Percorrer por autor "Vega, Erika N."
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- Anthocyanins from rubus fruticosus l. And morus nigra l. applied as food colorants: a natural alternativePublication . Vega, Erika N.; Molina, Adriana K.; Pereira, Carla; Dias, Maria Inês; Heleno, Sandrina A.; Rodrigues, Paula; Fernandes, Isabel P.; Barreiro, M.F.; Stojković, Dejan; Soković, Marina; Carocho, Márcio; Barreira, João C.M.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, LillianGiven the importance of colour in the general acceptance or rejection of a product, the use of colorants is a widespread practice, particularly in the food industry. At the same time, with the increasing consumers’ awareness of the health effects that some artificial colorants can exert, there is a growing tendency to prioritize foodstuffs containing natural additives. In this work, Morus nigra L. and Rubus fruticosus L. fruit juices were characterized in terms of anthocyanins, organic acids, free sugars, and tocopherols, as also regarding their bioactive properties. Given their richness in anthocyanins, this study also aimed to prepare different solid colouring formulations by the spray-drying technique, using as stabilizers maltodextrin and arabic gum. Six free sugars and two organic acids were detected in the fruit juices, as well as the four tocopherol isoforms. Two cyanidin derivatives were found in M. nigra (cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-O-rhamnoside) and other four in R. fruticosus (cyanidin-O-hexoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-O-pentoside, and cyanidin-3-O-dioxaloilglucoside). The developed colouring formulations revealed a good stability over time, in terms of anthocyanin concentration and colour parameters, and revealed to be safe for consumption, either concerning their low microbial load and lack of cytotoxicity. Thus, they represent a promising natural alternative to the massively used artificial colorants.
- Bioactive food colorants obtained from Lonicera caerulea L., Morus nigra L., and Rubus fruticosus L. fruitsPublication . Molina, Adriana K.; Vega, Erika N.; Pereira, Carla; Dias, Maria Inês; Heleno, Sandrina A.; Calhelha, Ricardo C.; Kostić, Marina; Soković, Marina; Barreira, João C.M.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, LillianLonicera caerulea L., Morus nigra L., and Rubus fruticosus L. fruits are widely known for their nutritional and bioactive properties. Their richness in anthocyanins, which are the main responsible compounds for the reported beneficial properties, justify their exploitation not only as functional foods but also as sources of natural colorants, in alternative to some artificial compounds with reported adverse effects to human health [1,2]. In this context, the fruits were characterized in terms of anthocyanin and non-anthocyanin compounds, by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS, and two solid colouring formulations were prepared through the spray-drying technique with maltodextrin and mixtures of Arabic gum and maltodextrin in different proportions, according to the characteristics of each fruit juice and the efficiency of the process. The stability of the prepared colorants was assessed over three months of storage at room and refrigerated temperature. For that purpose, the microbial load, the cytotoxicity, and the bioactive properties (antioxidant and antimicrobial) were evaluated, along with their anthocyanin concentration and colouring capacity. Different phenolic compounds were detected in the three fruits, among which, some anthocyanins as cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-O-hexose, as the most abundant ones. All the formulations revealed great colouring, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, with a slight variation of anthocyanin concentration along the three months of storage at room and refrigerated temperature, which validate their application for colouring purposes. None of these formulations revealed cytotoxic properties, being, then, considered safe for food application. Through the present study, it was possible to obtain stable anthocyaninbased colorants with potential application in several industrial fields.
- Natural Food Colorant Obtained from Wild Berberis vulgaris L. by Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction: Optimization and CharacterizationPublication . Vega, Erika N.; González-Zamorano, Lorena; Cebadera, Elena; Barros, Lillian; Pires, Tânia C.S.P.; Molina, Adriana K.; Silveira, Tayse F. F. da; Ulzurrun, Guillermo Vidal-Diez de; Tardío, Javier; Cámara, Montaña; Fernández-Ruiz, Virginia; Morales, PatriciaIn this study, a novel natural food colorant based on anthocyanins was developed from wild barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) fruits using ultrasound-assisted extraction, which was optimized through RSM. Four extraction variables (ultrasound power, time, S/L ratio, and extraction solvent pH) were evaluated in combination. The response criteria used were the total anthocyanin content (TAC) and color parameters. The optimal TAC was achieved at 2.5 min, 345 W, pH 3, and 22.12 g/L. The fruit sample (without seeds) (BVFF) and its optimized extract (BVE) were characterized in terms of chemical composition and bioactivities. Delphinidin-3-O-glucoside was identified as the predominant anthocyanin. BVE exhibited a total phenolic content of 290.72 mg/g. Additionally, both BVFF and BVE presented significant antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activity, especially in the case of BVE, which inhibited the growth of several foodborne bacteria and fungi and even showed bactericidal capacity against most of the tested bacteria, particularly against E. cloacae, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and B. cereus. These results highlight the richness of BVFF and BVE in bioactive compounds, especially anthocyanins, underscoring their potential as natural food colorants that can be used in food product formulations instead of synthetic azo colorants.
- Natural sources of food colorants as potential substitutes for artificial additivesPublication . Vega, Erika N.; Ciudad-Mulero, María; Fernandez-Ruiz, Virginia; Barros, Lillian; Morales, PatriciaIn recent years, the demand of healthier food products and products made with natural ingredients has increased overwhelmingly, led by the awareness of human beings of the influence of food on their health, as well as by the evidence of side effects generated by different ingredients such as some additives. This is the case for several artificial colorants, especially azo colorants, which have been related to the development of allergic reactions, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. All the above has focused the attention of researchers on obtaining colorants from natural sources that do not present a risk for consumption and, on the contrary, show biological activity. The most representative compounds that present colorant capacity found in nature are anthocyanins, anthraquinones, betalains, carotenoids and chlorophylls. Therefore, the present review summarizes research published in the last 15 years (2008-2023) in different databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect) encompassing various natural sources of these colorant compounds, referring to their obtention, identification, some of the efforts made for improvements in their stability and their incorporation in different food matrices. In this way, this review evidences the promising path of development of natural colorants for the replacement of their artificial counterparts.
- Promising antioxidant and antimicrobial food colourants from Lonicera caerulea L. var. KamtschaticaPublication . Molina, Adriana K.; Vega, Erika N.; Pereira, Carla; Dias, Maria Inês; Heleno, Sandrina A.; Rodrigues, Paula; Fernandes, Isabel P.; Barreiro, M.F.; Kostić, Marina; Soković, Marina; Barreira, João C.M.; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.Lonicera caerulea L. (haskap) berries are widely known for their richness in anthocyanins. In this study, such fruits were assessed for their nutritional and chemical composition, but also as sources of anthocyanins with great colouring properties to be applied in foodstu . Haskap presented high levels of water, four free sugars (mainly fructose and glucose), five organic acids (mainly citric, malic, and quinic), - and -tocopherol, twenty fatty acids (with prevalence of linoleic acid), and eight phenolic compounds, among which six were anthocyanins (mainly cyanidin-3-O-glucoside). The extract presented great antioxidant properties, evaluated through TBARS and OxHLIA assays, as well as antimicrobial capacity against six bacteria and six fungi. Two colourants were obtained by spray-drying haskap juice with maltodextrin and a mixture of maltodextrin and arabic gum. These formulations were stable over 12 weeks of storage at room and refrigerated temperature, without significant variations in colour parameters and in anthocyanins concentration. They were considered safe for consumption once neither microbial contamination nor cytotoxicity in non-tumour cells were detected. The results obtained allow for the consideration of haskap as a promising source of colourants to be applied not only in the food industry, but also in other fields that rely on artificial colourants.
- Wild Myrtus communis L. Fruit By-Product as a Promising Source of a New Natural Food Colourant: Optimization of the Extraction Process and Chemical CharacterizationPublication . Vega, Erika N.; González-Zamorano, Lorena; Cebadera, Elena; Barros, Lillian; Silveira, Tayse F. F. da; Vidal-Diez de Ulzurrun, Guillermo; Tardío, Javier; Lázaro, Almudena; Cámara, Montaña; Fernández-Ruíz, Virginia; Morales, PatriciaMyrtus communis L., as a wild underutilized fruit, was analyzed for its physicochemical properties and bioactive composition, revealing a high anthocyanin content principally concentrated in the peel. Therefore, the anthocyanin extraction conditions through ultrasound-assisted extraction from Myrtus communis L. fruit peels (MCP), considered a by-product, were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM), evaluating four independent extraction variables with total anthocyanin content as the response criterion. As a result, optimal extraction conditions were determined to be 20 min, pH 6, 500 W, and 19.68 g/L, yielding a total anthocyanin content of 47.51 mg cya-3-glu/g. In addition, the optimized colourant extract presented a higher content of bioactive compounds compared to the fruit itself, with 1.4 times higher polyphenols and 1.8 times higher total anthocyanin content, with malvidin-3-O-glucoside as the predominant anthocyanin, evidencing the effectiveness of the proposed extraction process. In conclusion, applying the optimal extraction conditions for MPC enables the production of an extract with remarkable anthocyanin content and other phenolic compounds, making it an excellent candidate as a natural food colourant.
- Wild sweet cherry, strawberry and bilberry as underestimated sources of natural colorants and bioactive compounds with functional propertiesPublication . Vega, Erika N.; Garcia-Herrera, Patricia; Ciudad-Mulero, María; Dias, Maria Inês; Matallana-González, Maria Cruz; Camara, Montana; Tardío, Javier; Molina, María; Pinela, José; Pires, Tânia C.S.P.; Barros, Lillian; Fernandez-Ruiz, Virginia; Morales, PatriciaWild edible fruits, neglected by the development of commercial agriculture, have recently aroused as a good source of natural colorants and bioactive compounds. These novel uses could cover the recent demand for healthier foods with functional properties. Prunus avium, Fragaria vesca and Vaccinium myrtillus wild fruits were characterized by individual anthocyanin profile and color CIELAB parameters, as well as phenolic fraction. In addition, some bioactivities were evaluated. In P. avium cyanidin-O-deoxyhexosyl-pentoside was the represen-tative anthocyanin, in F. vesca pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside and in V. myrtillus delphinidin-O-hexoside. The three wild edible fruits showed interesting antioxidant activity especially in OxHLIA assays. V. myrtillus was the fruit with the best results for the bacterial growth inhibition, while F. vesca with better fungal growth inhibition. These results evidenced the richness of these wild fruits in bioactive compounds and pigments with antioxidant ca-pacity, therefore, their potential use as natural colorants for healthier food products design.