María Pilar Almajano

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya | UPC · Department of Chemical Engineering (EQ)

Calcium alginate spheres with a volume of about 5 mL can be used for important purposes. Those that incorporate oolong tea give, in addition to the recreational aspect, the possibility of drinking small quantities of this tea, because oolong tea can be used as a compound with antioxidant properties. This incorporation can be achieved by reverse sph...

Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA) are essential fatty acids required in healthy balanced diets for humans. To induce sustained production of n-3 LC-PUFA in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), chitosan-tripolyphosphate (TPP) nanoparticles encapsulating plasmids expressing fish codon-optimised Caenorhabditis elegans FAT-1 an...

Myrtus communis L. is a species of the Myrtaceae family that is found in the Mediterranean region, and it is traditionally recognized for its importance and different uses. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of M. communis L. leaf extract (MCLE), which was incorporated directly into alginate spheres and films, on preserving oil...

This study aimed to investigate the thermomechanical and antioxidant properties of an active film composed of carrageenan and cellulose nanofibers incorporating (0.1%v/v–0.5%v/v) eugenol (Eu), intended for active packaging applications. The mechanical, physical, morphology, and thermal properties of the active film were extensively characterized, a...

The administration of a single dose of chitosan nanoparticles driving the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1a (SREBP1a) was recently associated with the enhanced conversion of carbohydrates into lipids. To address the effects of the long-lasting expression of SREBP1a on the growth and liver intermediary metabolism of carnivor...

Biodegradable films made from biopolymer materials have the potential to replace conventional plastics, which can reduce waste disposal problems. This study aims to explore the potential of different seaweed derivate films consisting of 2% (w/w) of kappaphycus alverezi (KA), kappa carrageenan (KC), refined carrageenan (RC) and semi-refined carragee...

The interest in natural sources with high antioxidant powder has recently increased in several sectors. Ionic gelation methods could be used to protect bioactive substances to control the kinetics and release of these ingredients to the food matrix. This study dealt with the evaluation of the antioxidant capacity and scavenging activity of extracts...

The present study aims to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds of Azadirachta indica leaf extract using HPLC-MS and to evaluate the antioxidant, antibacterial (against different Gram-positive and negative bacteria) and in vitro anti-proliferative activities of this extract (against breast, human liver and cervix adenocarcinoma-derived cells...

In the current work, the leaf and flower extracts of Anthyllis vulneraria were evaluated for their chemical characterization using HPLC-MS and for their radical scavenging capacity toward methoxy radicals produced by a Fenton-type reaction using an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy assay. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of...

The beginning of a new Degree at UPC was the opportunity to design a Chemistry subject from the start. It was designed under the criteria of focusing the process on student learning, following the indications of the last meeting of the European Higher Education Area in Rome, November 2020. The objective of the design was to comply with the regulato...

El proyecto ROSES es un estudio comparativo internacional que profundiza en el interés y la actitud que muestran las y los adolescentes hacia la ciencia. El instrumento utilizado es un cuestionario validado con 188 ítems. En el presente artículo se presentan los resultados obtenidos en la categoría “Mis clases de ciencias”. Han participado 1316 est...

Fresh-cut fruits in ready-to-eat packaging are convenient healthy snacks that can be composed of one type of fruit or a mixture of different fruits to attract consumer's attention. However, to date, no studies have been performed to determine whether fruit mixing could impair fruit quality traits or their shelf-life. Here, we aimed at evaluating qu...

To increase our current knowledge on the nutritional regulation of growth and gene expression pattern in fish skeletal muscle, the effect of dietary macronutrient composition was assessed on digestibility, nutrient retention, growth performance, and the mRNA levels of key genes involved in functionality, growth and development of the skeletal muscl...

Active packaging films derived from renewable biopolymers with an antioxidant formulation is a promising alternative in prolonging food shelf‐life. This study aimed to develop active hybrid films from semi‐refined carrageenan, plasticized with glycerol, incorporating α‐tocopherol and enhanced with cellulose nanofibers derived from empty fruit bunch...

Pecan shell is a source of dietary fiber and phytochemicals, both necessary in the human diet. Therefore, pecan shell powder could be used as a supplement in the preparation of food products. The present study evaluated the effect of addition of 5, 10 and 15% (w/w) pecan shell powder, non-extruded (PSN) or extruded (PSE), in the physical properties...

Brewer’s spent grain (BSG) and brewer’s spent hops (BSH) are the major solid by-products of the brewing industry. The present work evaluated their potential as an alternative source of natural antioxidants. The efficacy of different solvents (MilliQ water, 0.75% NaOH, 50% MeOH, 50% MeOH + 0.3% HCl and 50% Acetone) for extracting polyphenols of thes...

For millennia, medicinal plants have been used to prevent and cure diseases. Up to now there is a growing interest in their use in several areas as conducted for Anthyllis in our investigation. Actually the present research aims to investigate the biochemical characterisation of a medicinal plant collected from Tunisia named Woundwort [ Anthyllis v...

The high phenolic compound content of grapes makes them an important source of natural antioxidants, among other beneficial health properties. Vineyard irrigation might affect berry composition and quality. Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) is a widely used strategy to reduce the possible negative impact of irrigation on grapes, improving grape co...

Purpose Solid-state fermentation (SSF) has been highlighted as an alternative to obtain valuable compounds using agro-industrial wastes as a substrate. The present study evaluated the impact of extrusion combined with SSF on the production of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant activity using pecan nut shell (PWS) as a substrate. Design/metho...

La oxidación de los lípidos es una de las causas principales de su deterioro, afectando a su calidad nutricional y organoléptica. Influye especialmente en las emulsiones alimentarias de aceite en agua -como la mayonesa-, lo que reduce su vida útil. Los aditivos sintéticos están limitados, lo que impulsa la investigación de soluciones aptas para su...

The antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of pecan shell (PSW), combined with roselle flower (RS) and red pepper (CA) were analyzed in beef patties by several methods during chilled storage for 13 days. Additionally, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of PSW, RS and CA extracts were determined. The PSW extract exhibited a higher radical s...

Phenolic compounds that come from natural products are a good option for minimizing lipid oxidation. It should be noted that these are not only introduced directly into the food, but also incorporated into edible biofilms. In contact with food, they extend its useful life by avoiding contact with other surface and preventing deterioration air, one...

Chitosan is increasingly used for safe nucleic acid delivery in gene therapy studies, due to well-known properties such as bioadhesion, low toxicity, biodegradability and biocompatibility. Furthermore, chitosan derivatization can be easily performed to improve the solubility and stability of chitosan–nucleic acid polyplexes, and enhance efficient t...

: The pecan (Carya illinoinensis) nut shell is an important byproduct of the food processing industry that has not been previously explored as an antioxidant compound. This work aims to study the effect of the extrusion temperature and screw speed on the moisture content, water and oil absorption index, water solubility index, color, phenolic compo...

The present work aims to investigate the in vitro antioxidant activities of Enterobacter cloacae C3 lipopeptides, as well as the stability of sunflower oil in water (o/w) emulsion and the conservation of raw beef patties. The C3 lipopeptides were assayed for their antioxidant activity through five different tests. The C3 lipopeptides showed good in...

We report an experimental and theoretical study of two stable radical adducts of the triphenylmethyl series, 1 and 2, whose composition and molecular structure are distinguished by the content and position of chlorine atoms in phenyls. The electrochemical study through cyclic voltammetry of these open layer species shows the existence of two revers...

The aim of this study was to determine the total polyphenol content, radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities of Azadirachta indica (A. indica) and to evaluate their effect on shelf-life stability of raw beef patties during refrigerated storage at 4 ± 1 • C. During 11 days of storage, the antioxidant effect of A. indica on ground beef meat w...

Semirefined carrageenan (SRC) plasticized with glycerol (G) and incorporated with antioxidants of 0.4% (v/v) of α-tocopherol and Persicaria minor (PM) extract was successfully developed. The objective of this study is to analyze the antioxidant effect of active packaging films from semirefined carrageenan incorporated with α-tocopherol and Persicar...

Poly (α-dodecyl γ-glutamate) (PAAG-12) was successfully synthesized from poly(γ-glutamic acid) (PGGA) according to Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analyses. PAAG-12 films were prepared and enriched with 5% α-tocopherol, with the aim of using them as novel antioxidant active packaging for food applications. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) characte...

Lipid oxidation was considered as a problem in food conservation. The present study aims to investigate the effect of lipopeptides DCS1 on the conservation of food models against lipid oxidation by determining the primary and the secondary oxidation products. Lipopeptides DCS1 are able to preserve the nutritional properties of the emulsion during 2...

In addition to being essential for the transcription of genes involved in cellular lipogenesis, increasing evidence associates sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) with the transcriptional control of carbohydrate metabolism. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of overexpression SREBP1a, a potent activator of all SREBP-resp...

Active packaging containing natural extracts is a promising innovation to prolong the shelf life of perishable food. The objective of this work was to develop a bioactive edible film from semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) and glycerol (G) as plasticizer incorporated with natural extract. Five Malaysian herbs were evaluated to determine their total phe...

Two very stable organic radical adducts 1 and 2 formed by an electron donor‐acceptor system with bipolar charge transport behavior have been investigated. Both present the same electron donor moiety, 3,6‐bis(N‐carbazolyl)carbazole, and are distinguished by the paramagnetic electron‐withdrawing moiety, tris(2,3,5,6‐tetrachlorophenyl)methyl radical (...

The traditional ways in the extraction of bioactive compounds using conventional methods are disadvantageous from both economic and environmental perspectives. In this, the potential of microwave-assisted hydrodistillation conditions for extraction of phytosterol from legume pods was investigated. Salkowski test performed on the legume pod has show...

In this contribution, the influence of Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) of different intensities (3–9 kV/cm and 0–300 μs) on the extraction of Total Phenols from lemon peel residues by pressing was investigated. According to the cellular disintegration index, the optimum treatment time for the increase in permeability was determined as 30 pulses of 30...

Semi‐refined carrageenan (SRC) film plasticized with glycerol and incorporated with α‐tocopherol was prepared for food packaging application. Functional characterization, thermal stability, and microstructure of SRC‐based films were analyzed. The effects of antioxidant α‐tocopherol from SRC‐based film were studied based on thiobarbituric acid‐react...

The effects of pecan nut (Carya illinoinensis) and roselle flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa) as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents on shelf life extension of sardines (Sardina pilchardus) were evaluated over a period of 5 days at 7 ± 1 °C. Treatments consisted of the addition of 5% and 10% w/w pecan nut, 5% w/w roselle flower and a combination of 5% o...

Increasingly, consumers want products containing little or no synthetic compounds. Avocado seeds, which are a residue of the food industry, could be used to obtain extracts with high antioxidant power. In the present study, the most popular radical scavenging methods are presented, establishing a comparison between them, besides working with two di...

This work has been intended to investigate the antioxidant properties of compounds extracted from seeds of Sterculia apetala (a plant from Central America) in order to add further results to the relatively poor existing literature on the beneficial properties of this plant. Different extraction methodologies were used such as batch or continuous ex...

The main targets of this work were to determine the phenolic content of Anthyllis vulneraria (A. vulneraria) leaves and flowers and to evaluate their antioxidant activity. Total polyphenols and flavonoid content (TPC and TFC, respectively) were determined. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated by the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), the Oxyge...

Oxidative stress, causing several diseases, raises the search for new antioxidants cures. In this context, the study of the antioxidant activities of methanol extracts of Tripodion (Anthyllis tetraphylla L.) was undertaken. This plant was collected from the semi-arid region of Tunisia, precisely from the National Park of Boukornine and belongs to t...

Background The impact of nutritional status and diet composition on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in fish remains largely unknown. To identify biomarkers of interest in nutritional studies, herein we obtained a deep-coverage transcriptome by 454 pyrosequencing of liver and skeletal muscle cDNA normalised libraries from long-term...

Alchemilla vulgaris (AV) and Filipendula ulmaria (FU) are European medicinal plants possess bioactive compounds that exhibit many pharmacological benefits in human. The present work aims to assess two plants ethanolic extract; AV and FU of their antioxidant activities as natural preservative in beef patties. All plant samples were analysed using to...

Active packaging is a promising technology for food industry. In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) films were prepared with dry or lyophilized plants of thyme and rosemary. These plants are an abundant, inexpensive source of polyphenolic antioxidant. Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions were made, covered by the different PLA films and stored for 30 days....

ω-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) reduce risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and other pathologies that involve low-grade inflammation. They have recently been shown to exert complementary functional effects with proanthocyanidins. As the reduction of health-promoting gut bacteria such as lactobacillus and bifidobacteria has been l...

Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston (Fabaceae) (CD) is used in folk medicine to prevent colds and treat bronchitis. This plant has antitumor and antioxidant activity. The antioxidant effects of an extract from Caesalpinia decapetala (Fabaceae) were assessed by storage of model food oil-in-water emulsions with analysis of primary and secondary oxid...

Red fruits, as rich antioxidant foods, have gained over recent years capital importance for consumers and manufacturers. The industrial extraction of the phenolic molecules from this source has been taking place with the conventional solvent extraction method. New non-conventional extraction methods have been devised as environmentally friendly alt...

Context: Betula pendula Roth (Betulaceae) exhibits many pharmacological activities in humans including anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral effects. However, the antioxidant activity of BP towards lipid degradation has not been fully determined. Objective: The BP ethanol and methanol extracts were evaluated to determine antioxidant activity by...

en The extracts (0.5% [w/w]) from Caesalpinia spinosa or tara (CS) and Caesalpinia decapetala (CD) leaves were evaluated for their ability to inhibit lipid oxidation using oil‐in‐water (O/W) emulsions as the model system. Liquid chromatography (LC) combined with mass spectrometry (MS), using a hybrid quadrupole time‐of‐flight (QTOF) mass spectromet...

Avocado seed is a by-product that contains a large amount of extractable polyphenols, which have attracted the attention of food and cosmetic industries due to their high antioxidant capacity. This fact makes it a promising candidate for the cheap and sustainable extraction of such compounds. This work aims to evaluate the effect of ultrasound powe...

en Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is consumed in the form of chunks (canned), cubes, fruit salad, and also in juices, concentrates, and jams. In the processes to produce these products, the waste generated represents a high percentage of the total fruit. Some studies have shown that residues of certain fruits, such as pineapple, have the same antioxida...

The common bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. Sprengel) is a ubiquitous procumbent evergreen shrub located throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. The fruits are almost tasteless but the plant contains a high concentration of active ingredients. The antioxidant activity of bearberry leaf extract in the 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6...

The development of antioxidant-active packaging has numerous advantages, such as the reduction of synthetic additives in food, the reduction of plastic waste and food protection against oxidation reactions. Different concentrations of extracts of the plants Caesalpinia decapetala (CD) and Caesalpinia spinosa "Tara" (CS) were incorporated into gelat...

The eff ect of dried pods of Caesalpinia spinosa, known as tara, on pH, cooking loss, lipid oxidation, colour stability and texture of model meat systems stored at 4 °C for 21 days was investigated. Tara pod powder showing a potential antioxidant activity was added at 0.02, 0.04 and 0.08 % (by mass) directly to the pork batt er and compared with a...

In this study we investigated the effects of Caesalpinia decapetala (CD) extracts on lipid oxidation in ground beef patties. Plant extracts and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were individually added to patties at both 0.1% and 0.5% (w/w) concentrations. We assessed the antioxidant efficacy of CD by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay...

In 2009, the European Directive for a Sustainable Use of Pesticides (128/2009/CE) established important mandatory actions to be accomplished by all Member States (MS) in the European Union. The main objective is to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides by reducing their risks and impacts on human health and the environment. Among other importan...

In this study, the antioxidant activity of the Convolvulus arvensis Linn (CA) ethanol extract has been evaluated by different ways. The antioxidant activity of the extract assessed by 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) radical cation, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power...

The effect of dried pods from Casealpinia spinosa (tara) on pH, cooking loss, lipid oxidation, colour stability and texture evaluation of model meat systems stored at 4 ºC for 21 days was investigated. Tara pods showing a potential antioxidant activity were added directly to pork batters at level of 0.02 %, 0.04 % and 0.08 % (by mass) and compared...

The optimization of the extraction of natural antioxidants from white tea has fostered intensive research. This study has investigated the effects of ethanol-water mixtures, temperature and time on the extraction of polyphenols and antioxidant components from white tea. The response surface methodology was applied to identify the best extraction co...

BACKGROUND Gentiana lutea root is a medicinal herb that contains many active compounds which contribute to physiological effects, and it has recently attracted much attention as a natural source of antioxidants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on the colour, pH, microbial activities, sensory quality and resistance to lipid oxidati...

A study to establish relationship between the petal colour, extraction solvent, phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity in three varieties of Viola × wittrockiana (yellow, red and violet) is reported in this article. Identification and quantification of flavonoids and anthocyanins using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS is also presented. T...