Recent advances in biological properties of brown algae-derived compounds for nutraceutical applications.

The increasing demand for nutraceuticals in the circular economy era has driven the research toward studying bioactive compounds from renewable underexploited resources. In this regard, the exploration of brown algae has shown significant growth and maintains a great promise for the future. One possible explanation could be that brown algae are rich sources of nutritional compounds (polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, proteins, minerals, and vitamins) and unique metabolic compounds (phlorotannins, fucoxanthin, fucoidan) with promising biological activities that make them good candidates for nutraceutical applications with increased value-added. In this review, a deep description of bioactive compounds from brown algae is presented. In addition, recent advances in biological activities ascribed to these compounds through in vitro and in vivo assays are pointed out. Delivery strategies to overcome some drawbacks related to the direct application of algae-derived compounds (low solubility, thermal instability, bioavailability, unpleasant organoleptic properties) are also reviewed. Finally, current commercial and legal statuses of ingredients from brown algae are presented, considering future therapeutical and market perspectives as nutraceuticals.

Chemical Composition, In Vitro Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of Polyphenolic Compounds from Nutraceutical Fennel Waste Extract.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) waste contains a broad range of bioactive molecules, including polyphenols, which have poor bioaccessibility during gastrointestinal digestion. This work aimed to investigate the bioaccessibility of total phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity during simulated gastrointestinal digestion using two nutraceutical formulations based on non-acid-resistant (NAR) and acid-resistant (AR) capsules containing aqueous-based extracts from fennel waste. Moreover, to obtain a comprehensive investigation of the polyphenolic constituents of the fennel waste extract, a high-resolution mass spectrometry (Q-Orbitrap) analysis was performed. Notably, chlorogenic acids, such as 4-caffeoylquinic acid and 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid, were the most detected compounds found in assayed samples (1.949 and 0.490 mg/g, respectively). After in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, the extract contained in AR capsules displayed higher bioaccessibility in both the duodenal and colonic stages (1.96 and 5.19 mg GAE/g, respectively) than NAR capsules (1.72 and 3.50 mg GAE/g, respectively), suggesting that the acidic gastric conditions negatively affected the polyphenol compounds released from the NAR capsules. Therefore, the aqueous extract of fennel waste could be proposed as an innovative and easily available source of dietary polyphenols. Furthermore, the use of an AR capsule could improve the polyphenol bioaccessibility and can be proposed as a nutraceutical formulation.

Anticancer and Immunomodulatory Benefits of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) Corms, an Underexploited Tuber Crop.

Taro corms contain valuable bioactive molecules effective against cancer and cancer-related risk factors, such as carcinogens and biological agents, several pathophysiological conditions, including oxidative stress and inflammation, while controlling metabolic dysfunctions and boosting the immunological response. Such broad effects are achieved by the taro health-influencing compounds displaying antitumoral, antimutagenic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, and anti-hyperlipidemic activities. Taro bioactivities are attributed to the combination of tarin, taro-4-I polysaccharide, taro polysaccharides 1 and 2 (TPS-1 and TPS-2), A-1/B-2 α-amylase inhibitors, monogalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDGs), digalactosyldiacylglycerols (DGDGs), polyphenols, and nonphenolic antioxidants. Most of these compounds have been purified and successfully challenged in vitro and in vivo, proving their involvement in the aforementioned activities. Although these health-promoting effects have been recognized since ancient times, as well as other valuable features of taro for food profit, such as hypo-allergenicity, gluten-free, and carbohydrates with medium-glycemic index, taro crop remains underexploited. The popularization of taro intake should be considered a dietary intervention strategy to be applied to improve the overall health status of the organism and as supportive therapy to manage tumorigenesis.

Regulation of the levels of health promoting compounds: lupeol, mangiferin and phenolic acids in the pulp and peel of mango fruit: a review.

There is a demand for feasible methodologies that can increase/maintain the levels of health-promoting phytochemicals in horticultural produce, due to strong evidence that these compounds can reduce risk of chronic diseases. Mango (Mangifera indica L.), ranks fifth among the most cultivated fruit crops in the world, is naturally rich in phytochemicals such as lupeol, mangiferin and phenolic acids (e.g. gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and vanillic acid). Yet, there is still much scope for up-regulating the levels of these compounds in mango fruit through manipulation of different preharvest and postharvest practices that affect their biosynthesis and degradation. The process of ripening, harvest maturity, physical and chemical elicitor treatments such as low temperature stress, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid (SA) and nitric oxide (NO) and the availability of enzyme cofactors (Mg2+ , Mn2+ and Fe2+ ) required in terpenoid biosynthesis were identified as potential determinants of the concentration of health-promoting compounds in mango fruit. The effectiveness of these preharvest and postharvest approaches in regulating the levels of lupeol, mangiferin and phenolic acids in the pulp and peel of mango fruit will be discussed. In general spray application of 0.2% iron(II) sulphate (FeSO4 ) 30 days before harvest, harvest at sprung stage, storage of mature green fruit at 5 °C for 12 days prior to ripening, fumigation of mature green fruit with 10-5  mol L-1 and/or 10-4  mol L-1 MeJA for 24 h or 20 and/or 40 µL L-1 NO for 2 h upregulate the levels of lupeol, mangiferin and phenolic acids in pulp and peel of ripe mango fruit. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Antioxidant Activity and Phytochemical Characterization of Senecio clivicolus Wedd.

Antioxidant phytochemicals play a key role in oxidative stress control and in the prevention of related disorders, such as premature aging, degenerative diseases, diabetes, and cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential antioxidant activity and the phytochemical profile of Senecio clivicolus Wedd., a perennial shrub, belonging to the Asteraceae family. Despite the wide interest of this family, this specie has not been investigated yet. S. clivicolus aerial parts were extracted with 96% ethanol. Then, the ethanol extract was fractionated by liquid/liquid extraction using an increasing solvents polarity. Total polyphenol and terpenoid contents were measured. Moreover, the antioxidant activity was evaluated by six different complementary in vitro assays. The Relative Antioxidant Capacity Index (RACI) was used to compare data obtained by different tests. The sample showing the highest RACI was subjected to characterization and quantitation of its phenolic composition using LC-MS/MS analysis. The ethyl acetate fraction, investigated by LC-MS/MS analysis, showed 30 compounds, most of them are chlorogenic acid and flavonoid derivatives. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the evaluation of antioxidant activity and phytochemical profile of S. clivicolus, underlying the importance of this species as a source of health-promoting phytochemicals.

Effect of harvest time on the levels of phytochemicals, free radical-scavenging activity, α-amylase inhibition and bile acid-binding capacity of spinach (Spinacia oleracea).

BACKGROUND: Spinach is a green leafy vegetable that is rich in health-promoting compounds. The present study analyzed the levels of phytochemicals and health-promoting properties of spinach harvested at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 days after planting. RESULTS: The time of harvest had a significant effect on nitrate levels, which increased from 1909 ± 70.6 µg g-1 (20 days) to 3668 ± 101.3 µg g-1 (40 days) and then decreased to 974 ± 164 µg g-1 (60 days). Lutein and chlorophylls a and b were found to be maximum at 60 days, whereas ß-carotene was higher at 50 days. Liquid chromatography/high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC/HR-QTOF-MS) was used to identify 12 flavonoids, and their tentative fragmentation pathways have been proposed. Spinach harvested at 30 and 60 days exhibited significantly higher 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical-scavenging activities and inhibition of amylase. The levels of total phenolics ranged from 885 ± 35.1 to 1162 ± 112.4 µg g-1 in the samples. In vitro bile acid-binding capacity showed that glycochenodeoxycholate and glycodeoxycholate were bound to maximum levels in all spinach samples. CONCLUSION: The harvest time has a major effect on the levels of phytochemicals and health-beneficial properties, which indicates that consumption of both baby and mature spinach will provide maximum health benefits. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Natural vitamin B12 and fucose supplementation of green smoothies with edible algae and related quality changes during their shelf life.

BACKGROUND: Some algae are an excellent sources of vitamin B12, of special interest for vegetarian/vegan consumers, and of fucose to supplement fruit and vegetable beverages such as smoothies. Nevertheless, supplementation of smoothies with algae may lead to possible quality changes during smoothie shelf life that need to be studied. Therefore, the quality changes in fresh green smoothies supplemented (2.2%) with nine edible algae (sea lettuce, kombu, wakame, thongweed, dulse, Irish moss, nori, Spirulina and Chlorella) were studied throughout 24 days at 5 °C. RESULTS: The initial vitamin C content - 238.7-326.0 mg kg-1 fresh weight (FW) - of a 200 g portion of any of the smoothies ensured full coverage of its recommended daily intake, and still supplying 50-60% of the recommended intake after 7 days. Chlorella and Spirulina smoothies showed the highest vitamin B12 content (33.3 and 15.3 µg kg-1 FW, respectively), while brown algae showed fucose content of 141.1-571.3 mg kg-1 FW. These vitamin B12 and fucose contents were highly maintained during shelf life. CONCLUSION: The Spirulina supplementation of a 200 g smoothie portion ensured full coverage of the recommended vitamin B12 intake, with lower vitamin C degradation, during a shelf life of 17 days. Furthermore, thongweed and kombu are also considered as excellent fucose sources with similar shelf life. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dynamics in the concentrations of health-promoting compounds: lupeol, mangiferin and different phenolic acids during postharvest ripening of mango fruit.

BACKGROUND: Mango fruit (Mangifera indica L.) is renowned for its pleasant taste and as a rich source of health beneficial compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in concentrations of health-promoting compounds, namely ascorbic acid, carotenoids, antioxidants, lupeol, mangiferin, total phenols and individual phenolic acids, as well as ethylene production and respiration rates during climacteric ripening in 'Kensington Pride' and 'R2E2' mango fruit. RESULTS: The climacteric ethylene and respiration peaks were noted on the third day of the fruit ripening period. The concentrations of total carotenoids in the pulp, total antioxidants in both pulp and peel, and total phenols of the peel, lupeol and mangiferin were significantly elevated, whereas the concentration of ascorbic acid declined during post-climacteric ripening. Gallic, chlorogenic and vanillic acids were identified as the major phenolic acids in both pulp and peel of 'Kensington Pride' and 'R2E2' mangoes. The concentrations of phenolic acids (gallic, chlorogenic, vanillic, ferulic and caffeic acids) also increased during the post-climacteric phase. The concentrations of all phenolic compounds were several-fold higher in the peel than pulp. CONCLUSION: Mangoes at post-climacteric ripening phase offer the highest concentrations of health-promoting compounds. Peel, at this stage of fruit ripening, could be exploited as a good source for extraction of these compounds. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Elicitation effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast extract on main health-promoting compounds and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of butter lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

BACKGROUND: This paper presents a study on changes in the main phytochemical levels and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of lettuce caused by different doses and times of application of yeast extracts. RESULTS: Elicitation with yeast extract caused an increase in the total phenolic compounds and chlorophyll content, which varied according to the dose and time of spraying, but it did not have a positive impact on vitamin C, flavonoid and carotenoid content in lettuce. The best effect was achieved by double spraying with 1% yeast extract and by single spraying with 0.1% yeast extract. The increase in phytochemical content was positively correlated with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of the studied lettuce leaves. Chicoric acid seems to be the major contributor to these antioxidant activities. CONCLUSION: Yeast extract may be used as a natural, environmentally friendly and safe elicitor for improving the health-promoting qualities of lettuce. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Metabolomic analysis can detect the composition of pasta enriched with fibre after cooking.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that metabolomics has a definite place in food quality, nutritional value, and safety issues. The aim of the present study was to determine and compare the metabolites in different pasta samples with fibre, and to investigate the modifications induced in these different kinds of pasta during cooking, using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach. RESULTS: Differences were seen for some of the amino acids, which were absent in control pasta, while were present both in the commercially available high-fibre pasta (samples A-C) and the enriched pasta (samples D-F). The highest content in reducing sugars was observed in enriched samples in comparison with high-fibre pasta. The presence of stigmasterol in samples enriched with wheat bran was relevant. Cooking decreased all of the metabolites: the high-fibre pasta (A-C) and Control showed losses of amino acids and tocopherols, while for sugars and organic acids, the decrease depended on the pasta sample. The enriched pasta samples (D-F) showed the same decreases with the exception of phytosterols, and in pasta with barley the decrease of saturated fatty acids was not significant as for tocopherols in pasta with oat. Principal component analysis of the metabolites and the pasta discrimination was effective in differentiating the enriched pasta from the commercial pasta, both uncooked and cooked. CONCLUSIONS: The study has established that such metabolomic analyses provide useful tools in the evaluation of the changes in nutritional compounds in high-fibre and enriched pasta, both before and after cooking. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of NaCl Pretreatment on the Relationship between the Color Characteristics and Taste of Cirsium setidens Processed Using a Micro-Oil-Sprayed Thermal Air Technique.

Cirsium setidens is commonly used as a food ingredient, and it is typically stored and distributed in a dried form to prolong its shelf life. In a previous study, a micro-oil-sprayed thermal air (MOTA) technique was developed, which effectively enhanced the rehydration properties and improved the color characteristics of Cirsium setidens after processing. Here, we investigated the relationship between the color characteristics and taste of MOTA-processed C. setidens and the effect of NaCl pretreatment, prior to processing, on the final quality of dried C. setidens. NaCl pretreatment, whether combined with the MOTA technique or not, showed improved color characteristics, in which MOTA-and NaCl+ MOTA-processed C. setidens manifested equal color characteristics. In contrast, NaCl + MOTA-processed C. setidens resulted in significantly higher values of sourness and saltiness than MOTA-processed C. setidens when the taste of the rehydrated C. setidens was examined using an electronic tongue (Astree II; Alpha MOS, Toulouse, France). Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed that sourness and saltness were negatively correlated with Hunter a* values and positively correlated with Hunter L* and Hunter b* values, indicating that the color characteristics of dried and rehydrated C. setidens could be indicators of taste. Furthermore, the amounts of total phenol and chlorophyll were better preserved in C. setidens processed by the MOTA technique with NaCl than by the MOTA technique alone. Our data revealed that the color characteristics of dried plants are associated with the taste of processed C. setidens, and that the MOTA technique with NaCl pretreatment is a useful method for preserving health-promoting compounds during processing.

Enhancement of Yield, Phytochemical Content and Biological Activity of a Leafy Vegetable (Beta vulgaris L. var. cycla) by Using Organic Amendments as an Alternative to Chemical Fertilizer.

This study evaluates the effect of a chemical fertilizer (ammonium nitrate), a compost (vermicompost from cattle manure) and two biochars (from vine prunings and wood chips, respectively), applied to the soil alone or in mixture, on the yield, phytochemical content and biological activity of Beta vulgaris L. var. cycla (Swiss chard). The respective treatments, each replicated four times, were arranged according to a completely randomized block design. Results showed that vermicompost, both alone and in mixture with vine pruning biochar, significantly increased yield parameters (plant height and leaf area) and yield over the untreated soil and the biochars alone, similar to ammonium nitrate. Moreover, vermicompost, both alone and in mixture, respectively, with the two biochars, determined lower total N and NO3- contents than ammonium nitrate, both alone and in mixture, respectively, with the two biochars. In particular, NO3- content was within the safe thresholds fixed for leafy vegetables by the European Commission to prevent any adverse implication on human health from dietary NO3- exposure. The biochars alone resulted in very low yield and leaf total N content, likely due to a limited release of N for plant uptake, also evidenced by the undetectable NO3- leaf content, similarly shown by plants grown in untreated soil. Vermicompost, alone or in mixture, respectively, with the two biochars, increased the content of specialized metabolites, with a positive effect on antioxidant activity. The organic amendments, particularly compost, could be an alternative to chemical fertilizers to reach a trade-off between yield, nutritional and health qualities in Swiss chard, meeting the needs of farmers and consumers as well as the targets for sustainable food production.

Impact of Water Supply Reduction and Cold Storage on Phenolic Compounds from Mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Cogshall) Pulp and Peel.

The impacts of water supply reduction and cold storage were investigated on the peels and pulps of cv. Cogshall mangoes, regarding their phenolic compound contents. Phenolics identification was operated using HPLC-MSn for both compartments revealing an unbalanced repartition. Peels had a richer and more complex profile, counting xanthone glycoside (mangiferin), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol) and majorly gallotannins. Pulps presented smaller amounts of phenolics and a simpler profile majorly represented by gallotannins and gallic acid derivatives. During fruit ripening, the phenolic contents decreased in both compartments, but faster in the pulp. This behavior can be attributed to the oxidative stress observed in mango pulp during ripening. Cutting down the water supply during the fruit growth triggered an increase in phenolic contents of both the peels and pulp of mango fruits. This increase affected all compounds. Cold storage at 12 or 7 °C led to an increase in mangiferin and flavonoids contents in the fruit peel, interpreted as a stress-response reaction.

Enhancement of Bioactive Constituents in Fresh Cauliflower By-Products in Challenging Climate Conditions.

In order to mitigate the detrimental impact that climate change is having on plants, the study of new practices that allow for the reduction of such effects has become imperative. In addition, the revaluation of the promotion of healthy plant by-products has also markedly increased in importance in recent years. In this work, the modifications in biomass and some antioxidant compounds of cauliflower by-products treated with putrescine under extreme temperatures in two different CO2 scenarios (the control (400 ppm) and a high concentration of CO2 (1000 ppm)) were studied. Additionally, the compositions of inner and outer leaves were also compared. According to results found in this work, cauliflower grown under elevated CO2 and treated with putrescine (2.5 mM) prior to heat stress showed the highest biomass accumulation (20%) compared to the control. Moreover, in the outer leaves from cauliflower grown under elevated CO2 and treated with putrescine prior to high temperature exposure, the highest biosynthesis of sugars (20%) was recorded. Although cauliflower by-products turned out to be rich in polyamines (208.6 nmoles g-1 fresh weight (FW) and 124.3 nmoles g-1 FW for outer and inner leaves, respectively) and phenolic compounds (1070.2 mg gallic acid equivalents ( (GAE) 100 g-1 FW in outer leaves and 772.0 mg GAE 100 g-1 FW in inner leaves), it was the outer leaves that after applying the new strategy showed the greatest increase in polyamines (68%) and phenolic compounds (39%), obtaining here the highest increase in antioxidant activity (3%). Thus, they should no longer be regarded as mere by-products and should be used for pharmaceutical or nutraceutical purposes. The novel strategy presented in this work may allow us to take advantage of both the continued increase in CO2 and heat waves that are becoming more frequent.

UV and Visible Spectrum LED Lighting as Abiotic Elicitors of Bioactive Compounds in Sprouts, Microgreens, and Baby Leaves-A Comprehensive Review including Their Mode of Action.

Background: According to social demands, the agri-food industry must elaborate convenient safe and healthy foods rich in phytochemicals while minimising processing inputs like energy consumption. Young plants in their first stages of development represent great potential. Objective: This review summarises the latest scientific findings concerning the use of UV and visible spectrum LED lighting as green, sustainable, and low-cost technologies to improve the quality of sprouts, microgreens, and baby leaves to enhance their health-promoting compounds, focusing on their mode of action while reducing costs and energy. Results: These technologies applied during growing and/or after harvesting were able to improve physiological and morphological development of sprouted seeds while increasing their bioactive compound content without compromising safety and other quality attributes. The novelty is to summarise the main findings published in a comprehensive review, including the mode of action, and remarking on the possibility of its postharvest application where the literature is still scarce. Conclusions: Illumination with UV and/or different regions of the visible spectrum during growing and shelf life are good abiotic elicitors of the production of phytochemicals in young plants, mainly through the activation of specific photoreceptors and ROS production. However, we still need to understand the mechanistic responses and their dependence on the illumination conditions.

Sprouts and Microgreens-Novel Food Sources for Healthy Diets.

With the growing interest of society in healthy eating, the interest in fresh, ready-to-eat, functional food, such as microscale vegetables (sprouted seeds and microgreens), has been on the rise in recent years globally. This review briefly describes the crops commonly used for microscale vegetable production, highlights Brassica vegetables because of their health-promoting secondary metabolites (polyphenols, glucosinolates), and looks at consumer acceptance of sprouts and microgreens. Apart from the main crops used for microscale vegetable production, landraces, wild food plants, and crops' wild relatives often have high phytonutrient density and exciting flavors and tastes, thus providing the scope to widen the range of crops and species used for this purpose. Moreover, the nutritional value and content of phytochemicals often vary with plant growth and development within the same crop. Sprouted seeds and microgreens are often more nutrient-dense than ungerminated seeds or mature vegetables. This review also describes the environmental and priming factors that may impact the nutritional value and content of phytochemicals of microscale vegetables. These factors include the growth environment, growing substrates, imposed environmental stresses, seed priming and biostimulants, biofortification, and the effect of light in controlled environments. This review also touches on microgreen market trends. Due to their short growth cycle, nutrient-dense sprouts and microgreens can be produced with minimal input; without pesticides, they can even be home-grown and harvested as needed, hence having low environmental impacts and a broad acceptance among health-conscious consumers.

Phytochemical Fortification in Fruit and Vegetable Beverages with Green Technologies.

BACKGROUND: Phytochemical, bioactive and nutraceutical compounds are terms usually found in the scientific literature related to natural compounds found in plants linked to health-promoting properties. Fruit and vegetable beverages (mainly juice and smoothies) are a convenient strategy to enhance the consumption of horticultural commodities, with the possibility of being fortified with plant byproducts to enhance the content of bioactive compounds. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to analyse the different green technologies applied in beverage processing with a fortification effect on their health promoting compounds. RESULTS: Fortification can be performed by several strategies, including physical elicitors (e.g., processing technologies), plant/algae extract supplementation, and fermentation with probiotics, among others. Thermal processing technologies are conventionally used to ensure the preservation of food safety with a long shelf life, but this frequently reduces nutritional and sensory quality. However, green non-thermal technologies (e.g., UV, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, ultrasounds, cold plasma, etc.) are being widely investigated in order to reduce costs and make possible more sustainable production processes without affecting the nutritional and sensory quality of beverages. CONCLUSIONS: Such green processing technologies may enhance the content of phytochemical compounds through improvement of their extraction/bioaccessibility and/or different biosynthetic reactions that occurred during processing.

Revalorized broccoli by-products and mustard improved quality during shelf life of a kale pesto sauce.

The effect of revalorized Bimi leaves (B) and/or mustard (M) addition, as supplementary ingredients, to develop an innovative kale (K) pesto sauce was studied. Microbial, physicochemical (color, total soluble solids content -SSC-, pH and titratable acidity -TA-) and sensory quality were studied during 20 days at 5 °C. Bioactive compounds changes (total phenolics, total antioxidant capacity and glucoraphanin contents) were also monitored throughout storage. The high TA and pH changes in the last 6 days of storage were avoided in the K+B pesto when adding mustard, due to the antimicrobial properties of this brassica seed. SSC was increased when B + M were added to the K pesto, which positively masked the kale-typical bitterness. Mustard addition hardly change yellowness of the K pesto, being not detected in the sensory analyses, showing K+B+M pesto the lowest color differences after 20 days of shelf life. The addition of Bimi leaves to the K pesto enhanced its phenolic content while mustard addition did not negatively affect such total antioxidant compounds content. Finally, mustard addition effectively aimed to glucoraphanin conversion to its bioactive products. Conclusively, an innovative kale pesto supplemented with Bimi by-products was hereby developed, being its overall quality well preserved up to 20 days at 5 °C due to the mustard addition.

Non-Thermal Technologies as Tools to Increase the Content of Health-Promoting Compounds in Whole Fruits and Vegetables While Retaining Quality Attributes.

Fruits and vegetables contain health-promoting compounds. However, their natural concentration in the plant tissues is low and in most cases is not sufficient to exert the expected pharmacological effects. The application of wounding stress as a tool to increase the content of bioactive compounds in fruits and vegetables has been well characterized. Nevertheless, its industrial application presents different drawbacks. For instance, during the washing and sanitizing steps post-wounding, the primary wound signal (extracellular adenosine triphosphate) that elicits the stress-induced biosynthesis of secondary metabolites is partially removed from the tissue. Furthermore, detrimental reactions that affect the quality attributes of fresh produce are also activated by wounding. Therefore, there is a need to search for technologies that emulate the wound response in whole fruits and vegetables while retaining quality attributes. Herein, the application of non-thermal technologies (NTTs) such as high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, and pulsed electric fields are presented as tools for increasing the content of health-promoting compounds in whole fruits and vegetables by inducing a wound-like response. The industrial implementation and economic feasibility of using NTTs as abiotic elicitors is also discussed. Whole fruits and vegetables with enhanced levels of bioactive compounds obtained by NTT treatments could be commercialized as functional foods.

Applications of Compounds from Coffee Processing By-Products.

To obtain the coffee beverage, approximately 90% of the edible parts of the coffee cherry are discarded as agricultural waste or by-products (cascara or husk, parchment, mucilage, silverskin and spent coffee grounds). These by-products are a potential source of nutrients and non-nutrient health-promoting compounds, which can be used as a whole ingredient or as an enriched extract of a specific compound. The chemical composition of by-products also determines food safety of the novel ingredients. To ensure the food safety of coffee by-products to be used as novel ingredients for the general consumer population, pesticides, mycotoxins, acrylamide and gluten must be analyzed. According with the priorities proposed by the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to maximize the benefit for the environment, society and economy, food waste generation should be avoided in the first place. In this context, the valorization of food waste can be carried out through an integrated bio-refinery approach to produce nutrients and bioactive molecules for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and non-food applications. The present research is an updated literature review of the definition of coffee by-products, their composition, safety and those food applications which have been proposed or made commercially available to date based on their chemical composition.