Frontiers in Nutrition

Journal: Frontiers in Nutrition

Abbreviation

Front. Nutr.

Publisher

Frontiers Media

ISSN

2296-861X

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Publications 1 - 10 of 29

(Ultra) high pressure homogenization for continuous high pressure sterilization of pumpable foods - a review
Georget, Erika; Miller, Brittany; Callanan, Michael; et al. (2014)
Frontiers in Nutrition
Bacterial spores have a strong resistance to both chemical and physical hurdles and create a risk for the food industry, which has been tackled by applying high thermal intensity treatments to sterilize food. These strong thermal treatments lead to a reduction of the organoleptic and nutritional properties of food and alternatives are actively searched for. Innovative hurdles offer an alternative to inactivate bacterial spores. In particular, recent technological developments have enabled a new generation of high pressure homogenizer working at pressures up to 400 MPa and thus, opening new opportunities for high pressure sterilization of foods. In this short review, we summarize the work conducted on (ultra) high pressure homogenization (U)HPH to inactivate endospores in model and food systems. Specific attention is given to process parameters (pressure, inlet, and valve temperatures). This review gathers the current state of the art and underlines the potential of UHPH sterilization of pumpable foods while highlighting the needs for future work.
Digital Solutions to Diagnose and Manage Postbariatric Hypoglycemia
Schönenberger, Katja A.; Cossu, Luca; Prendin, Francesco; et al. (2022)
Frontiers in Nutrition
Postbariatric hypoglycemia (PBH) is an increasingly recognized late metabolic complication of bariatric surgery, characterized by low blood glucose levels 1–3 h after a meal, particularly if the meal contains rapid-acting carbohydrates. PBH can often be effectively managed through appropriate nutritional measures, which remain the cornerstone treatment today. However, their implementation in daily life continues to challenge both patients and health care providers. Emerging digital technologies may allow for more informed and improved decision-making through better access to relevant data to manage glucose levels in PBH. Examples include applications for automated food analysis from meal images, digital receipts of purchased food items or integrated platforms allowing the connection of continuously measured glucose with food and other health-related data. The resulting multi-dimensional data can be processed with artificial intelligence systems to develop prediction algorithms and decision support systems with the aim of improving glucose control, safety, and quality of life of PBH patients. Digital innovations, however, face trade-offs between user burden vs. amount and quality of data. Further challenges to their development are regulatory non-compliance regarding data ownership of the platforms acquiring the required data, as well as user privacy concerns and compliance with regulatory requirements. Through navigating these trade-offs, digital solutions could significantly contribute to improving the management of PBH.
A Natural Low Phytic Acid Finger Millet Accession Significantly Improves Iron Bioavailability in Indian Women
Rajashekar Reddy, Bellam H.; Thankachan, Prashanth; Hatakayama, Masoami; et al. (2022)
Frontiers in Nutrition
Iron deficiency and anemia are common in low- and middle-income countries. This is due to a poor dietary iron density and low iron absorption resulting from the high inhibitory phytic acid content in cereal and millet-based diets. Here, we report that a naturally occurring low phytic acid finger millet accession (571 mg 100 g(-1)), stable across three growing seasons with normal iron content (3.6 mg 100 g(-1)), increases iron absorption by 3-folds in normal Indian women. The accessions differing in grain phytic acid content, GE 2358 (low), and GE1004 (high) were selected from a core collection of 623 accessions. Whole genome re-sequencing of the accessions revealed significant single nucleotide variations segregating them into distinct clades. A non-synonymous mutation in the EcABCC phytic acid transporter gene between high and low accessions could affect gene function and result in phytic acid differences. The highly sensitive dual stable-isotope erythrocyte incorporation method was adopted to assess the fractional iron absorption. The low phytic acid accession resulted in a significantly higher iron absorption compared with the high phytic acid accession (3.7 vs. 1.3%, p < 0.05). The low phytic acid accession could be effective in preventing iron deficiency in regions where finger millet is habitually eaten. With its low water requirement, finger millet leaves low environmental footprints and hence would be an excellent sustainable strategy to mitigate iron deficiency.
Estimation of Iron Availability in Modified Cereal beta-Glucan Extracts by an in vitro Digestion Model
Marasca, Elena; Zehnder-Wyss, Olivia; Boulos, Samy; et al. (2022)
Frontiers in Nutrition
For cereal-based foods rich in dietary fibers, iron bioavailability is known to be poor. For native cereal beta-glucan extracts, literature has demonstrated that the main factor impacting the bioavailability is phytic acid, which is often found in association with dietary fibers. During food processing, beta-glucan can undergo modifications which could potentially affect the equilibrium between phytic acid, fiber, and iron. In this study, an in vitro digestion was used to elucidate the iron dialysability, and hence estimate iron availability, in the presence of native, chelating resin (Chelex)-treated, oxidised, or partially hydrolysed oat and barley beta-glucan extracts (at 1% actual beta-glucan concentration), with or without phytase treatment. It was confirmed that pure, phytic acid-free beta-glucan polysaccharide does not impede iron availability in cereal foods, while phytic acid, and to a smaller extent, also proteins, associated to beta-glucan can do so. Neither Chelex-treatment nor partial hydrolysis, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO) or NaIO4 oxidation significantly influenced the phytic acid content of the beta-glucan extracts (ranging 2.0-3.9%; p > 0.05). Consequently, as long as intrinsic phytic acid was still present, the beta-glucan extracts blocked the iron availability regardless of source (oat, barley) or Chelex-treatment, partial hydrolysis or NaIO4-oxidation down to 0-8% (relative to the reference without beta-glucan extract). Remarkably, TEMPO-oxidation released around 50% of the sequestered iron despite unchanged phytic acid levels in the modified extract. We propose an iron-mobilising effect of the TEMPO product beta-polyglucuronan from insoluble Fe(II)/phytate/protein aggregates to soluble Fe(II)/bile salt units that can cross the dialysis membrane. In addition, Chelex-treatment was identified as prerequisite for phytase to dramatically diminish iron retention of the extract for virtually full availability, with implications for optimal iron bioavailability in cereal foods.
Mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) and crickets (Acheta domesticus) show high total protein in vitro digestibility and can provide good-to-excellent protein quality as determined by in vitro DIAAS
Hammer, Laila; Moretti, Diego; Abbühl-Eng, Lychou; et al. (2023)
Frontiers in Nutrition
Edible insects, such as mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae; TM) and crickets (Acheta domesticus; AD), are a sustainable, protein-dense novel food with a favorable amino acid profile, which might be an alternative to animal proteins. To assess the protein quality of TM and AD, we assessed the digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS), considering individual amino acids and their ileal amino acid digestibility, using an in vitro model based on the INFOGEST digestion protocol. In addition, we evaluated if various processing and food preparation steps influenced the in vitro digestibility of individual amino acids and the in vitro DIAAS values of TM and AD and compared them to chicken breast as a reference of excellent protein quality. The total protein in vitro digestibility ranged from 91 to 99% for TM and from 79 to 93% for AD and was negatively affected by oven-drying and, to a lesser extent, by chitin-reduction. The in vitro DIAAS values were 113, 89, and 92 for chicken, blanched TM, and blanched AD, respectively, when considering the indispensable amino acid (IAA) requirements of young children between 6 months and 3 years. Across different processing and food preparation methods, the in vitro DIAAS values ranged between 59 and 89 for TM and between 40 and 92 for AD, with the lowest values found in chitin-reduced insects. Due to their similarities to chicken regarding protein composition, total protein in vitro digestibility, and in vitro DIAAS values, TM and AD might be an alternative to traditional animal proteins, provided that suitable processing and food preparation methods are applied. Our in vitro DIAAS results suggest that TM and AD can thus be considered good-quality protein sources for children older than 6 months. The DIAAS calculations are currently based on crude protein (total nitrogen x 6.25), resulting in an overestimation of insect protein content, and leading to an underestimation and potential misclassification of protein quality. The in vitro model applied in this study is a valuable tool for product development to optimize the protein quality of edible insects. Further studies are required to assess the in vivo DIAAS of insects in humans.
Postbiotics: a perspective on their quantification
Vinderola, Gabriel; Benkowski, Andrzej; Bernardeau, Marion; et al. (2025)
Frontiers in Nutrition
A "postbiotic" is a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host. To encourage collaborative problem-solving to address the issues related to the characterization and quantification of postbiotics, a working group of academic and industry scientists involved in research or commercial production of postbiotics convened at the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) 2024 meeting. This paper reports the outcomes of that discussion. Postbiotics are potentially compositionally complex mixtures, leading us to anticipate that full characterization and quantification of all components of a postbiotic product is not feasible. However, confirmation of the identity and quantity of the progenitor microorganism(s), quantification of some of its functional components, and a suitable description of the process of inactivation will be needed to assure the product can be sufficiently described and consistently reproduced. Measurement and quantification must be fit for purpose. Some useful methods include flow cytometry (FC), including innovations such as imaging FC, which has evolved into a mainstream technique suited to quantify inanimate cells, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, which complements FC by enabling quantification and identity of microbes to the strain level. Other methods can be utilized depending on the complexity, type of microorganisms used (bacteria, yeasts, filamentous fungi), number of strains and cell integrity (intact vs. fragmented). Hence, no 'gold standard' methodology - analogous to colony-forming units for probiotics - is envisioned for postbiotics. This perspective focuses on the required microbial composition of postbiotics, not on the optional metabolite components, which can be measured using well-established methods. We propose a decision tree to aid deliberation among different quantification methods for postbiotics under development and being commercialized. We recognize that the evolution of technologies will likely result in future refinement of this decision tree, and we emphasize that our intent is not to prescribe a rigid framework, but rather to provide guiding principles on approaches to quantifying postbiotics.
Influence of fish oil-derived n-3 fatty acid supplementation on changes in body composition and muscle strength during short-term weight loss in resistance-trained men
Philpott, Jordan D.; Bootsma, Niels J.; Rodriguez-Sanchez, Nidia; et al. (2019)
Frontiers in Nutrition
Background: A detrimental consequence of diet-induced weight loss, common in athletes who participate in weight cutting sports, is muscle loss. Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFA) exhibit a protective effect on the loss of muscle tissue during catabolic situations such as injury-simulated leg immobilization. This study aimed to investigate the influence of dietary n-3PUFA supplementation on changes in body composition and muscle strength following short-term diet-induced weight loss in resistance-trained men. Methods: Twenty resistance-trained young (23 ± 1 years) men were randomly assigned to a fish oil group that supplemented their diet with 4 g n-3PUFA, 18 g carbohydrate, and 5 g protein (FO) or placebo group containing an equivalent carbohydrate and protein content (CON) over a 6 week period. During weeks 1–3, participants continued their habitual diet. During week 4, participants received all food items to control energy balance and a macronutrient composition of 50% carbohydrate, 35% fat, and 15% protein. During weeks 5 and 6, participants were fed an energy-restricted diet equivalent to 60% habitual energy intake. Body composition and strength were measured during weeks 1, 4, and 6. Results: The decline in total body mass (FO = −3.0 ± 0.3 kg, CON = −2.6 ± 0.3 kg), fat free mass (FO = −1.4 ± 0.3 kg, CON = −1.2 ± 0.3 kg) and fat mass (FO = −1.4 ± 0.2 kg, CON = −1.3 ± 0.3 kg) following energy restriction was similar between groups (all p > 0.05; d: 0.16–0.39). Non-dominant leg extension 1 RM increased (6.1 ± 3.4%) following energy restriction in FO (p < 0.05, d = 0.29), with no changes observed in CON (p > 0.05, d = 0.05). Dominant leg extension 1 RM tended to increase following energy restriction in FO (p = 0.09, d = 0.29), with no changes in CON (p > 0.05, d = 0.06). Changes in leg press 1 RM, maximum voluntary contraction and muscular endurance following energy restriction were similar between groups (p > 0.05, d = 0.05). Conclusion: Any possible improvements in muscle strength during short-term weight loss with n-3PUFA supplementation are not related to the modulation of FFM in resistance-trained men.
The Potential of Prebiotic and Probiotic Supplementation During Obese Pregnancy to Improve Maternal and Offspring’s Metabolic Health and Reduce Obesity Risk—A Narrative Review
Wiedmer, Eliane B.; Herter-Aeberli, Isabelle (2022)
Frontiers in Nutrition
Worldwide, obesity prevalence is rising, severely impairing the health of those affected by increasing their risk for developing non-communicable diseases. The pathophysiology of obesity is complex and caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors. Recent findings suggest that obesity is partly caused by dysbiosis, an imbalanced gut microbiome. In the context of pregnancy, maternal dysbiosis increases the child’s obesity risk, causing an intergenerational cycle of obesity. Accordingly, interventions modulating the gut microbiome have the potential to interrupt this cycle. This review discusses the potential of pre- and probiotic interventions in modulating maternal obesity associated dysbiosis to limit the child’s obesity risk. The literature search resulted in four animal studies using prebiotics as well as one animal study and six human studies using probiotics. Altogether, prebiotic supplementation in animals successfully decreased the offspring’s obesity risk, while probiotic supplementation in humans failed to show positive impacts in the offspring. However, comparability between studies is limited and considering the complexity of the topic, more studies in this field are required.
Nutrient Adequacy of Global Food Production
Chen, Canxi; Chaudhary, Abhishek; Mathys, Alexander (2021)
Frontiers in Nutrition
A major challenge for countries around the world is to provide a nutritionally adequate diet to their population with limited available resources. A comprehensive analysis that reflects the adequacy of domestic food production for meeting national nutritional needs in different countries is lacking. Here we combined national crop, livestock, aquaculture, and fishery production statistics for 191 countries with food composition databases and accounted for food loss and waste occurring at various stages to calculate the amounts of calories and 24 essential nutrients destined for human consumption. We then compared the domestic production quantities of all nutrients with their population-level requirements estimated from age- and sex-specific intake recommendations to assess the nutrient adequacy of the national food production. Our results show inadequate production of seven out of 25 nutrients (choline, calcium, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, and iron) in most countries, despite the overall adequacy of the total global production. High-income countries produce adequate amounts of dietary nutrients in general, while the foods produced in low-income countries mainly comprising roots and cereal products often lack in important micronutrients such as choline, calcium, and vitamin B12. South Asian food production barely fulfills half of the required vitamin A. Our study identifies target nutrients for each country whose domestic production should be encouraged for improving nutritional adequacy through interventions such as increasing the production of foods or fortified foods that are rich in these inadequate nutrients while not undermining the local environment. This assessment can serve as an evidence base for nutrition-sensitive policies facilitating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger and good health and well-being.
Nitrogen-to-Protein Conversion Factors for Edible Insects on the Swiss Market: T. molitor, A. domesticus, and L. migratoria
Boulos, Samy; Tännler, Anina; Nyström, Laura (2020)
Frontiers in Nutrition
With an increasing worldwide demand for animal protein, insects are becoming a promising sustainable option for meat protein replacement. However, reported protein contents of insects are often overestimated when calculated as “crude protein” = 6.25 × nitrogen content (N), compared to true protein contents quantified from the sum of amino acid (AA) residues. In this study, the main two types of usual nitrogen-to-protein conversion factors kp and kA were determined on the basis of true protein/total nitrogen and true protein/protein nitrogen, respectively, with focus on the three insect species legally sold on the Swiss food market. T. molitor (mealworm larvae), A. domesticus (house crickets), and L. migratoria (locusts) from various breeders were analyzed for total and amide nitrogen, chitin, and AA composition. Careful control experiments of insect samples spiked with a protein standard were conducted to establish the recovery of true protein, which was with >95% excellent. Mealworms, crickets, and locusts exhibited similar AA-profiles and true protein contents of 51, 55, and 47 g/100 g (dry weight basis), respectively. Specific conversion factors kp showed little variability between the three insect species with 5.41, 5.25, and 5.33 for mealworms, crickets, and locusts, respectively, and confirmed an average ~17% overestimation of protein contents when using 6.25 × N. The determined average kp of 5.33 is supported by extracted literature data and is suggested for general use instead of 6.25 × N to calculate more accurate insect protein contents, whereas the average pure protein conversion factor kA of 5.6 is proposed for use in the case of insect protein isolates.

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