Preservation of white wine pomace by high hydrostatic pressure.

The effect of different high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments (400, 600 MPa for 1, 6 min) on white wine pomace was studied throughout storage conditions (270 days) at different temperature conditions (4° and 20 °C). The final use of this product would be as an ingredient for food products preservation. Microbiological, enzyme and physico-chemical parameters were evaluated after processing and during storage. HHP greatly reduced the microbial counts of treated pomace and allowed obtaining a safe product with a long shelf-life at 4 and 20 °C. The HHP treatment also preserved phenolic compounds content, however an important reduction of these compounds was found during storage since the polyphenol oxidase enzyme remained active after the treatment and during storage. Phenolic compounds were better preserved during storage at 4 °C than at 20 °C. The application of HHP at 600 MPa/6 min and the refrigeration of the treated pomace would allow obtaining a microbiologically safe pomace with high levels of phenolic compounds with a shelf-life of 90 days. The activity of the enzyme should be limited in future to ensure a long shelf-life of the processed pomace.

N-(levodopa) chitosan derivative based on click chemistry shows biological functionality in brain cells.

OBJECTIVE: To develop N-(levodopa) chitosan derivatives through click chemistry to study their effect in brain cells.Significance: This study presents a proof-of-concept that macromolecules such as N-(Levodopa) chitosan derivatives traverse brain cell membranes and induce biomedical functionalities. METHODS: Through click chemistry, we developed N-(levodopa) chitosan derivatives. They were physically and chemically characterized by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, TGA and Dynamic Light Scattering analyses. Solution and nanoparticles of N-(levodopa) chitosan derivatives were tested in primary cell cultures from the postnatal rat olfactory bulb, substantia nigra and corpus callosum. Ca2+ imaging and UPLC experiments were used to investigate if the biomaterial modulated the brain cell physiology. RESULTS: N-(levodopa) chitosan derivatives induced intracellular Ca2+ responses in primary cell cultures of the rat brain. UPLC experiments indicated that levodopa attached to chitosan was converted into dopamine by brain cells. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that N-(levodopa) chitosan may be useful to develop new treatment strategies, which could serve as molecular reservoirs of biomedical drugs to treat degenerative disorders of the nervous system.

Integral analysis of environmental and economic performance of combined agricultural intensification & bioenergy production in the Orinoquia region.

Agricultural intensification is a key strategy to help meet increasing demand for food and bioenergy. It has the potential to reduce direct and indirect land use change (LUC) and associated environmental impacts while contributing to a favorable economic performance of the agriculture sector. We conduct an integral analysis of environmental and economic impacts of LUC from projected agricultural intensification and bioenergy production in the Orinoquia region in 2030. We compare three agricultural intensification scenarios (low, medium, high) and a reference scenario, which assumes a business-as-usual development of agricultural production. The results show that with current inefficient management or with only very little intensification between 26% and 93% of the existing natural vegetation areas will be converted to agricultural land to meet increasing food demand. This results in the loss of biodiversity by 53% and increased water consumption by 111%. In the medium and high scenarios, the intensification allows meeting increased food demand within current agricultural lands and even generating surplus land which can be used to produce bioenergy crops. This results in the reduction of biodiversity loss by 8-13% with medium and high levels of intensification compared to the situation in 2018. Also, a positive economic performance is observed, stemming primarily from intensification of cattle production and additional energy crop production. Despite increasing irrigation efficiency in more intensive production systems, the water demand for perennial crops and cattle production over the dry season increases significantly, thus sustainable management practices that target efficient water use are needed. Agricultural productivity improvements, particularly for cattle production, are crucial for reducing the pressure on natural areas from increasing demand for both food products and bioenergy. This implies targeted investments in the agricultural sector and integrated planning of land use. Our results showed that production intensification in the Orinoquia region is a mechanism that could reduce the pressure on natural land and its associated environmental and economic impacts.

High-pressure processing of a raw milk cheese improved its food safety maintaining the sensory quality.

The effect of high-pressure treatment (400 or 600 MPa for 7 min) on microbiology, proteolysis, texture and sensory parameters was investigated in a mature raw goat milk cheese. At day 60 of analysis, Mesophilic aerobic, Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria and Listeria spp. were inactivated after high-pressure treatment at 400 or 600 MPa. At day 90, mesophilic aerobic, lactic acid bacteria and Micrococacceae counts were significantly lower in high-pressure-treated cheeses than in control ones. In general, nitrogen fractions were significantly modified after high-pressure treatment on day 60 at 600 MPa compared with control cheeses, but this effect was not found in cheeses after 30 days of storage (day 90). On the other hand, high-pressure treatment caused a significant increase of some texture parameters. However, sensory analysis showed that neither trained panellists nor consumers found significant differences between control and high-pressure-treated cheeses.

Systemic inflammatory load in young and old ringdoves is modulated by consumption of a Jerte Valley cherry-based product.

A chronic subclinical inflammatory status that coexists with immune dysfunction is commonly found in the elderly population. Consumption of foods rich in antioxidants (e.g., cherries) is an attractive strategy to reduce risk from chronic diseases. Based on previous studies showing the antioxidant effect of a Jerte Valley cherry derivative product in humans, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the intake of a Jerte Valley cherry-based beverage on inflammatory load in both young and old ringdoves (Streptopelia risoria). To this purpose, circulating levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as serum levels of different acute-phase proteins were measured before and after a 10-day treatment with the Jerte Valley cherry-based beverage. Thus, the 10-day treatment with the cherry-based beverage modulated the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in both young and old ringdoves by down-regulating the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ) and up-regulating the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-2, and IL-10). Moreover, the 10-day treatment with the Jerte Valley cherry-based product reduced the levels of several proteins involved in acute-phase responses, such as C-reactive protein, haptoglobin, α(2)-macroglobulin, and serum amyloid P component. On the other hand, old birds showed imbalanced levels of inflammatory markers toward a pro-inflammatory status, thereby underlining the fact that aging is usually accompanied by systemic inflammation and inflammation-related chronic diseases. To sum up, the data suggest a potential health benefit by consuming the cherry-based beverage, especially in aged populations, through their anti-inflammatory properties.

Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and total antioxidant capacity increase after the intake of a grape juice cv. Tempranillo stabilized with HHP.

Red grapes contain elevated amounts of antioxidant compounds (polyphenols) that may potentially prevent cell aging, cardiovascular disease and oxidation-related disorders. Since functional drinks are presently one of the most dynamic sectors of the market, the present work was aimed at evaluating the possible antioxidant effect of an experimental grape juice in terms of urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6-s) and total antioxidant capacity in young (20 ± 10 yr-old), middle-aged (45 ± 10 yr-old) and elderly (75 ± 10 yr-old) individuals. Grapes (Vitis vinifera cv. Tempranillo) were de-stemmed, racked and pressed. The juice was subsequently stabilized by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP). Participants consumed 200 mL of grape juice twice a day (as the lunch and dinner desserts) for 5 days. First-void morning urines were collected before treatment (basal values), the day immediately after the last ingestion of juice (assay), and one day afterwards (post-assay). aMT6-s and total antioxidant capacity were quantified using commercial ELISA and colorimetric assay kits, respectively. The intake of grape juice cv. Tempranillo induced a significant increase of urinary aMT6-s and total antioxidant capacity in the three groups of age analyzed as compared to their corresponding basal and post-assay values. These functional/nutraceutical properties may be of interest for a prospective commercialization of the grape juice. The novel technology used for juice stabilization may be suitable for introducing into the market a product with high sensory and nutritional quality, as it has been shown in this study.

Effect of thermal and high-pressure processing on the nutritional value and quality attributes of a nectarine purée with industrial origin during the refrigerated storage.

The application of hydrostatic high pressure on an industrial line of nectarine (Prunus persica L.) purées was assessed in comparison with the traditional thermal treatment of pasteurization. Changes after thermal processing (85 °C, 5 min) and after high-pressure processing (HPP: 450 or 600 MPa for 5 or 10 min) and during the refrigerated storage (60 d) of an industrially produced nectarine purée were evaluated. Conventional heat pasteurization as well as HPP showed similar microorganisms' inactivation and maintained the microbial stability of purées until the end of the refrigerated storage (60 d). In general, thermally treated purée and HP-treated purée at 600 MPa showed more intense color changes after processing than the other treatment. In addition, thermally treated purée showed more intense color changes during storage than HPP. The highest carotenoids extractability was found in those purées treated at the lowest high-pressure-treatment intensity and holding time (450 MPa/5 min), but at the end of the storage (day 60), no differences in individual or total carotenoid levels were found between the purées. HPP at 600 MPa/10 min showed the highest polyphenols content after the treatment and during the storage. At day 0, significantly higher values were found of total antioxidant activity in purée HP-treated at 450 MPa/10 min than in untreated purée; while at the end of the storage, HP-treated purée at 600 MPa/10 min had the highest antioxidant activity. Hydrostatic high-pressure application in the industrial line of nectarine purée presented some advantages compared to the thermal treatment; however, some of the changes found were lessen during the storage period. In addition, more studies need to be carried out for HP-treatment intensity optimization.