María Soledad Córdova-Aguilar

The growing global demand for sustainable, nutritionally balanced protein sources has intensified interest in plant‐derived proteins, particularly those derived from oilseeds such as groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea L.). However, although groundnut protein isolates (GPIs) have high nutritional quality, they exhibit limitations in technofunctional performance and contain clinically relevant allergens that restrict their applications in food systems. High‐intensity ultrasound (HISound) has emerged as a promising green technology; recent studies show that HISound induces structural and molecular rearrangements in GPIs, thereby altering technofunctional properties and performance. These structural modifications are associated with improved protein solubility, water‐ and oil‐holding capacities, emulsifying and foaming properties, and modified rheological behavior, whereas some studies report reductions in major allergens, such as Ara h1 and Ara h2, under specific processing conditions. This review summarizes advances in HISound‐induced modifications of the structural, technofunctional, allergenic, and rheological characteristics of GPIs, highlights mechanistic insights, and identifies current limitations in process optimization, reproducibility, and scale‐up. However, the effectiveness of HISound remains dependent on processing conditions, protein composition, and energy input, which may limit reproducibility and large‐scale application. Overall, HISound shows significant potential to improve the suitability of GPIs as functional ingredients in high‐quality food formulations for human consumption when processing conditions are carefully controlled.

This research assessed the potential use of jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus lam. ) residues for human consumption by studying the rheology of dough systems incorporating powder produced from residues at two distinct maturity stages. A stress‐controlled rheometer (MCR‐101, Anton Paar) was used with a 50 mm parallel plate geometry. The apparent viscosity curves of the jackfruit residue dough were fitted into the power law model, indicating pseudoplastic behavior where viscosity decreases with increasing shear rate. Additionally, the viscoelastic properties showed that the storage modulus (G′) was greater than the loss modulus (G″), indicating a weak gel structure. These rheological properties are crucial because they determine the texture and mouthfeel of the final food product. The results indicate that the dough has a soft texture and is easy to swallow, making it a suitable addition to various foods. This potential use of the jackfruit residue dough could significantly add value to the by‐product of jackfruit processing, thereby preventing economic losses to the producer.

Type I collagen hydrogels are widely employed as scaffolds in tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility and ability to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM). ECM viscoelasticity plays a critical role in regulating key cellular functions such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. This study evaluates how collagen source and quality influence hydrogel architecture, mechanical properties, and keratinocyte behavior. Hydrogels were prepared at a concentration of 2.3 mg/mL using collagen from Advanced Biomatrix (AB, GLP grade) and Collagen Solutions (CS, GMP grade), and assessed for fibrillogenesis, rheological performance, and their ability to support stratified HaCaT keratinocyte cultures. AB-derived hydrogels exhibited higher porosity but lower mechanical resilience, characterized by a linear viscoelastic region (LVER) of 2.54%. In contrast, CS-derived hydrogels showed reduced porosity, denser fiber networks, and a higher LVER of 9.96%, indicating enhanced strain tolerance. HaCaT cells cultured on AB hydrogels showed diminished proliferation, metabolic activity, stratification, and expression of differentiation markers compared to those on CS hydrogels, which supported a more robust epidermal architecture. These findings highlight the critical role of collagen quality and mechanical characteristics on scaffold performance and epidermal tissue formation, emphasizing the need to optimize biomaterial properties for effective regenerative outcomes.

The performance of multiple coaxial hybrid impellers in a stirred bioreactor has been experimentally characterized. To accomplish this objective, tests have been performed concerning the growth of the bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii, alginate production, sucrose consumption, and viscosity. The bacterial synthesis of the exopolysaccharide alginate results in an augmented viscosity during cultivation, thereby influencing the oxygen transfer rate. Following a comparative analysis of the results obtained from the traditional Rushton turbines, it has been observed that implementing hybrid impellers yields enhanced biomass production, increased alginate output, and the generation of more viscous cultures. These findings are substantiated by the hydrodynamic data presented in a preceding study.

Ultrasound (US) is a technology that enables microbial inactivation through cavitation-induced cell wall disruption, preserving food safety and quality. This study evaluated the impact of US parameters, including time, temperature, and surrounding media (saline solution and lipid parenteral emulsion) on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reduction. Microbial survival was quantified via plate counting, and inactivation kinetics were modeled using GInaFiT. Microbial reductions ranged from 0.05 to 6.10 Log₁₀ CFU/mL, with E. coli showing greater susceptibility than S. aureus. The highest reduction (6.10 Log₁₀ CFU/mL) was observed for E. coli in the emulsion after 5 min at uncontrolled temperature, while S. aureus exhibited lower susceptibility (3.92 Log₁₀ CFU/mL). The Weibull model provided the best fit, highlighting the non-linear nature of microbial inactivation. The US presents a promising alternative for microbial control in food and pharmaceutical applications. Future research should optimize treatment conditions, understand microbial resistance mechanisms, and integrate the US with other hurdle technologies to enhance efficiency. In addition, studies about the US’s scalability for the pharmaceutical industry could widespread its implementation in that sector.

La biodisponibilidad, la bioaccesibilidad y la calidad nutricional en particular de las proteínas son variables importantes para definir la efectividad y calidad de un alimento o suplemento para su utilización terapéutica. Conocer el valor nutricional de las proteínas permite la complementación proteica en la formulación de mezclas de proteínas de baja calidad y mejorar la biodisponibilidad y la calidad de la mezcla. Existen diversos métodos para determinar estos parámetros de las proteínas tanto in vitro como in vivo. Los métodos in vitro incluyen sistemas de digestión simulada y el uso de métodos de cultivo celular que imitan el eje intestino-torrente sanguíneo, los cuales se utilizan ampliamente en las ciencias de la alimentación, la nutrición y la industria farmacéutica, ya que permiten estudiar los cambios estructurales, la digestibilidad y la liberación de componentes de alimentos bajo condiciones gastrointestinales específicas. La eficacia nutricional de los productos alimenticios puede garantizarse mediante la determinación de la bioaccesibilidad del alimento, metodología que proporciona información valiosa para seleccionar la dosis y la fuente adecuadas de matrices. Los ensayos de digestión in vitro simulan las condiciones fisiológicas que se llevan a cabo en el organismo durante la digestión in vivo. Entre los más relevantes tenemos a: ARES, IMGS, MGD, SGH, SIMGI, SMG y TIM.

Se propuso desarrollar un producto de panificación de harinas de cereales y leguminosas y trüb, que es un subproducto de proceso de elaboración de cerveza cuya composición presenta predominantemente aminoácidos ácidos, aminoácidos alifáticos, taninos y compuestos polifenólicos. Las harinas se procesaron en el ICAT, se les realizó un análisis bromatológico y una caracterización en función de solubilidad, pH, % humedad, actividad de agua (a_w) y densidad total, aparente y compactada; adicionalmente, al trüb se le realizó una prueba de sedimentación. Se propuso un diseño de mezclas para las formulaciones del producto de panificación, utilizando un diseño de programación no lineal con restricciones utilizando el programa (FrontlineSolvers), cuyas variables de decisión fueron diferentes proporciones de trüb y harinas; como función objetivo, la calidad proteica (PDCAAS) del producto final y, como restricciones, los aminoácidos limitantes del trüb y las harinas. En todas las formulaciones, se utilizó masa madre. Se logró desarrollar un producto de panificación con 8 a 10 % de trüb y con un PDCAAS mayor en 16 a 19 % respecto a una formulación con sólo harina de trigo. El producto presentó una textura y estabilidad aceptables, con calidad nutricional y alta tolerancia proteica.

Pectin and mucilage are polysaccharides from the cactus Opuntia ficus-indica, which are also known as hydrocolloids, with useful properties in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and construction, among others. In the present work, cactus hydrocolloids were hydrolyzed characterized using two techniques: first, thin-layer chromatography, to identify the monosaccharides present in the sample, followed by the phenol–sulfuric acid method to determine the monosaccharide content. The hydrolyzing method allowed us to reduce the processing time to 180 min and, considering the identification and quantification procedures, the proposed methodology is much simpler and more cost-effective compared to other methods, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectrometry. The analysis of the results revealed that the maximum concentration of monosaccharides was obtained after hydrolyzing for 90 min. Under such conditions, with pectin being the main component contained in the cactus hydrocolloids analyzed here, galacturonic acid was found in the largest quantities.