Characterization of Chia Seeds, Cold-Pressed Oil, and Defatted Cake: An Ancient Grain for Modern Food Production.

The increasing demand for superfoods has resulted in an increase in chia seeds consumption. The reintroduction of this ancient crop in agriculture is useful to ensure food security since it can grow in high-stress conditions. The current study aimed to characterize chia seeds, cold-pressed oil, and defatted cake (the oil extraction by-product) to improve their value and to meet consumer's expectations (low-fat products). Chia seeds presented a significantly higher energy value than cake (444 vs. 284 kcal/100 g, respectively) due to fat removal (33 vs. 7%). The cake showed higher contents of total minerals (6 vs. 5%), protein (27 vs. 18%), and fiber (48 vs. 38%) in comparison to the seeds, and was hence considered a promising food ingredient. The major fatty acid in oil, seeds, and cake was α-linolenic acid (62-66%), and the vitamin E content was 409, 200, and 44 mg/kg, respectively. The major amino acid in the seeds and cake was glutamic acid (49 vs. 36 mg/g). The oil had a low oxidative stability (1 h), and the total phenolics content was 1.3 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g. Chia cake incorporation in food formulations will follow consumer's interests, and the obtained oil can be used to improve the oil supply for different applications. This approach adds value to the concept of "one health" since it includes the culture, the environment, and the consumers.

Effect of Different Time/Temperature Binomials on the Chemical Features, Antioxidant Activity, and Natural Microbial Load of Olive Pomace Paste.

Olive pomace is a by-product from olive oil production that can be further processed to obtain olive pomace paste. In this work, the influence of different time/temperature binomials (65 °C/30 min; 77 °C/1 min; 88 °C/15 s; and 120 °C/20 min) on the nutritional quality, chemical composition, and efficiency on control/elimination of natural microbial load of olive pomace paste was ascertained. The treatments significantly impacted the contents of ash, fat, vitamin E, phenolics (including hydroxytyrosol), flavonoids, and antioxidant activity, but not the fatty acids profile. The binomial 88 °C/15 s showed the greatest potential since it better preserved the phytochemical and antioxidant properties as well as the protein and fiber contents. This binomial is also faster and easy to be implemented at an industrial level, allowing the obtention of a safe functional ingredient to satisfy consumers' demands for novel sustainable products, simultaneously, responding to food safety and food security concerns.

Pasta Incorporating Olive Pomace: Impact on Nutritional Composition and Consumer Acceptance of a Prototype.

The food industry is encouraged to develop new sustainable foodstuffs, and agri-food by-products can serve as valuable ingredients in these formulations. In this work, olive pomace (OP), a by-product of olive oil production, was incorporated as an ingredient in pasta. The changes in the nutritional composition and consumer acceptance were assessed, aiming to scale up the production. OP contains dietary fibre (55%), fat (9%), α-tocopherol (43 mg/kg), and oleic acid (76%) after moisture elimination. For that, the following two drying procedures were tested: 40 °C for 48 h (OP40) and 70 °C for 24 h (OP70). Both samples were sieved to remove the stone pieces. Drying at 70 °C (OP70) was the fastest method, revealed a better nutritional profile than OP40, and was the product selected for the incorporation into the pasta. The enriched pasta, containing 7.5% of OP70, was compared to a control. It showed an improved nutritional value with higher contents of fat, ash, fibre, vitamin E, oleic acid, phenolics, and flavonoids, a composition related to potential health benefits. Consumers appreciated the appearance, colour, shine, and aroma of the obtained pasta, making it a prototype with commercial viability. However, several improvements need to be implemented, namely, at the textural levels. Corrective actions, such as the optimisation of the amount of incorporated OP, the use of other ingredients for flavour masking, and textural adjustments, are advisable, thereby making this product more appealing and accepted by a larger number of consumers. This prototype can be a good approach for the circular economy, environmental sustainability, and food security.

Defatted Flaxseed Flour as a New Ingredient for Foodstuffs: Comparative Analysis with Whole Flaxseeds and Updated Composition of Cold-Pressed Oil.

BACKGROUND: Flaxseeds are functional foods popular in current diets. Cold-pressing is a solvent-free method to extract flaxseed oil, resulting in a by-product-defatted flour. OBJECTIVES/METHODS: This study compared whole flaxseeds and defatted flour (proximate composition, fatty acids, vitamin E, total phenolics and flavonoids, antioxidant activity, amino acids, and protein quality) and updated the composition of cold-pressed oil (oxidative stability, peroxide value, UV absorbance, colour, fatty acids, vitamin E, total phenolics and flavonoids, and antioxidant activity) to assess the nutritional relevance and potential for food applications of these samples. RESULTS: The flour had higher ash (6% vs. 4%), fibre (36% vs. 34%), protein (28% vs. 16%), phenolics (205 vs. 143 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g), and antioxidant activity than seeds (p < 0.05), so it should be valued as a novel high-fibre food ingredient with high-quality plant-based protein, as it contains all essential amino acids (106 mg/g) and a high essential amino acids index (112%), with L-tryptophan as the limiting amino acid. The oil, while low in oxidative stability (1.3 h), due to its high polyunsaturated fatty acids sum (75%), mostly α-linolenic acid (57%), contains a significant amount of vitamin E (444 mg/kg), making it a specialty oil best consumed raw. CONCLUSIONS: The exploration of the flour as a minimally processed food ingredient highlights its role in supporting food security, circular economy, and sustainability goals, aligning with consumer preferences for natural, low-fat foods. Future research should investigate the bioactivity and shelf-life of the samples, as well as the bioavailability of compounds after digestion.

Updated Organic Composition and Potential Therapeutic Properties of Different Varieties of Olive Leaves from Olea europaea.

Olea europaea L. folium merits further exploration of the potential of its substrates for therapeutic supplements. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted on samples of Madural, Verdeal, and Cobrançosa elementary leaves and leaf sprouts (mamões) collected in the region of Valpaços, Portugal. Organic analysis assessed the moisture content, total carbohydrates, ash, protein, and fat contents, total phenolic content (TPC), vitamin E, and fatty acid (FA) profiles. Moisture content was determined through infrared hygrometry and TPC was determined by a spectrophotometric method. Concerning organic analysis, all leaf samples showed similar moisture content, though Cobrançosa's leaf sprouts and Verdeal's elementary leaves had slightly lower contents. Meanwhile, these cultivars also showed a higher TPC, α-tocopherol isomer, and fatty acid composition (FAC). FAC in all samples exhibited higher contents of PUFA and SFA than MUFA, with a predominance of linolenic and palmitic acids. Organic analyses of Cobrançosa's leaf sprouts and Verdeal's elementary leaf extracts allow for the prediction of adequate physiological properties regarding neuroinflammatory, neurobehavioral, metabolic, cardiovascular, osteo-degenerative, anti-ageing, pulmonary, and immunological defense disorders. These physiological changes observed in our preliminary in silico studies suggest an excellent nutraceutical, which should be borne in mind during severe pandemic situations.

Potential Therapeutic Properties of the Leaf of Cydonia Oblonga Mill. Based on Mineral and Organic Profiles.

Leaf extract of Cydonia Oblonga Mill. is interesting for further exploration of the potential of its substrates for therapeutic supplements. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted on samples of green (October), yellow (November), and brown (December) quince leaves collected in the region of Pinhel, Portugal. Mineral analysis determined the measurements of the levels of several macro- and micro-elements. Organic analysis assessed the moisture content, total phenolic content (TPC), vitamin E, and fatty acid (FA) profiles. Mineral analysis was based on ICP-MS techniques, while the profiles of vitamin E and FA relied on HPLC-DAD-FLD and GC-FID techniques, respectively. Moisture content was determined through infrared hygrometry and TPC was determined by spectrophotometric methods. Regarding the mineral content, calcium, magnesium, and iron were the most abundant minerals. Concerning organic analysis, all leaf samples showed similar moisture content, while the TPC of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) and total vitamin E content, the most predominant of which was the α-tocopherol isomer, showed significant variations between green-brown and yellow leaves. FA composition in all leaf samples exhibited higher contents of SFA and PUFA than MUFA, with a predominance of palmitic and linolenic acids. Organic and inorganic analysis of quince leaves allow for the prediction of adequate physiological properties, mainly cardiovascular, pulmonary, and immunological defenses, which with our preliminary in silico studies suggest an excellent supplement to complementary therapy, including drastic pandemic situations.