Publications by authors named "Alicia Gil-Ramirez"

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) shell, the main by-product of cocoa industry, is associated with the regulation of several biomarkers of metabolic syndrome. However, there is little information about the digestion effect on the physiological properties of cocoa shell. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a standardized in vitro digestion protocol on the hypolipidemic capacity of two cocoa shell ingredients, a flour (CSF) and an aqueous extract (CSE), through the evaluation of their in vitro hypolipidemic properties and lipid-lowering effects in HepG2 cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates coffee pulp, typically discarded but potentially valuable, focusing on its flour (CPF) and aqueous extract (CPE) for their chemical composition and safety.
  • Results showed that CPF is high in insoluble fiber and amino acids, while CPE contains soluble pectic polysaccharides and free amino acids, both having elevated mineral content.
  • Toxicity tests on mice indicated that CPF and CPE are safe for consumption, supporting their potential as novel food ingredients with health benefits.
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The coffee industry produces a considerable quantity of coffee pulp (CP), a by-product with high levels of caffeine, phenolic compounds, and dietary fiber, which are reportedly involved in the lipid homeostasis regulation required to maintain human health. This work's objective was to evaluate the hypolipidemic activity of coffee pulp flour (CPF) and aqueous extract (CPE) after static simulated digestion by the assessment of their capacity to decrease emulsification and digestion of fats, and lipid-lowering capacity in HepG2 cells after the induction of intracellular fat accumulation. The CPF and CPE digested fractions displayed hypolipidemic properties by preserving the reduction of micellar cholesterol solubility (27-34%) and the secondary bile acid-binding capacity (22-30%), increasing their primary bile acid-binding ability (2.

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The coffee pulp, a by-product of the coffee industry, contains a high concentration of phenolic compounds and caffeine. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion may influence these active compounds' bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and bioactivity. Understanding the impact of the digestive metabolism on the coffee pulp's phenolic composition and its effect on cellular oxidative stress biomarkers is essential.

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The cocoa industry generates a considerable quantity of cocoa shell, a by-product with high levels of methylxanthines and phenolic compounds. Nevertheless, the digestion process can extensively modify these compounds' bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and bioactivity as a consequence of their transformation. Hence, this work's objective was to assess the influence of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the concentration of phenolic compounds found in the cocoa shell flour (CSF) and the cocoa shell extract (CSE), as well as to investigate their radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant activity in both intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) and hepatic (HepG2) cells.

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The influence of different extrusion conditions on the cocoa shell (CS) dietary fiber, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant and functional properties was evaluated. Extrusion produced losses in the CS dietary fiber (3-26%), especially in the insoluble fraction, being more accentuated at higher temperatures (160 °C) and lower moisture feed (15-20%). The soluble fiber fraction significantly increased at 135 °C because of the solubilization of galactose- and glucose-containing insoluble polysaccharides.

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Coffee pulp is an underutilized by-product of coffee industrial production rich in bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds, caffeine, and dietary fiber. The widely known antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, antimicrobial and hepatoprotective health-promoting properties attributed to mentioned compounds enhance the use of coffee pulp as a bioactive food ingredient. Furthermore, the application of green sustainable extraction techniques pursuing highly efficient and selective extraction processes promotes this by-product exploitation in food science.

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Low birth weight (LBW) and accelerated growth during lactation are associated with cardiometabolic disease development. LBW offspring from rats exposed to undernutrition during gestation (MUN) develops hypertension. In this rat model, we tested if slower postnatal growth improves early cardiometabolic alterations.

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Article Synopsis
  • Breast milk (BM) is crucial for newborn health, with its composition influenced by factors like lactation period and maternal nutrition, and differs based on the sex of the infant.
  • A study involving 48 breastfeeding women in Madrid analyzed BM samples at 7, 14, and 28 days postpartum, focusing on macronutrients and antioxidants.
  • Results indicated that BM from mothers of male infants had higher levels of protein and certain antioxidants, particularly observed on day 7, highlighting significant sex-related differences in the nutritional content of BM.
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Vascular bio-scaffolds produced from decellularized tissue offer a promising material for treatment of several types of cardiovascular diseases. These materials have the potential to maintain the functional properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and allow for growth and remodeling in vivo. The most commonly used methods for decellularization are based on chemicals and enzymes combinations, which often damage the ECM and cause cytotoxic effects in vivo.

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The parameters to extract polysaccharide-enriched fractions (PEF) from mushrooms using MAE (microwave-assisted extraction) were adjusted following a full factorial 3 experimental design. The highest yield and total carbohydrate values, using Lentinula edodes as model mushroom, were obtained at 180 °C and 30 min. Several mushroom species were submitted to MAE and their PEF yields ranged between 12.

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Pulmonary artery grafts are needed as cardiovascular bioprosthetics. For successful tissue recellularization after transplantation, lipids have to be removed from the donor artery. Developing a selective process to remove lipids without damaging the extracellular matrix greatly depends on knowing the amount and type of lipid compounds in the specific tissue.

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The data we present below are linked to our research paper "Integrated process for sequential extraction of saponins, xylan and cellulose from quinoa stalks ( Willd.)" (Gil-Ramírez et al., 2018) [1].

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Water extracts from Pleurotus ostreatus containing no statins showed 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR) inhibitory activity (in vitro) that might be due to specific water-soluble polysaccharides (WSPs); when isolated and deproteinized, increasing concentrations of the WSP extract induced higher inhibition. The WSP extract contained mainly β-glucans, mannogalactans, and glycogen (e.g.

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Cholesterol levels are strictly regulated to maintain its homeostasis; therefore, if it is not absorbed with the diet, the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway is enhanced and vice versa. Nowadays, the commonly prescribed therapeutic treatments for hypocholesterolemic patients are targeted toward the reduction of both cholesterol intestinal absorption and/or its endogenous biosynthesis. But, when hypercholesterolemia is still moderate the consumption of food products with cholesterol-lowering capacities is more desirable than using drugs.

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Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) were compared as advanced technologies to obtain polysaccharides (particularly biologically active β-glucans) from Pleurotus ostreatus and Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies. Extraction effectiveness was compared by a full-factorial experimental design (response surface methodology, RSM), using water as extraction solvent. Total carbohydrate content of the obtained extracts and polysaccharide yields were the variable responses investigated, while temperature and extraction time were the experimental factors.

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A water extract from Lentinula edodes (LWE) showed HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity but contained no statins. NMR indicated the presence of water-soluble α- and β-glucans and fucomannogalactans. Fractions containing derivatives of these polysaccharides with molecular weight down to approximately 1 kDa still retained their inhibitory activity.

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Mushrooms are a source of dietary fiber (DF) with a cholesterol-lowering effect. However, their underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The effect of DF-enriched fractions from three mushrooms species on cholesterol-related expression was studied in vitro.

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Purpose: To investigate the effect of two extracts obtained from Agaricus bisporus on the mRNA expression of cholesterol-related genes. One of the extracts contained ergosterol and other fungal sterols (SFE) and the other contained β-glucans and fungal sterols (EβG).

Methods: Firstly, the dietary mixed micelles (DMMs) generated after in vitro digestion of standards and SFE were applied to Caco2 cells.

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Culinary-medicinal mushrooms are able to lower blood cholesterol levels in animal models by different mechanisms. They might impair the endogenous cholesterol synthesis and exogenous cholesterol absorption during digestion. Mushroom extracts, obtained using pressurized water extractions (PWE) from Agaricus bisporus basidiomes, supplemented or not supplemented with selenium, were applied to HepG2 cell cultures to study the expression of 19 genes related to cholesterol homeostasis by low-density arrays (LDA).

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A pressurized water extraction (PWE) method was developed in order to extract β-glucans with bile acids-binding capacities from cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus, Lentinula edodes, and Pleurotus ostreatus) to be used as supplements to design novel foods with hypocholesterolemic properties. Extraction yields were higher in individual than sequential extractions being the optimal extraction parameters: 200°C, 5 cycles of 5 min each at 10.3 MPa.

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Background: Agaricus bisporus mushrooms were able to lower cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolaemic rats and it was suggested that dietary fibre might inhibit cholesterol absorption. However, A. bisporus extracts were also able to inhibit the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR, the key enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway) and this might also contribute to the observed lowering of cholesterol levels in serum.

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