1,721,046 research outputs found
The Nutritional Quality of Organic and Conventional Food Products Sold in Italy: Results from the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Study
Full text linkThe market for organic products is growing rapidly, probably attributable to the general customer perception that they are healthier foods, with a better nutritional profile than conventional ones. Despite this, the available studies show limited differences in the nutrient profile of organically and conventionally primary food products. Apart from this literature, no studies have focused on the nutrition profile of commercially prepacked foods. Thus, the aim of the present survey was to compare the nutritional quality intended as nutrition facts of organic and conventional prepacked foods sold in Italy. A total of 569 pairs of prepacked products (organic and their conventional counterparts) were selected from nine food categories sold by online retailers. By comparing organic and conventional products in the “pasta, rice and other cereals” category, the former were lower in energy, protein, and higher in saturates compared to the latter. Organic “jams, chocolate spreads and honey” products were lower in energy, carbohydrates, sugars and higher in protein than their regular counterparts. No differences were found for energy, macronutrients and salt for other categories. Therefore, based on the mandatory information printed on their packaging, prepacked organic products are not of a superior nutritional quality than conventional ones, with just a few exceptions. Consequently, the present study suggests that organic certification cannot be considered an indication of better overall nutritional quality. Further studies examining the nutritional quality of organic foods, taking into account the ingredients used, might better explain the results obtained
Glycaemic Index of some commercial gluten-free foods.
No full textPurpose Gluten-free products present major challenges for the food industry in terms of organoleptic, technological and nutritional characteristics. The absence of gluten has been shown to affect starch digestibility, thus increasing the postprandial glycaemic response. However, in recent years, gluten-free technologies have been improved, thus possibly modifying this quality parameter. We investigated the glycaemic index (GI) of 10 commercial
foods aiming to update the GI values of the most common gluten-free products consumed in Italy.
Methods The in vivo GI was evaluated for six bakery products and four types of pasta. The postprandial glucose response was obtained in two groups with 10 healthy volunteers each.
Results The overall GI values ranged from 37.5 for breakfast biscuits to 66.7 for puffed multigrain cake. Breads and pasta had GI values consistently lower than those previously reported in the literature.
Conclusion The present study showed that several commercial GF products exhibited low and medium GI values, not confirming the previous observations on the high GI of GF. However, considering the multiple formulations and processes for preparation of these products, further studies
are recommende
A comprehensive approach to the bioavailability and cardiometabolic effects of the bioactive compounds present in espresso coffee and confectionery-derived coffee
No full textCoffee is an important source of bioactive compounds, including caffeine, trigonelline, and phenolic compounds. Several studies have highlighted the preventive effects of coffee consumption on major cardiometabolic diseases, but the impact of coffee dosage on markers of cardiometabolic risk is not well understood. Moreover, the pool of coffee-derived circulating metabolites in real-life settings is unknown. This study evaluated the bioavailability and effects on recognised cardiometabolic markers of coffee bioactives, considering different levels of consumption. An innovative experimental design, including both a chronic and an acute sub-study, and a comprehensive analytical approach were used.
A 3-arm, randomised, crossover trial was conducted in 21 healthy volunteers (age, 23 ± 2 y; BMI, 22.3 ± 2.5 kg/m2) (Mena et al., Trials 2017, 18, 527). Volunteers were assigned to consume 3 treatments for 4 weeks, including 1 cup of espresso coffee/day, 3 cups of espresso coffee/day, and 1 cup of espresso coffee plus 2 cocoa-based confectionary products containing-coffee twice per day. The last day of each treatment, blood and urine samples were collected at specific time points for 24 hours. Dietary intake, body weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, insulin, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, nitric oxide, inflammatory markers (IL-8, TNFα, VEGF), trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), DNA damage, DNA catabolites, and eicosanoids were assessed. The pool of coffee-derived circulating metabolites was also assessed in acute conditions. Untargeted metabolomics was performed.
Energy intake did not change among treatments after 4 weeks, while significant differences were observed in the intake of saturated fatty acids and carbohydrates. The effect of different coffee dosages on the set of cardiometabolic markers assessed was negligible. Plasma and urinary pharmacokinetic profiles were evaluated for 6 caffeine metabolites, 3 trigonelline derivatives, and up to 40 phenolic metabolites. Pharmacokinetics highlighted the different “waves” of circulating metabolites occurring upon repeated coffee consumption. Differences in several pharmacokinetic parameters were observed among treatments, which may support the long-term cardiometabolic benefits of certain patterns of coffee consumption. Multivariate analyses clearly differentiated treatments on the basis of the urinary metabolome.
This work provided a comprehensive picture of the impact of different coffee dosages on the pool of coffee-derived circulating metabolites, the urinary metabolome, and a wide number of cardiometabolic markers. Multivariate analyses focused on inter-individual differences are ongoing to better understand the effect of coffee on cardiometabolic health
Identification of Cyclopropane Fatty Acids in Human Plasma after Controlled Dietary Intake of Specific Foods
No full textCyclopropane fatty acids (CPFAs) are an investigated class of secondary fatty acids of microbial origin recently identified in foods. Even though the dietary daily intake of this class of compounds it has been recently estimated as not negligible, to date, no studies specifically have investigated their presence in human plasma after consumption of CPFA-rich sources. Therefore, the aims of this study were (i) to test CPFAs concentration in human plasma, thus demonstrating their in vivo bioaccessibility and potential bioavailability, (ii) to investigate a dose-response relationship between medium term chronic intake of CPFAs-rich foods and both CPFAs and plasma total fatty acid profiles in healthy subjects. Ten healthy normal weight adults were enrolled for conducting an in vivo study. Participants were asked to follow a CPFA-controlled diet for 3 weeks, consuming 50 g of Grana Padano cheese (GP) and 250 mL of whole cow milk, which correspond to a total of 22.1 mg of CPFAs. Fasting CPFAs concentration were monitored for eight timepoints during the whole study and plasma total fatty acids composition was determined by GC-MS. CPFAs, mainly dihydrosterculic acid (DHSA), were identified in plasma total fatty acids profile at the beginning of the study and after dietary treatment. A significant (p < 0.05) increase of CPFAs mean plasma concentration (n = 10) were observed at the end of the dietary intervention. Contrarily, the total fatty acids composition of the general plasma fatty acids profile did not significantly change (p ≥ 0.05) during the dietary intervention period. This is the first investigation demonstrating that CPFAs are bioaccessible in vivo and, as expected, their plasmatic concentration may be affected by consumption of CPFAs-rich foods. This research will open the door to further detailed research, which may better elucidate the role of these compounds in human health
Brown rice and pulses for the development of shelf-stable and low glycemic index ready-to-eat meals
Full text linkShelf-stable low glycemic index ready-to-eat (RTE) risotto meals (in pouches) containing brown rice and pulses
(recipe A = chickpeas; recipe B = lentils, and beans) were developed, stored for 12-months at room temperature,
and characterized over time. RTE meals were heated in microwave (replicating home consumption procedure),
and analyzed for in vitro starch digestibility, textural attributes, and consumer acceptability. Digestible starch
fractions were similar in the formulations during storage, and in vivo testing demonstrated low glycemic indexes
(recipe A = 43.5 ± 6.8; recipe B = 31.8 ± 6.5) for the two meals. Hardness of risotto components increased
during storage and microwave heating did not fully recover textural attibutes characteristic of the fresh product.
Consumers’ (50) acceptability remained high (>5.5 out of 9) until the end of storage. This study demonstrates
brown rice with pulses can be used for developing stable and accepted ready-to-eat meals having low glycemic
indexes
Valorization of African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables: the Role of Phyllosphere Microbiota
No full textIn sub-Saharan Africa, malnutrition occurs in various forms going from micronutrient deficiency (MND) to severe malnutrition. In this scenario, African indigenous leafy vegetables (AILVs) could help in alleviating hunger and food insecurity. Principally used by smallholder farmers as subsistence crops thanks to the ease of growing, AILVs have been reported to have valuable nutrient content. Nevertheless, rough handling coupled with microbial activities could lead to phyllosphere deterioration, hence leading to spoilage events that make the sustainable supply and consumption of AILVs difficult. Reviewing the literature regarding AILVs’ phyllosphere microbiota, some bacteria such as Pseudomonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were commonly found. Their ability to deteriorate vegetables is known, thus stressing the necessity to valorize these commodities.
In this review, fermentation was deepened as an inexpensive form of food processing to valorize AILVs, modulating the phyllosphere microbiota in favor of fermenting microorganisms. The literature revision revealed that traditional methods implying alkaline fermentation lower the levels of toxigenic compounds in AILVs such as cyanhydric acid. Novel methods involving lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation were also revised. Beneficial LAB are able to control the fermentation, hindering the proliferation of spoilage (i.e. Pseudomonadaceae) and potentially pathogenic bacteria (i.e. Enterobacteriaceae). Aside, the improvement of nutritional content is achieved, obtaining increased levels of B-group vitamins, carotenoids, and the reduction of antinutrient and toxic compounds for certain AILVs. Furthermore, the AILVs’ shelf life is also prolonged, thus further conforming that the final products are valorized by the fermentation processes. Howbeit, this review also points out some weaknesses in the methods. Indeed, alkaline fermentation can allow the growth of toxin-producing Bacillus spp. that can jeopardize the consumers’ health. While the unpredictability of spontaneous LAB fermentation caused in some cases the resilience of certain pathogens such as Enterobacteriaceae. More studies involving alternative ways to inoculate LAB starters such as back slopping might be useful to perfection the fermentation methods and finally valorize AILVs
Identification of microbial metabolites derived from in vitro fecal fermentation of different polyphenolic food sources.
No full textObjective: The biological effects of dietary polyphenols are linked to their bioavailability and
catabolism in humans. The colon, with its symbiotic microbiota, is an active site where complex
polyphenolic compounds are possibly modified to smaller and more absorbable molecules. The
aim of this study was to identify the major metabolites derived from microbial colonic fermentation
of some common polyphenol-rich foods.
Methods: An in vitro fecal fermentation model was applied to 16 polyphenol-rich foods and
polyphenolic precursors. Phenolic metabolites were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography
coupled with tandem mass spectrometric detection.
Results: Twenty-four phenolic fermentation metabolites were characterized. Some metabolites
were common to several polyphenol-rich foods, whereas others were characteristic of specific
sources.
Conclusion: The metabolites identified in vitro likely are generated in the human colon after
consumption of polyphenol-rich foods. Their occurrence in plasma and/or urine should be
considered when evaluating the bioavailability of polyphenols from specific food groups in humans
and in the definition of markers of exposure to specific foods or food groups in epidemiologic
studies. However, the search for these and other microbial metabolites after a feeding study in vivo
should consider their possible further conjugation at the level of the liver
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