RESUMO
White chocolate is often considered as an unhealthy product with low phenolic content and antioxidant activity since it does not contain cocoa liquor. In this study, investigation on the phytochemical composition of cinnamon essential oil as well as its potential use to improve the antioxidant activity of white chocolate were carried out. The effect of the essential oil incorporation on the quality attributes of white chocolate was also examined. The results show that cinnamon essential oil was rich in cinnamaldehyde and exhibited antioxidant activity. The incorporation of cinnamon essential oil at a level of 0.1% (w/w) increased the antioxidant activity of the white chocolate more than twofold without significant effect on its hardness, melting properties and colour. However, a slight alteration on the flow behaviour of the white chocolate was observed. This study clearly shows that natural cinnamon essential oil could be an alternative to synthetic additives in foods to improve their antioxidant activity.
RESUMO
Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops and progresses in a nutritional environment comprising a continuously changing luminal cocktail of external dietary and microbial factors on the apical side, and a dynamic host-related pool of systemic factors on the serosal side. In this review, we highlight how this two-front environment influences the bioenergetic status of colonocytes throughout CRC development from (cancer) stem cells to cancer cells in nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor conditions, and eventually to metastatic cells, which, upon entry to the circulation and during metastatic seeding, are forced to metabolically adapt. Furthermore, given the influence of diet on the two-front nutritional environment, we discuss dietary strategies that target the specific metabolic preferences of these cells, with a possible impact on colon cancer cell bioenergetics and CRC outcome.