Publications by authors named "A Mena-Garcia"

Considering the interest in the bioactive properties of saffron ( L.), as well as its limited production and high price, saffron-based food supplements (SFS) are highly susceptible to adulteration. However, their complex composition and the wide variety of potential fraudulent practices make the comprehensive assessment of SFS quality a challenging task that has been scarcely addressed.

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Food supplements based on saffron ( L.) dried stigma extracts are widely consumed due to their multiple bioactive properties. Saffron extract (SE) standardization is of crucial importance, as it determines the reproducibility of the product quality and is essential for the evaluation of its bioactive effect and safety.

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Food supplements of plant origin for weight control are increasingly being demanded by consumers as a way to promote good health. Among them, those based on (GCFS) are widely commercialized considering their bioactive properties, mainly due to (-)-hydroxycitric acid ((-)-HCA). However, recently, controversy has arisen over their safety; thus, further research and continuous monitoring of their composition is required.

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Despite the widespread use of artichoke-based food supplements for obesity control (FSOC), studies on evaluation of the quality/authenticity of these commercial products are scarce. To that aim, a new multi-analytical strategy, based on the use of gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet and mass spectrometry detection (HPLC-UV-MS), in combination with chemometrics, has been developed. Twenty-one artichoke FSOC and different bract and leaf extracts (used as reference samples) were analysed.

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A microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method was developed for the extraction of bioactive inositols (D-chiro- and myo-inositols) from lettuce (Lactuca sativa) leaves as a strategy for the revalorization of these agrofood residues. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was selected for the simultaneous determination of inositols and sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) in these samples. A Box-Behnken experimental design was used to maximize the extraction of inositols based on the results of single factor tests.

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