Physical Treatments and Propolis Extract to Enhance Quality Attributes of Fresh-Cut Mixed Vegetables

The impact of individual and combined application of propolis extract (PE) plus ultrasound (ULT) or thermal treatment (TT) on the microbiological, nutritional, physicochemical and sensory quality of fresh-cut mixed vegetables for soup (celery, leek and butternut squash) stored at 5C was studied. The use of PE slightly reduced microbial growth, inhibited the activity of browning related enzymes and improved quality attributes during refrigerated storage. Moreover, PE was effective to reduce ascorbic acid losses in the product maintaining its nutritional quality. TT greatly lowered the initial microbial load (1.7–2.2 log units) and also reduced microbial growth on mixed vegetables extending its microbiological shelf-life to 5 days. Furthermore, TT inactivated browning enzymes improving visual quality; however, ascorbic acid degradation adversely affected nutritional quality. Meanwhile, ULT caused a significant microbial inactivation, reduced browning enzyme activity and also the inhibitory effect on polyphenoloxidase enzyme was enhanced by combining ULT with PE. Practical Applications: The use of natural agents, as propolis extract, along with physical treatments to preserve the quality of fresh-cut mixed vegetables for soup might be an interesting option to address the concerns of the consumer about the use of synthetic chemical antimicrobials potentially harmful for health.Fil: Alvarez, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería en Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Ponce, Alejandra Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería en Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Goyeneche, Rosario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería en Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Moreira, Maria del Rosario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería en Alimentos; Argentin

Relationship between carbohydrate composition and fungal deterioration of functional strawberry juices preserved using non-thermal treatments

BACKGROUND: The quantification of the main carbohydrates present in strawberry juices enriched with inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and preserved by non-thermal techniques (vanillin and ultrasound) were studied, as well as the evolution of these compounds and their relationship with fungal deterioration during 14 days of refrigerated storage. RESULTS: A simple and environmentally friendly analytical approach based on high performance liquid chromatography with reflection index detector was developed for simultaneous determination of inulin, FOS and mono and disaccharides present in the juices. When analyzing the evolution of carbohydrates during storage, a direct relationship between the consumption of sucrose and the growth of yeasts and molds (main spoilage flora in strawberry) was observed, especially in untreated samples (control). On the contrary, no sucrose consumption was observed during storage of treated sample, thus demonstrating the efficiency of the non-thermal treatments to control yeasts and molds growth. In turn, inulin and FOS added to juices were not degraded during storage. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that non-thermal treatments are adequate to prevent the growth of deteriorative flora in strawberry juices and adding inulin and FOS can be a good strategy to functionalize them, improving their nutritional properties.Fil: Cassani, Lucía Victoria. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Ministerio de Ciencia. Tecnología e Innovación Productiva. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Cientifíca y Tecnológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Quintana, Gabriel Sebastian. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Moreira, Maria del Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gomez Zavaglia, Andrea. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; Argentin

Green ultrasound-assisted processing for extending the shelf-life of prebiotic-rich strawberry juices

Adding value to conventional fruit juices by including prebiotic compounds into their formulation and preserving them using non-thermal, eco-friendly and safe technologies represents interesting and strategic approaches to diversify the healthy and innovative food products offer. In this context, the effect of ultrasound-assisted processing (for 15 and 30 min, 40 kHz, 180 W) on microbiological, physicochemical, nutritional and sensory quality of prebiotic-rich strawberry juices was investigated during storage (14 days, 5 ºC). Compared to untreated samples, the applied preservation treatments enhanced the microbiological and nutritional quality of samples by significantly reducing native microflora counts and increasing the total phenolic content (leading to a higher antioxidant capacity) of prebiotic-rich strawberry juices. Ultrasound processing and prebiotic enrichment had no negative effect on sensory attributes of enriched samples, suggesting that this non-thermal technique allowed to successfully retain the fresh-like attributes of strawberry juices during their shelf-life, contributing to the good sensory stability of juices. In addition, ultrasound treatments had no detrimental impact on physicochemical quality and ascorbic acid content of enriched samples, showing similar stability to control samples during storage. Based on our results, ultrasound processing appears to be a promising non-thermal technique to ensure a stable product from both microbiological and sensory points of view with improved antioxidant capacity and unaltered physicochemical quality while offering a healthier, nutritive and valuable food alternative.Fil: Cassani, Lucía Victoria. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería en Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Tomadoni, Bárbara María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Moreira, Maria del Rosario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería en Alimentos; Argentin

Impact of Production System on Quality Indices Distribution in Butterhead Lettuce: A Comparative Study among Open Field and Greenhouse

Butterhead lettuce quality was followed through changes in physical, physiological, microbiological, nutritional and sensory indices during postharvest storage. Production was in greenhouses, traditional and mulch, and in the field. Greenhouse lettuce heads had higher nutritional and sensory quality at harvest and lower enzymatic browning. Increased exposure to environmental conditions for open field grown lettuce heads may initiate defense mechanisms that could affect texture, color and appearance. During refrigerated postharvest storage, greenhouse lettuce heads had better leaf color and texture and were less susceptible to enzymatic browning. There was no difference in postharvest shelf life for greenhouse and field grown plants. Production in greenhouses produced important marketing benefit, along greater weight per plant and leaf number, by increasing producer profitabilityFil: Goñi, María Gabriela. Ministerio de Ciencia. Tecnología e Innovación Productiva. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería en Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Moreira, Maria del Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería en Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Agüero, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería en Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Roura, Sara Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería en Alimentos; Argentin

Bio-películas para el envasado de alimentos: proteínas y carbohidratos

Se utilizaron materiales provenientes de recursos renovables y desechos industriales para el desarrollo de películas poliméricas naturales y biodegradables con potencial aplicación en el envasado de alimentos. En particular se seleccionaron un derivado de la caseína que es la proteína que se encuentra en mayor concentración en la leche, denominado caseinato de sodio y, por otra parte un carbohidrato que se obtiene a partir del tratamiento de algunos desechos de la industria marina (principalmente caparazones de crustáceos), denominado quitosano, para preparar películas puras y compuestas. Estas películas son transparentes aunque ligeramente coloreadas, y se biodegradan rápidamente en el suelo. Sin embargo, difieren en otras propiedades (resistencia mecánica, propiedades biocidas, solubilidad en agua) dependiendo de su composición química. Aún así, es posible aprovechar la capacidad formadora de películas del caseinato de sodio, del quitosano o de sus mezclas para formular materiales aplicables al envasado y recubrimiento de alimentos. Materials from renewable resources and industrial wastes were used in the formulation of natural and biodegradable polymer films with potential application in food packaging. In particular, sodium caseinate derived from casein (the main milk protein), and chitosan, a carbohydrate derived from chitin, which is obtained from wastes of the fishing activity (mainly from the shrimp shells), were selected to prepare neat and composite films. All these films are transparent but slightly colored and they are rapidly biodegraded in soil. However, they can show other very different properties, such as mechanical strength, biocide properties or water solubility, depending on their chemical composition. In any case, it is possible and convenient to take advantage of their interesting properties as film formers to formulate materials applicable to food packaging and coating.Fil: Pereda, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigación en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales (i); ArgentinaFil: Moreira, Maria del Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingenieria. Departamento de Ingenieria Quimica. Grupo de Inv En Ingenieria En Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Roura, Sara Ines. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingenieria. Departamento de Ingenieria Quimica. Grupo de Inv En Ingenieria En Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Marcovich, Norma Esther. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigación en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales (i); ArgentinaFil: Aranguren, Mirta Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigación en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales (i); Argentin

Optimization of ultrasound, vanillin and pomegranate extract treatment for shelf-stable unpasteurized strawberry juice

Optimum combination of ultrasound, vanillin and pomegranate extract to improve quality of strawberry juice was determined using response surface methodology. Samples were stored at 5 °C for 14 days. The optimal conditions to simultaneously minimize native microflora, maximize nutritional parameters and minimize the impact on sensory quality resulted in: 7.5 min of ultrasound treatment, pomegranate extract concentration of 360 μg/mL and vanillin concentration of 0.925 mg/mL. A new batch of strawberry juice was treated at these optimal conditions and stored for validation of the optimization and to evaluate the performance of the optimum treatment on quality parameters throughout storage. Furthermore, a second batch of juice was inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and processed at optimal conditions to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment on the pathogen survival. The native microflora of the juice, as well as inoculated pathogen, decreased significantly using the proposed hurdle technologies, with no impact on sensory parameters. Ascorbic acid retention was slightly decreased by the optimum treatment; however, DPPH and polyphenolic compounds were significantly higher than those in untreated sample. Overall, a combination of ultrasound, vanillin and pomegranate extract showed interesting potential to enhance quality and safety of strawberry juice, extending the shelf-life of the product.Fil: Tomadoni, Bárbara María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Cs.agrarias. Area Ciencia de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Cassani, Lucía Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Ministerio de Ciencia. Tecnología e Innovación Productiva. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Cientifíca y Tecnológica; ArgentinaFil: Ponce, Alejandra Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Cs.agrarias. Area Ciencia de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Moreira, Maria del Rosario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Cs.agrarias. Area Ciencia de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Agüero, M. V.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Oregano essential oil-pectin edible films as anti-quorum sensing and food antimicrobial agents

Edible films can be used as carriers for antimicrobial compounds to assure food safety andquality; in addition, pathogenesis of food bacteria is related to a cell to cell communicationmechanism calledquorum sensing(QS). Oregano essential oil (OEO) has proved to beuseful as food antimicrobial; however, its foodapplications can be compromised by thevolatile character of its active constituents.Therefore, formulation of edible films containingOEO can be an alternative to improve its food usages. QS inhibitory activity of OEO andpectin-OEO films was evaluated usingChromobacterium violaceumas bacterial model.Additionally, antibacterial activity was tested againstEscherichia coliO157:H7,SalmonellaCholeraesuis,Staphylococcus aureus,andListeria monocytogenes. OEO was effective toinhibit bacterial growth at MIC of 0.24 mg/mL for all tested bacteria and MBC of 0.24,0.24, 0.48, and 0.24 mg/mL againstE. coliO157:H7,S.Choleraesuis,S. aureus, andL.monocytogenes, respectively. Pectin-films incorporated with 36.1 and 25.9 mg/mL of OEOshowed inhibition diameters of 16.3 and 15.2 mm forE. coliO157:H7; 18.1 and 24.2 mm forS.Choleraesuis; 20.8 and 20.3 mm forS. aureus; 21.3 and 19.3 mm forL. monocytogenes,respectively. Pectin-OEO film (15.7 mg/mL) was effective againstE. coliO157:H7 (9.3 mm),S. aureus(9.7 mm), andL. monocytogenes(9.2 mm), but not forS.Choleraesuis. Allconcentrations of OEO (0.0156, 0.0312, 0.0625 and 0.125 mg/mL) and pectin-OEO films(15.7, 25.9 and 36.1 mg/mL) showed a significant anti-QS activity expressed as inhibition ofviolacein production byC. violaceum. Additionally, the application of pectin-OEO films waseffective reducing total coliforms, yeast, and molds of shrimp and cucumber slices storedat 4◦C during 15 d.These results demonstrated the potential of pectin films enriched withOEO as food related microorganisms and QS inhibitorsFil: Alvarez, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería En Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Ortega Ramirez, Luis Alberto. Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo. Hermosillo; MéxicoFil: Gutierrez Pacheco, Maria Melissa. Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo. Hermosillo; MéxicoFil: Bernal Mercado, Thalia. Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo. Hermosillo; MéxicoFil: Rodriguez Garcia, Isela. Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo. Hermosillo; MéxicoFil: Ponce, Alejandra Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería En Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Moreira, Maria del Rosario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería En Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Roura, Sara Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química. Grupo de Investigación en Ingeniería En Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Ayala Zavala, Jesús Fernando. Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo. Hermosillo; Méxic

Breast Cancer Detection by Means of Artificial Neural Networks

Breast cancer is a fatal disease causing high mortality in women. Constant efforts are being made for creating more efficient techniques for early and accurate diagnosis. Classical methods require oncologists to examine the breast lesions for detection and classification of various stages of cancer. Such manual attempts are time consuming and inefficient in many cases. Hence, there is a need for efficient methods that diagnoses the cancerous cells without human involvement with high accuracies. In this research, image processing techniques were used to develop imaging biomarkers through mammography analysis and based on artificial intelligence technology aiming to detect breast cancer in early stages to support diagnosis and prioritization of high-risk patients. For automatic classification of breast cancer on mammograms, a generalized regression artificial neural network was trained and tested to separate malignant and benign tumors reaching an accuracy of 95.83%. With the biomarker and trained neural net, a computer-aided diagnosis system is being designed. The results obtained show that generalized regression artificial neural network is a promising and robust system for breast cancer detection. The Laboratorio de Innovacion y Desarrollo Tecnologico en Inteligencia Artificial is seeking collaboration with research groups interested in validating the technology being developed

Ensino e aprendizagem de línguas estrangeiras para pessoas com necessidades especiais: destaques

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Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks