Meat and fish are muscle foods rich in valuable nutrients, such as high-quality proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and, in the case of fish, also unsaturated fatty acids. The escalation of meat and fish production has increased the occurrence of pesticide and antibiotic residues, as result of pest control on feed crops, and antibiotics used to fight infections in animals. Meat and fish are usually cooked to enrich taste, soften texture, increase safety, and improve nutrient digestibility. However, the impact of cooking on nutritional properties and formation of deleterious compounds must be understood. This review summarizes studies, published in the last decade, that have focused on how domestic cooking affects: (i) composition of nutrients (protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals); (ii) antibiotic and pesticide residue contents; and (iii) the formation of cooking-induced contaminants (heterocyclic aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and thermal degradation products of antibiotics and pesticides). Cooking affects the nutritional composition of meat and fish; frying is the cooking method that causes the greatest impact. Cooking may reduce the pesticide and antibiotic residues present in contaminated raw meat and fish; however, it may result in the formation of degradation products of unknown identity and toxicity. Control of cooking time and temperature, use of antioxidant-rich marinades, and avoiding the dripping of fat during charcoal grilling can reduce the formation of cooking-induced contaminants.
An approach to functionalize graphene-based materials has been developed by assembling graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) with clay minerals. Under convenient sonomechanical treatment, clay-GNP mixtures may produce very stable water dispersions in particular using sepiolite fi brous clay. While in the absence of clay a rapid decantation of GNP in water is observed, in the presence of sepiolite the resulting dispersions remain stable during months without syneresis effects. Rigid but fl exible self-supported fi lms are easily obtained by fi ltering of these dispersions. As the electrical percolation threshold corresponds to sepiolite/GNP composites of 0.5:1 in weight, doping these systems with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) significantly enhances their electrical conductivity. The particular microporosity of the sepiolite component allows interactions with molecules, such as organic dyes, as well as polymers, such as biopolymers, opening the way to functional materials for advanced applications due to their inherent conductivity afforded by the GNP and MWCNTs carbonaceous components. In fact, using very small amount of MWCNT together with GNP can obtain composites with signifi cant electrical conductivity, maintaining the enhanced mechanical properties, at a lower cost.
The importance of balanced dietary habits, which include appropriate amounts of antioxidants to maintain the immune system, has become increasingly relevant during the current SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic, because viral infections are characterized by high oxidative stress. Furthermore, the measures taken by governments to control the pandemic have led to increased anxiety, stress, and depression, which affect physical and mental health, all of which are influenced by nutritional status, diet, and lifestyle. The Mediterranean diet (MD), Atlantic diet (AD), and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans all provide the essential vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds needed to activate enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant responses. However, viral pandemics such as the current COVID-19 crisis entail high oxidative damage caused by both the infection and the resultant social stresses within populations, which increases the probability and severity of infection. Balanced dietary patterns such as the MD and the AD are characterized by the consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and whole grains with low intakes of processed foods and red meat. For a healthy lifestyle in young adults, the MD in particular provides the required amount of antioxidants per day for vitamins D (0.3–3.8 μg), E (17.0 mg), C (137.2–269.8 mg), A (1273.3 μg), B-12 (1.5–2.0 μg), and folate (455.1–561.3 μg), the minerals Se (120.0 μg), Zn (11.0 mg), Fe (15.0–18.8 mg), and Mn (5.2–12.5 mg), and polyphenols (1171.00 mg) needed to maintain an active immune response. However, all of these diets are deficient in the recommended amount of vitamin D (20 μg/d). Therefore, vulnerable populations such as elders and obese individuals could benefit from antioxidant supplementation to improve their antioxidant response. Although evidence remains scarce, there is some indication that a healthy diet, along with supplemental antioxidant intake, is beneficial to COVID-19 patients.
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