Relationship between Physicochemical, Techno-Functional and Health-Promoting Properties of Fiber-Rich Fruit and Vegetable By-Products and Their Enhancement by Emerging Technologies.

The preparation and processing of fruits and vegetables produce high amounts of underutilized fractions, such as pomace and peel, which present a risk to the environment but constitute a valuable source of dietary fiber (DF) and bioactive compounds. The utilization of these fiber-rich products as functional food ingredients demands the application of treatments to improve their techno-functional properties, such as oil and water binding, and health-related properties, such as fermentability, adsorption, and retardation capacities of glucose, cholesterol, and bile acids. The enhancement of health-promoting properties is strongly connected with certain structural and techno-functional characteristics, such as the soluble DF content, presence of hydrophobic groups, and viscosity. Novel physical, environmentally friendly technologies, such as ultrasound (US), high-pressure processing (HPP), extrusion, and microwave, have been found to have higher potential than chemical and comminution techniques in causing desirable structural alterations of the DF network that lead to the improvement of techno-functionality and health promotion. The application of enzymes was related to higher soluble DF content, which might be associated with improved DF properties. Combined physical and enzymatic treatments can aid solubilization and modifications, but their benefit needs to be evaluated for each DF source and the desired outcome.

Pulsed light of near-infrared and visible light wavelengths induces the accumulation of carotenoids in tomato fruits during post-treatment time.

Pulsed light (PL) is proposed as a novel strategy for the food industry to enhance the antioxidant potential of fruits and vegetables for industrial uses. The main aim of this work is to evaluate the impact of postharvest PL treatments of different spectral ranges on the carotenoid concentration as well as quality attributes of tomatoes during post-treatment time. Doses of wide-spectrum light (180-1100 nm), full-spectrum without ultraviolet (UV)-C wavelengths (305-1100 nm), and visible (VIS) + near-infrared light (NIR) (400-1100 nm) were compared. Total carotenoids, lycopene, and chlorophyll contents were spectrophotometrically assessed just after treatments and 1, 5, and 10 days post-treatment. PL treatments accelerated the accumulation of both total carotenoids and lycopene concentrations in tomato fruits. Nevertheless, the efficacy of PL depended on the applied spectral range. Tomato subjected to VIS + NIR treatment exhibited the greatest enhancement in total carotenoids (31 %) and lycopene (35 %) content at day 5 post-treatment and quality attributes were not affected. Conversely, UV-light exposure did not enhance carotenoid concentrations. These results evidenced that VIS + NIR treatments induced a faster accumulation of carotenoids without negatively affecting tomato quality attributes. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The integration of visible and near-infrared (VIS + NIR) light filters in pulsed light (PL) processing allows enhancing the accumulation of bioactive compounds in tomato tissues in a sustainable way, which can be processed to obtain derived products (e.g., juices, purees) with health-promoting properties. PL technology is characterized by a lack of residual compounds and the absence of applying chemicals potentially harmful to humans. Industries can attract the attention of consumers through their application, which allows offering this added value.

Greater bioavailability of xanthophylls compared to carotenes from orange juice (high-pressure processed, pulsed electric field treated, low-temperature pasteurised, and freshly squeezed) in a crossover study in healthy individuals.

This study examined the effect of the intake of orange juice provided freshly squeezed (FS) or processed using low-temperature pasteurisation (LP), high-pressure processing (HPP), or pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on the serum carotenoid concentrations of 12 healthy individuals, aged 20-32 years, enrolled in a crossover study. Participants were instructed to consume 500 ml of orange juice/day for 14 days. Carotenoid concentrations in the orange juice as well as serum samples retrieved on days 7 and 14 were analysed via HPLC. A significant increase in serum xanthophyll concentrations, but not serum carotenes, was observed, with the highest increase in α- and ß-cryptoxanthin. The processing technologies applied appeared to affect serum carotenoid concentrations, with concentrations being similar in the HPP and FS orange juice types. As high variability in serum carotenoid concentrations was observed, the effect of different technologies on serum carotenoid concentration warrants further studies with larger sample sizes.

Recent Advances toward the Application of Non-Thermal Technologies in Food Processing: An Insight on the Bioaccessibility of Health-Related Constituents in Plant-Based Products.

Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of bioactive compounds and micronutrients. Some of the most abundant are phenols and carotenoids, whose consumption contributes to preventing the occurrence of degenerative diseases. Recent research has shown the potential of non-thermal processing technologies, especially pulsed electric fields (PEF), ultrasounds (US), and high pressure processing (HPP), to trigger the accumulation of bioactive compounds through the induction of a plant stress response. Furthermore, these technologies together with high pressure homogenization (HPH) also cause microstructural changes in both vegetable tissues and plant-based beverages. These modifications could enhance carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamins and minerals extractability, and/or bioaccessibility, which is essential to exert their positive effects on health. Nevertheless, information explaining bioaccessibility changes after non-thermal technologies is limited. Therefore, further research on food processing strategies using non-thermal technologies offers prospects to develop plant-based products with enhanced bioaccessibility of their bioactive compounds and micronutrients. In this review, we attempt to provide updated information regarding the main effects of PEF, HPP, HPH, and US on health-related compounds bioaccessibility from different vegetable matrices and the causes underlying these changes. Additionally, we propose future research on the relationship between the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds and micronutrients, matrix structure, and non-thermal processing.

Applying Pulsed Electric Fields to Whole Carrots Enhances the Bioaccessibility of Carotenoid and Phenolic Compounds in Derived Products.

We propose the application of pulsed electric fields (PEF) to carrots to obtain derived products with increased phenolic and carotenoid bioaccessibility. For this purpose, juices, purees, and oil-added purees were obtained from whole PEF-treated carrots (five pulses of 3.5 kV cm-1; 0.61 kJ kg-1). In order to obtain shelf-stable products, the effect of a thermal treatment (70 °C for 10 min) was also studied. Carrot juices exhibited the highest carotenoid (43.4 mg/100 g fresh weight) and phenolic (322 mg kg-1 dry weight) contents. However, caffeic and coumaric acid derivatives were highly sensitive to PEF. The phenolic bioaccessibility reached 100% in purees obtained from the PEF-treated carrots, whereas the further thermally treated oil-added purees exhibited the greatest carotenoid bioaccessibility (7.8%). The increase in carotenoid bioaccessibility could be related to their better release and solubilization into micelles. The results suggest that food matrix aspects apart from particle size (e.g., pectin characteristics) are involved in phenolic bioaccessibility.

Pulsed electric field treatment strategies to increase bioaccessibility of phenolic and carotenoid compounds in oil-added carrot purees.

The impact of pulsed electric fields (PEF) and their combination with a thermal treatment on the bioaccessibility of phenolic and carotenoid compounds in oil-added carrot puree (5 %) was investigated. Fractions of such puree were differently treated: subjected to PEF (5 pulses of 3.5 kV cm-1) (PEF); thermally treated (70 °C for 10 min) (T) or first PEF treated and then thermally treated (PEF/T). Purees were in vitro digested, carotenoid and phenolic content and bioaccessibility were determined. Likewise, quality attributes and microstructure were analyzed. Generally, treatments did not affect carotenoid content and quality attributes, whereas phenolic content dramatically decreased after PEF. Nevertheless, all treatments enhanced both compounds bioaccessibilities, which were trebled in PEF-treated purees. Particle size reduction may suggest that microstructural changes could be responsible of bioaccessibility increases. Therefore, PEF could be a feasible treatment to enhance phenolic and carotenoid bioaccessibility without altering quality attributes of carrot-based puree.

Effect of pulsed electric fields on carotenoid and phenolic bioaccessibility and their relationship with carrot structure.

Phenolic compounds (PC) and carotenoids from carrots are bound to dietary fibre or stored in vacuoles and chromoplasts, respectively. To exert their antioxidant effects these compounds must be released during digestion, which is hindered by such barriers. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) modify cell membrane permeability, thus enhancing their bioaccessibility. The effect of PEF on the carrot carotenoid and PC content and bioaccessibility was investigated. With this purpose, PEF-treated carrots (5 pulses of 3.5 kV cm-1) were stored for 24 h at 4 °C and microstructure was evaluated before subjecting them to in vitro digestion. PEF did not affect carotenoid content, whereas their bioaccessibility improved (11.9%). Likewise, PEF increased the content of some PC, e.g. coumaric acid (163.2%), probably caused by their better extractability. Conversely, caffeic acid derivatives decreased, which may be associated to greater contact with oxidative enzymes. Total PC bioaccessibility (20.8%) and some derivatives increased, e.g. caffeoylshikimic (68.9%), whereas some decreased (e.g. ferulic acid). Structural changes caused by PEF may improve bioaccessibility of carotenoids and PC by favouring their release and easy access to digestive enzymes. However, other antioxidants may be further degraded or entrapped during digestion. Therefore, PEF is an effective technology for obtaining carrots with enhanced carotenoids and phenolic bioaccessibility.

Novel Processing Technologies as Compared to Thermal Treatment on the Bioaccessibility and Caco-2 Cell Uptake of Carotenoids from Tomato and Kale-Based Juices.

This research aimed to measure the impact of novel food processing techniques, i.e., pulsed electric field (PEF) and ohmic heating (OH), on carotenoid bioaccessibility and Caco-2 cell uptake from tomato juice and high-pressure processing (HPP) and PEF on the same attributes from kale-based juices, as compared with raw (nonprocessed) and conventional thermally treated (TT) juices. Lycopene, ß-carotene, and lutein were quantitated in juices and the micelle fraction using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection and in Caco-2 cells using HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry. Tomato juice results were as follows: PEF increased lycopene bioaccessibility (1.5 ± 0.39%) by 150% (P = 0.01) but reduced ß-carotene bioaccessibility (28 ± 6.2%) by 44% (P = 0.02), relative to raw juice. All processing methods increased lutein uptake. Kale-based juice results were as follows: TT and PEF degraded ß-carotene and lutein in the juice. No difference in bioaccessibility or cell uptake was observed. Total delivery, i.e., the summation of bioaccessibility and cell uptake, of lycopene, ß-carotene, and lutein was independent of type of processing. Taken together, PEF and OH enhanced total lycopene and lutein delivery from tomato juice to Caco-2 cells as well as TT, and may produce a more desirable product due to other factors (i.e., conservation of heat-labile micronutrients, fresher organoleptic profile). HPP best conserved the carotenoid content and color of kale-based juice and merits further consideration.

Enhancing hydroxycinnamic acids and flavan-3-ol contents by pulsed electric fields without affecting quality attributes of apple.

Pulsed electric fields (PEF) have arisen as a promising tool for enhancing plant-based food bioactive compounds, although side effects on quality attributes might compromise consumer acceptance. This work was aimed at filling the gap in the understanding of whole effects of PEF on apple phenolic compounds profile and quality parameters. Treatment specific energy was a critical factor affecting phenolic profile and quality attributes, which in turn varied from 0 to 24 h after treatment. Treatments at 1.8 and 7.3 kJ kg-1 (140 and 260 µs total treatment times, respectively) induced important quality changes, mainly discoloration and firmness loss, while overall phenolic contents decreased, except those of flavonols. However, 24 h after treatment at 0.01 kJ kg-1 (20 µs total treatment time), the main apple phenolic compounds as determined by HPLC-DAD-MS had enhanced contents (28% 5-caffeoylquinic acid; 35% procyanidin B2). Accordingly, total phenolics and total flavan-3-ols contents increased (26% and 35%, respectively), while physicochemical quality attributes were not affected. Therefore, 0.01 kJ kg-1 PEF treatment is proposed for obtaining apples with optimal quality and enhanced functional value.

In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Colored Carotenoids in Tomato Derivatives as Affected by Ripeness Stage and the Addition of Different Types of Oil.

The simultaneous effect of tomato ripeness stage (mature green, pink, and red-ripe), mechanical processing (dicing and grinding), and oil addition (coconut, sunflower, and olive oils) on the amount and bioaccessible fraction of carotenoids were evaluated. Tomato products obtained from fruits at the most advanced ripeness stage exhibited the greatest values of both concentration and bioaccessible fraction of total carotenoids and lycopene. The type of processing also exerted an important influence on carotenoids content, as well as on its bioaccessibility. Thus, despite the concentration of carotenoids in tomato puree significantly decreased (36% to 59%), their bioaccessibility was greater (up to 2.54-fold increase) than in tomato cubes. Moreover, the addition of oil significantly improved the carotenoid bioaccessibility, especially when olive oil was added, reaching up to 21-fold increase with respect to samples without oil. The results obtained clearly indicate that carotenoids bioaccessibility of tomato derivatives was strongly influenced by the ripeness stage of the fruit, processing and the addition of oil. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Bioaccessibility of carotenoids is known to be affected by different factors. This study provides useful information about the synergic effect of different factors affecting the amount and the bioaccessible fraction of carotenoids, especially lycopene, in two common tomato derivatives. The findings of this work may contribute to develop tomato derivatives with high content of bioaccessible carotenoids, leading to the enhancement of their health-promoting properties.

Application of pulsed electric fields to tomato fruit for enhancing the bioaccessibility of carotenoids in derived products.

The application of pulsed electric fields (PEFs) to whole tomatoes is proposed as a pre-processing treatment to obtain purees with high health-related properties. Tomato fruit was subjected to different electric field strengths (0.4, 1.2 and 2 kV cm-1) and number of pulses (5, 18 and 30 pulses). Tomatoes were stored at 4 °C for 24 h after PEF processing and then ground and mixed with 5% olive oil. The resulting tomato-based product was subjected to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. PEF treatments significantly increased the amount and bioaccessible fraction of carotenoids in the derived product. Treatments conducted at 2 kV cm-1 and 30 pulses led to the greatest increase in the concentration of any of the carotenoids studied in tomato-based products. The amount of carotenoids incorporated into the micellar phase was increased in the products obtained from PEF-treated tomatoes, especially after the application of 5 pulses at 2 kV cm-1. Under such treatment conditions, the bioaccessibility of lycopene, δ-carotene, ß-carotene, γ-carotene and lutein was increased by 132%, 2%, 53%, 527% and 125%, respectively. Therefore, the application of PEFs as a pre-treatment could be considered as a promising technology to obtain tomato derivatives with high antioxidant potential.

Food processing strategies to enhance phenolic compounds bioaccessibility and bioavailability in plant-based foods.

Phenolic compounds are important constituents of plant-based foods, as their presence is related to protective effects on health. To exert their biological activity, phenolic compounds must be released from the matrix during digestion in an absorbable form (bioaccessible) and finally absorbed and transferred to the bloodstream (bioavailable). Chemical structure and matrix interactions are some food-related factors that hamper phenolic compounds bioaccessibility and bioavailability, and that can be counteracted by food processing. It has been shown that food processing can induce chemical or physical modifications in food that enhance phenolic compounds bioaccessibility and bioavailability. These changes include: (i) chemical modifications into more bioaccessible and bioavailable forms; (ii) cleavage of covalent or hydrogen bonds or hydrophobic forces that attach phenolic compounds to matrix macromolecules; (iii) damaging microstructural barriers such as cell walls that impede the release from the matrix; and (iv) create microstructures that protect phenolic compounds until they are absorbed. Indeed, food processing can produce degradation of phenolic compounds, however, it is possible to counteract it by modulating the operating conditions in favor of increased bioaccessibility and bioavailability. This review compiles the current knowledge on the effects of processing on phenolic compounds bioaccessibility or bioavailability, while suggesting new guidelines in the search of optimal processing conditions as a step forward towards the design of healthier foods.

Food matrix and processing influence on carotenoid bioaccessibility and lipophilic antioxidant activity of fruit juice-based beverages.

The biological activity of carotenoids depends on their bioaccessibility and solubilization in the gastrointestinal tract. These compounds are poorly dispersed in the aqueous media of the digestive tract due to their lipophilic nature. Thus, it is important to analyze the extent to which some factors, such as the food matrix and food processing, may improve their bioaccessibility. Beverages formulated with a blend of fruit juices and water (WB), milk (MB) or soymilk (SB) were treated by high-intensity pulsed electric fields (HIPEF) (35 kV cm(-1) with 4 µs bipolar pulses at 200 Hz for 1800 µs), high-pressure processing (HPP) (400 MPa at 40 °C for 5 min) or thermal treatment (TT) (90 °C for 1 min) in order to evaluate the influence of food matrix and processing on the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and on the lipophilic antioxidant activity (LAA). The bioaccessibility of these compounds diminished after applying any treatment (HIPEF, HPP and TT), with the exception of cis-violaxanthin + neoxanthin, which increased by 79% in HIPEF and HPP beverages. The lowest carotenoid bioaccessibility was always obtained in TT beverages (losses up to 63%). MB was the best food matrix for improving the bioaccessibility of carotenoids, as well as the LAA. The results demonstrate that treatment and food matrix modulated the bioaccessibility of carotenoids as well as the lipophilic antioxidant potential of beverages. Additionally, HIPEF and HPP could be considered as promising technologies to obtain highly nutritional and functional beverages.

Impact of high-intensity pulsed electric fields on carotenoids profile of tomato juice made of moderate-intensity pulsed electric field-treated tomatoes.

The effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF) on the carotenoid content of tomato juices was studied. First, moderate-intensity PEF (MIPEF) was applied to raw tomatoes. Afterwards, MIPEF-treated and untreated tomatoes were immediately refrigerated at 4 °C for 24 h and then, they were separately ground to produce tomato juices. Juices were treated by heat treatments or by high-intensity PEF (HIPEF) and stored under refrigeration for 56 days. MIPEF treatment of tomatoes increased the content of carotenoid compounds in tomato juices. An enhancement of 63-65% in 15-cis-lycopene was observed in juices prepared with MIPEF-treated tomatoes. A slight increase in cis-lycopene isomers was observed over time, whereas other carotenoids slightly decreased. However, HIPEF treated tomato juices maintained higher carotenoid content (10-20%) through the storage time than thermally and untreated juices. The combination of MIPEF and HIPEF treatments could be used not only to produce tomato juices with high carotenoid content but also, to maintain higher the carotenoid content during storage time.

Changes in vitamin C, phenolic, and carotenoid profiles throughout in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of a blended fruit juice.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the stability and bioaccessibility of vitamin C, phenolic compounds, and carotenoids, as well as the antioxidant activity in a blended fruit juice (BFJ) containing orange, pineapple, and kiwi. Vitamin C and most of the analyzed phenolic compounds were quite stable under gastric conditions (recovery > 75%), whereas carotenoids diminished significantly (to 64%). The concentration of all the evaluated compounds decreased during small intestinal digestion. The bioaccessibility of hydrophilic constituents was higher than that of lipophilic constituents. Flavonoids, vitamin C, and phenolic acids showed bioaccessibilities of 20.1, 15.0, and 12.7%, respectively. However, carotenes and xanthophylls were around 7.6 and 17.4% available for absorption. Despite the decrease in the concentration of these bioactive compounds after being subjected to an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, results suggest that BFJ is an important source of bioaccessible constituents.

Metabolite profiling of phenolic and carotenoid contents in tomatoes after moderate-intensity pulsed electric field treatments.

A metabolite profiling approach was used to study the effect of moderate-intensity pulsed electric field (MIPEF) treatments on the individual polyphenol and carotenoid contents of tomato fruit after refrigeration at 4°C for 24h. The MIPEF processing variables studied were electric field strength (from 0.4 to 2.0kV/cm) and number of pulses (from 5 to 30). Twenty four hours after MIPEF treatments, an increase was observed in hydroxycinnamic acids and flavanones, whereas flavonols, coumaric and ferulic acid-O-glucoside were not affected. Major changes were also observed for carotenoids, except for the 5-cis-lycopene isomer, which remain unchanged after 24h of MIPEF treatments. MIPEF treatments, conducted at 1.2kV/cm and 30 pulses, led to the greatest increases in chlorogenic (152%), caffeic acid-O-glucoside (170%) and caffeic (140%) acids. On the other hand, treatments at 1.2kV/cm and 5 pulses led to maximum increases of α-carotene, 9- and 13-cis-lycopene, which increased by 93%, 94% and 140%, respectively. Therefore, MIPEF could stimulate synthesis of secondary metabolites and contribute to production of tomatoes with high individual polyphenol and carotenoid contents.

Soymilk phenolic compounds, isoflavones and antioxidant activity as affected by in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.

The aim of this research was to evaluate changes in the phenolic compounds, isoflavones and antioxidant activity of soymilk following in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (including dialysis). Gastric digestion significantly influenced the release of bioactive substances from the soymilk matrix, increasing the concentration of total phenolic components (35% as the sum of individuals and 14% by Folin-Ciocalteu [F-C] method), total isoflavone content (22%) and total antioxidant activity (76%). The concentration of all those compounds was reduced significantly in the duodenal fraction in comparison to gastric digestion and their lowest concentration was observed in the dialysed fraction, where phenolic acids were not detected. The bioaccessibility of soymilk phenolic compounds was 15% as the sum of individuals and 20% by F-C assay; isoflavones 36% and constituents with antioxidant activity 27%. Results suggest that most of these compounds were sufficiently available to be absorbed and could contribute health benefits.

Changes in the polyphenol profile of tomato juices processed by pulsed electric fields.

The effect of pulsed electric fields on the polyphenol profile of tomato juices was studied. First, tomatoes were subjected to moderate-intensity pulsed electric fields (MIPEFs) and then were immediately refrigerated at 4 °C for 24 h. Treated and untreated juices were then subjected to high-intensity pulsed electric fields (HIPEFs) or thermal treatment (90 °C for 60 s). In comparison to references, tomatoes subjected to MIPEF treatments led to juices with a higher content of polyphenol compounds. A slight decrease in polyphenol compounds was observed over time in thermal- and HIPEF-treated juices, with the exception of caffeic acid. However, HIPEF-processed tomato juices had a higher content of polyphenol compounds (ferulic acid, caffeic-O-glucoside acid, p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and naringenin) just after processing and through storage than those thermally treated. Therefore, the combination of MIPEFs and HIPEFs could be proposed as a strategy for producing tomato juices with a higher content of phenolic compounds.

Effects of pulsed electric fields on the bioactive compound content and antioxidant capacity of tomato fruit.

The effect of moderate intensity pulsed electric fields (MIPEF) on the bioactive compounds (total polyphenol, lycopene, and vitamin C content) as well as on the antioxidant capacity of tomato fruit was studied. The MIPEF treatment conditions were optimized to obtain tomato fruit with a high content of bioactive compounds. Tomato fruits were subjected to different electric field strengths (from 0.4 to 2.0 kV/cm) and number of pulses (from 5 to 30) and then immediately refrigerated at 4 °C for 24 h. A concentration of bioactive compounds higher than that of untreated tomatoes was obtained in MIPEF-treated tomatoes. A 44% increase in total polyphenol content was achieved under 30 pulses at 1.2 kV/cm. The hydrophilic antioxidant capacity was also enhanced by 44% applying 18 pulses at 1.2 kV/cm, and the lipophilic antioxidant capacity was increased by 37% under 5 pulses at 1.2 kV/cm. The maximum overall level of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in the treated tomatoes was obtained under 16 pulses at 1 kV/cm. Therefore, MIPEF treatments could be considered an effective method to enhance the bioactive compound content and antioxidant potential of tomatoes.

Nutritional approaches and health-related properties of plant foods processed by high pressure and pulsed electric fields.

Consumers are more and more concerned about the nutritional and health-related characteristics of fruits and vegetables, as well as the safety of the food they eat. The processing of foods is becoming more sophisticated and diverse in response to the growing demand for quality foods. Consumers today expect food products to provide fresh-like appearance, convenience, variety, appropriate shelf-life and caloric content, reasonable cost, environmental soundness, high nutritional and functional quality. Nonthermal processing of fruit and vegetable has been revealed as a useful tool to extend their shelf-life and quality as well as to preserve their nutritional and functional characteristics. In the last ten years, there has been an increasing interest in nonthermal technologies as high pressure processing (HPP) and pulsed electric fields (PEF) to preserve fruit and vegetable products without the quality and nutritional damage caused by heat treatments. This review will contribute to inform many of the studies conducted to obtain a better understanding on the effects of some of these nonthermal processing technologies (high hydrostatic pressure and pulsed electric fields) applied to vegetable foods on their nutritional value and bioactive compounds related to health, including the results on micronutrient bioavailability studies and oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers. These studies could contribute to select the most appropriate processing parameters to obtain safe, high-quality, nutritional, and functional vegetable food.