Dietary intake and cholelithiasis: A review

Gallbladder disease (GBD) is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders in western societies. Etiology is multifactorial and may follow complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Dietary intake has been considered as a potentially modifiable risk factor for GBD, because a number of dietary factors have been involved in cholelithiasis pathogenesis. In our aim to evaluate potential usefulness of diet pattern modification for GBD prevention, we perform a systematic review of related epidemiological studies. We define GBD as a disorder in which a patient bears gallstones and/or undergoes surgery for gallstones. We review English-language studies found in the Medline database that occurred from 1973 to 2018. We searched for epidemiological evidence of the role of diet as a potential risk factor for gallstone formation. In particular, we thoroughly inspected intake of fatty acid, cholesterol, carbohydrate, protein, fiber, alcohol, nuts, and coffee and vegetarian eating-pattern effects. Our results show that simple sugar (simple carbohydrate) and saturated fat consumption suggests a positive association with the risk for gallstone formation. Protein, fiber, nuts, coffee, and moderate alcohol intake consistently reduces that probability. Different studies found that fat and cholesterol intake are variable risk factors for GBD; therefore, additional analyses are necessary to clarify their relevance in gallstone formation pathogenesis. GBD is a multifactorial disorder that can be affected both positively and negatively by diet. Although no specific dietary recommendations can be addressed to reduce risk for gallstone formation, healthy diet patterns can be expected to improve prospects for healthy gallbladder function. © 2019 by Begell House, Inc

Process optimization of polyphenol extraction from carob (Ceratonia siliqua) kibbles using microwave-assisted technique

© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method was investigated to recover phenolic compounds from carob kibbles and validated using response surface methodology. The study parameters were microwave power (170–900 W), ethanol concentration (30–90%), and solvent-to-sample ratio (10–30 mL/g) in terms of total phenolic content (TPC) and condensed tannins. Among optimized parameters (340 W, 45%, 30 mL/g), microwave power and ethanol concentration were found more influential parameters to get higher yields of TPC and condensed tannins. Moreover, the results of TPC (70.11 mg GAE g-1 DM), condensed tannins (4.11 mg CE g-1 DM), free radical scavenging activity (94.42%), ferric ion reducing potential (22.67 mg Fe+3 100 g-1 DM), and gallic acid (1.576 mg/g DM) obtained from optimal MAE conditions were found comparable to ultrasound-assisted extraction method. The newly developed MAE method illustrates its potential to recover phenolic compounds from plant sources in a short duration. Practical applications: Based on the results presented in this work, it is proposed that carob kibble could be considered as interesting raw material to get extracts rich in antioxidant properties. This extract could be used as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants in bio-food products as natural preservative. Therefore, carob kibbles could be recommended for production of extracts rich in antioxidants, instead of being discarded from gum factory as by-product. In addition, microwave-assisted extraction method could be employed to increase time efficiency of the process

Carob as source for sustainable ingredients and products

International audienceCovers a broad range of subjects in chemistry and chemical engineering relating to transformation and utilization of carbon dioxide Introduces the latest developments and new applications available in the area of “plant based green chemistry” Presents various examples of using plant based chemicals to help humanity move towards petroleum free chemistr