A Quinoa Protein Hydrolysate Fractionated by Electrodialysis with Ultrafiltration Membranes Improves Maternal and Fetal Outcomes in a Mouse Model of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

SCOPE: Quinoa intake exerts hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in animals and humans. Although peptides from quinoa inhibit key enzymes involved in glucose homeostasis in vitro, their in vivo antidiabetic properties have not been investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study evaluated the effect of oral administration of a quinoa protein hydrolysate (QH) produced through enzymatic hydrolysis and fractionation by electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membrane (EDUF) (FQH) on the metabolic and pregnancy outcomes of Lepdb/+ pregnant mice, a preclinical model of gestational diabetes mellitus. The 4-week pregestational consumption of 2.5 mg mL-1 of QH in water prevented glucose intolerance and improves hepatic insulin signaling in dams, also reducing fetal weights. Sequencing and bioinformatic analyses of the defatted FQH (FQHD) identified 11 peptides 6-10 amino acids long that aligned with the quinoa proteome and exhibited putative anti-dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-IV) activity, confirmed in vitro in QH, FQH, and FDQH fractions. Peptides homologous to mouse and human proteins enriched for biological processes related to glucose metabolism are also identified. CONCLUSION: Processing of quinoa protein may be used to develop a safe and effective nutritional intervention to control glucose intolerance during pregnancy. Further studies are required to confirm if this nutritional intervention is applicable to pregnant women.

Effect of commercial grape extracts on the cheese-making properties of milk.

Grape extracts can be added to milk to produce cheese with a high concentration of polyphenols. Four commercial extracts from whole grape, grape seed, and grape skin (2 extracts) were characterized and added to milk at concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% (wt/vol). The effect of grape extracts on the kinetics of milk clotting, milk gel texture, and syneresis were determined, and model cheeses were produced. Whole grape and grape seed extracts contained a similar concentration of polyphenolic compounds and about twice the amount found in grape skin extracts. Radical scavenging activity was directly proportional to the phenolic compounds content. When added to milk, grape extracts increased rennet-induced clotting time and decreased the clotting rate. Although differences were observed between the extracts, the concentration added to milk was the main factor influencing clotting properties. With increasing concentrations of grape extracts, milk gels showed increased brittleness and reduced firmness. In addition, syneresis of milk gels decreased with increasing concentrations of grape extracts, which resulted in cheeses with a higher moisture content. The presence of grape extracts in milk slightly increased protein recovery in cheese but had no effect on fat recovery. With whole grape or grape seed extracts added to milk at 0.1% (wt/vol), the recovery coefficient for polyphenols was about 0.63, and decreased with increasing extract concentration in milk. Better polyphenol recovery was observed for grape seed extracts (0.87), with no concentration effect. Commercial extracts from whole grape, grape seed, or grape skin can be added to milk in the 0.1 to 0.3% (wt/vol) concentration range to produce cheese with potential health benefits, without a negative effect on cheese yield.