Effect of seaweed flakes addition on the development of bioactivities in functional Camembert-type cheese

Physicochemical properties of wild and cultivated Saccharina latissima macroalgae harvested in the Canadian boreal-subarctic transition zone

Saccharina latissima is a brown seaweed used as a food ingredient. The aim of this work was to study possible differences between S. latissima chemical composition, color, mode of cultivation, harvesting period and site and its environmental conditions. Water temperature, salinity, radiation, and fluorescence were monitored in each harvesting site. Chemical composition of S. latissima varied greatly with period and site, with a high content of carbohydrates and ash. Crude protein content varied from 3.7 % to 12.8 %, with a higher concentration observed in wild samples harvested in Bas-St. Laurent (11.1-12.8 %). Cultivated seaweed also presented a high crude protein (12.2 %) and ash (52 % against 27 % in wild samples) concentrations, but crude fiber and carbohydrates concentrations were lower, reaching up to 2.7 and 1.9-fold, respectively, than those in wild seaweeds. S. latissima presented a more intense yellow color in June. A trend of darker and more green-colored seaweeds when cultivated in the end of summer was confirmed. Our results suggest that variations in chemical components and chromaticity of this species are probably affected by complex interactions of environmental conditions.

Impact of Harvest Month and Drying Process on the Nutritional and Bioactive Properties of Wild Palmaria palmata from Atlantic Canada

The macroalga Palmaria palmata could be a sustainable and nutritional food resource. However, its composition may vary according to its environment and to processing methods used. To investigate these variations, wild P. palmata from Quebec were harvested in October 2019 and June 2020, and dried (40 °C, ≃5 h) or stored as frozen controls (-80 °C). The chemical (lipids, proteins, ash, carbohydrates, fibers), mineral (I, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe), potential bioactive compound (carotenoids, polyphenols, β-carotene, α-tocopherol) compositions, and the in vitro antioxidant activity and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition potential of water-soluble extracts were determined. The results suggested a more favorable macroalgae composition in June with a higher content of most nutrients, minerals, and bioactive compounds. October specimens were richer only in carbohydrates and carotenoids. No significant differences in antioxidant or anti-ACE inhibitory activities were found between the two harvest months. The drying process did not significantly impact the chemical and mineral compositions, resulting in only small variations. However, drying had negative impacts on polyphenols and anti-ACE activities in June, and on carotenoids in October. In addition, a concentration effect was observed for carotenoids, β-carotene and α-tocopherol in June. To provide macroalgae of the highest nutritional quality, the drying process for June specimens should be selected.

Variation of the Nutritional Composition and Bioactive Potential in Edible Macroalga Saccharina latissima Cultivated from Atlantic Canada Subjected to Different Growth and Processing Conditions

Macroalgae are a new food source in the Western world. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of harvest months and food processing on cultivated Saccharina latissima (S. latissima) from Quebec. Seaweeds were harvested in May and June 2019 and processed by blanching, steaming, and drying with a frozen control condition. The chemical (lipids, proteins, ash, carbohydrates, fibers) and mineral (I, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe) compositions, the potential bioactive compounds (alginates, fucoidans, laminarans, carotenoids, polyphenols) and in vitro antioxidant potential were investigated. The results showed that May specimens were significantly the richest in proteins, ash, I, Fe, and carotenoids, while June macroalgae contained more carbohydrates. The antioxidant potential of water-soluble extracts (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity [ORAC] analysis-625 µg/mL) showed the highest potential in June samples. Interactions between harvested months and processing were demonstrated. The drying process applied in May specimens appeared to preserve more S. latissima quality, whereas blanching and steaming resulted in a leaching of minerals. Losses of carotenoids and polyphenols were observed with heating treatments. Water-soluble extracts of dried May samples showed the highest antioxidant potential (ORAC analysis) compared to other methods. Thus, the drying process used to treat S. latissima harvested in May seems to be the best that should be selected.

In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Proteins and Bioactive Compounds of Wild and Cultivated Seaweeds from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence

Despite the increased interest in macroalgae protein and fibers, little information is available on their bioaccessibility. The application of an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model to study the degree of disintegration and release of proteins with expressed bioactivities from wild and cultivated Palmaria palmata and Saccharina latissima was proposed in this study. Macroalgae from the Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada, were submitted to digestive transit times of 2 (oral), 60 (gastric) and 120 (duodenal) minutes. Among wild samples, P. palmata had a higher percentage of disintegration, protein release and degree of hydrolysis than S. latissima. While the least digested sample, wild S. latissima, was the sample with the highest antioxidant activity (210 μmol TE g-1), the most digested sample, cultivated P. palmata, presented the highest ability to inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), reaching 32.6 ± 1.2% at 3 mg mL-1. ACE inhibitory activity increased from 1 to 3 mg mL-1, but not at 5 mg mL-1. Wild samples from both species showed an ACE inhibition around 27.5%. Data suggested that the disintegration of the samples was influenced by their soluble and insoluble fiber contents. Further information on the bioaccessibility and bioactivity of these macroalgae should consider the characterization of digestion products other than protein, as well as the effects of previous product processing.

Semi-Industrial Production of a DPP-IV and ACE Inhibitory Peptide Fraction from Whey Protein Concentrate Hydrolysate by Electrodialysis with Ultrafiltration Membrane

The separation by electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membranes (EDUF), at a semi-industrial scale, of a new whey protein hydrolysate obtained from a whey protein concentrate was assessed. After 6 h of treatment, more than 9 g of peptides were recovered in the peptide recovery fraction, for a recovery yield of 5.46 ± 0.56% and containing 18 major components. Among these components, positively charged peptides, such as ALPMHIR + PHMIR, LIVTQTMK and TKIPAVF, were present, and their relative abundances increased by nearly 1.25 X and up to 7.55 X. The presence of these peptides may be promising, as ALPMHIR has a strong activity against angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and LIVTQTMK has structural properties that could interfere with dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV). Many neutral peptides were also recovered alongside those. Nevertheless, the inhibitory activity against DPP-IV and ACE increased from 2 X and 4 X, respectively, in the peptide recovery fraction compared to the initial hydrolysate, due to the improved content in bioactive peptides. Thus, this new hydrolysate is well-suited for the large-scale production of a peptide fraction with high bioactivities. Furthermore, what was achieved in this work came close to what could be achieved for the industrial production of a bioactive peptide fraction from whey proteins.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors from plants: A review of their diversity, modes of action, prospects, and concerns in the management of diabetes-centric complications

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are antihypertensive medications often used in the treatment of diabetes-related complications. Synthetic ACE inhibitors are known to cause serious side effects like hypotension, renal insufficiency, and hyperkalaemia. Therefore, there has been an intensifying search for natural ACE inhibitors. Many plants or plant-based extracts are known to possess ACE-inhibitory activity. In this review, articles focusing on the natural ACE inhibitors extracted from plants were retrieved from databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. We have found more than 50 plant species with ACE-inhibitory activity. Among them, Angelica keiskei, Momordica charantia, Muntingia calabura, Prunus domestica, and Peperomia pellucida were the most potent, showing comparatively lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration values. Among the bioactive metabolites, peptides (e.g., Tyr-Glu-Pro, Met-Arg-Trp, and Gln-Phe-Tyr-Ala-Val), phenolics (e.g., cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside and delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside), flavonoids ([-]-epicatechin, astilbin, and eupatorin), terpenoids (ursolic acid and oleanolic acid) and alkaloids (berberine and harmaline) isolated from several plant and fungus species were found to possess significant ACE-inhibitory activity. These were also known to possess promising antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory activities. Considering the minimal side effects and lower toxicity of herbal compounds, development of antihypertensive drugs from these plant extracts or phytocompounds for the treatment of diabetes-associated complications is an important endeavour. This review, therefore, focuses on the ACE inhibitors extracted from different plant sources, their possible mechanisms of action, present status, and any safety concerns.

Seaweeds as a Functional Ingredient for a Healthy Diet

Seaweeds have been used since ancient times as food, mainly by Asian countries, while in Western countries, their main application has been as gelling agents and colloids for the food, pharmaceuticals, and the cosmetic industry. Seaweeds are a good source of nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Polyphenols, polysaccharides, and sterols, as well as other bioactive molecules, are mainly responsible for the healthy properties associated with seaweed. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic properties are attributed to these compounds. If seaweeds are compared to terrestrial plants, they have a higher proportion of essential fatty acids as eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids. In addition, there are several secondary metabolites that are synthesized by algae such as terpenoids, oxylipins, phlorotannins, volatile hydrocarbons, and products of mixed biogenetic origin. Therefore, algae can be considered as a natural source of great interest, since they contain compounds with numerous biological activities and can be used as a functional ingredient in many technological applications to obtain functional foods.

Valorization of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) cooking effluents for food applications

BACKGROUND

Seafood processing generates significant amounts of solid and liquid waste in the environment. Such waste represents a potential source of high-value biomolecules for food, pharmaceutic and cosmetic applications. There are very few studies on the valorization of wastewaters compared to solid by-products. However, cooking waters are characterized by a high organic polluting load, which could contain valuable molecules such as proteins, pigments and flavor compounds. Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) processing is included among the most important processes in Canadian fisheries, although its cooking effluent composition is not well characterized.

RESULTS

The present study concentrated and valorized the biomass in snow crab cooking wastewaters for the development of products for food applications. A membrane process was designed and optimized to concentrate the effluents. The chemical composition of the concentrates was analyzed, including characterizing the flavor profile compounds. The extracts were mainly composed of proteins (592 g kg^-1 ) and minerals (386 g kg^-1 ) and contained desirable flavor compounds. Their functional properties (solubility, water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity) and antioxidant activities were also assessed, and their safety was verified.

CONCLUSION

The cooking effluents generated by snow crab processing facilities, usually considered as waste, can be concentrated and turned into a natural aroma for the food industry. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Development of new food and pharmaceutical products: Nutraceuticals and food additives

The market of nutraceuticals and foods elaborated with natural additives are constantly growing and leading researchers and professionals of pharmaceutical and food industry to develop new products and reconsider the formulation of processed food. However, these products can only be insert into the market after extensive and well-performed scientific studies that clarify the mechanisms by which bioactive compounds can improve health status beyond nutrition or can replace conventional food additives perceived as "unhealthy" or "unfamiliar" by consumers. Therefore, scientific evidence regarding the actual health benefits and preservation/enhancement of food attributes are the crucial step in the exploration of nutraceuticals and natural food additives. In this context, several studies have been carried to identify and characterize natural bioactive compounds in aquaculture and related by-products for further production of nutraceuticals and food additives. The main purpose of this chapter is to highlight the most recent advances to explore extracts and isolated compounds from aquaculture and by-products to develop nutraceuticals and food additives.