Spray-dried olive mill wastewater reduces Maillard reaction in cookies model system

The network of the Maillard reaction can be influenced by the presence of polyphenols. In this paper, we evaluated the ability of secoiridoids to interact with asparagine and lysine tuning the formation of dietary advanced glycation end-products (d-AGEs), dicarbonyls and acrylamide. Olive oil mill wastewater polyphenol powders (OMWP) were added to glucose and lysine or asparagine in silica model systems to mimic water activity present in cookies. Results revealed that acrylamide, Amadori compounds and N-ε-carboxyethyllysine (CEL) were reduced to 50%, after 13 min at 180°C; for the reduction of N-ε-carboxymethyllysine (CML), secoiridoids were effective only in model systems with the addition of acacia fiber and maltodextrin as coating agents. In cookies, OMWP at three different concentrations decreased the concentration of protein bound Amadori compounds, CML, CEL and dicarbonyls. Acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural were reduced to 60% and 76% respectively, highlighting the ability of secoiridoids-based functional ingredients in controlling d-AGEs formation

Development of functional foods and ingredients using by-products from plant foods

The aim of this PhD project was the valorization of by-products from some mediterranean plant foods through their re-utilization in new functional foods and ingredients having the ability to modulate the oxidative processes and nutrient metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract (GiT). Obesity is an urgent social problem and functional foods able to modulate oxidative stress and energy homeostasis are promising tools to control inflammatory status and body weight. Several evidence shows that polyphenols (PPs) and dietary fiber (DF) may control energy intake and appetite in humans through several mechanisms. PPs may quench free radicals forming in GiT, may counteract subclinical oxidative stress and high-fat diet induced inflammation, and may also influence the activity of key digestive enzymes thus modulating nutrients bioavailability and the related neuro-hormonal signals. In this way, PPs are hypothesized able to modulate appetite cues in the short term, and to control body weight in the long term. However, food processes as well as the physicochemical interconnections of PPs with DF and other food components, are crucial factors influencing their bioaccessibility and their functionality along the GiT. Plant foods by-products from agricultural and food industry are a natural and cheap source of PPs and DF. In this thesis the possible reutilization of pomegranate peels (PPe), artichoke leaves (ALe) and stems (AS), and olive leaves (OLe) was investigated by developing three studies. In a first study the bioaccessibility of PPs from PPe and a PPe-enriched cookie (PPeC), their potential total antioxidant capacity (TAC) along the GiT, as well as the ability of PPeC to modulate glucose and lipid metabolism was assessed. To this purpose PPeC were developed and in vitro sequential enzyme digestion coupled to LC/MS/MS and biochemical analyses of the soluble and insoluble fractions collected at each digestion steps were carried out. Data showed the chemical transformations induced by baking process on PPe PPs, the potential release of antioxidants along the GiT and their ability to inhibit α-glucosidase, α-amylase and lipase activities in the duodenal tract. In a second study the development of breads enriched with AS at 3%, 6% and 9% was performed and the intestinal fate of PPs and cynaropicrin was studied in vitro using a simulated human digestion model coupled to High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) analysis of digestive extracts. The potential metabolic fate of PPs and cynaropicrin from AS-enriched breads and the ability of the extracts from the duodenal step to inhibit α-glucosidase activity was assessed. A third study was conducted in collaboration with Prof. Bruce Hamaker and Prof. Osvaldo Campanella at Purdue University, (Indiana, USA) and consisted in the development of new antioxidant DF by including PPs-rich extracts from PPe, OLe and ALe in starch-alginate based microspheres (MS). The physicochemical properties of the new ingredients were compared to those of 6 commercially available DF concentrates as well as to whole wheat bran and oat bran in order to position the new ingredients on the actual market of DF concentrates and dietary source of DF. All in all data obtained in this thesis demonstrated that plant foods by-products are promising source of PPs and DF to develop foods and ingredients that may control oxidation and nutrient metabolism along the GiT

Evaluation of microfiltration and heat treatment on the microbiological characteristics, phenolic composition and volatile compound profile of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice

BACKGROUND: Since processing technology and storage may influence the sensory and nutritional value as well as the shelf life of pomegranate juice (PJ), mild technologies based on microfiltration may be a promising alternative to heat treatments for fruit juice preservation. In this study, physicochemical and microbiological properties of raw (RPJ), microfiltered (MPJ) and cloudy pasteurized (PPJ) PJ were compared over a period of 4weeks. RESULTS: Data demonstrated that microfiltration was comparable to pasteurization in guaranteeing microbiological stability of the juice, avoiding spoilage of the final product. After treatment, PPJ showed the highest amounts of gallic acid (GA) and ellagic acid derivatives (EAs). During storage, the amount of ellagitannins, EAs and GA similarly decreased in all types of juice. Trends towards variations of monomeric anthocyanins in MPJ and variations of polymeric and copigmented anthocyanins in both MPJ and PPJ were found over storage. CONCLUSION: The optimization of pretreatments and filtration parameters can lead to the industrial scale-up of microfiltration technology for the development of high-quality non-heat-treated PJ. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry

The last step to achieve barrier damage control

Heterogeneity characterises inflammatory diseases and different phenotypes and endotypes have been identified. Both innate and adaptive immunity contribute to the immunopathological mechanism of these diseases and barrier damage plays a prominent role triggering type 2 inflammation through the alarmins system, such as anti-Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP). Treatment with anti-TSLP monoclonal antibodies showed efficacy in severe asthma and clinical trials for other eosinophilic diseases are ongoing. The aim of this perspective review is to analyse current advances and future applications of TSLP inhibition to control barrier damage

Development and functional characterization of new antioxidant dietary fibers from pomegranate, olive and artichoke by-products

A novel ingredient acting as a slow digestible dietary fiber (DF) was developed by including native corn starch in calcium alginate microspheres (MS). In this study three types of antioxidant DF-rich ingredients were designed and developed by including in the MS, polyphenol-rich vegetable by-product extracts (obtained from pomegranate peels, olive leaves and artichoke leaves) and their potential functionality was assessed in vitro. Specifically, the physico-chemical properties of the new MS were compared with those of six commercially available DF concentrates and with wheat and oat brans. To evaluate the potential efficacy to release PPs along the gastrointestinal tract (GiT), pomegranate peels-microspheres (PPe-MS) were subjected to in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Results showed that the newly developed MS had higher free antioxidant capacity (free-TAC) than commercial DF rich products, and the bound antioxidant capacity (bound-TAC) of PPe-MS was comparable to that of wheat bran and 4.4 folds higher than that of oat-bran. Furthermore, it was shown that the release of ellagitannins from cooked PPe-MS along in vitro simulated gastro-intestinal digestion decreased from the salivary to the small intestine phase whereas gallic acid, ellagic acid and its derivatives had an opposite trend. A certain amount of PPs was found in the spent pellet obtained from the in vitro digestion, which was mimicking the residue reaching the colon in vivo. In conclusion data showed that the new antioxidant MS have physical-chemical properties like those of wheat and oat brans, mainly including the bound antioxidant capacity. This open to new possibilities of functional utilization of vegetable by-products for obtaining valuable and healthy food ingredients

Genotypic variation in nutritional and antioxidant profile among iceberg lettuce cultivars

Regular consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases and improvement of cognitive health. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a major salad food, which is widely grown and consumed worldwide. Cultivars-specific information on bioactive composition of crisphead subtype iceberg remains scarce. The present study aimed to profile the nutrition and antioxidant composition of seven new cultivars of iceberg (‘Equinos’, ‘Ice Castle’, ‘Metalia’, ‘Num 189’, ‘Silvinas’, ‘Ombrinas’ and ‘Vanguardia’). The head fresh mass of the iceberg cultivars ranged from 485 to 801 g per plant, with the highest values recorded in ‘Num 189’ and ‘Vanguardia’. Across cultivars, K was the predominant macronutrient and was followed by Ca. The highest nitrate content was recorded in ‘Equinos’ and ‘Umbrinas’, whereas the lowest value was observed in ‘Metalia’. The hydrophilic (HAA) and lipophylic antioxidant activities (LAA) of the selected iceberg cultivars ranged from 4.9 to 13.0 mmol ascorbic acid 100 g-1 dw, and from 6.8 to 12.5 mmol Trolox 100 g-1 dw, respectively. Chicoric acid was the main phenolic acid present in all cultivars, followed by chlorogenic acid and caffeoyl tartaric acid. The highest HAA, LAA, caffeoyl tartaric acid, chicoric acid and total phenolic content were observed in ‘Num 189’, whereas an opposite trend was recorded for chlorogenic acid. The current findings will improve knowledge of the compositional variation among iceberg cultivars and assist growers in selecting cultivars combining optimal yield with high nutritional value

Heterogeneous Condition of Asthmatic Children Patients: A Narrative Review

Currently, asthma represents the most common chronic disorder in children, showing an increasingly consistent burden worldwide. Childhood asthma, similar to what happens in adults, is a diversified disease with a great variability of phenotypes, according to genetic predisposition of patients, age, severity of symptoms, grading of risk, and comorbidities, and cannot be considered a singular well-defined disorder, but rather a uniquely assorted disorder with variable presentations throughout childhood. Despite several developments occurring in recent years in pediatric asthma, above all, in the management of the disease, some essential areas, such as the improvement of pediatric asthma outcomes, remain a hot topic. Most treatments of the type 2 (T2) target phenotype of asthma, in which IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 modulate the central signals of inflammatory reactions. Although, there may be an unresolved need to identify new biomarkers used as predictors to improve patient stratification using disease systems and to aid in the selection of treatments. Moreover, we are globally facing many dramatic challenges, including climate change and the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, which have a considerable impact on children and adolescent asthma. Preventive strategies, including allergen immunotherapy and microbiome evaluation, and targeted therapeutic strategies are strongly needed in this population. Finally, the impact of asthma on sleep disorders has been reviewed