Effect of Macro and Microalgae Addition on Nutritional, Physicochemical, Sensorial, and Functional Properties of a Vegetable Cream.

Algae are a booming resource in the food industry due to their several health benefits. This study assesses the impact of the combined use of selected macro- and microalgae to improve the nutritional profile and the labeling of a vegetable cream by the introduction of nutrition and health claims. As macroalgae, two Ascophyllum nodosum L., one natural (An) and one smoked (AnS), were selected for their high iodine concentration and flavor notes. A new strain of Chlorella vulgaris, golden (CvG), was selected as the microalgae, which is rich in proteins and has a neutral sensorial profile (golden color and mild flavor). In this study, two vegetable creams were compared. The control (CTRL) versus one enriched with a mixture of macroalgae and microalgae (CV-AN). Sensory, physicochemical, and functional properties of both vegetable creams were evaluated. The bioactivity assessed was the effect of iodine as a health claim and antioxidant and antihypertensive properties. CV-AN vegetable cream showed significantly higher values (p < 0.05) for protein content, iodine value, and antioxidant activity, with no significant differences (p > 0.05) in antihypertensive activity or sensory panel. The incorporation of these algae resulted in a vegetable cream with a better nutritional profile and sensory acceptability comparable to the control, offering protein and iodine source claims in the labeling.

Effect of Overripening on the Physico-Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Boneless, Salt-Reduced Iberian Dry-Cured Ham.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of extended maturation and temperature increase on the physico-chemical, biochemical, instrumental color and texture, sensory, and acceptability parameters of cured and boneless Iberian hams. Given the limited knowledge in this area, our objective was to develop a ham with enhanced proteolysis, potentially leading to increased bioactive peptide generation and superior sensory characteristics compared to salt-reduced counterparts. To achieve this, a batch of hams cured up to 38% loss at 30 °C and two batches cured up to 42% loss at 30 °C and 36 °C were evaluated. Results showed that the increase in processing time and temperature significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) ham proteolysis and amino acid content without adversely affecting its texture. No significant differences were observed in instrumental texture parameters or sensory attributes as evaluated by consumers. These processing conditions also increased the content of free amino acids, improving the product quality. Overall, these processing modifications resulted in hams with excellent sensory acceptability and enhanced bioactive potential despite the salt reduction.

Clotting and Proteolytic Activity of Freeze-Dried Crude Extracts Obtained from Wild Thistles Cynara humilis L. and Onopordum platylepis Murb.

The rising interest in finding alternatives to animal rennet in cheese production has led to studying the technological feasibility of using and exploiting new species of herbaceous plants. In this research work, and for the first time, freeze-dried extracts from Cynara humilis L. (CH) and Onopordum platylepis Murb. (OP) were studied for mineral and protein content, and their clotting and proteolytic activity were compared to those of Cynara cardunculus L. (CC). The effect of extract concentration (5-40 mg extract/mL), temperature (20-85 °C), pH (5-8), and CaCl2 concentration (5-70 mM) on the milk clotting activity (MCA) of CC, CH and OP extracts was evaluated. The MCA values were significantly higher in CC at the same extract concentration. The extract that showed the most significant increase in clotting activity due to increased temperature was OP, with maximum activity at 70 °C. The pH value for maximum milk clotting was 5.0 for both CC and CH, whereas, in the case of OP, the pH value was 5.5. CaCl2 enhanced the clotting capacity of the extracts, particularly for OP and CH. Furthermore, proteolytic activity (PA) and the hydrolysis rate increased with increasing time and enzyme concentration, with CC being the extract that achieved the highest caseinolytic activity.

Influence of Pig Genetic Line and Salt Reduction on Peptide Production and Bioactivity of Dry-Cured Hams.

Ham (Jamón) is a product of great value in Spanish gastronomy, although experts have recommended reducing its consumption due to its high salt content and its relationship with cardio-vascular diseases due to the increase in blood pressure it may cause. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate how the reduction of salt content and the pig genetic line influence bioactivity in boneless hams. For this purpose, 54 hams were studied, 18 boneless Iberian hams (RIB), 18 boneless white hams from commercial cross-bred pigs (RWC), and 18 salted and traditionally processed Iberian hams (TIB) to check if the pig genetic line (RIB vs. RWC) or the processing (RIB vs. TIB) affect the peptide production and bioactivity of the hams. The pig genetic line significantly affected the activity of ACE-I and DPPH, with RWC having the highest ACE-I activity and RIB having the highest antioxidative activity. This coincides with the results obtained in the identification of the peptides and the bioactivity analysis performed. Salt reduction positively affected the different hams, influencing their proteolysis and increasing their bioactivity in traditionally cured hams.

Bioactivities of Mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus L.) Larvae Hydrolysates Obtained from Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) Proteases.

In this study, we aimed to obtain hydrolysates with bioactive peptides from mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus L.) larvae using an artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) enzyme extract. Two types of substrates were used: the raw larvae flour (LF) and its protein extract (PE). The hydrolysis yield, considering the peptide concentration of the hydrolysates, was higher in PE hydrolysates than in LF hydrolysates (6.39 ± 0.59 vs. 3.02 ± 0.06 mg/mL, respectively). However, LF showed a higher antioxidant activity against the DPPH radical than PE (59.10 ± 1.42 vs. 18.79 ± 0.81 µM Trolox Eq/mg peptides, respectively). Regarding the inhibitory activity of angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE), an IC50 value of 111.33 ± 21.3 µg peptides/mL was observed in the PE. The identification of the peptide sequence of both hydrolysates was conducted, and LF and its PE presented 404 and 116 peptides, respectively, most with low molecular weight (<3 kDa), high percentage of hydrophobic amino acids, and typical characteristics of well-known antioxidant and ACE-inhibitory peptides. Furthermore, the potential bioactivity of the sequences identified was searched in the BIOPEP database. Considering the antioxidant and ACE-inhibitory activities, LF hydrolysates contained a larger number of sequences with potential bioactivity than PE hydrolysates.

Development of an Iberian Chorizo Salted With a Combination of Mineral Salts (Seawater Substitute) and Better Nutritional Profile.

The present study evaluated the effect of salt reduction using a seawater substitutes, at the nutritional and mineral composition, its physicochemical, biochemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of Iberian chorizo, compared with one elaborated with low salt content (KCl) and another with a normal salt content (CTRL). To this end, three batches of chorizo were prepared [Treatment 1: CTRL, 100% NaCl; Treatment 2: KCl, 31% KCl, and Treatment 3: SC (Winbi®), <3% NaCl]. In KCl and SC chorizo lots, values of moisture, salt, and water activity (aw) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than in the CTRL chorizo. The chorizo with lower salt content presented higher proteolytic activity; with the nutritional declaration "reduced Na content "with Na values 25% lower than the CTRL. In addition, using this combination caused significant effects (P < 0.05) on the mineral composition of chorizo SC, allowing the inclusion of more nutritional and health claims in its labeling under legislation. The partial substitution of NaCl for KCl (31%), caused an increase in the gumminess, chewiness, and hardness of the chorizo. The SC chorizo lost the reddish hue typical of this sausage, although it was the best sensory valued by a panel of consumers. No differences were observed in the microbiological quality of the different batches of chorizo, always fulfilling the legally established microbiological criteria.

Bioactivity of Hydrolysates Obtained from Chicken Egg Ovalbumin Using Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) Proteases.

The aim of this work was to obtain chicken egg ovalbumin hydrolysates using aspartic proteinases present in extracts from the artichoke flower (Cynara scolymus L.) and evaluate their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity in vitro. Hydrolysis time and molecular weight (<3 kDa) had a significant influence on the hypertensive and antioxidant activity of the hydrolysates. The <3 kDa fraction of the 16 h hydrolysate had an ACE inhibitory activity with an IC50 of 64.06 µg peptides/mL. The fraction <3 kDa of ovalbumin hydrolysate at 2 h of hydrolysis showed a DPPH radical scavenging activity of 30.27 µM of Trolox equivalents/mg peptides. The fraction <3 kDa of the hydrolysate of 16 h had an ABTS+ caption activity of 4.30 mM of Trolox equivalents/mg peptides. The fraction <3 kDa of the hydrolysate of 2 h had an iron (II) chelating activity of 32.18 µg peptides/mL. From the peptide sequences identified in the hydrolysates, we detected four peptides (from the BIOPEP database) that were already in their bioactive form (IAAEVYEHTEGSTTSY, HLFGPPGKKDPV, PIAAEVYEHTEGSTTSY, and YAEERYPIL), and are reported to display antioxidant and ACE inhibitory activity.

Fatty Acids and Free Amino Acids Changes during Processing of a Mediterranean Native Pig Breed Dry-Cured Ham.

The aim of this work is to analyse the intramuscular fatty acids and the free amino (FAA) acids in Chato murciano dry-cured ham. There are several Mediterranean native pig breeds whose characteristics of derived products have been described, but the impact of lipolysis and proteolysis on Chato murciano dry-cured ham has not yet been studied. Fatty acids and free amino acids were determined in the fresh piece and at 14, 18, 22 and 24 months of manufacturing. Monounsaturated fatty acids are the majority in the neutral lipids and free fatty acid fractions. Lipolysis took place mainly until the 18th month, resulting in a decrease in the levels of fatty acids of neutral lipids (from 95.43% to 83.38%) and polar lipids (from 2.57% to 0.41%), accompanied by a corresponding increase in free fatty acids (from 2% to 16.21%). Neutral lipids hydrolysis provides the main free fatty acids as in other native breeds. Results for FAA showed an increase in concentration during the time preceding the 14th month. From this point onwards, until month 18, total FAA concentration remained stable, and the content decreased at the end of the processing (between months 22 and 24).

Characterization of Proteolytic Activity of Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) Flower Extracts on Bovine Casein to Obtain Bioactive Peptides.

The aim of this work is to establish the most suitable proteolysis conditions to obtain bovine casein hydrolysates containing peptides with antioxidant and antihypertensive capacity. To this end, the proteolytic activity of Cynara scolymus L. flower extracts was characterized on whole bovine casein, evaluating the effect of several factors (pH, temperature, substrate concentration, enzyme concentration, and hydrolysis time). The optimal conditions to carry out the hydrolysis with the C. scolymus L. extract were as follows: pH 6.2, 50 °C, and 0.023 mg·mL-1 of extract-protein concentration. A Michaelis constant (Km) value of 5.66 mg·mL-1 and a maximum rate of reaction (Vmax) of 8.47 mUAbs∙min-1 were observed. The optimal hydrolysis time was 17 h. The casein hydrolysates obtained with these conditions contained peptides with antioxidant activity (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity: 30.89%; Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) against 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) free radical (ABTS●+): 4.43 mM Trolox equivalent·mg-1 peptide) and antihypertensive activity, showing 55.05% angiotensin-converting enzyme-I inhibition in vitro.

Free amino acid content of goat's milk cheese made with animal rennet and plant coagulant.

BACKGROUND: Enzymes present in the flowers of Cynara cardunculus (cyprosins) are used in the production of some traditional Spanish and Portuguese cheeses, replacing animal rennet. The aim of this work was to study the changes that take place in free amino acids during the ripening of a goat's milk cheese (Murcia al Vino) manufactured with plant coagulant (PC) or animal rennet (AR). RESULTS: The total free amino acid (TFAA) concentration increased during ripening, with Ile, Val, Ala, Phe, Gaba, Arg and Lys representing more than 50% of the TFAA content at 60 days in both types of cheese. The TFAA concentration was significantly higher in cheeses made with PC (854 mg 100 g(-1) total solids (TS)) than those made with AR (735 mg 100 g(-1) TS). The concentration of most free amino acids, especially His, Ser, Gln, Thr, Ala, Met and Ile, was higher in the PC cheese. CONCLUSION: Cheese made using PC as coagulant presented higher contents of free amino acid throughout the ripening period than cheese made using AR. Therefore we can conclude that the use of PC to produce Murcia al Vino goat's cheese would accelerate the ripening process as a result of increased cyprosin proteolytic activity.