Effect of a 2-year diet intervention with walnuts on cognitive decline. The Walnuts And Healthy Aging (WAHA) study: a randomized controlled trial.
Background: Walnut consumption counteracts oxidative stress and inflammation, 2 drivers of cognitive decline. Clinical data concerning effects on cognition are lacking. Objectives: The Walnuts And Healthy Aging study is a 2-center (Barcelona, Spain; Loma Linda, CA) randomized controlled trial examining the cognitive effects of a 2-y walnut intervention in cognitively healthy elders. Methods: We randomly allocated 708 free-living elders (63-79 y, 68% women) to a diet enriched with walnuts at ∼15% energy (30-60 g/d) or a control diet (abstention from walnuts). We administered a comprehensive neurocognitive test battery at baseline and 2 y. Change in the global cognition composite was the primary outcome. We performed repeated structural and functional brain MRI in 108 Barcelona participants. Results: A total of 636 participants completed the intervention. Besides differences in nutrient intake, participants from Barcelona smoked more, were less educated, and had lower baseline neuropsychological test scores than those from Loma Linda. Walnuts were well tolerated and compliance was good. Modified intention-to-treat analyses (n = 657) uncovered no between-group differences in the global cognitive composite, with mean changes of -0.072 (95% CI: -0.100, -0.043) in the walnut diet group and -0.086 (95% CI: -0.115, -0.057) in the control diet group (P = 0.491). Post hoc analyses revealed significant differences in the Barcelona cohort, with unadjusted changes of -0.037 (95% CI: -0.077, 0.002) in the walnut group and -0.097 (95% CI: -0.137, -0.057) in controls (P = 0.040). Results of brain fMRI in a subset of Barcelona participants indicated greater functional network recruitment in a working memory task in controls. Conclusions: Walnut supplementation for 2 y had no effect on cognition in healthy elders. However, brain fMRI and post hoc analyses by site suggest that walnuts might delay cognitive decline in subgroups at higher risk. These encouraging but inconclusive results warrant further investigation, particularly targeting disadvantaged populations, in whom greatest benefit could be expected. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01634841.
Bioactives and health benefits of nuts and dried fruits.
Multi-model subseasonal forecasts of spring cold spells: potential value for the hazelnut agribusiness.
Producing probabilistic subseasonal forecasts of extreme events up to six weeks in advance is crucial for many economic sectors. In agribusiness, this time-scale is particularly critical because it allows for mitigation strategies to be adopted for counteracting weather hazards and taking advantage of opportunities. For example, spring frosts are detrimental for many nut trees, resulting in dramatic losses at harvest time. To explore subseasonal forecast quality in boreal spring, identified as one of the most sensitive times of the year by agribusiness end-users, we build a multi-system ensemble using four models involved in the Subseasonal-to-Seasonal (S2S) Prediction Project. Two-meter temperature forecasts are used to analyze cold spell predictions in the coastal Black Sea region, an area that is a global leader in the production of hazelnuts. When analyzed at global scale, the multi-system ensemble probabilistic forecasts for near-surface temperature is better than climatological values for several regions, especially the Tropics, even many weeks in advance; however, in coastal Black Sea skill is low after the second forecast week. When cold spells are predicted instead of near-surface temperatures, skill improves for the region, and the forecasts prove to contain potentially useful information to stakeholders willing to put mitigation plans into effect. Using a cost-loss model approach for the first time in this context, we show that there is added value of having such a forecast system instead of a business-as-usual strategy, not only for predictions released one to two weeks ahead of the extreme event, but also at longer lead-times.
Effect of Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Pits on the Shelf Life of Beef Burgers.
A new ingredient from date palm coproducts (pits) was obtained and tested as a preservative in burgers. Different concentrations of date pit (0%, 1.5%, 3%, and 6%) were added to beef burgers, and its effect on the safety and quality was evaluated during 10 days of storage. The incorporation of date pit was able to improve the shelf life and the cooking properties of the burgers. The date pit stabilized the color, lipid oxidation, and microbial growth of the burgers during the storage time due to the antioxidant activity and the phytochemical content of the date pits. For the consumer panel, the color and the off-odors were improved, and the addition of 1.5% and 3% date pit in cooked burgers obtained similar scores. Based on the obtained results, the new ingredient from date pit may have potential preservative properties for enhancing stability during shelf life and could improve the composition of bioactive compounds (fiber and phenolic content) of beef burgers.
Aflatoxin contaminated degree detection by hyperspectral data using band index.
Aflatoxin is a highly toxic and carcinogenic substance with fluorescence characteristic. To explore the feasibility of detection the degree of aflatoxin contamination using hyperspectral imaging technology, we proposed a machine learning detection method based on support vector machine (SVM) combining band index and narrow band. First, five concentrations of aflatoxin solutions (10ug/L, 20ug/L, 50ug/L, 100ug/L and 10 mg/L) were prepared and dripped onto the surface of different peanut kernels. Next, hyperspectral images with 33 bands (400-720 nm) were acquired for each sample using a hyperspectral imaging system under 365 nm ultraviolet (UV) light. Then four fluorescence indexes including Radiation Index (RI), Difference Radiation Indexes (DRI), Ratio Radiation Index (RRI) and Normalized Difference Radiation Index (NDRI) were proposed. Finally, Fisher method was used to optimize and obtain a narrowband spectrum, and RBF-SVM model was used to recognize aflatoxin and make regression analysis on the degree of aflatoxin contamination. Experimental results showed that DRI index had the optimal performance, and the accuracy rate of 5-fold cross validation of SVM were 95.5% and the mean square error (MSE) and correlation coefficient R were respectively 0.0223 and 0.9785. Results of this paper are of positive significance for the online aflatoxin detection and grading of agricultural products.
Development of an Escherichia coli-based Electrochemical Biosensor for Mycotoxin Toxicity Detection.
Mycotoxin contamination in food and feed is a global concern because mycotoxin contamination can cause both acute and chronic health effects in humans and animals. In the present work, an Escherichia coli-based biosensor is described for the toxicity assessment of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEN). In this electrochemical biosensor, E. coli is used as the signal recognition element, p-benzoquinone is used as the mediator, and a two-step reaction procedure has been developed to separate the mediator from the mycotoxins. The current value of the as-prepared microbial biosensor exhibits a linear decrease with concentrations of AFB1 and ZEN in the range of 0.01-0.3 and 0.05-0.5 μg/mL, with detection limits reaching 1 and 6 ng/mL, respectively. The IC25 values obtained by the present method are 0.25 and 0.40 μg/mL for AFB1 and ZEN, which shows that the cytotoxicity of AFB1 to E. coli is more severe than the cytotoxicity of ZEN to E. coli. The combined toxic effect of these two mycotoxins has also been explored, and synergistic biotoxicity has been observed. Moreover, the biosensor is successfully applied to the toxicity evaluation of mycotoxins in real samples, including peanut and corn oils. This work could provide new insight into mycotoxin and microorganism interactions and could establish a new approach for future mycotoxin detection.
Cashew nut and cashew apple: a scientific and technological monitoring worldwide review.
The cashew tree or Anacardium occidentale, a tropical tree native from Brazil, was introduced to Asia and Africa by European explorers in the sixteenth century. The world production of cashew nuts reached 4.89 million tons in 2016, with Vietnam being the largest producer of nuts. The cashew market is expected to remain strong due to high production growth in some areas, such as West Africa. Cashew production is potentially an important value for small farmers in emerging countries and there is an immense potential for cashew by-product exploitation that can add value to cashew agribusiness. The present work carries out a technological prospection in databases of patents and scientific papers mapping the applications of cashew nuts and cashew apple. It was possible to identify 2376 patent applications and 586 scientific publications on cashew nuts and cashew apple together. After the analysis of patents and scientific papers, it was possible to note that the cashew tree is a tree of multiple uses that can contribute in several industry sectors. Thus, the present study mapped the potentiality of applications of the various parts of the cashew, which allows adding value to the cashew agribusiness.
DNA barcoding coupled with high‐resolution melting analysis for nut species and walnut milk beverage authentication.
Background: Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is one of the most widely cultivated nuts. Walnut milk beverage is very popular in China due to its nutritional value. However, adulterated walnut milk ingredients have been detected in the Chinese market. Peanut and soybean are sold at much lower prices than walnut and are reported as common adulterated species in the industrial chain of walnut milk production. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop an accurate and efficient method for detecting the authenticity of raw materials of walnut milk beverage. Results: DNA barcoding and high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis were used to identify common adulterated raw ingredients such as peanut and soybean in commercial walnut milk beverage samples. The chloroplast psbA-trnH gene was used for sequencing, and HRM analysis was performed. We also prepared in laboratory experimental mixtures with different quantities of walnut, peanut and soybean. HRM analysis of the experimental mixtures clearly distinguished all of them. Results revealed that most of the walnut milk beverage samples fell in the same cluster of walnut species. Several samples fell in the cluster of peanut, confirming that they were adulterated walnut milk products. Conclusion: The results revealed that HRM analysis based on the psbA-trnH barcode sequence can be used to identify raw ingredients in walnut milk beverages.
The Inorganic Component as a Possible Marker for Quality and for Authentication of the Hazelnut’s Origin.
The inorganic component of hazelnuts was considered as a possible marker for geographical allocation and for the assessment of technological impact on their quality. The analyzed samples were Italian hazelnuts of the cultivar Tonda Gentile Romana and Turkish hazelnuts of the cultivars Tombul, Palaz and Çakildak. The hazelnuts were subjected to different drying procedures and different conservative methods. The concentration of 13 elements, namely Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Sn, Sr and Zn, were quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). All the samples were previously digested in a microwave oven. Before proceeding with the analysis of the samples, the whole procedure was optimized and tested on a certified reference material. The results show that the inorganic component: (i) can represent a fingerprint, able to identify the geographical origin of hazelnuts, becoming an important quality marker for consumer protection; (ii) is strongly influenced by the treatments undergone by the investigated product during all the processing stages. A pilot study was also carried out on hazelnuts of the cultivar Tonda Gentile Trilobata Piemontese, directly harvested from the plant during early development to maturity and analyzed to monitor the element concentration over time.
Mechanistic insights into acetaminophen removal on cashew nut shell biomass-derived activated carbons.
Activated carbons prepared from cashew nut shells by chemical activation with phosphoric acid were tested for the removal of acetaminophen. It was found that an increase in carbonization temperature resulted in increased pore volume and decreased amount of surface functional groups. Potentiometric titration analysis indicated that the majority of surface groups on carbons are acidic. Detailed surface characterization by FT-IR, XPS, and thermal analyses indicated the involvement of surface functional groups in the removal of acetaminophen either via hydrogen bonding or by acid hydrolysis. The carbon obtained at 600 °C, which contains high amount of carboxylic groups and high pore volume, exhibited the highest adsorption capacity. For this carbon, the removal of acetaminophen took place mostly via acid hydrolysis with the formation of p-aminophenol and acetic acid adsorbed on the surface. Carbon obtained at 400 °C was found to have the highest density of acidic functional groups, which resulted in dimerization reactions and pore blockage. No direct correlation was observed between the adsorption capacities of carbons and their textural or surface characteristics. This suggests the complexity of acetaminophen removal by the cashew nut shell-derived activated carbons, governed by their surface chemistry and supported by high surface area accessible via micro/mesopores.