Desarrollo de un endulzante natural a base de yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius) y su evaluación sensorial / Development of a natural sweetener based on yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) and its sensory evaluation

Fundamentos: El yacón se considera un producto prometedor que puede posicionarse en el mercado dealimentos funcionales, dado su valor nutricional representado principalmente por su alto contenido defructooligosacáridos. La obtención de un sirope de yacón agrega valor a esta materia prima, incentivando suproducción y consumo, no solo como endulzante de mesa, sino como materia prima para la industria e inclusocomo alimento funcional. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estandarizar las condiciones para la elaboración deun sirope de yacón, y mediante análisis sensorial realizar su descripción y valoración organoléptica.Métodos: Se definieron las condiciones para la obtención de sirope de yacón y se evaluó mediante pruebasdescriptivas y afectivas en un análisis sensorial con evaluadores semi entrenados.Resultados: Con un rendimiento de cerca del 10,0% a partir de yacón fresco, se obtuvo un sirope con 65°Brixy aspecto similar a la miel, en el que se destacaron aromas a miel, propóleos y caramelo. En las pruebasafectivas, utilizando una escala hedónica de cinco puntos, las mayores valoraciones fueron para los atributoscolor 4,8 ± 0,6 y textura 4,5 ± 0,7 y la menor para el sabor 3,2 ± 1,0.Conclusiones: Las características sensoriales y su aceptabilidad proyectan el sirope de yacón como un potencialalimento funcional comercializable. (AU)

Background: Yacon is considered a promising product that can be positioned in the functional food market,given its nutritional value represented mainly by its high FOS content. Obtaining a yacon syrup adds value tothis raw material, encouraging its production and consumption, not only as a table sweetener, but also as a rawmaterial for the industry. The objetive was to standardize the conditions for the elaboration of a yacon syrup,and through sensory analysis to carry out its description and organoleptic evaluation.Methods: The conditions for obtaining yacon syrup were defined. And it was evaluated through descriptiveand affective tests in a sensory analysis with semi-trained evaluators.Results: With a yield of close to 10.0% from fresh yacon, a syrup with 65°Brix and an appearance similar tohoney was obtained, in which aromas of honey, propolis and caramel stand out. In the affective tests, using afive-point hedonic scale, the highest evaluations were for the attributes color 4.8 ± 0.6 and texture 4.5 ± 0.7and the lowest for flavor 3.2 ± 1.0.Conclusions: The sensory characteristics and its acceptability project yacon syrup as a potentially marketable functional food. (AU)

Slow growing behavior in African trypanosomes during adipose tissue colonization.

When Trypanosoma brucei parasites, the causative agent of sleeping sickness, colonize the adipose tissue, they rewire gene expression. Whether this adaptation affects population behavior and disease treatment remained unknown. By using a mathematical model, we estimate that the population of adipose tissue forms (ATFs) proliferates slower than blood parasites. Analysis of the ATFs proteome, measurement of protein synthesis and proliferation rates confirm that the ATFs divide on average every 12 h, instead of 6 h in the blood. Importantly, the population of ATFs is heterogeneous with parasites doubling times ranging between 5 h and 35 h. Slow-proliferating parasites remain capable of reverting to the fast proliferation profile in blood conditions. Intravital imaging shows that ATFs are refractory to drug treatment. We propose that in adipose tissue, a subpopulation of T. brucei parasites acquire a slow growing behavior, which contributes to disease chronicity and treatment failure.

A long noncoding RNA promotes parasite differentiation in African trypanosomes.

The parasite Trypanosoma brucei causes African sleeping sickness that is fatal to patients if untreated. Parasite differentiation from a replicative slender form into a quiescent stumpy form promotes host survival and parasite transmission. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to regulate cell differentiation in other eukaryotes. To determine whether lncRNAs are also involved in parasite differentiation, we used RNA sequencing to survey the T. brucei genome, identifying 1428 previously uncharacterized lncRNA genes. We find that grumpy lncRNA is a key regulator that promotes parasite differentiation into the quiescent stumpy form. This function is promoted by a small nucleolar RNA encoded within the grumpy lncRNA. snoGRUMPY binds to messenger RNAs of at least two stumpy regulatory genes, promoting their expression. grumpy overexpression reduces parasitemia in infected mice. Our analyses suggest that T. brucei lncRNAs modulate parasite-host interactions and provide a mechanism by which grumpy regulates cell differentiation in trypanosomes.

Trypanosoma brucei triggers a broad immune response in the adipose tissue.

Adipose tissue is one of the major reservoirs of Trypanosoma brucei parasites, the causative agent of sleeping sickness, a fatal disease in humans. In mice, the gonadal adipose tissue (AT) typically harbors 2-5 million parasites, while most solid organs show 10 to 100-fold fewer parasites. In this study, we tested whether the AT environment responds immunologically to the presence of the parasite. Transcriptome analysis of T. brucei infected adipose tissue revealed that most upregulated host genes are involved in inflammation and immune cell functions. Histochemistry and flow cytometry confirmed an increasingly higher number of infiltrated macrophages, neutrophils and CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes upon infection. A large proportion of these lymphocytes effectively produce the type 1 effector cytokines, IFN-γ and TNF-α. Additionally, the adipose tissue showed accumulation of antigen-specific IgM and IgG antibodies as infection progressed. Mice lacking T and/or B cells (Rag2-/-, Jht-/-), or the signature cytokine (Ifng-/-) displayed a higher parasite load both in circulation and in the AT, demonstrating the key role of the adaptive immune system in both compartments. Interestingly, infections of C3-/- mice showed that while complement system is dispensable to control parasite load in the blood, it is necessary in the AT and other solid tissues. We conclude that T. brucei infection triggers a broad and robust immune response in the AT, which requires the complement system to locally reduce parasite burden.

Evaluación sensorial de golosinas tipo goma hechos a base de verduras y edulcorante bajo en calorías / Sensory evaluation of gummy candies made from vegetables and low-calorie sweetener

Fundamentos: La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) recomienda aumentar el consumo de frutas y hortalizas hasta 400 g diarios, principalmente en la población infantil. Recientes estudios han sugerido que la exposición a las propiedades sensoriales de las verduras puede aumentar la apetencia por estas. En este trabajo se evaluó mediante análisis sensorial el nivel de aceptación de golosinas tipo goma a base de verdurasendulzadas con xilitol, en una población de niños y jóvenes entre 7 a 14 años de edad. Métodos: se estandarizó la preparación de gomas de verduras con extracto de Zanahoria (Daucus carota), tomate (Lycopersicum esculentum) y pimentón verde (Capsicum annuum),utilizando el edulcorante bajo en calorías xilitol. El análisis sensorial consistió en una prueba afectiva de los atributos aspecto, color, olor, textura y sabor, mediante una escala hedónica grafica de cinco puntos; y una prueba de preferencia por ordenamiento para evaluar la aceptación global del producto. Los evaluadores no entrenados, fueron setenta estudiantes de una institución educativa.Resultados: Las gomas de zanahoria y tomate mostraron una aceptación superior al 80%, la aceptación global de las gomas mostró diferencias significativas entre los tres sabores(p < 0,000 Chi cuadrado). Los atributos olor y sabor obtuvieron las menores valoraciones, aunque superiores a 3,3 en la escala hedónica de cinco puntos, debido posiblemente a la presenciade aromas y sabores propios de las verduras. Conclusiones: La creación de golosinas tipo goma que incorporen sabores propios de las verduras, podría constituirse como una estrategia eficiente para promover la mejor aceptación y consumo de verduras por la población infantil. (AU)

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables up to 400 g daily, mainly in the child population. Recent studieshave suggested that exposure to the sensory properties of vegetables may increase appetite for them. In this study was evaluate by sensory analysis the level of acceptance of gumtype sweets based on vegetables, sweetened with xylitol, in a population of children and young people between 7 and 14years of age. Methods: the preparation of vegetable gums with extractof Carrot (Daucus carota), tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) and green paprika (Capsicum annuum) was standardized, using the low calorie xylitol sweetener. Sensory analysisconsisted of an affective sensory test of the attributes appearance, color, odor, texture, and flavor using a five-pointgraphical hedonic scale; and a test of preference for ordering. The untrained evaluators were seventy students froman educational institution. Results: Carrot and tomato gums showed an acceptance higher than 80%, odor and flavor attributes obtained thelowest ratings, although higher than 3.3 on the five-point scale, possibly due to the presence of aromas and flavors typical of vegetables. The overall acceptability of the gums showedsignificant differences between the three flavors (p < 0.000 Chi square).Conclusions: The creation of gum-type sweets that incorporate flavors typical of vegetables, could constitute an efficient strategy to promote the best acceptance and consumption of vegetables by the child population. (AU)