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Yoghurt fermented under sub-lethal high pressure (10, 20, 30 and 40 MPa at 43 °C), and afterward placed under refrigeration (4 °C for 23 days) was studied and compared with yoghurt fermented at atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa). For a deeper analysis, a metabolite fingerprinting by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), sugars and organic acids assessment by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), total fatty acids (TFA) determination and quantification by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) were performed. Metabolomic analyses revealed that only 2,3-butanediol, acetoin, diacetyl and formate vary with the increase of pressure and probable relation with pressure influenced diacetyl reductase, acetoin reductase and acetolactate decarboxylase. Yoghurts fermented at 40 MPa had the lowest content in lactose (39.7% of total sugar reduction) and the less content in TFA (56.1%). Further research is of interest to understand more about fermentation processes under sub-lethal high pressure. published

The changes in microbiological, physiochemical, and textural properties in fresh cheeses made from either cow or goat milk were observed under hyperbaric storage (HS, 50-100 MPa) at room temperature (RT) and compared with refrigerated storage under normal atmospheric pressure for 60 days. An initial microbial growth inhibition was observed for both cheese types, as well as a considerable inactivation of all endogenous microbiota under HS/RT (75-100 MPa/RT). This contributed to a higher stability of pH and color values, especially at the higher pressure at room temperature (100 MPa/RT) throughout 60 days storage. A compression effect occurred during HS/RT, resulting in higher whey loss, reduction in moisture content, and textural changes. Such changes tended to decrease over time, to values closer to the initial ones, with hardness values at the 60th day of storage at 75/RT similar to those observed for refrigeration on the 7th day and 1.4-fold higher than those observed at 100/RT. Overall, HS/RT reduced the microbial populations load during storage (≥5 log units in some cases), with minimal effects on most of the evaluated quality parameters. These results point to a considerable shelf-life extension of HS fresh cheeses, without temperature control, pinpointing HS as a more sustainable preservation strategy than refrigeration, with great potential for industrial application. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results presented in this study point to increased microbial stability of fresh cheeses when stored under hyperbaric storage without temperature control, leading possibly to an increased shelf-life, of up to 60 days. This kind of new food preservation strategy may be suitable for longer transportation of foods, where energy may not be handily and widely available, while additionally contributing to increased shelf-life and safety. Also, hyperbaric storage could be applied throughout the food storage, improving shelf-life with a lower carbon footprint than refrigeration.

In recent years, pomegranate oil has obtained more attention due to its content of conjugated linolenic acids and possible application in the prevention of many diseases. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the potential ability of pomegranate oil to modulate obesity-related metabolism and immune response using in vitro models. In this regard, pomegranate oil was characterized in terms of fatty acids profile, tocopherols and phytosterols, and antioxidant capacity. After evaluation of the safety profile, pomegranate oil’s capacity to modulate obesity-related metabolism was evaluated through adipolysis and adipokines secretion quantification in 3T3-L1 differentiated adipocytes and hepatic lipid accumulation assay in Hep G2 hepatocytes. The immunomodulatory activity was evaluated in Caco-2 cells by quantification of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α. This oil showed high antioxidant capacity and was mainly composed of conjugated fatty acid, namely punicic acid. Its chemical composition was responsible for its capacity to reduce the lipid accumulation in Hep G2 cells and 3T3-L1 differentiated adipocytes. In short, pomegranate oil shows great potential for the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals targeting obesity.

The effects of hyperbaric storage (HS, 50–100 MPa) at room temperature (RT) on endogenous and inoculated pathogenic surrogate vegetative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua), pathogenic Salmonella enterica and bacterial spores (Bacillus subtilis) were assessed and compared with conventional refrigeration at atmospheric pressure for 60 days. Milk stored at atmospheric pressure and refrigeration quickly surpassed the acceptable microbiological limit within 7 days of storage, regarding endogenous microbiota, yet 50 MPa/RT slowed down microbial growth, resulting in raw milk spoilage after 28 days, while a significant microbial inactivation occurred under 75–100 MPa (around 4 log units), to counts below 1 log CFU/mL throughout storage, similar to what was observed for B. subtilis endospores. While inoculated microorganisms had a gradually counts reduction in all HS conditions. Results indicate that HS can not only result in the extension of milk shelf-life but is also able to enhance its safety and subsequent quality. Industrial relevance: This new preservation methodology could be implemented in the dairy farm storage tanks, or during milk transportation for further processing, allowing a better microbial control, than refrigeration. This methodology is very promising, and can improve food products shelf-life with a considerable lower carbon foot-print than refrigeration.

Two highly perishable dairy products (cow’s and goat’s fresh cheese (FC)), were stored under hyperbaric storage at room temperature (HS/RT, 50-100MPa) and compared with RF (4ºC), for 60 days. HS/RT (≥75MPa) lead to a more stable volatile organic and fatty acid profiles, reducing lipid oxidation rate, particularly for cow’s FC, resembling more to FC prior storage, contrarily to refrigerated cheeses. No variation was observed for total protein, while free amino acids increased over time after 60 days at 75/RT of 13- and 16-fold, and at 100/RT of 14- and 8-fold, respectively in cow’s and goat’s FC, which may have contributed to increased protein digestibility (5.2%) observed for goat’s FC after 60 days at 100/RT.These results indicate the overall increased preservation performance achieved by HS/RT for cow’s and goat’s FC when compared with RF, slowing down FC matrix degradation, possibly leading to considerable shelf-life extension.

Two environmental parameters, temperature and light intensity, were independently used as stress modulators to enhance eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) production by the microalga Nannochloropsis oculata, without hindering biomass production. A sinusoidal approach was used, as environmental conditions were alternated between optimum and stress status in multi-day cycles. Low temperatures (5 and 10 °C) and light intensities (30 and 50 μmol photons/m

Studies have demonstrated that the addition of pulses to foods can make them more nutritious. We hypothesize that lupin flour adds nutritional benefits to yogurts. This study aimed to characterize a lupin-enriched yogurt in nutritional, rheological, and sensorial terms by a trained panel, and assess its environmental impact using the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. For comparison, natural yogurt and a commercial formula were used as controls. The developed yogurt is “high in protein” (7g/100g), “source of fiber” (1.9g/100g), and “source of omega 3” (53 mg/100g). The lupin yogurt was the stiffest with the highest viscosity than controls according to rheological parameters. There were no significant sensory differences between the lupin-enriched yogurt and the controls, although some undesirable sensory characteristics such as bitterness, granularity, and after-taste were observed. The environmental impact per 100 g serving was similar to natural yogurt and slightly worse regarding commercial yogurt but better when expressed per Nutritional Density Unit (NDU). Using lupin flour to enrich yogurts for children can be an alternative to producing more nutritious products.

Legume grains are traditional crops that have been modernized as processed foods and animal protein alternatives in recent years. This modernization has largely been fueled by new technological developments driven by increased consumer demands for plant protein and gluten-free options. However, consumers must be mindful that legumes have other nutritional attributes besides protein that help achieve healthier diets, and recent evidence suggests that consuming 100 g of legume grains per day would promote nutrient-dense diets and could be a target level to harmonize international strategies for recommended daily allowances. The nutritional richness of legumes has been associated with a decrease in numerous disease risk factors and, given their long shelf life, legumes are excellent choices to combat food waste and may have a role to play in countries where cold storage is often a limitation in food preservation. Besides their inclusion in global diets, legumes should be included in sustainable cropping systems. The high number of edible species and cultivars available render them excellent contributors to biodiverse food and feed systems. Legume cultivation allows reducing environmental impacts by means of the ability of legumes to fix atmospheric nitrogen via a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, making them natural fertilizers. Still, despite the well-known health, nutritional, and environmental benefits, legumes are underrepresented in global agri-food systems. Efforts must be made to make legumes more attractive to the farmer, the industry, and ultimately the consumer, and for this proper local, regional, national, and global policy frameworks must be in place. Here, the local scenario of legumes is showcased, and the most relevant push, pull, and enabling capacities required to achieve sustainable diversified agri-food systems with legumes are discussed.

Formation of highly resistant spores is a concern for the safety of low-acid foods as they are a perfect vehicle for food spoilage and/or human infection. For spore inactivation, the strategy usually applied in the food industry is the intensification of traditional preservation methods to sterilization levels, which is often accompanied by decreases of nutritional and sensory properties. In order to overcome these unwanted side effects in food products, novel and emerging sterilization technologies are being developed, such as pressure-assisted thermal sterilization, high-pressure carbon dioxide, high-pressure homogenization, and cold plasma. In this review, the application of these emergent technologies is discussed, in order to understand the effects on bacterial spores and their inactivation and thus ensure food safety of low-acid foods. In general, the application of these novel technologies for inactivating spores is showing promising results. However, it is important to note that each technique has specific features that can be more suitable for a particular type of product. Thus, the most appropriate sterilization method for each product (and target microorganisms) should be assessed and carefully selected.

Aims: NADPH:CYP oxidoreductase (POR) is an essential component of several enzyme systems, including the microsomal CYP monooxygenases. We investigated genetic and nongenetic POR variability and its impact on drug-oxidation activities in human liver microsomes. Material and methods: POR mRNA, protein and activity, as well as ten major drug-oxidation activities, were measured in the microsomes of 150 Caucasian surgical liver samples. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight mass spectrometric assays were established to determine the frequency of 46 selected POR SNPs. Multivariate log-linear regression models, including main effects and two-way interaction terms, and analyses of variance were used to identify statistically significant relationships. Results: POR phenotypes were less variable within the study population as compared with CYP phenotypes. Intronic SNPs g.18557G>A (intron 2), g.25676C>T (intron 3) and g.30986 G>A (intron 10) were associated with various drug-oxidation activities. The common allele POR*28 (A503V) was not associated with any activity or expression changes. Haplotype analysis identified two novel composite alleles POR*36 (P228L plus A503V) and POR*37 (A503V plus V631I). Conclusion: Models that integrate POR and microsomal CYP function are complex and depend on the CYP isozyme, the substrate and numerous genetic and nongenetic factors. Intronic POR variants may influence microsomal CYP activities. These data provide a basis for further studies towards inclusion of POR polymorphisms in pharmacogenomic strategies.

Cancer cells display aneuploid karyotypes and typically mis-segregate chromosomes at high rates, a phenotype referred to as chromosomal instability (CIN). To test the effects of aneuploidy on chromosome segregation and other mitotic phenotypes we used the colorectal cancer cell line DLD1 (2n = 46) and two variants with trisomy 7 or 13 (DLD1+7 and DLD1+13), as well as euploid and trisomy 13 amniocytes (AF and AF+13). We found that trisomic cells displayed higher rates of chromosome mis-segregation compared to their euploid counterparts. Furthermore, cells with trisomy 13 displayed a distinctive cytokinesis failure phenotype. We showed that up-regulation of SPG20 expression, brought about by trisomy 13 in DLD1+13 and AF+13 cells, is sufficient for the cytokinesis failure phenotype. Overall, our study shows that aneuploidy can induce chromosome mis-segregation. Moreover, we identified a trisomy 13-specific mitotic phenotype that is driven by up-regulation of a gene encoded on the aneuploid chromosome. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05068.001, eLife digest The DNA in a human cell is divided between forty-six structures called chromosomes. Before a cell divides, it copies every chromosome so that each daughter cell will have the same DNA as the parent cell. These chromosomes align in the center of the cell and then the matching chromosomes are separated and pulled to opposite ends. However, in some cases the separation process does not work properly, which can produce cells that either have too many, or too few, chromosomes. Abnormal numbers of chromosomes within cells—called aneuploidy—is a leading cause of miscarriage and birth defects in humans. Aneuploidy is also a common feature of cancer cells. It is common for the chromosomes in cancer cells to be distributed unequally when the cell divides. This phenomenon is known as chromosomal instability, but the link between aneuploidy and chromosomal instability in cancer cells is not fully understood. Here, Nicholson et al. used live-cell imaging techniques to analyze healthy human cells and cancer cells that had either the normal forty-six chromosomes, or a defined extra chromosome. Nicholson et al. found that when the cells divided, the chromosomes in the cells that had an extra copy of chromosome 7 or 13 were more prone to distributing chromosomes unequally, compared to cells with a normal number of chromosomes. Nicholson et al. also observed that the cells with an extra chromosome 13 were unable to properly divide into two. These cells had increased levels of a protein called Spartin—which is important for the last stage in cell division—and this was responsible for the failure to produce two daughter cells. These findings show that aneuploidy can cause chromosomal instability in human cells. Furthermore, Nicholson et al. have identified a defect in cell division that is specifically caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 13 in human cells. A future challenge will be to determine how, and to what extent, different chromosomes can affect chromosome stability. This could be useful in the development of therapies against cancer cells with aneuploidy. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05068.002

Warfarin is a well-established cause of gross hematuria. However, impaired kidney function does not occur except in the rare instance of severe blood loss or clot formation that obstructs the urinary tract. It has been recently described an entity called warfarin-related nephropathy, in which acute kidney injury is caused by glomerular hemorrhage and renal tubular obstruction by red blood cell casts. We report a patient under warfarin treatment with chronic kidney disease, macroscopic hematuria and acute kidney injury. A renal biopsy showed massive occlusion of renal tubules by red blood cells and casts. The possible relationship of the warfarin therapy, intratubular hemorrhage and acute kidney injury is discussed.

Probiotic whey cheeses have been produced for several years. It is recognized that several bacterium-mediated metabolic activities contribute differently to the final sensory and nutritional profiles of dairy products. Hence the metabolic activity of probiotic strains in a whey cheese and their contribution to the bioactivity of such matrices were investigated here, including in particular Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei.Both L. casei and B. animalis produce lactic and acetic acids, whereas L. acidophilus produce mainly lactic acid; these metabolites may be considered bioprotection factors. Water-soluble extracts (WSE) obtained from these cheese matrices were subjected to ultrafiltration through a 3 kDa cut-off membrane, and the eluted peptides were resolved by high-performance liquid chromatography. Different qualitative and quantitative profiles were obtained, depending on the strain. WSE were further assayed for their ability to inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme; the3 kDa fraction exhibited higher activities in the case of L. casei and B. animalis than the control and L. acidophilus.Whey cheeses with higher nutritional value were those inoculated with L. casei.