Publications by authors named "Alex Lopez Cordoba"

Orange II, an azo dye used in textile and leather industries, is toxic and contributes to reducing dissolved oxygen in water. In this sense, agri-food waste adsorbents offer efficient, cost-effective dye removal. In this study, potato surpluses were evaluated as adsorbents for the removal of Orange II at 22 °C and pH values between 4 and 9.

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The current work focuses on developing nanocomposite films using taro starch and cellulose nanofibers extracted from the root's peel. Films were prepared using mixtures of starch, cellulose nanofibers (0 %, 5 %, 10 %, and 15 % w/w), glycerol, and water. Results showed that the addition of cellulose nanofibers increased film thickness, opacity, UV-light barrier capacity, and water swelling percentage.

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Edible films based on fruit and vegetable purees combined with different food-grade biopolymeric binding agents (e.g., pectin, gelatin, starch, sodium alginate) are recognized as interesting packaging materials that benefit from the physical, mechanical, and barrier properties of biopolymers as well as the sensory and nutritional properties of purees.

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In recent years, the peroxidase enzymes have generated wide interest in several industrial processes, such as wastewater treatments, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and the production of fine chemicals. However, the low stability of the peroxidases in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (HO) has limited its commercial use. In the present work, the effect of HO on the inactivation of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was evaluated.

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The Andean blueberry ( Sw) is an underutilized wild fruit native to South America. It is known for its antioxidant properties and potential health benefits. In this study, Andean blueberry juice powders were produced via spray drying, using maltodextrin (MD), gum Arabic (GA) or a combination of both (MD:GA) as wall materials.

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The use of mixed microbial cultures (MMC) and organic wastes and wastewaters as feed sources is considered an appealing approach to reduce the current polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) production costs. However, this method entails an additional hurdle to the PHAs downstream processing (recovery and purification). In the current work, the effect of a sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) pre-treatment coupled with dimethyl carbonate (DMC) or chloroform (CF) as extraction solvents on the PHAs recovery efficiency (RE) from MMC was evaluated.

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Welsh onion () leaves contain several bioactive compounds that can be extracted and used to develop new value-added products (e.g., functional foods and dietary supplements).

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Bunching green onion is an species that has been widely used in food flavorings and seasonings. This vegetable experiences a rapid loss of quality during storage due to physiological changes and microbial spoilage. In the current work, the single and combined effect of mild-heat treatment (55 °C for 60 s) and alginate edible coatings on the quality preservation of minimally processed bunching green onions was studied.

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Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is an abundant by-product of sugar refining that can be utilized as a raw material for cellulose isolation for several industrial applications. Electrospinning has garnered attention in recent years because it allows the preparation of cellulosic materials with unique properties. In this study, cellulose was isolated from sugarcane bagasse and acetylated to fabricate fine acetate cellulose fibers through electrospinning.

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Paipa cheese is the only Colombian semi-ripened cheese with protected geographical indication. In the current work, the effect of applying starch coatings carrying carvacrol on Paipa cheeses was analyzed. Coatings were prepared based on blends of potato starch (2 g/100 g), carvacrol (0.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on enhancing the properties of polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic yam starch (TPS) blends by using epoxidised sesame oil (ESO) derived from Colombian crops.
  • Various testing methods, including microscopy and thermal analysis, showed that adding ESO improved interfacial adhesion between the polymers and increased film smoothness and thermal stability.
  • The enhanced PLA and TPS blends with ESO show potential for use in semi-rigid food packaging due to their improved physicochemical properties.
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Andean blueberry ( Swartz) fruits are an underutilized source of anthocyanins and other valuable bioactive phytochemicals. The purpose of this work was to obtain Andean blueberry juice powders via freeze-drying processing and evaluate the effect of maltodextrin as a drying aid on their physicochemical, technological, microstructural, and bioactive characteristics. Andean blueberry juices were mixed with variable proportions of maltodextrin (20-50%); freeze-dried; and characterized in terms of their tristimulus color, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), moisture content, water activity, morphology, water solubility, flow properties, total polyphenols and anthocyanins content, and DPPH-scavenging capacity.

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Edible coatings are attractive strategies for blueberries postharvest preservation. In this work, carvacrol/alginate coatings were developed for application on Andean blueberries. Coating formulations were prepared based on blends of sodium alginate (2% /), carvacrol (0%, 0.

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Edible coatings and films are appealing strategies for the postharvest management of blueberries. In the current work, alginate and alginate/cellulose nanofibril (CNF) edible coatings crosslinked with calcium chloride were developed for application on Andean blueberry (a promissory wild blueberry). Cocoa by-products were valorized through the isolation of their CNFs, and these were incorporated in the edible coatings.

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Andean blueberry is a promissory fruit native to South America. The current work aimed to characterize starches isolated from Colombian native potatoes and to evaluate the effect of the application of starch edible coatings on the changes in the physicochemical quality parameters of the Andean blueberry during storage. Starches were isolated from three different potatoes varieties (pacha negra, mora, and alcarrosa) and characterized.

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Water-resistant electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) mats and a yerba mate extract (YM) were incorporated together within potato starch (PS) matrices to prepare biocomposites (PS-YM/PVA/PS-YM). The thermal, mechanical and barrier properties of the PS-YM/PVA/PS-YM systems were compared with biocomposites without YM (PS/PVA/PS) and, with potato starch films without (PS) and with (PS-YM) the YM extract. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the electrospun mats were fully incorporated into the biocomposites and that the PS/PVA interlayer adhesion was only slightly affected by the addition of the extract.

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Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a hydrophilic, biocompatible and nontoxic polymer. However, because of its low water-resistance, some applications for PVA-based materials are limited (e.g.

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Encapsulation of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) extract in a proper matrix enhances the possible applications of this natural antioxidant in food systems. To start, calcium alginate capsules were used as carriers of yerba mate extract and a filler material (corn starch at 2%) was added to the alginate matrix to improve the structural properties and to modulate the release of the active compounds. Next, kinetics and swelling mechanisms involved in the release of yerba mate polyphenols in simulated digestive fluids were analyzed.

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A liquid extract of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), with antioxidant properties was encapsulated in calcium-alginate hydrogels containing corn starch as filler at different concentrations. Hydrogel beads were characterized for morphological and size aspects, encapsulation efficiency, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR) and thermal behavior. Addition of starch improved the encapsulation efficiency from 55 to 65%.

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