Potentialities of plant protein aerogels as innovative food ingredients

Protein aerogels are attracting large attention in the food sector, since presenting appealing characteristics as innovative food ingredients. Being made by proteins, commonly used food ingredients, they are largely accepted by consumers. Moreover, the structure of protein aerogels can be fine-tuned by acting on multiple processing (e.g., drying technique) and formulation (e.g., protein type, pH) factors, thus allowing the engineering of systems with a wide range of tailor-made functionalities. As a result, protein aerogels have been proposed as advanced food ingredients to develop bioactive delivery systems in the gastrointestinal tract, and structure liquid oil into plastic materials able to replace saturated fats in foods. Surprisingly, to date, the potentialities of protein aerogels as innovative food ingredients have been only demonstrated for animal protein-based systems, mainly egg and milk proteins, and studies regarding the development of aerogels from plant proteins are very limited. Nevertheless, the current concern about the poor environmental sustainability of animal proteins and their production is boosting the so-defined “plant-protein transition”, which has been identified as a key strategy to increase of food sustainability. In this context, plant-protein-based aerogels could represent an influential opportunity to favor the inlet of aerogels in the food sector. Based on these considerations, the aim of the present work was to study the possibility of producing food-grade aerogels based on plant proteins (pea and soy) and to collect preliminary data on their compatibility with food systems. To this aim, soy and pea protein isolate (SPI, PPI) hydrogels (10-20% w/w, pH 4.5 or 7.0) were converted into aerogel particles by grinding followed by ethanol solvent exchange and supercritical-CO2-drying. The obtained aerogel particles were analyzed for physical properties (BET surface area, porosity, density), and ability to interact with water and oil, commonly used food solvents. To this aim, aerogel water solubility and water and oil holding capacity (WHC, OHC) were assessed and compared to those of SPI and PPI. Aerogelation of SPI and PPI allowed obtaining porous particles, with BET internal surface and porosity in the range 50-150 m2/g and 60-80% respectively. The lowest values were found, as expected, at pH 4.5, corresponding to the isoelectric point. As compared to SPI and PPI, which presented a water solubility higher than 80%, the corresponding aerogels showed a water solubility around 25%. Aerogelation also significantly increased the WHC and OHC as compared to the protein isolates. The results obtained in this study demonstrate the possibility to produce plant-protein-based aerogels in the form of porous powders. The high ability to absorb water and oil, which can be exploited in the formulation of complex foods requiring rheological modulation (e.g., creams, spreads, dressings), associated with the vegetable origin of the used proteins, can be regarded as key characteristics able to stimulate the interest of the food sector in innovative aerogel ingredients

Protein aerogels as functional ingredients able to replace fat and modulate lipid digestion

Introduction The direct relation between saturated fat consumption and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes type II and obesity is nowadays well-established. However, fat substitution in foods is not simple, due to the important structural and sensorial properties of solid fat, which are hardly replicated by liquid oil. Nevertheless, oil can be structured into semi-solid materials (oleogels) by different “oleogelation” strategies. Oleogels not only mimic the structural properties of fats, but have been also shown to be useful in the modulation of lipid digestion. The aerogel-template approach, is a recent oleogelation strategy, based on the ability of aerogels to absorb oil in their porous network. In particular, food-grade protein aerogel particles have shown the peculiar ability to structure huge oil amounts into plastic systems presenting the mechanical properties of traditional fats. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of aerogel-template oleogelation on lipid digestibility and to investigate the possibility to use aerogel-templated oleogels in the preparation of low-saturated fat cocoa creams. Experimental Methods Whey protein (WP) aerogel particles were prepared by grinding a heat-set WP hydrogel (20% w/w, pH=5.7), which was then subjected to ethanol exchange and supercritical-CO2 drying (SCD). Oleogels were than obtained by absorption of sunflower oil (SO) into aerogel particles. Lipid digestibility of the oleogel containing 80% (w/w) SO and 20% WP aerogel (w/w) was assessed by in vitro digestion, according to the INFOGEST protocol. Lipid digestibility was expressed as free fatty acids (FFA %), assessed by pH-stat method, i.e., by measuring the volume of NaOH (0.25 M) required to maintain the pH at 8.00 during digestion occurring in the small intestine. The choice of using pH 8.00 instead of 7.00 was based on the technical specifications of the used lipase. The digestate samples were analyzed by using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and confocal microscopy. The WP aerogel particles were then used to prepare cocoa creams containing sunflower oil (SO), icing sugar and cocoa powder. Different oil amounts were tested (40-65% w/w), while maintaining constant the ratio among the dried ingredients (WP aerogel:sugar:cocoa =1.5:5:1). Additional control samples were prepared by using native WP. The obtained creams were analyzed for oil release and rheological properties and compared to cocoa spreads available on the market. Results and discussion WP aerogel particles were used to structure SO into an oleogel, whose digestibility was then assessed. The lipid digestibility of SO and of the oleogel resulted respectively of 70% and 80%. These results can be attributed to the ability of aerogel protein particles to improve the emulsification of oil in the intestinal digestive mixture, leading to an enhanced activity of lipolytic enzymes. DLS, in fact, evidenced that the lipidic micelles formed during intestinal digestion of the oleogel resulted significantly smaller than those formed during SO digestion. This is probably attributable to the surface activity of WP aerogels, which are able to cover and stabilize the oil droplets in the digestive mixture. The applicability of WP aerogel particles as key ingredients for the preparation of low-saturated fat cocoa creams was then demonstrated, combining WP aerogel particles with SO in presence of sugar and cocoa powder. Native WP did not show oil structuring ability, leading to liquid-like cocoa creams, showing an apparent viscosity lower than 2 Pa∙s (50 1/s) and evident oil release upon resting at room temperature. By contrast, aerogel particles produced thicker creams, showing no flow under gravity, a significantly higher viscosity (50 Pa∙s), and no oil release under standard storage conditions. This was attributed to the modifications undergone by WP during conversion into porous aerogel particles. The range of rheological properties covered by the WP aerogel cocoa creams resulted comparable with a wide variety of commercial products (e.g. sauces and batters). Conclusions This work demonstrates the potentialities of WP aerogel particles as oil structuring agents, exploitable in the formulation of healthier food products with a reduced amount of saturated fatty acids. Such formulation strategy would not compromise the lipolytic action during digestion, making aerogels suitable carriers of bioactive molecules in the gastrointestinal tract

A multidisciplinary approach in sinkhole analysis: The Quinis village case study (NE-Italy)

During the last recent years, in Quinis, a small village sited in the Alta Val Tagliamento valley (Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, NE Italy), the inhabitants facedwith instability phenomena related to the presence of soluble rocks in the subsurface. The evaporite bedrock is mainly mantled, in fact, by high thickness deposit. This paper explains the methodological approach thatwe used to identify the instabilities in a very complex geo-structural environment where the urbanization limits the applicability of several investigation techniques. Different methods were used to define the bedrock morphology, to characterize the mantling deposits and to identify the processes behind. What emerged from the study is a mandatory multidisciplinary approach to characterize the subsoil, because each technique is not able individually to take to a unique result. The data collected allowed to draft a geo\u2013 hydrogeological conceptual model of the Quinis village. The lessons learned, even ifwith some site-specific dependency, demonstrate the importance of broad-spectrum investigations,which are essential to understand the subsurface characteristics avoiding relevant socio-economic impact and supporting an adequate future territorial planning

Juvenile xanthogranuloma: A possible diagnostic criterion for Neurofibromatosis type 1 in young children

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The efficacy of anakinra in an adolescent with colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever

Colchicine is the treatment of choice in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) for the prevention of both attacks and secondary amyloidosis. The overall nonresponder rate is about 5–10%. Anakinra is known to have good effectiveness in a severe autoinflammatory syndrome [chronic infantile neurological cutaneous and articular (CINCA) syndrome] and other recurrent hereditary periodic fevers. Pyrin—the protein involved in FMF—has a role in activating the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β. We report the effectiveness of the addition of an IL-1-receptor inhibitor (anakinra) to colchicine in controlling the febrile attacks and acute phase response in an adolescent with FMF resistant to colchicine

Measurements of branching fraction ratios and CP-asymmetries in suppressed B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decays

We report the first reconstruction in hadron collisions of the suppressed decays B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^-, sensitive to the CKM phase gamma, using data from 7 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity collected by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. We reconstruct a signal for the B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- suppressed mode with a significance of 3.2 standard deviations, and measure the ratios of the suppressed to favored branching fractions R(K) = [22.0 \pm 8.6(stat)\pm 2.6(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^+(K) = [42.6\pm 13.7(stat)\pm 2.8(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^-(K)= [3.8\pm 10.3(stat)\pm 2.7(syst]\times 10^-3, as well as the direct CP-violating asymmetry A(K) = -0.82\pm 0.44(stat)\pm 0.09(syst) of this mode. Corresponding quantities for B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decay are also reported.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, accepted by Phys.Rev.D Rapid Communications for Publicatio

Differential cross section measurements for the production of a W boson in association with jets in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Measurements are reported of differential cross sections for the production of a W boson, which decays into a muon and a neutrino, in association with jets, as a function of several variables, including the transverse momenta (pT) and pseudorapidities of the four leading jets, the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta (HT), and the difference in azimuthal angle between the directions of each jet and the muon. The data sample of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV was collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb[superscript −1]. The measured cross sections are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo generators, MadGraph + pythia and sherpa, and to next-to-leading-order calculations from BlackHat + sherpa. The differential cross sections are found to be in agreement with the predictions, apart from the pT distributions of the leading jets at high pT values, the distributions of the HT at high-HT and low jet multiplicity, and the distribution of the difference in azimuthal angle between the leading jet and the muon at low values.United States. Dept. of EnergyNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Alfred P. Sloan Foundatio

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI