Effects of high hydrostatic pressure on physico-chemical and structural properties of two pumpkin species

The effects of high pressure treatments (200, 400, 600MPa for 5 min) and a thermal treatment (85°C for 5 min) were evaluated on cubes of two pumpkin species (Cucurbita maxima L. var. Delica and Cucurbita moschata Duchesne var. Butternut) up to 2 months of refrigerated storage. Increasing the pressure, small parenchyma cells from the pumpkin tissue exhibited collapses and separations, especially for Butternut. This species showed a lower hardness than Delica at time 0. For both species, 400MPa and thermal treatment were the most effective in the inactivation of pectinmethylesterase, which reactivated after 2 months, especially for Butternut. Colorimetric parameters decreased after all treatments. Antioxidant activity resulted affected by pressure, showing a significant increase during storage especially for the samples treated at 200MPa after 2 months, comparable to the thermal treated ones. Among the tested treatments, 400MPa may be considered as the best option for the quality retention during storage

Inulin-based emulsion filled gel as fat replacer in shortbread cookies: Effects during storage

Shortbread cookies with 0, 20, 40 and 50% fat replacement were obtained using an emulsion filled gel (EFG) based on inulin and extra virgin olive oil and studied during 60 storage days. Increasing the amount of EFG in shortbread cookies, higher volumes and harder texture were observed, in relation to the higher water availability and the lower fat content. Thermal analysis conducted by means of DSC and 1H-NMR confirmed the key role of lipids and water status on the mechanical properties of shortbread cookies. Darker colour and toasted notes were registered for increasing levels of EFG, in relation to the presence of inulin involved in the Maillard reaction. During storage, all the cookies resulted very stable regarding dimensions, colour and rancidity perception; only slight texture changes were observed, probably related to the moisture redistribution among the cookies components. EFG can be proposed as valuable ingredient to replace fats in shortbread cookies, allowing the use of the health claim “reduced saturated fat content” already from 40% butter substitution

Physical and Thermal Evaluation of Olive Oils from Minor Italian Cultivars

Authentication of extra virgin olive oils is a key strategy for their valorization and a way to preserve olive biodiversity. Physical and thermal analysis have been proposed in this study as fast and green techniques to reach this goal. Thirteen extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) obtained from minor olive cultivars, harvested at three different ripening stages, in four Italian regions (Abruzzo, Apulia, Sardinia, and Calabria) have been studied. Thermal properties, viscosity and color, as influenced by fatty acid composition and chlorophyll content, have been investigated. The thermal curves of EVOOs, obtained by differential scanning calorimetry, were mostly influenced by the oleic acid content: a direct correlation with the cooling and heating enthalpy and an indirect correlation with the cooling transition range were observed. The minor fatty acids, and particularly arachidic acid, showed an influence, mostly on the heating thermograms. Viscosity and color showed respectively a correlation with fatty acids composition and chlorophyll content, however they didn’t result able to discriminate between the samples. Thanks to the principal component analysis, the most influencing thermal parameters and fatty acids were used to cluster the samples, based on their botanical and geographical origin, resulting instead the harvesting time a less influential variable

High pressure and thermal processing on the quality of zucchini slices

AbstractIn response to the market demand for low processed vegetables, high-pressure treatments (400,600 MPa; 1,5 min) were applied on zucchini slices and compared to a traditional blanching treatment. Histological observations, texture and color analysis, pectinmethylesterase (PME) and antioxidant (DPPH) activities were measured and compared to untreated samples. The histological observations revealed that the longer high-pressure treatments (5 min) led to more extended cell lysis and dehydration than the shorter ones (1 min) and blanching. High-pressure treatments resulted less effective than blanching on PME inactivation, with the best results obtained at 400 MPa for 1 min. Comparable texture parameters were observed for high-pressured and blanched samples. The negative correlation found between PME activity and the texture parameter 'distance of the first peak force' revealed an effect of PME on the texture recovery after treatments. High pressure led to a general browning of zucchini parenchyma and to DPPH drop. The correlations found between DPPH and color suggest the common nature of the phenomena. The influence of pressure and time on the studied parameters was revealed by two-way ANOVA. Principal component analysis clustered together the four high-pressure-treated samples, being clearly divided by blanched and untreated ones

Total phenolic content, antioxidative and antidiabetic properties of coconut (Cocos Nucifera L.) testa and selected bean seed coats

Natural alternatives for the treatment of diabetes mellitus have been the interest of many researchers. In this study, the brown testas of mature coconuts were compared to beans seed coats of four varieties in terms of antioxidative and anti-hyperglycaemic properties. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, the antioxidant potentials and the α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of the crude extracts were studied in vitro. The results showed that extracts of coconut testa and red kidney bean seed coat displayed higher α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50=19.90±5.67 and 4.84±1.43 µg/ml) and α-amylase inhibition (IC50=120.5±15.4 and 532.8±68.0 µg/ml) than the other extracts. These two extracts showed higher antioxidant capacities owing to their high phenolic and flavonoid contents. These results suggest that red kidney bean seed coat and coconut testa would have higher potential as nutraceuticals and could serve as natural alternative sources of anti-diabetic remedy

Comparison of physical, microstructural and antioxidative properties of pumpkin cubes cooked by conventional, vacuum cooking and sous vide methods

BACKGROUND Current dietary guidelines recommend five or more fruit, vegetable, and legume servings per day. Often, these products are eaten cooked, resulting in organoleptic and nutritional changes. Vacuum cooking is gaining attention as an alternative cooking technique, due to its ability to preserve or even enhance sensory and healthy properties of food. Its household application is, however, poorly explored. In this work, the effect of vacuum cooking, performed with a new patented system, was studied for the first time on pumpkin cubes and compared to sous vide and traditional steam cooking, through a multidisciplinary approach. RESULTS All the cooking treatments damaged pumpkin microstructure, leading to cell separation and plasmolysis; vacuum cooking was the most aggressive method, as confirmed by texture softening. Vacuum cooking was also the method with less impact on pumpkin color, in relation to the largest extraction of some classes of carotenoids from the broken cells. Significant polyphenol extraction, especially of gallic acid and naringenin, was instead observed for sous vide and steamed pumpkins. The total antioxidant activity, ascribable to the effect of both carotenoids and polyphenols, resulted enhanced after cooking compared to raw one mainly for cook vide samples, followed by steamed and sous vide ones. CONCLUSIONS Vacuum cooking, followed by sous vide, has often shown better performance than traditional steam cooking for pumpkin cubes. The implementation of sous vide and vacuum cooking at domestic level or in professional kitchens, and in the food industry, would allow the consumption of vegetables with improved nutritional and sensorial characteristics. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industr

Políticas de regulação de formação continuada de professores no brasil e na Argentina

Objetivou-se neste estudo analisar, com base em documentos, as políticas orientadas para a formação continuada a partir da década de 1990 considerando sua regulamentação legal. No caso da Argentina, a Lei Federal de Educação (1993) que estabelece a Rede de Formação Docente Continuada e a Lei de Educação Nacional (2006) que institucionaliza o Instituto Nacional de Formação Docente. No Brasil, a Lei Nº. 9394/96 e a Rede Nacional de Formação Continuada. As análises permitem afirmar que as políticas públicas educacionais no âmbito da formação continuada, em ambos os países, foram ampliadas, porém, há necessidade de processos dinâmicos e contínuos visando a organização de diretrizes coesas e unificadas para a efetiva qualificação de professores.http://anpae.org.br/IBERO_AMERICANO_IV/GT6/GT6_Comunicacao/MariaLiliaColares_GT6_integral.pdfFil: Miranda, Estela María. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Escuela de Ciencias de la Educación; Argentina.Fil: Sousa Colares, Maria Lília Imbiriba. Universidad Federal de Pará Occidental (UFOPA); Brasil.Fil: Paciulli Bryan, Newton Antonio. Universidad Estatal de Campinas ( UNICAMP); Brasil.Otras Ciencias de la Educació

Environmental Impact of Food Preparations Enriched with Phenolic Extracts from Olive Oil Mill Waste

Reducing food waste as well as converting waste products into second-life products are global challenges to promote the circular economy business model. In this context, the aim of this study is to quantify the environmental impact of lab-scale food preparations enriched with phenolic extracts from olive oil mill waste, i.e., wastewater and olive leaves. Technological (oxidation induction time) and nutritional (total phenols content) parameters were considered to assess the environmental performance based on benefits deriving by adding the extracts in vegan mayonnaise, salad dressing, biscuits, and gluten-free breadsticks. Phenolic extraction, encapsulation, and addiction to the four food preparations were analyzed, and the input and output processes were identified in order to apply the life cycle assessment to quantify the potential environmental impact of the system analyzed. Extraction and encapsulation processes characterized by low production yields, energy-intensive and complex operations, and the partial use of chemical reagents have a non-negligible environmental impact contribution on the food preparation, ranging from 0.71% to 73.51%. Considering technological and nutritional aspects, the extraction/encapsulation process contributions tend to cancel out. Impacts could be reduced approaching to a scale-up process