Maria Inês de Souza Dantas

Flaxseed and Human Health: Reviewing Benefits and Adverse Effects

Consumption of flaxseed has been increased due to its possible functional properties in health. However, its chronic consumption may offer risks considering the effects of lignans in men and in pregnant women, as well as the existence of other phytochemicals and toxic factors with adverse health effects in the seed. The present review focuses on the growing body of evidence on the potential health benefits of flaxseed in humans, with supporting evidence from human and animal studies. It also raises questions that provide input for future research on the effects of flaxseed ingestion in terms of nutrient bioavailability and human fertility.

Sensory evaluation and nutritional value of cakes prepared with whole flaxseed flour

The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value, the oxidative stabilitiy, and consumer acceptance of cakes containing four different concentrations of flaxseed flour (5, 15, 30 and 45%) as partial replacement for wheat flour. The oxidative stability of polyunsaturated fatty acids was evaluated through the lipid peroxidation test (TBARS) in the flour and cakes. Linolenic acid was determined by gas chromatography as well as contents of protein, lipid, ash, and dietary fiber. Consumer acceptance was assessed using a structured hedonic scale of nine points. The oxidative stability of lipid flaxseeds was not affected by the heat treatment during flour processing and cake baking. Cakes made with 5, 15, and 30% of flaxseed flour, the most accepted by consumers, had dietary fiber levels ranging from 3.5 to 6.2 g and linolenic acid ranging from 445 to 2,500 mg.100 g –1 of the product. The cakes received claims of good and excellent source of dietary fiber and linolenic acid, respectively, both are bioactive compounds. The use of up to 30% of flaxseed flour in the preparation of cakes is a useful strategy to optimize the consumption of food rich in functional ingredients.

Mapa de preferência de sorvetes ricos em fibras

Four samples of ice cream were prepared with four different concentrations of granola and fructooligosaccharide (FOS). The concentration of fiber was evaluated using the AOAC method. The acceptance evaluation was conducted by 78 consumers between 15 and 25 years of age. The consumers evaluated the global acceptance of the formulations through the structured 9-point hedonic scale, in a single section, in a monadic form. The experiment was structured by a Randomized Complete Block Design. The results were submitted to the analysis of variance, Tukey test, and to the preference mapping technique for principal component analysis. The control samples and the others with FOS had the better acceptance. The sample containing solely FOS was the closest to the traditional product with little difference from the latter in terms of global acceptance. The granola was statistically different from the traditional product. The fiber concentration analyzed was higher than the one provided by the granola supplier. The fiber concentrations in the ice creams varied from 0,9 to 5,45 g.100 g –1 . The highest

Physical and sensorial properties of potato breads fortified with whole soybean flour

The aim of this work was to study the effects of fortification of potato bread with whole soybean flour on their physicochemical and sensory properties. Cont...

Mapa de preferência de couve minimamente processada

The acceptability of fresh-cut collard leaves chopped in different widths was determined by employing the preference mapping technique. Spatial separation of samples suggested the existence of three groups, according to their acceptability. Fresh-cut samples showing acceptability by a large number of consumers where 1 and 2 mm wide.

Influência do processamento na qualidade proteica de novos cultivares de soja destinados à alimentação humana

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of processing on the protein quality of new soybean cultivars intended for human food. METHODS: The diets were prepared from the cultivars Embrapa 48, BRS 213, BRS 155 and UFVTN 105. They were heat-treated in a vacuum oven at 130oC and 150°C, with subsequent removal or not of the hull for the production of soybean meals. A biological assay was done to determine the protein efficiency ratio, net protein ratio and true protein digestibility. RESULTS: Soybean meals had lower protein efficiency ratio, net protein ratio and digestibility than casein. Whole soybean meals treated at 150oC had a better protein quality index than refined soybean meals heat-treated at 130oC. The protein efficiency ratio and net protein ratio of Embrapa 48 and BRS 155 cultivars were higher (p<0.05) than the other ones. The UFVTN 105 cultivar had the highest digestibility (p<0.05) when treated at 130oC. Among the cultivars heat-treated at 150oC, the BRS 213 and BRS 155 cultivars had the lowest digestibility (p<0.05). Protein digestibility of the cultivar with low trypsin inhibitor content (BRS 155) was not better than that of the conventional Embrapa-48 cultivar. CONCLUSION: Heating and removal or not of the hull affected the protein quality of the new soybean cultivars intended for human food. Whole soybean meals heat-treated at 150oC for 30 minutes presented the best results. Heating improved the protein quality of the conventional soybean meals. Their protein quality was similar to that of the cultivars without trypsin inhibitor and better than that of the cultivars without lipoxygenases.

Development of a low calorie yacon jam: physico chemical, microbiological and sensory characterization

This study aimed to evaluate the physical-chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics of four formulations of yacon jams. The following characteristics were analyzed: chemical composition, soluble solids, pH, microbiological presence of total coliforms and salmonella at 45 °C, and presence of fungi and yeasts. The yacon jams exhibited high moisture content (> 62%) as well as high concentrations of carbohydrates (> 28%) and total dietary fiber (2.5%), mainly fructooligosaccharides (> 0.9%). The average energy value was 124.6 kcal/100 g. The average pH was 3.8 and the soluble solids measured 27.6 °Brix. All yacon jams complied with standard microbiological requirements and received high acceptance scores, especially the yacon jam and yacon jam with cinnamon. Yacon jam products may offer an excellent alternative to more common jams due to their lower concentrations of simple sugar, lower calorie value, increased presence of dietary fibers, and desirable sensory characteristics.

Farinhas de soja sem lipoxigenase agregam valor sensorial em bolos

Soy Flours without lipoxygenase improve sensory value in cakes This work aimed to evaluate the viability of adding soybean flour to wheat flour for cake making by quantifying product acceptance using affective sensorial tests, principal analysis components and internal preference map. Four cake samples with wheat flour replaced by concentrations of 45% and 75% of soybean flour made of different soybean varieties (conventional and without lipoxygenase) were evaluated. The cakes were evaluated by consumers using a structured hedonic scale of 9 points. All samples obtained grades above the cutoff point (6.0). The samples made of improved flavor soybean flour were the best accepted. The results showed that the use of soybean flour as a partial substitute for wheat flour is a viable alternative, constituting an aggregating source of nutritional quality in food making.

Characterization of cereal bars enriched with dietary fiber and omega 3

Resumen en: The aim of the present work was to characterize cereal bars with high levels of fiber and w-3 using functional ingredients. Formulations were developed ...

Heat-treatment reduces anti-nutritional phytochemicals and maintains protein quality in genetically improved hulled soybean flour

The soybean is a protein source of high biological value. However, the presence of anti-nutritional factors affects its protein quality and limits the bioavailability of other nutrients. The effect of heat-treatment, 150 oC for 30 minutes, on hulled and hull-less soybean flour from the cultivar UFVTN 105AP on urease, trypsin inhibitor activity, protein solubility, amino acid profile, and in vivo protein quality was investigated. The treatment reduced the trypsin inhibitor activity and urease, but it did not affect protein solubility. Protein Efficiency Coefficient (PER) values of the flours were similar, and the PER of the hull-less soybean flour did not differ from casein. The Net Protein Ratio (NPR) did not differ between the experimental groups. The True Digestibility (TD) of the flours did not differ, but both were lower in casein and the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCCAS) was lower than the TD, due to limited valine determined by the chemical score. Therefore, the flours showed reduced anti-nutritional phytochemicals and similar protein quality, and therefore the whole flours can be used as a source of high quality protein.