Percorrer por autor "Pereira-Caro, Gema"
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- Effects of different heating treatments on the antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of ecuadorian red dacca bananaPublication . Tuárez-García, Diego Armando; Galván-Gámez, Hugo; Erazo Solórzano, Cyntia Yadira; Edison Zambrano, Carlos; Rodríguez Solana, Raquel; Pereira-Caro, Gema; Sánchez-Parra, Mónica; Moreno-Rojas, José M.; Ordóñez-Díaz, José L.The banana is a tropical fruit characterized by its composition of healthy and nutritional compounds. This fruit is part of traditional Ecuadorian gastronomy, being consumed in a wide variety of ways. In this context, unripe Red Dacca banana samples and those submitted to different traditional Ecuadorian heating treatments (boiling, roasting, and baking) were evaluated to profile their phenolic content by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) and the antioxidant activity by ORAC, ABTS, and DPPH assays. A total of sixty-eight phenolic compounds were identified or tentatively identified in raw banana and treated samples, highlighting the content in flavonoids (flavan-3-ols with 88.33% and flavonols with 3.24%) followed by the hydroxybenzoic acid family (5.44%) in raw banana samples. The total phenolic compound content significantly decreased for all the elaborations evaluated, specifically from 442.12 mg/100 g DW in fresh bananas to 338.60 mg/100 g DW in boiled (23.41%), 243.63 mg/100 g DW in roasted (44.90%), and 109.85 mg/100 g DW in baked samples (75.15%). Flavan-3-ols and flavonols were the phenolic groups most affected by the heating treatments, while flavanones and hydroxybenzoic acids showed higher stability against the heating treatments, especially the boiled and roasted samples. In general, the decrease in phenolic compounds corresponded with a decline in antioxidant activity, evaluated by different methods, especially in baked samples. The results obtained from PCA studies confirmed that the impact of heating on the composition of some phenolic compounds was different depending on the technique used. In general, the heating processes applied to the banana samples induced phytochemical modifications. Even so, they remain an important source of bioactive compounds for consumers.
- Impact of metallic nanoparticles on In vitro culture, phenolic profile and biological activity of two mediterranean lamiaceae species: Lavandula viridis L’Hér and Thymus lotocephalus G. López and R. MoralesPublication . Gonçalves, Sandra; Mansinhos, Inês; Rodríguez-Solana, Raquel; Pereira-Caro, Gema; Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel; Romano, AnabelaNanoparticles (NPs) recently emerged as new chemical elicitors acting as signaling agents affecting several processes in plant metabolism. The aim of this work was to investigate the impact of the addition of copper oxide (CuO), zinc oxide (ZnO) and iron oxide (Fe3O4 ) NPs (<100 nm) at different concentrations (1, 5 and 10 mg/L) to the culture media on several morphological, physiological and -biochemical parameters of in vitro shoot cultures of Lavandula viridis L’Hér and Thymus lotocephalus G. López and R. Morales (Lamiaceae), as well as on phenolic profile and bioactivity (antioxidant and enzyme inhibition capacities). Although some decreases in shoot number and length were observed in response to NPs, biomass production was not affected or was improved in both species. Most NPs treatments decreased total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents and increased malondialdehyde levels, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, in both species. HPLC-HR-MS analysis led to the identification of thirteen and twelve phenolic compounds, respectively, in L. viridis and T. lotocephalus extracts, being rosmarinic acid the major compound found in all the extracts. ZnO and Fe3O4 NPs induced an increase in total phenolic and rosmarinic acid contents in T. lotocephalus extracts. Additionally, some NPs treatments also increased antioxidant activity in extracts from this species and the opposite was observed for L. viridis. The capacity of the extracts to inhibit tyrosinase, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes was not considerably affected. Overall, NPs had a significant impact on different parameters of L. viridis and T. lotocephalus in vitro shoot cultures, although the results varied with the species and NPs type.
- Impact of the pre-drying process on the volatile profile of on-farm processed Ecuadorian bulk and fine-flavour cocoa varietiesPublication . Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel; Yadira Erazo Solorzano, Cyntia; Tuárez García, Diego Armando; Pereira-Caro, Gema; Ordóñez Díaz, José Luis; Muñoz–Redondo, José Manuel; Rodríguez Solana, RaquelAiming to improve the quality of cocoa, preconditioning of cocoa after harvesting and before fermentation has become an on-farm processing step of great interest in recent times. The present work aimed to evaluate the influence of a pre-drying process on the volatile composition of Ecuadorian bulk (Forastero and CCN-51) and fine-flavour (ETT103 and LR14) cocoa at the end of primary processing. A total of 63 volatile compounds including aldehydes, alcohols, acids, ketones, esters, terpenes, lactones and other miscellaneous compounds were identified in cocoa samples by HS-SPME-GC-MS. The use of a pre-drying step revealed a varietal homogenization and a reduction in the fermentation time, making this preconditioning step an inexpensive and attractive option for farmers. Moreover, different varietal behaviour was observed after pre-drying, the fine-flavour varieties obtaining a clear improvement in aromatic quality with higher levels of compounds imparting positive notes.
- Nutrient deficiency-induced stress improves skincare effects and phytochemical content of green extracts from lamiaceae in vitro culturesPublication . Paixão Mansinhos, Inês Filipa; Gonçalves, Sandra; Rodríguez Solana, Raquel; Pereira-Caro, Gema; Moreno-Rojas, José; Romano, AnabelaThe objective of this study was to investigate the impact of nutrient starvation on the growth, biochemical, metabolomic, and biological traits of Lavandula viridis L'H & eacute;r and Thymus lotocephalus G. L & oacute;pez and R. Morales in vitro cultures. In both species, a reduction in shoot growth and in the production of chlorophyll and carotenoids was observed in cultures grown under nutrient-deficient media (especially Fe and N) compared to those grown under control conditions. The highest levels of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation, two indicators of oxidative stress, were observed in L. viridis cultures grown under N deficiency and in T. lotocephalus under P and Fe limitation. The results demonstrated that nutrient deficiency led to a 72% and 62% increase in the quantified phenolic compounds in L. viridis and T. lotocephalus, respectively. The highest concentrations of the major compound in both species-rosmarinic acid-were observed in cultures grown under Mg-deficient (60.7 +/- 1.0 mg/gDW) and Fe-deficient (50.0 +/- 0.4 mg/gDW) conditions in L. viridis and T. lotocephalus, respectively. Furthermore, nutrient starvation enhanced the capacity of green extracts to inhibit three enzymes (tyrosinase, elastase, and hyaluronidase) associated with anti-aging and their antioxidant properties.
- Phytochemical characterization and bioactivity of extracts from different fruit parts of opuntia leucotricha DC.: a comparison between a conventional organic solvent and green natural deep eutectic solventsPublication . Hamdoun, Ouafaa; Gonçalves, Sandra; Paixão Mansinhos, Inês Filipa; Rodríguez Solana, Raquel; Pereira-Caro, Gema; Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel; El Kbiach, Mohammed L’bachir; El Bouzdoudi, Brahim; Romano, AnabelaThe objective of this study was to analyze the chemical profile of extracts from different fruit parts of the perennial arborescent cactus Opuntia leucotricha by applying ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) and to evaluate their biological properties (antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory capacities). Extracts were obtained from the fruit pulp (without or with seeds), seeds, and peel by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using the conventional solvent methanol 50% and two Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs) (glycerol:urea, 1:1 and citric acid:sorbitol, 1:2). A total of 33 compounds were identified, including phenolics, fatty acids, and others. Phenolic acids were the most abundant class of phenolics identified in all fruit parts, with the highest concentration observed in the methanol extracts from peel (593.02 mu g/gDW), followed by seed-containing pulp (69.03 mu g/gDW), pulp (57.83 mu g/gDW), and seeds (39.97 mu g/gDW). The second most effective extractant was NADES 1 (glycerol:urea, 1:1), which was also successful in extracting compounds with antioxidant capacity. Overall, the extracts demonstrated considerable enzyme inhibitory activities, with the greatest effects observed against alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase. The results indicate that O. leucotricha fruits could be a promising source of bioactive compounds, and NADES a viable alternative to organic solvents for their industrial exploitation.
- Phytochemical composition and bioactivity of different fruit parts of opuntia robusta and opuntia ficus-indica: conventional versus NADES-based extractionPublication . Hamdoun, Ouafaa; Gonçalves, Sandra; Paixão Mansinhos, Inês Filipa; Rodríguez Solana, Raquel; Pereira-Caro, Gema; Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel; Bouzdoudi, Brahim El; Kbiach, Mohammed L’bachir El; Romano, AnabelaThis study evaluated the extraction efficiency of two Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADESs), glycerol–urea (1:1) and citric acid–sorbitol (1:2), for recovering phenolic compounds from the different parts of the fruit (pulp, seed-containing pulp, seeds, and peel) of Opuntia robusta and Opuntia ficus-indica in comparison with 50% methanol. Phytochemical profiling was performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–highresolution mass spectrometry, alongside antioxidant and enzyme inhibition assessments (acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase). Glycerol–urea performed similarly to methanol in extracting phenolic compounds with notable antioxidant properties. Peel extracts contained the highest levels of bioactive compounds, particularly phenolic acids (525.49 in O. robusta and 362.96 µg/gDW in O. ficus indica). Enzyme inhibition varied across species and fruit parts, with extracts from both species inhibiting all targeted enzymes. Notably, this study provides the first evidence of tyrosinase inhibitory activity in O. robusta, which exhibited the strongest inhibition. Overall, these results emphasize the potential of cactus fruit extracts, particularly from O. robusta, for valorization, and support the use of NADESs as a sustainable and medium for extracting antioxidant compounds. Furthermore, the potential of fruit peel as waste with nutraceutical applications was demonstrated.
- Potential of bioactive compounds derived from underutilized fruit-bearing plants: a comprehensive reviewPublication . Kaur, Inderjeet; Sharma, Arun Dev; Samtiya, Mrinal; Pereira-Caro, Gema; Rodríguez Solana, Raquel; Dhewa, Tejpal; Moreno-Rojas, José ManuelIn nature, varieties of underutilized fruit-bearing plants are available and have remained underexploited for various reasons. However, the different parts of the plant, mainly the fruit, contributed considerably towards the sustainability of food as abundant sources of imperative phytochemical compounds and possess the potential for revenue generation and the conservation of ecological stability. Ethnobotanical information regarding underutilized plants was acquired from a literature exploration of diverse databases for instance Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed up to 2020 from research publications. This review article offers an inclusive summary of about 14 underutilized plants, which are supported through experimental evidence, either in vitro or else in vivo. Bioactive compounds such as the secondary plant metabolites phytochemicals and nutrients available in these underutilized plant parts, such as fruits, leaves, and bark, explain their potential applications in different kinds of industries including mainly those of food and pharmaceutical products. In this sense, the phytonutrient significance, biological activities, or possible mechanistic health-related aspects of these compounds are addressed in this review. Based on the accessible indication on the species' safety and pharmacology, we highlighted diverse ways wherein the therapeutic potential effects against different diseases of underutilized plant parts could be appropriately harnessed for probable incorporation into the country's healthcare structure. This study concluded that cited underutilized plants are an immense source of phytochemicals providing diverse antioxidant and other biological activities, viz: anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, chemopreventive, and antiallergic, and hence, they can be exploited as alternative sources of therapeutic bioactive compounds for various pharmaceutical applications.
- Special Issue: phenolic profiling and antioxidant capacity in agrifood productsPublication . Rodríguez Solana, Raquel; Pereira-Caro, Gema; Moreno-Rojas, José ManuelPhenolic compounds are secondary plant metabolites known to be one of the most important sources of natural antioxidants in the human diet. These compounds play important roles in long-term health and reducing the risks of chronic and degenerative diseases. Apart from the biological capacities shown by phenolics in in-vivo and in-vitro studies, they present protective effects against the deterioration of foods and beverages because of their intrinsic nature as antioxidants. For all these reasons, the search for new sources of natural antioxidants, nutraceuticals and functional foods have been the subject of many studies in recent years. However, such compounds are potentially vulnerable to different factors of plant processing (such as light, temperature, pH, oxygen, etc.) for obtaining different food and beverage products. Consequently, substantial modifications to their structure and concentration could occur, leading to changes in their potential biological activities. Recent endeavors have placed particular importance on finding plant-processing methods and techniques for stabilizing plant-based products that do not alter their phenolic content and therefore their antioxidant and other biological activities. This Special Issue aims to bring together the most recent work, on the one hand, on the development of new functional food and nutraceutical products with high phenolic content and antioxidant potential, and on the other hand, on the impact that conventional and advanced food processing technologies [e.g., pulsed electric fields (PEF), pulsed-light (PL), ultraviolet (UV)-light; high pressure processing or high hydrostatic pressure (HPP/HHP); ultrasound; extrusion technology, etc.] have on the phenolic and bioactivity characteristics of industrial foods.