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Background: Human milk is considered the best source of nutrition for young infants. However, if mothers cannot provide adequate breast milk or if infants are premature or have a low birth weight, breast-feeding must often be replaced or complemented with infant formulas (IFs). The interactions between infant formula components (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamin and minerals) mainly affect carbohydrates and proteins (Maillard reaction, MR), but those involving proteins are especially important in products used in infant feeding because of the high protein requirements of infants. On the other hand, fatty acids (FAs) are considered important in infant development. Objectives: The aim of the present work was to test the stability of IFs made with different ingredients, analyzing the available lysine losses (for protein stability) and the FAs content and the peroxide value (for fat stability) during stored at normal and adverse conditions and to propose a faster control of that stability. Methods: Available lysine analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), lipid oxidation by titrimetric method and FAs profile by gas chromatography (GC) were determined in four types of IFs prepared with intact and partially hydrolyzed proteins and different carbohydrates (lactose or maltodextrins) during storage at 4, 20 and 30 °C for 24 months at normal water activity (Aw=0.1-0.4), and at Aw of 0.65 at 20 and 30 °C for 4 weeks. These IFs were prepared twice (IF1 and IF2) in different batches by a Spanish dietary product company. Results: At 30°C, available lysine losses were 40-50% in all IFs analyzed. The behavior and percentage lysine loss between 1 and 4 weeks of storage at 30 °C with Aw=0.65 was similar to those obtained after 24 months of storage at 30 °C. No significant changes were observed in fatty acid profile during storage. Oxidation was only observed in opened packs and after 4 weeks/30 °C/Aw=0.65. Conclusions: The losses of available lysine increase to higher time and storage temperatures. The FAs shows a good stability for any storage condition; however peroxide values prove more sensitive than FAs changes for evaluating fat oxidation during the storage of IFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Coffee provides to the consumer special sensorial characteristics, can help to prevent diseases, improves physical performance and increases focus. In contrast, coffee consumption supplies a significant source of substances with carcinogenic and genotoxic potential such as furan, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), furfural (F), and acrylamide (AA). The present review addresses the issues around the presence of such toxic substances formed in Maillard reaction (MR) during thermal treatments in food processing, from chemical and, toxicological perspectives, occurrences in coffee and other foods processed by heating. In addition, current strategies advantages and disadvantages are presented along with application of molecular imprinting technology (MIT) and poly (ionic liquid) s (PIL) as an alternative to reduce the furan, HMF, F and AA content in coffee and other foods.

Non-centrifugal cane sugar (panela) is an unrefined sugar obtained through intense dehydration of sugarcane juice. Browning, antioxidant capacity (measured by ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay and total phenolic content) and the formation of acrylamide and other heat-induced compounds such as hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural, were evaluated at different stages during the production of block panela. Values ranged between below the limit of quantitation (LOQ)-890 µg/kg, < LOQ-2.37 mg/kg, < LOQ-4.5 mg/kg, 0.51-3.6 Abs 420 nm/g, 0.89-4.18 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g and 5.08-29.70 µmol TE/g, for acrylamide, HMF, furfural, browning, total phenolic content and ABTS (all data in fresh weight), respectively. Acrylamide significantly increased as soluble solid content increased throughout the process. The critical stages for the formation of acrylamide, HMF and furfural were the concentration of the clarified juice in the concentration stage to get the panela honey and the final stage. Similar trends were observed for the other parameters. This research concludes that acrylamide, HMF and furfural form at a high rate during panela processing at the stage of juice concentration by intense evaporation. Therefore, the juice concentration stage is revealed as the critical step in the process to settle mitigation strategies., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest

Panela is a natural, unrefined non-centrifugal sugar obtained by intense dehydration of sugarcane juice. Acrylamide, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and furfural were determined in 40 panela samples distributed as granulated and block according to the technological process. Colour, browning, moisture, water activity, pH and antioxidant capacity were also evaluated. Acrylamide ranged between 60 and 3058 µg/kg; granulated panela reporting the highest concentration (812 µg/kg) compared with block panela (540 µg/kg). The lower content in HMF and furfural, the intense dehydration, and the extensive darkening of granulated panela suggested the browning reactions were boosted due to the application of more severe thermal treatments. Principal component analysis showed a significant relationship between the panela presentation and the concentration of the analysed compounds. Benchmark values considering both types of processes would help to establish mitigation initiatives in panela products. The chromatic parameter a* could be used as an indirect index of the acrylamide content in panela., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The antioxidant capacity in mango (pulp, peel, and seed) was measured using spectrophotometric and electrochemical methods in order to make traditional methods comparable with electrochemical ones, using reference standards Gallic Acid and Trolox. ABTS, DPPH, Total polyphenols, and electrochemical index were evaluated. In order to present the electrochemical results in a more comparable way, the voltammetric charge (using Differential pulse voltammetry) was used. Spectrophotometric methods allowed to determine the difference in contents of metabolites with antioxidant capacity, except in peel and seed, while the electrochemical method separated the three extracts and is not affected by interferences. Spectrophotometric methods present a good correlation with electrochemical methods, using the same reference standards, therefore, a better comparison between methods is possible., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Maillard reaction (MR) was assessed in 10 powdered whey samples. Initial stages of MR were evaluated using furosine, intermediate stages with hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and absorbance at 284nm, advanced stages with color parameters (CIELab color) and final stages with browning index; additionally, insolubility, pH and water activity (Aw) were measured. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to establish the heat damage of samples based on relations between variables. Three principal components were found which explained 79.0% of the total variance and they were the basis for cluster analysis where 5 clusters were formed. PCA and CA can separate samples according to their heat damage and they help in a clearer interpretation of the information from indicators which shows that samples with high lactose content exhibited the higher heat damage., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The growing interest in functional foods had led to the use of analytical techniques to quantify some properties, among which is the antioxidant capacity (AC). In order to identify and quantify this capacity, some techniques are used, based on synthetic radicals capture; and they are monitored by UV-vis spectrophotometry. Electrochemical techniques are emerging as alternatives, given some of the disadvantages faced by spectrophotometric methods such as the use of expensive reagent not environmentally friendly, undefined reaction time, long sample pretreatment, and low precision and sensitivity. This review focuses on the four most commonly used electrochemical techniques (cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and chronoamperometry). Some of the applications to determine AC in foods and beverages are presented, as well as the correlation between both spectrophotometric and electrochemical techniques that have been reported., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Antioxidant capacity (AC), total phenolics (TPs), furan compounds (HMF and furfural F) and cytoprotective/cytotoxic effects upon Caco-2 cells (MTT, cell cycle and reactive oxygen species (ROS)) were evaluated in Colombian coffee (2 ground and 4 soluble samples). The AC (ABTS and FRAP), TPs and HMF ranged between 124-722, 95-802μmoles Trolox/g, 21-100mg gallic acid/g and 69-2900mg/kg, respectively. Pretreatment of cells for 24h with lyophilized coffee infusions at the highest dose without cytotoxic effects (500μg/mL) significantly prevented the decrease in cell viability compared to control stress with H 2 O 2 (5mM/2h) , recovering viability to values between 34% and 45% and restoring the control values without stress induction in the G1 phase of cell cycle. After exposure to stress, four extracts decreased ROS values significantly to 22.5-24.9%. The coffee samples exerted a cytoprotective effect against oxidative stress, with improvement in cell viability and a reduction of intracellular ROS., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Fifty-eight samples of commercial Colombian coffee with different characteristics (soluble, ground, decaffeinated, etc) were evaluated for antioxidant capacity (AC) (ABTS and FRAP), total soluble phenolics (TP), browning index (BI), color parameters (L(∗), a(∗), b(∗), c(∗) and h(∗)), HMF and furfural. The AC in Colombian coffees was very varied (164-1000, 100.8-885.9μmol of Trolox equiv/g and 12.5-127mg gallic acid equiv/g, respectively for ABTS, FRAP and TP). AC, TP, BI, color, HMF and furfural values were higher (p<0.05) in soluble coffees than in ground ones, showing the lyophilized samples which showed the highest average values. Significant lineal correlations (p<0.05) were found between AC and color parameters, BI, HMF. No significant (p<0.05) differences in the AC between the different types of coffee were found. This work confirms the direct relationship between the rate of non-enzymatic browning and antioxidant capacity., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)