Fat replacement by pecan nut and oregano oil and their impact on the physicochemical properties and consumer acceptability of frankfurters.

OBJECTIVE: A study was conducted to determine the physicochemical quality and consumer acceptability of beef frankfurter-type sausages formulated with pecan nut paste and Mexican oregano oil (MO) of two varieties, Poliomintha longiflora Gray (Mexican oregano Poliomintha, MOP) or Lippia berlandieri (Mexican oregano Lippia, MOL). METHODS: Frankfurters were processed under six treatment conditions: control (10.67% pork fat), MOP (control + 0.01% MOP), MOL (control + 0.01% MOL), MOP-N (control + 0.01% MOP + 6% pecan nut paste), MOL-N (control + 0.01% MOL + 6% pecan nut paste), and C-N (control + 6% pecan nut paste). The physicochemical properties and the consumer acceptability were determined. RESULTS: The addition of MO and nut did not influence the water holding capacity, drip loss, and luminosity of frankfurters, but those ingredients increased pH and shear force (p<0.05) and decreased redness (p<0.05) of frankfurters. Frankfurters were generally well accepted by consumers. However, general acceptability of sausages decreased with the addition of MO. Control sausages showed the highest acceptability. CONCLUSION: The MO and pecan nut paste do not affect drastically the quality of frankfurters. These results provide evidence that partial replacement of pork fat by pecan nut in frankfurters maintain a consistent physicochemical quality and its commercialization looks promising given consumers' acceptance.

Antioxidant Capacity and Phytonutrient Content in the Seed Coat and Cotyledon of Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from Various Regions in Mexico.

The common bean is a good source of protein and bioactive substances giving it a large antioxidant capacity. The extensive variability of bean genotypes creates the need to characterize them with regard to their nutritional value as a tool in biofortification programs. The purpose of this study was to obtain the antioxidant capacity and phytonutrient content both in the seed coat and the cotyledon of 12 common bean varieties from different regions in Mexico. In the case of the whole seed, lightness (L*), a* (red-purple) and b* (yellow-purple) color coordinates were determined, as well as the chroma and hue angle. In the case of the seed coat and the cotyledon, the protein content, the phytonutrient content and the antioxidant capacity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)) were evaluated. A significant difference was observed (p ≤ 0.05) among bean varieties and between seed coat and cotyledon in all variables evaluated. Cotyledon showed a higher content of protein, H, Ni, Zn, Cu, N, P, K S and Mn, while the seed coat showed a higher content of Fe, Ca and Mg and a greater antioxidant capacity (59.99%). The Higuera Azufrado bean variety stood out as having a higher content of N, S and protein. We have concluded that the nutritional characterization performed on Mexican bean varieties represents a valuable tool for genetic enhancement programs and crop biofortification strategies.

Effect of controlled atmospheres on the quality of white onion (Allium cepa L).

Onion is one of the oldest and most consumed crops in the world. Its quality deteriorates gradually during prolonged storage. In the present study, white onions of the variety "Sierra Blanca" were stored in a controlled atmosphere (CA) for 7 months. The color, total pungency, microbiological load and total carbohydrates were evaluated. Three treatments were applied: control treatment (CT), regular atmosphere at 2.5 °C without controlled relative humidity (RH); (T1)1% O2 + 1% CO2 at 2.5 °C and 60-75% RH and (T2)3% O2 + 5% CO2 at 2.5 °C and 60-75% RH. The statistical analysis showed a significant effect of the treatments and storage time in most of the variables analyzed. The CA managed to preserve the quality of the onion during the storage period while the control bulbs exhibited greater deterioration. These increased 2.9 times their level of pungency, had a higher microbial load and showed a very noticeable color change at the end of storage with respect to freshly harvested onions and those stored in a CA. They had a more yellow-green coloration. Both CA treatments were effective in preserving onion quality, but a more positive effect for T1 than T2 was observed on most of the parameters evaluated.

Bioactive Compounds from Mexican Varieties of the Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris): Implications for Health.

As Mexico is located within Mesoamerica, it is considered the site where the bean plant originated and where it was domesticated. Beans have been an integral part of the Mexican diet for thousands of years. Within the country, there are a number of genotypes possessing highly diverse physical and chemical properties. This review describes the major bioactive compounds contained on the Mexican varieties of the common bean. A brief analysis is carried out regarding the benefits they have on health. The effect of seed coat color on the nutraceutical compounds content is distinguished, where black bean stands out because it is high content of anthocyanins, polyphenols and flavonoids such as quercetin. This confers black bean with an elevated antioxidant capacity. The most prominent genotypes within this group are the "Negro San Luis", "Negro 8025" and "Negro Jamapa" varieties. Conversely, the analyzed evidence shows that more studies are needed in order to expand our knowledge on the nutraceutical quality of the Mexican bean genotypes, either grown or wild-type, as well as their impact on health in order to be used in genetic improvement programs or as a strategy to encourage their consumption. The latter is based on the high potential it has for health preservation and disease prevention.

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Different Grafted Varieties of Bell Pepper.

Grafting favors the presence of bioactive compounds in the bell pepper, but many species and varieties have not yet been analyzed in this sense, including commonly grafted varieties. The aim of the present study is to characterize the content in ß-carotenes, vitamin C, lycopene, total phenols, and the antioxidant activity of bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.) using the cultivar/rootstock combinations: Jeanette/Terrano (yellow), Sweet/Robusto (green), Fascinato/Robusto (red), Orangela/Terrano (orange), and Fascinato/Terrano (red). The plants were grown in a net-shading system and harvested on three sampling dates of the same crop cycle. The results show statistical differences (p ≤ 0.05) between cultivar/rootstock combinations and sampling dates for the content in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. Fascinato/Robusto presented the highest concentration of lycopene and total phenols as well as the greatest antioxidant activity of all cultivar/rootstock combinations evaluated. In addition, it was found that the best sampling time for the peppers to have the highest concentrations of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity was September.

Comparison of fatty acid content of fresh and frozen fillets of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Walbaum

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the percentage content of fatty acids (FA) of 54 rainbow trout fresh and frozen fillets. Frozen fillets were stored at -15ºC for 45 and 90 days. Saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA), omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids were determined by gas chromatograph coupled to mass spectrometry. The results indicated that during frozen storage, SFA and MUFA content increased by 32.63 and 9.25%, respectively, while PUFA content decreased by 25.3%, n-6 by 12.4% and n-3 by 32.55%. These changes were more significant (P ≤ 0.05) during the first 45 d of storage. It was concluded that the frozen storage had a negative impact on meat quality of rainbow trout due to the reduction of PUFA, n-3/n-6, polyene index and PUFA/ SFA and the increase of the SFA, and atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes, which meant a substantial loss of nutritional value in the fillets of rainbow trout.

Characterization of the nutraceutical quality and antioxidant activity in bell pepper in response to grafting.

The grafting of fruits and vegetables influences fruit quality. The aim of the present work was to assess the effect of the rootstock and the scion on the antioxidant activity and the content in vitamin C, total phenols, lycopene and ß-carotene of bell pepper. The cultivars Fascinato and Jeanette were used as scion and Terrano was used as rootstock. Four harvests in the production cycle of the vegetable were analyzed in a cultivation system under shading nets. The results indicate statistical differences in the content of these bioactive compounds between the varieties, between grafting and not grafting and between sampling dates (p ≤ 0.05). The vitamin C content, ß-carotene, and antioxidant capacity proved significantly higher in Fascinato than in Janette. On average, grafting increased ß-carotene and vitamin C concentrations and improved the antioxidant capacity, but had no influence on the total phenol or lycopene contents. It is concluded that grafting to the rootstock Terrano improves the nutritional quality of the fruit produced in both varieties of bell pepper studied.