Cristina soler rivas

• Doctor of Biochemistry
• Autonomous University of Madrid

In the dynamic landscape of agriculture and food science, incorporating emergent crops appears as a pioneering solution for diversifying agriculture, unlocking possibilities for sustainable cultivation and nutritional bolstering food security, and creating economic prospects amid evolving environmental and market conditions with positive impacts on...

An optimized PLE method was applied to several truffle species using three different solvent mixtures to obtain bioactive enriched fractions. The pressurized water extracts contained mainly (1 → 3),(1 → 6)-β-D-glucans, chitins, and heteropolymers with galactose and mannose in their structures. The ethanol extracts included fatty acids and fungal st...

White-button (Agaricus bisporus) and shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mushrooms are widely consumed worldwide because of their organoleptic properties but also their bioactive compounds such as β-glucans, ergosterol, and phenolic compounds. Although these mushrooms can be eaten as raw food, they are usually subjected to household cooking treatments, so...

Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) contain compounds with hypocholesterolemic and immune-modulatory activities such as ergosterol and chitin that can be partially transformed into vitamin D and chitosan to yield extracts with enhanced bioactivities. A method was optimized to increase vitamin D2 levels by irradiating a non-soluble fraction obtain...

A supercritical fluid extraction methodology was used to extract flavoring and bioactive compounds from truffles. Some parameters such as CO2 flow rate (1-3 mg/mL), extraction time (15-90 min) and different trapping food matrices (grape seed oil, gelatin, agar agar and water) were optimized using response surface methodology to enhance extraction a...

Shiitake mushrooms ( Lentinula edodes ) contain compounds with hypocholesterolemic and immune-modulatory activities such as ergosterol and chitin that can be partially transformed into vitamin D and chitosan to yield extracts with enhanced bioactivities. A method was optimized to increase vitamin D 2 levels by irradiating a non-soluble fraction obt...

Although genomes from many edible mushrooms are sequenced, studies on fungal micro RNAs (miRNAs) are scarce. Most of the bioinformatic tools are designed for plants or animals, but the processing and expression of fungal miRNAs share similarities and differences with both kingdoms. Moreover, since mushroom species such as Agaricus bisporus (A. bisp...

A PLE (pressurized liquid extraction) method was adjusted following a full-factorial experimental design to obtain bioactive-enriched fractions from Tuber aestivum and Terfezia claveryi. Temperature, time and solvent (water, ethanol and ethanol–water 1:1) parameters were investigated. The response variables investigated were: obtained yield and the...

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the hypocholesterolemic, immune- and microbiota-modulatory effect of a mushroom extract in hypercholesterolemic subjects.MethodsA randomized, controlled, double-blind, and parallel clinical trial was carried out with subjects from 18 to 65 years old (n = 52) with untreated mild hypercholesterolemia. Volu...

Truffles are a well-known worldwide product mainly appreciated by their unique aroma, which is composed by more than 50 volatile compounds. However, to this day, no one has accomplished to find the aromatic key that evokes the real aroma of truffles for its use as food flavoring. Among them, black truffle was selected for extraction with supercriti...

The use of acid oils and fatty acid distillates in poultry feed formulations is limited due to controversial productive results that has been partially related to a lower digestibility compared with their corresponding crude oils. In vitro digestion and bioaccessibility models mimicking fat intestinal digestion will provide valuable information to...

The effects of gamma irradiation (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.5 kGy doses) on Tuber aestivum packaged under modified atmosphere was evaluated. The respiration rate, microbial populations, sensory characteristics and content of bioactive compounds (total carbohydrates, chitins, β-glucans, proteins, total phenols and sterols) were monitored from immediately...

Truffles, besides the appreciated aromatic compounds, contain other molecules with interesting bioactive properties. A screening of fungal sterols and β-glucans within different truffle species and locations was carried out. These compounds were extracted with pressurized liquids (PLE) generating enriched fractions. Extraction efficiency was studie...

Tartrazine (E102) is a synthetic food coloring, which belongs to the class of mono azo dyes and is known to cause numerous health problems. The current research aimed to evaluate the effect of this food dye on the enzymatic activity of amylase, lipase and proteases after a subchronic ingestion in Swiss mice. Additionally, an in vitro digestion mode...

A supercritical extraction plant (with a 6 L extraction cell) was successfully used to obtain ergosterol-enriched extracts from Lentinula edodes (40 ºC, 225 bar, 1-5h, 20 L/h recirculated CO2). Ergosterol (ERG) and the SFE extract (SFE) with the highest ergosterol concentration were also microemulsified and submitted to in vitro digestion to study...

A polysaccharide-enriched extract obtained from Lentinula edodes was submitted to several purification steps to separate three different D-glucans with β-(1→6), β-(1→3),(1→6) and α-(1→3) linkages, being characterized through GC-MS, FT-IR, NMR, SEC and colorimetric/fluorimetric determinations. Moreover, in vitro hypocholesterolemic, antitumoral, ant...

The effects of electron-beam or gamma irradiation (both applied at 1.5 kGy and 2.5 kGy) and subsequent storage under modified atmospheres (35 d at 4 °C) were evaluated on total carbohydrates, chitins, β-glucans, proteins, total phenols, sterols and ergocalciferol concentrations of Tuber melanosporum ascocarps. Irradiation procedures reduced chitin...

Innovative technologies as ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) (550 W, 60% amplitude, 50 °C) or subcritical water extraction (SWE) (200 °C, 11.7 MPa) were more effective than hot water extractions to obtain β-glucan-enriched fractions from shiitake mushrooms. UAE required longer extraction time (60 min) than SWE (15 min). Combination of UAE + SWE...

The parameters to extract polysaccharide-enriched fractions (PEF) from mushrooms using MAE (microwave-assisted extraction) were adjusted following a full factorial 3 ² experimental design. The highest yield and total carbohydrate values, using Lentinula edodes as model mushroom, were obtained at 180 °C and 30 min. Several mushroom species were subm...

Lifestyle is a complex concept that includes aspects external to ourselves that can modulate and influence our health. The knowledge of the relationship between lifestyle and cardiovascular risk does not attain the level of evidence achieved with clinical trials with drugs, because clinical studies are scarce and mainly of observational nature, alb...

Eritadenine is a hypocholesterolemic compound that was found in several mushroom species such as Lentinula edodes, Marasmius oreades, Amanita caesarea (1.4, 0.7 and 0.6 mg/g dw, respectively). It was synthesized during all developmental stages being present in higher concentrations in the skin of shiitake fruiting bodies. When submitted to traditio...

Lifestyle is a complex concept that includes aspects external to ourselves that can modulate and influence our health. The knowledge of the relationship between lifestyle and cardiovascular risk does not attain the level of evidence achieved with clinical trials with drugs, because clinical studies are scarce and mainly of observational nature, alb...

Edible mushrooms are an interesting source of valuable compounds including sterols, fatty acids, carbohydrates, dietary fibers, vitamins, proteins, phenolic compounds, minerals and specific bioactive molecules. Many of those compounds show health beneficial properties such as antioxidant, antitumor, immunomodulatory, hypocholesterolemic, hypotensiv...

A pilot-scale process combining extraction of Shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) powder in water (98 °C, 1 h), cross-flow microfiltration and reverse osmosis (nanofiltration) was performed to obtain β-glucan-rich extracts. Suspensions (45–80 L) obtained after 3 extractions were clarified by microfiltration reducing their turbidity to <1 NTU. Memb...

Three extraction methods were sequentially combined to obtain fractions from Lentinula edodes (shiitake mushrooms) containing bioactive compounds against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Fruiting bodies were first extracted with plain water, obtained residue was then submitted to supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and remaining residue submitted t...

Cholesterol levels are strictly regulated to maintain its homeostasis therefore, if it is not absorbed with the diet, the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway is enhanced and vice versa. Nowadays, the commonly prescribed therapeutic treatments for hypocholesterolemic patients are targeted toward the reduction of both cholesterol intestinal absorption a...

The combination of supercritical fluid extraction followed by UV-irradiation resulted in an interesting strategy to obtain ergosterol- and Vitamin D2-enriched extracts from Lentinula edodes to design novel functional food. Extractions carried out following a specific experimental design pointed out that extraction yields and ergosterol concentratio...

Water extracts from Pleurotus ostreatus containing no statins showed HMGCR (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl CoA reductase) inhibitory activity (in vitro) that might be due to specific water-soluble polysaccharides (WSP) because when isolated and deproteinized, increasing concentrations of the WSP extract induced higher inhibition. The WSP extract conta...

Eritadenine (2(R),3(R)-dihydroxy-4-(9-adenyl)butanoic acid) is an alkaloid derived from the secondary metabolism of edible mushrooms. It was initially isolated from shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes) although, later on was also found in the common button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). This compound showed hypocholesterolemic and hypotensive proper...

Interest in food matrices supplemented with mushrooms as hypocholesterolemic functional foods is increasing. This study was to (i) investigate the hypocholesterolemic activity of lard functionalized with mushroom extracts (LF) including fungal β-glucans, water-soluble polysaccharides, or ergosterol and (ii) examine the LF influence on transcription...

A water extract from Lentinula edodes (LWE) showed HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity but contained no statins. NMR indicated the presence of water soluble α- and β-glucans and fucomannogalactans. Fractions containing derivatives of these polysaccharides with molecular weight down to approx. 1 kDa still retained their inhibitory activity. Once d...

Mushrooms are a source of dietary fiber (DF) with a cholesterol-lowering effect. However, their underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The effect of DF-enriched fractions from three mushrooms species on cholesterol-related expression was studied in vitro. The Pleurotus ostreatus DF fraction (PDF) was used in mice models to assess its potentia...

The maintenance of cholesterol homeostasis is vital for the human body therefore it is a largely controlled process at several levels (transcriptional, translational, enzyme modulation etc.). If this molecule is not absorbed with the diet, specific receptors senses the lack of the metabolite and activate specific genes and mechanisms to synthetize...

To investigate the effect of two extracts obtained from Agaricus bisporus on the mRNA expression of cholesterol-related genes. One of the extracts contained ergosterol and other fungal sterols (SFE) and the other contained β-glucans and fungal sterols (EβG). Firstly, the dietary mixed micelles (DMMs) generated after in vitro digestion of standards...

Culinary-medicinal mushrooms are able to lower blood cholesterol levels in animal models by different mechanisms. They might impair the endogenous cholesterol synthesis and exogenous cholesterol absorption during digestion. Mushroom extracts, obtained using pressurized water extractions (PWE) from Agaricus bisporus basidiomes, supplemented or not s...

Ergosterol-enriched extracts obtained from Agaricus bisporus were incorporated into lard, butter and white chocolate as food carriers to study their potential as ingredients with hypocholesterolemic properties to design functional foods. Lard was selected and supplemented with several concentrations of cholesterol and ergosterol, beta-sitosterol (a...

Disease phenotypes and defects in function can be traced to nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs), which are important indicators of action sites and effective potential therapeutic approaches. Identification of deleterious nsSNPs is crucial to characterize the genetic basis of diseases, assess individual susceptibility to disease,...

Over the past two decades, there has been a steady flow of publications about the health effects related to mushrooms consumption. They represent a valuable source of protein, present high levels of fiber, some vitamins and minerals, and they also have reduced amount of fat and sodium. In addition, their complex carbohydrates profile can strengthen...

A pressurized water extraction (PWE) method was developed in order to extract β-glucans with bile acids-binding capacities from cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus, Lentinula edodes and Pleurotus ostreatus) to be used as supplements to design novel foods with hypocholesterolemic properties. Extraction yields were higher in individual than seque...

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the Western world after cancer according to World Health Organization. Many studies have established that high total-cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels are risk factors for CHD and mortality. In public health terms, achieving a reduction in cholester...

Agaricus bisporus mushrooms were able to lower cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolaemic rats and it was suggested that dietary fibre might inhibit cholesterol absorption. However, A. bisporus extracts were also able to inhibit the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR, the key enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway) and this m...

Ergosterol, ergosta7,22 dienol, ergosta 5,7 dienol, fungisterol, ergosta-4,7,2-trien-3-ona and ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-ona were the fungal sterols detected in Agaricus bisporus mushrooms after optimization of a sterol extraction method. Their concentration ranged from 3.1 to 11.2 mg/g dw depending on the strain, casing soil, flush number, de...

The methanol/water and particularly the water extracts obtained from 26 mushroom species were able to inhibit the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR) activity to different extent (10–76%). Cultivated mushrooms such as Pleurotus sp. and Lentinula edodes were among the strains which showed higher HMGCR inhibitory capacities. Their inhib...

One of the strategies in prevention or treatment of obesity is altering metabolism of lipids by inhibition of dietary fat absorption. The extracts obtained with methanol, water and methanol:water (1:1) from 21 mushroom species were screened as potential sources of pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitors using a standardized in vitro test. Lepiota procera...

Antiviral properties of water and methanol extracts from Lentinus edodes, Boletus edulis and Pleurotus ostreatus were evaluated against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Pre-treatment of Vero cells with 75 mg·ml-1 water extracts before virus addition, inhibited 60% of the virus infection and its addition during the virus adsorption period inhibi...

Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) are genetic variations that affect the encoded protein by an amino acid change. In humans, many naturally-occurring nsSNPs cause protein dysfunction and increase vulnerability to disease. Identification of such nsSNPs provides an important opportunity to develop drugs/nutrients with precise th...

The anti-oxidant properties of liver pâtés might be enhanced by adding specific bioactive ingredients such as Boletus edulis mushrooms. Water- and methanol-soluble fractions of supplemented pâtés showed higher 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activities than control samples. B. eduli...

Ligninolytic enzymes activities (laccases, peroxidases (total, MnP and MiP) and aryl-alcohol oxidase (AAO)) were measured during the cultivation of six commercial Pleurotus sp. strains on MMP media, on cereal grains (spawn) and on straw substrates (the three commonly utilized cultivation steps to obtain fruiting bodies) supplemented with several co...

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the Western world after cancer according to World Health Organization. Many studies have established that high total-cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels are risk factors for CHD and mortality. Many investigations have been carried out to explore the po...

A comparative study of the in vitro bioaccesibility of ω-3-oils (salmon oil, SO; tuna oil, TO; enriched-ω-3 oil as triacylglycerols (TAGs), ω-3-TAG; and enriched-ω-3 oil as ethyl esters (EEs), ω-3-EE) was performed after treatment with pancreatin (pancreatic lipase as major lipolytic enzyme) at pH 7.5. Aliquots were taken at different times of dige...

Seven Oyster mushroom strains were cultivated in wheat straw (WS) bags supplemented with 0 up to 90% olive mill waste (OMW), a solid residue obtained from a two-phases olive oil production system. All mushroom strains could grow but high OMW concentrations resulted in a significant yield, biological efficiency and productivity decrease, retarding o...

An antioxidant-enriched extract (RE) was obtained from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) by supercritical fluid extraction to be used as an ingredient to design functional foods. The optimized mixture (42 mg RE g(-1) sunflower oil) was submitted to in vitro digestion and absorption tests (using Caco2 cells) to investigate the effect of these proces...

Agaricus bisporus, Lentinula edodes and Boletus edulis fruiting bodies were submitted to domestic cooking treatments, in vitro digestion and absorption tests to investigate whether their antioxidant compounds were bioaccesible and bioavailable. Water-soluble antioxidants were more resistant to boiling, frying, grilling and microwaving than methanol...

The antimicrobial properties of water and methanol extracts from edible mushroom species were evaluated against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. Only water extracts from Lentinus edodes, Boletus edulis and Pleurotus ostreatus showed antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms. Their methanol extracts showed...

Nutritionists encourage improving the diet by combining meat products with fish or other sea-related foods, in order to equilibrate the omega-6/omega-3 ratio. Strong scientific evidence supports the beneficial health effects of a balanced omega-6/omega-3 PUFA (poly unsaturated fatty acids) diets. In the present work, the scientific bases of new fun...

Nowadays, most of the consumed foods are rarely ready for direct consumption. Food can be purchased at the local supermarket as fresh raw product such as meat, fruit, fish etc. or as manufactured product after an industrial processing (canned meat, dried fish, packed fruit etc.). But later on, both food types are usually submitted to culinary treat...

Dietary fibre encompasses a huge variety of macromolecules, exhibiting a wide range of physicochemical properties. Citrus fibre can be obtained from different industrial sources and different kinds of citrus. The chemical components of fibre (pectin, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose), together with other compounds, such as flavonoids, were analy...

IntroductionStructural basis of allergenicityAnalytical approaches to identify and monitor allergenicitySpecific approaches to reduce allergenicityPotential of novel processingFuture directions

Edible mushrooms are a good source of antioxidants. Methanol extracts of mushrooms such as Pleurotus sp., Agaricus bisporus, Morchella esculenta, Boletus edulis (approx. 2 mg mL−1) showed a high 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity close to 90%. Water extracts showed even higher antioxidant activity. In this case, B. edulis, Len...

When olive mill wastes (OMWs) and vegetation waters (VWs) obtained during the manufacture of olive oil were added as substrate supplements for the cultivation of Pleurotus pulmonarius the material modified growth of the mushroom and the endemic microbiota of the substrate, in particular the mushroom-pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas tolaasii, which...

Isoflavones constitute a characteristic and very important subclass of flavonoids. Their structures are based on the 3-phenylcromen skeleton that is chemically derived from the 2-phenylchromen skeleton, by an aryl-migration mechanism. Structurally, isoflavonoids can be classified according to the oxidation of the C15 skeleton, their complexity and...

A new procedure has been developed to separate and characterize antioxidant compounds from Spirulina platensis microalga based on the combination of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and different chromatographic procedures, such as TLC, at preparative scale, and HPLC with a diode array detector (DAD). Different solvents were tested for PLE extra...

Using primers designed on the basis of sequence homologies in the copper-binding domains for a number of plant and fungal tyrosinases, two tyrosinase encoding cDNAs were cloned from an Agaricus bisporus U1 cDNA-library. The sequences AbPPO1 and AbPPO2 were, respectively, 1.9 and 1.8 kb in size and encoded proteins of approximately 64 kDa. The cDNAs...

Hydroxytyrosol (HTyr), a natural ortho-diphenolic antioxidant with health-beneficial properties that mainly occurs in virgin olive oil and olive oil mill waste waters (also known as vegetative waters), has been enzymatically synthesized using mushroom tyrosinase. This o-diphenol (not commercially available) was obtained from its monophenolic precur...

A variety of methods have been used to attempt to decrease the allergenicity of food products, with highly variable success. Limited knowledge of allergen and epitope structures and the factors governing their stability may explain this, and the ensuing need for an empirical approach. A combined effort from a processing and genomics-based approach...

In Agaricus bisporus infected with Pseudomonas tolaasii, or treated with a partially purified tolaasin extract or with purified tolaasin, induction of a specific mRNA of the two sequences encoding tyrosinase was found. Tyrosinase isoforms in samples treated with several concentrations of a partially purified tolaasin (PT) extract were visualized af...

An easy and fast test has been designed to compare the total free radical scavenging capacity (RSC) of various food samples. Black and green teas from different countries, and wines of different brands were studied and compared as examples of coloured liquids (water‐ and methanol‐soluble); oils from different sources were used as examples of lipidi...

An easy and fast test has been designed to compare the total free radical scavenging capacity (RSC) of various food samples. Black and green teas from different countries, and wines of different brands were studied and compared as examples of coloured liquids (water- and methanol-soluble); oils from different sources were used as examples of lipidi...

If man leaves Earth for a long time to settlements on the Moon or Mars, he will be dependent of Closed Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) for the recycling of waste and the production of food. A large amount of the inedible plant material has to be pretreated and converted into a form which can be recycled. The main portion of this biomass is...

The antiradical capacity (radical scavenger capacity, RSC) of anthocyanin-based fruit extracts prepared in the laboratory (black chokeberry, black-thorn, and strawberry) was studied by using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH(*)). To determine their RSC, the second-order rate constant (k(2)) for the oxidation of these extracts by DPPH...

In this paper, oleuropein and some other related phenolic compounds are reviewed. Their occurrence, distribution, biosynthesis and transformation during maturation and during industrial processing (preparation of table olives and oil production) are described. Their role in human health is proposed based on current human, animal and in vitro studie...

The total free radical scavenger capacity (RSC) of 57 edible oils from different sources was studied: olive (24 brands of oils), sunflower (6), safflower (2), rapeseed (3), soybean (3), linseed (2), corn (3), hazelnut (2), walnut (2), sesame (2), almond (2), mixture of oils for salad (2), "dietetic" oil (2), and peanut (2). Olive oils were also stu...

The discoloration of A. bisporus after infection by Pseudomonas tolaasii, P. gingeri, P. agarici, P. reactans, Verticillium fungicola and Trichoderma harzianum can be distinguished by chromametric measurements. Infection with P. tolaasii caused a specific colour change, independent of the bacterial concentration applied (ΔL = 54.7, Δa = 16.6, Δb =...

The total free radical scavenger capacity (RSC) of 57 edible oils from different sources was studied: olive (24 brands of oils), sunflower (6), safflower (2), rapeseed (3), soybean (3), linseed (2), corn (3), hazelnut (2), walnut (2), sesame (2), almond (2), mixture of oils for salad (2), "dietetic" oil (2), and peanut (2). Olive oils mere also stu...

Pseudomonas tolaasii is a bacterium endemic to the compost beds where common mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) is cultivated. Under some environmental conditions still not well-determined, but influenced by temperature and relative humidity, the bacterium can become pathogenic and provoke the brown blotch disease. This review describes the interaction b...

Infection of Agaricus bisporus with Pseudomonas tolaasii or treatment with a tolaasin containing preparation resulted in the activation of tyrosinase and the development of a brown discolouration of the fruitbody. In order to investigate whether tolaasin is responsible for these reactions, mushrooms were treated with different concentrations of HPL...

A cell-free crude extract containing the white line inducing principle (WLIP), a lipodepsipeptide produced by Pseudomonas ‘reactans’, could inhibit browning of mushrooms caused by Pseudomonas tolaasii. Mushrooms inoculated with Ps. tolaasii at concentrations of 2·7 × 106 cfu ml−1 or higher showed the symptoms of the disease after 2 d of incubation....

The present invention relates to a method for controlling bacterial blotch disease in edible mushrooms, comprising of treating the mushrooms with one or more lipodepsipeptides. The lipodepsipeptides are for instance chosen from WLIP and viscosin. The invention further relates to the edible mushrooms treated in this manner and a solution which can b...