltase, sucrase, isomaltase and glucoamylase activity by acarbose, epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin gallate and four polyphenol-rich tea extract from white, green, oolong, black tea, were investigated by using rat intestinal enzymes and human Caco-2 cells. Regarding rat intestinal enzyme mixture, all four tea extracts were very effective in inhibiting maltase and glucoamylase activity, but only white tea extract inhibited sucrase and isomaltase activity and the inhibition was limited. Mixed-type inhibition on rat maltase activity was observed. Tea extracts in combination with acarbose, produced a synergistic inhibitory effect on rat maltase activity. Caco-2 cells experiments were conducted in Transwells. Green tea extract and epigallocatechin gallate show dose-dependent inhibition on human sucrase activity, but no inhibition on rat sucrase activity. The opposite was observed on maltase activity. The results highlighted the different response in the two investigated model systems and show that tea polyphenols are good inhibitors for α-glucosidase activity.

Novel application of biofortified crops: consumer acceptance of pasta from yellow cassava and leafy vegetables.

BACKGROUND: Newly developed yellow biofortified cassava has been adjudged as a cost-effective solution to vitamin A deficiency in low- and middle-income countries with high cassava intake such as Nigeria. In this study, yellow cassava was developed into a novel pasta enriched with amaranth vegetable and tested among consumers. Attitudes, perception, motives for consumption and perceived barriers were ascertained using focus group discussions and randomised face-to-face interviews, while liking, preference and ranking of the novel food were established through consumer sensory perception. RESULTS: Willingness to consume the new food, low food neophobia (32%), a health-driven consumption pattern, as well as an appreciable acceptance for the developed pasta, was established among the consumers. Ugwu (Telfairia occidentalis) was found to be the most preferred leafy vegetable. The yellow cassava pasta was ranked better than the conventional white cassava. CONCLUSION: This study shows new avenues to valorise yellow cassava by which nutrition security can be improved in low- and middle-income countries of Africa. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Improvement of urinary tract symptoms and quality of life in benign prostate hyperplasia patients associated with consumption of a newly developed whole tomato-based food supplement: a phase II prospective, randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common urologic disease among elderly men. The diagnosis of BPH is usually driven by lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) that can significantly affect patients' quality of life. This phase II prospective, randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of a novel whole tomato-based food supplement on LUTS of patients diagnosed with BPH. METHODS: Forty consecutive patients with histologically proved BPH were randomized 1:1 to receive daily for 2 months a sachet (5 g) of a newly developed whole tomato food supplement (WTFS) (treatment = Group A) or placebo (Group B). Patients were asked to fill the International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire before and after treatment. RESULTS: All but 1 patient in Group B successfully completed the scheduled regimen. No side effects were recorded. Unlike placebo, treatment significantly reduced (P < 0.0002) LUTS since mean IPSS decreased from 9.05 ± 1.15 to 7.15 ± 1.04 (paired t-test, two-tailed P-value < 0.001), and improved life quality (P < 0.0001). A trend toward a reduction of total PSA levels was observed in WTFS treated patients (8.98 ng/mL ± 1.52 vs 6.95 ± 0.76, P = 0.065), with changes being statistically significant only in the subgroup of patients with baseline levels above 10 ng/mL (18.5 ng/mL ± 2.7 vs 10.3 ± 2.1, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: The new WTFS may represent a valid option for the treatment of symptomatic BPH patients. Unlike pharmacological treatments, the supplement is side effects free and highly accepted among patients.

Food neophobia among Nigerian consumers: a study on attitudes towards novel turmeric-fortified drinks.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge on food neophobia among African consumers is scarce. Yet a good understanding in this area is essential to support the acceptance of new foods, for instance, when fortifying familiar foods to improve the health and nutritional status of the populace. In this paper, food neophobia among Nigerian consumers was assessed by their attitudes towards unfamiliar beverages, namely turmeric-fortified drinks. Turmeric was chosen as the Nigerian government is stimulating its production for income generation, but the spice is not commonly used in Nigerian foods and drinks. RESULTS: Familiar street-vended drinks, i.e. soymilk and the hibiscus-based drink zobo, were fortified with turmeric. Respondents (483) were allowed to try both the familiar and unfamiliar (turmeric-fortified) drinks. Subjects also filled in a 20-item questionnaire concerning attitudes toward food and eating. Food neophobia was measured by the Food Attitude Survey (FAS) instrument ratings. Using the FAS, people who reported liking the fortified drinks ('likers') were compared with those who disliked the drinks ('dislikers') and those who were unwilling to try the drinks ('will not tryers'). Males were found to be more food neophobic than females. Middle-class income earners, the age group of 26-35 years and respondents with the highest education levels also showed a more food neophobic attitude towards turmeric-fortified drinks. CONCLUSION: Practical insights are given regarding the introduction of novel foods to Nigerian consumers by paying attention to attitudes from respondents with different demographic characteristics. The use of influencers seems to be a promising approach to address food neophobia in Nigeria. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Effective physical refining for the mitigation of processing contaminants in palm oil at pilot scale.

This study aimed to develop a mitigation strategy for the formation of 2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol esters (2-MCPDE), 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDE), and glycidol fatty acid esters (GE) during palm oil refining. Single physical refining was the starting point (the control) for this study. Experimental treatments including a double refining repeating the entire single refining process (T1), double refining with a high-low deodorization temperature (T2), and double deodorization (T3) with similar temperature settings as T2 were performed. Compared with the control experiment, T2 successfully reduced the formation of GE by 87%; in particular, the second degumming and bleaching were crucial for eliminating GE. Both 2- and 3-MCPDE were formed prior to the deodorization process in all treatments. MCPDE concentrations remained stable throughout the refining process and, hence, they require a different mitigation approach as compared to GE. These results provide useful insights which can directly be implemented by the oil industry.

Roasting carob flour decreases the capacity to bind glycoconjugates of bile acids.

Carob is the fruit obtained from Ceratonia siliqua L. and it is a source of bioactive compounds that have been linked to several health promoting effects, including lowering blood cholesterol concentration. The objective of this study was to connect the physicochemical changes of carob flour occurring during roasting with its capacity to bind glycoconjugates of bile acids. Carob flour samples were roasted for different times at 150 °C and chemically characterized by measuring the concentrations of tannins and polyphenols. Data showed that carob flour binds high amounts of bile acids: 732.6 µmol of bound bile acid per g of carob flour which is comparable to the 836.2 µmol per g bound by cholestyramine, a known cholesterol lowering drug. The carob flour ability to bind cholesterol decreases up to 40% during roasting. Data suggested that tannins and insoluble components play a major role in binding bile salts, as a result of hydrophobic interactions.

Tea polyphenols as a strategy to control starch digestion in bread: the effects of polyphenol type and gluten.

The inhibitory effect of tea polyphenols on starch digestibility can contribute to the control of the glycaemic index of starchy food. In this study, wheat bread and gluten-free bread were co-digested in vitro with different amounts of tea polyphenols. The kinetics of starch digestion and polyphenol bio-accessibility during in vitro digestion were monitored. The results showed that co-digestion of bread with tea polyphenols dose-dependently slowed the starch digestion kinetics and this effect is influenced by the types of polyphenols and the presence of gluten. The presence of gluten lowered the inhibitory efficacy of tannins on starch digestibility to 7.4% and 47.5% when 25 mg of tannins were co-digested with wheat bread and gluten-free bread, respectively. In contrast, the presence of gluten had little impact on the inhibitory efficacy of monomeric polyphenols. This study shows that the release of tea polyphenols in the digestive environment is a promising strategy for controlling the glycaemic index of starchy food and that monomeric and polymeric tea polyphenols differently affect starch digestion according to the presence of gluten.

Sauce it up: influence of condiment properties on oral processing behavior, bolus formation and sensory perception of solid foods.

Condiments are rarely consumed on their own. Although addition of condiments to carrier foods is known to affect oral processing behavior and sensory perception, an understanding of how different condiment properties impact oral processing behavior and sensory perception of solid carrier foods is lacking. This study aimed to understand the role of condiments varying in composition and/or rheological properties in bolus formation facilitation, and how they influence oral processing behavior and sensory perception of solid carrier foods. Two carriers (bread, cooked potato) were combined with mayonnaises differing in fat content and viscosity. Addition of mayonnaises changed bolus properties of solid carrier foods considerably (i.e. decreased bread firmness, increased potato cohesiveness, increased lubrication of both bread and potato bolus) and, consequently, facilitated faster bolus formation. While addition of mayonnaises to bread and potatoes decreased the number of chewing cycles before swallowing, consumers did not change muscle activities or jaw movements per chew. No effect of mayonnaise fat content on oral processing behavior of composite foods was observed. Low viscosity mayonnaise resulted in faster bolus formation and swallowing compared to high viscosity mayonnaise. Low viscosity mayonnaise penetrated faster into bread boli leading to faster softening of bread boli. Also in the case of potato, low viscosity mayonnaise lead to faster bolus formation than for high viscosity mayonnaise. The low viscosity mayonnaise mixed more easily with potato bolus pieces, enhancing adhesion between pieces. Both mayonnaise fat content and viscosity influenced sensory perception of composite foods considerably, especially in terms of fattiness and creaminess. We conclude that oral processing behavior, bolus formation and sensory perception of solid carrier foods can be modified considerably by condiments. While composition and rheological properties of condiments have a large effect on bolus formation and sensory perception of solid carrier foods, these aspects have a limited effect on oral processing behavior of composite foods. Oral processing behavior is dominated by the properties of the solid carrier food. Tailoring condiment-carrier combinations could be an effective strategy to increase healthy eating, alter food intake for populations such as the elderly, and increase food appreciation.

Gastrointestinal Bioaccessibility and Colonic Fermentation of Fucoxanthin from the Extract of the Microalga Nitzschia laevis.

The extract of microalga Nitzschia laevis (NLE) is considered a source of dietary fucoxanthin, a carotenoid possessing a variety of health benefits. In the present study, the bioaccessibility and deacetylation of fucoxanthin were studied by simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and colonic batch fermentation. In the gastric phase, higher fucoxanthin loss was observed at pH 3 compared to pH 4 and 5. Lipases are crucial for the deacetylation of fucoxanthin into fucoxanthinol. Fucoxanthinol production decreased significantly in the order: pure fucoxanthin (25.3%) > NLE (21.3%) > fucoxanthin-containing emulsion (11.74%). More than 32.7% of fucoxanthin and fucoxanthinol was bioaccessible after gastrointestinal digestion of NLE. During colon fermentation of NLE, a higher loss of fucoxanthin and changes of short-chain fatty acid production were observed but no fucoxanthinol was detected. Altogether, we provided novel insights on the fucoxanthin fate along the human digestion tract and showed the potential of NLE as a promising source of fucoxanthin.

Melanoidins from Coffee, Cocoa, and Bread Are Able to Scavenge α-Dicarbonyl Compounds under Simulated Physiological Conditions.

Free amino residues react with α-dicarbonyl compounds (DCs) contributing to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Phenolic compounds can scavenge DCs, thus controlling the dietary carbonyl load. This study showed that high-molecular weight cocoa melanoidins (HMW-COM), HMW bread melanoidins (HMW-BM), and especially HMW coffee melanoidins (HMW-CM) are effective DC scavengers. HMW-CM (1 mg/mL) scavenged more than 40% DCs within 2 h under simulated physiological conditions, suggesting some physiological relevance. Partial acid hydrolysis of HMW-CM decreased the dicarbonyl trapping capacity, demonstrating that the ability to react with glyoxal, methylglyoxal (MGO), and diacetyl was mainly because of polyphenols bound to macromolecules. Caffeic acid (CA) and 3-caffeoylquinic acid showed a DC-scavenging kinetic profile similar to that of HMW-CM, while mass spectrometry data confirmed that hydroxyalkylation and aromatic substitution reactions led to the formation of a stable adduct between CA and MGO. These findings corroborated the idea that antioxidant-rich indigestible materials could limit carbonyl stress and AGE formation across the gastrointestinal tract.

Monkey orange fruit juice improves the nutritional quality of a maize-based diet.

This paper studied the nutritional impact of the use of juice from Strychnos cocculoides (monkey orange) in a maize-based porridge. Monkey orange juice is traditionally used to supplement maize porridge - a staple breakfast cereal especially for vulnerable groups. Monkey orange fruits contain high amounts of micronutrients and phenolic compounds and are widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The valuable components can be efficiently extracted by traditional and pectinase maceration techniques. The bioaccessibility of minerals and main phenolic compounds in maize porridge (5 g maize meal) supplemented by monkey orange juice (100 ml) were assessed after in-vitro digestion together with the kinetics of starch degradation. Caffeic and protocatechuic acids exceeded 100%, and chlorogenic acid 81% bioaccessibility after simulated intestinal digestion. Rutin was undetected after the simulated intestinal phase due to precipitation in the pellet. In-vitro bioaccessibility of minerals ranged from 12 to 62% in monkey orange enriched porridge. A 50-70% decrease of starch hydrolysis was observed at the end of the simulated intestinal digestion of monkey orange maize porridge confirming the known potential of phenolic compounds to decrease the glycaemic index of starch-rich foods. Consequently monkey orange juice appeared a suitable ingredient to enrich staple maize porridge thanks to its micronutrients and health benefit potential. Similar relationships of other fruits and starchy foods warrant study as a means to improve the nutritional quality of the diets of malnourished populations.

Application of apigeninidin-rich red sorghum biocolorant in a fermented food improves product quality.

BACKGROUND: The 'clean label' trend is pushing the food industry to replace synthetic colorants with plant-based colorants. However, technological efficacy and undesirable side effects restrict the use of plant-based colorants in industrial applications. This research studied the production of fermented maize dough coloured by apigeninidin-rich red sorghum biocolorant, as practised for centuries in West Africa, as a model to assess the impact of the biocolorant on nutritional and sensorial quality of foods. RESULTS: A 3-day fermentation of a dyed maize dough (containing 327 µg g-1 dry matter of apigeninidin) by Pichia kudriavzevii and Lactobacillus fermentum led to a degradation of 69% of the apigeninidin content, causing a clearly visible colour difference (ΔE*00 17.4). The antioxidant activity of fermented dyed dough (DD) increased by 51% compared to fermented non-dyed dough (NDD). However, the phytate dephosphorylation and volatile organic compound concentrations were lower in DD than in NDD. This suggests a lower mineral solubility and change in the sensory quality of fermented DD. CONCLUSION: Apigeninidin extract from sorghum leaf sheaths proved to be a bioactive red biocolorant with potential in fermented foods. The formation of new antioxidant compounds needs further investigation, as does the impact on the development of volatile compounds. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

The Effect of Sulforaphane on Glyoxalase I Expression and Activity in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

Studies demonstrate that the potential health-beneficial effect of sulforaphane (SR), a compound formed in broccoli, is the result of a number of mechanisms including upregulation of phase two detoxification enzymes. Recent studies suggest that SR increases expression/activity of glyoxalase 1 (Glo1), an enzyme involved in the degradation of methylglyoxal, is major precursor of advanced glycation end products. Those compounds are associated with diabetes complications and other age-related diseases. In this study, the effect of SR on the expression/activity of Glo1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 8 healthy volunteers was investigated. PBMCs were isolated and incubated with SR (2.5 µM-concentration achievable by consuming a broccoli portion) for 24 h and 48 h. Glo1 activity/expression, reduced glutathione (GSH), and glutathione-S-transferase gene expression were measured. Glo1 activity was not affected while after 48 h a slight but significant increase of its gene expression (1.03-fold) was observed. GSTP1 expression slightly increased after 24 h incubation (1.08-fold) while the expressions of isoform GSTT2 and GSTM2 were below the limit of detection. GSH sharply decreased, suggesting the formation of GSH-SR adducts that may have an impact SR availability. Those results suggest that a regular exposure to SR by broccoli consumption or SR supplements may enhance Glo1.