White cabbage fermentation improves ascorbigen content, antioxidant and nitric oxide production inhibitory activity in LPS-induced macrophages

Consumption of foods rich in dietary antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds is becoming a key strategy to lower oxidative stress and inflammation. The objective of this work was to study the effect of fermentation and starter culture on ascorbigen (ABG) and vitamin C content, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata cv. Megaton). Lactobacillus plantarum CECT 748 (LP), Leuconostoc mesenteroides CECT 219 (LM) or a mixed culture of both strains at 1:1 ratio (LPM) were used as starter cultures in sauerkraut manufacture. Microbiological and sensorial quality of sauerkraut was also examined. White cabbage fermentation increased (P < 0.05) ABG content (up to 12-fold), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values (up to 2-fold) and NO production inhibitory potency (up to 2.6-fold). Vitamin C content slightly decreased (P < 0.05) up to 1.4-fold during fermentation. LM sauerkraut showed the highest (P < 0.05) ABG concentration (204.8 μmol/100 g d.w.), ORAC values (164.0 μmol Trolox/g d.w.) and NO inhibitory potency (IC50 = 60.8 μg extract/mL). The microbiological quality of LM, LP and LPM sauerkrauts was satisfactory. Experimental sauerkrauts showed higher overall acceptability (P < 0.05) compared to commercial products. Consequently, selection of starter culture is of great importance in the manufacture of sauerkraut with improved content of bioactive compounds and health-promoting potential. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.This work was supported by the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology (CICYT), Project number AGL2007-62044. E. P. is indebted to a JAE-doc grant funded by CSIC.Peer Reviewe

Changes in the carbohydrate composition of legumes after soaking and cooking

Using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method, researchers analyzed the sugar composition of chick-peas, kidney beans, and lentils at various points in the preparation and cooking process: after soaking, after “normal” cooking (ie, boiling), after pressure-cooking, and after cooked legumes had been held at 35°C for 5 hours. There was a considerable decrease in the amount of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and raffinose oligosaccharides in chick-peas and kidney beans after soaking and cooking. This change in carbohydrate composition was less pronounced when the cooking water was not drained before analysis, which was the method used when analyzing the lentils. Method of cooking (either boiling or pressure-cooking) did not have different effects on the sugar composition of chick-peas and lentils, but loss of oligosaccharides was slightly higher when kidney beans were boiled than when they were pressure-cooked. Loss of α-galactosides occurred in chick-peas and kidney beans that had been boiled and then held at 35°C for 5 hours. The HPLC analysis showed that manninotriose was not one of the oligosaccharides present in these legumes.Peer reviewe

Effect of storage on the content of indole-glucosinolate breakdown products and vitamin C of sauerkrauts treated by high hydrostatic pressure

The effect of refrigerated storage for three months on the content of indole glucosinolate (GLS) breakdown products (ascorbigen -ABG-, indole-3-carbinol -I3C- and indole-3-acetonitrile -I3ACN-) and vitamin C in sauerkrauts treated by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) was investigated. Sauerkrauts were produced either by spontaneous fermentation (NF) or by using a mixed-starter culture (Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides) (PMF) at 0.5 g/100 g and 1.5 g/100 g NaCl concentrations and they were pressurized in order to prolong their shelf life. HHP-sauerkrauts were a good source of vitamin C (143-161 mg/100 g d.m.) and ABG was the main indole GLS derivative (37-65 μmol/100 g d.m), followed by I3C (5-17 μmol/100 g d.m) and I3ACN (1.5-3 μmol/100 g d.m). NF-HHP sauerkrauts presented higher I3C and I3AC and lower vitamin C content than PMF-HHP sauerkrauts. Refrigerated storage led to a gradual decrease of ABG and vitamin C (losses of 33-67% and 96-98%, respectively, after 3 months) while slight changes of I3C and I3ACN were observed. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.This work was supported by the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology (CICYT), Project number AGL2007-62044Peer Reviewe

Electrochemical Determination of Ascorbigen in Sauerkrauts

8 páginas, 7 figuras.-- This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.Ascorbigen (ABG), 2-C-(indol-3-yl)methyl-α-Lxylo-hex-3-ulofuranosono-1,4-lactone, was synthesised and its structure and purity was confirmed by means of 1HNMR and 13 C NMR spectra and HPLC-PDA, respectively. The electrochemical behaviour of ABG was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) method for pH within the range of 3.0–7.0 and further characterisation was performed by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at pH 5.0. Voltammetric studies of ABG at glassy carbon electrode showed one irreversible oxidation peak (centred at Ep=0.950 V for pH 5.0). The anodic peak current potential related to the irreversible oxidation of ABG was shifted towards more positive potentials with decreasing pH values. The linear response between concentration of ABG within the range of 0.08–0.75 mM and recorded current was observed. The DPV method was shown to be more sensitive when compared to the CV method. ABG showed a significant reducing activity provided by CV, whilst the antioxidant activity of ABG against O2 −• was negligible. Electrochemical behaviour of ABG standard was applied successfully for the quantification of natural ABG in sauerkrauts by DPV and HPLC-CoulArray methods. Based on the developed analytical methods, ABG content increased during natural fermentation of cabbage at 0.5% and 1.5% NaCl levels, and results were comparable with those found in the literature.This work was supported in part by the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology AGL2007-62044 and by grant no. 5056/B/P01/2011/40 from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.Peer reviewe

Stability of thiamine and vitamins E and A during storage of enteral feeding formula

The content of thiamine (vitamin B1), vitamin E (α-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol) and vitamin A (all-transretinol and 13-cis-retinol) in five commercial enteral feeding formulas was studied. These formulas provide a large amount of vitamins: 2.5-3, 3.1, and 1.6-fold above the U.S. daily recommendations (U.S. RDA) for thiamine, vitamin E, and vitamin A, respectively. The stability of thiamine and vitamins E and A of two of the enteral feeding formulas was followed throughout 9 months of storage in the dark at 4°, 20°, and 30 °C. According to our results in all of the storage conditions studied, the enteral formula covered the U.S. RDA levels for thiamine and vitamin E, but in the case of vitamin A the U.S. RDA requirements are met only when the enteral sample has been kept in storage less than 3 months. After 6 months of storage, the decrease in vitamin A was so drastic that the level of vitamin covered only 0.9-0.3-fold of the U.S. RDA and after 9 months it covered only 0.2-0.0-fold of U.S. RDA. The manufacturer shelf life of the formula studied was 1 year; and, because enteral feeding solutions are often placed in storage conditions of uncontrolled temperature and humidity, these results should be taken into consideration with regard to the shelf life.Peer Reviewe

Changes in carbohydrates during germination of lentils

This study is part of the Ph.D. dissertation work of J. Frias.The effect of germination on soluble carbohydrates, total and digestible starch, and components of dietary fiber (neutral detergent fiber, cellulose and hemicellulose) in two varieties of lentils (Lens culinaris medicus var. vulgaris and variabilis) were investigated. In germinated lentils the amount of total soluble sugars decreased (from 4.3% to 2.0% and from 5.3% to 2.2%, respectively); glucose, not present in raw seeds, was relatively high (0.6% and 0.7%), fructose increased slightly, and sucrose decreased slightly. The oligosaccharides of the raffinose family disappeared from germinated seeds. Total starch decreased considerably in germinated lentils (from 60.3% to 41.4% and from 57.4% to 36.4%), but the digestibility of the starch was greatly improved. In germinated lentils, the content of neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose were lower but that of cellulose and lignin were higher than in raw lentils. Thus, the nutritive value of both varieties of lentils may increase with germination processes. © 1992 Springer-Verlag.This work was supported by Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia ALI-88-046-C02-01.Peer Reviewe

Bioactive compounds, myrosinase activity and antioxidant capacity of white cabbages grown in different locations of Spain

The influence of two Spanish growing locations with well differentiated climatic conditions (North and East areas) on the main bioactive compounds, glucosinolates (GLS), total phenolic compounds (TPC), vitamin C, as well as myrosinase activity and antioxidant capacity in five white cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) cultivars were investigated. Cabbages with the highest concentration of total GLS presented the highest vitamin C level (r=0.75, P¿0.05) and the lowest antioxidant capacity (r=-0.76, P¿0.05). The cultivars with the highest vitamin C content had the lowest myrosinase activity (r=-0.89, P¿0.05) and antioxidant capacity (r=-0.86, P¿0.05), while those with the largest TPC amount showed the highest antioxidant capacity (r=0.71, P¿0.05). Cabbage cultivars grown in North area of Spain with low temperatures and radiation led to higher mean values of myrosinase activity (29.25 U/g d.m.), TPC (10.0 GAE mg/g d.m.) and antioxidant capacity (81.6 µmol Trolox/g d.m.), while cultivars grown in the East area with high temperature and radiation led to larger mean values of GLS (14.3 µmol/g d.m.) and vitamin C (5.3 mg/g d.m.). The results of this investigation provide information regarding the most suitable Spanish growing location to produce white cabbage with an optimized content of health promoting compounds.This work was supported by the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology (CICYT), Project AGL2007-62044. E.P. is indebted to CSIC for funding through a JAE-doc grant.Peer Reviewe

Influence of fermentation conditions of Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata on the volatile glucosinolate hydrolysis compounds of sauerkrauts

8 páginas,3 figuras.The influence of fermentation conditions on the volatile glucosinolate (GLS) hydrolysis products in two different white cabbage cultivars (Bronco and Megaton) was studied. Natural and induced fermentation using Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides or a mixed starter culture of both microorganisms were performed. Cabbage cv. Bronco was fermented at a concentration of 0.5% and 1.5% NaCl while cv. Megaton was fermented only at 0.5% NaCl. Four commercial sauerkrauts were also analysed in order to compare with the experimental products. No volatile GLS hydrolysis products were detected in raw cabbages. Fermentation caused the appearance of iberin (IB), iberin nitrile (IBN), allyl cyanide (AC), allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and sulforaphane (SFN) in experimental sauerkrauts, while only IB, IBN and SFN were detected in the commercial ones. Megaton sauerkrauts presented higher volatile GLS derivative content than those from cv. Bronco. The content of these compounds was affected by the starter culture and the salt concentration and it was in the range of those reported as having beneficial effect. Hence, sauerkraut can be considered as a health-promoting food and its intake is highly advised for disease prevention.This work was supported by the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology (CICYT), Project number AGL2007-63462Peer reviewe