Tiger nut powder as ingredient for obtaining gluten free foods based on noodle processing and extrusion technology

Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) is a sweet tuber mostly cultivated in Eastern Spain (Valencia) and in west Africa. Its nutritional profile stands out for the high fiber and unsaturated fat content; moreover, the moderate protein amount might make it suitable for the nutritional enrichment of gluten free foods. The objective of this thesis was to extend the applications of tiger nut as gluten free (GF) ingredient in noodles making and snacks. The study of marketed GF pasta revealed the nutritional inadequacy and lower cooking performances compared with their gluten containing homologous. The quantification of furosine content was handy for a better understanding of the heat damage caused during the production process. At this point, tiger nut flour was utilized for the design of gluten free noodles. The effect on noodles physicochemical characteristics leaded by different hydrocolloids (guar gum, xanthan gum, inulin and carboxymethyl cellulose) and by differing hydration levels revealed the importance in the selection of the most appropriate strengthening agent. Specifically, samples with 0.5% xanthan gum and adjusted hydration level exhibited the best cooking behavior and high final firmness. Owing to the growing extruded snacks success, tiger nut flour was blended with rice and soluble fiber to evaluate its technological adequacy for the extrusion-cooking process. Apparent viscosity, structural and surface characteristics of the gluten free snacks were deeply influenced by tiger nut addition. An improving of the nutritional profile, total soluble phenolics content and the total antioxidant capacity were found in the samples with tiger nut. Overall, it was possible to obtain GF foods containing tiger nut powder by applying different processing alternatives.Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) is a sweet tuber mostly cultivated in Eastern Spain (Valencia) and in west Africa. Its nutritional profile stands out for the high fiber and unsaturated fat content; moreover, the moderate protein amount might make it suitable for the nutritional enrichment of gluten free foods. The objective of this thesis was to extend the applications of tiger nut as gluten free (GF) ingredient in noodles making and snacks. The study of marketed GF pasta revealed the nutritional inadequacy and lower cooking performances compared with their gluten containing homologous. The quantification of furosine content was handy for a better understanding of the heat damage caused during the production process. At this point, tiger nut flour was utilized for the design of gluten free noodles. The effect on noodles physicochemical characteristics leaded by different hydrocolloids (guar gum, xanthan gum, inulin and carboxymethyl cellulose) and by differing hydration levels revealed the importance in the selection of the most appropriate strengthening agent. Specifically, samples with 0.5% xanthan gum and adjusted hydration level exhibited the best cooking behavior and high final firmness. Owing to the growing extruded snacks success, tiger nut flour was blended with rice and soluble fiber to evaluate its technological adequacy for the extrusion-cooking process. Apparent viscosity, structural and surface characteristics of the gluten free snacks were deeply influenced by tiger nut addition. An improving of the nutritional profile, total soluble phenolics content and the total antioxidant capacity were found in the samples with tiger nut. Overall, it was possible to obtain GF foods containing tiger nut powder by applying different processing alternatives

Extracorporeal shockwaves therapy versus hyaluronic acid injection for the treatment of painful non-calcific rotator cuff tendinopathies: preliminary results

Rotator cuff tendinopathy is the most common cause of painful shoulder. The treatment is mainly conservative and several therapeutic approaches have been proposed, including NSAIDs, physiotherapy, injections and physical therapies. The aim of the current study is to compare the clinical effectiveness of low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMW-HA) injection versus low-energy Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Therapy (ESWT) until 3 months of follow-up for the management of painful non-calcific rotator cuff tendinopathies, evaluating also the trend over time between the groups

I.S.Mu.L.T - Rotator cuff tears guidelines

Despite the high level achieved in the field of shoulder surgery, a global consensus on rotator cuff tears management is lacking. This work is divided into two main sessions: in the first, we set questions about hot topics involved in the rotator cuff tears, from the etiopathogenesis to the surgical treatment. In the second, we answered these questions by mentioning Evidence Based Medicine. The aim of the present work is to provide easily accessible guidelines: they could be considered as recommendations for a good clinical practice developed through a process of systematic review of the literature and expert opinion, in order to improve the quality of care and rationalize the use of resources

Genome-wide expression profiling and functional characterization of SCA28 lymphoblastoid cell lines reveal impairment in cell growth and activation of apoptotic pathways

BACKGROUND: SCA28 is an autosomal dominant ataxia associated with AFG3L2 gene mutations. We performed a whole genome expression profiling using lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from four SCA28 patients and six unrelated healthy controls matched for sex and age. METHODS: Gene expression was evaluated with the Affymetrix GeneChip Human Genome U133A 2.0 Arrays and data were validated by real-time PCR. RESULTS: We found 66 genes whose expression was statistically different in SCA28 LCLs, 35 of which were up-regulated and 31 down-regulated. The differentially expressed genes were clustered in five functional categories: (1) regulation of cell proliferation; (2) regulation of programmed cell death; (3) response to oxidative stress; (4) cell adhesion, and (5) chemical homeostasis. To validate these data, we performed functional experiments that proved an impaired SCA28 LCLs growth compared to controls (p\u2009<\u20090.005), an increased number of cells in the G0/G1 phase (p\u2009<\u20090.001), and an increased mortality because of apoptosis (p\u2009<\u20090.05). We also showed that respiratory chain activity and reactive oxygen species levels was not altered, although lipid peroxidation in SCA28 LCLs was increased in basal conditions (p\u2009<\u20090.05). We did not detect mitochondrial DNA large deletions. An increase of TFAM, a crucial protein for mtDNA maintenance, and of DRP1, a key regulator of mitochondrial dynamic mechanism, suggested an alteration of fission/fusion pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Whole genome expression profiling, performed on SCA28 LCLs, allowed us to identify five altered functional categories that characterize the SCA28 LCLs phenotype, the first reported in human cells to our knowledge. \ua9 2013 Mancini et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

Role of hydrocolloids in gluten free noodles made with tiger nut flour as non-conventional powder

Gluten free noodles have been made from a variety of ingredients, but very often without applying ingredients and process knowledge. Aim of this study was to build up gluten free noodles using tiger nut flour, a selection of hydrocolloids (guar gum, xanthan gum, inulin and carboxymethyl cellulose) and considering the impact of dough hydration in noodles making. Dough rheology, fresh noodles characteristics, cooking quality indicators and noodles quality after cooking were evaluated. Results showed that hydration level significantly affected dough rheology during mixing, heating and cooling, with a significant (P < 0.05) impact on hardness and firmness of fresh noodles and adhesiveness and firmness of cooked noodles. Hydrocolloids type significantly affected the characteristics of fresh and cooked noodles, but the extent of their effect was dependent on the hydration level applied during noodles making. In general, hydrocolloids increased dough consistency, resulting in fresh noodles with higher diameter, hardness and firmness, trend that was maintained after cooking, reducing cooking losses. In particular, gluten free tiger nut noodles made in the presence of 0.5% xanthan gum and adjusting the amount of water showed the best performance, with low cooking losses and high firmness.Financial support from Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2014-52928-C2-1), the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and Generalitat Valenciana for financial support (Prometeo 2017/189). N. Gasparre thanks for his predoctoral fellowship Santiago Grisolia ( P/2017/104).Peer reviewe

Wheat gluten: A functional protein still challenging to replace in gluten-free cereal-based foods

Background and Objectives: Wheat gluten in cereal-based products has unique functionality derived from its viscoelastic properties. Nevertheless, many food applications require its replacement to obtain gluten-free foods but keeping similar quality characteristics. This review analyzes the distinctive characteristics of wheat gluten, and the technological strategies implemented to mimic its behavior within the gluten-free systems. Findings: The viscoelastic behavior of wheat gluten is due to the interplay of glutenins and gliadins after being hydrated and subjected to mechanical stress. Disulfide bonds and noncovalent interactions are key in holding its structure and explaining its solubility and hydrophobicity. Gluten-free flours and starches have represented the first adopted strategies for gluten replacement, but results have not been completely satisfactory. To tackle this issue, non-wheat protein addition, physical treatments, hydrocolloids, enzymes, and emulsifiers have allowed recreation of a pseudo gluten network of the cereal-based foods. Conclusions: Despite technological sensorial achievements, a gap still exists when gluten-free products are compared with their wheat-based counterparts. A better comprehension about the combined actions of different processing aids and technologies could offer future answers. Significance and Novelty: The review points out the main characteristics of the wheat gluten uniqueness, shedding light on its replacement strategies to guide future research.The authors acknowledge the financial support of the University of Manitoba (Canada)Peer reviewe

Nutritional Facts and Health/Nutrition Claims of Commercial Plant-Based Infant Foods: Where Do We Stand?

One of the current drivers of the infant food market is the rising demand for vegan products, and thus accurate knowledge of their nutritional composition is required to guide parents and health professionals. Thus, this study aimed to assess the nutritional composition of commercial plant-based infant foods, in addition to analyzing their health/nutrition claims. A selection of infant products launched in the global market (2017–2021) were classified into eight types and each type was divided into vegan and vegetarian products. Based on the ingredients list, cereals, seeds, pseudocereals and/or pulses were the most used ingredients in the retrieved products. The nutritional composition of six out eight types varied significantly among vegan and vegetarian products. When protein, calcium and iron contents differed significantly, vegan products had the highest protein content in all categories, compared to those that were vegetarian. When significant differences were found in sugar content, vegan products have lower amounts in all categories, compared to vegetarian products. Health and nutrition claims were found mostly used in vegetarian products. Strategies to reduce added sodium and sugar, and saturated fatty acids is required to ensure a healthy diet for infants. This study also implies the importance of a complete labelling of infants’ foods, especially vegan products to help parents making a reasonable choice

Quality Indicators and Heat Damage of Dried and Cooked Gluten Free Spaghetti

The quality and safety indicators of commercial dried gluten free (GF) pasta were analyzed to investigate, for the first time, the real nutritional intake through the chemical composition and the heat damage during processing by quantification of furosine. Eight samples of GF spaghetti were compared with wheat spaghetti. Dried and cooked GF pasta had lower protein and ash content than wheat spaghetti. GF samples composed solely by corn flour had higher optimal cooking time. Samples with emulsifier showed lower losses during cooking. Considering their composition, no trend could be established to explain textural behavior. Samples constituted merely by corn showed the highest resilience and elasticity. Spaghetti constituted only from corn and rice showed the highest firmness. The furosine content in dried samples ranged between 19 and 134 mg FUR/100 g proteins and in cooked samples ranged between 48 to 360 mg FUR/100 g proteins. Furosine content of GF pasta was in general lower than in wheat pasta, and those differences were even enlarged when comparing them after cooking. The results of PCA indicated it was possible to discriminate GF pasta regarding their technological and nutritional behavior.Authors acknowledge the financial support from Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (AGL2014-52928-C2-1, RTI2018-095919-B-C21), the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and Generalitat Valenciana (Prometeo 2017/189). N. Gasparre and E. Betoret thank for their predoctoral (P/2017-104) and postdoctoral (IJCI-2016-29679) grants.Peer reviewe

Nutritional Quality of Gluten-Free Bakery Products Labeled Ketogenic and/or Low-Carb Sold in the Global Market

Gluten-free and ketogenic bakery products are gaining momentum. This study aims to develop a better understanding of the nutritional quality of gluten-free bakery products labeled ketogenic and/or low-carb. For this reason, the products available on the global market that were labeled ketogenic and/or low-carb (n = 757) were retrieved and compared to standard gluten-free products (n = 509). Overall, nutritionally, no significant differences were found among ketogenic and/or low-carb products due the high intra-variability of each type, but they differed from standard products. Compared to standard products, all ketogenic and/or low carb, irrespective of categories, showed lower carbohydrates that derived chiefly from fibers and, to a lesser extent, from sugars. They also had higher protein contents (p p p < 0.05) in low-carb savory biscuits and breads, as well as in ketogenic sweet biscuits than in the same standard products. Overall, median values of the nutrients align with the definition of the ketogenic diet. Nevertheless, several products did not align with any of the ketogenic definitions. Therefore, consumers need to carefully read the nutritional facts and not rely on mentions such as low-cab and ketogenic to make their decision of purchase/consumption