Explore the vast range of titles available.

Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in infants <2 years-old. Here we describe that high-fiber diet protects mice from RSV infection. This effect was dependent on intestinal microbiota and production of acetate. Oral administration of acetate mediated interferon-β (IFN-β) response by increasing expression of interferon-stimulated genes in the lung. These effects were associated with reduction of viral load and pulmonary inflammation in RSV-infected mice. Type 1 IFN signaling via the IFN-1 receptor (IFNAR) was essential for acetate antiviral activity in pulmonary epithelial cell lines and for the acetate protective effect in RSV-infected mice. Activation of Gpr43 in pulmonary epithelial cells reduced virus-induced cytotoxicity and promoted antiviral effects through IFN-β response. The effect of acetate on RSV infection was abolished in Gpr43 − / − mice. Our findings reveal antiviral effects of acetate involving IFN-β in lung epithelial cells and engagement of GPR43 and IFNAR. Dietary fibers and SCFAs can exert a protective effect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Here, the authors report that microbiota-derived acetate protects mice against RSV infection via GPR43- mediated type 1 interferon response induction in the lungs.

The growing demand for sustainable protein sources has boosted interest in Andean pseudocereals, particularly quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule), and kiwicha (Amaranthus caudatus), due to their complete nutritional profile, high digestibility, and low allergenic potential. Their inclusion in vegetarian and vegan diets represents a viable alternative that can replace animal proteins without compromising on nutritional quality. This study presents a critical review of indexed scientific literature analyzing essential amino acid composition, protein quality values—such as PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score) and DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score)—and the impact of various processing technologies on the functionality of Andean proteins. Results show that these grains contain between 13 and 18 g of protein per 100 g of dry product and provide adequate levels of lysine, methionine, and threonine, meeting FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) requirements for adult nutrition. Processes such as germination, fermentation, enzymatic hydrolysis, and extrusion have demonstrated improvements in both amino acid bioavailability and functional properties of proteins, enabling their application in gluten-free breads, meat analogs, and functional beverages. Furthermore, emerging strategies such as nanotechnology, bioactive peptide generation, and gene editing via CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)—a precise genome editing tool—open new possibilities for enhancing the nutritional and functional value of pseudocereals in the food industry. Taken together, the findings consolidate the strategic role of Andean grains as key ingredients in the development of sustainable, functional, and plant-based foods.

The increasing industrial demand and the search for novel ingredients in food and non-food sectors have driven research efforts toward alternatives to traditional commercial starches, emphasizing sustainability and the valorization of native crops, thereby promoting income generation for small-scale farmers. The extraction of these starches through aqueous methods, employing reductive and/or alkaline agents, can impact their structure and technological properties. These starches exhibit distinct physicochemical, morphological, crystalline, thermal, and nutritional characteristics, influenced by factors such as botanical origin. Although certain limitations may exist in their technological applications, physical, chemical, and/or enzymatic modification methods, or a combination thereof, are employed to enhance these properties for specific uses. These alternative starch sources present potential applications across the food, pharmaceutical, paper, medicinal, and cosmetic industries, underscoring their versatility and unique advantages. Nonetheless, ongoing research is essential to fully explore their composition and potential applications. This review serves as a valuable resource for researchers and professionals interested in sustainable and innovative alternatives to conventional starches.

The optimum formulation of a low carb pound cake was determined using alternative ingredients to replace the main sources of digestible carbohydrates in the standard formulation. Surface response methodology was a useful tool in the investigation of the use of custard apple puree (CAP), fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and soy protein hydrolysate (SPH) as partial or total replacers for wheat flour, sucrose, and powdered whole milk, respectively. The quality of pound cakes was assessed by measuring the batter and cake properties. The percentage of ingredients substitution affected the specific gravity of the batter, cakes specific volume, crumb firmness, instrumental color parameters (L*, a*, b*) and number and circularity of alveoli from pound cake slices. The model equations developed can be used for predicting the quality of the pound cake. The optimum formulation of low carb pound cake with 40.98% of CAP, 94.94% of FOS and 100% of SPH, in replacement of wheat flour, sucrose and powdered whole milk, respectively, has a 93.70% of desirability. A reduction of 60.67% in digestible carbohydrates was reached. The main reduction occurs in the starch content due to the wheat flour replacement and the non-reducing sugar content due to the sucrose partial substitution. The low carb pound cake had a moderate glycemic index (60.08%), a low glycemic load (4.69%) and accepted by the judges through sensory analysis, with an acceptability index of 72.08 ± 3.97%.

Research background. Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) is an excellent source of polysaccharides and bioactive compounds with remarkable health benefits. The mucilage of the cactus pear, which consists mainly of water and complex carbohydrates, has properties similar to gum due to its unique physiological properties. Recently, plant-derived mucilage has gained significant attention in the dairy industry for its potential as a natural thickening and colloidal stabilizing agent. Experimental approach. This study investigates the use of freeze-dried cactus pear cladode pulp from Opuntia ficus-indica L. Miller as a source of mucilage and its interaction with a commercial stabilizer on the physical properties of low-fat cocoa ice cream (3.0 % fat). The study evaluates the influence of cactus pear cladode pulp on the physicochemical properties and technological parameters of the ice cream. Ice cream samples containing 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 % cactus pear cladode pulp were compared with a control sample (without cactus pear cladode pulp). Results and conclusions. The results show that cactus pear cladode pulp is rich in fiber and phenolic compounds and has significant technological potential due to its water absorption capacity (WAC), water solubility index (WSI) and oil absorption capacity (OAC). The addition of cactus pear cladode pulp lowered the pH of the ice cream, improved its darkness and yellowness, increased the overrun and delayed the melting process. These results suggest that cactus pear cladode pulp works synergistically with the commercial stabilizer, highlighting its potential as a natural fat substitute and stabilizer for low-fat ice cream formulations. Novelty and scientific contribution. This study represents pioneering research into the use of freeze-dried Opuntia ficus-indica cladode pulp in the production of ice cream. The results offer valuable insights for the ice cream industry and provide a natural alternative for stabilizers and fat substitutes.

This systematic review analyzes emerging inducers that optimize the germination process of cereals and pseudocereals to enhance bioactive compound production, categorizing them as physical (UV-B radiation, electromagnetic fields, ultrasound, cold plasma), chemical (phytohormones, minerals, growth regulators), and biological (concurrent fermentation, microbial extracts). The results reveal that these inducers significantly increase specific metabolites such as GABA enrichment (up to 800%), phenolic compounds (50–450%), and carotenoids (30–120%) in various bioactive cereals and functional pseudocereals. The underlying mechanisms include enzymatic activation, signal transduction, and controlled stress responses, which improve the bioavailability of phenolics and other bioactive compounds. Critical technological considerations for industrial implementation, bioavailability, and biological efficacy of these compounds are addressed. Synergies between inducers demonstrate exceptional potential for developing ingredients with optimized bioactive properties, especially when combining physical and biological processes. This integrated approach represents a promising frontier in food technology for producing cereals and pseudocereals with enhanced nutritional and functional profiles, applicable in chronic disease prevention and functional food formulation.

Sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., is a major food crop in developing countries and is considered essential for the food security of low-income populations. Among the factors limiting its production is the pest Bedellia somnulentella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Bedelliidae), recently recorded in Brazil, and for which no chemical control methods are available. Therefore, understanding the physiological changes caused by this pest attack is important to support management strategies. The objective was to evaluate chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters in eleven sweet potato genotypes subjected or not to B. somnulentella attack. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used, consisting of eleven treatments and twenty replicates. Initial fluorescence (F0), maximum fluorescence (Fm), maximum/minimum fluorescence (Fm/F0), variable fluorescence/maximum fluorescence ratio (Fv/Fm), and electron transport rate (ETR) were analyzed. In most of the genotypes evaluated, a reduction in F0 was observed under attack by B. somnulentella, indicating photosynthetic stress, except in genotypes UFVJM 08, 18 and 291. Non-injured plants presented Fv/Fm values between 0.51 and 0.75, while attacked genotypes exhibited reduced values (0.35 to 0.53). ETR was also lower in damaged plants, evidencing photosynthetic stress. The results demonstrated a negative correlation between Fm/F0, Fv/Fm and F0. UFVJM 08, UFVJM 18, UFVJM 291, Brazlândia branca and Rubissol genotypes exhibited greater stability, maintaining more balanced fluorescence responses under pest pressure. Physiological differences between genotypes may reflect agronomic responses in the field.

Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites widely distributed among plants, with bioactive properties, especially antioxidant activity. The search for sustainable extraction methods has driven the use of natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs), formed by combinations of natural compounds, such as organic acids, sugars, alcohols, and amino acids. This study optimized NaDES (sorbitol, citric acid, and glycine) efficiency and compared it to that of 70% methanol solution in extracting total soluble phenolic compounds (TSPCs) from six flours matrices—corn, buckwheat, biofortified orange sweet potato, red lentil, Sudan grass, and chickpea—before and after thermoplastic extrusion cooking. Quantification was performed using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, with statistical analysis at the 10% significance level. In general, the methanolic extracts showed higher TSPC levels in the raw materials, whereas the levels were higher in NaDESs for legumes. After extrusion, a reduction in the TSPC levels was observed, except in the sweet potato. Multivariate analysis (PLS-DA and heatmap) distinguished the raw and extruded samples, revealing structural and chemical changes from thermal processing. The AGREE scores were 0.7 (NaDES) and 0.54 (methanol), favoring NaDES. The BAGI score (75.0) confirmed the method’s robustness and suitability for sustainable analytical applications.

O Cerrado é o segundo maior bioma brasileiro e apresenta grande diversidade de frutos que possuem alto valor nutricional, sabor e aroma característicos, compostos bioativos com propriedades antioxidantes e apelo saudável. O mercado consumidor visa a produtos com apelo natural e funcional, e, pelo fato de haver grandes perdas póscolheita dos frutos do cerrado, cabe å industria de alimentos aliar tais propriedades dos frutos å elaboração de novos produtos com valor agregado e maior tempo de vida de prateleira. O presente trabalho apresenta uma revisão com o objetivo de listar e caracterizar os frutos do cerrado (pequi, bocaiuva, mangaba, cagaita, baru, murici, mama-cadela, buriti, araticum e guabiroba), apresentando estudos com possíveis aplicaçöes na industria de alimentos.

Cowpea grains are nutritious and beneficial to health, contain about 25% of proteins, in addition to carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. Soaking the beans followed by cooking requires time availability that is incompatible with the current lifestyle. Consumers have opted for read-to-eat, attractive, healthy, nutritious and convenient foods, thus, transforming cowpeas into crispy expanded product is promising. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of the extrusion conditions, moisture, and temperature, on the physical characteristics of the extrudates developed from cowpea cotyledons flour (CCF): from cultivar BRS Guariba (Sorriso, MT, Brazil). The CCF was processed using twin-screw thermoplastic extruder ZSK 30 (Werner & Pfleiderer Co.) varying the moisture (16.2% to 21.8%) and temperature (124 to 166 °C) using Central Composite Rotatable design 22. The expansion index values ranged from 3.01 to 3.98, the regression model was not predictive, with the determination coefficient (r2) equal to 0.67. The independent variables studied presented significant effects, being water solubility index affected by the CCF moisture, compression force (15.63 to 47.72 N) affected by the extruder temperature, the water solubility index (28.34% to 43.67%) by moisture, while the specific volume (2.41 to 4.58 mL g-1) and the water absorption index (5.34 to 6.54 g g-1) were affected for both variables. By simulation, the maximum value of 1 was obtained through the global desirability test in the combination of an extrusion temperature of 124.21 °C and conditioning moisture of CCF of 16.28%. This condition favors obtaining extrudates with greater values for a specific volume and water absorption index, and lower values for compression force and water solubility index.