Papers by Eduardo Amezquita
Alimentaria: Revista de tecnología e higiene de los alimentos, 2021
Foods, 2021
Isolation and functional characterization of microorganisms are relevant steps for generating sta... more Isolation and functional characterization of microorganisms are relevant steps for generating starter cultures with functional properties, and more recently, those related to improving mental health. Milk kefir grains have been recently investigated as a source of health-related strains. This study focused on the evaluation of microorganisms from artisanal Mexican milk kefir grains regarding probiotic properties, in vitro fermentability with commercial prebiotics (lactulose, inulin, and citrus pectin), and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing capacity. Microorganisms were identified belonging to genera Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Kluyveromyces. The probiotic properties were assessed by aggregation abilities, antimicrobial activity, antibiotic susceptibility, and resistance to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, showing a good performance compared with commercial probiotics. Most of isolates maintained a concentration above 6 log colony forming units/mL after the in...
Food Engineering Series, 2020
The development of procedures for the quantification of dietary fiber (DF) has been evolving stea... more The development of procedures for the quantification of dietary fiber (DF) has been evolving steadily since the “dietary fiber” term was coined. At the same time, the DF concept has been enriched and thus, the methodologies required to evaluate all the new components included in the improved concept need to be modified. In this context, it is necessary to recognize the evolution of the term to understand the modifications of the analysis methods, as well as to know the methodologies to comprehend the group of compounds that are quantified when the analyses are conducted. In the following chapter the most common current methods to determine soluble, insoluble and total dietary fiber as well as its components are described.
Dietary fiber (DF) products are often obtained from plant sources using chemical processes. The m... more Dietary fiber (DF) products are often obtained from plant sources using chemical processes. The main purpose of the extraction, purification and isolation of DFs by chemical methods is to obtain the best possible yield of DF compounds generating food ingredients with the best functionality and health benefits. Functional properties of interest include those related to gelling capacity, oil and water holding capacity, and swelling capacity, while physiological benefits relate to the production of short chain fatty acids during the microbiota fermentation of DFs, and the ones related to the presence of phenolic compounds in DFs. An understanding of chemical extraction requires knowing the DF distribution in plant tissues, the organization of DF polysaccharides in the cell wall, and the chemical interactions of these polysaccharides with other cell components. Alkaline, acid, chelating, and oxidant/bleach extractions are most often used to obtain DFs. The choice of a chemical method de...
Food Engineering Series, 2020
This chapter describes the application of thermal treatments for the extraction and modification ... more This chapter describes the application of thermal treatments for the extraction and modification of dietary fiber (DF). In the last decades, the food industry has focused its attention on developing innovative food ingredients capable of providing health benefits without compromising their safety and technological functionality. The inclusion of DFs in the formulation of foods providing health benefits is of consumer and industry interest. Thermal processes, without the use of chemical reagents, have been widely utilized for the extraction and modification of DFs. Hot and boiling water, scalding, blanching, steam explosion, and thermal extrusion have been used to extract DFs, and to modify DF fractions and components. DF extraction at elevated temperatures results in higher extraction yields, particularly of highly insoluble compounds. Thermal treatments can also modify the composition of DFs by solubilizing their insoluble fraction. This modification has the potential of improving their functionality. Additional thermal treatment used as a final conditioning step of previously extracted and modified DF products, such as hot air-drying, have also been proven to further modify DFs.
CyTA - Journal of Food, 2020
Nutritional authorities state that both total carbohydrates and low glycemic index (GI) diets aff... more Nutritional authorities state that both total carbohydrates and low glycemic index (GI) diets affect glycemic control. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing reduced the GI response of mango pulp when consumed by healthy adults. Present work evaluated the effects of HHP processing on concentrations of mango pulp dietary fiber sub-fractions (AOAC 2011.25 method), pectin methyl esterase (PME) activity, and established links with reduction of GI responses in healthy adults. Processing stability of mango pulp micronutrients (carotenoids, phenolics, ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activity) were also assessed. HHP-processing caused fiber inter-conversions from insoluble to soluble dietary fiber, the latter being significantly higher. Concentrations of non-digestible oligosaccharides and PME activities were also higher in treated pulps. In addition, HHP-processing preserved relevant mango phytonutrients such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds. Micronutrient retention and dietary fiber modifications suggested that HHP-processing improved mango pulp benefits for healthy subjects and potentially for patients with chronic metabolic diseases.
Encyclopedia of Food and Health, 2016
Freeze-drying has a wide application in the pharmaceutical industry and is now increasingly being... more Freeze-drying has a wide application in the pharmaceutical industry and is now increasingly being used in the food industry. Essentially, it is used to dehydrate heat-sensitive foods or products with high commercial value or for special activities. Freeze-drying operation is based on sublimation, which is the transformation from ice to vapor without passing through the liquid phase. Sublimation process makes freeze-drying operation expensive to use. However, there are several advantages of using freeze-drying instead of conventional air-drying, because the absence of heating in this process preserves nutrients and sensory characteristics within the food product. These advantages make freeze-drying an adequate technology among the new trends of functional and nutraceutical products in the food industry.
Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 2009
Milk-fat globule membranes are susceptible to damage by mechanical and thermal processes. This da... more Milk-fat globule membranes are susceptible to damage by mechanical and thermal processes. This damage is translated into alterations of milk fat structure and functionality of cheese-making milk. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of pulsed electrical fields (PEF), high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), and conventional thermal treatments on fat globule size distribution and ζ-potential. Milk was processed by HHP at 400 and 500 MPa for 0-20 min, and with PEF at 36 kV/cm and 42 kV/cm up to 64 pulses. The ζ-potential of HHP and PEF treated milk were − 15.47 mV and − 14.63 mV respectively. HHP treatments induced fat globules flocculation, increasing their mass moment mean diameter. Although PEF processing did not modify the true mean diameter of MFG, it induced small globules to clump together, causing an apparent increment in the population of larger milk-fat globules. Industrial relevance: The market for traditional raw dairy products has increased in recent times in several regions of the world due to their unique flavor and texture attributes. However, the potential negative implications of consuming raw products limit the growth of this market segment. Manufacture of raw-like cheese from thermally pasteurized milk is not feasible, among other things, because of milk fat globule membrane damage caused by elevated temperatures. Nonthermal food preservation technologies offer the potential to produce milk technically suitable for the industrial manufacture of microbiologically safe rawlike dairy products.
Food Hydrocolloids, 2014
The Maillard reaction has been used as a natural alternative to improve protein functionality by ... more The Maillard reaction has been used as a natural alternative to improve protein functionality by covalent coupling with saccharides. However, if reaction conditions are not properly selected, glycation can lead to a loss in functional properties. The objective of our research was to study the effect of temperature, time, water activity and reactants molar ratio on the degree of glycation and color development in whey protein isolate conjugated with maltodextrins. Three different levels of glycation (low, medium and high) were selected to investigate functional properties. The extent of glycation was assessed by quantifying the loss of amino groups using the o-phthaldialdehyde technique. Sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to evaluate the molecular weight of the glycoproteins. Color changes were determined using a Minolta colorimeter and calculating the browning index. Functional properties evaluated were solubility, rheological behavior, foam overrun and foam stability. Temperature and water activity were the most influential factors determining the degree of glycation and color change. The correlation coefficient between blocked amino groups and color was of 0.743. Whey protein isolate exhibited lower solubility at pH 5 and conjugates at pH 4. Consistency index and foaming properties improved according to the level of glycation achieved.
CyTA - Journal of Food, 2013
View related articles Citing articles: 8 View citing articles Capsaicinoids content and proximate... more View related articles Citing articles: 8 View citing articles Capsaicinoids content and proximate composition of Mexican chili peppers (Capsicum spp.) cultivated in the State of Chihuahua Contenido de capsaicinoides y composición proximal de chiles mexicanos (Capsicum spp.) cultivados en el estado de Chihuahua
Molecules, 2019
Fruit by-products are being investigated as non-conventional alternative sources of dietary fiber... more Fruit by-products are being investigated as non-conventional alternative sources of dietary fiber (DF). High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments have been used to modify DF content as well as its technological and physiological functionality. Orange, mango and prickly pear peels untreated (OU, MU and PPU) and HHP-treated at 600 MPa (OP/55 °C and 20 min, MP/22 °C and 10 min, PPP/55 °C and 10 min) were evaluated. Untreated and treated fruit peels were subjected to fecal in vitro fermentations. The neutral sugar composition and linkage glycosidic positions were related to the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) resulting from the fermentation of the materials. After HHP-treatments, changes from multibranched sugars to linear sugars were observed. After 24 h of fermentation, OP yielded the highest amount of SCFA followed by PPU and MP (389.4, 282.0 and 204.6 μmol/10 mg DF, respectively). HHP treatment increased the SCFA concentration of orange and mango peel by 7 and 10.3% re...
Trends in Food Science & Technology
Food Research International
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Papers by Eduardo Amezquita