ABSTRACT The consumption of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) has been steadily increasing due to its high nutritional value and health benefits associated with its high antioxidant capacity. The objective of this study was to determine the contents of dietary fiber, polyphenols, flavonoids and isoflavones, and how they contribute to the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of six ecotypes of quinoa cultivated in three different zones of Chile. The ecotypes studied were: Ancovinto and Cancosa (Northern zone), Cáhuil and Faro (Central zone), and Regalona and Villarrica (Southern zone). The results indicate that all Chilean quinoa ecotypes could be considered as good sources of dietary fiber (12.23 g 100 g-1 dry matter) and polyphenols (161.32 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE) 100 g-1 dry matter). The North and Central ecotypes exhibited the highest isoflavone concentration. The Northern Cancosa was the ecotype that showed the highest flavonoid content (211.06 mg Catechin Equivalents (CAE) 100 g-1 dry matter). Based on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) assay, Ancovinto, Cancosa and Faro presented the highest antioxidant capacity (67.6 mmol Trolox Equivalents (TE) 100 g-1 dry matter). Regarding antimicrobial activity, Regalona ecotype showed the best performance against Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Listeria innocua. The bioactive compounds found in this study add new knowledge to the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Chilean quinoa seeds.

RESUMEN El consumo de quinua (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) está aumentando debido a su valor nutricional y beneficios para la salud relacionados con su capacidad antioxidante. El objetivo de presente estudio fue determinar los contenidos de fibra dietética, polifenoles, flavonoides e isoflavonas, y cómo estos compuestos contribuyen a la actividad antioxidante y antimicrobiana de seis ecotipos de quinua cultivados en tres zonas de Chile. Las muestras de quinua de la zona Norte se denominan Ancovinto y Cancosa, de la zona Centro se llaman Cáhuil y Faro, y de la zona Sur se denominan Regalona y Villarrica. Los resultados mostraron que todos los ecotipos de quinua chilena pueden considerarse buena fuente de fibra dietética (12,23 g 100 g-1 materia seca) y de polifenoles (161,32 mg de Equivalentes de Acido Gálico (EAG) 100 g-1 materia seca). Los ecotipos de la zona Norte y Centro mostraron la mayor concentración de isoflavonas. El ecotipo Cancosa, de la zona Norte, fue el que mostró el mayor contenido de flavonoides (211,06 mg Equivalentes de Catequina (ECA) 100 g-1 materia seca). Basado en el ensayo ORAC (del inglés Oxigen Radical Absorbance Capacity), los ecotipos Ancovinto, Cancosa y Faro, presentaron en promedio la mayor capacidad antioxidante (67,6 mmol de Equivalentes Trolox (ET) 100 g-1 materia seca). El ecotipo Regalona mostró la más alta actividad antimicrobiana frente a Saccharomyces cerevisiae y Listeria innocua. Los compuestos bioactivos encontrados en este estudio aportan nuevos conocimientos a la actividad antioxidante y antimicrobiana de las semillas de quinua chilena.

Cilindros de pitahayas fueron osmóticamente deshidratados en sacarosa 55 % (p/p) durante 45 minutos como un pre-tratamiento al secado convectivo. El secado por aire caliente se realizó a 50, 60 y 70ºC. Se comparó la cinética de secado de las muestras osmodeshidratadas con las muestras no tratadas. Se determinaron los coeficientes de difusión efectiva. Los valores de la energía de activación fueron 29.56 y 16.93 kJ mol-1 para las muestras pre-tratadas y para las no tratadas, respectivamente. Se aplicó modelado matemático para simular las curvas experimentales de secado de las pitahayas. Los resultados indicaron que el modelo de Weibull podría ser usado para simular los datos de secado experimental. Además, el encogimiento de las muestras debido a cambios en el volumen fue más pronunciado en las muestras sin pretratar

Cylinders of pitahayas were osmotically dehydrated in sucrose 55 % (w/w) during 45 minutes as a pretreatment of convective drying. Hot air drying was performed at 50, 60 and 70ºC. Drying kinetics of osmodehydrated samples was compared to untreated samples. Effective moisture diffusion coefficients were determined. Values of activation energy were 29.56 and 16.93 kJ mol-1 for pretreated samples and untreated samples, respectively. Mathematical modeling was applied to simulate the experimental drying curves of pitahayas. Results indicated that the Weibull model could be used to simulate experimental drying data. Furthermore, shrinkage of samples due to changes in volume was more pronounced for fruits dehydrated without pretreatment.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) oil processing produces significant amount of waste that can be utilized for the production of high value-added ingredients for various industrial applications. In this work, the effects of temperature on drying kinetics and quality indexes of the olive-waste cake during convective dehydration (40-90 °C) were investigated. Results on effective moisture diffusivity, physicochemical parameters, fatty acid profile, total phenolic, flavonoid, and flavanol contents as well as antioxidant capacity are also reported. Most of the fatty acids increased their content with respect to control sample with a temperature increase, i.e. oleic and linoleic acids increased 48% and 43% at 70 and 40 °C, respectively. Total flavanol content increased with temperature (48-62 mg catechin equivalents [CTE] 100 g-1 DM) except for 80 °C. Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were highly correlated to antioxidant capacity (0.923 < r < 0.992), except for 70 and 80 °C, the rest of the samples maintained their initial antioxidant capacity by ORAC analysis. Thus, these parameters show that dried olive-waste cake has a high bioactive compounds with potential use as additives for the food or other industries.

Los desechos agroindustriales son uno de los principales problemas ambientales a nivel mundial. Debido a las altas exigencias de calidad, la comercialización de limones de exportación genera grandes cantidades de desechos. Los descartes de limón contienen fibra, pectina, potasio, calcio y vitamina C. Por lo tanto, es importante desarrollar alternativas de procesamiento de estos sub-productos para agregarles valor y aumentar su vida útil. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue la aplicación del secado asistido por infrarrojos, como tecnología emergente, para estudiar el efecto de la temperatura de proceso sobre las cinéticas de secado de descartes de limón a 30, 40 y 50°C. Se utilizaron seis modelos matemáticos de capa fina encontrados en literatura para representar la cinética experimental. Basándose en análisis estadístico, el modelo Logarítmico presentó el mejor ajuste. Los valores de la difusividad efectiva del agua se estimaron en el rango de 9.45x 10-10 - 3.71× 10-9 m/s². El valor de la energía de activación fue 55.90 kJ/mol.

Agroindustrial wastes are a major environmental problem worldwide. Due to high quality requirements, commercialization of export lemons generates huge amounts of wastes. Lemon wastes have fiber, pectin, potassium, calcium and vitamin C. Therefore, it is important to develop alternative processing methods to add value and improve their shelf life. The aim of this work was to apply infrared drying, as an emergent technology, to study the effect of drying temperature on the drying kinetics of lemon waste at 30, 40 and 50°C. Six thin layer models found in literature were used to represent the experimental drying kinetics. Based on statistical tests, the Logarithmic model presented the best fit. Values of moisture effective diffusivities were in the range of 9.45x 10-10 - 3.71× 10-9 m/s². The value of activation energy was 55.90 kJ/mol.

Health-conscious consumers prefer a nutritious diet with an increase in fruit intake because of their bioactive compounds. Dehydration is widely used to prolong fruit shelf life. This study researched the effect of convective dehydration on physico-chemical properties, color, vitamin C, β-carotene, total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity during dehydration of goldenberry (Physalis peruviana L.) fruits in the 50 to 90 °C temperature range. Chromatic parameters (L*, a*, and b*) as well as Chroma and hue angle were affected by drying temperature, which contributed to fruit discoloring during this process. Total phenolic content, flavonoids, and β-carotene increased from 321.05-356.68 mg gallic acid 100 g-1 DM, 99.25-144.29 mg quercetin equivalents 100 g-1 DM, and 722.30-783.16 mg 100 g-1 sample, respectively, at 90 °C. Radical scavenging activity showed higher antioxidant activity at high temperatures than low temperatures. Both vitamin C content and TPC decreased as air-drying temperature decreased. A high correlation was observed between fruit TPC and flavonoids with antioxidant capacity. Based on these results, this fruit has potential for the development of new functional products.

In this study, the effects of hot-air drying conditions on color, water holding capacity, and total phenolic content of dried apple were investigated using artificial neural network as an intelligent modeling system. After that, a genetic algorithm was used to optimize the drying conditions. Apples were dried at different temperatures (40, 60, and 80 °C) and at three air flow-rates (0.5, 1, and 1.5 m/s). Applying the leave-one-out cross validation methodology, simulated and experimental data were in good agreement presenting an error < 2.4 %. Quality index optimal values were found at 62.9 °C and 1.0 m/s using genetic algorithm.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da aplicação de altas pressões hidrostáticas (150, 250, 350, 450 e 550 MPa) aplicadas durante 5 minutos sobre a atividade antioxidante, concentração de polifenóis totais, cor, firmeza, taxa de reidratação e capacidade de retenção de água do gel de aloe vera armazenado durante 60 dias a 4 °C. As propriedades analisadas do gel pressurizado mostraram mudanças significativas depois de armazenadas. Para pressões de 550 Mpa, registrou-se o maior aumento de polifenóis totais. No entanto, observou-se uma diminuição da capacidade antioxidante em todas as amostras, em comparação com a amostra não tratada (p < 0,05). As alterações de cor foram menores para pressões entre 150 e 250 MPa. A aplicação de altas pressões hidrostáticas diminuiu a firmeza do gel, registrando-se o menor valor para 150 MPa (p < 0,05). Por outro lado, o tratamento sem pressão mostrou uma maior perda de firmeza, indicando que o tratamento por altas pressões conserva esta propriedade. A aplicação de altas pressões evidenciou modificações da matriz do alimento, avaliadas como taxa de reidratação e capacidade de retenção de água.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of high hydrostatic pressure (150, 250, 350, 450, and 550 MPa), applied for 5 minutes, on antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, color, firmness, rehydration ratio, and water holding capacity of aloe vera gel stored for 60 days at 4 °C. The analyzed properties of the pressurized gel showed significant changes after the storage period. The highest value of total phenolic content was found at 550 MPa. However, a decrease in the antioxidant capacity was observed for all pressurized gel samples when compared to the control sample (p < 0.05). The smallest changes in product color were observed at pressure levels between 150 and 250 MP. The application of high hydrostatic pressure resulted in lower gel firmness, and the lowest value was found at 150 MPa (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the untreated sample showed a greater decrease in firmness, indicating that high pressure processing preserves this property. The application of high hydrostatic pressure exhibited modifications in the food matrix, which were evaluated in terms of rehydration ratio and water holding capacity.

Durante a pós-colheita a alface é exposta a condições adversas (baixa umidade relativa) que reduzem a qualidade do vegetal. A fim de avaliar sua vida útil, um grande número de índices de qualidade tem que ser analisado, requerendo um cuidadoso delineamento experimental e um longo consumo de tempo. Neste trabalho, o método modificado do Índice Global da Estabilidade foi aplicado para estimar a qualidade da alface manteiga a uma baixa umidade relativa durante o armazenamento diferenciando três zonas (interna, média e externa). Os resultados indicaram que, para a zona externa, os índices mais relevantes foram o conteúdo da umidade relativa, conteúdo da água, ácido ascórbico e a contagem total de micro-organismos mesófilos. Para a zona média, foram conteúdo da umidade relativa, conteúdo da água, clorofila total, ácido ascórbico e, para a interna, conteúdo da umidade relativa, água ligada, conteúdo da água e a contagem total de micro-organismos mesófilos. Foi proposto um modelo matemático entre o Índice Global da Estabilidade e qualidade visual geral para cada zona da alface. Ademais, foi aplicada a distribuição de Weibull para estimar o tempo da vida útil do vegetal, o qual foi: 5, 4 e 3 dias para as zonas interna, média e externa, respectivamente. Quando foi estudado o efeito do tempo de armazenamento para cada zona da alface, todos os índices avaliados na zona externa mostraram diferenças significativas (p < 0,05). Para as zonas interna e média, todos os índices medidos, com exceção do conteúdo da água e do total de clorofila, mostraram diferenças significativas (p < 0,05).

During postharvest, lettuce is usually exposed to adverse conditions (e.g. low relative humidity) that reduce the vegetable quality. In order to evaluate its shelf life, a great number of quality attributes must be analyzed, which requires careful experimental design, and it is time consuming. In this study, the modified Global Stability Index method was applied to estimate the quality of butter lettuce at low relative humidity during storage discriminating three lettuce zones (internal, middle, and external). The results indicated that the most relevant attributes were: the external zone - relative water content, water content , ascorbic acid, and total mesophilic counts; middle zone - relative water content, water content, total chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid; internal zone - relative water content, bound water, water content, and total mesophilic counts. A mathematical model that takes into account the Global Stability Index and overall visual quality for each lettuce zone was proposed. Moreover, the Weibull distribution was applied to estimate the maximum vegetable storage time which was 5, 4, and 3 days for the internal, middle, and external zone, respectively. When analyzing the effect of storage time for each lettuce zone, all the indices evaluated in the external zone of lettuce presented significant differences (p < 0.05). For both, internal and middle zones, the attributes presented significant differences (p < 0.05), except for water content and total chlorophyll.

Drying kinetics of quinoa-supplemented feed for laboratory rats during processing at 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90ºC was studied and modeled in this work. Desorption isotherm was obtained at 60ºC giving a monolayer moisture content of 0.04 g water/g d.m. The experimental drying curves showed that drying process took place only in the falling rate period. Several thin-layer drying equations available in the literature were evaluated based on determination coefficient (r²), sum squared errors (SSE) and Chi-square (χ2) statisticals. In comparison to the experimental moisture values, the values estimated with the Logarithmic model gave the best fit quality (r² >0.994, SSE < 0.00015 and χ2 < 0.00018), showing this equation could predict very accurately the drying time of rat feed under the operative conditions applied.