RESUMO
Aguamiel is a natural sap produced by some species of agave plants, such as Agave salmiana, A. atrovirens, or A. angustifolia. It is a product with a high concentration of fructose, glucose or sucrose, although its composition may vary depending on the season in which it is produced, and may also contain agave fructans (or agavins) or fructooligosaccharides (FOS). It has been reported that FOS can be produced by enzymes that act on sucrose or inulin, transfructosylating or hydrolyzing these materials, respectively. Due to the sugar content in aguamiel, the application of an enzymatic complex produced by Aspergillus oryzae DIA MF was carried out. This complex was characterized by 1-D electrophoresis SDS-PAGE, and its transfructosylation and hydrolysis activities were determined by HPLC. In order to determine the conditions at which the concentration of FOS in this beverage increased, kinetics were carried out at different temperatures (30, 50, and 70°C) and times (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 15 h). Finally, the antioxidant and prebiotic activities were evaluated. FOS concentration in aguamiel was increased from 1.61 ± 0.08 to 31.01 ± 3.42 g/ L after 10 h reaction at 30°C applying 10% enzymatic fraction-substrate (v/v). Antioxidant activity was highly increased (34.81-116.46 mg/eq Trolox in DPPH assay and 42.65 to 298.86 mg/eq Trolox in FRAP assay) and growth of probiotic bacteria was higher in aguamiel after the enzymatic treatment. In conclusion, after the application of the enzymatic treatment, aguamiel was enriched with FOS which improved antioxidant and prebiotic properties, so it can be used as a functional food.
RESUMO
Las barras de cereal (BC), se comercializan como un snack saludable, no obstante, su calidad nutricional es baja. Una alternativa para mejorar esto, es la incorporación de ingredientes como pseudocereales, germinados y subproductos de fruta. Objetivo. Evaluar el contenido nutricional y propiedades tecnofuncionales de una barra de cereal formulada a partir de pseudocereales, germinados de soya y subproductos del procesamiento de frutas. Materiales y Métodos. Se desarrollaron 6 formulaciones (F0-F5). Se determinó el contenido de proteína y fibra cruda, se seleccionó la formulación que presentó el mayor contenido de estos componentes. A la BC seleccionada se le determinó la digestibilidad in-vitro de la proteína, las propiedades tecnofuncionales potencial prebiótico y actividad inhibitoria de ECA-I. Resultados. La formulación seleccionada fue F1 (13,6 g/100 g p.s. proteína y 13,1 g/100 g p.s. fibra cruda). La digestibilidad de la proteína fue del 69 %, el cual es cercano a valores reportados para algunos componentes de la BC. La capacidad de hinchamiento y retención de agua fue 2,55 ml/g; 12,74 %, respectivamente. El crecimiento de L. brevis en medio MRS modificado con BC no presentó diferencias estadísticas con el medio control, indicando el potencial prebiótico presente en la BC. La barra de cereal tuvo un 39% de actividad inhibitoria de ECA-I, demostrando la acción de los compuestos bioactivos posiblemente liberados durante la digestión de la BC. Conclusión. La formulación desarrollada presenta propiedades funcionales importantes y podría generar beneficios para la salud(AU)
Introduction. Cereal bars (CB) are marketed as a healthy snack; however, their nutritional quality is low. An alternative to improve this is the incorporation of ingredients such as soybean sprouts, which have a higher protein content than some seeds; as well as fruit by-products that contain important bioactive compounds. Objective. To evaluate the nutritional content and techno-functional properties of a cereal bar formulated from pseudocereals, soybean sprouts, and fruit processing by-products. Materials and Methods. 6 formulations (F0-F5) were developed. The content of protein and crude fiber was determined, the formulation that presented the highest content of these components was selected. The in-vitro digestibility of the protein, the technofunctional properties, potential prebiotic and inhibitory activity of ACE-I were determined for the selected BC. Results. The selected formulation was F1 (13.6g/100g p.s. protein and 13.1g/100 g p.s. crude fiber). Protein digestibility was 69%, which is close to reported values for some CB components. The swelling and water retention capacity was 2.55 ml/g; 12.74%, respectively. The growth of L. brevis in modified MRS medium with CB did not present statistical differences with the control medium, indicating the prebiotic potential present in CB. The cereal bar had 39% ACE-I inhibitory activity, demonstrating the action of bioactive compounds possibly released during CB digestion. Conclusion. The developed formulation has important functional properties and could generate health benefits(AU)