Legumes are alternative protein sources that have been successfully used to develop diverse meatless foods. Although these plant-based products have a lower impact on the environment than equivalent animal-based products they have lower protein digestibility. Germination could be a useful bioprocess to enhance protein digestibility in legumes although its effect at different times of seedling development has been little studied in lentil and faba bean. This work investigated the effect of germination time (4 and 6 days after full seed imbibition) on the proteins of three types of Canadian lentils (“gray zero tannin”, G; “caviar black”, B; and “red dehulled”, D) and faba bean (“zero vicin/convicin”, F). Germination increased total nitrogen (4-14% increase) and total levels of some amino acids: Asp in all the sprouts studied; Ser, Pro, Ala, Cys, His and Lys in G; Met and Tyr in B. A concurrent degradation of the 7S and 11S globulin subunits, accumulation of peptides below 20 kDa and free essential and non-essential amino acids (4 to 6-fold increase) were observed after germination in all the legumes studied. These effects were attributable to the increased protease activity observed after sprouting. Trypsin inhibitory activity was lower in legume sprouts except for D where a small increase was detected. Time, legume type and their interaction showed significant effects on the parameters studied. Germination effects were generally more remarkable at longer stages of seedling development. Among legumes studied, D showed a differential behavior characterized by a faster protein degradation and release of small peptides probably due to its higher protease activity as indicated by principal component analysis. These results evidence the positive effects of germination on protein digestibility of different lentil types and faba bean. Protein quality of plant-based foods could be improved through selection of legumes species with higher germination-induced proteolytic rates and optimized germination times.

This research was funded by University of Saskatcheewan, grant “Lentils for Sustainable and Healthy Proteins (Ref. 20196324)”.

Algae are not only of high ecological, but also of great economic importance. The industrial exploitation of algae has suffered a boom in the last two decades because they are a suitable source of interesting compounds for a number of sectors (agriculture, energy, food science, cosmeceutical, pharmacology, among other) [1]. Among these compounds, phenolics are gaining attention as their beneficial health properties that they are thought to confer as they are usually potent antioxidants, although some of them are also regarded as antimicrobial or anticarcenogenic. Taking into account this information, in this work, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) was applied to optimize the extraction of phenolic compounds from eight edible algae species (Laminaria spp., Saccharina latissimia, Himanthalia elongate, Undaria pinnatifida, Porphyra spp., Palmaria palmata, Codium spp. and Ulva spp.). The process was optimized by response surface methodology using a five-level central composite design combining the independent variables of processing time (t, 5-90 min), pressure (P, 10-600 MPa) and solvent (S, 0-100 % of ethanol (v/v)) [2]. The individual and total phenolic compounds and the extraction yield were used as response variables. In general, the optimum extraction conditions for phenolic acids for all eight species analyzed were found at shorter values of t, high values of P and high values of S. The best results were obtained for Kombu real with a concentration of phenolic compounds of 78.7 mg / g and a yield of 22.0%. In conclusion, the present study contributes to the valorization of edible algae species, common in the North-West region of Spain, by the obtainment of rich extracts in phenolic compounds that potentially can be applied as ingredients in different industrial fields with a promising emerging technology.

Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) is one of the most promising alternatives to heat treatments for food preservation but much research effort is still required to fully elucidate the factors affecting microbial inactivation by this technology. The aim of this work was to study the effect of sublethal shocks of different nature on the properties of Staphylococcus aureus envelopes and its relationship with the development of cross-resistance to PEF. S. aureus cells were exposed to sublethal shocks (acid, alkaline, oxidative, osmotic, heat and cold) and then their membrane fluidity (fluorescence anisotropy), surface charge (cytochrome-C binding) and surface hydrophobicity (2-phase partition) were determined. Results obtained indicate that only heat shock resulted in a significant change (p<0.05) of S. aureus membrane fluidity (r value increased up to 0.05 units). Heat shock also resulted in an increase (10.6 %) in surface hydrophobicity. Finally, heat and alkaline shocks resulted in an increase in the surface negative charge (up to a 23 %) of S. aureus cells. On the other hand, heat and alkaline shocks were the only ones triggering an increase in PEF resistance (3- and 6-fold increase in the time for the first decimal reduction). Neither the changes in surface charge nor the heat and alkaline shock-dependent development of PEF resistance required de novo protein synthesis, thus suggesting that surface charge would play a major role in S. aureus PEF resistance.

During wine production a large amount of waste (grape pomace) is obtained corresponding to about 31.7 kilograms per 100 liters produced [1]. This material is considered a rich source of bioactive compounds and therefore is of interest for several industries. However, grape pomace is susceptible to microbial degradation due to its high moisture content, thus drying is frequently considered an essential process for grape pomace conservation and stabilization [2]. Drying allows for a better conservation, easier storage due to a lower volume and improves product stability. However drying conditions such as temperature and time may affect grape pomace bioactive potential. As drying represents a high energy consumption, an alternative for reducing the energy costs is the use of intermittent operation, which operates with transient inputs of air conditions, such as the supply temperature. Intermittent drying, in addition to promoting lower energy consumption, also enables less damage to heat-sensitive materials. Thus, in the present work modeling of the drying process of grape skins from red wine grape pomace was performed at temperatures of 40 °C, 55 °C and 70 °C, both for drying in the conventional and in the intermittent mode, with tempering periods of 5 and 10 minutes. Moreover, total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity (DPPH and reducing power assays) were determined by spectrophotometric methods before and after the drying process at the proposed conditions.
Modeling results for conventional operation showed that, among the 8 models tested for the conventional drying, the one that best suited the experimental data was the Approximation of diffusion model. For the intermittent drying operation, equations were deduced based on mass and energy balance that led to a fit with a maximum global deviation of 10% in comparison to experimental data. After extracting the same amount of sample (fresh and after different drying processes) with hydroethanolic solution (80%, v/v), results expressed in dry basis of grape pomace samples showed that conventional drying had the highest impact on lowering the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. Among the drying conditions assayed, the one that allowed maintaining the highest amounts of bioactive compounds was the 5 min of tempering period performed at 40 ºC, corresponding to a loss of 20.6% and 14.5% total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids, respectively, when compared to the grape pomace sample before drying (162 mg gallic acid equivalents/g pomace, dry weight and 82 mg catechin equivalents/g pomace, d.w.).
The present work showed that intermittent drying can provide grape pomace samples with higher content of bioactive compounds and higher antioxidant activity when compared to conventional drying performed at the same temperature. Moreover, it provided information regarding the application of mathematical modeling to grape pomace drying showing that these models can be applied to drying optimization studies.

Acknowledgements:
To FCT (Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), and the contract of L. Barros through the institutional scientific employment program-contract. To Cooperativa de Silgueiros, Portugal, for supplying the grape pomace sample.

References
[1] Beres, C., Costa, G.N.S, Cabezudo, I., James, N.K., Teles, A.S.C., Cruz, A.P.G., Silva, C.M., et al. Waste Manage, 68 (2017) 581-584.
[2] Carmona-Jiménez, Y., García-Moreno, M.V., & García-Barroso, C. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr., 73 (2018) 74-81.

Terahertz Time-domain Spectroscopy is a useful technique for determining some physical characteristics of materials, which is based on selective frequency absorption of a broad-spectrum electromagnetic pulse. In order to investigate the potential of this technology to classify cocoa percentages in chocolates, the terahertz spectra (0.5-10 THz) of 5 chocolate samples (50%, 60%, 70%, 80% and 90% of cocoa) were examined. The acquired data matrices were analyzed with the MATLAB 2019b application where the dielectric function was obtained along with the absorbance curves and was classified by using 24 mathematical classification models, achieving differentiations of around 95% obtained by the Gaussian SVM algorithm model with a kernel scale of 0.35 and a one-against-one multiclass method. It was concluded that the combined processing and classification of images obtained from the Terahertz Time-domain Spectroscopy and the use of machine learning algorithms can be used to successfully classify chocolates with different percentages of cocoa.

Beer has been highly appreciated due to its phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity conjugated with its low alcohol content. Although the existence of some studies regarding the phenolic composition and antioxidant capacities of beers, there is no studies related to the determination of these parameters in the most consumed commercial beers in Portugal. The phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity of twenty-three Portuguese commercial beers of different styles and types from, was studied for the first time. The total phenolic content, ortho-diphenols, and flavonoids ranged between 0.15 ± 0.01 and 0.82 ± 0.07g GA /L; 0.07 ± 0.02 and 1.80 ± 0.09 g GA/ L, and 0.02 ± 0.00 and 0.15 ± 0.02 g CAT/L, respectively. An accurate quantitative phenolic analysis was also performed, and the compound identified in higher amount was gallic acid, followed by the syringic acid. Concerning flavonoids, gallocatechin was the most abundant compound identified (from 21.44±2.87 and 144.00±10.93 µg/mL). A significant correlation between ortho-diphenols and the antiradical capacity (ABTS and DPPH) was found, being the latter negatively correlated. Flavonoids content was also positively correlated with total phenols and antiradical capacity determined by the ABTS assay. These results evidence that phenolic composition is affected by several factors inherent to beers, namely ingredients, fermentation type, and brewing process.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Funds by FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UIDB/04033/2020, and FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E.

The product can be defined as a “basket of attributes” which provides the customer with the functional value specific to that class of product, as well as a set of secondary values (called benefits or services) which may be necessary or added. These additional services differentiate the brands and may have determining influence on customer’s preferences. Within the "GLASOIL" project (ID CUP J77H18000280006) the research activity focused on the development of the new product (olive oil based dressing) as a whole through the evaluation of the basket of attributes. Once the main reference targets had been defined, the survey focused on the expectations and evaluations of potential customers with respect to the new product. Investigating consumer preferences, before a product is launched on the market, is fundamental for companies and makes it possible to reduce failure rates. Through the creation of a focus group, the preferences and opinions of potential consumers on a new olive oil-based condiment were investigated. From the results obtained, different combinations of packaging were elaborated, subsequently used as graphic stimuli to carry out tests with eye tracking, aimed at verifying the presence of possible weak points of the packaging before launching the product on the market.

The results show that, for this specific type of product, consumers prefer a transparent package that makes the product visible inside, characterized by elegant lines and equipped with a drop breaking cap.

On the label, on the other hand, consumers, in addition to the information required by law, want to see the origin of production and instructions on possible use.

In conclusion, the analysis with eye tracking shows that images with elements such as a hand using the product, prove to be "winning", as they attract the observer's attention. Eye tracking analysis also confirms that men and women look at the packaging and label differently.

The aim of the study was to compare the consumption of n-3 and n-6 acids by adults using a vegetarian and traditional diet. The study was conducted on a group of 170 adults (18-50 years old), including 94 respondents following a traditional diet (56 women and 38 men) and 76 people following a vegetarian diet (52 women and 24 men). The research used the method of a 24-hour interview from four days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday). The record included the quantity and quality of individual meals and drinks. The analyzed data show that the average supply of n-3 fatty acids in grams per day did not differ depending on the diet used. The mean daily consumption of n-6 fatty acids in grams/day was similar among respondents consuming traditional and vegetarian diets. In this study, the proportions of n-6: n-3 acids consumption were slightly lower among people consuming a vegetarian diet than a traditional one. The study showed that people consuming traditional diets fulfilled the demand for EPA and DHA fatty acids to a significantly higher degree than people following a vegetarian diet. Men preferring the traditional diet significantly better fulfilled the daily requirement for DHA and EPA acids than women. A reverse tendency was found among respondents who consumed a vegetarian diet. The supply of LA acid with the vegetarian diet exceeded the recommended daily amount (especially among men), while with the traditional diet it was too low in relation to the recommended values. On the basis of the presented research results, it should be concluded that both in people consuming a vegetarian and a traditional diet, the supply of n-3 and n-6 ​​acids should be modified in order to ensure an adequate amount of these nutrients in both studied groups. In particular, the supply of n-3 acids should be increased in order to maintain the best n-3: n-6 ratio. Such a modification would help to a certain extent prevent, among others, diet-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension or ischemic heart disease, as well as bring many other positive health consequences for our body.

This research was aimed to identify the potential of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) as a functional food ingredient and the variability of their physico-chemical properties which were collected from eight different breweries. The BSG were dried until they reached a stable weight, grounded to pass 385 µm sieve and they were vacuum packed in non-transparent packaging and kept in room temperature conditions for further analysis. The result showed that BSG contained high dietary fiber content which was dominated by insoluble dietary fiber about 38.0-43.9% while soluble dietary fiber content about 3.9-9.6%. There were three groups of polyphenolic identified: flavan-3-ols, phenolic acids and flavonols about 362.1-1165.7 mg/kg, 65.8-122.5 mg/kg and 3.6-13.8 mg/kg respectively. Antioxidant capabilities were carried out in in-vitro assessment: ABTS capability was ranging from 0.086 to 0.241 mmol Trolox/100 g while FRAP capacity was from 0.106 to 0.306 µmol TE/100 g. Proximate as well as physical properties including colour, water activity, hydration properties, oil holding capacity and density showed a variability within all eight BSG samples. In conclusion, BSG as a brewery waste is potentially to be used as a functional food ingredient for their properties. It is suggested that further studies are needed to explore their impact on the development of functional food products.

The demand for more sustainable food production has generated attention in insect consumption. The main reason for this raised interest in insects is their nutritional characteristics: insects are a source of high-quality and easily digestible protein, fat, chitin, and a great variety of micronutrients. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional composition, techno-functional, and in vitro physiological properties of flours from six different insect species (mealworm, beetle, caterpillar, ant, locust, and cricket). The chemical composition of insects was evaluated following the standard methods (AOAC). Bulk density, water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, water absorption capacity, swelling capacity, emulsifying activity, foaming capacity, and gelation capacity were measured. In vitro antioxidant capacity was measure by the direct ABTS method. Hypoglycemic (glucose adsorption and the inhibition of α-amylase, glucose diffusion, and starch hydrolysis) and hypolipidemic (cholesterol and bile salts binding and lipase inhibition capacities) were investigated using in vitro methods. Insect flours exhibited high content of protein (39.4-58.1%) and fat (17.7-50.1%) as main components, although the presence of chitin in ant samples was also highlighted. The techno-functional properties showed high oil holding, swelling, and emulsifying capacities in all insect flours analyzed, besides bulk density, hydration properties, and foaming capacity showing average values and no gelation capacity. Insects showed high antioxidant capacity (179-221 mg Trolox equivalents/g). Moreover, these edible insect flours revealed effective hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic properties. Insect flours inhibited α-amylase activity (47.1-98.0%) and retarded glucose diffusion (17.2-29.6%) and starch hydrolysis (18.2-88.1%). Likewise, they bound cholesterol and bile salts (8.4-98.6%) and inhibited lipase activity (8.9-47.1%). Hence, these insect flours might be of great interest to the food industry being a healthy source of protein, exerting a positive impact on functional food properties, and with a potential role in the prevention of the development of diseases associated with hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia.