Characterization of Phenolic Compounds in Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Granada (Spain) and Evaluation of Its Neuroprotective Action.

The olive oil sector is a fundamental food in the Mediterranean diet. It has been demonstrated that the consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with a high content of phenolic compounds is beneficial in the prevention and/or treatment of many diseases. The main objective of this work was to study the relationship between the content of phenolic compounds and the in vitro neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of EVOOs from two PDOs in the province of Granada. To this purpose, the amounts of phenolic compounds were determined by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and the inhibitory activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzymes by spectrophotometric and fluorimetric assays. The main families identified were phenolic alcohols, secoiridoids, lignans, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. The EVOO samples with the highest total concentration of compounds and the highest inhibitory activity belonged to the Picual and Manzanillo varieties. Statistical analysis showed a positive correlation between identified compounds and AChE and COX-2 inhibitory activity, except for lignans. These results confirm EVOO's compounds possess neuroprotective potential.

From feed to functionality: Unravelling the nutritional composition and techno-functional properties of insect-based ingredients.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in using insects as a sustainable resource for biorefinery processes. This emerging field aims to convert insect biomass into valuable products while minimizing waste. The integration of emerging green technologies and the efficient extraction of high-value compounds from insects offer promising avenues for addressing the growing demand for sustainable food production and resource utilization. The review examines the impact of dietary modifications on the nutritional profile of insects. It highlights the potential for manipulating insect feed to optimize protein quality, amino acid profile, lipid content and fatty acid composition. Additionally, innovative green processing technologies such as ultrasound, high pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, cold plasma and enzymatic hydrolysis are discussed for their ability to enhance the extraction and techno-functional properties of insect-based ingredients. The review finds that dietary modifications can impact the nutritional composition of insects, allowing the customization of their nutrient content. By optimizing the insect feed, it is possible to increase the quantity and improve the quality of essential nutrients like proteins or lipids in the derived ingredients. Moreover, alternative processing technologies can improve the techno-functional properties (e.g., solubility, water and oil holding capacities, among others) of insect-based ingredients by modifying proteins' conformation. By harnessing these strategies, researchers and industry professionals can unlock the full potential of insects as a sustainable and nutritional food source, paving the way for innovative insect-based food products.

Improving Tenebrio molitor Growth and Nutritional Value through Vegetable Waste Supplementation.

Huge amounts of vegetable wastes are generated by the food industry. Their bioconversion into valuable products (e.g., insect flours or biofertilizer) through insect farming is a promising solution to reduce their negative environmental and economic impacts. This study evaluates the growth of Tenebrio molitor larvae and their nutritional profile after supplementing their diets with vegetable wastes. Over a 6-week period, 45-day larvae were fed a diet comprising wheat bran supplemented (1:1) with cucumber or tomato wastes from both conventional and ecological crops. The control diet consisted of wheat bran and an equivalent amount of water to compensate for the waste moisture. Larval weight was measured weekly, and length measures were taken fortnightly. Nutritional composition and fatty acid profile were analyzed at the end of the study in 90-day larvae. Regardless of using vegetable waste from conventional or ecological harvesting, the weight of 6-week supplemented larvae almost doubled that of larvae fed with just wheat bran, and their length was 15% higher. Supplementation also increased larval polyunsaturated fatty acid percentage by 22-37%, with linoleic acid being the most abundant. Likewise, larval protein content reached 50% after supplementation. This study demonstrates that both cucumber and tomato wastes from conventional or ecological crops are excellent supplements for T. molitor's diet, improving their nutritional value and reducing the time necessary for larvae growth.

Functional ingredient from avocado peel: Microwave-assisted extraction, characterization and potential applications for the food industry.

Avocado peel is a by-product obtained in high amounts in the food industry with no further applications despite its richness in bioactive compounds. In this context, an efficient "green" microwave assisted extraction (MAE) was optimized to maximize the extraction of bioactive polyphenols. Moreover, the phenolic composition of the developed green avocado extract was characterized by HPLC coupled to MS analysers and the potential applications for the food industry were studied assaying different bioactivities. Thus, the matrix metalloproteinases inhibition, the antioxidant capacity and the antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeast and mold were tested. The results pointed out both, high matrix metalloproteinases inhibitory capacity and antioxidant activity of avocado peel MAE extract. These findings suggest the potential food industry applications of this extract as natural food preservative, functional food ingredient or nutraceuticals with antioxidant and anti-aging activities.

Antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of supplementation with red wine pomace in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Hypertension is associated with enhanced vascular oxidative stress and impaired endothelial function, which is related to an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide bioavailability. Short-term supplementation with a polyphenol-rich powdered red wine pomace seasoning (RWPS) was investigated for its effects on blood pressure and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative status in a model of essential hypertension. Male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (12-week-old, 5 rats per group) were administered RWPS (300 mg kg-1 day-1; equivalent to 7.32 mg gallic acid per kg per day) or vehicle by gavage. In SHRs, 4-week RWPS supplementation progressively decreased blood pressure, reaching 11.5% reduction at the end of the study (p < 0.001). RWPS consumption also increased the ferric reducing ability of plasma and attenuated the oxidation of plasma lipids and proteins, as evidenced by F2-isoprostanes, malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl groups as oxidative stress biomarkers. Moreover, nitric oxide production (indirectly measured) was 1.5-fold higher in SHRs + RWPS than that in SHRs (p < 0.05). These beneficial effects were partly attributed to the ability of RWPS-derived bioactive compounds to modulate aortic gene expression, with eNOS, SOD2 and HO-1 over-expression, ACE down-regulation, and no changes in NOX4. In conclusion, this study suggests the potential of red wine pomace-derived seasonings to help in the management of hypertension.

Alternative natural seasoning to improve the microbial stability of low-salt beef patties.

The meat industry is seeking new strategies to reduce the sodium content of meat products without shortening their shelf-life. Natural seasonings as salt alternatives are more appreciated than chemical preservatives and also enable the incorporation of interesting nutrients. The present work studies the potential of a new red wine pomace seasoning (RWPS), derived from wine pomace, to inhibit spoilage growth in beef patties with different salt levels (2%, 1.5% and 1%) held in storage at 4°C. The use of RWPS (2% w/w) improved the microbial stability of the patties, delaying total aerobic mesophilic, and lactic acid bacteria growth, especially in samples with low salt levels. Satisfactory results were obtained in modified-atmosphere and air-packaged patties. RWPS also enabled the incorporation of fiber and phenolic compounds, and increased potassium and calcium levels. In summary, RWPS presented an interesting potential as a seasoning in meat products, enabling salt reduction without compromising their microbial stability.

The effects of heat treatment on the phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity of red wine pomace seasonings.

The impact of thermal processing on the phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity (TAC) of powdered red wine pomace seasonings (RWPSs) obtained from different sources (seedless: Sk-S; whole: W-S; seeds: Sd-S) was assessed. High contents in anthocyanins, flavonol-3-O-glycosides, phenolic acids and flavan-3-ols were found in Sk-S, whereas flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids were the main compounds identified in Sd-S. Reductions in the anthocyanidin and flavonol-3-ol contents mainly determined the effect of heat on the total phenolic contents (Sk-S: -29.4%; W-S: -28.0%; Sd-S: -5.78%), although heating affected positively the phenolic acid and flavonol aglycon contents. Slight TAC decreases were observed in the RWPS-derived extracts (classical Folin-Ciocalteu and ABTS assays). However, higher TAC reductions were detected when the powdered RWPSs were used directly as samples (QUENCHER approach). In conclusion, there is little evidence against submitting RWPSs to thermal processing, as heating affects differently each type of phenolic compound and does not induce very severe TAC decreases in these seasonings.

Chemopreventive Potential of Powdered Red Wine Pomace Seasonings against Colorectal Cancer in HT-29 Cells.

This study evaluates the antiproliferative and antigenotoxic actions of powdered red wine pomace seasonings (Sk-S, seedless; W-S, whole; Sd-S, seeds). In vitro gastrointestinal digested and colonic fermented fractions of the seasonings were used as cell treatments. Phenolic acids from Sk-S showed the highest bioaccessibility in the small intestine, whereas polyphenols contained in Sd-S might be the most fermentable in the colon. Dietary fiber from Sk-S was the best substrate for short chain fatty acids production by gut microbiota. Colon cancerous (HT-29) cell viability was inhibited by 50% (IC50 values) at treatment concentrations ranging from 845 (Sk-S) to 1085 (Sd-S) µg/mL prior digestion, but all digested fractions exhibited similar antiproliferative activities (mean IC50 = 814 µg/mL). Oxidative DNA damage in cells was also attenuated by the treatments (200 µg/mL, 24 h preincubation), with all colonic fermented fractions displaying similar genoprotective action. These results suggest the potential of red wine pomace seasonings as chemopreventive agents in colorectal cancer.

Attenuation of oxidative stress in Type 1 diabetic rats supplemented with a seasoning obtained from winemaking by-products and its effect on endothelial function.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from insulin deficiency. This is usually accompanied by a pro-oxidative environment, dyslipidemia and endothelial dysfunction, thus leading to several micro- and macro-vascular complications. This study investigated the potential benefits of a seasoning obtained from seedless red wine pomace (RWPS) in protecting against oxidative damage and preserving endothelial function in Type 1 DM, and the underlying mechanisms involved at the level of gene expression. The diet of streptozotocin (45 mg kg-1)-induced diabetic (DB) and control (CN) male Wistar rats (n = 5 rats per group) was supplemented with RWPS (300 mg per kg per day) or vehicle for 4 weeks. Characteristic indicators of DM such as increased food and water intakes and weight loss were significantly ameliorated in DB + RWPS rats, with a notable normalization in their fasting glycemic control and cholesterol profile. Plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was substantially increased, and biomarkers of oxidative damage to lipids (F2-isoprostanes, 24.9%; malondialdehyde, 28.4%) and proteins (carbonyl groups, 5.91%) were significantly decreased. Nitric oxide availability tended to improve in plasma of DB + RWPS compared with DB rats. Insulin levels were increased (1.51-fold) and aortic tissue antioxidant enzymes such as mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2, 1.93-fold) were up-regulated. Other important genes for endothelial function, including endothelial ß-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX4), endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthases (eNOS, iNOS), and angiotensin-converting enzyme-I (ACE), were non-significantly modulated, although certain potentially positive trends were observed. These results indicate that RWPS supplementation might be a useful nutritional approach to manage Type 1 DM and ameliorate its vascular complications.

Total antioxidant capacity of new natural powdered seasonings after gastrointestinal and colonic digestion.

New powdered seasonings, rich in natural antioxidant compounds, have successfully been applied recently in different food matrices. Once ingested, the antioxidants contained in these seasonings may exert protective effects against oxidative stress along the gastrointestinal tract. This fact was evaluated by submitting the different seasonings under study to simulated digestion followed by assessing the reducing and antiradical capacities of the digested fractions. Enzymatic gastrointestinal digestion enhanced 2-3 times both antioxidant activities and colonic fermentation increased more than 10-fold the radical scavenging ability of digested fractions compared with undigested seasonings. Digested fractions derived from the seedless wine pomace seasoning presented generally the highest antioxidant properties. The results were evaluated considering bioaccessibility factors to have a more realistic overview of the potential antioxidant capacities of the seasonings and of the probable beneficial effects of their consumption on the prevention of oxidative damage along the gut.

Adaptation and Validation of QUick, Easy, New, CHEap, and Reproducible (QUENCHER) Antioxidant Capacity Assays in Model Products Obtained from Residual Wine Pomace.

Evaluation of the total antioxidant capacity of solid matrices without extraction steps is a very interesting alternative for food researchers and also for food industries. These methodologies have been denominated QUENCHER from QUick, Easy, New, CHEap, and Reproducible assays. To demonstrate and highlight the validity of QUENCHER (Q) methods, values of Q-method validation were showed for the first time, and they were tested with products of well-known different chemical properties. Furthermore, new QUENCHER assays to measure scavenging capacity against superoxide, hydroxyl, and lipid peroxyl radicals were developed. Calibration models showed good linearity (R(2) > 0.995), proportionality and precision (CV < 6.5%), and acceptable detection limits (<20.4 nmol Trolox equiv). The presence of ethanol in the reaction medium gave antioxidant capacity values significantly different from those obtained with water. The dilution of samples with powdered cellulose was discouraged because possible interferences with some of the matrices analyzed may take place.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of wine byproducts and their potential uses in the food industry.

Wine pomace (WP) is one of the agricultural byproducts that has received most attention from food scientists due to the wide range of interesting compounds that remain after the winemaking process. Different powdered products rich in phenolic compounds, with interesting antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, were obtained from WP by applying processes that are both environmentally friendly and economically affordable for the food industry. The products obtained showed high global antioxidant activities (ABTS assay), successfully delayed the onset of lipid oxidation in the Rancimat test, and showed different antimicrobial properties. Products derived from seed-free WP showed bactericidal effects against total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAMB) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and inhibited Enterobacteriaceae growth completely. The product derived from whole WP presented bacteriostatic activity against the three microorganism groups tested, whereas the product obtained from grape seed promoted TAMB and LAB growth but delayed Enterobacteriaceae proliferation.

Impact of processing on the bioavailability and vascular effects of blueberry (poly)phenols.

SCOPE: Blueberries are a rich source of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Currently, little information is available regarding the impact of processing on the bioavailability and the bioactivity of blueberry (poly)phenols. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a randomized, controlled crossover trial, ten healthy volunteers consumed (a) blueberry-containing baked products, (b) an unprocessed blueberry drink containing the same amount of freeze-dried blueberry powder as used in the baked products, and (c) matched control baked products. Endothelial function was measured as flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and plasma samples taken at baseline and at 1, 2, 4, and 6 h postconsumption. Although processing did not significantly change the total (poly)phenolic amount, the processed products contained significantly less anthocyanins (-42%), more chlorogenic acid (23%), no flavanol nonamers or decamers, and significantly more flavanol dimers and trimers (36% and 28%, respectively). FMD increased after 1, 2, and 6 h consumption of the baked products to a similar degree as the unprocessed blueberries, despite significant differences in the levels of individual plasma metabolites. No changes were observed after the consumption of the control product. CONCLUSION: Careful processing can preserve important biological activities of blueberries despite changing the blueberry (poly)phenol composition and plasma metabolite profile.

Influence of the degree of roasting on the antioxidant capacity and genoprotective effect of instant coffee: contribution of the melanoidin fraction.

The roasting process induces chemical changes in coffee beans that strongly affect the antioxidant activity of coffee. In this study, the polyphenol and melanoidin contents and the antioxidant activity of three instant coffees with different roasting degrees (light, medium, and dark) were assessed. Coffee brews were separated into fractions, and the potential biological activity of the melanoidins was evaluated by simulating their gastrointestinal digestion. Total antioxidant capacity, hydroxyl radical scavenger activity, lipid peroxidation inhibition capacity, and protection against DNA oxidative damage (in vitro and ex vivo genoprotective effects) were determined. We report that instant coffee has a high total antioxidant capacity and protective effect against certain oxidative stress biomarkers (lipids and DNA), although this capacity decreases with the roasting degree. Our study confirms the hypothesis that several of the polyphenols present in coffee may become part of the melanoidins generated during roasting. Furthermore, the elevated genoprotective effect of melanoidin-digested fractions is noteworthy.