Browsing by Author "Cassani, Lucia"
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- Algal nutraceuticals: a perspective on metabolic diversity, current food applications, and prospects in the field of metabolomicsPublication . Garcia-Perez, Pascual; Cassani, Lucia; Garcia-Oliveira, Paula; Xiao, Jianbo; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Lucini, LuigiThe current consumers’ demand for food naturalness is urging the search for new functional foods of natural origin with enhanced health-promoting properties. In this sense, algae constitute an underexplored biological source of nutraceuticals that can be used to fortify food products. Both marine macroalgae (or seaweeds) and microalgae exhibit a myriad of chemical constituents with associated features as a result of their primary and secondary metabolism. Thus, primary metabolites, especially polysaccharides and phycobiliproteins, present interesting properties to improve the rheological and nutritional properties of food matrices, whereas secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols and xanthophylls, may provide interesting bioactivities, including antioxidant or cytotoxic effects. Due to the interest in algae as a source of nutraceuticals by the food and related industries, novel strategies should be undertaken to add value to their derived functional components. As a result, metabolomics is considered a high throughput technology to get insight into the full metabolic profile of biological samples, and it opens a wide perspective in the study of algae metabolism, whose knowledge is still little explored. This review focuses on algae metabolism and its applications in the food industry, paying attention to the promising metabolomic approaches to be developed aiming at the functional characterization of these organisms.
- Application of fermentation for the valorization of residues from Cactaceae familyPublication . Carpena Rodríguez, María; Cassani, Lucia; Gomez-Zavaglia, Andrea; Garcia-Perez, Pascual; Seyyedi-Mansour, Sepidar; Cao, Hui; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.Cactaceae family is well-known for their adaptations to drought and arid environments. This family, formed by four subfamilies (Cactoideae, Opuntioideae, Pereskioideae, and Maihuenioideae) are known for being leafless stem succulent plants with numerous spines, and their commercial fruits, distinguished by their bright colors and their skin covered with bracts. Some of these species have been traditionally used in the food industry (e.g., pitaya, cactus, or prickly pear) or as pharmaceuticals to treat specific diseases due to their active properties. The processing of these fruits leads to different residues, namely pomace, skin, spines, and residues from cladodes; besides from others such as fruits, roots, flowers, mucilage, and seeds. In general, Cactaceae species produce large amounts of mucilage and fiber, although they can be also considered as a source of phenolic compounds (phenolic acids, flavonols and their glycosides), alkaloids (phenethylamines derived betalains), and triterpe-noids. Therefore, considering their high content in fiber and fermentable carbohydrates, together with other target bioactive compounds, fermentation is a potential valorization strategy for certain applications such as enzymes and bioactive compounds production or aroma enhancement. This review will comprise the latest in-formation about Cactaceae family, its potential residues, and its potential as a substrate for fermentation to obtain active molecules with application in the food industry.
- Bioactive Compounds of Verbascum sinuatum L.: Health Benefits and Potential as New Ingredients for Industrial ApplicationsPublication . Donn, Pauline; Barciela, Paula; Perez-Vazquez, Ana; Cassani, Lucia; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.Verbascum sinuatum (V. sinuatum) is a plant belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family that has been used as an ingredient in traditional medicine infusions for the treatment of many diseases. The aerial part of this plant is a source of bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols and iridoids. Moreover, antioxidant activity studies have shown that V. sinuatum phenolic and flavonoid composition is higher than those in other plants of the same genus. V. sinuatum bioactive compound composition could vary according to the harvesting location, growing conditions of the plants, sample preparation methods, type and concentration of the extraction solvent, and the extraction methods. The obtention of these compounds can be achieved by different extraction techniques, most commonly, maceration, heat assisted extraction, and infusion. Nevertheless, since conventional extraction techniques have several drawbacks such as long times of extraction or use of large amounts of solvents, the use of green extraction techniques is suggested, without affecting the efficiency of the extraction. Moreover, V. sinuatum bioactive compounds have several biological activities, such as antioxidant, anticancer, cardiovascular, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective activities, that may be increased by encapsulation. Since the bioactive compounds extracted from V. sinuatum present good potential as functional food ingredients and in the development of drugs or cosmetics, this review gives an approach of the possible incorporation of these compounds in the food and pharmacological industries.
- Camellia japonica flowers as a source of nutritional and bioactive compoundsPublication . Pereira, Antia Gonzalez; Cassani, Lucia; Liu, Chao; Li, Ningyang; Chamorro, Franklin; Barreira, João C.M.; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.In recent decades, plants have strengthened their relevance as sources of molecules potentially beneficial for health. This underpinning effect also arises from the extensive research that has been conducted on plants that are typically undervalued, besides being scarcely used. This is the case with Camellia japonica in Galicia (NW Spain), where, despite its abundance, it is exclusively used for ornamental purposes and has been studied only for its proximate composition. Thus, the present study was conducted on several additional parameters in the flowers of eight C. japonica varieties. Our results show that camellia has a high nutritional value, with carbohydrates as the most abundant macronutrients followed by a moderate protein content (4.4-6.3 g/100 g dry weight) and high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially & omega;-3 fatty acids, which represent 12.9-22.7% of the total fatty acids), raising its potential for use for nutritional purposes. According to the thermochemical characterization and elemental composition of camellia, the raw material has poor mineralization and low nitrogen content, but high percentages of volatile matter and high carbon-fixation rates, making it a promising alternative for biofuel production. Furthermore, preliminary analysis reveals a high concentration of different bioactive compounds. As a result of these findings, camellias can be used as food or functional ingredients to improve the nutritional quality of food formulations.
- Camellia japonica: a phytochemical perspective and current applications facing its industrial exploitationPublication . González Pereira, Antía; García-Pérez, Pascual; Cassani, Lucia; Chamorro Rivo, Franklin Noel; Cao, Hui; Barba, Francisco Jose; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.In response to the increased popularity of medicinal plants, a number of conservation groups are recommending the investigation on poorly characterized and widely distributed species, as it is the case of camellias. In particular, Camellia japonica L. is a widespread species found in Galicia (NW Spain), where it has been largely exploited with ornamental purposes. Recent findings on its phytochemical characterization showed thousands of bioactive ingredients, mostly represented by phenolic compounds, together with terpenoids, and fatty acids. These molecules present associated biological activities, acting as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer agents. This review is aimed at describing the main bioactive compounds of C. japonica, as well as the health-enhancing properties attributed to this medicinal plant. Novel strategies are needed to implement an efficient industrialization process for C. japonica, ranging from small-scale approaches to the establishment of large plantations, thus involving important sectors, such as the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
- Characterization of Phenolic Compounds of Arnica montana Conventional ExtractsPublication . Garcia-Oliveira, Paula; Chamorro, Franklin; Donn, Pauline; Garcia-Perez, Pascual; Seyyedi-Mansour, Sepidar; Silva, Aurora; Echave Álvarez, Javier; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Cassani, Lucia; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.Arnica montana L. (Asteraceae family) is a plant commonly used in traditional medicine, and several reports have characterized this plant’s bioactivities, especially its phenolic compounds. These compounds are well known for their numerous beneficial biological properties. Consequently, industry stakeholders from the feed, food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical sectors are seeking extracts rich in phenolic compounds, which could be interesting for the development of bio-based applications. The objective of the present study was to characterize the phenolic profile of this species to lay the groundwork for further optimization studies to obtain the highest amount of phenolic compounds. Therefore, A. montana was extracted with an ethanol/water ratio of 80:20 (v/v) at room temperature for 1 h, and phenolic compounds were identified and quantified through UPLC (HPLC Dionex Ultimate 3000) with a mass detector (TSQ Quantis). In the extract, phenolics belonging to different groups were identified, namely eriodictyol-O-glucuronide (flavanone), hispidulin and luteolin (flavones), kaempferol and 6-methoxykaempferol, (flavonols), p-coumaric, feruloylquinic, caffeoylquinic, and dicaffeoylquinic isomers (hydroxycinnamic acids). However, only four of them could be quantified: kaempferol and the three hydroxycinnamic acids. The total phenolic content (mg/g of dry sample) was estimated to be 27.34 mg/g, with the most prevalent compounds being the dicaffeoylquinic acids (accounting for 79.5% of the total phenolics). It has been demonstrated that dicaffeoylquinic acids present anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which have been linked to several beneficial effects. Thus, obtaining phenolic-rich extracts of A. montana may allow us to exploit this plant’s significant biological properties, and it could be a new ingredient for developing new applications in the nutraceutical, cosmetic, and/or pharmaceutical industries.
- Effect of food-grade biopolymers coated pickering emulsions on carotenoids' stability during processing, storage, and passage through the gastrointestinal tractPublication . Cassani, Lucia; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Gomez-Zavaglia, AndreaThe use of Pickering emulsions (PE) as a delivery system of carotenoids and related hydrophobic compounds has arisen great interest in the scientific community due to their nontoxicity, safety, and long-term stability against different environmental conditions. In this line, designing suitable food -grade biopolymers for their use as stabilizers in carotenoid-loaded PE is an emerging research trend with many challenges. Thus, this review describes the recent advances in using proteins, polysaccharides, and protein-polysaccharide complexes as stabilizing agents of carotenoid-loaded PE. Besides that, this review provides a critical updated understanding of the effects of processing and storage on the stability of carotenoids encapsulated in PE, which are critical to support PE applications. The sustained-release behavior of PE in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a hot topic that was also discussed, as well as the challenges for the applications of PE in the food industry.
- Emerging technologies to extract Fucoxanthin from Undaria pinnatifida: microwave vs. ultrasound assisted extractionsPublication . Lourenco-Lopes, Catarina; Carreira-Casais, Anxo; Carpena Rodríguez, María; Barral Martínez, Marta; Chamorro, Franklin; Jiménez López, Cecília; Cassani, Lucia; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.Macroalgae are an extensive resource for the obtention of bioactive compounds, mainly phenolic compounds, phlorotannins, and pigments. Fucoxanthin (Fx) is the most abundant pigment present in brown algae and has shown several useful bioactivities that can be used to fortify products in the food and cosmetic industries. Nevertheless, to date, there is still insufficient literature reporting on the extraction yield of Fx from U. pinnatifida species from green technologies. In this regard, the present study aims to optimize the extraction conditions to obtain the highest Fx yield from U. pinnatifida through emerging techniques, namely microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). These methods will be compared with the conventional methodologies of heat-assisted extraction (HAE) and Soxhlet-assisted extraction (SAE). According to our results, even though the extraction yield could be slightly higher when using MAE than UAE, the Fx concentration obtained from the alga was double when using UAE. Thus, the Fx ratio in the final extract reached values of 124.39 mg Fx/g E. However, the optimal conditions should also be considered since UAE needed 30 min to perform the extraction, whereas MAE was able to obtain 58.83 mg Fx/g E in only 3 min and 2 bar, meaning less energy expenditure and minimum cost function. To our knowledge, this study obtains the highest concentrations of Fx ever reported (58.83 mg Fx/g E for MAE and 124.39 mg Fx/g E for UAE), with low energy consumption and short times (3.00 min for MAE and 35.16 min for UAE). Any of these results could be selected for further experiments and proposed for industrial scaling-up.
- Evaluation of the potential of medicinal plant extracts for the development of new bakery productsPublication . Barral Martínez, Marta; Cassani, Lucia; Carpena Rodríguez, María; Garcia-Oliveira, Paula; Silva, Aurora; Barroso, Fátima; Finimundy, Tiane C.; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Barros, LillianMedicinal plants have been traditionally used throughout time as therapeutic treatments. These plants possess different compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of industrial interest. In particular, the plants Achillea millefolium L., Arnica montana L., Calendula of icinalis L., Chamaemelum nobile L. All. and Taraxacum of icinale F.H. Wigg. belonging to the Asteraceae family, have shown relevant applications including food preparation, dyes, cosmetics, and traditional remedies, although their consumption is currently decreasing [1]. However, the extracts of this type of plants are mostly applied by the food industry as preservatives, due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that prevent food spoilage and microbial growth, preserving the organoleptic characteristics of various products, such as meat, dairy products, or bakery products [2]. The aim of this study was to develop new ingredients derived from these plants, which may be of interest to the food industry, more specifically in bakery. For this, a study of their main bioactivities of interest such as antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity was carried out. The results obtained for antioxidant activity, through the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay, indicated that the extracts of A. millefolium showed exceptional activity, with an EC50 value of 0.013 mg/mL whereas the extracts of A. montana, C. nobile and C. of icinalis showed similar EC50 values (0.2, 0.2 and 0.25 mg/mL, respectively). On the other hand, A. montana extract showed the highest antibacterial and antifungal effects, with minimum bactericidal and fungicidal concentrations ranging from 0.25-0.5 mg/mL and 0.5-1 mg/mL, respectively. Overall, this study provides scientific evidence for the evaluation of the potential of medicinal plant extracts for the development of new bakery products.
- Main bioactive phenolic compounds in marine algae and their mechanisms of action supporting potential health benefitsPublication . Jiménez López, Cecília; González Pereira, Antía; Lourenço-Lopes, Catarina; García-Oliveira, Paula; Cassani, Lucia; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Simal-Gandara, JesusGiven the growing tendency of consumers to choose products with natural ingredients, food industries have directed scientific research in this direction. In this regard, algae are an attractive option for the research, since they can synthesize a group of secondary metabolites, called phenolic compounds, associated with really promising properties and bioactivities. The objective of this work was to classify the major phenolic compounds, compare the effectiveness of the different extractive techniques used for their extraction, from traditional systems (like heat assisted extraction) to the most advance ones (such as ultrasound, microwave or supercritical fluid extraction); the available methods for identification and quantification; the stability of the enriched extract in phenolic compounds and the main bioactivities described for these secondary metabolites, to offer an overview of the situation to consider if it is possible and/or convenient an orientation of phenolic compounds from algae towards an industrial application.
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