Radical scavenging and cellular antioxidant activity of the cocoa shell phenolic compounds after simulated digestion

The cocoa industry generates a considerable quantity of cocoa shell, a by-product with high levels of methylxanthines and phenolic compounds. Nevertheless, the digestion process can extensively modify these compounds’ bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and bioactivity as a consequence of their transformation. Hence, this work’s objective was to assess the influence of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the concentration of phenolic compounds found in the cocoa shell flour (CSF) and the cocoa shell extract (CSE), as well as to investigate their radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant activity in both intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) and hepatic (HepG2) cells. The CSF and the CSE exhibited a high amount of methylxanthines (theobromine and caffeine) and phenolic compounds, mainly gallic acid and (+)-catechin, which persisted through the course of the simulated digestion. Gastrointestinal digestion increased the antioxidant capacity of the CSF and the CSE, which also displayed free radical scavenging capacity during the simulated digestion. Neither the CSF nor the CSE exhibited cytotoxicity in intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) or hepatic (HepG2) cells. Moreover, they effectively counteracted oxidative stress triggered by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) while preventing the decline of glutathione, thiol groups, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities in both cell lines. Our study suggests that the cocoa shell may serve as a functional food ingredient for promoting health, owing to its rich concentration of antioxidant compounds that could support combating the cellular oxidative stress associated with chronic disease developmentThis research was funded by the COCARDIOLAC project from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RTI 2018-097504-B-I00) and the Excellence Line for University Teaching Staff within the Multiannual Agreement between the Community of Madrid and the UAM (2019–2023). M. Rebollo-Hernanz received funding from the FPU program of the Ministry of Universities for his predoctoral fellowship (FPU15/04238) and a grant for the requalification of the Spanish university system (CA1/RSUE/2021-00656

Bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds from cocoa shell subjected to in vitro digestion and its antioxidant activity in intestinal and hepatic cells

The cocoa shell is a by-product generated by the cocoa processing industry that could be used as a nutraceutical owing to the significant amounts of bioactive compounds it contains. This work aimed to study the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds present in the flour (CSF) and an aqueous extract (CSE) from cocoa shells through an in vitro simulated digestion and to assess their antioxidant capacity in vitro by using intestinal and hepatic cell culture models (IEC-6 and HepG2 cells). The bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds was determined using a simulated in vitro digestion model (INFOGEST). Total phenolic compounds (TPC) and antioxidant activity were measured using in vitro techniques. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated in IEC-6 and HepG2 cells after t-BOOH stimulation. TPC present in CSE were more bioaccessible than phenolic compounds present in CSF. During digestion, the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds from CSF fluctuated in the gastric (2.8 mg/g), intestinal (7.6 mg/g), and colonic (5.7 mg/g) phases. Similarly, for the phenolics of CSE, the bioaccessibility increased from 50.6 mg/g in the gastric phase to 53.4 mg/g in the intestinal phase and decreased in the colonic phase to 37.2 mg/g. The in vitro antioxidant capacity followed a similar behavior, increasing throughout the digestion in CSF (8.8- to 10.6-fold) and CSE (6.0- to 7.4-fold). Digested CSF and CSE were not cytotoxic for IEC-6 and HepG2 cells and protected their viability under oxidative stress conditions (93–100%). t-BOOH-induced ROS were prevented by CSF (72–88%) and CSE (81–94%) bioaccessible fractions in both intestinal and hepatic cells. In conclusion, cocoa shells are a source of potentially bioavailable antioxidant phenolic compounds that may protect cells from oxidative stress

Radiation Testing of a Multiprocessor Macrosynchronized Lockstep Architecture With FreeRTOS

Nowadays, high-performance microprocessors are demanded in many fields, including those with high-reliability requirements. Commercial microprocessors present a good tradeoff between cost, size, and performance, albeit they must be adapted to satisfy the reliability requirements when they are used in harsh environments. This work presents a high-end multiprocessor hardened with macrosynchronized lockstep and additional protections. A commercial dual-core Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) cortex A9 has been used as a case study and a complete hardened system has been developed. Evaluation of the proposed hardened system has been accomplished with exhaustive fault injection campaigns and proton irradiation. The hardening approach has been accomplished for both baremetal applications and operating system (OS)-based. The hardened system has demonstrated high reliability in all performed experiments with error coverage up to 99.3% in the irradiation experiments. Experimental irradiation results demonstrate a cross-sectional reduction of two orders of magnitude.This work was supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under Project PID2019-106455GB-C21 and in part by the Community of Madrid under Project 49.520608.9.18Publicad

Aplicación de un programa de aquaeróbic de muy corta duración (4 semanas) para la mejora de la condición física saludable en mujeres jóvenes sanas

El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la influencia sobre la condición física saludable de un programa de aquaerobic de muy corta duración en mujeres jóvenes sanas. Participaron en este trabajo 22 mujeres sin patologías aparentes (20,560,98 años), estudiantes de la licenciatura de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y el Deporte, que no practicaban ningún deporte. Los sujetos llevaron a cabo un programa de acondicionamiento físico en el medio acuático basado en el aquaerobic de muy corta duración (8 sesiones de 30 minutos). Se valoró la condición física saludable, inmediatamente antes y después de la actividad. Los resultados muestran una disminución del peso graso estimado y una mejora de la flexibilidad de tronco, fuerza de prensión manual, fuerza-resistencia abdominal, equilibrio y potencia aeróbica máxima estimada. Las conclusiones del presente trabajo fueron: a) un programa de acondicionamiento físico de muy corta duración en el medio acuático se muestra eficaz en la reducción de la masa grasa corporal y b) mediante dicho programa se consiguen mejoras en la mayoría de los parámetros de la condición física saludable en mujeres jóvenes sanas, en especial en los relacionados con la fuerza, la flexibilidad y el equilibrio

Cocoa shell ingredients improve their lipid-lowering properties under simulated digestion: In vitro and HepG2 cells study

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) shell, the main by-product of cocoa industry, is associated with the regulation of several biomarkers of metabolic syndrome. However, there is little information about the digestion effect on the physiological properties of cocoa shell. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a standardized in vitro digestion protocol on the hypolipidemic capacity of two cocoa shell ingredients, a flour (CSF) and an aqueous extract (CSE), through the evaluation of their in vitro hypolipidemic properties and lipid-lowering effects in HepG2 cells. CSF and CSE digested fractions increased their capacity to bind primary bile acids (16–88 %) and inhibit lipase activity (41–100 %), while their ability to bind secondary bile acids (33–42 %) was maintained. Likewise, the digested fractions of cocoa shell ingredients reduced the solubility of the cholesterol micelles (35–97 %) and inhibited the hydroxymethylglutaryl-Co-enzyme A reductase (HMGCR) activity (18–100 %). The hypolipidemic properties of non-digested fractions further enhanced the CSF potential to decrease lipid absorption. Cocoa shell ingredients demonstrated lipid-lowering properties after simulated digestion by effectively reducing the accumulation of intracellular lipids (78–122 %), triacylglycerides (60–90 %), and cholesterol (100 %) induced by palmitic acid in hepatic cells. These results were confirmed by their ability to stimulate lipolysis, reducing the increase in lipase activity (28–78 %) and increasing glycerol release (27–80 %) with respect to palmitic acid treated cells, and inhibiting HMGCR activity. Phenolic compounds and dietary fiber are significantly associated to the observed hypolipidemic effects of cocoa shell ingredients. These findings demonstrated the potential efficacy of CSF and CSE in reducing lipid absorption and reversing its hepatic accumulation. Hence, these cocoa shell ingredients might prevent diseases related to lipid accumulation by improving overall health statusRTI 2018-097504- B-I0

Understanding the gastrointestinal behavior of the coffee pulp phenolic compounds under simulated conditions

Numerous residues, such as the coffee pulp, are generated throughout coffee processing. This by-product is a source of antioxidant phytochemicals, including phenolic compounds and caffeine. However, the antioxidant properties of the phenolic compounds from the coffee pulp are physiologically limited to their bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and biotransformation occurring during gastrointestinal digestion. Hence, this study explored the phenolic and caffeine profile in the coffee pulp flour (CPF) and extract (CPE), their intestinal bioaccessibility through in vitro digestion, and their potential bioavailability and colonic metabolism using in silico models. The CPE exhibited a higher concentration of phenolic compounds than the CPF, mainly phenolic acids (protocatechuic, chlorogenic, and gallic acids), followed by flavonoids, particularly quercetin derivatives. Caffeine was found in higher concentrations than phenolic compounds. The antioxidant capacity was increased throughout the digestive process. The coffee pulp matrix influenced phytochemicals’ behavior during gastrointestinal digestion. Whereas individual phenolic compounds generally decreased during digestion, caffeine remained stable. Then, phenolic acids and caffeine were highly bioaccessible, while flavonoids were mainly degraded. As a result, caffeine and protocatechuic acid were the main compounds absorbed in the intestine after digestion. Non-absorbed phenolic compounds might undergo colonic biotransformation yielding small and potentially more adsorbable phenolic metabolites. These results contribute to establishing the coffee pulp as an antioxidant food ingredient since it contains bioaccessible and potentially bioavailable phytochemicals with potential health-promoting propertie

The Allium Derivate Propyl Propane Thiosulfinate Exerts Anti-Obesogenic Effects in a Murine Model of Diet-Induced Obesity

This study is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) (grants PID2020-119536RB-I00 and CIEN IDI-20170847). The FPU contract to R.L.-G. from Spanish Ministry of Universities (FPU 18/02026) and the contract Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion (IJCI-2017-32485) to MO are fully acknowledge.Allium species and their organosulfur-derived compounds could prevent obesity and metabolic dysfunction, as they exhibit immunomodulatory and antimicrobial properties. Here, we report the anti-obesogenic potential and dose-dependent effects (0.1 or 1 mg/kg/day) of propyl propane thiosulfinate (PTS) in a murine model of diet-induced obesity. The obesogenic diet increased body weight gain and adipocyte size, and boosted inflammatory marker (Cd11c) expression in the adipose tissue. Conversely, PTS prevented these effects in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the higher dose of PTS improved glucose and hepatic homeostasis, modulated lipid metabolism, and raised markers of the thermogenic capacity of brown adipose tissue. In the colon, the obesogenic diet reduced IL-22 levels and increased gut barrier function markers (Cldn3, Muc2, Reg3g, DefaA); however, the highest PTS dose normalized all of these markers to the levels of mice fed a standard diet. Gut microbiota analyses revealed no differences in diversity indexes and only minor taxonomic changes, such as an increase in butyrate producers, Intestimonas and Alistipes, and a decrease in Bifidobacterium in mice receiving the highest PTS dose. In summary, our study provides preclinical evidence for the protective effects of PTS against obesity, which if confirmed in humans, might provide a novel plant-based dietary product to counteract this condition.Spanish GovernmentEuropean Commission PID2020-119536RB-I00 CIEN IDI-20170847Spanish Government FPU 18/02026contract Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion IJCI-2017-3248

Non-linear models for black carbon exposure modelling using air pollution datasets

Black carbon (BC) is a product of incomplete combustion, present in urban aerosols and sourcing mainly from road traffic. Epidemiological evidence reports positive associations between BC and cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Despite this, BC is currently not regulated by the EU Air Quality Directive, and as a result BC data are not available in urban areas from reference air quality monitoring networks in many countries. To fill this gap, a machine learning approach is proposed to develop a BC proxy using air pollution datasets as an input. The proposed BC proxy is based on two machine learning models, support vector regression (SVR) and random forest (RF), using observations of particle mass and number concentrations (N), gaseous pollutants and meteorological variables as the input. Experimental data were collected from a reference station in Barcelona (Spain) over a 2-year period (2018–2019). Two months of additional data were available from a second urban site in Barcelona, for model validation. BC concentrations estimated by SVR showed a high degree of correlation with the measured BC concentrations (R2 = 0.828) with a relatively low error (RMSE = 0.48 µg/m3). Model performance was dependent on seasonality and time of the day, due to the influence of new particle formation events. When validated at the second station, performance indicators decreased (R2 = 0.633; RMSE = 1.19 µg/m3) due to the lack of N data and PM2.5 and the smaller size of the dataset (2 months). New particle formation events critically impacted model performance, suggesting that its application would be optimal in environments where traffic is the main source of ultrafine particles. Due to its flexibility, it is concluded that the model can act as a BC proxy, even based on EU-regulatory air quality parameters only, to complement experimental measurements for exposure assessment in urban areas.The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the Generalitat de Catalunya (Dept. Medi Ambient) by providing the air quality data. This work was partly supported by H2020 project RI-URBANS (H2020-LC-GD-2020-6, reference 101036245), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (projects CEX2018-000794-S and PID2019- 107910RB-I00), Academy of Finland via flagship on Atmosphere and Climate Competence Center (ACCC, project number 337549) and by AGAUR (project 2017 SGR41 and 2017 SGR 990). It was carried out in the framework of a joint collaboration between IDAEA-CSIC and University of Barcelona (Physics Faculty).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version