493 research outputs found
The kinetic of key phytochemical compounds of non-heading and heading leafy Brassica oleracea landraces as affected by traditional cooking methods
No full textBACKGROUND: Kales are often a key ingredient of traditional foods, containing high amounts of indolic glucosinolates (precursors of indole-3-carbinol and ascorbigen), carotenoids and phenolics. The present trend to associate traditional foods crops with health-promoting properties suggested to investigate the degradation kinetic of three Brassica oleracea landraces' phytochemicals subjected to boiling, steaming and stir-frying. RESULTS: Boiling led to substantial losses due to leaching. Glucosinolates followed a second-order degradation kinetic (20% of their initial values after 10min in Nero di Toscana). Phenolic content in leaves+cooking water remained unchanged, whereas their antioxidant capacity was reduced. Carotenoid content increased during the first minutes of boiling. Steaming showed the highest retention of phytochemicals, with often zero-order degradation kinetic, having however a strong effect on colour. Stir-frying produced high losses for all measured compounds; also, β-carotene reduced its content to 10-23% independently of variety. Conversion values for indole-derived compounds ranged from non-detectable to 23.5%. CONCLUSION: Variety strongly affected observed degradation rates because of a different glucosinolate composition and leaf structure. With this research, more information has been gained on the degradation kinetic of B. oleracea landraces' phytochemical compounds upon cooking, highlighting the possibility of improving bioactive component retention
The effect of pulsed electric fields on carotenoids bioaccessibility : The role of tomato matrix
No full textTomato fractions were subjected to pulsed electric fields treatment combined or not with heating. Results showed that pulsed electric fields and heating applied in combination or individually induced permeabilization of cell membranes in the tomato fractions. However, no changes in β-carotene and lycopene bioaccessibility were found upon combined and individual pulsed electric fields and heating, except in the following cases: (i) in tissue, a significant decrease in lycopene bioaccessibility upon combined pulsed electric fields and heating and heating only was observed; (ii) in chromoplasts, both β-carotene and lycopene bioaccessibility significantly decreased upon combined pulsed electric fields and heating and pulsed electric fields only. The reduction in carotenoids bioaccessibility was attributed to modification in chromoplasts membrane and carotenoids-protein complexes. Differences in the effects of pulsed electric fields on bioaccessibility among different tomato fractions were related to tomato structure complexity.</p
Toward a sociology of music therapy: Musicking as a cultural immunogen (Ruud)
No full textThis is a review of the book "Toward a sociology of music therapy: Musicking as a cultural immunogen" authored by Even Rudd.
Title: Toward a sociology of music therapy: Musicking as a cultural immunogen Author: Even Ruud Publication year: 2020 Publisher: Barcelona Publishers Pages: 339 ISBN: 9781945411571
 
The state of the art of food ingredients’ naturalness evaluation : A review of proposed approaches and their relation with consumer trends
No full textBackground: Food naturalness has been the subject of several recent studies and is a key trend in the food industry. There is currently no comprehensive legal definition of food naturalness, which is a multi-faceted and complex principle composed of many aspects. Naturalness-influencing aspects constituting naturalness of food ingredients are similar to those already investigated for finished food products. Scope and approach: Two research questions are posed in this review: • To what extent are the naturalness criteria for food ingredients set by ISO technical specification 19,657 “Definitions and technical criteria for food ingredients to be considered as natural” in line with the latest trends in consumer studies, reviews and reports on the topic? • What aspects contributing to naturalness of food ingredients are the most present across food ingredients’ categories? The first question is answered through a review of governmental sources and scientific literature related to food naturalness and its evaluation. The second question is addressed through four case studies. Key findings and conclusions: ISO TS 19657 evaluates food ingredients' naturalness and only partially fulfils consumers’ requests. To build up a more comprehensive evaluation system, other aspects e.g. farming practices should be taken into consideration. The case studies presented in this review paper highlighted this need for a more extended basis for naturalness evaluation of food ingredients. A gap between technical and safety need for processing and consumer perception of processing in relation to naturalness emerged
Leiostyla eikenboomi Ruud, Menkhorst & Neubert, 2016, spec. nov.
No full textLeiostyla eikenboomi spec. nov. (Fig. 3) Type locality & type specimens. – Turkey, Vilayet Karabük, Suçatı Tüneli 9 km ESE. Yenice, 190 m (41.1897°N 32.4349°E), H.P.M.G. Menkhorst leg., 22.x.2008. Holotype NMBE 544682, paratypes NMBE 544644/2. Diagnosis. – A conic, densely ribbed Leiostyla species with a prominent angular lamella, as well as a prominent parietalis, palatalis inferior, and columellaris; a basalis and supracolumellaris is missing and there is a prominent two-peaked thickening between the columellar insertion of the peristome and the angular lamella. Description. – Shell dextral, conic in outline, with closely, distinctly and regularly, oblique ribbing; there are no spiral striae. The 6.7-7.2 whorls are convex and separated by a deep suture. Shell rather solid, not or hardly translucent, dark horn-coloured. The last whorl has a lengthy but shallow gutter, corresponding in its position to the palatalis inferior on the outer wall, but there is no distinct basal keel. Umbilicus open, deep and narrow. Peristome strongly reflected at right angles to form a flat, thickened, somewhat yellowish coloured lip. Columellar and palatal insertion connected by a clearly visible parietal callus. Angular lamella prominent, high, without appendages; it almost reaches the border of the parietal callus. The angular lamella is fused with a sharp, triangle-like subangularis that faces the palatal wall and that on its turn is fused with the palatal insertion of the peristome. The subangularis creates a small sinulus. A small sinulus at the columellar insertion of the peristome is created by a two-peaked prominent thickening situated below the border of the parietal callus. Parietalis prominent, high, rather deep inside the aperture; it is not connected with the angular lamella. Palatalis inferior very long and well developed; it just stops in front of the lip (i.e. it does not fuse with it). A very small, dot-like palatalis superior is present just above the anterior end of the palatalis inferior, close to the thickened lip. The columellaris is horizontally projected above the middle of the columellar side of the aperture. There is a marked thickening below the parieto-palatal angle of the peristome. Measurements (n = 2). – Holotype: H = 3.4; LWH = 1.8; MH = 1.4; LWD = 1.9; LWM = 2.0; MD = 1.2; NW = 7.2. Paratype: H = 3.3; LWH = 1.8; MH = 1.4; LWD = 1.9; LWM = 2.1; MD = 1.3; NW = 6.7. Localities. – Known from the locus typicus only (see above). Derivatio nominis. – Named after Joop C.A. Eikenboom, a well-known Dutch malacologist and for forty years an inspiring friend of the second author. Differentiation. – Leiostyla superba differs from L. eikenboomi by its more densily packed and finer ribbing, the less conical outline, the denticulate peristome, the presence of a basalis and supracolumellaris, the more prominent palatalis superior, the more prominent tooth-like thickening of the palatal peristome just above the palatalis superior, and the missing of a two-peaked thickening below the border of the parietal callus. Leiostyla zilchi differs from L. eikenboomi by the presence of a basalis and supracolumellaris, the more developed palatalis superior, and the missing two-peaked thickening below the border of the parietal callus.Published as part of Ruud, A. Bank, Henk P. M. G Menkhorst & Eike Neubert, 2016, Descriptions of new and little-known land snail taxa from Turkey, and establishment of a new genus (Gastropoda, Pulmonata: Lauriidae, Enidae and Vitrinidae), pp. 5-30 in Basteria 80 (1) on page 8, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.43974
Models of the fate of glucosinolates in Brassicaceae from processing to digestion
No full textAbstract Glucosinolates are secondary metabolites of Brassica vegetables. Glucosinolates are not bioactive themselves, but their hydrolysis products isothiocyanates have been associated with health benefits. The concentrations of glucosinolates and their break down products are strongly affected by processing of the vegetables, but are also affected by digestion conditions. During thermal treatment of Brassicaceae, such as domestic cooking, different mechanisms affecting the content of glucosinolates can take place and were modelled in the present study: Lysis of plant cells and compartments, leaching of glucosinolates into the cooking water and thermal degradation of glucosinolates in both the intact vegetable tissue and in the cooking water. These mechanisms were described mathematically and the model parameters for broccoli, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage and white cabbage were estimated based on experimental results. Differences between the thermostability of the same glucosinolates originating from different Brassicaceae could be detected, as well as differences between the thermostability of the same glucosinolates in the vegetable matrix compared to that in cooking water. This mathematical model and the estimated parameters can be used to simulate the different glucosinolate contents in prepared foods considering the processing method. This should be a useful tool in food research and industry to make predictions about the nutritional quality of foods and to optimize their health related quality attributes. In broccoli, the glucosinolate glucoraphanin and its breakdown products were further studied in an in vitro digestion study and an in vivo chewing study with five subjects. Upon cell damage, e.g. during chewing, the glucosinolate glucoraphanin is hydrolyzed by the endogenous enzyme myrosinase and, depending on the environmental conditions, sulforaphane or sulforaphane nitrile are produced. The effect of steaming time (raw or steamed for 1, 2 or 3 min) and meal composition (with and without addition of protein (bovine serum albumin or lipid (olive oil)) on the conversion of glucoraphanin were studied in an in vitro digestion model and the bioaccessibility of released breakdown products investigated. The main formation of sulforaphane and sulforaphane nitrile from glucoraphanin occurred during the in vitro oral phase. The content of glucoraphanin, sulforaphane and sulforaphane nitrile did not degrade after digestion. Sulforaphane concentrations were up to 10-times higher in raw and 1-min steamed broccoli samples after the digestion compared to broccoli that was steamed 2 or 3 min. The addition of bovine serum albumin and olive oil had no influence on the formation and bioaccessibility of sulforaphane or sulforaphane nitrile. Meal preparation seems to have a much more pronounced effect on SF formation and bioaccessibility compared to meal composition. In an in vitro study the effect of chewing time (11 s, 22 s, 30 s and 40 s) on differently steamed broccoli ( raw or steamed for 0.5-min, 1-min 2-min and 3-min) was studied. Chewing time influenced the amount of hydrolysis of glucoraphanin in raw and short steamed broccoli that contains active myrosinase (raw, 0.5-min and 1-min steamed), but not in broccoli that had been steamed longer. Steaming time showed to influence the oral hydrolysis of glucoraphanin. Both chewing time and steaming time influence the enzymatic breakdown of glucoraphanin in the mouth. Longer chewing times of raw and short steamed broccoli (0.5-min and 1-min), which contains active myrosinase, lead to more hydrolysis.</p
Food processing and health: a case on the glucosinolate - myrosinase system in dried broccoli
No full textExploring the potential of an Andean fruit : an interdisciplinary study on the cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) value chain
No full textCape gooseberry is a fruit cultivated in Andean countries. Currently it is available some international markets, besides the domestic Andean market. Colombia is the major producer and export country at the moment. The value chain of cape gooseberry faces several barriers of technological and governance nature. This research is an interdisciplinary study on the Colombian cape gooseberry value chain. It aimed to evaluate quality attributes of the fruit during the supply chain, including the changes in the contents of health-promoting compounds; and also assessed the current situation of the value chain regarding degree of alignment of the actors. Findings show that cape gooseberry is a source of health-promoting compounds and has antioxidant activity properties. Such health promoting compounds in cape gooseberry are subject to thermal degradation or formation but not to the extent that they are no longer present after heating. Vitamin C and β-carotene were relative stable after storage time during post-harvest. The main issue for shelf-life of fresh cape gooseberry is the growth of fungi. The intake assessment conducted based on the current consumption of cape gooseberry, concluded that the contribution of this fruit to the daily recommendation intake of vitamin C and β-carotene in Colombian and Dutch adult population is negligible. Cape gooseberry is indeed a very low consumed fruit because is not well-known in international markets. However, it has potential to improve performance by first facing alignment issues, integrate the value chain and develop strategies to effectively plan the route to follow in order to scale up.</p
Plasma deposition of thin film silicon at low substrate temperature and at high growth rate
No full textTo expand the range of applications for thin film solar cells incorporating hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H), the growth rate has to be increased 0.5 or less to several nm/s and the substrate temperature should be lowered to around 100 C. In this thesis, key issues towards this goal are addressed, for films deposited using Very High Frequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (VHF PEVCD). The commonly encountered decrease of the performance of a-Si:H solar cells with decreasing substrate temperature is often attributed to surface chemistry changes during growth. However, in this thesis it is demonstrated that the gas phase chemistry depends on the substrate temperature as well. It was experimentally found that the ion energy flux towards the substrate decreased when the substrate temperature was reduced. The ion energy flux corresponding to optimal substrate temperatures can be restored during low substrate temperature deposition by increasing the hydrogen dilution. Using plasma impedance measurements, it was confirmed that powder formation is increased at lower substrate temperature. The transition from a-Si:H growth to nc-Si:H growth, which is determined by the relative fluxes of atomic hydrogen and silicon species, can be predicted using the optical emission associated with the origin of these fluxes. At higher power and pressure, the fluxes are also influenced by gas phase reactions. Moreover, the emission rate constants depend on the electron temperature. Using data from a 1 D computer simulation, a correction factor is derived that is purely based on measurable quantities, and that considerably extends the range of deposition conditions for which the phase transition can be monitored using optical emission from the plasma. In a high pressure, high power regime, where source gas usage is high, the phase composition has to be manipulated via the degree of depletion rather than via the dilution with hydrogen. Because the growth rate is very high, the stabilisation time associated with back diffusion of silane affects a large section of the growing film, causing a thick incubation layer. This problem is solved using an initially hydrogen filled reactor in combination with a few seconds of hydrogen plasma prior to the actual deposition. Both a-Si:H and nc-Si:H films show device-quality photosensitivity and activation energy values. The as-deposited conversion efficiencies of solar cells deposited at high deposition rate with a-Si:H (3.2 nm/s) and nc-Si:H (4.5 nm/s) absorber layers were both 6.4%. The conversion efficiency of the a-Si:H solar cell showed a light-induced degradation of 20%, whereas the nc-Si:H cell was stable. The defect density in the high deposition rate nc-Si:H cell was an order of magnitude larger compared to performance-optimized nc-Si:H material. Proton irradiation of the nc-Si:H solar cell revealed that radiation resistance was comparable to that of a-Si:H cells from literature with comparable thickness. The results presented in this thesis can be applied in industrial, in-line systems for the production of high deposition rate nanocrystalline silicon solar cells with enhanced homogeneity and for the quality improvement of solar cells deposited at low substrate temperatures on less expensive substrates, thus reducing production costs
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