In vitro bioaccessibility of β-carotene, Ca, Mg and Zn in landrace carrots (Daucus carota, L.)

The Oxidative and Color Stability of Beef from Steers Fed Pasture or Concentrate during Retail Display

Beef production in Uruguay is based on pasture (~85%) or concentrate (~15%), resulting in differences in meat quality. The objective of this study was to compare the oxidative stability and color of beef from these two systems during refrigerated retail display. For these purposes, the Semimembranosus muscle was removed from ten Aberdeen Angus steers raised and fed on pasture (130 days prior to slaughter) and from another ten steers fed concentrate (100 days prior to slaughter), sliced. The muscles were placed in a refrigerated showcase for 3, 6, and 9 days. The contents of β-carotene, α-tocopherol, and fatty acids were determined before the meat was placed on display. Lipid and protein oxidation, color, and heme iron content were determined before and during display. The meat from pasture-fed steers had a lower intramuscular fat content (1.78 ± 0.15 vs. 4.52 ± 0.46), lower levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, a lower n-6/n-3 ratio, less lipid and protein oxidation, lower L* and a* values, and higher levels of α-linolenic acid, DHA, total n-3, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol. In conclusion, the meat from pasture-fed steers was more stable during retail display from an oxidative point of view, which may be due to its higher levels of antioxidant compounds such as β-carotene and α-tocopherol and had a healthier fatty acid profile for consumers.

Agri-Food Surplus, Waste and Loss as Sustainable Biobased Ingredients: A Review

Ensuring a sustainable supply of food for the world’s fast growing population is a major challenge in today’s economy, as modern lifestyle and increasing consumer concern with maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet is an important challenge for the agricultural sector worldwide. This market niche for healthier products, especially fruits and vegetables, has increased their production, consequently resulting in increased amounts of agri-food surplus, waste, and loss (SWL) generated during crop production, transportation, storage, and processing. Although many of these materials are not utilized, negatively affecting the environmental, economic, and social segments, they are a rich source of valuable compounds that could be used for different purposes, thus preventing the losses of natural resources and boosting a circular economy. This review aimed to give insights on the efficient management of agri-food SWL, considering conventional and emerging recovery and reuse techniques. Particularly, we explored and summarized the chemical composition of three worldwide cultivated and consumed vegetables (carrots, broccoli and lettuce) and evaluate the potential of their residues as a sustainable alternative for extracting value-added ingredients for the development of new biodynamic products.

Functional dairy products as a source of bioactive peptides and probiotics: current trends and future prospectives

Milk is an incredibly healthy food world-wide. However, the 'lactase deficient' individuals cannot digest milk's carbohydrate lactose. A large part of the world population is depriving of highly beneficial milk proteins like casein, lactoalbumin, lactoglobulin, etc. due to lactose intolerance. Production of functional foods and bioactive peptides from milk with natural antioxidants and the addition of probiotics could be the best alternative to extend the use of milk functionalities. Among different probiotics, the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) like Lactobacillus delbrueckii sub sp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus and some species of Bifidobacteria and their metabolites (paraprobiotics and postbiotics) have been given more preference to add in milk-derived functional foods. These species are generally considered as heat-tolerant, highly proteolytic, and peptidolytic towards milk proteins and they liberate smaller molecules of bioactive peptides during fermentation and other processes that stimulate the enzyme lactase to help people in digestion of milk carbohydrate lactose. Moreover, the incorporation of natural antioxidants in yoghurt and other dairy products prevents the rancidity of milk fat. The level of bioactive peptides produced in milk-derived functional foods can be determined by capillary zone electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, fractionation, and other modern assessment techniques. Commercial production of functional probiotic products with bioactive peptides could significantly contribute to reduce milk spoilage, enhance health benefits as well as the growth of the agro-processing industry.

Effect of ultrasound and steam treatments on bioaccessibility of β-carotene and physicochemical parameters in orange-fleshed sweet potato juice

Several health benefits have been associated to orange-fleshed sweet potato owing to the existence of various bioactive compounds, including β-carotene. The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of ultrasound and steam treatment on the bioaccessibility of β-carotene, total polyphenols, antioxidant activity, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase activity, and color in the orange-fleshed sweet potato juice. Sweet potato juice was processed using ultrasound (0.66 W cm^-2 and 8 min), steam (2 min), and a combination of steam and ultrasound. The bioaccessibility of β-carotene was increased in processed sweet potato juice, with samples treated by ultrasound showing the highest bioaccessibility (76.6%). Processing had no effect on antioxidant or enzyme activity, but resulted in significant changes in the color of the juice. As a processing technology, ultrasound enables preservation or improvement of the quality of sweet potato juice, and when conbined with other treatments, facilitates the development of new products.

Morpho-Biometrical, Nutritional and Phytochemical Characterization of Carrot Landraces from Puglia Region (Southern Italy)

The explorations as a part of the regional BiodiverSO Programme of vegetable genetic resource rescue revealed that in the arenili (sandy shores) of “Salterns of Margherita di Savoia” (SMS), a coastal landscape area of Puglia region (southern Italy), along the commercial genotypes of small rooting species, landraces are still cultivated. The morpho-biometrical, nutritional and phytochemical properties of two carrot landraces (“Carota a punta lunga” and “Carota a punta tonda”) and a commercial carrot hybrid (“Presto”) collected from the SMS area are examined. The study highlighted that the pedological conditions of the arenili of the SMS area are the main driving force in controlling the nutritional and nutraceutical characteristics of carrot, conferring to genotypes grown in this area a high profile in comparison with literature data. In the site of cultivation of arenili, a large variability in the morpho-qualitative traits emerged among carrot genotypes. “Carota a punta tonda” stands for a promising genotype being very rich in phenols (209.8 mg kg−1 fw) (mainly di-caffeic acid derivative and chlorogenic acid), ß-carotene (21,512 µg 100 g−1 fw), and high antioxidative proprieties. “Carota a punta tonda” could be considered as a healthy product for consumers and also amenable to selection for breeding purpose. Increasing the knowledge about nutritional and nutraceutical properties of local landraces may push the preference of consumers beyond the local community and, at the same time, farmers can be stimulated to continue their cultivation. Thus, the promotion of their on-farm/in situ conservation (cultivation) could represent an efficient strategy for agro-biodiversity preservation.

Physicochemical properties and bioavailability of naturally formulated fat-soluble vitamins extracted from agricultural products for complementary use for natural vitamin supplements

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the physicochemical properties, digestive stability, storage stability, and intestinal absorption of formulated natural vitamins (FNV) by mixing fat-soluble vitamins extracted from agricultural products with their synthetic vitamin (SYNV) counterparts using a 6 to 4 ratio (w:w, dry weight). The FNV A, D, E, and K were evenly dispersed without crystal growth in the dispersion specifications for the functional tablet foods. The FNV A, D, E, and K had 89, 73, 65, and 36% of the digestive recovery, respectively, which was comparable to that of the SYNV. FNV D, E, and K were retained over 77%, but rapidly decreased to 15% after 6 months during accelerated storage at 25 30 and 35℃. The comparable radical scavenging capacity was found between the FNV and the SYNV. Results from the current study suggest that fat-soluble vitamins extracted from agricultural products could be reasonable complementary use for natural vitamin supplements.

Glucose Content and In Vitro Bioaccessibility in Sweet Potato and Winter Squash Varieties during Storage

Glucose content and in vitro bioaccessibility were determined in raw and cooked pulp of Arapey, Cuabé, and Beauregard sweet potato varieties, as well as Maravilla del Mercado and Atlas winter squash, after zero, two, four, and six months of storage (14 °C, 80% relative humidity (RH)). The total glucose content in 100 g of raw pulp was, for Arapey, 17.7 g; Beauregard, 13.2 g; Cuabé, 12.6 g; Atlas, 4.0 g; and in Maravilla del Mercado, 4.1 g. These contents were reduced by cooking process and storage time, 1.1 to 1.5 times, respectively, depending on the sweet potato variety. In winter squash varieties, the total glucose content was not modified by cooking, while the storage increased glucose content 2.8 times in the second month. After in vitro digestion, the glucose content released was 7.0 times higher in sweet potato (6.4 g) than in winter squash (0.91 g) varieties. Glucose released by in vitro digestion for sweet potato stored for six months did not change, but in winter squashes, stored Atlas released glucose content increased 1.6 times. In conclusion, in sweet potato and winter squash, the glucose content and the released glucose during digestive simulation depends on the variety and the storage time. These factors strongly affect the supply of glucose for human nutrition and should be taken into account for adjusting a diet according to consumer needs.

Effects of Chrysosporum (Aphanizomenon) ovalisporum extracts containing cylindrospermopsin on growth, photosynthetic capacity, and mineral content of carrots (Daucus carota)

Natural toxins produced by freshwater cyanobacteria, such as cylindrospermopsin, have been regarded as an emergent environmental threat. Despite the risks for food safety, the impact of these water contaminants in agriculture is not yet fully understood. Carrots (Daucus carota) are root vegetables, extensively consumed worldwide with great importance for human nourishment and economy. It is, therefore, important to evaluate the possible effects of using water contaminated with cyanotoxins on carrot cultivation. The aim of this work was to investigate cylindrospermopsin effects on D. carota grown in soil and irrigated for 30 days, with a Chrysosporum ovalisporum extract containing environmentally relevant concentrations of cylindrospermopsin (10 and 50 μg/L). The parameters evaluated were plant growth, photosynthetic capacity, and nutritional value (mineral content) in roots of carrots, as these are the edible parts of this plant crop. The results show that, exposure to cylindrospermopsin did not have a clear negative effect on growth or photosynthesis of D. carota, even leading to an increase of both parameters. However, alterations in mineral contents were detected after exposure to crude extracts of C. ovalisporum containing cylindrospermopsin. A general decline was observed for most minerals (Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Mo, and P), although an increase was shown in the case of K and Cu, pointing to a possible interference of the cyanobacterial extract in mineral uptake. This study is the first to evaluate the effects of C. ovalisporum extracts on a root vegetable, however, more research is necessary to understand the effects of this toxin in environmentally relevant scenarios.

A novel extraction method for β-carotene and other carotenoids in fruit juices using air-assisted, low-density solvent-based liquid-liquid microextraction and solidified floating organic droplets

Green extraction using air-assisted, low-density solvent-based liquid-liquid microextraction and solidified floating organic droplets (AA-LDS-LLME-SFOD) prior to spectrophotometry was successfully applied for quantitation of carotenoids in fruit juices. Under optimal conditions, β-carotene could be quantified with a linear response up to a concentration of 60 μg mL(-1). The procedure was performed in a microcentrifuge tube with 40 μL of 1-dodecanol as the extraction solvent and a 1.0 mL juice sample containing 8% NaCl under seven extraction cycles of air pumping by syringe. This method was validated based on linearity (0.2-30 μg mL(-1), R(2) 0.998), limit of detection (0.04 μg mL(-1)) and limit of quantification (0.13 μg mL(-1)). The precision, expressed as the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the calibration curve slope (n=12), for inter-day and intra-day analysis was 4.85% and 7.92%, respectively. Recovery of β-carotene was in the range of 93.6-101.5%. The newly proposed method is simple, rapid and environmentally friendly, particularly as a useful screening test for food analysis.

α-Carotene and β-Carotene Content in Raw and Cooked Pulp of Three Mature Stage Winter Squash "Type Butternut"

Winter squash “type butternut” is harvested in physiological ripening for better commercial distribution, when sensory and/or nutritional quality is not optimum for consumption. The objective of this study was to quantify the content of α-carotene, β-carotene, color and dry matter in the pulp of raw and microwave-cooked winter squash “type butternut” (variety CosmoF1) in three states of commercial maturity. Immature, mature, and very mature fruit, defined at the time of the harvest by the percentage of orange peel and green stalk, were evaluated. The highest concentration of carotenes (α-carotene + β-carotene) in mg.100 g⁻¹ pulp wet basis was found in very mature fruits (31.96 mg), followed by mature fruits (24.65 mg), and immature fruits (18.82 mg). Microwave cooking caused the loss of β-carotene (28.6% wet basis) and α-carotene (34.1%). Cooking promote a greater reduction of α-carotene in immature (40.3%) and mature (34.5%) fruits. The ratio of β-carotene and α-carotene content increased with commercial maturity from 0.93 for immature fruits to 1.0 for very mature fruit, with higher ratio in cooked pulp (1.04) vs. raw pulp (0.96).

Antioxidants: Characterization, natural sources, extraction and analysis

Recently many review papers regarding antioxidants from different sources and different extraction and quantification procedures have been published. However none of them has all the information regarding antioxidants (chemistry, sources, extraction and quantification). This article tries to take a different perspective on antioxidants for the new researcher involved in this field. Antioxidants from fruit, vegetables and beverages play an important role in human health, for example preventing cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and lowering the incidence of different diseases. In this paper the main classes of antioxidants are presented: vitamins, carotenoids and polyphenols. Recently, many analytical methodologies involving diverse instrumental techniques have been developed for the extraction, separation, identification and quantification of these compounds. Antioxidants have been quantified by different researchers using one or more of these methods: in vivo, in vitro, electrochemical, chemiluminescent, electron spin resonance, chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, nuclear magnetic resonance, near infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry methods.