Applications of Saponin Extract from Asparagus Roots as Functional Ingredient.

When replanting an asparagus field, the roots of the previous crop are crushed and incorporated into the soil, creating problems of autotoxicity and fungal infections. Asparagus roots can be considered as a valuable byproduct, since they are very rich in saponins (3-6%), compounds currently considered as bio-emulsifiers. The objective is to evaluate the emulsifying and foaming capacity of a saponin extract from asparagus roots (ARS) and compare it with other commercial extracts.

A Sustainable Approach for the Valorization of Underutilized Date Fruits.

Secondary varieties of date fruits are often discarded because they do not have commercial value. However, their phytochemicals are very similar to those of the primary ones and therefore, they can be valorized as a source of compounds of interest, mainly phenols and dietary fiber. Their chemical composition changes with ripening, so their characterization throughout this process is of great significance.

Sustainable valorization of co-products from asparagus cultivation by obtaining bioactive compounds.

Asparagus cultivation generates every year a significant amount of by-products that consist of root and frond. Leaving these residues on the fields after harvesting negatively affects the following asparagus crops, since they release autotoxic (allelopathic) substances into the soil, whose accumulation causes that asparagus yields gradually decrease over the years, becoming an unprofitable crop in a period of about 10 to 15 years. This phenomenon is known as decay and forces the entire asparagus plantation to be lifted (abandoned).

Asparagus Roots: From an Agricultural By-Product to a Valuable Source of Fructans.

Asparagus roots are by-products from asparagus cultivation and they could be considered one of the best sources of fructans. These polymers are interesting food ingredients for their prebiotic and immuno-stimulating characteristics. The aim of this work is to characterize the fructan profile from the roots of several asparagus varieties grown at different locations and pickled at three vegetative statuses in order to valorize these by-products as fructan source.

New Liquid Source of Antioxidant Phenolic Compounds in the Olive Oil Industry: Alperujo Water.

The current management of alperujo as the main solid by-product from the two-phase olive oil extraction system has led to the appearance of a new liquid effluent that until now was treated together with the alperujo itself. The composition and antioxidant properties of its bioactive components at different depths of the pond were studied using colorimetric and HPLC with UV and MS detectors, DPPH, reducing power and rancimat. The concentration of suspended solids varied between 1.

Bioactive compounds in Mexican genotypes of cocoa cotyledon and husk.

A characterization of the phenolic profile of 25 cocoa genotypes established in a Mexican gene bank was carried out. From five different extraction methods commonly used for phenols, extraction with acidified methanol-water was chosen as the best to quantify the concentrations of theobromine and individual phenols in cocoa beans. High concentrations of individual and total phenols were found for genotypes native to Mexico (like RIM105, M031, and M033) or from Peru and Ecuador (INI10), but not the commercial mix (CAF), and were directly associated with their antioxidant activities.

Authentication of fattening diet of Iberian pig according to their triacylglycerols profile from subcutaneous fat.

Triacylglycerols of 50 samples of subcutaneous fat of Iberian pigs reared extensively on two different feeding systems: montanera (M) and cebo (C) have been analysed by gas chromatography flame ionization detector. The lipids were extracted by melting from subcutaneous fat into microwave oven. The fat was then filtered and dissolved in hexane.