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Ruxandra Mare,1,2 Ioan Sporea,1,2 Mirela Tomescu,3 Gheorghe Nicușor Pop,3 Andrei Vitel,3 Alina Popescu,1,2 Silviu Nistorescu,1 Roxana Sirli1,2 1Department of Internal Medicine II, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Advanced Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 2Regional Center of Research in Advanced Hepatology, Academy of Medical Science, Timisoara, Romania; 3Department VI of Cardiology, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, RomaniaCorrespondence: Roxana Sirli, Department of Internal Medicine II, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Advanced Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania, Tel +40723537039, Fax +40723537039, Email roxanasirli@gmail.comIntroduction: Many of the patients presenting with metabolic syndrome (MetS) also have liver steatosis (NAFLD) and some of them could develop liver fibrosis.Purpose: To develop a simple score that could rule out fibrosis, especially significant fibrosis (F≥ 2) and could be used in daily practice in patients with MetS, in order to identify patients at risk.Patients and Methods: A total of 204 patients with MetS were prospectively enrolled. Evaluation of liver fibrosis was made using Vibration Controlled Transient Elastography while evaluation of steatosis was achieved using ultrasound (US).Results: Out of 204 patients with MetS, 179 patients (87.7%) had reliable liver stiffness measurements and 22.9% (41/179) had F ≥ 2. To formulate the fibrosis predicting score, all clinical variables associated with F ≥ 2 in the univariate analysis were considered in a multivariate regression model. According to the power of correlation, by consensus, we attributed 1 point for BMI > 31.4 kg/m2, 1 point for female gender, 1 point for HDLc < 47mg/dL, 1 point for mild steatosis at US, 1.5 point for moderate and 2 points for severe steatosis.Conclusion: At an optimal cut-off value of < 3.5, our score could be used to rule-out the risk for developing at least significant fibrosis with a high negative predictive value (NPV 89.2%) in patients with MetS.Keywords: metabolic syndrome, liver steatosis, liver fibrosis, liver elastography

Pea preparations (flours, concentrates, and isolates) are increasingly used in plant-based products, but their characteristic odor is often causing problems. Advanced knowledge of the aroma profile of pea preparations could improve understanding of how pea-based ingredients affect sensory properties of foods.This study investigated the aroma profiles of different pea preparations using solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O), and descriptive sensory analysis. The GC-MS analysis included MRM detection of methoxypyrazines, which significantly contribute to the flavor of pea preparations.More than 100 volatile compounds were identified in pea preparation samples by GC-MS, aldehydes being the main molecules, and 39 aroma-active compounds were registered by GC-O assessors. Sensory attributes of pea protein preparations were compared with analytical data to find the characteristic aroma-active compounds. Sensory panel evaluation showed noticeable differences between the pea preparations. Unsaturated aldehydes, which impart green odor, and methoxypyrazines, with pea-like and beany notes, enhance the sensory perception of green and pea-like characteristics in pea preparations. Methanethiol increased sulfur-like odor in pea protein isolate A. β-Damascenone had high modified frequency in pea protein isolate C, enhancing honey-like attributes. Methanethiol and β-damascenone were not reported previously as odor-active compounds in pea protein preparations.

Consumer demand for plant-based dairy alternatives has increased rapidly during the past few years and the market has been saturated with a wide variety of alternative products. The general aim of this study was to broaden the understanding of the composition and characteristics of currently commercially available plant-based yoghurt alternatives focusing especially on the content of live bacteria. The bacterial composition, including the content of live bacteria in yoghurt alternatives, was evaluated using metagenetic sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene amplicons in combination with the novel PMAxx treatment approach. The content of organic acids, sugars, and volatiles was measured, and descriptive sensory analysis was carried out to comprehensively describe the products. While the main ingredient (soya, oat, coconut, or lupin) determined the general characteristics of the product, significant differences were observed in both chemical and microbiological composition and sensorial attributes even among the yoghurt alternatives made from the same plant ingredient.

Growing interest in plant-based alternative products offers hope for a more sustainable future. Oat and pea are among the most potential raw materials, due to their nutritional value and their widespread growth. However, one of the key issues with the development of such products is their bitter off-taste due to ingredients like saponins, amino acids, and fatty acids. The perception of bitterness varies between compounds and depends on physiological differences among individuals, which also complicates the development of plant-based alternatives. This study aimed to investigate individual differences in bitterness sensitivity, with a particular focus on pea and oat products. Sensory evaluations (n = 12) and consumer tests (n = 100) showed that people were generally more sensitive to the bitterness of peas than oats. No statistically significant difference was observed in bitterness perception based on diet habits. Furthermore, findings demonstrated that no general standard for assessing a variety of product groups can be recommended for sensory analysis. Well-established bitter standards such as PROP, quinine, and caffeine, were not correlating with other bitter stimuli. Thus, the choice of the bitter standards to be used in sensory analysis depends on the purpose of the study and the samples included.

Evaluating the stability of polyphenols in fruit, berry, and vegetable purees helps to assess the quality of these products during storage. This study aimed to (1) monitor the stability of total phenolic content (TPC) in four-grain puree with banana and blueberry (FGBB), mango-carrot-sea buckthorn puree (MCB), and fruit and yogurt puree with biscuit (FYB); (2) study the effect of aluminum-layered vs. aluminum-free packaging on the changes in TPC; and (3) assess the suitability of accelerated shelf-life testing (ASLT) methodology to evaluate the stability of polyphenols. The samples were stored at 23 °C for 182, 274, 365, and 427 days. The corresponding time points during ASLT at 40 °C were 28, 42, 56, and 66 days, calculated using Q10 = 3. The TPC was determined with Folin–Ciocalteu method. The results revealed that the biggest decrease in TPC took place with high-pH FGBB, which contained fewer ingredients with bioactive compounds. Minor changes were seen in FYB and MCB, which had lower pH values, and contained a larger amount of ingredients that include polyphenols. In addition, the choice of packaging material did not affect the TPC decrease in each puree. Finally, it was concluded that the ASLT methodology is suitable for studying the TPC changes in such purees, but the corresponding Q10 factors may vary and should be determined based on the chemical profile and ingredient list of the product.