Browsing by Author "Acevedo-Fani A"
Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemA higher-protein nut-based snack product suppresses glycaemia and decreases glycaemic response to co-ingested carbohydrate in an overweight prediabetic Asian Chinese cohort: the Tū Ora postprandial RCT(Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society, 2021-04-23) Lu LW; Silvestre MP; Sequeira IR; Plank LD; Foster M; Middleditch N; Acevedo-Fani A; Hollingsworth KG; Poppitt SDNut-based products may aid low-glycaemic dietary strategies that are important for diabetes prevention in populations at increased risk of dysglycaemia, such as Asian Chinese. This randomised cross-over trial assessed the postprandial glycaemic response (0-120 min) of a higher-protein nut-based (HP-NB) snack formulation, in bar format (1009 kJ, Nutrient Profiling Score, NPS, -2), when compared with an iso-energetic higher-carbohydrate (CHO) cereal-based bar (HC-CB, 985 kJ, NPS +3). It also assessed the ability to suppress glucose response to a typical CHO-rich food (white bread, WB), when co-ingested. Ten overweight prediabetic Chinese adults (mean, sd: age 47⋅9, 15⋅7 years; BMI 25⋅5, 1⋅6 kg/m2), with total body fat plus ectopic pancreas and liver fat quantified using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, received the five meal treatments in random order: HP-NB, HC-CB, HP-NB + WB (50 g available CHO), HC-CB + WB and WB only. Compared with HC-CB, HP-NB induced a significantly lower 30-120 min glucose response (P < 0⋅05), with an approximately 10-fold lower incremental area under the glucose curve (iAUC0-120; P < 0⋅001). HP-NB also attenuated glucose response by approximately 25 % when co-ingested with WB (P < 0⋅05). Half of the cohort had elevated pancreas and/or liver fat, with 13-21 % greater suppression of iAUC0-120 glucose in the low v. high organ fat subgroups across all five treatments. A nut-based snack product may be a healthier alternative to an energy equivalent cereal-based product with evidence of both a lower postprandial glycaemic response and modulation of CHO-induced hyperglycaemia even in high-risk, overweight, pre-diabetic adults.
- ItemBiophysical insights into modulating lipid digestion in food emulsions(Elsevier Ltd, 2022-01) Acevedo-Fani A; Singh HDuring the last decade, major scientific advances on understanding the mechanisms of lipid digestion and metabolism have been made, with a view to addressing health issues (such as obesity) associated with overconsumption of lipid-rich and sucrose-rich foods. As lipids in common foods exist in the form of emulsions, the structuring of emulsions has been one the main strategies for controlling the rate of lipid digestion and absorption, at least from a colloid science viewpoint. Modulating the kinetics of lipid digestion and absorption offers interesting possibilities for developing foods that can provide control of postprandial lipaemia and control the release of lipophilic compounds. Food emulsions can be designed to achieve considerable differences in the kinetics of lipid digestion but most research has been applied to relatively simple model systems and in in vitro digestion models. Further research to translate this knowledge into more complex food systems and to validate the results in human studies is required. One promising approach to delay/control lipid digestion is to alter the stomach emptying rate of lipids, which is largely affected by interactions of emulsion droplets with the food matrices. Food matrices with different responses to the gastric environment and with different interactions between oil droplets and the food matrix can be designed to influence lipid digestion. This review focuses on key scientific advances made during the last decade on understanding the physicochemical and structural modifications of emulsified lipids, mainly from a biophysical science perspective. The review specifically explores different approaches by which the structure and stability of emulsions may be altered to achieve specific lipid digestion kinetics.
- ItemEdible films from essential-oil-loaded nanoemulsions: Physicochemical characterization and antimicrobial properties(2015-05-01) Acevedo-Fani A; Salvia-Trujillo L; Rojas-Graü MA; Martín-Belloso OEdible films including active ingredients can be used as an alternative to preserve food products. Essential oils (EOs) exhibit antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms but their low water solubility limits the application in foods. To improve water dispersion and protect EOs from degradation, nano-sized emulsions emerge as a viable alternative. Nanoemulsions containing EOs and polysaccharides could be used to form edible films with functional properties. This study was focused on the evaluation of physical, mechanical and antimicrobial properties of alginate-based edible films formed from nanoemulsions of EOs. Nanoemulsions containing thyme (TH-EO), lemongrass (LG-EO) or sage (SG-EO) oil as dispersed phase and sodium alginate solution as continuous phase were prepared. The average droplet size of nanoemulsions was reduced after the microfluidization treatment exhibiting multimodal size distributions. The ζ-potentials of nanoemulsions were between-41mV and-70mV depending on the type of EO used. The lowest whiteness index was found in SG-EO nanoemulsions, whereas those containing TH-EO showed the highest value. Films formed from SG-EO nanoemulsions exhibited higher transparency, water vapor resistance and flexibility than films formed from TH-EO or LG-EO. Edible films containing TH-EO were those with the strongest antimicrobial effect against inoculated Escherichia coli, achieving up to 4.71Log reductions after 12h. Results obtained in the present work evidence the suitability of using nanoemulsions with active ingredients for the formation of edible films, with different physical and functional properties.
- ItemImpact of Recombined Milk Systems on Gastrointestinal Fate of Curcumin Nanoemulsion(Frontiers Media S.A., 2022-06-23) Qazi HJ; Ye A; Acevedo-Fani A; Singh H; Santini AMilk powder is an important ingredient in various foods and pediatric formulations. The textural and digestion properties of the formulations depend on the preheat treatment of the milk powder during manufacture. Thus, it is interesting to know how these modifications can influence on the release of fortified bioactive compounds during digestion with a milk matrix. In this study, a curcumin nanoemulsion was incorporated into milks reconstituted from low-heat, medium-heat and high-heat skim milk powders (SMPs) and the milks were subjected to semi dynamic in vitro digestion. All the recombined milk systems formed a curd under gastric conditions, which reduced the gastric emptying of protein and curcumin-loaded oil droplets. Because of the formation of heat-induced casein/whey protein complexes, the open fragmented curd formed by the high-heat-treated reconstituted powder resulted in higher protein and oil droplets emptying to the intestine and higher curcumin bioaccessibility. This study provides useful information for how protein ingredients can govern the fate of added health-promoting compounds during digestion.
- ItemNature-Assembled Structures for Delivery of Bioactive Compounds and Their Potential in Functional Foods(Frontiers Media SA, 2020-09-24) Acevedo-Fani A; Dave A; Singh HConsumers are demanding more natural, healthy, and high-quality products. The addition of health-promoting substances, such as bioactive compounds, to foods can boost their therapeutic effect. However, the incorporation of bioactive substances into food products involves several technological challenges. They may have low solubility in water or poor stability in the food environment and/or during digestion, resulting in a loss of their therapeutic properties. Over recent years, the encapsulation of bioactive compounds into laboratory-engineered colloidal structures has been successful in overcoming some of these hurdles. However, several nature-assembled colloidal structures could be employed for this purpose and may offer many advantages over laboratory-engineered colloidal structures. For example, the casein micelles and milk fat globules from milk and the oil bodies from seeds were designed by nature to deliver biological material or for storage purposes. These biological functional properties make them good candidates for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds to aid in their addition into foods. This review discusses the structure and biological function of different nature-assembled carriers, preparation/isolation methods, some of the advantages and challenges in their use as bioactive compound delivery systems, and their behavior during digestion.
- ItemProtein bodies from hemp seeds: Isolation, microstructure and physicochemical characterisation(Elsevier Ltd, 2024-04) Do DT; Ye A; Singh H; Acevedo-Fani AProtein bodies are naturally occurring storage organelles in plant seeds. Although the microstructure of protein bodies has been studied, their physicochemical behaviour and stability under different environmental conditions remain poorly understood. In this study, hemp seed protein bodies (HPBs) were obtained using a sonication-assisted aqueous enzymatic extraction method. Then, their microstructures were characterised using various microscopic techniques. Next, the protein composition was determined using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE). Lastly, the influence of pH (2–13) on the colloidal stability and structural integrity of aqueous HPB dispersions was investigated. Detailed microscopic examination showed that the HPBs exhibited spherical shape with an average diameter of about 4.6 μm. The structure consisted of a protein crystalloid and several phytin globoids, all surrounded by a proteinaceous matrix and a single membrane. Globulin edestin was the most abundant storage protein in the HPBs as revealed by SDS–PAGE. The HPB dispersions exhibited excellent colloidal stability only at neutral pH as opposed to their aggregation and/or solubilisation at other pH levels tested. The HPBs also showed irreversible structural changes in response to pH variation. Specifically, little to no swelling of the particles was observed at pH 5 (around the isoelectric point (pI) of the hemp protein). However, when the pH shifted away from the pI, swelling, rupture and eventual dissolution of the particles were pronounced under both extreme acidic and alkaline conditions. These physicochemical behaviours make the HPBs an interesting pH-sensitive material for food applications, which will be explored in subsequent studies.
- ItemRuminant Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: A Nutritional and Therapeutic Opportunity?(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-07-22) Ong SL; Blenkiron C; Haines S; Acevedo-Fani A; Leite JAS; Zempleni J; Anderson RC; McCann MJ; Chassard CMilk has been shown to contain a specific fraction of extracellular particles that are reported to resist digestion and are purposefully packaged with lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids to exert specific biological effects. These findings suggest that these particles may have a role in the quality of infant nutrition, particularly in the early phase of life when many of the foundations of an infant's potential for health and overall wellness are established. However, much of the current research focuses on human or cow milk only, and there is a knowledge gap in how milk from other species, which may be more commonly consumed in different regions, could also have these reported biological effects. Our review provides a summary of the studies into the extracellular particle fraction of milk from a wider range of ruminants and pseudo-ruminants, focusing on how this fraction is isolated and characterised, the stability and uptake of the fraction, and the reported biological effects of these fractions in a range of model systems. As the individual composition of milk from different species is known to differ, we propose that the extracellular particle fraction of milk from non-traditional and minority species may also have important and distinct biological properties that warrant further study.
- ItemStructural and Physicochemical Characteristics of Oil Bodies from Hemp Seeds (Cannabis sativa L.)(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-11-26) Garcia FL; Ma S; Dave A; Acevedo-Fani A; Fiorini DThe structural and physicochemical characteristics of oil bodies from hemp seeds were explored in this study. Oil bodies from several plant-based sources have been previously studied; however, this is the first time a characterisation of oil bodies from the seeds of industrial hemp is provided. The morphology of oil bodies in hemp seeds and after extraction was investigated using cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM), and the interfacial characteristics of isolated oil bodies were studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Proteins associated with oil bodies were characterised using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The effect of pH and ionic strength on colloidal properties of the oil bodies was investigated. Oil bodies in hemp seeds appeared spherical and sporadically distributed in the cell, with diameters of 3 to 5 μm. CLSM images of isolated oil bodies revealed the uniform distribution of phospholipids and proteins at their interface. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were predominant in the lipid fraction and linoleic acid accounted for ≈61% of the total fatty acids. The SDS-PAGE analysis of washed and purified oil bodies revealed major bands at 15 kDa and 50-25 kDa, which could be linked to membrane-specific proteins of oil bodies or extraneous proteins. The colloidal stability of oil bodies in different pH environments indicated that the isoelectric point was between pH 4 and 4.5, where oil bodies experienced maximum aggregation. Changes in the ionic strength decreased the interfacial charge density of oil bodies (ζ-potential), but it did not affect their mean particle size. This suggested that the steric hindrance provided by membrane-specific proteins at the interface of the oil bodies could have prevented them from flocculation at low interfacial charge density. The results of this study provide new tertiary knowledge on the structure, composition, and colloidal properties of oil bodies extracted from hemp seeds, which could be used as natural emulsions or lipid-based delivery systems for food products.