Browsing by Author "Jiménez, Paula"

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    A Feasible Approach to Developing Fiber-Enriched Bread Using Pomegranate Peel Powder: Assessing Its Nutritional Composition and Glycemic Index
    (2023) García, Paula; Bustamante, Andrés; Echeverría González, Francisca Cecilia; Encina, Cristian; Palma, Manuel; Sanhueza, Leyla; Sambra, Verónica; Pando, Maria Elsa; Jiménez, Paula
    The consumption of dietary fiber (DF) has been associated with a reduced incidence of non-communicable diseases. Despite various strategies implemented worldwide to increase DF intake, it remains low. Therefore, the development of new fiber-rich food products that are widely consumed could be a strategy to improve DF intake. In this study, an agro-industrial by-product, pomegranate peel powder (PPP), was used as an innovative source of DF and antioxidant. The objective was to develop a bread enriched with DF, antioxidants, and sensory characteristics by partially replacing wheat flour (WF) with PPP at levels of 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%. Bread with 2.5% and 5% PPP was chosen for a clinical trial to evaluate glycemic response (GR) in healthy subjects and determine the bread’s glycemic index (GI). As the percentage of PPP increased, both the DF and total polyphenol content increased significantly. The highest overall acceptability was achieved with bread containing up to 5% PPP. Consumption of bread with 2.5% and 5.0% PPP significantly reduced the GI compared to the control bread, while the decrease in GR was not significant. PPP could be a potential food and low-cost ingredient to improve the bread’s nutritional quality through its contribution to DF and antioxidants.
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    Alpha-tocopherol microspheres with cross-linked and acetylated inulin and their release profile in a hydrophilic model
    (2013) García, Paula; Vega, Juan; Jiménez, Paula; Santos Blanco, José Guillermo; Robert, Paz
    Alpha-tocopherol (AT) was encapsulated with native (NIn), acetylated (AIn) or cross-linked (CIn) inulin (two degrees each) by spray-drying. A face central composite experimental design for each system (AT–NIn, AT–AIn1, AT–AIn2, AT–CIn1, and AT–CIn2) was evaluated to determine the influence of inlet air temperature and AT/coating material ratio on the AT encapsulation percentage (EP). The AT microspheres obtained under optimal conditions were characterized determining the AT EP, morphology and their release profile in a hydrophilic system. The AT encapsulating percentage reached values above 86% in all the systems studied. The acetylation and cross-linking of inulin improved slight but significantly the AT encapsulating percentage respect to native inulin. The release profiles showed biphasic behavior, being the first and second zone attributed to uncovered and encapsulated AT, respectively. The AT release was <15% (0–540 min) from all AT-inulin microparticles, corresponding mainly to superficial AT release, following Higuchi model consistent with a diffusional mechanism. AT release rate constant from AT–NIn microspheres was significantly lower than those of AT–AIn and AT–CIn. The AT release pattern suggest that the microparticles could be applied in the design of functional foods, preserving the nutritional role of AT.
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    Metabolic Benefits of Phytosterols: Chemical, Nutritional, and Functional Aspects
    (2023) Jiménez, Paula; Bustamante, Andrés; Francisca Echeverría, Verónica Sambraa, Miguel Ángel Rincón-Cerverac,d, Camila Faríasa, and Rodrigo Valenzuela
    Plant sterols encompass phytosterols and phytostanols, with over 250 iden-tified types. They’ve garnered attention in the food industry due to their potential hypocholesterolemic effects. This manuscript offers a current view phytosterols content in foods, their bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and meta-bolic benefits based on existing preclinical and clinical data. Published articles from 2016 to 2023 regarding the effect of sitosterol, sitostanol, campesterol, campestanol, stigmasterol, and mixed phytosterols on preclini-cal models and clinical trials were included. Food and technology-related issues were also discussed. Phytosterols’s bioavailability in food is limited, exhibiting vulnerability to oxidation, low water solubility, and a distinctive taste. Nevertheless, various technological approaches have been devised to enhance its inclusion in food, ensuring adequate doses for harnessing its cholesterol-lowering potential. This effect has been extensively researched, alongside its hypoglycemic and anti-inflammatory properties. There’s a need to create novel functional foods enriched with phytosterols to attain the daily dosage required to leverage its hypercholesterolemic, hypoglycemic, anti- inflammatory, and other ongoing beneficial effects.