Nutraceutical Potential of Leafy Vegetables Landraces at Microgreen, Baby, and Adult Stages of Development

Nutraceutical compounds present in leafy vegetables have gained substantial attention due to the health benefits they offer beyond their nutritional value. The biosynthesis, composition, and concentration of these compounds vary widely among leafy vegetables and carry the influence of genetic, agronomic, and environmental factors. Recently, micro-vegetables are gaining importance among consumers worldwide and are used in gastronomy at different development stages. Another tendency is the utilization of local genetic resources as an integral component of agricultural biodiversity crucial for sustainable production. The present study identifies the nutraceutical potential of 10 leafy vegetables at the microgreen, baby, and adult development stages using local genetic resources from the Spanish Vegetable Genebank (CITA, Aragón). Specifically, two landraces for each of the following crops were used: chard (Beta vulgaris), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), borage (Borago officinalis), and chicory (Cichorium intybus). The results reinforce the value of traditional local genetics and demonstrate the potential of these leafy vegetables as a source of functional compounds (fatty acids, vitamin C, carotenoids, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, and tocopherols). The observed variability depending on the crop and the developmental stage recommends the necessity of having a varied diet, since each leafy vegetable product offers a unique nutritional profile.Authors want to acknowledge the CITA Research Center in Zaragoza, especially the Vegetable Germplasm Bank (ESP027) for kindly providing the seeds, and the laboratory of “Valoración Nutritiva” for technical support.chardspinachlettuceboragechicoryfatty acidsvitamin Cvitamin Ecarotenoidspolyphenolsantioxidant activityPublishe

Caracterización de especies químicas en plancton por electroforesis sobre gel y ablación láser-ICP-MS

El plancton juega un papel muy importante en el ecosistema terrestre, ya que, además de ser el primer eslabón de la cadena trófica de los ecosistemas acuáticos, es el responsable de generar alrededor del 50% del oxígeno necesario para la vida en la Tierra y del 90% del oxígeno presente en océanos y mares. Además, este oxígeno, se genera en su mayor parte gracias a la fijación del CO2 atmosférico, actuando el plancton como uno de los principales sumideros de CO2 del planeta. El plancton interacciona con metales presentes en el medio, de tal forma que algunos de ellos son imprescindibles para su existencia, ya que actúan como cofactores de enzimas y/o elementos estructurales de diversas proteínas, ejemplo de ello son elementos como el Fe, el Cu, el Zn y el Co, alguno de los cuales actúa como cofactor de metaloenzimas como la anhidrasa carbónica y la fosfatasa alcalina. Por el contrario, estos mismos metales en concentraciones superiores y otros como el Cd, el Hg, el Pb y el As, pueden tener carácter tóxico para estos microorganismos. Por el importante papel que juega el plancton y a su vez los metales en el desarrollo del mismo, es importante la puesta a punto de una metodología analítica para la caracterización de las proteínas y de los metales asociados a las mismas en muestras de plancton. En este trabajo se ha realizado la determinación del contenido total de metales en muestras de plancton (BCR-414 y BIO 7120) mediante plasma de acoplamiento inductivo espectrometría de masas (ICP-MS) tras digestión ácida asistida por microondas, así como la caracterización de las proteínas presentes en ambas muestras aplicando métodos electroforéticos y de los metales asociados a las mismas mediante técnicas electroforéticas y ablación láser-ICP-MS (PAGE-LA-ICP-MS). Todo ello habiendo realizado una optimización completa tanto del proceso de preparación de las muestras de plancton, así como de la posterior separación de proteínas y el estudio de asociaciones metal-proteína bajo las técnicas citadas

Daily activity budget of beef cows under occasional feed restriction periods throughout lactation

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Performance and milk fatty acid profile of beef cows with a different energy status with short nutrient restriction and refeeding

Our study objective was to determine the effect of a short feed restriction (4 d) and subsequent refeeding (4 d) on the performance and metabolism of beef cows with a different nutritional status by particularly focusing on their milk fatty acid (FA) profile, to consider its potential use as biomarker of metabolic status. Thirty-two Parda de Montaña multiparous lactating beef cows were individually fed a diet based on the average cow’s net energy (NE) and metabolisable protein requirements. At 58 days in milk (DIM, d 0), cows underwent a 4 d feed restriction (55% requirements, restriction period). Before and after the restriction, diets met 100% of their requirements (basal and refeeding periods). Cow performance, milk yield and composition, and plasma metabolites, were determined on d -2, 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8. Cows were classified into two status clusters according to their pre-challenge performance and energy balance (EB) (Balanced vs. Imbalanced). All traits were statistically analyzed considering the fixed effect of status cluster and feeding period or day, with cow as a random effect. Imbalanced cows were heavier and had a more negative EB (P 0.10). Milk contents of C18:1 cis-9, monounsaturated FA (MUFA), and mobilization FA were greater (P < 0.05), whereas saturated FA (SFA) and de novo FA were lesser in Imbalanced than Balanced cows (P < 0.05). Restriction decreased body weight (BW), milk yield, and milk protein compared to the basal period, but increased milk urea and plasma nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) (P < 0.001). Milk contents of SFA, de novo, and mixed FA decreased immediately during the restriction, while MUFA, polyunsaturated FA and mobilization FA increased (P < 0.001). Basal milk FA contents were recovered on d 2 of refeeding, and all their changes strongly correlated with differences in EB and NEFA (P < 0.05). The general lack of interactions between status clusters and feeding periods implied that the response mechanisms to diet changes did not differ between cows with a different pre-challenge nutritional status.In pres

Fatty acid profile, secondary compounds and antioxidant activities in the fresh forage, hay and silage of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) and sulla (Hedysarum coronarium)

BACKGROUND Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) and sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) are forage legumes usually preserved to optimise their utilization as feedstuffs. However, the method of preservation modifies the chemical composition differently in both legume species. Secondary compounds (such as proanthocyanidins, fatty acids, carotenoids and tocopherols) present in forages affect the quality of animal products. Therefore, the effect of preservation on the contents of secondary compounds should be studied. For that, samples of sainfoin and sulla were directly freeze-dried (fresh), dried at ambient temperature (hay), and vacuum-packaged for 82 days (silage). RESULTS In both legumes, the total FA and C18:3 n-3 contents decreased and C16:0 increased with preservation (P < 0.001), with a greater effect for the hays than for the silages. For both legumes, the lutein, neoxanthin and violaxanthin contents decreased to a greater extent in the silages than in the hays (P < 0.001). Both hays exhibited the lowest β-carotene concentrations (P < 0.001). The α-tocopherol contents decreased in hays but not in silages when compared to the fresh forages of both legumes (P < 0.001). The antioxidant activities were lower in the silages than in the hays and fresh forages (P < 0.001), and were very strongly related with the contents of polyphenols and proanthocyanidins (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Haymaking affected the FA, carotenoid and α-tocopherol contents to a greater extent but had a lesser effect on the antioxidant activities than silage-making, which were very strongly related to their contents of polyphenols and proanthocyanidins.Publishe

Inclusion of sainfoin in lamb concentrate on blood metabolites and oxidation status (póster)

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