Glycemic and Satiety Response to Three Mexican Honey Varieties.

Honey is considered one of the last untreated natural food substances, with a complex composition. It is produced by bees (Apis mellifera) from nectar. The glycemic index (GI) is a physiological assessment of a food's carbohydrate content via its effect on postprandial blood glucose concentrations. This study evaluated the GI and the satiety response to three Mexican types of honey administered to 26 healthy volunteers. The fructose values ranged from 272.40 g/kg to 395.10 g/kg, while the glucose value ranged from 232.20 g/kg to 355.50 g/kg. The fructose/glucose (F/G) ratio of honey was 1.45, 1.00, and 1.17 for highland, multifloral, and avocado honey, respectively. Highland and avocado honey were classified as medium-GI (69.20 ± 4.07 and 66.36 ± 5.74, respectively), while multifloral honey was classified as high-GI (74.24 ± 5.98). Highland honey presented a higher satiety values response than glucose. The difference in GI values and the satiety response effect of highland honey could be explained by its different carbohydrate composition and the possible presence of other honey components such as phytochemicals. Honey, especially avocado, could therefore be used as a sweetener without altering significantly the blood glucose concentration.

Effect of Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) on Polyphenols, Flavonoids and Antioxidant Capacity of Green Lentils (Lens culinaris).

Instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) is one of the emerging technologies in food processing; it can be used for drying, freezing and the extraction of bioactive molecules without damaging their properties. Legumes, such as lentils, are one of the most consumed foods in the world; however, they are mainly cooked by boiling, which causes the loss of antioxidant compounds. This work evaluated the effect of 13 different DIC treatments (with pressure ranges of 0.1-0.7 MPa and times of 30-240 s) on the content of polyphenols (Folin-Ciocalteu and High Performance Liquid Chromatography HPLC) and flavonoids (2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate) as well as the antioxidant activity (DPPH and TEAC) of green lentils. The DIC 11 treatment (0.1 MPa, 135 s) obtained the best release of polyphenols, which in turn are related to antioxidant capacity. The abiotic stress generated by DIC could lead to the breakdown of the cell wall structure, which favors the availability of antioxidant compounds. Finally, the most efficient conditions for DIC to promote the release of phenolic compounds and maintain antioxidant capacity were found under low pressures (<0.1 MPa) and short times (<160 s).

Antioxidant Activity and GC-MS Profile of Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) Essential Oil Obtained by a Combined Extraction Method-Instant Controlled Pressure Drop Technology Coupled with Sonication.

Cardamom Essential oils are highly demanded because of their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. Nonetheless, retrieving quality extracts quickly with efficient energy savings has been challenging. Therefore, green technologies are emerging as possible alternatives. Thus, this study evaluates the yield and quality of the instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) process coupled with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of cardamom essential oil (CEO). Likewise, the antioxidant activity, chemical profile of CEO, and microstructure of seeds were analyzed. This study analyzed 13 different treatments with varying saturated steam processing temperatures (SSPT), thermal processing times (TPT), and 1 control. The results showed that CEO yield increased significantly by DIC (140 °C and 30 s) and UAE compared to the control (22.53% vs. 15.6%). DIC 2 (165 °C, 30 s) showed the highest DPPH inhibition (79.48%) and the best Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) by the control with 0.60 uMTE/g. The GC/MS analysis showed 28 volatile constituents, withα-Terpinyl acetate, geranyl oleate, and oleic acid being the most abundant. DIC (140 °C and 30 s) and UAE showed the best yield and chemical profile. The SEM microscopy of untreated seeds revealed collapsed structures before the oil cell layer, which reduced the extraction yield, contrary to DIC-treated seeds, with more porous structures. Therefore, combining innovative extraction methods could solve the drawbacks of traditional extraction methods.

A Preliminary Study on the Effect of the Instant Controlled Pressure Drop Technology (DIC) on Drying and Rehydration Kinetics of Maize Kernels (Zea mays L.).

Maize is one of the three worldwide cereal crops with the most outstanding production; however, its postharvest losses range from 2 to 40% due to inadequate harvesting, drying, and storage technologies. This study focuses on the Instant Controlled Pressure Drop technology (DIC) effect on maize kernels' drying and rehydration kinetics. In total, 19 different DIC treatments were carried out on maize kernels (~25% d.b.). The DIC parameters studied were steam pressure (0.1 to 0.4 MPa) and treatment time (10 to 90 s). After DIC treatment, drying kinetics were carried out by Convective Air Drying (CAD) at 50 °C and 0.4 ms-1 airflow. Rehydration kinetics and Water Holding Capacity (WHC) were evaluated at 20 °C. In comparison to CAD samples, DIC (0.4 MPa and 90 s) reduced the drying time from 180 min to ~108 min. Additionally, regarding the rehydration and WHC results, DIC achieved the same moisture content in only 3.5 min that controls achieved after 1 h of rehydration (0.40 g H2O/g dry matter). Moreover, DIC (0.4 MPa and nine cycles of 10 s) increased the WHC 2.3 times compared to the control. In this way, DIC could be a postharvest technology to improve maize kernels' drying operations and functional properties.

Effect of the Instant Controlled Pressure Drop Technology in Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) Essential Oil Extraction and Antioxidant Activity.

Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is an outspread spice native to Asia, which is well appreciated for its sensory characteristics, delicate aroma, and unique taste. Currently, the main cardamom extracts are essential oils (EOs), and regarding current market tendencies, this market is in high growth. For this reason, technologies such as the instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) have been applied to reach higher yields and better quality of EO. Then, this study explores the impact of DIC as a pretreatment before hydrodistillation (HD) on the EO yield and their antioxidant activity. Obtained results showed that the coupling of DIC-HD increased the yield of essential oil and also had a positive impact on their antioxidant capacity. The EO yield of DIC-HD (140 °C and 30 s) was 4.43% vs. 2.52% for control; the AOX of DIC-HD (165 °C and 30 s) was 86% inhibition vs. 57.02% for control, and the TEAC of DIC-HD (140 °C and 30 s) was 1.44 uMTE/g EO vs. 13.66 uMTE/g EO.

Instant Controlled Pressure Drop as a Strategy To Modify Extractable and Non-extractable Phenolic Compounds: A Study in Different Grape Pomace Materials.

Instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) is a technology able to modify the polyphenol profile in vegetal materials. However, information about how polyphenols are transformed, particularly regarding non-extractable polyphenol (NEPP), as well as the association with the initial content of polyphenols of the material is scarce. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the DIC effect, modifying the pressure (0.2 and 0.4 MPa), the number of cycles (2 and 4), and grape pomace material (Malbec, Merlot, and Syrah) on extractable polyphenol (EPP) and NEPP contents. The EPP content increased during DIC application, an effect associated with the pressure, cycles, and initial polyphenol content. While for extractable and non-extractable proanthocyanidin contents, the main factors explaining the DIC effect are the pressure and number of cycles. Therefore, changes in polyphenols from grape pomace by DIC treatment are dependent upon experimental conditions, but the origin of the grape pomace also influences the extraction of EPP.

An Overview on Food Applications of the Instant Controlled Pressure-Drop Technology, an Innovative High Pressure-Short Time Process.

Food processing systematically aims at meeting the needs of consumers who are looking for total high quality and perfect food safety. As the various thermal and non-thermal food preservation technologies often affect the natural properties in terms of sensation, flavor, texture, etc., instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) has been conceived as a relevant, innovative process in this field. DIC uses high saturated steam pressure and short duration to provide a new way to expand biological matrices, improve drying, decontaminate, and extract biologically active compounds, among other attributes. Therefore, this review focuses on describing the applications of DIC technology on a wide range of products such as foods and by-products that have been processed both in the laboratory and on an industrial scale. The application of DIC has shown the possibility of a significant leap in quality improvement and cost reduction in the food industry. DIC reduces the drying time of fruits and vegetables, and improves the extraction of essential oils, vegetable oils, and antioxidant components. It also provides strong decontamination, eliminates vegetative microorganisms and spores, and reduces non-nutritional and allergenic components. Over the past 33 years, this technology has continued to expand its food applications and improve its characteristics on an industrial scale. But there are still many food unit operations that can be taken to the next level with DIC.

Modification on the polyphenols and dietary fiber content of grape pomace by instant controlled pressure drop.

Instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) has been used as a pre-treatment to increase extractable polyphenols (EPP), mainly attributed to matrix structure expansion. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of DIC on non-extractable polyphenols (NEPP), EPP, and dietary fiber on grape pomace. At 0.2 MPa-60 s was observe an increase of total EPP and total anthocyanins. Despite the increment of EPP, was observe the lowest anthocyanins and non-extractable proanthocyanidins content at 0.4 MPa-120 s. This increase was due to a partial transformation of anthocyanins into phenolic acids and the depolymerization of proanthocyanidins. Also was observe partial solubilization of insoluble dietary fiber. Morphologically, the size of the pores generated by DIC was more significant at higher pressures. Thus, DIC modified the morphology and profile of the polyphenols of grape pomace, producing phenolic compounds of simpler structure and improving their antioxidant capacities.

Instant Controlled Pressure Drop as Blanching and Texturing Pre-Treatment to Preserve the Antioxidant Compounds of Red Dried Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.).

Red beetroot is rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, betaxanthins, betacyanins, among others. According to selected processing methods, the bioaccessibility of these compounds could be either enhanced or decreased. This study evaluated the effect of four different drying conditions: (1) Traditional Drying (TD), (2) Swell Drying (SD), (3) DIC Blanching + Traditional Drying (BTD), and (4) DIC Blanching + Swell Drying (BSD) on the antioxidant content and the antioxidant activity of red beetroots. Obtained results showed that in all the cases, by comparing to Traditional Drying (TD), the coupling of a DIC Blanching pre-treatment to a Swell Drying treatment (BSD) maintained or enhanced the preservation of the Total Phenolic Compounds (TPC), the Total Flavonoids Compounds (TFC), the Betanin Concentration (BC), the Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC), and the Free Radical Scavenging Activity by DPPH (IC50) of red beetroots. Various studies have shown that thanks to the expanded and porous structure triggered by the Swell Drying process, it has been possible to achieve better antioxidants extraction and better whole quality. Hence, by coupling DIC as a blanching-steaming pre-treatment, it was possible to preserve better the antioxidant content and the antioxidant activity of red dried beetroots.

Antioxidant Content of Frozen, Convective Air-Dried, Freeze-Dried, and Swell-Dried Chokecherries (Prunus virginiana L.).

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana L.) is rich in bioactive molecules as phenolics, which can act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, among others; however, due to its high perishability, most of this fruit is wasted. Freezing and sun drying have been the most adopted techniques to avoid its postharvest deterioration. Nevertheless, both processes have presented some drawbacks as high storage costs and losses of bioactive molecules. Therefore, to preserve these molecules, this study compared the impact of convective airflow drying (CAD), freezing (FR), freeze drying (FD), and swell drying (SD). Total phenolics content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), kuromanin concentration (KC), and antioxidant activity (antiradical activity (ARA) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay (TEAC)) of chokecherries were measured. "Swell drying" is a drying process coupling convective airflow drying to the Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) expansion. A central composite rotatable design was applied to optimize the DIC variables and responses. Results showed that both freezing and swell drying effectively preserve the TPC, TFC, KC, and ARA. Moreover, SD samples also presented the highest TEAC. Contrary, in the case of CAD, it caused the highest losses of both antioxidant content and activity. Swell drying remedies the shrinkage and collapsing of dried food structure, which results in a better antioxidants extraction.