Suitability of borago officinalis for minimal processing as fresh-cut produce

Borage (Borago offcinalis L.) is a wild vegetable appreciated as a folk medicine and for culinary preparations. The introduction of borage as a specialized cultivation would allow for the diversification of vegetable crops and would widen the offerings of raw and minimally processed leafy vegetables. Thus, the aim of the research was to evaluate the quality and shelf-life of fresh-cut borage stored at different temperatures. Borage plants were grown during the autumn-winter season and immediately minimally processed after harvest. Fresh-cut borage leaves packed in sealed bags were stored at 2 or 6 °C for 21 d. Weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid, nitrates, leaf color characteristics and overall quality were determined through the storage period. Borage plants were deemed suitable for minimal processing. Storage temperature significantly influenced the rate of quality loss. Borage leaves had an initial nitrate content of 329.3 mg kg-1 FW that was not affected by temperature or storage. TSS and TA were higher in leaves stored at 6 °C. TSS, TA and ascorbic acid content increased during storage. Minimally processed borage leaves stored at 2 °C had lower weight loss and leaf color modifications during storage and a longer shelf life than those stored at 6 °C, so were still marketable after 21 d of storage

Extraordinary transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect in a superlens

It has been shown that a slab of a negative index material can behave as a superlens enhancing the imaging resolution beyond the wavelength limit. We show here that if such a slab possesses in addition some magneto-optical activity, it could act as an ideal optical filter and exhibit an extraordinary transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect. Moreover, we show that losses, which spoil the imaging resolution of these lenses, are a necessary ingredient to observe this effect.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Análisis de las investigaciones sobre la atención y el desarrollo de la primera infancia

Expondremos las diversas temáticas y enfoques teóricos y metodológicos de las investigaciones, identificaremos las instituciones que las realizaron en relación con su carácter estatal, privado, no gubernamental y académico, los niveles de coordinación y articulación entre ellas y la población que fue objeto de estudio. Debido al carácter cualitativo de la investigación, sólo haremos el análisis cuantitativo, mediante tablas y gráficos, para algunas de las categorías cuya información fue más consistente. Es pertinente recordar que la investigación documental busca identificar tendencias sobre un fenómeno, lo que exime el análisis de precisiones cuantitativas

Evaluation of the quality and antioxidant capacity of woodland strawberry biotypes in Sicily

In Sicily, the woodland strawberry grows wild in forest glades in the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains and on Mount Etna. In this region, the main cultivated clone is Fragolina di Ribera, named after the towns where the crop originally developed. The cultivated woodland strawberry is different from its wild counterparts not only in vegetative vigour and size, but also in organoleptic quality. Fragolina di Ribera has always been described with sensory analysis as one of the best Sicilian berry. This study was carried out in Sicily and compared two June-bearing Fragaria vesca: Fragolina di Ribera and Fragolina di Maletto, and an everbearing variety Regina delle Valli, in order to determine the production, quality and nutraceutical characteristics of the fruit. Research results provided useful, more detailed information on those fruit compounds with nutritional and health benefits and the June-bearing Fragolina di Ribera was found not only to produce highly sweet, bright red fruits, but also fruits with high antioxidant capacity and high ascorbic acid, polyphenol and anthocyanin levels

Seed physiology and response to germination conditions

This chapter brings together knowledge of the germination and storage behaviour of quinoa seeds in relation to three general aspects: germination response to different factors and in situations of stress; tolerance to pre-harvest sprouting and dormancy control; and the dynamics of ageing and potential longevity of seeds in storage. Quinoa seeds demonstrate the capacity to germinate at temperatures around zero degrees and show tolerance to brief exposure to freezing in some cases. In general, accessions from saline and arid zones are more tolerant to water stress and salinity, as a result of their adaptation. Nonetheless, the distinctiveness of the ionic and osmotic components of salinity has revealed diverse responses and levels of tolerance in accessions of different origins. Pre-harvest sprouting limits the expansion of quinoa cultivation to humid regions. The study of the germination behaviour in accessions with dormancy made it possible to determine the effect of different factors: environmental (temperature and photoperiod), hormonal (ABA and GA3) and structural (coat thickness), on the level of dormancy of quinoa seeds during development, ripening and storage. Quinoa seeds have the capacity to tolerate water loss and maintain viability, recovering vital functions when rehydrated. The kinetics of the reactions of deterioration leading to a loss in viability are largely determined by the degree of water mobility in multilayers. The reactions of deterioration include lipid peroxidation and the formation of compounds from the Maillard reaction. There are references to the differences in storage tolerance for different cultivars, although these are inconclusive in terms of the link between longevity and the characteristics of the regions of origin

Revision of food composition tables used to estimate nutrient intake in Ecuador

Las tablas y bases de datos de composición de alimentos (TCA/BDCA) son herramientas de valoración dietética. Objetivo: identificar las diferentes TCA empleadas como instrumento para estimar ingesta de nutrientes en Ecuador. La recogida de información se realizó a través de informadores-clave, cuestionarios auto-administrados, complementadas con búsquedas webs institucionales. A las TCA/BDCA identificadas se realizó análisis de contenido sobre variables generales y metodológicas. TCA referidas: Ecuatoriana-1965 (70%), INCAP (60%), México (60%). Se reportaron 7 TCA y 3 BDCA, 8 Latinoamericanas y 2 Españolas. Una TCA elaborada por método-directo (ecuatoriana), 7 por método-indirecto, 2 sin-información. 6 TCA/BDCA definieron nutrientes, 9 refirieron valores (100g/ porción-comestible). Para realizar una correcta estimacion de ingesta, es necesario contar con una TCA ecuatoriana actualizada. Ecuatoriana-1965 presenta pocos alimentos analizados y, métodos analíticos no-actualizados. Las autoras aconsejan el uso de TCA-INCAP, dado que la lista de alimentos refleja similitud con alimentos ecuatorianos. Además INCAP dispone BDCA para incorporar recetas.Tables and food composition databases (FCT/FCDB) are tools used for dietetic evaluation. Objective: to identify different FCT used as an instrument to estimate the nutrient intake in Ecuador. The collection of data was made through key informants -self completed questionnaires-, supplemented with institutional web research. An analysis of content was performed to the identified FCT/FCDB by general and methodological variables. Referenced tables were: Ecuadorian-1965 (70%), INCAP (60%), México (60%). 7 FCT and 3 FCDB were reported, 8 from Latin America and 2 from Spain. One table was constructed by direct method (Ecuadorian-table), 7 by indirect, and 1 had no Information. 6 FCT/FCDB defined the nutrients, 9 expressed values per (100g/ edible portion). In order to asses a proper ingest in Ecuador, it is necessary to have an updated ecuadorian FCT, Ecuadorian-1965 shows few analyzed foods and, not updated analytic techniques. The authors recommend the usage of FCT-INCAP, due to its food list reflects similarities with ecuadorian foods. In addition, INCAP disposes of a FCDB in which ecuadorian recipes can be included

The Zero-Removing Property and Lagrange-Type Interpolation Series

The classical Kramer sampling theorem, which provides a method for obtaining orthogonal sampling formulas, can be formulated in a more general nonorthogonal setting. In this setting, a challenging problem is to characterize the situations when the obtained nonorthogonal sampling formulas can be expressed as Lagrange-type interpolation series. In this article a necessary and sufficient condition is given in terms of the zero removing property. Roughly speaking, this property concerns the stability of the sampled functions on removing a finite number of their zeros

Effect of cinnamon powder addition to a Portuguese custard tart (Pastel de Nata) on healthy adults' postprandial glycemia

Background and Objective: Cinnamon is a spice used over the years in cooking to impart aromatic, flavor and taste properties to food and beverages. Moreover, cinnamon has been used for its medicinal properties due to its potential phenolic content, which can protect against cardio-metabolic diseases. Previous studies reported an improvement of postprandial glycemia after addition of cinnamon powder to a high-sugar meal. The study aims at investigating the effect of adding cinnamon powder to a Portuguese custard tart (Pastel de Nata) on the postprandial glycemic response in healthy subjects. Subjects and Methods: After review board and Ethic Committee of the State approval, thirty-two healthy human subjects were assigned in a controlled study and randomly allocated into 2 groups: 16 subjects ingested a custard tart with cinnamon powder (cinnamon group) and 16 subjects ingested a custard tart alone (control group). Blood glucose concentrations were measured before interventions and after 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. Chemical analysis was performed to quantify the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Results: The postprandial blood glucose (PBG) area under the curve (AUC) was significantly lower (p = 0.0005) in the cinnamon group (599.2 ± 9.1) compared to the AUC of the control group (645.7 ± 7.7). The administration of cinnamon powder to the custard tarts slightly decreased PBG mean values compared to custard tart without cinnamon powder, although it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.273). Cinnamon addition to custard tart improved the total phenolic content (1278.7 ± 0.7 compared to 253.7 ± 22.8 mg/L gallic acid) and antioxidant properties, increasing 4.4 times the capacity of free-radical scavenger compared with custard tart without cinnamon (IC50). Conclusion: The addition of cinnamon powder to custard tart could be beneficial to glycemic control