Publications by authors named "Maria Z Saavedra-Leos"

Currently, demand for functional foods is increasing in the public interest in order to improve life expectations and general health. Food matrices containing probiotic microorganisms and active compounds encapsulated into carrier agents are essential in this context. Encapsulation via the lyophilisation method is widely used because oxidation reactions that affect physicochemical and nutritional food properties are usually avoided.

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Because cancer is a multifactorial disease, it is difficult to identify the specific agents responsible for the disease's progression and development, but lifestyle and diet have been shown to play a significant role. Diverse natural compounds are demonstrating efficacy in the development of novel cancer therapies, including sulforaphane (1-isothiocyanate-4-(methylsulfinyl)butane), a compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables that promotes key biological processes such as apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, autophagy, and suppression of key signalling pathways such as the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in breast cancer cells. However, one of the primary challenges with sulforaphane treatment is its low solubility in water and oral bioavailability.

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The remarkable properties of garlic L. have been described, but little is known about Snow mountain garlic. Understanding general aspects of this garlic composition, including the presence of phenolics, will establish its possible use for health or infer which compounds can contribute to improving it.

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A functional food based on blends of carbohydrate polymers and active ingredients was prepared by spray drying. Inulin (IN) and maltodextrin (MX) were used as carrying agents to co-microencapsulate quercetin as an antioxidant and (Bc) as a probiotic. Through a reduced design of experiments, eleven runs were conducted and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC).

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Due to its relatively simple structure, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) can be considered as a model polymer for the study of its properties. Herein, the effect of processing variables on the microstructure and crystallinity of injection-molded LDPE specimens was quantitatively determined. The polymer was injected at different temperature conditions in the barrel and the mold.

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The drying of fruit juices has advantages such as easy handling of powders, reduction in volume, and preservation of the characteristics of the fruit. Thus, in this work, the effect of the spray drying conditions of strawberry juice (SJ) with maltodextrin (MX) as a carrying agent on the microencapsulation of bioactive compounds and physicochemical properties was studied. The content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity showed higher values at low concentrations of MX, while the effect of drying temperature was negligible.

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Resveratrol and quercetin are natural compounds contained in many foods and beverages. Reports indicate implications for the health of the general population; on the other hand the use of both compounds has interesting results for the treatment of many diseases as cardiovascular affections, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, viral and bacterial infections among others. Based on their capacities described as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-aging, resveratrol and quercetin showed antiproliferative and anticancer activity specifically in maligned cells.

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This research presents the microencapsulation and conservation of antioxidants of broccoli juice processed by spray drying, and proposes the use of a by-product as a technological application. Broccoli juice (BJ) extracted from two sources, stalks and florets, was spray-dried employing maltodextrin (MX) as a carrier agent at concentrations of 5, 7.5, and 10%, and inlet temperatures of 150 and 220 °C.

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Liposomes are microstructures containing lipid and aqueous phases employed in the encapsulation and delivery of bioactive agents. Quercetin-loaded liposomes (QLLs) were coated with three different polysaccharides and then tested as radical scavengers. Lactose (LCQLL), chitosan (CCQLL), and inulin (ICQLL) were employed as coating materials.

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Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer with the highest morbidity and mortality rates in women worldwide. Recent efforts to improve the current antitumor therapies have led to the development of novel treatment approaches based on the delivery of therapeutic non‑coding RNAs (ncRNAs) using nanotechnology. Treatment methods using lipid‑based nanoparticles (LBNPs) have greatly improved the delivery efficiency of ncRNAs into tumor cells and tissues.

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Lactose is an important additive because of its food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications. Among lactose polymorphs, anhydrous β-lactose stands out due to its thermodynamic stability. Thus, a simple method to produce the inter-conversion from monohydrate α-lactose to anhydrous β-lactose was investigated employing a methanolic solution and different reaction variables (catalyst type, temperature, and stirring).

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Article Synopsis
  • Phase transitions in foods and drugs are important for industry development, leading scientists to study thermodynamic parameters like glass transition temperature (Tg) and heat capacity (Cp) for product improvement.* -
  • Common techniques for analyzing phase transitions include thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), with DSC being favored for its broad temperature range and analytical capabilities, despite some limitations.* -
  • Modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) and its variant, supercooling MDSC (SMDSC), enhance the accuracy of measurements by detecting complex thermal events and distinguishing between reversible and non-reversible processes.*
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Resveratrol is an antioxidant abundant in red fruits, and one of the most powerful inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress (OS) produced by human metabolism. The effect of the spray drying processing conditions of blueberry juice (BJ) and maltodextrin (MX) mixtures was studied on content and retention of resveratrol. Quantitatively, analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that concentration of MX was the main variable influencing content of resveratrol.

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In this work is presented the complete thermal analysis of polyols by direct methods such as simultaneous thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyzer (TGA-DTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), modulated DSC (MDSC), and supercooling MDSC. The different thermal events in the temperature range of 113⁻553 K were identified for glycerol (GL), ethylene glycol (EG), and propylene glycol (PG). Boiling temperature (T) decreased as GL > EG > PG, but increased with the heating rate.

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The influence of the processing conditions during the spray drying of mixtures of blueberry juice (BJ) and maltodextrin (MX) was determined quantitatively by the analysis of variance (ANOVA), and qualitatively by the surface response plots (SRP). The effect of two independent variables (inlet temperature, and MX concentration), and one categorical variable (type of MX), was determined on the yield (Y), content (Q), and retention (R) of the antioxidant quercetin 3-d-galactoside. From the ANOVA results, the concentration was the main variable affecting Y and Q, while temperature had a negligible effect, and the low molecular weight MXs exhibited a better response.

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