Maillard Reaction Products and Phenolic Compounds from Roasted Peanut Flour Extracts Prevent Scopolamine-Induced Amnesia Via Cholinergic Modulation and Antioxidative Effects in Mice.
Research on the beneficial effects of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) and phenolic compounds derived from roasted peanut flour on the nervous system remains insufficient. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a 28-day oral administration of defatted peanut extract rich in MPRs and polyphenolic compounds on the cognitive impairments and oxidative injury induced by scopolamine in a mouse model. Light and dark extracts from peanut flour were prepared by heating peanuts at 187°C for two different times (8.6 and 12.7 min) and defatted using soxhlet apparatus. The mice were orally pretreated with either roasted defatted peanuts extracts (100 mg/kg) or donepezil (3 mg/kg) for 21 days. On day 19 and until day 28, mice were injected subcutaneously with water or scopolamine (1 mg/kg body weight) 15 min after roasted defatted peanuts extracts/water feeding. Mice were subsequently subjected to a battery of behavioral tests including open field locomotor activity assay, and Morris water maze test. Brain tissues were collected to measure acetylcholine, acetylcholinesterase, and oxidative parameters (glutathione and malondialdehyde). Roasted defatted peanuts (light and dark) (100 mg/kg) treatment significantly ameliorated cognitive performance and reversed the oxidative damage when compared with the scopolamine group. These data demonstrate the defatted peanuts extracts exert potent anti-amnesic effects via the modulation of cholinergic and antioxidant activities.
Rapid detection of green pea adulteration in pistachio nuts using raman spectroscopy and chemometrics.
Background: Ground pistachio nut is prone to be adulterated because of its high economic value and wide usage area. Green pea is known as the main adulterant in the frauds of pistachio nuts. Present study developed a new, rapid, reliable and low-cost methodology by using a portable Raman spectrometer in combination with chemometrics for detection of green pea in pistachio nuts. Results: Three different methods of Raman spectroscopy-based chemometrics analyses were developed for the determination of green pea adulteration in pistachio nuts. The first method involved the development of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) by which authentic pistachio nuts were differentiated from green pea and green pea-adulterated samples. The best classification pattern was observed in the adulteration range of 20-80% (w/w). In addition to classification methods, partial least squares (PLS) and genetic algorithm- based inverse least squares (GILS) were also used to develop multivariate calibration models in order to quantitatively determine the degree of green pea adulteration in grounded pistachio nuts. The spectral range of 1790-283 cm-1 was used in the case of multivariate data analysis. Green pea adulteration level of 5-80% (w/w) was successfully identified by PLS and GILS. The correlation coefficient of determination (R2 ) was determined as 0.91 and 0.94 for the PLS and GILS analyses, respectively. Conclusion: Raman spectrometer combined with chemometrics has a high capability with regard to the detection of adulteration in pistachio nuts, combined with low cost, great reliability, high accuracy, rapidity of analysis and minimum amounts of sample preparation.
Improving the quality of vegetable oils treated with phytochemicals: a comparative study.
In this study, sunflower, corn, peanut and hazelnut oils were investigated according to their oxidative stability and antioxidant activity parameters. The related vegetable oils were treated with gallic acid, rutin and carotenoid. Olive leaf extract having a large variety of phytochemical was also valorized. After the leaf samples were extracted through a homogenizer, they were added into the vegetable oils, respectively. Moreover, synthetic antioxidants were also dissolved into the oils for control reasons. Stability of the vegetable oils against the oxidation was evaluated via Rancimat by measuring induction time. The quality parameters of treated and untreated oil samples were compared depending on phenolic and carotenoid contents, antioxidant activity and induction time.
An effective chromatographic fingerprinting workflow based on comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to establish volatiles patterns discriminative of spoiled hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.).
The volatile fraction of hazelnuts encrypts information about: cultivar/geographical origin, post-harvest treatments, oxidative stability and sensory quality. However, sensory features could be buried under other dominant chemical signatures posing challenges to an effective classification based on pleasant/unpleasant notes. Here a novel workflow that combines Untargeted and Targeted (UT) fingerprinting on comprehensive two-dimensional gas-chromatographic patterns is developed to discriminate spoiled hazelnuts from those of acceptable quality. By flash-profiling, six hazelnut classes are defined: Mould, Mould-rancid-solvent, Rancid, Rancid-stale, Rancid-solvent, and Uncoded KO. Chromatographic fingerprinting on composite 2D chromatograms from samples belonging to the same class (i.e., composite class-images) enabled effective selection of chemical markers: (a) octanoic acid that guides the sensory classification being positively correlated to mould; (b) ƴ-nonalactone, ƴ-hexalactone, acetone, and 1-nonanol that are decisive to classify OK and rancid samples; (c) heptanoic and hexanoic acids and ƴ-octalactone present in high relative abundance in rancid-solvent and rancid-stale samples.
Effect of almond genotypes on fatty acid composition, tocopherols and mineral contents and bioactive properties of sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch spp. dulce) kernel and oils.
Oil content of almond kernels ranged from 36.7% in the cultivar T12 to 79.0% in genotype T27. The major fatty acid in almond oil is oleic (62.43% in T7-76.34% in T4) followed by linoleic (13.97% in T4-29.55% in T3) and palmitic (4.97% in T2-7.51% inT3). The main tocopherol in almond oil was α-tocopherol (44.25 mg/100 g in T25-75.56 mg/100 g in T13) that was 44 folds higher than other tocopherols in the oil. Total tocopherol contents of almond oils ranged between 47.42 mg/100 g (T14) and 80.15 mg/100 g (T16). Among macro minerals, K was the highest (5238-14,683 mg/kg), followed by P (3475-11,123 mgkg), Ca (1798-5946 mg/kg), and Mg (2192-3591 mg/kg), whereas Na was the least (334-786 mg/kg) in almond kernel. The total polyphenol was observed in T16 (98.67 mg GAE/100 g), while the least was found in T24 (23.75 mg GAE/100 g). Antioxidant activity was high in T7 (91.18%) and low in T12 (44.59%).
Optimization of roasting conditions in hydroSOStainable almonds using volatile and descriptive sensory profiles and consumer acceptance.
HydroSOStainable almonds are harvested from trees cultivated under controlled water stress by using a regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategy. The aim of this study was to investigate consumers' perception to select the best roasting temperature for the hydroSOStainable almonds and its correlation with volatile compounds, descriptive sensory attributes, instrumental color, and texture. Thirty-five volatile compounds were identified and the key compounds for the roasting process were 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, furfural, and trimethyl pyrazine. Pyrazines, furans and, in general, volatiles were higher in hydroSOStainable almonds than in control. Instrumental color and trained panel showed that almonds roasted at 190 °C presented intense color and burnt notes in both irrigation treatments, while almonds roasted at 150 °C were under-roasted. Principal component analysis (PCA) grouped together the samples of the same irrigation treatment, but separated samples roasted at different temperatures. Partial least square regression (PLS) results indicated that consumers overall liking was positively linked to specific volatiles (alkanes, alcohols, aldehydes, and furans) and sensory attributes (sweetness, roasted, almond ID, nutty, hardness, and crispiness), but, negatively correlated with pyrazines, bitterness, astringency, woody, and burnt flavor notes. Penalty analysis showed that almonds roasted at 150 and 190 °C were penalized due to low roasted aroma and soft almonds, and over-roasted samples with too intense color and burn notes, respectively. While no penalization being found for almonds roasted at 170 °C. Overall, roasting at 170 °C for 10 min in a convective oven were the optimum conditions for roasting Vairo almonds. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research describes the link between physicochemical and sensory analysis of roasted almonds giving evidence about possible sensory quality markers. Besides, it provides valuable information for the food industry to produce roasted almonds that meet consumer demands and for the agricultural sector by encouraging reduction of irrigation water consumption by almond trees.
Crosslinked Recombinant-Ara h 1 Catalyzed by Microbial Transglutaminase: Preparation, Structural Characterization and Allergic Assessment.
As the one of the major allergens in peanut, the allergenicity of Ara h 1 is influenced by its intrinsic structure, which can be modified by different processing. However, molecular information in this modification has not been clarified to date. Here, we detected the influence of microbial transglutaminase (MTG) catalyzed cross-linking on the recombinant peanut protein Ara h 1 (rAra h 1). Electrophoresis and spectroscopic methods were used to analysis the structural changes. The immunoreactivity alterations were characterized by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblotting and degranulation test. Structural features of cross-linked rAra h 1 varied at different reaction stages. Hydrogen bonds and disulfide bonds were the main molecular forces in polymers induced by heating and reducing. In MTG-catalyzed cross-linking, ε-(γ-glutamyl) lysine isopeptide bonds were formed, thus inducing a relatively stable structure in polymers. MTG catalyzed cross-linking could modestly but significantly reduce the immunoreactivity of rAra h 1. Decreased content of conserved secondary structures led to a loss of protection of linear epitopes. Besides, the reduced surface hydrophobic index and increased steric hindrance of rAra h 1 made it more difficult to bind with antibodies, thus hindering the subsequent allergic reaction.
Microbial signature in IgE-mediated food allergies.
Background: Multiple studies suggest a key role for gut microbiota in IgE-mediated food allergy (FA) development, but to date, none has studied it in the persistent state. Methods: To characterize the gut microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) profiles associated with major food allergy groups, we recruited 233 patients with FA including milk (N = 66), sesame (N = 38), peanut (N = 71), and tree nuts (N = 58), and non-allergic controls (N = 58). DNA was isolated from fecal samples, and 16S rRNA gene sequences were analyzed. SCFAs in stool were analyzed from patients with a single allergy (N = 84) and controls (N = 31). Results: The gut microbiota composition of allergic patients was significantly different compared to age-matched controls both in α-diversity and β-diversity. Distinct microbial signatures were noted for FA to different foods. Prevotella copri (P. copri) was the most overrepresented species in non-allergic controls. SCFAs levels were significantly higher in the non-allergic compared to the FA groups, whereas P. copri significantly correlated with all three SCFAs. We used these microbial differences to distinguish between FA patients and non-allergic healthy controls with an area under the curve of 0.90, and for the classification of FA patients according to their FA types using a supervised learning algorithm. Bacteroides and P. copri were identified as taxa potentially contributing to KEGG acetate-related pathways enriched in non-allergic compared to FA. In addition, overall pathway dissimilarities were found among different FAs. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate a link between IgE-mediated FA and the composition and metabolic activity of the gut microbiota.
Oral Immunotherapy for Food Allergy—a US Regulatory Perspective.
The recent approval of Palforzia for treatment of peanut allergy by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) predicts that additional products for oral immunotherapy (OIT) are on the horizon. In this article, the authors review the legal framework by which the USFDA regulates products for OIT of food allergy and the clinical data that demonstrated that the safety and effectiveness profile of Palforzia supported approval and conclude with a discussion of oral food challenge (OFC) as a clinical endpoint to demonstrate safety and effectiveness of OIT products.
Impact of cold plasma processing on major peanut allergens.
Cold plasma is emerging as a novel food processing technology, with demonstrated efficacies for microbial inactivation and residual chemical dissipation of food products. Given the technology's multimodal action it has the potential to reduce allergens in foods, however data on the efficacy and mechanisms of action are sparse. This study investigates the efficacy of cold plasma on major peanut allergens (Ara h 1 and Ara h 2). For this purpose, dry, whole peanut (WP) and defatted peanut flour (DPF) were subjected to an atmospheric air discharge using a pin to plate cold plasma reactor for different treatment durations. With increases in plasma exposure, SDS-PAGE analysis revealed reduced protein solubility of the major peanut allergens. Alterations in allergenicity and structure of Ara h 1 and Ara h 2 were examined using ELISA and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Competitive ELISA with proteins purified from plasma treated WP or DPF revealed reduced antigenicity for both Ara h 1 and Ara h 2. The highest reduction in antigenicity was 65% for Ara h 1 and 66% Ara h 2 when purified from DPF. Results from CD spectroscopy analysis of purified proteins strongly suggests the reduction in antigenicity is due to modifications in the secondary structure of the allergens induced by plasma reactive species. Cold plasma is effective at reducing peanut protein solubility and causes changes in allergen structure leading to reduced antigenicity.