Pitahaya (Hylocereus ocamponis)-Peel and -Flesh Flour Obtained from Fruit Co-Products-Assessment of Chemical, Techno-Functional and In Vitro Antioxidant Properties.

The aim of this work was to assess the chemical composition and physico-chemical, techno-functional, and in vitro antioxidant properties of flours obtained from the peel and flesh of pitahaya (Hylocereus ocamponis) to determine their potential for use as ingredients for food enrichment. The chemical composition, including total betalains, mineral content, and polyphenolic profile, was determined. The techno-functional properties (water holding, oil holding, and swelling capacities) were also evaluated. For the antioxidant capacity, four different methodologies, namely ferrous ion-chelating ability assay, ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay; 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability assay, and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical assay, were used. Pitahaya-peel flour had higher values for protein (6.72 g/100 g), ash (11.63 g/100 g), and dietary fiber 56.56 g/100 g) than pitahaya-flesh flour, with values of 6.06, 3.63, and 8.22 g/100 g for protein, ash, and dietary fiber, respectively. In the same way, pitahaya peel showed a higher content of minerals, betalains, and polyphenolic compounds than pitahaya-flesh flour, with potassium (4.43 g/100 g), catechin (25.85 mg/g), quercetin-3-rhamnoside (11.66 mg/g) and myricetrin (12.10 mg/g) as principal compounds found in the peel. Again, pitahaya-peel flour showed better techno-functional and antioxidant properties than pitahaya-flesh flour. The results obtained suggest that the flours obtained from the peel and pulp of pitahaya (H. ocamponis) constitute a potential material to be utilized as an ingredient in the food industry due to the high content of bioactive compounds such as betalains, phenolic acids, and flavonoids, with notable antioxidant capacity.

Assessment of Chemical, Physico-Chemical and Sensory Properties of Low-Sodium Beef Burgers Formulated with Flours from Different Mushroom Types.

It is now widely demonstrated that excessive salt consumption can cause various health problems, and meat products are among the foods most consumed with a high salt content. For that, the aim of this work was to assess the effects of the utilization of flours obtained from oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), and portobello mushrooms (Agaricus brunnescen) as salt replacers on chemical, physicochemical, and sensory properties of beef burgers. The fat and protein content was not affected by the inclusion of mushroom flour, while the sodium content was reduced by 55-61% compared to the control sample. The control sample had the lowest values for cooking loss and shrinkage (12.29 and 18.69%, respectively) whilst the reformulated samples had higher values ranging between 16.08 and 18.88% for cooking loss, respectively, and between 19.55 and 28.25% for shrinkage, respectively. The reformulated samples showed higher lipid oxidation values (ranging from 0.18 and 0.20 mg malondialdehyde/kg sample) than the control sample. Sensorially, all parameters analyzed were not affected by the replacement of sodium chloride by the different mushroom flours. The use of flours obtained from different mushroom flours is a viable alternative to be used as sodium chloride replacers in the preparation of beef burgers.

Healthier Oils: A New Scope in the Development of Functional Meat and Dairy Products: A Review.

In the present day, it has been widely established that a high intake of animal fat that contains a high content of saturated fatty acids may cause several life-threatening diseases, including obesity, diabetes-type 2, cardiovascular diseases, as well as several types of cancer. In this context, a great number of health organizations and government agencies have launched campaigns to reduce the saturated fat content in foods, which has prompted the food industry, which is no stranger to this problem, to start working to develop foods with a lower fat content or with a different fatty acid profile. Nevertheless, this is not an easy task due to the fact that saturated fat plays a very important role in food processing and in the sensorial perception of foods. Actually, the best way to replace saturated fat is with the use of structured vegetable or marine oils. The main strategies for structuring oils include pre-emulsification, microencapsulation, the development of gelled emulsions, and the development of oleogels. This review will examine the current literature on the different (i) healthier oils and (ii) strategies that will be potentially used by the food industry to reduce or replace the fat content in several food products.

Use of Olive and Sunflower Oil Hydrogel Emulsions as Pork Fat Replacers in Goat Meat Burgers: Fat Reduction and Effects in Lipidic Quality.

Diversified strategies to incorporate healthier lipids in processed meat products are being developed. Alternative fat sources to replace animal fat associated with the reduction of fat content are some of the methods used to obtain healthier meat products well recognized by consumers. In order to create a healthier product that can also be consumed in the Halal and Kosher consumer markets, an experimental study was developed to assess the effects of replacing the pork fat (4%) with the same amount of hydrogel emulsion incorporating olive oil or sunflower oil. Three burgers were randomly selected from each lot manufactured and analyzed in triplicate. Burgers were physicochemical analyzed for pH, water activity, composition, fatty acid profile, color, yield, texture, oxidative stability, and volatile compounds and compared according to the fat source. Burgers with hydrogel emulsions can be considered reduced-fat meat products with a healthier fatty acid profile than pork fat burgers. The use of hydrogel emulsions did not negatively affect the quality characteristics assessed in the product and improved the oxidative stability during the storage of cooked burgers. By the characteristics and formulations evaluated, the replacement of pork fat with olive oil hydrogel emulsion proved to be the most effective strategy for obtaining a healthier goat meat product.

Effect of Gelled Emulsions Elaborated with Soybean Oil, Maca (Lepidium meyenni) Flour, and Chincho (Tagetes elliptica Sm.) Essential Oil upon Animal Fat Substitution in Beef Burgers.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of pork backfat (PB) substitution in a meat burger with a gelled emulsion (GE) elaborated with maca flour, soybean oil, and chincho essential oil (CEO). Lipid profile (gas chromatography­GC), health indices, physicochemical properties (CIELAB color, pH, texture profile­TPA), and cooking and sensory characteristics of meat burgers were analyzed. Five formulations were evaluated: control (BC) (80% beef meat and 20% PB); BSM (10% PB + 10% GE); BSMC0.25 (BSM + 0.25% CEO); BSMC0.5 (BSM + 0.5% CEO), and BSMC1.0 (BSM + 1.0% CEO). GE substitution in meat burgers provided a healthier lipid profile; the amount of SFA was reduced (p < 0.05), while PUFA content was significantly increased (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the use of GE resulted in healthier PUFA/SFA ratios and lower atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. The addition of GE increased moisture content and decreased fat and protein contents. Color parameters (L*, b*, and C*) decreased after cooking. Hardness (p < 0.05), cooking losses, and shrinkage changes decreased with GE addition. Lipid oxidation levels were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by GE substitution. Therefore, the substitution of PB by GE can be considered as an effective strategy to produce healthier meat burgers without negatively affecting their physicochemical and technological properties.

Cocoa Coproducts-Based and Walnut Oil Gelled Emulsion as Animal Fat Replacer and Healthy Bioactive Source in Beef Burgers.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects on the chemical, physic-chemical, technological, and sensory properties of beef burger when replacing different quantities of fat (50 and 100%) with different levels of oil-in-water-gelled emulsion elaborated with walnut oil and cocoa bean shell flour (GECW). The chemical composition of the samples was affected by the fat replacement. The reformulation increased the moisture and ash content while the fat and protein content decreased with respect to the control sample. The linolenic and linolenic acid content of the beef burgers increased as the GECW replacement was augmented. The polyunsaturated fatty/saturated fatty acid ratio increased in both raw and cooked burgers, whereas the atherogenicity index and thrombogenicity index were reduced in both raw and cooked burgers with respect to the control sample. The use of GECW as a fat replacer was found to be effective in improving the cooking loss. Similarly, there were positive effects on reductions in the diameter and the increases in the thickness of the beef burgers. Regarding lipid stability, in both the raw and cooked burgers, the reformulation increased the 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARs) values with respect to the control sample. In both types of reformulated burgers, three bound polyphenols (mainly catechin and epicatechin) and two free polyphenols were identified, as were methylxanthines theobromine and caffeine. The sensory properties for the control and partial pork backfat replacement treatments were similar, while the sample with the total pork backfat replacement treatment showed the lowest scores. The blend of cocoa bean shell flour and walnut oil could be used as new ingredients for the development of beef burgers with a healthier nutritional profile without demeriting their sensory or cooking characteristics and physic-chemical properties.

Total and Partial Fat Replacement by Gelled Emulsion (Hemp Oil and Buckwheat Flour) and Its Impact on the Chemical, Technological and Sensory Properties of Frankfurters.

A gelled emulsion (GE) prepared with hemp oil and buckwheat flour was used to replace pork back fat in frankfurters. Five different formulations were prepared: control (with 35% pork back fat-SC), and the following four to achieve 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% pork back fat substitution by GE (S1, S2, S3, and S4, respectively). Nutritional, technological, and sensorial characteristics of frankfurters were evaluated. Sausages containing GE presented a lower total fat content with a higher amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, increased omega 3 content, and reduced saturated fat by up to 55%. The incorporation of GE did not significantly modify technological properties such as emulsion stability or lipid oxidation in spite of using vegetable oils highly susceptible to oxidation. The reformulation of the frankfurters presented a greater effect on the texture and sensory properties when GE was used as total substitution for the pork back fat (S4). When GE was used only as partial substitution for the pork back fat, sausages similar to control frankfurter were obtained. So this study demonstrated that the use of GE could be a promising strategy in the reformulation of healthier meat products.

Assessment of Chemical, Physicochemical, and Lipid Stability Properties of Gelled Emulsions Elaborated with Different Oils Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) or Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and Pseudocereals.

Gelled emulsion (GE) systems are one of the novel proposals for the reformulation of meat products with healthier profiles. The aims of this research were (i) to develop gelled emulsions using pseudocereal flours (amaranth, buckwheat, teff, and quinoa) and vegetable oils (chia oil, hemp oil, and their combination), (ii) to determine their chemical composition, physicochemical properties, and lipid stability, and (iii) to evaluate their stability during frozen storage. The results showed that GEs are technologically viable except for the sample elaborated with teff flour and a mix of oils. The lipid oxidation was not greater than 2.5 mg malonaldehyde/kg of sample for any of the samples analyzed. The physicochemical properties analyzed showed both the pH and color values of the GEs within the range of values obtained for the fat of animal origin. The texture properties were affected by the type of oil added; in general, the firmness and the work of shear increased with the addition of the mixture of both oils. The samples elaborated with buckwheat and chia oil and quinoa and chia oil had the highest emulsion stability values, which remained among the highest after freezing. The results showed that gelled emulsions, based on chia oil, hemp, and their mixture with pseudocereal flours, are a viable alternative as a possible substitute of saturated fat in the development of novel foods.

Assessment of chemical composition and antioxidant properties of defatted flours obtained from several edible insects.

The aims of this study were determined the chemical composition and the antioxidant properties of defatted flours obtained from several commercially available edible insects such as Acheta dosmesticus, Tenebrio molitor, Zophobas morio, and Rhynchophorus ferrugineus to establish their utilization as ingredient in the development of new food products. The proximate composition of flour was determined using AOAC methods while for antioxidant capacity, four different methodologies were employed (DPPH, ABTS, FIC, and FRAP). The total phenolic content and the tannin content were also determined. All flours analyzed had a high protein content with values ranging between 64.17 and 72.55 g/100 g flour. With regard to the antioxidant activity, R. ferrugineus showed the highest values for DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays with values of 2.03, 4.93, and 8.46 mg Trolox equivalent/g flour, respectively. For FIC assay, A. dosmesticus and T. molitor had the highest values 0.47 and 0.48 mg EDTA equivalent/g flour. Defatted flours obtained from edible insects analyzed could have several applications as ingredients to the development new foods due to its good nutrient content and as a functional food for the prevention of oxidation.

Vegetable Soups and Creams: Raw Materials, Processing, Health Benefits, and Innovation Trends.

Vegetable soups and creams have gained popularity among consumers worldwide due to the wide variety of raw materials (vegetable fruits, tubers, bulbs, leafy vegetables, and legumes) that can be used in their formulation which has been recognized as a healthy source of nutrients (mainly proteins, dietary fiber, other carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals) and bioactive compounds that could help maintain the body's health and wellbeing. In addition, they are cheap and easy to preserve and prepare at home, ready to eat, so in consequence they are very useful in the modern life rhythms that modify the habits of current consumption and that reclaim foods elaborated with natural ingredients, ecologic, vegans, less invasive production processes, agroindustry coproducts valorization, and exploring new flavors and textures. This review focuses on the nutritional and healthy properties of vegetable soups and creams (depending on the raw materials used in their production) highlighting their content in bioactive compounds and their antioxidant properties. Apart from the effect that some processing steps could have on these compounds, innovation trends for the development of healthier soups and creams adapted to specific consumer requirements have also been explored.

Chia, Quinoa, and Their Coproducts as Potential Antioxidants for the Meat Industry.

Chia and quinoa have gained popularity among consumers worldwide due to the wide variety of nutrients but also to the bioactive compounds that they contain. Lately, their processing has generated different coproducts (non-commercial grains, flour, partially deoiled flour, rich-fiber fraction, and oil, among others), which could be reincorporated to the food chain with important technological properties, antioxidant activity included. Both sets of ingredients have been revealed a great technological potential for meat product development and innovation, taking into account that oxidation is one of the main reactions responsible for their deterioration and shelf life reduction. This review focuses on the antioxidant compounds of chia and quinoa coproducts and on the strategies used to add them to meat products highlighting their effect on the lipid oxidation control. Apart from the different ways in which quinoa and chia can be incorporated into meat products and their antioxidant properties, innovative approaches for increasing this antioxidant effect and counteracting any negative alterations they may cause will be discussed.

El Jefe de Estudios y la Comisión de Docencia ante los cambios en la Formación Especializada introducidos por el Real Decreto 183/2008 / The Head of Studies and the Education Committee face the changes in Specialised Training introduced in the Royal Decree 183/2008

El Real Decreto 183/2008 sobre Formación Médica Especializada en Ciencias de la Salud ha supuesto un cambio sustancial de esta formación en nuestro país. Desde su publicación las Unidades Docentes (UU DD) han comenzado un proceso de adaptación a este decreto, proceso que es complejo y que por los múltiples e importantes cambios que introduce requiere mucho esfuerzo por parte de los docentes. Este viaje presenta dificultades añadidas por el incumplimiento de casi todas las instituciones competentes de elaborar la normativa que desarrolle la mayoría de sus contenidos, y por lo tanto las UU DD carecen de las guías y orientaciones al respecto. Como iniciativa de la Comisión de Docencia de Formación Especializada del Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, se presenta el resultado del trabajo en grupo de los asistentes (informadores clave) al taller de Actualización en la Normativa sobre las Figuras Docentes en la Formación Sanitaria Especializada celebrado en Murcia, febrero de 2010. En este caso se centra en las propuestas elaboradas sobre las figura del Jefe de Estudios de las Unidades Docentes y la Comisión de Docencia, con la intención de aportar ayuda para los jefes de estudios y los docentes en esta adaptación(AU)

The Spanish Royal Decree 183/2008 on Specialised Medical Training in Health Sciences has meant a substantial change to this kind of training in Spain. Since its publication, the Teaching Units (TUs) have started a process of adaptation to this decree, a process that is complex and that requires much effort in view of the many significant changes. The process is complicated even more because the competent institutions have failed to develop regulation on most of the Decree’s contents, leaving the TUs with no guidelines. As an initiative of the Education Committee on Specialised Training of the Teaching Hospital ‘Virgen de la Arrixaca’ we present the results of the teamwork (key informers) in a workshop on the Update of the Regulation on Educators in Specialised Health Training that took place in Murcia in February 2010. We focus on the proposals developed for the Head of Studies of the Teaching Units and the Education Committee, with the aim of providing support to the directors of studies and teachers in this adaptation(AU)

New regulations regarding Postgraduate Medical Training in Spain: perception of the tutor's role in the Murcia Region.

BACKGROUND: Recently introduced regulatory changes have expanded the Tutor role to include their primary responsibility for Postgraduate Medical Training (PMT). However, accreditation and recognition of that role has been devolved to the autonomic regions. The opinions of the RT may be relevant to future decisions; METHODS: A comprehensive questionnaire, including demographic characteristics, academic and research achievement and personal views about their role, was sent to 201 RTs in the Murcia Region of Spain. The responses are described using median and interquartile ranges (IQR); RESULTS: There were 147 replies (response rate 73%), 69% male, mean age 45 +/- 7 yrs. RTs perception of the residents' initial knowledge and commitment throughout the program was 5 (IQR 4-6) and 7 (IQR 5-8), respectively. As regards their impact on the PMT program, RTs considered that their own contribution was similar to that of senior residents. RTs perception of how their role was recognised was 5 (IQR 3-6). Only 16% did not encounter difficulties in accessing specific RT training programs. Regarding the RTs view of their various duties, supervision of patient care was accorded the greatest importance (64%) while the satisfactory completion of the PMT program and supervision of day-to-day activities were also considered important (61% and 59% respectively). The main RT requirements were: a greater professional recognition (97%), protected time (95%), specific RT training programs (95%) and financial recognition (86%); CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive study, reflecting the feelings of our RTs, provides a useful insight into the reality of their work and the findings ought to be taken into consideration in the imminent definitive regulatory document on PMT.