Preservation of the crude avocado oil with electric field treatment

The effect of an electric field (EF) application on crude avocado oils samples was evaluated and presented. Polyphenol oxidase enzyme in avocado pulp is inactivated by the treatment of EF, the conditions of the treatment are a square voltage 9 kV cm-1 with a frequency of 60 Hz for 3 min. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the EF as a preservation method on crude avocado oil. EF is directly applied on avocado pulp and oil was extracted. The oil is stored in a closed container at room temperature and analyzed at different periods of time with the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique in the mid infrared region. Chemical values like acidity, peroxide and iodine are also reported. The fatty acid composition in avocado oils is not substantially modified by the EF during the storage. EF treatment may decrease the rate of oxidation reaction of unsaturated fatty acids extending the shelf life of avocado oil

Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill Residues—Properties and Application Possibilities in Food Supplements

Recently, industry has been focusing on the development of new products made from food by-products in order to reduce and take advantage of food wastes. The objective of this study was to evaluate tablet formulations developed by mixing two commercial excipients, microcrystalline cellulose (M) and α-lactose-monohydrate (L), added with powder from residues (mesocarp and pericarp) of green and red (G and R) cactus pear fruit (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill), having the following formulations: green with microcrystalline cellulose (GM), green with lactose (GL), red with microcrystalline cellulose (RM), and red with lactose (RL). The results showed lower disintegration times for the tablets with microcrystalline cellulose. The fiber functional properties presented good values for lipid and water holding capacity. There was a higher total phenolic content (TPC) in formulations with green cactus pear residue powder with microcrystalline cellulose and lactose (GM and GL, respectively), but the DPPH and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) values were higher in the formulations with red cactus pear residues (RM and RL), while ABTS values were similar among all formulations. In conclusion, tablets made from Opuntia residues are proposed as a product of interest for the food supplement industry because of the good quality parameters and the functional and antioxidant properties that they provide

Impact of the Gut Microbiota Balance on the Health–Disease Relationship: The Importance of Consuming Probiotics and Prebiotics

Gut microbiota is a group of microorganisms that are deposited throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract. Currently, thanks to genomic tools, studies of gut microbiota have pointed towards the understanding of the metabolism of important bacteria that are not cultivable and their relationship with human homeostasis. Alterations in the composition of gut microbiota could explain, at least in part, some epidemics, such as diabetes and obesity. Likewise, dysbiosis has been associated with gastrointestinal disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and even cancer. That is why several studies have recently been focused on the direct relationship that these types of conditions have with the specific composition of gut microbiota, as in the case of the microbiota–intestine–brain axis. In the same way, the control of microbiota is related to the diet. Therefore, this review highlights the importance of gut microbiota, from its composition to its relationship with the human health–disease condition, as well as emphasizes the effect of probiotic and prebiotic consumption on the balance of its composition