Johana Ortiz-Ulloa

Nowadays, there is special interest in promoting the consumption of ancestral crops and minimally processed foods with high nutritional value. However, besides nutritional issues, safety assessments must be addressed. This study aimed to evaluate mycotoxin contamination in five minimally processed traditional Ecuadorian foods: ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), and aflatoxins (AFs) in brown rice, lupin, and quinoa; OTA, FB₁, and deoxynivalenol (DON) in whole-wheat flour; and OTA and AFs in peanuts. Samples (45 samples of peanuts and whole-wheat flour, 47 of brown rice, 46 of quinoa, and 36 of lupin) were collected from local markets and supermarkets in the three most populated cities in Ecuador. Mycotoxins were determined by RP-HPLC with fluorescence and detection. Results were compared with the maximum permitted levels (MPLs) of European Regulation 2023/915/EC. Overall contamination reached up to 59.8% of the analyzed samples (38.4% with one mycotoxin and 21.5% with co-occurrence). OTA was the most prevalent mycotoxin (in 82.6% of quinoa, 76.7% of whole-wheat flour, 53.3% of peanuts, 48.6% of lupin, and 25.5% of brown rice), and a modest number of quinoa (17%) and lupin (5.7%) samples surpassed the MPLs. DON was found in 82.2% of whole-wheat flour (28.9% > MPL). FB₁ was detected in above 25% of brown rice and whole-wheat flour and in 9% of the quinoa samples. FB₁ levels were above the MPLs only for whole-wheat flour (17.8%). AFB₁ and AFG₁ showed similar prevalence (about 6.5 and 8.5%, respectively) in quinoa and rice and about 27% in peanuts. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of enhancing fungal control in the pre- and post-harvest stages of these foods, which are recognized for their high nutritional value and ancestral worth; consequently, the results present key issues related to healthy diet promotion and food sovereignty. This study provides compelling insights into mycotoxin occurrence in minimally processed Ecuadorian foods and highlights the need for further exposure assessments by combining population consumption data.

Con el objetivo de describir las tasas de incidencia por cada 100 000 habitantes de los casos de enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos (ETA) durante el periodo 2015-2020 en Ecuador se realizó un análisis secundario de los registros de vigilancia epidemiológica y de las proyecciones poblacionales del Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos. Se reportaron 113 695 casos con una incidencia superior a los 100 casos por cada 100 000 habitantes (2015-2019). En el 2020 los registros son considerablemente inferiores a los reportes de años anteriores. La mayoría de los casos se reportaron como «otras intoxicaciones alimentarias». Las tasas de incidencia de ETA más altas se observaron en la región amazónica. En general existe una marcada variabilidad anual en la incidencia de las ETA según las regiones geográficas del Ecuador. En conclusión, las ETA representan un problema de salud pública en el Ecuador. Se deben diseñar estrategias preventivas integrales con especial énfasis en la región amazónica.

The consumption of food supplements in Latin America represents 7% of the world’s consumption, as reported by the Latin American Alliance of Responsible Nutrition (ALANUR) in 2021. Developing high-quality Andean-grain supplements could be interesting for enhancing the country’s food security. A supplement has been developed that contains high-quality protein and carbohydrates sourced from a blend of precooked quinoa and amaranth flours. Additionally, it includes omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids derived from microencapsulated sacha inchi and chia oils, along with vitamins and minerals. The process for obtaining the precooked flours involved cooking at 75 °C for 12 min, followed by drying in a tray dryer at 70 °C for 8–9 h, grinding in a disk mill, and sieving to achieve a particle size of 150 µm. Pasta tests were conducted using RVA and DSC to check their gelatinization. The supplement’s composition adheres to the mandatory nutrient requirements specified by the Ecuadorian standard NTE INEN1334-2, 2011. Moreover, the supplement satisfies the sensory criteria related to taste and consistency. To evaluate the impact of the processing on the nutrients’ attributes, assessing their bioaccessibility becomes significant. To accomplish this, the static in vitro digestion method was employed, both before and after the digestion process. The digestion protocol involves the following steps: an oral phase with amylase, a gastric phase with pepsin, and an intestinal phase with pancreatin. The resulting digest was subsequently centrifuged and filtered. The apparatus utilized consisted of a reactor equipped with precise controls for temperature, pH, and agitation. The in vitro digestibility percent for the supplement shake was determined to be 96.7% (IVD). Essential amino acids were quantified through HPLC analysis with a fluorescence detector. As a result, lysine and histidine exhibited the highest bioaccessibility values of 97% and 79%, respectively, while methionine had the lowest value of 32%. The remaining amino acids showed intermediate values.

El comercio ambulante de alimentos listos para el consumo ha crecido exponencialmente a nivel mundial. Sin embargo, la falta de condiciones óptimas de preparación y expendio de estos alimentos pueden afectar su inocuidad. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la calidad microbiológica de 19 tipos de alimentos (n= 417), con y sin tratamiento térmico, expendidos en espacios públicos en Cuenca, Ecuador. Según el grupo de alimentos, se analizaron aerobios mesófilos, coliformes/Escherichia coli, mohos y levaduras, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Listeria spp., Clostridium perfringes y Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Para la identificación y recuento de los microorganismos se aplicaron normativas nacionales y, en casos de ausencia, se adoptaron normas de otros países. Como resultado, el 55,4% de las muestras se consideraron no aptas para el consumo. S. aureus fue el microorganismo patógeno presuntivo de mayor prevalencia (81,7%). El incumplimiento de las normativas fue significativamente mayor entre los alimentos sin tratamiento térmico (54,1%) en comparación con aquellos térmicamente tratados (24%) y los que combinan ingredientes con y sin tratamiento (21,9%) (p<0,001). Se destaca el alto porcentaje de incumplimiento de alimentos sin tratamiento térmico que son manipulados en su preparación, como los jugos. Además, se observó que el tratamiento térmico no garantizó la inocuidad, sugiriendo una posible recontaminación del alimento luego de su preparación hasta su expendio y consumo, por medios ambientales y/o adición de otros ingredientes contaminados. Este estudio recalca la necesidad de acciones concretas con este sector, basados principalmente en capacitación, infraestructura e inclusión, para garantizar la salud de los consumidores.

Coffee is one of the most consumed commercial beverages worldwide, and coffee growers are constantly seeking innovative processing techniques to improve the quality of the final product. This study evaluated the influence of four drying airflows and three harvest periods on the chemical composition of green and roasted specialty coffee beans. The samples were obtained from the Hacienda La Papaya in Loja, Ecuador. Liquid and gas chromatographic techniques characterized the chemical profile of coffee beans, and sensory analysis was performed using the Specialty Coffee Association of America methodology. In total, 49 compounds were described, 29 in green beans and 20 in roasted beans. A significant (p<0.05) effect of the harvest period was observed in all phenolic compounds except for chlorogenic acid. The drying type significantly affected the levels of rutin and trigonelline. In addition, samples from different harvest periods observed significant differences in the levels of the amino acids serine, arginine, phenylalanine and leucine. Similarly, the drying type significantly influenced glycine, alanine, valine and isoleucine levels. For all drying-harvest combinations, the final cupping score was higher than 85/100, as the different drying processes slightly influenced the cupping attributes. Drying with minimal airflow was characterized by a low balance and intense flavor while drying with medium airflow presented a high ratio and soft body. The harvest period and drying type cannot be used as cupping predictors since no clear trends were observed to classify specialty coffee organoleptic attributes. Therefore, other variables involved in specialty coffee processing should be explored to evaluate higher sensitivity toward flavor prediction and innovation. Keywords: chromatographic analysis, Coffea arabica L., sensory analysis, specialty coffee.

Hermetia illucens is an important species for waste management and the circular economy. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of Trichoderma reesei C2A and Pleurotus sp. as pretreatments of brewer spent grain (BSG). BSG was inoculated with fungal solution or distilled water (control). After seven days, this was used for H. illucens larvae cultivation. At the end of bioconversion process, parameters of substrate reduction and H. illucens larval development were evaluated. Chemical properties of BSG, frass and larvae were also analyzed. With T. reesei C2A pretreatment, highest substrate reduction (46.3 ± 0.9%) was achieved, but larval growth rate was lower (1.0 ± 0.1 mg/d) than that of control (2.8 ± 0.2 mg/d). Larvae of Pleurotus sp. pretreatment had limited development, reflected in their negative growth rate (−0.6 ± 0.2 mg/d). In conclusion, cultivation of H. illucens larvae (six day old) on BSG pretreated with Pleurotus sp. is not recommended. On the other hand, T. reesei C2A pretreatment enhance BSG reduction, and its potential use for lignocellulosic waste management should be more explored.

Liver diseases are considered a severe public health problem involving disorders that alter liver function. Since the liver plays an essential role in the metabolism and detoxification of substances that enter the organism, it is susceptible to damage caused by xenobiotic agents such as viruses, alcohol, and drugs. Acetaminophen is an over‐the‐counter drug widely used as an antipyretic and analgesic. It is safe at therapeutic doses, but it is easily overused, causing severe liver diseases. In a previous study, our investigation group developed a functional drink from the aqueous extracts of Ilex guayusa , Vernonanthura patens , and cocoa husks. This combination presented various bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties that could help reduce oxidative stress in pathologic conditions. For the above mentioned, the study's objective was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of the beverage through an in vivo test. Male mice were treated with two formulations (pre‐formulated and microencapsulated) of the functional drink in three concentrations for seven days as a preventive oral treatment. After that, mice were induced to liver damage at a single intraperitoneal dose of acetaminophen (250 mg/kg of body weight). The evaluation was based on the liver damage biomarkers, ALT, and AST; anatomopathological studies were also evaluated. The results showed that the best formulation as an oral pre‐treatment was the pre‐formulated. The pre‐formulated beverage attenuated the injury caused by the acetaminophen by inhibiting serum ALT and AST activities and reducing liver macro and microscopic liver alterations. The successful doses were at 250 and 1000 mg/kg b.w. The microencapsulated did not present adequate liver protection at any doses evaluated because it has no statistical difference with the toxic model group. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated for the first time that the functional drink effectively prevented acetaminophen‐induced liver injury in vivo . Our data indicated that the pre‐formulated was the most effective pre‐treatment to attenuate the hepatic injury. These results suggested that this beverage possessed antioxidative activity that likely contributed to its protective effect against acetaminophen liver damage. *Corresponding Author: Orellana‐Manzano Andrea, email: akorella@espol.edu.ec