Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Functional food products'

Public policy regarding innovation in the Canadian value-added agri-food sector does not appear to meet its intended outcomes. Rather than being a commodity producing nation, Canada has attempted to focus its attention on adding value to products that increase economic returns. Innovation capacity and ability to capture opportunities appear to be limiting factors. This research therefore conducted a general review of the food system in Canada with a specific focus on innovation in the functional food and natural health products’ (nutraceutical) sector. The findings are based on interviews with forty representatives of the key actor groups in innovation: industry, academia, government and civil society. The research concluded that the food system is comprised of complex demand networks that include global players working on various elements of innovation. The growing complexities are causing challenges for all actor groups. One major challenge is the lack of a common understanding of the concept of innovation within or among the actor groups including policy-makers. This finding puts into question any policies and measurements currently in place. The research adds new knowledge by expanding the multi-dimensional definition of innovation to include human elements. The research also shows that federal policy as it affects innovation in the Canadian high value-added agri-food sector is not evidence-based. A paradigm shift is required in policy-making to a solutions-led approach that results in public and private policies targeting solutions for a healthier Canada combining human, environmental and societal benefits.

These days, milk substitute products are getting more popular and exist together with milk on the market. These substitute products are appreciated by consumers due to animal welfare, environmental or health related reasons. The purpose of the investigation was to make assumptions about the future situation of farmers and which demographic, personal, sociological, cultural and psychological determinants have an impact on Swedish consumers purchasing substitute products. The proposed methodology to reveal the impact of those factors was a qualitative research. Ten semi-structured interviews with residents of Västra Götaland, aimed to gain a deeper and better understanding of the reasons for consumption of milk substitute products, were conducted in total. The existing theory and scientific articles about demographic, personal, sociological, cultural and psychological determinants of consumer behavior, in terms of food choice and consumption, were used to create an interview guide and also to compare the collected primary data in the end. Participants were asked questions regarding their demography, lifestyle, awareness and perception of milk substitute products and other reasons for their consumption of milk substitutes. The findings revealed that demographic factors such as age and gender seemed to have an impact on the consumer behavior. Moreover, personal and psychological factors were revealed to have a significant impact on the consumption behavior. In particular lifestyle, perception, attitudes and motivations, knowledge and learning had a significant influence on Swedish consumers and their food consumption behavior. Regarding sociological factors it was discovered that friends had a significant influence on food consumption. Cultural determinants were also important to consider. However, they did not have a significant influence on the participants. The findings also revealed that health and animal welfare were the main reasons for changing the consumption. Interestingly, no participant started to consume these products due to environmental reasons in the beginning. The strong competition of milk and milk substitute products on the market is most likely to continue. The future situation for farmers will look different and might get more critical as milk consumption in Sweden could change. This small scale research does not make it possible to generalize the revealed findings. Nevertheless, this qualitative investigation provided the basis for future research in the field of consumer behavior towards substitute products.

Abstract This study explores the cross-functional conflicts in new product launches in the context of food industry, with particular focus to fast moving consumer goods setting. The purpose of this study is to develop an empirically grounded model of cross-functional conflicts in new product launches for the food industry. The theoretical approach taken in this study follows the resource based view of the firm. The theoretical framework was developed to make the conflict enablers, cross-functional conflicts and new product launches explicit for analysis. The empirical part of this study includes a qualitative single case study, which was geographically and culturally focused on Saudi Arabia. The research data was collected primarily through interviews from selected informants of the selected case company and representatives of two strategic partners and two competitors. The data was analyzed to empirically elaborate the theoretical framework. As a result of the data analysis, the cross-functional conflicts were categorized under task and relationship conflicts. The role of marketing resources in cross-functional conflicts was found to be more complex than what had been reported in their earlier research. The results of the data analysis were used to revise the theoretical model of cross-functional conflicts in the new product launches. The research provides several theoretical contributions and managerial implications in cross-functional conflicts in new product launches
Abstrakti Väitöstutkimuksessa tarkastellaan yrityksen toimintojen välisiä konflikteja uusien tuotteiden lanseerauksen yhteydessä. Empiirisenä kohdetoimialana tarkastellaan elintarviketeollisuutta, erityisesti nopeasti liikkuvien kulutustuotteiden kontekstissa. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on kehittää empiirisesti perusteltu malli toimintojen välisistä konflikteista uusien tuotteiden lanseerauksessa elintarviketeollisuudessa. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen lähestymistapa hyödyntää resurssiperustaista teoriaa. Työssä laaditun teoreettisen viitekehyksen avulla voidaan analysoida konfliktien mahdollistajia, toimintojen välisiä konflikteja ja uusien tuotteiden lanseerausta. Tutkimuksen empiirisessä osassa on toteutettu laadullinen tapaustutkimus, joka sijoittuu maantieteellisesti ja kulttuurisesti Saudi Arabiaan. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin pääasiassa haastattelemalla valitun kohdeyrityksen edustajia sekä kahden strategisen kumppaniyrityksen edustajia sekä kahden kilpailijayrityksen edustajia. Teoreettista viitekehystä täydennettiin ja täsmennettiin empiirisen aineiston analyysin avulla. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että toimintojen välisiä konflikteja voidaan kategorisoida tehtävään ja suhteisiin liittyviin konflikteihin. Markkinointiresurssien rooli toimintojen välisissä konflikteissa näyttäytyi monimutkaisempana kuin olemassa oleva kirjallisuus antoi olettaa. Teoreettista mallia muokattiin empiirisen analyysin perusteella. Tutkimus tarjoaa useita teoreettisia kontribuutioita ja liikkeenjohdollisia implikaatioita liittyen toimintojen välisiin konflikteihin uusien tuotteiden lanseerauksessa

Food that provides health benefits beyond basic nutrition, by virtue of physiologically active food components are known as functional foods. Soybeans contain some of these phytochemical components such as isoflavones. Due to the lack of relevant data, the aim of this study was to assess South African consumers' perceptions towards soy and soy products. Respondents (n=3001) were randomly selected from 9 metropolitan as well as rural areas in South Africa. The questionnaire consisted of 17 food related topics. Four of these sections (which were also used in this study) probed information on soy and soy products. The data of 81 % respondents (n=2437), who were aware of soy, were used for further statistical analyses. There were no practical significant differences between rural and metropolitan respondents' perceptions regarding each statement. Large practical significant differences were found between racial groups regarding most of the statements. In general Blacks were more positive towards the use and taste of soy, as opposed to Whites. More Indians were aware of meat substitutes made from soy than the other racial groups. Marketing efforts in South Africa should focus on those groups that like the taste of soy best and who would consume soy regularly.
Thesis (M. (Consumer Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Les cultures de racines et tubercules jouent un rôle important, diversifié et complexe dans l'alimentation des populations. Ces cultures ont le potentiel d'éradiquer la pauvreté et d'améliorer la sécurité alimentaire. L'amidon est le principal composant des racines et des tubercules. L'importance de l'amidon en tant que matière première dans les industries alimentaires et non alimentaires augmente. Dans la présente étude, l'efficacité de l'extraction assistée par ultrasons (EAU) pour augmenter le rendement d’extraction de l’amidon et des polyphénols à partir des légumes lontan (Canna et manioc) a été analysée ainsi que son influence sur les propriétés physico-chimiques des composés extraits. Les paramètres d'extraction (température, temps, rapport solide : liquide) ont été optimisés grâce à la conception de surface de réponse Box Behnken (BBD). Les propriétés physicochimiques et fonctionnelles de l'amidon et des polyphénols ont été étudiées par SEM, indice de gonflement et de solubilité, indice d'absorption d'huile et d'eau, rendement total en polyphénols, dosage DPPH et ORAC. Les rendements en amidon obtenu à partir du canna et du manioc aux conditions d'extraction optimales (Canna : température 40 ° C, durée 10 min, rapport solide : liquide 1:30 g / ml ; Manioc : température 40 ° C, durée 10 min, rapport solide : liquide 1:25 g / ml) étaient respectivement de 19,81% et 16,51%. Nous avons mis en évidence que le rendement en amidon obtenu était significativement plus élevé que le rendement atteint par la méthode d'extraction conventionnelle sans aucun changement significatif ou défavorable de ses propriétés physico-chimiques et fonctionnelles. Les rendements d’extraction des polyphénols du canna et du manioc étaient de 1061,72 mg GAE / & 100g et 7644,46 mg GAE / & 100g respectivement. Le rendement total en polyphénols obtenu par EAU s'est révélé significativement plus élevé que pour la méthode conventionnelle. L'activité antioxydante des composés bioactifs analysés par DPPH et ORAC s'est avérée être directement proportionnelle au rendement en polyphénol. Les résultats que nous avons obtenus suggèrent que les EAU augmenter les rendements d’extraction en amidon et en polyphénols sans altérer les propriétés des composés isolés
Roots and Tuber crops plays an eminent, countless and complex part in feeding the world. These crops have the potential to eradicate poverty and improve food security. Starch is the principal component of roots and tuber crops. The significance of starch as a raw material in both food and non-food industries are increasing. In present study efficiency of ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) to increase the yield of starch and polyphenols from lontan (Canna and Cassava) crops were analysed along with its influence on the physiochemical properties of extracted compounds. Extraction parameters (Temperature, time, solid: liquid ratio) were optimized through Box Behnken response surface design (BBD). Physiochemical and functional properties of starch and polyphenols were investigated through SEM, swelling and solubility index, oil and water absorption index, Total polyphenol yield, DPPH and ORAC assay. Starch yield obtained from canna and cassava at the optimum extraction conditions (Canna: temperature 40°C, time 10 min, solid: liquid ratio 1:30 g/ml; Cassava: temperature 40°C, time 10 min, solid: liquid ratio 1:25 g/ml) were 19.81% and 16.51% respectively. Obtained starch yield was found to be significantly higher than the yield attained through conventional extraction method without any significant or adverse changes in the physicochemical and functional properties. Total polyphenol yield from canna and cassava rhizome was 1061.72 mg GAE/&100g and 7644.46 mg GAE/&100g respectively. Total polyphenol yield obtained through UAE was found to be significantly higher than conventional method. Antioxidant activity of bioactive compounds analysed through DPPH and ORAC was found to be directly proportional to the attained polyphenol yield. From the obtained results it can be observed that UAE has the efficiency to increase the yield of starch and polyphenols without altering the properties of isolated compounds

There is an increasing awareness in the food industry about the role that proper nutrition plays in maintaining health and preventing disease. Women especially have always been interested in nutrition and its impact on their well-being. This awareness has placed more pressure on the food industry to provide a greater variety of nutritious and wholesome products which has led to the development of a new field in the food industry, called functional foods. These are food products that apart from the micro- and macronutrients that it already provides have additional important physiologically active functions that enhance health. These active components, called phytochemicals (from plant sources) and zoochemicals (from animal sources) have changed the role of diet in health. Functional foods can, by nature or design, bridge the traditional gap between food and medicine and thereby provide consumers with the opportunity to become involved in their own health care. One of these functional foods that have been receiving increased attention and research is soy. Apart from other health benefits of soy, such as cholesterol reduction and bone strengthening, scientific evidence has shown that soy can be used as an alternative for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The increased interest in the latter can be ascribed to the changed attitude of women, as well as evidence of the side effects of conventional hormone replacement therapies. Consumer research in the nutraceutical area is, however, still in its infancy stage. Objective: The main objective of this study was thus to assess South African consumers' opinion of the potential health benefits of soy and soy products as an alternative for HRT. To attain this main objective, the following specific objectives were stated: To determine, by means of a consumer questionnaire, the percentage of South African consumers who are aware of soy. To determine, by means of an attitude scale, the attitudinal disposition of South African consumers towards the potential health benefits of soy and soy products as an alternative for HRT. To determine South African consumers' opinions regarding the menopausal related health benefits of soy. To determine whether there is a relation between respondents who Eat/drink soy and their opinion of the potential health benefits of soy. To determine whether there is a relation between respondents who never use soy and their opinion of the bone strengthening benefit of soy. To determine whether there is a relation between respondents' opinion of the health benefits of soy and their opinions of soy as an alternative for HRT and reliever of menopausal symptoms, respectively. Methods: In this study, consumers' opinion regarding the health benefits of soy was evaluated using a questionnaire. Respondents were randomly selected from nine metropolitan, as well as rural areas in South Africa, representing the four main race groups, namely whites, blacks, coloureds and Indians. The total sample size of the metropolitan and rural subjects was 3001. A sub-dataset was created which included female respondents that have heard of soy before and were premenopausal (35-44 years) and post-menopausal (50-59 years) of age. Thus, the total number of respondents used for further statistical analyses was 825. The respondents expressed their opinions of the health benefits of soy on a five-point hedonic (Likert) scale which was adapted to a three-point scale for easier interpretation of the tables. Results: 1. Of the 3 001 respondents, 2 437 (80%) were aware of soy. 2. A mean attitudinal disposition score of 2.47 on a three-point scale indicated a neutral to positive attitudinal disposition of the South African consumer population towards the potential health benefits of soy and soy products as alternative for HRT. No practically significant differences were found between the mean values of each statement, which indicated that no specifically strong opinions were expressed between different races or between different age groups. 3. Of all the consumers surveyed and those who did express a specific opinion, 72% agreed that soy has many health benefits compared to only 7% who disagreed. Although 34% of South Africans expressed a positive opinion when asked if soy can be used as alternative for HRT, the majority (46%) of the population had a neutral opinion. Forty-two percent of the consumers who held an opinion regarding soy as reliever of menopausal symptoms were positive, 35% had a neutral opinion and 23% of South Africans did not agree that soy can relieve menopausal symptoms. 4. A relation, although not of practical significance, was found between respondents who eat/drink soy and their opinion of the health benefits of soy. Of the respondents who indicated that they eat/drink soy, the majority agreed that soy has many health benefits. The respondents who disagreed when asked if they eat/drink soy, still expressed an overall positive opinion when asked whether soy has many health benefits. 5. A relation, although not of practical significance, was found between respondents who never use soy and their opinion of the bone strengthening benefit of soy. Of those who indicated that they use soy, the majority agreed that soy has a bone strengthening benefit. On the contrary, only 43% of those who agreed that they never use soy were positive about the bone strengthening benefit of soy, whereas 37% held a neutral opinion and 20% expressed a negative opinion. 6. The relation between respondents' opinion of the overall health benefits of soy and their opinion of soy as alternative for HRT and reliever of menopausal symptoms was of practical significance. Of the respondents who did not agree that soy has many health benefits, the majority expressed a negative opinion of soy as an alternative for HRT. Of those who agreed that soy has many health benefits, 45% expressed a neutral opinion and 44% a positive opinion of soy as alternative for HRT. Almost half (47%) of the respondents who agreed that soy does have many health benefits, expressed a neutral opinion when asked if soy can relieve menopausal symptoms, whereas only 30% had a positive opinion in this regard. The majority (86%) of the respondents who disagreed that soy has many health benefits, also expressed a negative opinion of soy as reliever for menopausal symptoms Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that 80% of the South African consumer population are aware of soy and that South African consumers have a neutral to positive attitudinal disposition towards the potential health benefits of soy. Respondents did not express a particularly strong opinion regarding several health benefits of soy. It may be hypothesized that they are not informed well enough on the health benefits of soy as to take a stand and to form a definite opinion. Neither different race groups, nor pre- or post-menopausal women differ significantly in the frequency of their opinions, indicating that in this study, race and age did not have a practical significant influence on opinion of the health benefits of soy. Of all those surveyed and who did express a specific opinion, 72% agreed that soy has many health benefits, which is almost the same percentage (74%) as American consumers who perceive soy products as healthy as according to the United Soybean Board (USB) National Report (2003-2004:4). A survey by Adams (2001:433) reported that 71% of American consumers believed that plant-derived HRT have fewer risks and can thus be used as a safe alterative for conventional HRT. According to the results of the present study only 34% of South African consumers expressed a positive opinion when asked if soy can be used as an alternative for HRT. Insufficient evidence on the safety and efficacy of the potential health benefits of soy, as well as a lack of consumer education in South Africa, could be the reason for this uncertainty among XIV South African consumers. While only 26% of American consumers are aware that soy might relieve menopausal symptoms (USB National Report, 2003- 2004:4), results of the current study found that 42% of South Africans were of opinion that soy can relieve menopausal symptoms. A relation, although not of practical significance, was found between respondents who eat/drink soy and their opinion of the health benefits of soy. This can be an indication that whether or not the South African consumer population consume soy doesn't have an influence on their opinion of soy's health benefits in practice. The relation found between respondents who never use soy and their opinion of the bone strengthening benefit of soy were not of practical significance. This can be an indication that whether or not South Africans use soy does not influence their opinion of the bone strengthening benefit of soy in practice. Furthermore, a practically significant relation was found between respondents' opinion of the overall health benefits of soy and their opinion of soy as alternative for HRT and reliever of menopausal symptoms, respectively. Interestingly, respondents who expressed a positive opinion regarding the health benefits of soy did not have a convincingly positive opinion of soy as alternative for HRT and as reliever of menopausal symptoms. They expressed a more neutral opinion. As expected, consumers that were not of opinion that soy has certain health benefits, also disagreed when asked if soy can be used as an alternative for HRT or as reliever of menopausal symptoms. Although the causes for the respondents' opinion or uncertainty were not determined in this study, it can be hypothesised that it may be due to lack of standardisation of evidence on the safety and efficacy of alternative hormone replacement therapies. Further studies are still needed to determine the contributing factors which influence consumers' opinion or lack of opinion on soy. If consumers are not educated about the benefits and disadvantages of soy as alternative for HRT, they cannot make intelligent decisions and choices as to whether or not to use soy as alternative for HRT.
Thesis (M. Consumer Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Dairy products are a primary source of c9, t11-CLA, an anti-carcinogenic agent, in the diet of humans. The t10, c12-CLA isomer, typically in trace amounts in bovine milk fat, also may benefit human health. Four cows received abomasal infusions of c9, t11-CLA or t10, c12-CLA to obtain milk fat used to prepare butter and yogurt with enhanced c9, t11-CLA or t10, c12-CLA content. Human subjects (3 males, 3 females, ages 22 to 29) received CLA-enhanced butter and yogurt (14% of total kcal) in a crossover study with 2-wk periods. Prior to the study (2 wk) and during a 2-wk washout period between the experimental periods, subjects received butter and yogurt without enhanced CLA content. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 wk relative to the start of the first experimental period. The t10, c12- CLA isomer was detected in plasma (1.32 ug/mL) only when dairy products with enhanced t10, c12-CLA was consumed. Baseline c9, t11-CLA was 6.94 ug/mL plasma during control periods, but increased to 8.95 ug/mL when dairy products with enhanced c9, t11-CLA content were consumed. Results indicated concentrations of CLA isomers in human plasma respond to small changes in daily intake of the isomers in dietary sources.
Master of Science

This doctoral thesis was conducted in the framework of a co-supervised PhD between the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Sciences of the University of Turin and the Unit of Pharmacognosy, Bioanalysis and Drug Discovery of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Université libre de Bruxelles. The present manuscript was conceived as a thesis of articles and is composed of 9 different scientific publications. The general introduction of the work was issued from a published narrative review, while the result and discussion part is composed by eight chapters based on different scientific articles issued from the PhD project. The cocoa bean shell (CBS) is the external tegument that covers the cocoa bean, and is one of the major by-products in cocoa industry. It is normally discarded or underutilized, which could result in economical and environmental issues. However, CBS represents a notable source of polyphenols and methylxanthines (theobromine and caffeine) which can give it different biofunctionalities such as antioxidant and antidiabetic properties, among others. It also contains high amounts of dietary fiber (about 50% w/w), minerals, vitamins, and proteins. CBS has low-fat content, and interesting cocoa-aroma compounds. All this could make CBS useful as a food ingredient, and source of biofunctional compounds. The first part of the experimental work of this thesis is devoted to the chemical characterization of CBS and the establishment of its polyphenolic and volatile organic compound (aroma) profiles. The utilization of such profiles, determined by both complete characterization methods and screening methods, was also proposed for authentication purposes of CBS depending on its geographical origin and variety. In a second step, the utilization of CBS as a low-cost food ingredient for functional food production was envisaged. CBS-based beverages and biscuits were proposed as model foods. The influence of the CBS addition to the model foods was evaluated from both technological and nutritional points of view. Changes on the physicochemical characteristics of the model foods were assessed as well as their content in compounds of interest and potential biofunctionalities. Moreover, these studies served also to evaluate the effect of the different food matrices on the bioaccessibility and intestinal permeability of the bioactive compounds contained in CBS. In the third and last part of this work, a different utility was given to the study of the cocoa by-product. The antimicrobial potential of CBS was assessed against different bacterial and fungal strains and a metabolomic strategy was applied in order to individualize the putative active compounds against the Streptococcus mutans proliferation. This work was a contribution for the valorization of a high add-value product such as the CBS, and a step towards a zero-waste cocoa industry within the frame of sustainable circular economy.
Doctorat en Sciences biomédicales et pharmaceutiques (Pharmacie)
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

O consumo de produtos derivados de soja tem aumentado no Brasil levando à busca por melhoria em características sensoriais e diversidade de produtos. A soja é considerada um alimento funcional, pois contém isoflavonas, composto que auxilia na diminuição do risco de algumas doenças, principalmente ligadas ao câncer e doenças cardiovasculares, responsáveis pela maioria de mortes no mundo. A população tem pouca aceitação a produtos considerados funcionais, principalmente quando sensorialmente não é agradável. Com isso, o objetivo desse trabalho foi desenvolver um drageado de soja com cobertura crocante e salgada. Nos testes preliminares, definiu-se três formulações, formulação 1, com adição de 5 % de farinha de aveia, formulação 2 com 15 % de farinha de aveia e formulação 3 com 25 % de farinha de aveia. Os drageados foram avaliados quanto à composição proximal, análises microbiológicas, aceitação sensorial e de textura. Nas três formulações, não houve diferença significativa na composição proximal, indicando valores menores para lipídios, quando comparado a produtos comerciais. Para fibras alimentares, o produto desenvolvido obteve valores altos quando comparado a produtos à base de soja e principalmente a soja em grãos, com destaque para as formulações 2 e 3. O resultado para fibras alimentares apresentou valores acima do esperado, onde na legislação brasileira o produto para ser considerado com alto teor de fibras e alegação funcional necessita conter no mínimo 6 %, onde na formulação 3 obteve o valor de 14,5 %, sendo o teor de fibras insolúveis mais expressivo. Os resultados das análises microbiológicas comprovaram que o produto desenvolvido se enquadra na legislação brasileira, sendo assim não oferece risco à saúde do consumidor. As análises sensoriais dos drageados indicaram que o produto teve boa aceitação em cor e textura, obtendo notas de “gostei muito” a “moderadamente” e para sabor e aceitação global de “gostei” a “gostei moderadamente”. No índice de aceitabilidade, indicaram média acima de 70 %, principalmente na formulação 2, onde obteve o maior índice na média, 74,5 %. A análise de textura instrumental dos drageados não apresentou diferença entre as formulações avaliadas e pelos valores obtidos o produto desenvolvido apresentou menor dureza quando comparado ao produto comercial, o amendoim do tipo japonês.
O Consumption of soy products has increased in Brazil, leading to improvements in sensorial characteristics and product diversity. Soy is a food for animals, a product for human consumption, a product for health and a health system. The population has little acceptance of functional products, especially when sensory is not pleasant. With this, the objective of the work was elaborated based on coverage with food and salt coverage. In the preliminary tests, three formulations, formulation 1, with addition of 5% oat flour, formulation 2 with 15% oat flour and formulation 3 with 25% oat flour were defined. The dragees were on proximal composition, microbiological analyzes, sensory and texture acceptance. In the three formulations, there was no significant difference in the proximal composition, indicating lower lipid values when compared to commercial products. For the dietary fiber, the developed product obtained high values when compared to products based on soybeans and mainly soybeans in grains, with emphasis on formulations 2 and 3. The result for the dietary fibers had values higher than expected, where in Brazilian legislation Product to be assisted with high fiber content and functional claim needs to contain at least 6%, where formulation 3 obtained the value of 14.5%, and the content of insoluble fibers more expressive. The results of the microbiological analyzes proved that the product was developed and framed in the Brazilian legislation. As sensory analysis of the dragees indicate that the product had good acceptance in color and texture, obtaining notes of "I liked" a "moderately" and for overall taste and acceptance of "liked" a "moderately liked". In the index of acceptability, they indicated a mean above 70%, mainly in formulation 2, where it obtained the highest index in the average, 74.5%. The instrumental texture analysis of the dragees showed no differences between the formulations evaluated and the values obtained in the product developed during the comparison period when the product is marketed or japanese type peanuts.

This project was developed to prepare a cooked meat product, Ham Pate, with probiotic properties from the inoculation of the Bifidobacterium lactis probiotic organism in a concentration capable of ensuring its viability in the product. Ham pâté was processed in two different treatments and a control. Control (C) without addition of probiotic microorganisms; treatment 1, (T1) with the addition of probiotic microorganisms, Bifidobacterium lactis, in a final concentration expected in the product of 106 UFC. g-1; and, treatment 2 (T1) with the addition of probiotic microorganisms, Bifidobacterium lactis, in a final concentration expected in the product of 108 UFC. g-1. Preliminary tests of culture sensitivity to the sodium chloride (NaCl) and salt of curing (NaNO2) were performed. The concentrations of (NaCl) added to MRS agar were 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%, and (NaNO2) was added in 150, 200 and 250ppm. Tests with the combination of NaCl and (NaNO2) were also performed to verify the front line to the combination of these two salts, using the same concentrations, but combined. It was observed a growth of Bifidobacterium in all tests, that showed its resistance and suitability for using it in processed meat products that have these ingredients in their formulations. The developed product was tested by physical-chemical analysis (proximate composition, pH and TBARS), microbiological (coliform at 45º C, Clostridium perfringes, Staphylococcus coagulase positive, Salmonella sp. and Bifidobacterium lactis) and sensory. It was observed through the result of proximate composition analysis and pH that the product met all the requirements established by legislation. The determination of lipid oxidation by determination of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) showed that the control treatment resulted in lipid oxidation evolution much higher than other treatments (T1 and T2), suggesting that the probiotic microorganisms had an influence on stability of the product on the oxidation of lipids. The number of Bifidobacterium lactis viable cells showed in T1 initial concentrations of 5.6 x 106UFC. g-1, in the 14th day of the analysis fell into a cycle log. reaching in the 31st day a counting of viable cells of 4.3 x 105UFC.g-1, the T2 had initial concentration of 8.4 x 108UFC.g-1, suffering a dropping of 1 log cycle in the 31st day, ending with a concentration of 1.5 x 107 CFU. g-1. So, it s possible to conclude that treatment T1 was viable as probiotic food (counting at least 106UFC.g-1), for 14 days, while the treatment T2 was viable as probiotic during the entire period of analysis, in other words, for 31 days. The sensory analysis showed that there was no significant difference (p <0.05) for overall acceptance of treatments T1 and T2, both having a good acceptance on the test of the product purchase intention. Thus, it s possible to observe that there is a feasibility of probiotic microorganisms application in cooked meat products, such as ham pâté, it has more acceptance and it can be served alternative to the development of meat products with functional properties.
O presente projeto foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de elaborar um produto cárneo cozido, patê de presunto, com propriedades probióticas, a partir da inoculação do microrganismo probiótico Bifidobacterium lactis em concentração capaz de garantir a sua viabilidade no produto. O patê de presunto foi processado em dois diferentes tratamentos e um controle. Controle (C) sem adição de microrganismo probiótico; tratamento 1 (T1) com adição de microrganismo probiótico, Bifidobacterium lactis, em uma concentração final esperada no produto de 106 UFC. g-1; e, tratamento 2 (T2) com adição de microrganismo probiótico Bifidobacterium lactis, em uma concentração final esperada no produto de 108 UFC. g-1. Testes preliminares de sensibilidade da cultura ao cloreto de sódio (NaCl), e sal de cura (NaNO2) foram realizados. As concentrações de NaCl adicionadas ao Ágar MRS foram de 1,0%, 1,5% e 2,0%, e de NaNO2 adicionada ao mesmo meio foram de 150, 200 e 250ppm. Testes com a combinação de NaCl e NaNO2 também foram realizados para verificar o comportamento da linhagem frente à combinação destes dois sais, utilizando as mesmas concentrações, porém combinadas. Foi observado um crescimento expressivo das Bifidobactérias em todos os testes, o que ressaltou a sua resistência e possibilidade de utilização em produtos cárneos processados, que têm em suas formulações estes ingredientes. O produto desenvolvido foi avaliado através de análises físico-químicas (composição centesimal, pH e TBARS), microbiológicas (Coliformes a 45ºC, Clostridium perfringes, Staphylococcus coagulase positiva, Salmonella sp. e Bifidobacterium lactis) e sensoriais. Verificou-se através do resultado da análise da composição centesimal e do pH que o produto atendeu a todas as exigências estabelecidas pela legislação. As determinações de Oxidação Lipídica através da determinação das substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS) mostraram que o tratamento controle apresentou uma evolução na oxidação lipídica superior aos outros tratamentos (T1 e T2), sugerindo que os microrganismos probióticos apresentaram uma influência na estabilidade do produto quanto à oxidação dos lipídios. A estimativa da população de Bifidobacterium lactis apresentou no T1 concentrações iniciais de 5,6 x 106 UFC. g-1, a partir do 14º dia de armazenamento houve queda de um ciclo log. chegando ao 31º dia com uma população estimada de 4,3 x 105 UFC. g-1; o T2 apresentou concentração inicial de 8,4 x 108 UFC.g-1, sofrendo uma queda de 1 ciclo logarítmico no 31º dia, terminando com uma concentração de 1,5 x 107 UFC. g-1. Portanto, pode-se constatar que o tratamento T1 apresentou viabilidade como alimento probiótico (contagem mínima de 106UFC.g-1), por 14 dias, enquanto que o tratamento T2 apresentou-se viável como probiótico durante todo o período de análises, ou seja, por 31 dias. A análise sensorial realizada demonstrou que não houve diferença significativa (p < 0,05) quanto à aceitação global dos tratamentos T1 e T2, tendo ambos uma boa aceitação quanto ao teste de intenção de compra do produto. Desta forma pode-se observar que existe a viabilidade de aplicação dos microrganismos probióticos em produtos cárneos cozidos como o patê de presunto e que este possui aceitação podendo servir como alternativa no desenvolvimento de produtos cárneos com propriedades funcionais.

Background: Seaweed is an underutilised food source in Britain, despite being abundant on the surrounding shores, it is only found in localised dishes such as laverbread . Seaweed has been shown to be a source of basic nutrients such as protein and fibre as well as a source of vitamins and minerals. It has been identified as potential source of bioactive compounds including antioxidants. The seaweed Ascophylfum nodosum is an edible brown seaweed common to the British Isles. The main aims of this study were to evaluate if ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was an efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional solvent extraction for extracting antioxidants from of dried Ascophyllum nodosum; to analyse the effect of particle size, agitation and heat treatment on extraction; and to evaluate physical characteristics and consumer acceptability of a bakery product (crackers) containing different levels of the seaweed sample. Methods: The dried seaweed samples were treated at ultrasound amplitudes of 30, 70 and 100~m and compared against conventional solvent extraction. To evaluate impact of heat and time on extraction, samples were heated to 160°C, 180°C, 2000C and 220°C without ultrasound treatment and were treated for periods of 5,10,15 and 20 min. The bioactives were assessed by chemical assays . . To investigate feasibility of inclusion in the UK diet, the seaweed was incorporated into crackers at 5,10,15 and 20% levels with both particle sizes. Results: The investigation found particle size to have a significant impact on the antioxidant capacity with the fine grade (300 - 45~m) Ascophy/lum nodosum producing extracts with higher antioxidant capacity across all amplitudes. It was also observed that the addition of a shaking pre-treatment significantly improved the antioxidant capacity at all amplitudes and with both particle sizes (p<0.05). The use of water as a solvent compared to methanol was found to improve the antioxidant capacity; this was found to be significant across all tests at 70~m amplitude (p<0.05). In all the assays the ultrasound treated extracts showed a significant (p<0.05) improvement upon the control. The ultrasound treatment was shown to have a greater effect on the medium grade (355 - 850 ~m) Ascophyllum nodosum. The addition of heat decreased the antioxidant capacity at all time and temperatures when compared to the control. The colour of the seaweed was shown to change with the addition of heat over a period of time. The crackers produced with the fine grade Ascophyllum nodosum were considered unpalatable across all incorporations, the medium grade scored higher than the fine. The sample with 5% medium grade inclusion showed no significant difference to the control and was considered palatable. Conclusion: Ultrasound has shown to significantly improve the solid liquid extraction bioactive yield from Ascophyllum nodosum. The use of a shaking during the sol id liquid extraction and use of water as a solvent was shown to improve yield . Ascophyllum nodosum has shown potential to be used as an alternative ingredient in cracker production, producing a nutrient rich cracker with increased fibre content and potential bioactive effects. Crackers incorporating 5% Ascophyllum nodosum medium grade were found to be acceptable via sensory evaluation.

Akamu is a lactic acid bacteria fermented cereal-based food that complements infant diets in most African countries. Uncontrolled fermentation increases the variability in quality and safety of akamu. This study was aimed at the controlled fermentation of akamu with selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB), investigation of the probiotic potential of the LAB and the effect of variation in production method on the product quality and sensory properties. PCR-DGGE analysis of traditional akamu samples revealed LAB community dominated by Lactobacillus fermentum, L. plantarum, L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and L. helveticus. Isolated yeasts were Candida tropicalis, C. albicans, Clavispora lusitaniae and Saccharomyces paradoxus. The isolated Lactobacillus plantarum strains (NGL5 and NGL7) fermented irradiated ground maize slurries and produced significant levels of lactic acid (>73 mmol L-1) and low pH ≤3.63 displaying inhibitory activity against Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis NCTC 5188, Escherichia coli 1077 (NCTC 11560), Bacillus cereus NCIMB 11925, Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 3750 and Listeria monocytogenes NCTC 7973 in MRS agar and E. coli 1077 in maize slurry fermentation. Viability of both strains of L. plantarum at pH 2 after 3 h was reduced from ≥8.26±0.05 to ≤4.94±0.49 Log10 CFU mL-1 while incubation in 0.3% bile allowed growth to 5.73±0.13 and 7.93±0.12 Log10 CFU mL-1 after 6 h for NGL5 and NGL7 respectively. Auto-aggregation of the L. plantarum strains at 37oC (≥25 after 5 h) correlated with adhesion to hydrocarbons (<15, 26, 33 and 64% for Hexane, Hexadecane, Ethyl acetate and Chloroform respectively). The strains failed to exhibit gelatinase or haemolytic activity but adhered to porcine mucin (OD403 nm ≥0.63 with viability ≥6.52 Log10 CFU mL-1) and Caco-2 cells (≥5.13 Log10 CFU mL-1). The ash, mineral (Ca, K, Mg, Na, S and Zn), IDF, SDFP and TDF content of the L. plantarum fermented ground maize slurries were significantly (p≤0.05) higher than that of the traditional akamu but the peak and final viscosities (139.5 and 68.5 cP respectively) were significantly (p≤0.05) the least. The aroma, appearance, colour, flavour and texture of the resultant porridges were liked moderately by 75% of the assessors. This study demonstrated that fermentation with the L. plantarum strains would contribute towards product safety and the L. plantarum strains possessed some probiotic potential that could be beneficial to the consumers particularly in those developing countries were the main staple foods are fermented cereals.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2012
The chronic diseases of lifestyle, tuberculosis and Human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have a high prevalence in South Africa. These diseases are characterised by oxidative stress and a chronic inflammatory state that contribute to both the development and the acceleration of these diseases. Research into the phytochemical plant food components suggest that these substances could possibly play a vital role in the prevention of such disease. Corn steep liquor (CSL) is a waste product with an exceptionally high polyphenol content and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). This led to the suggestion that it could be utilised in the development of food products with functional food characteristics. Stock cubes, due to the widespread use among consumers of different socio-economic backgrounds, were identified as vehicle for the delivery of the CSL with its phytochemical content. This lead to the development of a stock cube utilising CSL as a source of phytochemical polyphenolic antioxidants with the micronutrients zinc, selenium and copper as added support to immunonutrition, along with iron due to the wide spread prevalence of iron deficiency in the South African population. The acceptability of the developed stock cube was tested by preparing savoury rice and pea soup and having blue collar (n = 50) and white collar (n = 49) participants rate the acceptability on a 9-point hedonic scale, ranging from “dislike extremely” to “like extremely”. The savoury rice received a 41% “like very much” rating followed by a 24% “like moderately” rating. The pea soup was rated even more positively as it received a 42% “like very much” rating and a 29% “like extremely” rating. In addition, among the blue collar participants, significant (p < 0.05 for each) findings occurred with a greater liking of the sample dishes prepared with the developed stock cube by participants of the ethnic Black grouping, with Xhosa as home language and being married, as well as those participants who habitually prepare the meals in the household. A significant (p < 0.05) finding with the white collar participants was a greater liking of the sample dishes prepared with the developed stock cube among those participants who would be willing to make use of a stock cube with health benefits. The developed stock cube was also subjected to six months accelerated shelf-life stability testing, reflecting twelve months real time storage. The parameters measured were microbial growth, oxidative rancidity, antioxidant status and organoleptic changes. All microbial growths tested remained within the acceptable specification ranges. Oxidative rancidity, measured as the peroxide value, was detected analytically at the fifth and sixth samplings, but was not detectable organoleptically. The antioxidant status, measured as the TAC and the total polyphenol content, remained relatively stable during the testing period. Though no noticeable organoleptic changes were observed during the stability testing, there was a darkening of the colour by the second sampling. The results of the acceptance testing, as well as the shelf-life stability testing, support the conclusions that the study objectives of developing a stock cube with functional food characteristics and it being received positively by consumers were achieved. Keywords: stock cubes; corn steep liquor; phytochemicals; consumer acceptance; new product development

The application of sourdough in breadmaking has multiple technological and nutritional benefits. However, the use of soluble fibres in sourdough technology is a currently understudied area. Given that the UK fibre intakes (at average of 14g/d for adults) fall short of government recommendations, the aim of this PhD was to develop soluble fibre-enriched sourdough bread with a low glycaemic index (GI). The PhD comprised three key phases: 1) product development, 2) physico-chemical and sensory characterisation, and 3) GI analysis of the fibre-enriched sourdough breads. After undertaking a product development trial, the physico-chemical properties of five sourdoughs and the resultant breads were assessed using pH measurements, Chen-Hoseney dough stickiness rig and rapid viscosity analysis (RVA). Bread volume, texture analysis, C-Cell image analysis, fibre and resistant starch determination were also conducted. Consumer acceptability of the developed breads was assessed using an untrained sensory panel (n = 100). The content of lactic acid and ethanol was studied using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The glycaemic and satietogenic properties of sourdough bread enriched with soluble fibre (XG/GA/Pec), control sourdough bread and white wheat bread (WWB) were tested in a cross-over study using 11 healthy participants (mean age 35 ± 10 years, BMI 23.7 ± 2.86 kg/m2), a standard seven-point protocol and Satiety Labelled Intensity Magnitude (SLIM) scale. The results of this study showed a negative correlation between the value of pH and the dough stickiness for control sourdough bread (R2 = 0.618) and for control sourdough bread with added wheat bran (R2 = 0.532). The RVA results showed that the addition of 10% of soluble significantly influenced the gelatinisation and properties of starch in flour pastes. The research showed that the addition of 10% soluble and insoluble fibre (wheat bran) to sourdough bread significantly (p < 0.05) increased content of total dietary fibre from 3% to ~12% (dry matter basis). The developed fibre-enriched sourdough breads did not differ significantly from non-enriched version in their scores in the consumer acceptability test (p > 0.05). The values of GI obtained in the intervention study were 66 for control sourdough bread (p = 0.03) and 59 for XG/GA/Pec (p = 0.006) when compared to glucose reference food. The subjects reported greater satiety after consumption of bread with iii XG/GA/Pec than after consuming white wheat bread (p = 0.036). These results show that sourdough bread enriched with soluble fibres played a role in reducing glycaemia and in increasing the perception of satiety following ingestion. This PhD makes contribution to knowledge by applying high amounts of soluble fibres, which are routinely used in much lower concentrations in food industry. The research described within this thesis provides a formula and processing conditions for the production of a functional food product. This study adds to the existing knowledge of food science and human nutrition. Within this thesis it is demonstrated that sourdough and soluble fibre may act simultaneously on the gastrointestinal tract and jointly exert effects on postprandial blood glucose concentration and satiety. By demonstrating prolonged satiety of bread characterised by lower GI, this PhD makes a contribution to the debate on the satietogenic properties of dietary carbohydrates. Further research is now needed to explore the hormonal and metabolic effects after ingestion of soluble fibre-enriched sourdough bread. Future studies of the fermentability of these breads by colonic microflora could also provide insight into their prebiotic properties.

An increased interest in functional beverages is occurring, and omega-3 fatty acids (FA) are one of the most commonly sought ingredients to fortify such beverages. Omega-3 FA produce beneficial health effects, likely due to their anti-inflammatory properties. The majority of current omega-3 FA-fortified products include marine-derived omega-3 FA sources, often producing undesired flavors due to lipid oxidation. Little research regarding incorporation of alpha-linolenic acid in functional beverage formulation has been conducted. Alpha-linolenic acid is less susceptible to oxidation and may be a candidate to deliver omega-3 FA into the diet via functional products. Flaxseed is the richest plant source for alpha-linolenic acid; consumption may increase omega-3 FA intake and lower the omega-6:omega3 FA ratio, thereby, attenuating inflammation. Finely ground flaxseed was, therefore, incorporated into a chocolate milk foundation ("flaxmilk") to increase dietary omega-3 FA. An untrained consumer panel tasted and rated flaxmilk's palatability using a 9-point hedonic scale. A score of "6.0" ("like slightly") was targeted. A mean hedonic score of 6.35 was achieved, surpassing the targeted score and indicating an acceptable product. Sensory and analytical analyses of flaxmilk were conducted and compared to standard chocolate milk. Flaxmilk was significantly different in most physical, chemical and sensory characteristics compared to chocolate milk. A reduction in the omega-6:omega-3 FA ratio may attenuate inflammation; inflammation has been linked to osteoporosis. Thus, a secondary analysis of data collected from 202 women was conducted to estimate the dietary omega-6:omega-3 FA ratio and examine relationships between the omega-6:omega-3 FA ratio and total body and site-specific bone mineral density (BMD). The omega-6:omega-3 FA ratio had no appreciable association with any measure of BMD in the overall sample of women or in younger or older subsamples of women. In summary, consumers found flaxmilk to be an acceptable product, despite sensory and compositional differences compared to chocolate milk. The relationship between the omega-6:omega-3 FA ratio and BMD remains unclear.
Ph. D.

Recent epidemiological studies have suggested that the development and progression of several chronic diseases may be initiated or augmented by oxidative stress. Reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species react readily with and can damage nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. While biological systems are equipped antioxidant defenses to cope with oxidative stress, oxidative damage may still occur when oxidative stress overwhelms antioxidant defenses. This damage, if left unchecked, may lead to a variety of degenerative diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and cancer. Several assays have been designed to describe the antioxidant activity of various phytochemicals, vitamins, and other compounds. The ORAC and TOSC assays have emerged as industry standards for measuring antioxidant activity due to their high reliability and sensitivity. Until recently, however, little has been done to assess the relative correlation between these two assays. Furthermore, no assay has been developed to measure changes in antioxidant activities of cells in response to oxidative stress. The current work investigates the correlation between measured antioxidant activities of samples in the both the ORAC and TOSC assays. Recent antioxidant research also focuses on relating chemical structure to antioxidant activity. Previous research in this area has included a broad range of chemical groups, but no study has attempted to formulate a structure-function framework that has applicability to compounds of any group. The current work uses amino acids as a simplest-case model for studying the relationships between chemical structure and antioxidant activity. One particular area of emerging research has centered around comparing organic and conventionally grown food products. The impetus of these investigations lies in claims made by organic supporting groups that these food products are generally more beneficial than their conventional counterparts. Despite the rapid rise in popularity of organic foods, there remains a dearth of research investigating these claims. The current work compares the antioxidant activities of organic and conventionally grown blueberries and apples.

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of morbidity and second leading cause for mortality by cancer in the United States. Phytochemicals within fruits and vegetables have demonstrated chemopreventive potential by regulating certain defense mechanisms within the body. This study evaluated consumer acceptability of a sweet potato ginger crisp prototype. Thirty-two male and female subjects (mean age: 22.8 years) were recruited at California State University, Long Beach. Consumer acceptability was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for the commercial product compared to prototype on several sensory attributes. Frequency of consumption was significantly (p < 0.001) higher for the commercial product. The commercial product was preferred overall (91%). Antioxidant capacity measures indicated high radical scavenging (95%) and reducing power (26%) of the prototype. Further research to assess overall quality and marketing the synergistic benefits from the chemopreventive compounds in sweet potatoes and presence of natural sugars may improve its overall acceptability.

Among the numerous beneficial effects of phospholipides can highlight their role in protecting the cardiovascular system and improving memory and learning. These effects can be partially explained by the fact that phospholipids are rich in polyunsaturated (eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids) or essential fatty acids. Thus, it is very significant to explore potential food sources containing polyunsaturated rich phospholipids for the development new food products supplemented with phospholipids.This work allowed a series method for the extraction, purification, separation and quantification of phospholipids in order to characterize the polyunsaturated phospholipid sources. Food supplementation with polyunsaturated phospholipids rises however the question of their stability during food processing at high temperature. Then we have developed methods to identify phospholipids degradation products and determine their kinetics of the oxidation during thermal treatment which is a widespread food processing.Phospholipids (PE and PC) are more stable than triacylglyceride, this is due to the presence of an amino group in the molecule.

This study aimed to investigate possible functions of the sounds produced by herring-eating killer whales in the Northeast Atlantic. In this study, I investigated the whistle repertoire of killer whales, which had previously only been studied in British Columbia, where it appeared to be restricted to the audible range. However, I show that high frequency whistles (> 17 kHz) were detected in Northeast Atlantic populations but not in Northeast Pacific populations. These results indicated substantial intraspecific variation in whistle production in killer whales. Little variation was observed in high frequency whistles recorded from three different sites in the Northeast Atlantic, suggesting this signal has a similar function across locations. The estimated active space of high frequency whistles and burst-pulse calls suggested that these are short-range signals used for within-group communication. Source levels of burst-pulse calls were lower than what was previously described in British Columbia, which possibly reflected the fact that these sounds do not need to propagate far because distances between group members are generally short. Calls, high frequency whistles and herding calls produced at different depths did not appear to suffer effects due to increased pressure, such as changing frequency or duration characteristics. Feeding appeared to take place below 10 m of depth, as suggested by the localisation of depth of production of feeding-related sounds. These depths were consistent with those at which tailslaps were produced in Dtags attached to individual whales. Feeding periods were characterised by deep diving, increased sound production and highly non-directional movement. These findings suggested that killer whales in a herring spawning ground use a feeding strategy different from carousel feeding used in herring overwintering grounds. These findings showed that Northeast Atlantic killer whales have a different sound repertoire to other populations, and suggested that they may employ different feeding strategies depending on prey behaviour.

El proyecto de tesis tiene como fin desarrollar y caracterizar productos fermentados a partir de licuados vegetales con una excelente calidad nutricional y sensorial. Para conseguir el propósito mencionado se eligieron licuados de almendra, avellana y avena, cuyas propiedades fisicoquímicas y nutricionales son aptas para el proceso de fermentación. Para ello, se estudió el efecto de los tratamientos térmicos y de homogenización sobre las cualidades fisicoquímicas y de estabilidad de los diferentes licuados, para elegir en base a los resultados obtenidos, las condiciones idóneas de su obtención. Por otra parte, se seleccionaron dos cepas probióticas comerciales (L. rhamnosus GG y L. reuteri ATCC 55730) con el fin de obtener productos fermentados a partir de los licuados elegidos y, de este modo, ofrecer nuevas posibilidades y beneficios al consumidor dentro del sector de productos no-lácteos. Por otra parte, con la adición de microorganismos probióticos se pretende satisfacer la demanda actual de productos funcionales; es decir, ofrecer productos que, además del aporte de nutrientes, tengan un efecto beneficioso para la salud.
Bernat Pérez, N. (2013). Desarrollo, caracterización y optimización de productos fermentados a base de licuados vegetales como alternativa a los yogures convencionales [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/33748
TESIS

La indústria alimentària incorpora als aliments extractes d’origen natural rics en molècules bioactives amb la finalitat de convertir-los en aliments funcionals, és a dir, que tinguin propietats beneficioses per a la salut més enllà del seu valor nutricional. Un dels principals reptes és millorar l'eficiència en la selecció de nous compostos bioactius per accelerar el desenvolupament de nous aliments funcionals. Les tècniques computacionals, com ara el cribratge virtual, poden exercir un paper essencial en la fase inicial del descobriment de noves substàncies bioactives. Durant la tesi s’han desenvolupat i validat diferents protocols de cribatge virtual per a IKK-2 i 11-HSD1 (dianes involucrades en inflamació crònica), els quals han permès trobar compostos i extractes d’origen natural amb propietats anti-inflamatòries. Aquests compostos bioactius poden ser de gran utilitat com a additius en l’alimentació funcional, ja que poden presentar activitat semblant a la dels fàrmacs emprats en el tractament de malalties cardiovasculars.
One of the main challenges in nutrigenomics is improving the efficiency of the selection (which is currently time consuming and expensive) of new bioactive compounds in order to expedite the development of new functional foods. Computational techniques, such as virtual screening, may play an essential role in accelerating the early stages of the discovery of new bioactive substances by efficiently searching for compounds that could activate or inhibit a known target. So, by modulating specific target functions in the body, molecules that act as IKK-2 or 11β-HSD1 inhibitors have beneficial physiological effects that can be of interest for preventing, retarding and/or reversing the metabolic syndrome. Because of their anti-inflammatory properties, natural extracts that contain these molecules have a promising role as ingredients in new functional foods. Therefore, this PhD thesis will focus on the development of virtual screening workflows that predict natural products that can inhibit both targets.

The study was designed to develop a nutraceutical product from by-products of fish processing. Fish oil was extracted from mackerel tissues (skin, viscera and muscle) using hexane-isopropanol (3:2 v/v) and chloroform-methanol (2:1 v/v) solvent systems. An oxidative study was carried out to determine the best processing and storage conditions to minimize autooxidation of mackerel oil. Urea complexation was used to concentrate polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from the extracted fish oil. The urea complexation process was optimized to determine the best reaction conditions for high yield of the omega-3 fatty acids in particular, and total PUFA.
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) was synthesized from four vegetable oils (sunflower, canola, soybean and corn) by alkaline isomerization. The CLA isomers and PUFA concentrated from mackerel tissues were used to synthesize triglycerides by lipase-catalyzed esterification. The effect of temperature, reaction medium, enzyme, moisture removal system and glycerol to fatty acid ratio on extent of synthesis were investigated. The synthesis process was also optimized using central composite design to determine the best conditions for high synthesis yield. The fatty acid composition and positional analyses were determined by GC-FID and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS)
The results showed that mackerel skins were most suitable for concentrating PUFA. The eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and -docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content of fish oil from the tissues examined ranged between 6.3--9.7 (wt%) with an iodine value of 134 +/- 5.0. The baseline total PUFA content was increased from ca 21.0 to ca 83.0 (wt%) with an associated iodine value of 296 +/- 7.0 using urea complexation. Low (50 ppm and 100 ppm) levels of alpha-tocopherol in combination with low storage temperature (-40°C) showed lowest oxidation after 66 days of storage. High levels (250 and 500 ppm) of alpha-tocopherol were observed to be prooxidant based on TBARS, peroxide and conjugated diene measurements. Urea to fatty acid ratio and temperature were predominant effectors influencing the amounts of individual omega-3 fatty acids and total PUFA concentrated by urea complexation. The model developed for the optimized urea complexation process were capable of predicting the yields of EPA, DHA, total PUFA and Iodine values to a high degree of accuracy at R2 = 0.87, 0.96, 0.95, and 0.92 respectively.
Sunflower oil was most suitable for synthesizing conjugated linoleic acid by alkaline isomerization, compared with soybean, canola and corn oil. Two CLA isomers, c9,t11 and t10, c12 were most abundant and occurred in approximately equal proportions irrespective of vegetable oil used. Total CLA synthesized from sunflower oil was 93.5 +/- 3.5 (wt%) with the two major isomers making up 89 +/- 3.5 (wt%). Candida antartica lipase showed more synthesis activity than Mucor meihie in both organic and solvent-free systems. Analysis of isolated synthesized triglycerides by GC-FID and mass spectrometry showed that DHA, EPA, CLA and linolenic acid were the main fatty acids incorporated into the triglycerides. DHA and EPA were mostly esterified at the sn-2 position.

Le syndrome métabolique (MS), une association des plus dangereux facteurs de risque pour les maladies cardiovasculaires et le diabète de type 2, est devenu l'un des principaux défis cliniques et de santé publique dans le monde. Un nombre croissant d’évidences s’est accumulé au cours de la dernière décennie, démontrant l'efficacité de certains composés bioactifs alimentaires pour le traitement et la prévention du MS. Néanmoins, la plupart des études d'intervention administre les composés bioactifs sous forme de composés purs, sans considérer que l'interaction entre les bioactifs ajoutés et l'ensemble de la matrice alimentaire peut impacter la bioaccessibilité, la biodisponibilité et, par conséquent, l’efficacité de ces molécules bioactives.L'objectif principal de cette thèse, intégrée dans le projet européen PATHWAY-27, était de formuler des aliments enrichis en composés bioactifs potentiellement efficaces contre le MS, et d'étudier l'effet de la matrice alimentaire sur la bioaccessibilité et la biodisponibilité de ces bioactifs. Cette étude a mis l'accent sur l'utilisation des anthocyanes, de l’acide docosahexaénoïque et, dans une moindre mesure, des bêta-glucanes comme ingrédients bioactifs pour enrichir des produits laitiers et des produits à base d'œuf. Une combinaison des modèles de digestion in vitro et in vivo (chez le porc) a été utilisée.La composition et la structure des matrices alimentaires ont impacté la libération et la solubilisation de substances bioactives au cours de la digestion (bioaccessibilité), tel que démontré in vitro et in vivo. La structure de
Metabolic Syndrome (MS), a constellation of the most dangerous cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk factors, has become one of the major clinical and public health challenges worldwide. During the last decade, many bioactives have been proposed as effective for the treatment and prevention of MS. However, most intervention studies administer bioactives as pure compounds, without consider that bioactive-food matrix interactions could deeply impact on the bioaccessibility, bioavailability and hence on the effectiveness of bioactives.The main objective of this thesis, included within the European project PATHWAY-27, was to formulate potential effective bioactive-enriched foods against MS and to investigate the effect of the food matrix on the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of dietary bioactives.In particular, this study focused in the use of dairy and egg-based products as matrices and in the addition of anthocyanins, docosahexaenoic acid and, to a lesser extent, beta glucan as bioactives. A combination of in vitro and in vivo (pig) digestion models was used.Both the structure and the composition of the food matrices impacted the release and the solubilisation of bioactives during digestion (bioaccessibility), as demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the structure of the food matrix modulated the final amount of DHA into the systemic circulation of pigs (bioavailability). This study proves that understanding how dietary bioactives interact with the matrix in which they are included in is the basis for the production of effective bioact

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
The aim of the present study was to verify the physical, chemical and microbiological viability of the flour derived from fibrous biomass of maize (FBMF) from the processing of maize flour “biju” type as a new food ingredient; to evaluate the nutritional and technological viability of biscuits, toast and cereal bar produced with the FBMF, by means of the evaluation of its physicochemical, microbiological and sensorial characteristics; and analyze the physicalchemical, microbiological and sensory stabilities of the cereal bar selected as the best in sensory analysis. The fibrous biomass of maize (FBM), obtained in the processing of maize flour “biju” type can be recommended for use as a new ingredient in food products, because it presents no microbiological risk; and it has high nutritional and functional value, mainly because it is rich in dietary fibers, mainly insoluble, and possess high antioxidant capacity. The production of biscuits and toast from the partial replacement of wheat flour (WF) by fibrous biomass of maize flour (FBMF) is nutritionally and technologically viable, since the evaluated samples do not present microbiological risk; have good sensory acceptance; and are source of protein and rich in insoluble dietary fibers. The utilization of the FBMF in cereal bars (CBs) is feasible from technological and nutritional point of view. The formulation CB6 (14 g 100 g-1 FBMF, 8 g 100 g-1 of rice flakes and 8 g 100 g-1 of oat flakes) presented food safety and better sensory profile, and can be classified as a food rich in dietary fiber and protein source, with high nutritional and functional appeal. The temperature and time influence the physicalchemical and sensorial characteristics of the cereal bar stored at 25 and 35 °C for 180 days. Sensory parameters (appearance, color, aroma, texture, taste and overall impression) and intent to purchase of CB were more stable over time for the cereal bar stored at 25 °C. Shelf life of the cereal bar was estimated to be approximately 153 days when maintained at 25 °C, and 87 days when stored at 35 °C.
O presente estudo teve por objetivo verificar a viabilidade física, química e microbiológica da farinha advinda de biomassa fibrosa do milho (FBFM) do processamento da farinha de milho tipo “biju”, como novo ingrediente alimentício; avaliar a viabilidade nutricional e tecnológica de biscoitos, torradas e barra de cereais produzidos com FBFM, por meio da avaliação das suas características físico-químicas, microbiológicas e sensoriais; e analisar a estabilidade físico-química, microbiológica e sensorial da barra de cereais selecionada como a melhor na análise sensorial. A biomassa fibrosa do milho, obtida no processamento da farinha de milho tipo “biju” pode ser recomendada para utilização como novo ingrediente em produtos alimentícios, pois não apresenta risco microbiológico, e possui elevado valor nutricional e funcional, principalmente por ser rica em fibras alimentares, sobretudo insolúveis, e possuir alta capacidade antioxidante. A produção de biscoitos e de torradas a partir da substituição parcial de farinha de trigo (FT) por FBFM mostra-se nutricional e tecnologicamente viável, pois as amostras avaliadas não possuem risco microbiológico; têm boa aceitação sensorial; e são fonte de proteína e rico em fibras alimentares, principalmente insolúveis. A utilização da FBFM em barras de cereais é viável do ponto de vista tecnológico e nutricional. A formulação BC6 (14 g 100 g-1 de FBFM, 8 g 100 g-1 de flocos de arroz e 8 g 100 g-1 de flocos de aveia) apresentou segurança alimentar e melhor perfil sensorial, e pode ser classificada como um alimento rico em fibras e fonte proteica, com elevado apelo nutricional e funcional. A temperatura e o tempo de armazenamento influenciam as características físico-químicas e sensoriais da barra de cereais mantidas a 25 e 35 °C, por 180 dias. Os parâmetros sensoriais (aparência, cor, aroma, textura, sabor e impressão global) e a intenção de compra da BC foram mais estáveis ao longo do tempo para a barra de cereais armazenada a 25 °C. A vida útil da barra de cereais foi estimada em aproximadamente 153 dias quando mantida a 25 °C, e 87 dias quando armazenada a 35 °C.

Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional issue worldwide. The fortification of food products could help covering the iron requirements, mainly in certain population groups where prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia is high because its amount in the diet is poor and/or presents low bioavailability. In this regard it is worth to mention that the population groups with higher prevalence of iron deficiency are both women at childbearing age and children. However, iron fortification should take into account several variables that determine its effectiveness being the bioavailability of the iron form used and its interaction with the matrix the most crucial ones. The aim of this thesis is to obtain a fortified food product with a high bioavailable iron while being accepted by consumers and stable towards oxidation. In this regard, a sandwich-type cookie filled with a chocolate cream has been selected as example of heme iron fortification in bakery products. The presence of chocolate, apart from making the food product to be more appealing to children, may help disguise the intense colour of the heme iron ingredient, which is intended to be used for its high bioavailability. Since palm oil is widely used in the manufacture of biscuits, cakes and pastries, it is planned to previously study those strategies that minimize oxidation in a model based on palm oil fortified with heme iron before these are employed in the final food products. By means of this model, we assessed the efficacy of the following strategies: the addition of antioxidants; the heme iron ingredient encapsulation and the combination of both strategies. The strategies that were shown to be efficient in this fortified palm oil model were further assessed on sandwich-type chocolate cookies fortified with heme iron. In these cookies and over a period of one year of storage in the dark at room temperature, the oxidative stability and consumers’ overall acceptability has been studied By combining the two strategies, the addition of an antioxidant (ascorbyl palmitate) and the encapsulation of heme iron by co-spray-drying it with calcium caseinate, the cookies were oxidative stable and accepted by consumers over one year of storage at room temperature in the dark.
La deficiencia en hierro es la deficiencia nutricional con más prevalencia a nivel mundial. El fortalecimiento de productos alimenticios con hierro puede contribuir a cubrir las necesidades diarias de este elemento, sobre todo en determinadas poblaciones donde la prevalencia de esta deficiencia es elevada debido a que su cantidad en las dietas es pobre y/o presenta una baja biodisponibilidad. Cabe destacar que los grupos con mayor prevalencia de deficiencia en hierro son las mujeres en edad fértil y niños. Sin embargo, el fortalecimientos de alimentos con hierro debe tener en cuenta diversas variables que condicionan su efectividad, siendo la biodisponibilidad del hierro y su interacción con la matriz alimentaria las más cruciales. El objetivo que se plantea en esta tesis es conseguir un producto rico en hierro altamente biodisponible que presente una buena aceptabilidad y estabilidad oxidativa. Dentro de los productos de galletería/ bollería, se escoge una galleta rellena de chocolate como ejemplo de fortalecimiento en hierro hémico por su difusión y simplicidad. El chocolate, aparte de hacer el producto más apetecible a la población infantil y juvenil, permite enmascarar el color del ingrediente de hierro hémico que se pretende utilizar por su elevada biodisponibilidad. Dado que la manteca de palma es ampliamente utilizada en la elaboración de productos de galletería y bollería, se plantea, previamente, estudiar aquellas estrategias que permitan minimizar la oxidación en un modelo basado en manteca de palma fortalecida con hierro hémico. Mediante este modelo se han contemplado las siguientes estrategias: la eficacia de la adición de antioxidantes, la encapsulación del ingrediente de hierro hémico y la combinación de ambas. Las estrategias que resultaron ser más eficaces en este modelo fueron posteriormente estudiadas en galletas tipo sándwich rellenas de chocolate fortalecidas con hierro hémico. En el producto desarrollado a lo largo de un año de almacenamiento en la oscuridad a temperatura ambiente, se ha estudiado su estabilidad oxidativa y su grado de aceptación por parte de los consumidores. Gracias a la combinación de ambas estrategias, la adición de un antioxidante (palmitato de ascorbilo) y la encapsulación del hierro hémico por co-atomización de éste con caseinato de calcio, se ha obtenido un producto de galletería fortalecido con hierro altamente biodisponible estable frente a la oxidación y que a su vez ha sido aceptado por los consumidores a lo largo de un año de almacenamiento.

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CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
The growing consumer demand for functional foods with excellent sensory and nutritional quality is providing the search for new ingredients that meet consumer demands, especially the mushrooms that due to its nutritional and pharmacological properties, contribute to improving the quality of life of man. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield and nutritional quality of cultivated L.citrinus in two mixtures agrowaste available on Amazon for development of a confection to crueira base and as a way to provide a product source of fiber and protein quality desirable for human consumption. Of cultures in CE + Li, the L.citrinus productivity was significant, the basidioma showed good nutritional quality protein, essential amino acids and higher fiber to those observed in cultures CE + RB. The mineral concentration was higher in CE + RB not being observed significant difference in the biological efficiency and productivity when compared to CE+ Li. For the preparation of the three confectionery was used crueira and replacing these cassava residue by L. citrinus 15% and 25% (w / w) in the respective formulations. The result of this research shows that cupuaçu exocarp, can be utilized as the primary substrate for production of L. citrinus in tropical climate region and the three confectionery presented viable characteristics for consumption, among these, the product containing crueira and L. citrinus 25% (w / w) showed adequate morphological characteristic and significant nutritional quality, especially the fiber content, macro protein and trace minerals. The results have shown the feasibility of edible mushroom production, a form of agrowaste utilization from the Amazon region.
A crescente exigência do consumidor por alimentos funcionais com excelente qualidade sensorial e nutricional está proporcionando a busca por novos ingredientes que atendam às exigências dos consumidores, destacando-se os cogumelos que, devido às suas propriedades farmacológicas e nutricionais, contribuem para melhoria da qualidade de vida do homem. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar o rendimento e a qualidade nutricional de L.citrinus cultivado em duas misturas de agroresíduos disponíveis na Amazônia para p desenvolvimento de um produto de confeitaria à base de crueira e como forma de disponibilizar um produto fonte de fibras e com qualidade proteica desejável para alimentação humana. Nos cultivos em CC+Li, a produtividade de L.citrinus foi significativa, os basidiomas apresentaram boa qualidade nutricional, com teor de proteínas, aminoácidos essenciais e fibras superior aos valores observados nos cultivos em CC+FA. A concentração de minerais foi superior em CC+FA, não sendo constatada diferença significativa da eficiência biológica e produtividade quando comparado a CC+Li. Para o preparo dos três produtos de confeitaria foi utilizado crueira e, substituindo esses resíduo da mandioca por L. citrinus 15% e 25% (p/p) nas respectivas formulações. O resultado dessa pesquisa mostra que a casca de cupuaçu, pode ser aproveitada como principal substrato para produção de L. citrinus em região de clima tropical e os três produtos de confeitaria apresentaram características viáveis para consumo, entre estes, o produto contendo crueira e L. citrinus 25% (p/p) apresentou característica morfológica adequada e qualidade nutricional significativa, com destaque para o conteúdo fibra, proteína de macro e microminerais. Os resultados desta pesquisa mostraram a viabilidade da produção de cogumelo comestível, uma forma de aproveitamento de resíduo agroindustrial proveniente da Região Amazônica.

Bombom é o produto constituído por massa de chocolate ou por um núcleo formado de recheios diversos, recobertos por uma camada de chocolate. Alimentos para fins especiais (diet) são aqueles nos quais ocorrem modificações no conteúdo de nutrientes, e são adequados à utilização em dietas diferenciadas, atendendo às necessidades de pessoas em condições metabólicas e fisiológicas específicas. O termo light pode ser utilizado quando for cumprido o atributo de redução mínima de 25% no valor energético total ou no conteúdo de nutrientes de alimentos comparados. Propriedade funcional é aquela relativa ao papel metabólico ou fisiológico que o nutriente ou não nutriente tem nas funções do organismo humano. O presente trabalho visou o desenvolvimento de recheios diet e light para bombons com adição de ingrediente com propriedade funcional (inulina). Foram desenvolvidos um bombom controle e dez formulações de bombom diet e light, sendo apenas uma (F9) selecionada. Um bombom comercial foi utilizado como referência. Foram feitas as análises de atividade de água, pH, umidade, lipídios totais, proteína, fibra alimentar, carboidrato por diferença, perfil de textura (dupla compressão, em analisador de textura TA-XT2) em diferentes temperaturas e tempos de armazenamento. Os bombons (controle e F9) foram comparados através de análise sensorial, sendo apresentados como amostras independentes em um teste de aceitação com escala hedônica híbrida. A substituição dos açúcares por edulcorantes e agentes de corpo foi satisfatória, assim como o uso do substituto de gordura Benefat®. A inulina Raftiline® ST apresentou textura melhor que a inulina Raftiline® HP-Gel, não sendo percebida na boca. A análise do perfil de textura mostrou que o bombom comercial e o de controle apresentaram maior durabilidade que o bombom F9, que apresentou perda de dureza e aumento da mastigabilidade. Na análise sensorial, o bombom F9 obteve altos níveis de intenção de compra, podendo nesta análise ser considerado como um produto de grande potencial de mercado.
Chocolate confectionery is a product consisting of either chocolate mass or a nucleus containing several fillings covered with a chocolate layer. Food for special purposes are those in which modifications are made in what is related to the nutrients content, adapted to the utilization in differentiated diets, in order to fulfill the needs of people showing specific metabolic and physiological disorders. The term light is applied to a product providing it accomplishes the attribute of a 25% minimum reduction in the total energetic value or nutrients content if compared to a similar, standard product. The functional property is relative to the metabolic or physiological role (function) the nutrient or the non-nutrient plays in the human organism o The present work aimed at the development of diet and light fillings for chocolate confectionery using an ingredient (inulin) with a functional property. Two series of chocolate confectionery samples were prepared: a control sample and ten diet and light formulations. One of these formulations, F9, was selected. A commercial chocolate confectionery was used as reference. Analyses were performed to evaluate the water activity, pH, humidity, total lipids, protein, carbohydrate per difference (including fibers), texture profile (double compression, using a texturometer HAS-XT2) in several controlled environments at different temperatures and stored during different periods of time. The chocolate confectionery samples (Control and F9) were compared using sensorial analysis. Independent samples were offered in an acceptance test with hedonic hybrid scale. The substitution of sugars by sweeteners and body agents was satisfactory, as well as the use of a fat substitute, Benefat®. The Inulin Raftiline® ST presented better texture than the Inulin Raftiline® HP-Gel, but no difference was noticed on the mouth feel test. The texture profile showed that both the commercial and the control chocolate confectionery samples presented longer durability than the F9 sample, which presented increased hardness and loss of chewiness. In the sensorial analysis, the chocolate confectionery F9 obtained high levels of purchase intention and thus can be considered as a great product from a market potential point of view.

A soja contém alto conteúdo protéico e de lipídeos poliinsaturados e representa a principal fonte de isoflavonas. Por este grão não fazer parte da dieta brasileira, produtos contendo soja surgiram no mercado como fontes de isoflavonas, adaptados ao paladar da nossa população. Os condimentos também têm sido incorporados aos ditos \"alimentos funcionais\" pela sua relação com efeitos benéficos à saúde. Este trabalho objetivou determinar o teor de isoflavonas dos produtos contendo soja e/ou derivados, o teor de flavonóides de diferentes condimentos e marcas, e a capacidade antioxidante destas amostras. Os resultados mostram que o quibe vegetariano destaca-se como fonte de isoflavonas, e o chocolate pela capacidade antioxidante. Entre os condimentos, houve diferença significativa entre tipos e marcas. O orégano destacou-se quanto à capacidade antioxidante e a salsa quanto ao teor de flavonóides. Alimentos contendo soja ou derivados e os condimentos podem representar fontes de compostos bioativos para a população brasileira.
Soy contains high protein and polyunsaturated lipids content and represents the main source of isoflavones. This grain is not part of the Brazilian diet, so some products containing soy emerged as sources of isoflavones, adapted to the taste of our population. Spices have also been incorporated into \"functional foods\" by their relation to health benefits. This study aimed to determine the isoflavone content of products containing soy and/or derivatives, flavonoids content in different brands and condiments, and antioxidant capacity of these samples. The results showed that vegetarian \"quibe\" is a good source of isoflavones, and chocolate had the highest antioxidant capacity. Among spices, there were significant differences between the types and brands. Oregano had the highest antioxidant capacity and parsley had the highest flavonoids content. Foods containing soy or derivatives and condiments may represent sources of bioactive compounds for Brazilian population.

Si le droit connaît les médicaments et les denrées alimentaires, il ne reconnaît pas les alicaments. Or, ces dernières années ont vu l’apparition et le développement, sur le marché de l’Union européenne, de « produits-frontière » c'est-à-dire de produits se trouvant à la frontière entre les médicaments et les aliments. Confrontées à un vaste conflit de qualification causé par l’ambivalence conceptuelle des « produits-frontière », les institutions de l’Union ont, au nom de la libre circulation des marchandises ainsi que de la nécessité d’une protection accrue des consommateurs et de la santé publique, entamé, dès le début des années 2000, une large harmonisation des dispositions nationales relatives à ces produits. Considérés comme aliments, leur nature particulière nécessite cependant une approche adaptative de la part du législateur européen. Cette nouvelle approche de l’aliment par le droit, favorable à la reconnaissance d’une santé alimentaire, tant convoitée par la société contemporaine, ne résout toutefois pas l’ambiguïté quant à la place à accorder aux « produits-frontière » dans le corpus juridique de l’Union européenne.
Doctorat en Sciences juridiques
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Face aux pathologies de malnutrition en croissance exponentielle en particulier dans les pays du Sud, le développement d’aliments fonctionnels à base de céréales fermentées représente une alternative aux produits laitiers déjà commercialisés. L’incorporation, la stabilité de composés bioactifs liposolubles tels que les caroténoïdes et les phytostérols, ainsi que leur devenir lors de la digestion gastro-duodénale doivent être étudiés afin de démontrer le potentiel nutritionnel de ce nouvel aliment. En effet, il est connu que les phytostérols diminuent la biodisponibilité des caroténoïdes. Le principal objectif de ces travaux a été de concevoir un aliment fonctionnel probiotique à base de maïs fermenté enrichi en caroténoïdes et phytostérols, et d’étudier la stabilité, la bioaccessibilité et l’absorption intestinale de ces composés liposolubles. La formulation et la standardisation du procédé, incluant la sélection de starters de fermentation afin d’obtenir un aliment probiotique, ont été mis au point. Au cours de la fabrication, la stabilité des composés liposolubles a montré un taux de rétention de 73 %. L’effet des phytostérols dispersibles sur la bioaccessibilité de la β-cryptoxanthine, du β carotène et du lycopène de l’aliment fonctionnel a été évalué à l’aide d’un modèle de digestion in vitro simulant les conditions gastriques et duodénales. L’absorption intestinale des composés a également été mesurée en couplant le modèle de digestion in vitro aux cellules de type Caco-2 (TC7). L’étude a démontré que grâce à leur véhicule, les phytostérols dispersibles apportent un potentiel hypocholesterolémiant au produit, sans affecter la bioaccessibilité des carotènes. In fine, cet aliment fonctionnel a été optimisé d’un point de vue organoleptique et nutritionnel par l’utilisation de protéines sériques
Because of the exponential growth of malnutrition pathologies particularly in South countries, the development of functional foods based on fermented cereals represents an alternative to dairy products already marketed. The incorporation, the stability of lipophilic bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and phytosterols, as well as their behavior during the gastro-duodenal digestion have to be studied, in order to demonstrate the nutritional potential of this new product. Indeed, it is known that phytosterols decrease the carotenoid bioavailability. The main objective of this work was to design a probiotic functional food based on maize and enriched with carotenoids and phytosterols, and study the stability, the bioaccessibility and the intestinal absorption of these fat-soluble compounds. The formulation and the standardization of the manufacturing process, including the selection of starters for fermentation in order to obtain a probiotic product, were developed. During the production, the stability of fat-soluble compounds showed a retention level of 73%. The effect on dispersible phytosterols on the β-cryptoxanthine, β-carotene and lycopene bioaccessibilities was evaluated thanks to an in vitro digestion model mimicking the gastric and duodenal conditions. The intestinal absorption of these compounds was also estimate by crossing the in vitro digestion model with a Caco-2 cells model (TC7). The study demonstrated that thanks to their vehicles, dispersible phytosterols provide a potential cholesterol-lowering effect to this food, without affecting the carotene bioaccessibility. In fine, this functional food was optimized in terms of sensory and nutritional levels, by using whey protein isolates

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CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
CNPQ – Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
A crescente ocorrência da epidemia da obesidade no mundo tem trazido à tona preocupações relacionadas à saúde pública. Neste contexto, os alimentos industrializados tendem a receber grande parcela de culpa pelo avanço da obesidade e suas consequências. No entanto, para reverter esse crescimento, é essencial também a mudança do estilo de vida do consumidor – cuja preocupação com saúde e bem estar tem se destacado ao longo dos últimos anos como tendência de mercado. O surgimento da categoria de alimentos voltados à saúde e bem-estar, na qual se enquadram os alimentos funcionais (AF), demonstra uma resposta da indústria frente a esta tendência. Os AF são definidos como aqueles alimentos que, quando consumidos com regularidade e associados a uma dieta saudável, vão além de sua função nutricional básica ao promover um benefício à saúde. Devido às peculiaridades e complexidade envolvida, são poucas as iniciativas bem sucedidas de projetos de desenvolvimento de novos produtos (NPD) voltados à saúde e bem-estar no mercado brasileiro. Relações interorganizacionais colaborativas são uma alternativa para alavancar o desenvolvimento desta cadeia de suprimentos. É preciso, no entanto, criar valor na relação entre os agentes e também para o consumidor final, figura normalmente negligenciada. Sendo assim, este trabalho investiga como se dá a criação de valor na relação entre os agentes da cadeia de suprimentos de alimentos voltados à saúde e bem estar em projetos de NPD, bem como qual o papel do consumidor neste contexto. Para tal, a literatura e teorias de base sobre relações e valor são revisitadas. Não há, porém, um esquema conceitual previamente estabelecido, pois se utiliza primeiramente a abordagem indutivo-qualitativa de pesquisa. Ela é aplicada através estudo de casos múltiplos em laticínios brasileiros. Em seguida, uma etapa dedutivo-quantitativa (survey com consumidores porto-alegrenses) é aplicada. Os dados são analisados conjuntamente com o caso benchmark de um laticínio escandinavo e consumidores dinamarqueses. Os resultados mostram a presença de relações colaborativas, como a díade comprador-fornecedor e centros de pesquisa. O valor da relação é diferente para cada agente, podendo ser tanto tangível (como recursos financeiros) quanto intangível (como confiança). Ainda, a survey evidencia um consumidor pouco interessado em interagir com empresas de alimentos para o NPD voltados à saúde e bem-estar. Plataformas online, no entanto, aparecem com uma possibilidade fácil e pouco onerosa de se obter informações sobre o consumidor, podendo melhorar o desempenho de empresas do setor. Este estudo se propôs a integrar a literatura das áreas de marketing e operações. Segue, entretanto, o desafio acadêmico da realização de estudos na interface destas duas áreas de conhecimento.
Overweight and the obesity epidemic have spread out over the past decade bringing up public health concerns. Processed food products are partially blamed for it. To change the growing numbers, however, consumers’ lifestyle changes are also crucial. Their concerns about health and wellness have indeed been a trend over the last years, and health and wellness focused food products – such as functional foods (FF) – have an important role in this trend. From the food industry’s perspective, the development of new products is a source of innovation, differentiation and added-value. By the establishment of dyadic relationships such as buyer-supplier, organizations also enable the combination of skills, sharing costs and risks and investment in research and New Product Development (NPD). Value chain analysis focuses specifically on business-to-business, while it is acknowledged that there is no added value if this is not perceived by consumers. In this context, a collaborative project arises as a viable and real alternative to NPD. However, due to a growing disconnection between consumers and industry, there are concerns about how to create value in NPD projects. Most innovative ideas do not become successful products, demonstrating the need to reflect on the experiences of collaborative NPD projects. In this context, this study aims to explore how the supply chain agents interact with each other to create relationship value. In addition, it is also motivated by the interest in looking beyond the classical buyer-supplier relationship to understand the role of consumers into NPD, suggesting that a closer relationship among all supply chain agents is essential to create value for them. Multiple theoretical perspectives are integrated to explain the relevance of a closer relationship in the context of food for health and wellness in emerging countries. Both inductive-qualitative and deductive-quantitative methodologies are combined to achieve this goal. Multiple case studies have been carried out with Brazilian dairy industries and. a survey with consumers has also been conducted. Data has been analysed together with a benchmark from Scandinavia. Results show the existence of collaborative relationships between food companies, suppliers and occasionally research centres. Relationship value varies according to the agent, and can be categorized as tangible (i.e. financial resources) and intangible (i.e. trust). Consumers are not interested in co-creation initiatives with the food industry, although a web-based platform appears as an inexpensive opportunity to create value for the consumer and improve companies’ performance. Finally, this study aimed to explore the interface between marketing and operations management research areas, but further research can still be conducted to continue deepening knowledge available in the field.

Avec l'apparition massive des borderline products, les frontières traditionnelles entre la denrée alimentaire et les autres catégories de produits que l'on ingère ne cessent de se brouiller. Certes des éléments de définition de cette denrée se trouvent dans divers textes juridiques, notamment communautaires à l'image du règlement Food Law, mais toujours est-il que malgré tout demeure en partie le mystère identitaire qui entoure cette notion. Aussi, afin de pouvoir appliquer aux produits litigieux un statut adéquat et déterminer par la même le régime juridique qui doit être le leur, des références précises de l'aliment doivent être mises en évidence au travers de son analyse d'ensemble, l'étude tant de sa fonction que de sa présentation s'avérant indispensable pour résoudre cette problématique non dépourvue d'importance pratique.

Lutein is a lipid soluble plant pigment with recognized health benefits, although intake levels by the general population and bioavailability are generally low. These factors have led to interest in producing high lutein functional foods, including baked products. Cookies, muffins, and flatbreads, were produced at three enrichment levels (equivalent to 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg per serving) and then subjected to an in vitro simulation of human gastric and duodenal digestion coupled with Caco-2 monolayers. Lutein transfer to the aqueous phase during digestion (i.e. bioaccessibility) and monolayer absorption were determined as estimates of potential bioavailability. The higher fat products (muffins and cookies) resulted in higher overall bioaccessibility (p<0.05) and absorption at most levels of enrichment. Digestive conditions representative of the fed and fasted state were compared, with the fed model resulting in much higher estimates of bioavailability. Lutein concentration in the aqueous was the most important factor in determining subsequent monolayer absorption. Overall, the cookie was the most effective product for bioaccessibility, and enriching them to the highest level would result in the greatest delivery of bioavailable lutein to the body.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Wine grape pomace (WGP), the byproduct from winemaking, is a good source of polyphenols and dietary fibers, and may be utilized as antioxidant dietary fibers (ADF) for food applications. The objectives of this thesis research were to first determine the phenolic compounds, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in red WGP under different drying processes for long-term storage, and to further evaluate the feasibility of using WGP as a functional food ingredient in yogurt and salad dressing for enhancing the nutritional value and improving storability of the products. Two types of WGP samples, pomace containing seeds and skins (P) and pomace with skins only (S) from Pinot Noir (PN) and Merlot (M) were studied. Samples were subjected to four different drying conditions: 40 °C conventional and vacuum oven, 25 °C ambient air and freeze dry. Total phenolic content (TPC, by Folin-Ciocalteu assay), anthocyanins (ACY, by pH differential method) and flavanols content (TFC, by vanillin assay) of the samples along with their antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenge method, RSA) and antibacterial activity (minimum inhibition concentration, MIC) were determined during 16 weeks of storage under vacuum condition at 15±2 °C. Meanwhile, dietary fiber profile was evaluated by using gravimetric-enzyme method. Results showed that dietary fiber contents of PN-P, PN-S, M-P and M-S were 57-63% d.m. with the majority of insoluble fraction. Freeze dried WGP retained the highest bioactive compounds with TPC 21.19-67.74 mg GAE/g d.m., ACY of 0.35-0.76 mg Mal-3-glu/g d.m., TFC of 30.16-106.61 mg CE/g d.m. and RSA of 22.01-37.46 mg AAE/g d.m., followed with ambient air dried samples. Overall, TPC, TFC and RSA were higher in PN than in M, and higher in pomace than in skins, while reverse results were observed in ACY. All samples lost significant amount of bioactive compounds during storage, in which ambient air and freeze dried samples had TPC reduction of 32-56% and 35-58%, respectively at the end of 16 weeks of storage. RSA in PN-P and M-P remained more than 50 mg TE/g d.m., meaning WGP still met the criteria of ADF definition after 16 weeks of storage. WGP extracts showed higher antibacterial efficiency against L. innocua than that of E. coli with MIC of 2, 7, 3 and 8% against L. innocua, and 3, 6, 4 and 9% against E. coli for PN-P, PN-S, M-P and M-S samples, respectively. This study demonstrated that Pinot Noir and Merlot pomace are good sources of ADF even after 16 weeks of storage at 15 °C and vacuum condition. Due to the highest antioxidant activity (RSA 37.46 mg AAE/g) and dietary fiber content (61%), PN-P was selected as ADF to be fortified in yogurt and salad dressing. Three types of WGP: whole powder (WP), liquid extract (LE) and freeze dried extract (FDE) with different concentrations were incorporated into yogurt (Y), Italian (I) and Thousand Island (T) salad dressings. TPC, RSA and dietary fiber content, major quality attributes including pH and peroxide value (PV) during the shelf life and consumer acceptance of fortified products were evaluated. The highest ADF were obtained in 3% WP-Y, 1% WP-I and 2% WP-T samples with the dietary fiber contents of 1.98%, 2.12% and 1.83% and RSA of 935.78, 585.60 and 706.67 mg AAE/kg, respectively. WP fortified products had more dietary fiber content than that of LE and FDE fortified ones because of the insoluble fractions. The pH dropped from 4.52 to 4.32 for 3% WP-Y during three weeks of storage at 4 °C, but remained stable in WGP-I and WGP-T samples after four weeks of storage at 4 °C. Adding WGP resulted in 35-65% reduction of PV in all samples compared to the control. In WGP-Y, the viscosity increased, but syneresis and lactic acid percentage were stable during storage. The 1%WP-Y, 0.5%WP-I and 1%WP-T samples were mostly liked by consumers. Study demonstrated that WGP can be used as a functional food ingredient for enhancing nutraceutical content and extending shelf-life of the food products. This study provided important information about the economically feasible drying methods for retaining the bioactive compounds in WGP during processing and storage and also suggested that WGP can be utilized as antioxidant dietary fiber to be fortified in consumer products to promote nutritional benefit and extend product shelf-life.
Graduation date: 2013

碩士
國立中興大學
食品暨應用生物科技學系所
100
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of commercial functional food components on the regulation of intestinal health, blood lipid, anti-inflammatory response, and blood glucose in vivo. The experiment animals were divided into four groups, namely the control, formula A, formula B, and formula C groups. Each treatment group was then subdivided into high dose group and medium dose group. After feeding the test diets for four weeks, the results showed that there was no significant difference in the viable numbers of fecal total lactic acid bacteria and Clostridium perfringens between the treatment groups and the control. Similarly, no significant difference in fecal pH value, serum triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were found among the four groups, either. However, in respect of fecal moisture content and daily fecal weight, formula B and formula C groups had significantly (p<0.05) higher values than those of formula A and control groups, both at medium and high dosages. On the other hand, formula B and formula C groups were also found to have significantly (p<0.05) lower blood total cholesterol than the other groups, both at medium and high dosages. For the acute in vivo anti-inflammatory test, mice were fed different formulas at high dose for four weeks, and then injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide to induce acute inflammation. After statistical analysis, mice in formula B and C groups were found to have lower NO level in serum, when compared to control. In conclusion, we found that formulas B and C are better intestinal health, serum total cholesterol, and inflammation regulators than formula A. Since formula C is a mixture of formula A and B, we believe formula B should have the best efficacy on improving intestinal function, decreasing blood total cholesterol, and reducing NO level.

Diets rich in high-sugar and -fat foods and poor in vegetable food products have been leading to the promotion or worsening of non-communicable diseases, whereas the consumption of vegetable products, namely whole grains, has been associated with beneficial effects on consumers’ health, with high fibre content being one of the main factors involved. In addition to the undeniable importance that the assessment of the dietary intake has in the design of strategies for the promotion of more balanced eating habits, the food industry is also a key player in this context. The development of food products with beneficial health properties is the first step for an effective consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to invest research efforts towards the development of innovative, functional food products, with a high-quality nutritional profile and tailored to consumers’ needs. In this sense, this Ph.D. thesis responds to these two research areas in the fields of food science and nutrition, proposing a two-fold strategy based on the following objectives: to study the dietary intake of adult urban Kenyans, and further comparison with Portuguese data; and, to develop and characterize an innovative fermented gluten-free whole grain-based product, with functional properties and an improved nutritional profile, expecting a positive impact on the nutritional deficits of the populations under study. Regarding the first objective outlined within this research work, a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was firstly designed and developed, towards its further application in the target population. Once developed, this FFQ was validated (against three non-consecutive twenty-four hours recalls) and studied for its reproducibility (test-retest method). The developed FFQ presented higher nutrient intakes compared to the multiple recalls (median for total energy: 2998 kcal vs. 2032 kcal), thus showing moderate agreement between the classification of intake quartiles; nevertheless, it was shown to be a valid and reproducible (total energy median: 2978 kcal vs. 2506 kcal) tool for ranking Kenyan urban adults according to their dietary intake. This validated FFQ was then used for the study of the dietary intake of a wider heterogeneous and representative sample of urban adult Kenyans. Macronutrients’ intake ranges were within the WHO/FAO dietary guidelines. Cereals and grain products (34.0 %), sugar, syrups, sweets, and snacks (9.8 %), fruits (9.7 %), and meat and eggs (8.8 %) were the major contributors to total energy. Individual characteristics such as gender, age and level of education seemed to have implications on the choice of food groups. When compared to the Portuguese diet, the Kenyan diet was similar in terms of contributors to energy, but with some differences regarding food sources. Responding to the second objective, several bacterial strains (indigenous exopolysaccharides (EPS)-producing strains and commercial probiotics), in plain and combined cultures, were studied for fermentation of three different whole grain African flours, Sorghum, Pearl millet and Finger millet, expecting the selection of a bacterial consortium which would reveal fermentative capacity and after all show a positive impact on the physicochemical, nutritional, sensorial, biological profiles, and also on the human gut microbiota of the product under study. The selected bacterial consortium included the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v probiotic strain and the EPS-producing Weissella confusa 2LABPT05 indigenous strain, inoculated in a 1:1 ratio (v/v), in finger millet suspended in an aqueous sucrose-based solution at 10 %, fermented at 30 ºC, 200 rpm, for 8 h. The final product obtained, hereinafter referred to as fermented yoghurt-like beverage (YLB), was shown to promote a significant growth of both strains (>108 colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL), and to have higher viscosity (35 vs. 12 mPa.s), significant EPS content (16 % vs. 0.3 %) contributing to matrix texturization and essential and non-essential amino acids (threonine, arginine, GABA, and glutamine), increased protein digestibility (64 % vs. 25 %) and high fibre content (4 g/100 g) comparatively to the native cereal prior fermentation. It was organoleptically acceptable, both per si and combined with a dairy matrix, an unsweetened plain yogurt. In terms of biological activity, antidiabetic activity (21 % vs. 14 %) and total phenolics (244 vs. 181 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/kg YLB) increased with fermentation. The digested fermented YLB contributed to the increase, during the first 6 h of feacal fermentation, of the Bifidobacterium’s number of copies of the 16S rRNA gene, which results were supported by the acidification, concomitant with an expressive metabolic activity reflected in the significant production of lactic acid and the acetic, propionic and butyric short chain fatty acids. In conclusion, this research work has created useful nutritional epidemiology tools that can be applied in future studies carried out in Kenya. In addition, it has increased food alternatives in the area of fermented probiotic products, specifically with the development of a novel synbiotic functional fermented African gluten-free cereal-based product. Thus, the work developed in this thesis brought increased scientific knowledge and pioneering novelty in several areas of research.
Uma alimentação rica em produtos açucarados e processados e pobre em alimentos de origem vegetal, tem-se demonstrado potenciadora do aparecimento e progressão de doenças não transmissíveis, enquanto que o consumo de produtos de origem vegetal, nomeadamente cereais integrais, tem-se revelado promissor na saúde do consumidor, sendo o alto teor em fibra um dos principais responsáveis por estes benefícios. Além da importância inegável que a avaliação da ingestão alimentar e nutricional tem no delineamento de estratégias para a promoção de hábitos alimentares mais equilibrados e estilos de vida saudáveis, a indústria alimentar é também um interveniente fundamental neste contexto. O desenvolvimento de produtos alimentares com propriedades benéficas à saúde é o primeiro passo para o seu consumo efetivo. Assim, é necessário investir esforços para o desenvolvimento de produtos diferenciadores, funcionais, com perfil nutricional de qualidade customizados às necessidades dos consumidores. Neste sentido, esta tese de doutoramento vem dar resposta a estes dois eixos de investigação nas áreas das ciências da nutrição e alimentação, tendo especificamente os seguintes objetivos: estudar a ingestão alimentar e nutricional da população adulta residente em zonas urbanas do Quénia, e sua comparação com a realidade Portuguesa; e, desenvolver e caracterizar um produto alimentar inovador, fermentado, à base de cereais integrais Africanos isentos de glúten, com propriedades funcionais e perfil nutricional melhorado, que possa dar resposta a défices nutricionais das populações em estudo. Para responder ao primeiro objectivo delineado neste trabalho de investigação, foi desenvolvido um questionário de frequência alimentar (QFA) semi-quantitativo para ser aplicado na população em estudo, o qual foi posteriormente validado (método comparativo: diários alimentares) e estudado em termos de reprodutibilidade (aplicação do QFA em dois momentos distintos). O QFA desenvolvido resultou numa ingestão nutricional mais elevada quando comparada com os diários alimentares (mediana para a energia total: 2998 kcal vs. 2032 kcal), mostrando concordância moderada na classificação em quartis de ingestão; não obstante, o QFA revelou-se uma ferramenta válida e reprodutível (mediana para a energia total nas duas aplicações: 2978 kcal vs. 2506 kcal) para classificar os adultos urbanos Quenianos de acordo com sua ingestão alimentar. O QFA validado foi usado para estudar a ingestão alimentar e nutricional de uma amostra mais abrangente de adultos, residentes em zonas urbanas de Nairobi. A gama de ingestão dos macronutrientes revelou-se de acordo com as directrizes alimentares da OMS/FAO. Em termos de contributos alimentares, cereais e derivados (34,0 %), snacks açucarados e salgados (9,8 %), fruta (9,7 %) e carnes e ovos (8,8 %), foram os grupos alimentares que mais contribuíram para a energia total. Características individuais como sexo, idade e nível de escolaridade revelaram influência na escolha dos grupos alimentares. Quando comparada com a dieta Portuguesa, a dieta Queniana revelou-se semelhante em termos de contribuidores para a energia, mas com algumas diferenças em termos de fontes alimentares. Para responder ao segundo objectivo, foram estudadas várias estirpes bacterianas (indígenas produtoras de exopolissacarídeos (EPS) e probióticos comerciais) em cultura simples ou combinada, na fermentação de três cereais integrais, Sorgo, Pearl millet e Finger millet, na expectativa de encontrar um consórcio bacteriano que revelasse capacidade fermentativa e, posteriormente, impacto positivo no perfil físico-químico, nutricional, sensorial e biológico, e com potencial na modulação da microbiota intestinal humana. O consórcio bacteriano selecionado incluiu o probiótico comercial Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v e a bactéria indígena produtora de EPS Weissella confusa 2LABPT05, inoculados na razão 1:1 (v/v), numa suspensão de finger millet, em solução aquosa de sacarose a 10 %, cuja fermentação decorreu a 30 ºC, 200 rpm, durante 8 horas. O produto final obtido, doravante denominado de bebida fermentada tipo iogurte (yoghurt-like beverage em inglês - YLB), promoveu o crescimento significativo de ambas as bactérias (>108 unidades formadoras de colónias (UFC)/g produto fermentado), revelou maior viscosidade (35 vs. 12 mPa.s), maior teor em EPS (16 % vs. 0,3 %) contribuindo para a texturização da matriz e em alguns aminoácidos essenciais e não essenciais (treonina, arginina, GABA, e glutamina), maior digestibilidade da proteína (64 % vs. 25 %) e alto teor em fibra (4g/100g), comparativamente ao produto nativo antes da sua fermentação. Foi positivamente avaliado do ponto de vista sensorial, tanto per si, bem como quando incorporado numa matriz láctea, um iogurte natural não açucarado. Em termos de actividade biológica, a YLB demonstrou ter uma actividade antidiabética (21 % vs. 14 %) e nível de compostos fenólicos totais (244 vs. 181 mg equivalentes ao ácido gálico (EAG)/kg YLB) aumentados com a fermentação. A YLB submetida a simulação de digestão no tracto gastrointestinal contribuiu para o aumento, nas primeiras seis horas de fermentação fecal, do número de cópias do gene 16S rRNA do grupo bacteriano Bifidobacterium, com produção concomitante significativa de ácido láctico e dos ácidos gordos de cadeia curta acetato, butirato e propionato. Este trabalho de investigação permitiu, por um lado criar ferramentas de epidemiologia nutricional úteis, passíveis de serem aplicadas em estudos posteriores levados a cabo no Quénia. Por outro lado, veio aumentar as alternativas alimentares na área das formulações fermentadas probióticas, concretamente com o desenvolvimento de um produto inovador simbiótico e fermentado à base de cereais integrais isentos de glúten. Assim, o trabalho desenvolvido nesta tese veio aumentar o conhecimento científico e trazer inovação pioneira em várias áreas de investigação.

Functional food products consist of a modified foodstuff that can provide additional health and well-being benefits beyond their basic nutrition. In vitro and in vivo studies have reported that conjugated linolenic acid (CLNA) exerts anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-obesity and antioxidant activities. This group of conjugated isomers is naturally present in vegetable oils and ruminant meat and milk fat, however, lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and propionibacteria strains have revealed the capacity to produce CLNA isomers. Thus, the aim of this work was to identify CLNA producing strains, among a total of 12 Lactobacillus and 3 Bifidobacterium strains, that could be applied in the future formulation of new functional food products. CLA and CLNA microbial producing ability have been related to the presence of the linoleate isomerase (LAI) gene. Therefore, after the optimization of bacterial growth conditions, it was performed a molecular detection assay of LAI gene in Lactobacillus strains. Lactobacillus brevis D24, Lactobacillus plantarum D36 and Lactobacillus plantarum 299v revealed a positive result for the presence of LAI gene. In order to test strains for their CLNA producing ability, selected strains were first tested for their capacity to produce CLA isomers given previous evidence, experimental knowledge and chemical similarity with CLNA group of isomers. Low concentrations of CLA were detected, even for the positive LAI gene strains, although LA reduction rate was considerably high. Two strategies were then applied in order to optimize CLA production: addition of LA to the pre-inocula and inocula and addition of LA after 7 h of incubation. Despite the efforts, CLA production continued to be low in comparison to the percentages of LA reduction. LA was detected in strains’ pellet fatty acid composition, suggesting that the substrate could be being incorporated in the membrane. The amount of LA absorbed did not correspond to the level of substrate that was reduced, therefore, it was concluded that LA must have been converted into other unexpected compounds through an alternative transformation pathway not yet described. Among the strains tested, B. breve NCIMB 702258 was the only strain to demonstrate CLA-producing capacity. Further assays showed that this strain was also able to convert -LNA into CLNA isomers, even in a food matrix (1.6% reduced-fat milk). Therefore, B. breve NCIMB 702258 has the potential to be applied in the elaboration of CLA and CLNA enriched products, however, the organoleptic characteristics will need to be optimized.
Os alimentos funcionais consistem em géneros alimentícios modificados capazes de providenciar benefícios adicionais para a saúde e bem-estar além da sua nutrição básica. Estudos in vitro e in vivo revelaram que o ácido linolénico conjugado (CLNA) exerce actividades anti-inflamatória, anti-cancerígena, anti-obesidade e antioxidante. Este grupo de isómeros conjugados está naturalmente presente em óleos vegetais e na gordura da carne e leite de ruminantes, contudo, estirpes dos géneros lactobacilli, bifidobacteria e propionibacteria têm demonstrado capacidade para produzirem isómeros de CLNA. Assim, o objectivo deste trabalho foi de se identificar estirpes produtoras de CLNA, entre um total de 12 estirpes Lactobacillus e 3 Bifidobacterium, que possam vir a ser aplicadas na formulação futura de novos produtos funcionais. A capacidade de produção de CLA e CLNA tem sido relacionada com a presença do gene da linoleato isomerase (LAI). Por isso, após a optimização das condições de crescimento, foi realizado um ensaio de detecção molecular do gene LAI em estirpes do género Lactobacillus. Lactobacillus brevis D24, Lactobacillus plantarum D36 e Lactobacillus plantarum 299v deram resultado positivo relativamente à presença do gene LAI. De forma a se testar a capacidade de produção de CLNA das estirpes, estirpes seleccionadas foram primeiro testadas quanto à sua capacidade de formação de isómeros de CLA dadas anteriores evidências, o conhecimento experimental e a similaridade química com o grupo de isómeros de CLNA. Baixas concentrações de CLA foram detectadas, mesmo para as estirpes com o gene LAI presente, embora as taxas de redução do LA tenham sido consideravelmente altas. Duas estratégias foram então depois tomadas de forma a se optimizar a produção de CLA: adição de LA aos pre-inóculos e inóculos e adição de LA após 7 h de incubação. Apesar das tentativas, a produção de CLA continuou a ser baixa comparando com a percentagem de redução do LA. Na composição de ácidos gordos do pellet das estirpes, foi detectada a presença de LA, o que sugeriu que o substrato pudesse estar sendo incorporado na membrana. A quantidade de LA absorvida não correspondia ao nível de substrato que foi reduzido, por isso foi concluído que o LA teria que estar a ser convertido em outros compostos não esperados através de uma via de transformação alternativa ainda não descrita. Entre as estirpes testadas, B. breve NCIMB 702258 foi a única que demonstrou a capacidade de produção de CLA. Ensaios posteriores revelaram que esta estirpe também era capaz de converter -LNA em isómeros de CLNA, mesmo numa matriz alimentar (leite meio gordo). Assim sendo, B. breve NCIMB 702258 tem o potencial para ser aplicada na elaboração de produtos enriquecidos em CLA e CLNA, contudo, as características organolépticas terão que ser optimizadas.

Functional foods constitute a growing focus for research, product development and consumer interest in recent years. This study investigated the factors that affect willingness to pay for high fibre food on the market as well as respondents’ attitude towards the purchase of these products. The results indicated that those consumers in the high income group were more health conscious than their low income counterparts and willing to pay for high fibre products. The results showed that health risk perceptions as well as regulatory programmes affected consumers’ willingness to pay. The results also showed that at low percentage prices consumers were willing to pay for high fibre products. Gender and marital status did not seem to have an influence on willingness to buy for any of the selected products. Findings of the study could encourage food manufacturers to carry on with developments of functional foods since willingness to pay increased with increase in income.
Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology

Dissertação de mestrado em Biotecnologia
People are increasingly concerned about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Thus, the search for products with low sugar content and additionally functionality has greatly increased in the last few decades. Also, overconsumption of sugar has proven to be a problem for public health. The development of functional food can be used as a strategy to reduce sugar content of consumed products. Prebiotics are efficient modulators of the intestinal microbiota, providing health benefits. The fortification of fruit-based products has been the most used strategy to incorporate prebiotics in food, but the in situ synthesis in the food itself has not been much explored. Fructo-oligosaccharides(FOS) are well-known prebiotics, which may be industrially produced from the transfructosylation reaction of sucrose (GF)by microbial enzymes, namely β-D-fructofuranosidase (FFase) and/or Fructosyltransferase (FTase). In this work, FFase produced by Aspergillus ibericus was applied in a strawberry preparation to convert in situ its native GF content into FOS. FFase with maximum activity of 239±6U/mL was obtained in the crude extract of A. ibericus (38h fermentation). For extraction of intracellular FFase, cells were subjected to ultrasonication. FFase maximum activity (79±11U/mL) was obtained using 20W for 6 minutes. Regarding enzyme application, similar total FOS concentration were obtained with extracellular and intracellular extract which showed no significant advantages of adding the enzyme extraction step to the process. Operational parameters were optimized for the FFase crude extract with a 300g/LGF solution, namely, reaction time, temperature, pH and ratio enzyme:substrate. After 24 h reaction,50°C, pH5,150 rpm agitation using 3mL of FFase in 15mL solution were obtained in a concentration of 138± 10g/L of FOS and 0.53 ± 0.04gFOS/gGF yield. Finally, FFase crude extract was added to the fruit preparation without adjustments of the food pH. At optimum conditions (50 °C,5 g of FFase in total of 15 g)59± 3g/L of FOS were obtained which corresponds to a reduction of approximately 10g/L of non-prebiotic sugars. The pH value and colour of the fruit preparation did not significantly vary, while °Brix increased and viscosity decreased. In conclusion, FFase from A. ibericus demonstrated good potential for in situ FOS enzymatic synthesis in fruit preparations, allowing to reduce its intrinsic sugar content and to develop novel functional fruit preparations.
As pessoas estão cada vez mais preocupada sem manter um estilo de vida saudável. Assim, a procura por produtos funcionais e com baixo teor de açúcar tem aumentado muito nas últimas décadas. Além disso, o consumo excessivo de açúcar tem provado ser um problema para a saúde pública .O desenvolvimento de alimentos funcionais pode ser utilizado como uma estratégia para reduzir o teor de açúcar dos produtos. Os prebióticos são capazes de modulara microbiota intestinal, proporcionando efeitos benéficos na saúde. A fortificação de produtos à base de fruta tem sido a estratégia mais usada para incorporar prebióticos nos alimentos, mas a síntese in situ nos próprios alimentos não tem sido muito explorada. Fruto-oligossacarídeos (FOS) são prebióticos bem conhecidos, industrialmente produzidos a partir da reação de transfructosilação da sacarose (GF) por enzimas microbianas, nomeadamente a β-D-frutofuranosidase (FFase) e/ou Fructosiltransferase (FTase). Neste trabalho, FFase produzida por Aspergillus ibericus foi usada numa preparação de morango para converter in situ o seu conteúdo de GF em FOS. A atividade máxima de FFase obtida no extrato bruto foi de 239 ± 6U/mL(38 h fermentação). Para extrair a FFase intracelular, as células foram sujeitas a ultrasonicação. A atividade máxima de FFase (79 ± 11U/mL) foi obtida aplicando 20W durante 6 minutos. A quantidade de FOS produzidos com a enzima extracelular e intracelular foi similar, não evidenciando vantagens em extrair a enzima. Os parâmetros operacionais, nomeadamente tempo de reação, temperatura, pH e rácio enzima:substrato, foram otimizados para o extrato de FFase usando uma solução de GF 300 g/L. Após 24 h de reação a 50 foi obtida uma concentração máxima de 153 ± 3 g/L de FOS, com um rendimento de conversão de 0,51 ± 0,03gFOS/gGF,. Após 24 h de reação a 50 °C, pH 5,150 rpm de agitação e usando 3mL de FFase num volume total de 15 mL Foi obtida uma concentração de 138 ± 10 g/L of FOS e rendimento 0.53 ± 0.04gFOS/gGF. Finalmente, aFFase foi adicionada ao preparado de fruta, sem ajuste de pH. Nas condições ótimas, obteve-se um preparado com 59 ± 3 g/L de FOS, tendo havido uma redução de cerca de10 g/L de açúcares não prébioticos. O valor de pH e a cor não variaram significativamente, enquanto o Brix aumentou e a viscosidade diminuiu. Em conclusão, aFFase de A. Ibericus demonstrou bom potencial para a síntese enzimática in situ de FOS em preparações de fruta, permitindo reduzir o seu teor de açúcar intrínseco e desenvolver novas preparações funcionais de fruta.
Fundos nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., no âmbito do projeto “ColOsH - Novel concept for a dynamic modular Colon system including peristalsis simulation by Oscillatory-flow and Colon-Host interaction” com referência PTDC/BTM-SAL/30071/2017 (POCI–01–0145–FEDER–030071) e do Projeto cLabel+ (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-046080) co-financiado pelo Compete 2020, Lisboa 2020, Portugal 2020 e a União Europeia, através do Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) e ainda à empresa FRULACT pelo fornecimento da preparação de morango.