The objective of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant and antihemolytic activities of crude, aqueous, and organic-aqueous extracts of maqui ( Aristotelia chilensis ) and murta ( Ugni molinae Turcz.), together with their inhibiting effect on enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates. Radical scavenging activity, inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation in a micellar system, antihemolytic activity, and inhibition of α-amylases and α-glucosidases were analyzed. Crude extracts of maqui leaves and fruits were found to be important sources of polyphenolic compounds, showing 69.0 ± 0.9 and 45.7 ± 1.1 mg GAE/g dm, respectively. Polyphenols from maqui leaves were active as antioxidants and antihemolytic compounds (p < 0.05), showing a noncompetitive inhibiting effect on α-glucosidase. Flavan-3-ol polymers and glycosylated flavonols, such as quercetin glucoside and kaempferol glucoside, were tentatively identified in extracts. This preliminary observation provides the basis for further examination of the suitability of polyphenol-enriched extracts from maqui and murta as nutritional or medicinal supplements with potential human health benefits.

Scientific evidence supports flaxseed consumption; however, a large sector of the population is still unaware of the benefits associated to its consumption and its possible applications as functional food ingredient in foodstuffs. Flaxseed is mainly known by its high alpha-linolenic acid content, but it is also a lignan source, soluble fibre and protein, compounds which are biologically active in the prevention of some non-transmissible chronic diseases. Southern Chile has comparative advantages for the cultivation of this crop. Together with its full processing, this crop could strengthen regional industry. The purpose of the present review is to highlight the nutritional properties of flaxseed.

Almond hulls and grape pomace are residues abundantly generated by agricultural industries, which could be processed to obtain bioactive products. To this purpose, crude ethanol extracts from both agricultural byproducts were attained and subsequently fractionated in order to obtain an organic/water fraction (FOW). Extracts and fractions were analyzed for antioxidant power and their phenolic components tentatively identified by HPLC-MS. Chromatographic peaks of almond hull extracts showed the occurrence of hydroxybenzoic and cinnamic acid derivatives, with minor presence of flavan-3-ols (ECG, EGCG), whereas the FOW fraction offered the additional presence of epicatechin (EC) and glycosylated flavonols. In the composition for extracts of white and red grape pomace several of these compounds were also detected but basically consisted of glycosylated flavonols (quercetin, kaempferol). As a difference between both grape pomaces, myricetin glycosyde was found in that from the red variety, whereas flavan-3-ols (EC, afzelechin) were only identified in white pomace. When their FOW fractions were analyzed, gallic acid and some hydroxybenzoic acids were additionally detected. Antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH and TBARS assays. Almond hulls showed inhibition percentages lower than 50% in both assays, while the inhibition percentage ranged from 80% to 90% in pomace extracts. Red grape pomace extract was the most efficient antioxidant, with an EC50 value of 0.91 g/L for TBARS and 0.20 g/L for DPPH. Even appearing as two quite different vegetal matrixes, the composition of phenolics in grape pomace and almond hulls is quite similar, the main difference being the major occurrence of flavonols in grape pomace. This fact could presumably explain the lower antiradical activity of hull extracts.

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The main objective of this study was to develop an optimized formulation of soup powder enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. For this purpose, the process conditions for optimizing the microencapsulation efficiency (ME) of linseed oil by spray drying were determined using the Taguchi methodology with an orthogonal array L 4 ( 2 3 ). The effect of the variables on the ME, such as wall material concentration (25 and 30%), linseed oil concentration (14 and 20%), and wall material type (gum arabic GA; and a mixture maltodextrin/GA), was evaluated. The oxidative stability of the microcapsules obtained were determined by the Rancimat method, and a morphological and size characterization of microcapsules was performed by scanning electronic microscopy, confocal microscopy, and laser diffraction. The optimization of the soup formulation was reached by means of RSM, using the central composite design, two control factors (salty taste and consistency), and 11 design points. The hedonic test was applied to measure the acceptability of the optimized formulation. Chemical characterization of optimized soup and its oxidative stability were also evaluated. This study resulted in a healthy soup enriched with omega-3 which was highly acceptable to consumers.Practical applications: Linseed oil is a healthy and nutritive oil, very rich in unsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3. In addition to protecting the oil against oxidative damage, the microencapsulation of oils in a polymeric matrix (mainly polysaccharides and proteins) also offers the possibility of controlled release of the lipophilic functional ingredient and can be useful for the supplementation of foods with PUFA. The soup powder enriched with microencapsulated linseed oil as a source of omega-3 formulated in this study will contribute to the development of foods according to the functionality requirements of current consumers and markets.

The prebiotics and probiotics market is constantly growing due to the positive effects of its consumption on human health, which extends beyond the digestive system. In addition, the synbiotic products market is also expanding due to the synergistic effects between pre-and probiotics that provide additional benefits to consumers. Pre-and probiotics are being evaluated for their effectiveness to treat and prevent infectious diseases in other parts of the human body where microbial communities exist. This review examines the scientific data related to the effects of pre-and probiotics on the treatment of diseases occurring in the skin, female urogenital tract, and respiratory tract. The evidence suggests that probiotics consumption can decrease the presence of eczema in children when their mothers have consumed probiotics during pregnancy and lactation. In women, probiotics consumption can effectively prevent recurrent urinary tract infections. The consumption of synbiotic products can reduce respiratory tract infections and their duration and severity. However, the outcomes of the meta-analyses are still limited and not sufficiently conclusive to support the use of probiotics to treat infectious diseases. This is largely a result of the limited number of studies, lack of standardization of the studies, and inconsistencies between the reported results. Therefore, it is advisable that future studies consider these shortcomings and include the evaluation of the combined use of pre-and probiotics.

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