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Yucatan, Mexico, is renowned for its rich plant diversity, with ~40% melliferous plants. Yucatan bee honey (BH) constitutes ~15.83% of Mexico's annual BH production, giving high international value. Major melliferous families in Yucatan include Fabaceae, with Piscidia piscipula ("Jabin") as an example, and Polygonaceae, with Gymnopodium floribundum ("Dzidzilche"), crucial for BH production. This study aimed to profile the metabolome of Jabin and Dzidzilche flowers and their associated BH to identify metabolites for each flower coming from two regions (Tahdziu and Acanceh) of Yucatán. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS2), total polyphenol content (TPC), and antioxidant capacity (AC) were implemented. As many as 101 metabolites (69 in flowers, 55 in BH) were tentatively identified using spectral libraries and in silico predictions, predominantly flavonoids, which accounted for 50.7% of the total identified metabolites in flower and 16.4% in BH. Samples exhibited variations in TPC, AC, secondary metabolites, and chemical classes depending on geography and botanical origin. Dzidzilche flowers from Acanceh displayed the highest total polyphenol content (TPC, 1431.24 ± 15.38 mg GAE/100 g dry matter) and antioxidant capacity (AC, 93.63% inhibition). Among the metabolites detected in flowers (Piscidia piscipula, Gymnopodium floribundum), 50.7% were found to be part of the flavonoid chemical class, whereas in their respective honey samples, only 16.4% of the identified metabolites were categorized as flavonoids. Vanillin and vitexin were tentatively identified as potential markers for the botanical origin identification of honey from Piscidia piscipula and Gymnopodium floribundum, respectively. Recognizing botanical and geographic BH origin is important for product authentication, identification, and traceability. This study offers chemical insights that can be valuable and complementary to melissopalynology, aiding in determining the origin and quality of Yucatan BH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsaicin (Cp) is a secondary metabolite produced by the Capsicum plant family. This molecule exhibits various biological properties such as antioxidant capacities, anti-obesogenic effects, and antidiabetic properties, among others. However, conventional extraction methods for Cp present several disadvantages including toxicity, extraction time, and low purity. Therefore, the utilization of supercritical fluid extraction techniques represents a viable option for obtaining highly pure and low-toxicity oleoresins (capsaicin-rich extracts). This approach involves the use of CO2 in the supercritical state and finds applicability in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. The Capsicum chinense variety from the Yucatán Peninsula is a crop with significant economic impact in the region, due to having the highest concentrations of Cp in Mexico. This significant characteristic is attributed to its adaptation to the unique conditions (climate, soil, solar radiation, humidity) of the southeastern region of Mexico. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature (45 °C, 60 °C), pressure (1450 psi, 2900 psi), and extraction time (60 min, 120 min) on the supercritical fluid extraction of Cp and dihydrocapsaicin (DhCp) from Capsicum chinense Jacq. The results obtained demonstrated that the extraction conditions of 45 °C, 1450 psi, and 60 min yielded the highest concentration of Cp (37.09 ± 0.84 mg/g extract) and DhCp (10.17 ± 0.18 mg/g extract), while the highest antioxidant capacity (91.48 ± 0.24% inhibition) was obtained with 60 °C, 2900 psi, and 60 min. The findings of this study indicate that the lower the pressure and extraction time, the higher the concentrations of Cp and DhCp compared to previous reports. This represents an opportunity for cost reduction in production lines and improved utilization of Capsicum chinense in the agrifood industry through additional optimization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsicum chinense, commonly known as the habanero pepper, is renowned for its culinary and medicinal value due to a great abundance of polyphenolic compounds. The pursuit of eco-friendly methods for extracting these metabolites, which produce high-purity extracts applicable to the food and pharmaceutical sectors, has led to the adoption of green technologies such as supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). In this methodology, by manipulating factors like temperature, pressure, and extraction time, the goal of producing extracts with elevated phenolic content from plant materials can be achieved. In this study, a central compound design (CCD) was conducted with the response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the extraction of polyphenols from Capsicum chinense using supercritical fluids. The optimal conditions for total polyphenol extraction were determined as 63.1 °C, 1161.82 psi, and an extraction time of 132 min, with a total polyphenol content (TPC) of 1870 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g extract. Additionally, concentration of several individual polyphenols were optimized, including catechin (236.27 mg/100 g extract, 62.8 °C, 1150 psi, and 132 min), chlorogenic acid (447.08 mg/100 g extract, 63.1 °C, 1150 psi, and 131.9 min), vanillic acid (136.38 mg/100 g extract, 41.9 °C, 1150 psi, and 132 min), diosmin + hesperidin (92.80 mg/100 g extract, 63 °C, 3200 psi, and 132 min), rutin (40 mg/100 g extract, 63.03 °C, 3200 psi, and 132 min), among others. These findings highlight the potential of supercritical fluid extraction for obtaining high yields of polyphenols from Capsicum chinese. The use of SFE-RSM also may optimize the extraction of specific phenolic compounds, and at the same time, it provides valuable insights for the development of extracts with enhanced bioactive properties for various applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to analyze the effects of the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus on the sensory and cognitive perception of mild and severe COVID‐19 diagnosed and recovered consumers versus healthy consumers. Three groups of 50 consumers each (healthy vs. mild and severe COVID‐19 diagnosed with 30 days after recovery) were used for the evaluation of instant coffee stimuli in concentrations: 4.40, 2.93, 2.20, 1.76, and 1.47% weight (w)/volume (v) and determine their discriminating power, emotions, and memories. Sensory tests were performed remotely. Results indicated that healthy consumers perceived higher intensities in most of the sensory attributes (with the exception of Burnt‐A, Bitter‐T, Acid‐T, and Astringent‐T attributes) compared to consumers who presented mild and severe COVID‐19. Therefore, consumers diagnosed with mild and severe COVID‐19 had a higher discrimination power in the attributes smell, basic tastes, and flavor. Healthy consumers could only discriminate two attributes that correspond to basic flavors. Consumers with mild and severe COVID‐19 diagnosis elicited the highest number of negatives emotions (such as bored, disgusted, worried, guilty, wild, and aggressive) and negative memories (disease, pain, death, hurt, obesity, conflict personal, addiction, stench poverty, and accident) than healthy consumers. It is concluded that there were no significant differences between the consumer panels for the identification of sensory attributes. However, P‐Healthy consumers perceived the highest intensities in most sensory attributes compared to those in the PCOVID19‐Mild and PCOVID19‐Severe panels. Finally, consumers diagnosed with mild or severe COVID‐19 used a higher number of emotions and memories than those of the healthy panel. Practical applications: Investigating the effects of COVID‐19 on sensory and cognitive perception can be useful for industry and researchers in the sensory field who wish to understand the effects of the disease in order to generate new protocols for the selection and training of people, as well as the possible development and innovation of new products focused on perception of consumers recovered from COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]