MEDIDAS Y LÍMITES DE CONTROL DURANTE EL PROCESO DE BENEFICIADO DE Vainilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews

El proceso de beneficiado de vainilla (Vainilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews) debe cumplir con requerimientos de calidad e inocuidad, y factores como la actividad de agua (cantidad de agua disponible), contenido de humedad y temperatura a las que se exponen los frutos (“vainas”), determinan la inocuidad de la vainilla, ya se puede favorecer el desarrollo de especies de bacterias y hongos de riesgo potencial para la salud del consumidor

VARIEDAD DE MICROFLORA PRESENTE EN VAINILLA (Vanilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews) RELACIONADOS CON PROCESOS DE BENEFICIADO

The safety indicators groups, such as Total Aerobic bacterial count (TAB), Total Coliform (TC), and Fungi and Yeast (F&Y), to determine the diversity of enterobacteria present in green (Vv) and cured (Vb) vanilla siliques (Vanilla planifolia) from four curing processes, considering that the microbiological information of the fruits and their relationship with the types of curing is limited. The processes evaluated were: rustic (BR1, BR2), traditional (BT) and semi-technified (BST). The microbiological analyses identified enterobacteria using selective, differential cultivation media, and confirming tests with the VITEK system. With the species identified, the Simpson (D), Shannon-Wiener (H’) and Chao (SChao1) diversity indices were used. The microbe recounts reflected high levels of microbiological contamination; AMB did not present significant differences (p>0.05) in both states of the silique, in contrast with TC whose values decreased notably (?10 UFC/g). The F&Y decreased significantly with curing (101 to 103 UFC/g), except in BR1 fruits. The species isolated with highest frequency in Vv and Vb were E. aerogenes, E. cloacae and Klebsiella pneumoniae, while E. coli and Citrobacter freundii were identified only in Vb. The D, H and SChao1 indices reflected a higher diversity in the BR1 and BR2 processes. The results obtained are focused on the design of preventive actions for the safety of vanilla curing process in vanilla curing.Se evaluaron grupos indicadores de inocuidad tales como: Bacterias Mesófilas Aerobias (BMA), Coliformes Totales (CT) y Hongos y Levaduras (HyL) para determinar la diversidad de enterobacterias presentes en silicuas verdes (Vv) y beneficiadas (Vb) de vainilla (Vanilla planifolia) provenientes de cuatro procesos de beneficiado, considerando que la información microbiológica de los frutos y su relación con tipos de beneficiado es limitada. Los procesos evaluados fueron: rústico (BR1, BR2), tradicional (BT) y semitecnificado (BST). Los análisis microbiológicos identificaron enterobacterias utilizando medios de cultivo selectivos, diferenciales y pruebas confirmatorias con el sistema VITEK. Con las especies identificadas se calcularon los índices de diversidad Simpson (D), Shannon-Wiener (H’) y Chao (SChao1). Los recuentos microbianos reflejaron altos niveles de contaminación microbiológica, las BMA no presentaron diferencias significativas (P>0.05) en ambos estados de la silicua, a diferencia de CT cuyos valores disminuyeron notablemente (?10 UFC/g). Los H y L se redujeron significativamente con el beneficiado (101 a 103 UFC/g) excepto en frutos de BR1. Las especies aisladas con mayor frecuencia en Vv y Vb fueron E. aerogenes, E. cloacae y Klebsiella pneumoniae; mientras que E. coli y Citrobacter freundii fueron identificadas únicamente en Vb. Los índices D, H y SChao1 reflejaron mayor diversidad en procesos BR1 y BR2. Los resultados obtenidos se enfocan al diseño de acciones preventivas para la inocuidad en el beneficiado de vainilla

Study of encapsulation parameters to improve content of lycopene in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) powders

The aim was to examine conditions of convective drying and spray-drying to improve preservation of lycopene content in tomatoes. The weight, size, colour, pH and °Brix values were evaluated in fresh fruit (FF) and colour (L, a, b), hue, and chrome indices were analysed from dried tomatoes, too. Tomato paste was dried (40, 50, 60, and 80 °C with times of 540, 390, 270, and 240 min) under convection conditions and pulverized. In the encapsulation treatments core material with tomato powders of 50, 60, and 70%, shell solution of maltodextrin/gum arabic 1:1, flow rate of 4, 6, 9, and 12 ml min–1, and inlet air T of 160, 170, and 180 °C were used. The physicochemical properties of FF corresponded to a degree of ripeness for consumption. The a, a/b, and hue values of dried tomatoes at 50 °C significantly correlated to red colouring and higher lycopene content (47.98±1.49 mg/100 g). The encapsulation with 50% and 60% of tomato powders, 170 °C and 9 ml min–1 treatments increased lycopene contents to 10.41 mg/100 g, 10.20 mg/100 g, and 11.51 mg/100 g, respectively. The results demonstrated that the physicochemical and functional properties were influenced by drying conditions, providing useful information for increasing the stability of lycopene in dried tomatoes

A potential natural coloring agent with antioxidant properties: Microencapsulates of Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) Maas fruit pericarp

Microencapsulates of ethanolic extracts of Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) Maas fruit pericarp were obtained by spray drying. Physicochemical properties (pH, °Bx, titratable acidity, maturity index, moisture content and color), bioactive compounds (anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds) and antioxidant capacity of the fresh fruit pericarp were assessed. Microencapsulates were produced by feeding a 1:3 mixtures of ethanolic extracts (encapsulated material) and different encapsulating agents (maltodextrin, gum arabic and a 1:1 mixture of both) to the spray dryer. Physical properties (yield, particle size, moisture, color, wettability, bulk and compact densities) of the resulting powders were determined while both stability of antioxidant compounds and maintenance of antioxidant capacity were evaluated during a 28-day storage at 4 and 25 °C. Fresh pericarp was an important source of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins which heavily contributed to fruit color parameters. The highest yield 21.58% and moisture content 2.45% were observed in powders with 1:1 maltodextrin-gum arabic ratio. Gum arabic microencapsulates better preserved anthocyanins (10.37 ± 2.38, 11.65 ± 0.58, mg Cyd-3-Glu/g) and phenolic (7.58 ± 0.51, 8.70 ± 1.28 mg GAE/g) at both storage temperatures 4 and 25 °C, respectively. Two individual anthocyanins were identified by HPLC: cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and delphinidin-3-O-glucoside. While maltodextrin capsules exhibited increased stability of antioxidant compounds and activity at 4 °C storage. Evaluated microencapsulates might represent a suitable alternative as a natural coloring agent with potential antioxidant activity. Keywords: Encapsulates, Antioxidant properties, Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) Maas, Pericarp, Spray drying, Pigmen

Human milk oligosaccharides: Functionality in infants Oligosacaridos de la leche materna: Evidencia de su funcionalidad en lactantes

Human milk is a very complex fluid that contains numerous bioactive compounds. Among them, it includes very high con-centrations of oligosaccharides (human milk oligosaccharides [HMOs]) that group more than a hundred complex sugars. We present an extensive review of the composition and functions of the HMOs, highlighting the influence of the maternal genotype FUT2 on the type and concentration, being the latter much higher in FUT secretory women. The HMOs are non digestible in the intestine of the infant, therefore, they provide a substrate for the development of an intestinal microbiota, mainly rich in bifidobacteria. In addition, since some of these HMOs share some structural sequences with receptors for intestinal pathogens, they act as decoy blocking these receptors prevent-ing their adhesion and proliferation. The benefits of the con-sumption of these HMOs are considered unique, therefore the synthesis of HMOs structurally identical to those found in breast milk and with similar functionality demonstrated through clinical studies, opens a very interesting line of re-search in the field of infant nutrition. The first clinical studies conducted with HMOs are analyzed, considering necessary new clinical intervention trials in infants to confirm these ef-fects on the immune system and reducing the frequency of re-spiratory and gastrointestinal infections