Capsicum genus (Solanaceae) is native to the Americas. Today, it is an important agricultural crop cultivated around the world, not only due to its economic importance, but also for the nutritional value of the fruits. Among their phytochemical constituents, capsaicinoids are characteristic and responsible of the pungency of sharp-tasting cultivars. Moreover, Capsicum and capsaicinoids (mainly, capsaicin) have been largely studied because of their health benefits. Thus, this study reviews the scientific knowledge about Capsicum spp. and their phytochemicals against cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, pain, and metabolic syndrome, as well as their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. These bioactivities can be the basis of the formulation of functional ingredients and natural preservatives containing Capsicum extracts or isolated compounds.
Camelina sativa seeds are rich in oil (30-49%) and protein (24-31%). They contain 𝝎-3 acids, 𝝎-6 acids, tocopherols, phytosterols, and phenolic compounds, among others. From an agricultural perspective, growing of this crop is of interest due to its short growth cycle and low fertilizer and water input requirements. Camelina is also tolerant to cold and drought and is consequently well adapted to grow in semiarid regions. Camelina is mainly cultivated for its oil in Europe and North America. In this review, the processes applied for camelina oil extraction, composition, and attributes, as well as the food and nonfood applications of camelina oil are reviewed. Applications include animal feed, functional foods, materials, biofuels, and agrochemicals. Valorization of the camelina protein found in the meal after the oil extraction is also discussed. Practical Applications: The need to develop an integrated process consisting of a degumming step to extract the mucilage from the whole camelina seeds, followed by an oil extraction step, and finally by a protein extraction step is highlighted. There is also a need to develop food applications of camelina oil. More research works should also focus on the utilization of camelina oil in food applications and in specialty applications such as functional foods, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications.
Oat (
Avena sativa
) is one of the most cultivated and consumed cereals worldwide. Recognized among cereals for its high protein content (12%–24%), it makes it an excellent source of bioactive peptides, which could be modified during processes such as heating and gastrointestinal digestion (GID). This work aims to evaluate the impact of heat treatment on the proteolysis of oat proteins and on the evolution of antioxidant peptide released during
in vitro
static GID, in terms of comparative analysis between cooked oat protein concentrate (COPC) and non-heated oat protein concentrate (OPC) samples. The protein extraction method and cooking procedure used showed no detrimental effects on protein quality. After GID, the proportion of free amino acids/dipeptides (<0.2 kDa) reached >40% for both samples (OPC and COPC), thus producing peptides with low molecular weight and enhanced bioactivity. Furthermore, during GID, the amino acid profile showed an increase in essential, positively-charged, hydrophobic and aromatic amino acids. At the end of GID, the reducing power of OPC and COPC increased >0.3 and 8-fold, respectively, in comparison to the non-digested samples; while ABTS
•+
and DPPH
•
showed a >20-fold increase. Fe
2+
chelating capacity of OPC and COPC was enhanced >4 times; similarly, Cu
2+
chelation showed a >19-fold enhancement for OPC and >10 for COPC. β-carotene bleaching activity was improved 0.8 times in OPC and >9 times in COPC; the oxygen radical antioxidant capacity assay increased 2 times in OPC and >4.7 times in COPC, respectively. This study suggests that OPC after cooking and GID positively influenced the nutritional and bioactive properties of oat peptides. Thus, COPC could be used as a functional food ingredient with health-promoting effects, as hydrothermal treatment is frequently used for this type of cereals.
Pulses are consumed worldwide with different processing methods, which may impact their digestibility, protein quality, and composition. This study aims to analyze the effect of extrusion, baking, and cooking on protein nutritional parameters; bioactive compounds; and the impact on antioxidant capacity (AOX) of 10 selected pulses.Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that thermal processing causes modifications to the main storage proteins in pulses.
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