Changes in bioaccessibility, polyphenol profile and antioxidant potential of flours obtained from persimmon fruit (Diospyros kaki) co-products during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

The aim was to evaluate (i) the phenol and flavonoid recovery and bioaccessibility indexes, (ii) the stability of individual polyphenolic compounds and (iii) the antioxidant activity of persimmon flours (cultivars ‘Rojo Brillante’ and ‘Triumph’) during the in vitro digestion. The recovery index for phenolic and flavonoid content was dependent on flour type and digestion phase. After the dialysis phase, the bioaccessibility for phenolic compounds from both flours was similar; for flavonoids it was higher in ‘Triumph’ than ‘Rojo Brillante’ flour. After in vitro digestion, 13 polyphenolic compounds were detected in both flours, of which only six were detected in the intestinal phase. Their antioxidant activity (ABTS%+, FRAP and DPPH) decreased after intestinal phase, while their chelating activity (FIC assay) increased in both flours. So, persimmon flours could be included in the formulation of foods to improve either their scarcity of bioactive compounds or an unbalanced nutritional composition

Chia Oil Extraction Coproduct as a Potential New Ingredient for the Food Industry: Chemical, Physicochemical, Techno-Functional and Antioxidant Properties

The aim of this work was to characterize the coproduct obtained from chia oil production (cold-pressing) with a view to its possible application in new food product development. For this characterization, the following determinations were made: proximate composition, physicochemical analysis, techno-functional properties, total phenolic and flavonoid content, polyphenolic profile and antioxidant capacity (using four different methods). Chia coproduct showed significantly higher levels of proteins and total dietary fiber and lower levels of fats than chia seeds, pointing to the promising nature of this coproduct as an ingredient of food formulations since it remains a source of high biological value proteins and total dietary fiber (as chia seeds themselves) but with a lower energy value. This chia coproduct presents similar techno-functional properties to the original chia seeds and significantly higher levels of polyphenolic compounds and, consequently, higher antioxidant activit

Improving the lipid profile of beef burgers added with chia oil (Salvia hispanica L.) or hemp oil (Cannabis sativa L.) gelled emulsions as partial animal fat replacers

New gelled emulsions (GE) based on amaranth flour mixed with chia or hemp oil were developed and used as partial pork back-fat replacer (25 and 50%) in beef burgers. The addition of GE decreased the fat content in the burgers between 12% and 33%. The use of GE decreased the amount of palmitic, stearic, and oleic fatty acids and increased the amount of linolenic (higher in amaranth-hemp GE) and α-linolenic (higher in amaranth-chia GE) fatty acids. Both GE improved the n-6/n-3 and PUFA/SFA nutritional ratios in burgers and the AI, TI, h/H indices related to healthy properties of lipid fractions. Color, water activity, pH, and texture were not affected by the addition of GE but cooking loss, shrinkage, and thickness changes were increased (higher in amaranth-hemp GE). Burgers containing amaranth-chia GE (both raw and cooked) resulted in more susceptibility to lipid oxidation than the others and also resulted in lower sensorial acceptability. As a general conclusion, the use of amaranthhemp GE as pork backfat substitute improve nutritional characteristics of the burgers without affecting technological or sensory properties

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) products as ingredients for reformulating frankfurters: Effects on quality properties and shelf-life

Several strategies were examined for incorporating chia products (seeds, flour and a coproduct from cold-press oil extraction) in frankfurters. The nutritional composition, technological properties and sensory attributes of the resulting products were studied in relation to the formulation used and, lipid oxidation, pH, residual nitrite level and microbiological properties were evaluated during chilled storage. Application of these chia products (3%) was seen to enhance the nutritional composition of frankfurters, without adversely affecting the technological properties of the final product. In general, although differences were detected in the sensory attributes of the frankfurters reformulated with chia products (most of them when chia coproduct was added), all of them were judged acceptable. Besides the quality aspects, these reformulation strategies had beneficial effects on some technological properties during chilled storage: better resistance to oxidation (controlling the TBARS increase during storage) and lower residual nitrite levels than control (both effects presumably because the chia polyphenols content) and no effect on microbiological safet

Chemical and technological properties of bologna-type sausages with added black quinoa wet-milling coproducts as binder replacer

The objective of this study was to evaluate different strategies for adding 3% black quinoa (either as whole seeds or as a fiber-rich fraction of quinoa from its wet-milling process) to bologna-type sausage. This addition was evaluated in terms of its influence on nutritional composition and technological properties (emulsion stability, pH, water activity, color changes, textural properties, residual nitrite level and lipid oxidation). Both strategies resulted in commercially feasible sausages with increased nutritive properties (dietary fiber) and with some modifications in their technological properties. Compared with control sausages, they showed better emulsion stability, lower water activity and lipid oxidation values (interesting properties for sausages shelf-life). Color changes were more evident when the fiber-rich fraction was added. The residual nitrite level increased with the addition of quinoa so that it would be necessary to incorporate less nitrites, or it might even be unnecessary, contributing to the production of more natural products

Cocoa coproducts-based and walnut oil gelled emulsion as animal fat replacer and healthy bioactive source in beef burgers

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects on the chemical, physic-chemical, tech-nological, and sensory properties of beef burger when replacing different quantities of fat (50 and 100%) with different levels of oil-in-water-gelled emulsion elaborated with walnut oil and cocoa bean shell flour (GECW). The chemical composition of the samples was affected by the fat replace-ment. The reformulation increased the moisture and ash content while the fat and protein content decreased with respect to the control sample. The linolenic and linolenic acid content of the beef burgers increased as the GECW replacement was augmented. The polyunsaturated fatty/saturated fatty acid ratio increased in both raw and cooked burgers, whereas the atherogenicity index and thrombogenicity index were reduced in both raw and cooked burgers with respect to the control sample. The use of GECW as a fat replacer was found to be effective in improving the cooking loss. Similarly, there were positive effects on reductions in the diameter and the increases in the thickness of the beef burgers. Regarding lipid stability, in both the raw and cooked burgers, the reformulation increased the 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARs) values with respect to the control sample. In both types of reformulated burgers, three bound polyphenols (mainly catechin and epicatechin) and two free polyphenols were identified, as were methylxanthines theobromine and caffeine. The sensory properties for the control and partial pork backfat replacement treatments were similar, while the sample with the total pork backfat replacement treatment showed the lowest scores. The blend of cocoa bean shell flour and walnut oil could be used as new ingredients for the development of beef burgers with a healthier nutritional profile without demeriting their sensory or cooking characteristics and physic-chemical properties.This research was funded by Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo CYTED: 119RT0568.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Global Island Monitoring Scheme (GIMS) : a proposal for the long-term coordinated survey and monitoring of native island forest biota

Islands harbour evolutionary and ecologically unique biota, which are currently disproportionately threatened by a multitude of anthropogenic factors, including habitat loss, invasive species and climate change. Native forests on oceanic islands are important refugia for endemic species, many of which are rare and highly threatened. Long-term monitoring schemes for those biota and ecosystems are urgently needed: (i) to provide quantitative baselines for detecting changes within island ecosystems, (ii) to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation and management actions, and (iii) to identify general ecological patterns and processes using multiple island systems as repeated 'natural experiments'. In this contribution, we call for a Global Island Monitoring Scheme (GIMS) for monitoring the remaining native island forests, using bryophytes, vascular plants, selected groups of arthropods and vertebrates as model taxa. As a basis for the GIMS, we also present new, optimized monitoring protocols for bryophytes and arthropods that were developed based on former standardized inventory protocols. Effective inventorying and monitoring of native island forests will require: (i) permanent plots covering diverse ecological gradients (e.g. elevation, age of terrain, anthropogenic disturbance); (ii) a multiple-taxa approach that is based on standardized and replicable protocols; (iii) a common set of indicator taxa and community properties that are indicative of native island forests' welfare, building on, and harmonized with existing sampling and monitoring efforts; (iv) capacity building and training of local researchers, collaboration and continuous dialogue with local stakeholders; and (v) long-term commitment by funding agencies to maintain a global network of native island forest monitoring plots.Peer reviewe

Ciencias de la Biología y Agronomía

Este volumen I contiene 17 capítulos arbitrados que se ocupan de estos asuntos en Tópicos Selectos de Ciencias de la Biología y Agronomía, elegidos de entre las contribuciones, reunimos algunos investigadores y estudiantes. Se presenta un Estudio Comparativo de los Recursos Hidrológico-Forestales de la Microcuenca de la Laguna de Epatlan, Pue. (1993 a 2014); la Situación Actual de la Mancha de Asfalto en Maíz (Zea mays L.) en los Municipios de Jiquipilas y Ocozocoautla, Chiapas, México; las poblaciones sobresalientes de maíz de la raza Zapalote Chico, en la Región Istmeña de Oaxaca; Se indica el índice de área foliar de cultivo de Chile Poblano mediante dos métodos en condiciones protegidas; Esquivel, Urzúa y Ramírez exploran el efecto de la biofertilización con Azospirillum en el crecimiento y producción de Jitomate; esbozan su artículo sobre la determinación del nivel de Heterosis en híbridos de Maíz para la Comarca Lagunera; una investigación sobre la estabilización de semilla de Solanum lycopersicum durante el almacenamiento y estimulación de la germinación; acotan sobre el CTAB como una nueva opción para la detección de Huanglongbing en cítricos, plantean su evaluación sobre el aluminio y cómo afecta la vida de florero de Heliconia psittacorum; indican sobre el impacto del H-564C, como un híbrido de maíz con alta calidad de proteina para el trópico húmedo de México; presetan su investigación sobre la producción de Piña Cayena Lisa y MD2 (Ananas comosus L.) en condiciones de Loma Bonita, en Oaxaca; acotan sobre el efecto de coberteras como control biológico por conservación contra áfidos en Nogal Pecanero; esbozan sobre la caracterización de cuatro genotipos de Frijol Negro en Martínez de la Torre, Veracruz, México; presentan una caracterización hidroecológica de la microcuenca de Arroyo Prieto, Yuriría, Gto., y alternativas para su restauración ambiental; presentan su investigación sobre el efecto del hongo Beauveria bassiana sobre solubilización de fosfatos y la disponibilidad de fósforo en el suelo; plantean su investigación sobre la Germinación y regeneración in vitro de Epidendrum falcatum LINDL; esbozan su artículo sobre genotipos de frijol negro y su tolerancia a sequía terminal en Veracruz, México

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead