Marina Santaella

The content and nutritional significance of minerals on fish flesh in the presence and absence of bone

Abstract The aim of the present study was to evaluate the variations in the mineral contents (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Na, K, Ca, Mg and P) and nutritional significance of the minerals of Mediterranean fish, as a function of the presence of bone. The three commercial species analysed were blue whiting (Micromessistius poutassou;R), hake (Merluccius merluccius, L) and sole (Solea vulgaris vulgaris, Q). As small and large species of hake are distinguished commercially, they were analysed as separate types of fish. No variations in the contents Fe, Zn, Cu, Na and K were observed when bone was included, as the content of trace elements were quite low in all the samples assayed. However, significant increases in the Ca and P contents were observed in all the species analysed when bone was included. To ascertain the nutrional significance of the samples they were considered as ingredients of fish-based homogenised weaning foods. According to the Ca and P contents, and to the nutritional density values, the samples could be considered to be good supplements of Ca and P, when bone is present in the flesh.

Effect of the addition of tomato paste on the nutritional and sensory properties of mortadella

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of tomato paste (TP) to sausage mortadella in order to improve the nutritional properties and reduce the lipid oxidation associated with the content of lycopene. First, three different mortadellas without colourant were made with 2, 6 and 10% of TP, to optimise technologically the amount of this ingredient. Then, commercial product was compared with 10% of TP mortadella; both products were made with natural colourant. After a proximate analysis only total protein decreased due to the addition of TP. Lycopene content in mortadella and the total antioxidant activity were proportional to the amount of TP added. The presence of TP provided stability during meat grinding, cooking and storage of mortadella by reducing the lipid oxidation. In addition, TP provided yellowness and softness; however, when TP was added together with red colourant, the redness remained constant in the mortadella without effects on the consumer overall acceptance.

Content and in vitro availability of Fe, Zn, Mg, Ca and P in homogenized fish-based weaning foods after bone addition

The aim of the present study was to compare the Fe, Zn, Mg, Ca and P contents and their in vitro availability in five fish-based infant weaning foods, as a function of the fish bone added with the muscle. The weaning foods studied were: sole without bone (S); hake without bone (H); sole with bone and hake without bone (SBH); sole with bone (SB); and hake with bone (HB). Low levels of Fe and Zn and low percentages of these dialysed minerals were found in all the weaning foods assayed. The incorporation of bone increased the Ca and P contents, particularly in HB weaning food (92.8 ± 0.44 mg 100 g−1 for Ca and 274 ± 1.93 mg 100 g−1 for P). The amounts of Ca and P dialysed were also higher in the weaning foods with bone.

Longitudinal Study of Cytokine Expression, Lipid Profile and Neuronal Growth Factors in Human Breast Milk from Term and Preterm Deliveries

Breast milk (BM) is considered as a reference for infant nutrition. The role of bioactive components, such as cytokines, hormones, growth factors (GFs) and fatty acids (FAs) is poorly known, but they might be implicated in immune response development. The aim of this study was to identify the lipid profile and the spectrum of cytokines and neuronal GF in BM samples and analyse the influence of gestational age and lactation time on these components. This study used a longitudinal prospective method for the characterization of cytokines, FAs and GFs global profiles in 120 BM samples from 40 healthy mothers (20 preterm and 20 term) collected as colostrum, transitional and mature milk. The cytokines were analysed by protein array (Ray Bio® Human Cytokine Array G6. Ray Biotech, Inc. Norcross, GA, USA) and the FAs were analysed by gas chromatography. The FA profile was similar between the term and the preterm BM samples. Omega-3-α-linoleic and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and omega-6-linoleic acid were the most abundant in the term and preterm samples during lactation. Omega-3 ETA and omega-3 EPA we observed exclusively in the preterm samples. The cytokine profile showed a different trend based on gestational age. A significantly higher expression of neurotrophic factors was found in the mature preterm milk samples as compared to the mature term samples. Our study is the first to identify the influence and interactions of perinatal factors on cytokine, GFs and FAs in human milk.

Assessment of the role of meat cut on the Fe, Zn, Cu, Ca and Mg content and their in vitro availability in homogenised weaning foods

The aim of the present study was to compare the Fe, Zn, Cu, Ca and Mg contents and their in vitro availability in three meat-based weaning foods as a function of the meat cuts used in their formulation. The three meat cuts were yearling cow flank (YCF), mature cow flank(MCF) and mature cow mixed (MCM) cuts. The highest level of Fe (1.14 ± 0.31 mg/100 g) was obtained in MCM weaning food, whereas the highest content of Zn (0.96 ± 0.05 mg/100 g) was detected in YCF weaning food, depending significantly on the meat cut used (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). Cu, Ca and Mg contents were similar in the three weaning foods analysed. Amounts of dialysed minerals were higher in flankbased weaning foods YCF and MCF, with the exception of Ca which was higher in MCM. In addition, it is important to emphasise the high percentage of available Fe observed in MCF weaning food (8.57%) compared with the other two, 6.37% for YCF and 4.90% for MCM.

Effect of tomato juice consumption on the plasmatic lipid profile, hepatic HMGCR activity, and fecal short chain fatty acid content of rats

The aims of the present study were to ascertain, indirectly, the prebiotic role of tomato juice, by analyzing its effect on the content of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in feces of rats, and to determine the plausible mechanisms related to the hypocholesterolemic effects of tomato juice and lycopene, evaluating the activity of hepatic HMGCR and the formation of propionic acid. Two commercially available tomato juices with differing contents of lycopene (low and high lycopene contents: Llyc and Hlyc tomato juices) were used. Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n = 8): control group, normal diet and water; group 1, normal diet and Llyc tomato juice; and group 2, normal diet and Hlyc tomato juice, which were fed ad libitum for three weeks. Feces were collected at the beginning and the end of the study to determine SCFA, and blood and liver were obtained (after sacrificing the animals) to analyze the lipid plasmatic parameters and the HMGCR activity and total cholesterol, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the plasmatic parameters, except that HDL-cholesterol increased significantly after consumption of both tomato juices. Lycopene was accumulated in the liver in proportion to the amount ingested, and was observed to have an inhibitory effect on the HMGCR enzyme, according to the amount of lycopene in the liver. In relation to the SCFA in feces, no differences were observed in acetate and propionate after the consumption of tomato juice, but a significant increase in butyrate was observed in group 2 after the intake of Hlyc tomato juice. The content of this carboxylic acid together with excreted lycopene in feces could have a beneficial effect on colonic cells.

Improvement of Ca and P Contents and in Vitro Availability in Sole Fish-Based Infant Beikosts

Infancy is the period of the life in which nutritional demands are the highest, since weight triples and length doubles during the first year of life (1). Due to the rapid growth rate, high amounts of Ca and P are needed to maintain optimal bone development (2). The mineral matrix of fish bone has higher concentrations of both elements than the edible part and can be used to improve the content of these mineral in some infants foods. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the addition of fish bone in the Ca and P contents and in their in vitro availability in three fish-based homogenised infant beikosts. The main difference among these samples was the inclusion or not of fish bones. The beikosts investigated were: sole beikost without bone (SB), sole beikost with bone (SBB) and sole and hake beikost with bone (SHB). We also evaluated the content and in vitro availability of other minerals (Fe, Zn, and Mg) to have a better knowledge of the nutritional value of these beikosts