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Background: Plant-based foods such as hummus are alternative to animal protein, and when properly pre-pared, they help to alleviate nutritional iron deficiency that leads to anemia, a global health problem. Objective: The objective was to assess iron intake among Lebanese women and related participant’s charac-teristics, discern iron-rich dietary patterns, evaluate their association with nutrients intake and participant’s sociodemographic characteristics, and identify the women preparing hummus traditionally and properly for an enhanced iron bioavailability. Design: A cross-sectional study of 400 Lebanese women (18–74 years old) was conducted in Lebanon. Data from a questionnaire, including sociodemographic and health characteristics, dietary intake, and hummus preparation and consumption, were collected. Dietary data were obtained by a food frequency questionnaire and a 24-h recall. Dietary patterns were identified by principal component analysis. Linear regression and binomial logistic regression models were used to explore the association between the intake of dietary iron, its patterns, and the participants’ characteristics. Results: About 60% of the women had iron intake deficiency, especially with lower income (odds ratio [OR] = 1.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.107, 3.194). Four iron-rich dietary patterns were identified: legumes; organ/lunch meat and chicken; canned fish; and beef and hummus. The factor scores of the latter were posi-tively correlated with protein, vitamin C, iron, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin A with r = 0.195 and P < 0.01 for all. No significant difference was shown among the women’s sociodemographic characteristics for the con-sumption of the hummus-related pattern. Only 9.2 and 22.7% of the women considered proper preparation of chickpea and hummus, respectively, which significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with older women (66.7%). Discussion & Conclusion: The majority of the Lebanese women still have iron intake deficiency and the minority reported proper preparation of hummus. Intervention programs spreading awareness among Lebanese women are needed for encouraging adequate iron intake and considering proper steps to improve iron bioavailability from plant-based food.

International audience; The valorization of lignin to produce functionalized materials is challenging. A grafting reaction based on the reactivity between chitosan amino groups and lignin hydroxyl groups was performed, in an environmentally friendly solvent to produce thin films that can be used as active packaging or coating materials. A systematic comprehensive study was performed, that focused first on the grafting of the three phenolic acids composing lignin (coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic acids), and then of the lignin polymer itself onto chitosan. The anti-oxidant activity of lignin monomers was preserved after grafting onto chitosan with significant differences regarding their initial radical scavenging activity: sinapic acid > ferulic acid > coumaric acid. The lignin polymer can also be grafted onto chitosan, which results in an intermediate anti-oxidant activity of the film. Therefore, this work opens a new route for the valorization of lignin, with the possibility of tuning the anti-oxidant activity of the final material based on the appropriate selection of the initial sustainable resource.

Hummus, an iron-containing plant-based dish mainly made from chickpea pur&eacute, e, tahini, lemon juice and garlic, could be a valuable source of iron when bioavailable. Since the processing and formulation of food influence iron bioavailability, the present study investigated for the first time, their effects on hummus. Firstly, iron bioaccessibility was assessed on eight samples (prepared according to the screening Hadamard matrix) by in vitro digestion preceding iron dialysis. Then, iron bioavailability of four selected samples was estimated by the in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model. Total and dialyzable iron were determined by the atomic absorption spectrometry and ferritin formation was determined using an ELISA kit. Only autoclaving, among other processes, had a significant effect on iron bioaccessibility (+9.5, p &lt, 0.05). Lemon juice had the highest positive effect (+15.9, p &lt, 0.05). Consequently, the effect of its acidic components were investigated based on a full factorial 23 experimental design, no significant difference was detected. Garlic&rsquo, s effect was not significant, but tahini&rsquo, s effect was negative (&minus, 8.9, p &lt, 0.05). Despite the latter, hummus had a higher iron bioavailability than only cooked chickpeas (30.4 and 7.23 ng ferritin/mg protein, respectively). In conclusion, hummus may be a promising source of iron, further in vivo studies are needed for confirmation.

SO2 reaction with electrophilic species present in wine, including in particular carbonyl compounds, is responsible for the reduction of its protective effect during wine aging. In the present study, direct 1H NMR profiling used to monitor the reactivity of SO2 with acetaldehyde under wine-like oxidation conditions. The dissociation of acetaldehyde bound SO2 was evidenced suggesting that released free SO2 can further act as an antioxidant. EPR and DPPH assays showed an increasing antioxidant capacity of wine with the increase in the concentration of acetaldehyde sulfonate. The presence of acetaldehyde sulfonate in wines was correlated with the overall antioxidant activity of wines. The first evidence of acetaldehyde bound SO2 dissociation provides a completely new representation of the long-term protection efficiency of SO2 during bottle aging.

An efficient route has been developed for the synthesis of multifunctional tetraazacycloalkanes (in particular 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclotridecane) incorporating an aminomethyl pendant arm on the carbon skeleton. Starting from the appropriate C-functionalized bisaminal-protected intermediate, the target macrocycles were easily obtained by means of a step-by-step introduction of the desired functional groups onto the free primary amine group, followed by deprotection of the bisaminal intermediates. This straightforward and versatile synthetic approach paves the way for the design of a new family of multifunctional chelators.

International audience; We report herein an efficient synthesis of news naphtalimide-based fluorescent derivatives functionalized with an a,(3-unsaturated carbonyl group. Probes were synthesized from reaction of an amino-naphtalimide precursor with maleic anhydride. Photophysical study of fluorescent probes and cells labelling were performed, and showed that the reactive derivatives exhibit rich turn on fluorescence properties in presence of different biological thiol (Glutathione and Cysteine) making these systems a very promising way for thiol bioimaging.

International audience; Iprodione is a fungicide widely used in viticulture in most agricultural countries. It was banned recently in the European community because of its carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting characters. In this work, a cheap analytical method able to monitor iprodione in a white wine was developed. Molecularly imprinted sol-gel polymers (MIS) specific to iprodione and using green solvents were synthesized. An experimental design having the following factors (solvent volume and crosslinker quantity) was used to prepare an optimal MIS. In terms of selectivity, the optimal MIS showed the best partition coefficient towards iprodione in a white wine containing four other competing fungicides (procymidone, pyrimethanil, azoxystrobin and iprovalicarb). A solid phase extraction method using the optimal MIS was optimized and applied to analyse iprodione in a white wine. Low detection and quantification limits were reached 11.7 and 39.1 µg/L respectively.

International audience; The acid gelation by glucono-delta-lactone of thermal protein aggregates from mixed pea globulin (Glob) and beta-lactoglobulin (beta lg), namely "mixed-aggregates", was investigated at 25 degrees C in comparison to that of mixtures of thermal aggregates of each protein obtained beforehand separately ("mixtures of aggregates"). A phase diagram indicating thermal gelation and acid gelation conditions was obtained from mixed protein systems varying in concentration and composition. The minimum acid gelation concentration was 3% regardless of the protein aggregates system, a value about half the concentration threshold measured for thermal gelation. The rheological properties, the microstructure and the water holding capacity (WHC) of acid gels were then evaluated from 4 wt% protein aggregate solutions at different beta lg/Glob weight ratios (0/100, 30/70, 50/50, 70/30 and 100/0). Acid gelation led to weak viscoelastic gels and the gel strength increased with beta lg content. The formation of acid gel from "mixed-aggregates" resulted in more elastic gels and improved WHC compared to gels resulting from "mixtures of aggregates". This behavior seemed to correlate with the regular filamentous and highly entangled gel network structure observed for mixed-aggregates. These properties were believed to originate from the initial structure of the thermal protein aggregates strongly influenced by beta lg content.

International audience; A new method based on 1H NMR spectroscopy was developed for monitoring transglutaminase crosslinking reaction with model molecules (CBZ-Gln-Gly and N-α-acetyl-lysine). The transglutaminase reaction led to the appearance of new resonances on NMR spectrum as well as significant decrease in others. The new observed resonances, originated from newly formed ɛ-(γ-glutamyl)lysine isopeptide bonds, evidence the enzymatic reaction and allow to quantify the ɛ-(γ-glutamyl)lysine fragment. Moreover, the decrease in resonance intensity, originated from lysine, permit to determine the crosslinking degree. These results obtained by 1H NMR spectroscopy can be used as an alternative method to LC–MS, reducing drastically the analysis time from 7 days to 2 h.

This report focuses on cold-set gelation of pea ( Pisum sativum L.) proteins and related globulin fractions, namely Vicilin 7S and Legumin 11S. Protein thermal denaturation and aggregation were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis, and sulfhydryl (S − )/disulfide (S–S) bond assessment. While the denaturation temperature ( T d ) of pea proteins increased from about 69 to 77 °C with increasing legumin content, the disulfide-linked acidic ( α ) and basic ( β ) legumin subunits (56–58 kDa) denatured and aggregated in a temperature range of 75–85 °C. Dissociation of legumin oligomers and their rearrangements via hydrophobic interactions and sulfhydryl/disulfide bonds exchange reactions would occur concomitantly during the heat-treatment, giving rise mainly to high-molecular weight aggregates of random structure. However thermal denaturation and aggregation of vicilin molecules would involve solely non-covalent interactions. Then glucono-δ-lactone (GDL) acid-induced gelation of protein thermal aggregates was evaluated by means of G ′ and G ″ moduli. The preheated mixed pea globulins and vicilin-enriched samples gave rise to increased final moduli values of the acid gels, while legumin-enriched samples displayed low gelling properties. Improving functional properties of pea proteins would help to promote their application in plant-based gelled products such as tofu, alternatively to their soy counterparts.

International audience; The new ligand L was prepared and features a 13-membered tetraaza macrocyclic ring with a 1,8-naphthalimide fluorophore appended to a C atom of its backbone. The protonation constants of L as well as its complexation constants with Zn2+ ions were determined in 1:1 water/methanol solutions by potentiometric titrations. Fluorimetric pH titrations were performed with L alone and L in the presence of Zn2+ ions (1:1), and the species distributions (%) versus pH were compared. A window-shaped fluorescence trend was observed with pH for the L/Zn2+ system, which behaves as an off-on-off pH sensor. The on window is centred in the 6.5-7.5 pH range, in correspondence with the formation of [ZnL](2+). The ligand L also works as a sensor for Zn2+ ions in this pH window, which includes the physiological pH value (7.4). Accordingly, L was used as a probe for the visualization of the Zn2+ pools in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells at pH 7.4 and has the additional ability to distinguish between living and dead cells.

International audience; A new synthetic method has been developed for the preparation of reinforced cyclams (1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) C-functionalized on the bridging unit, by using a "one pot" reaction starting from the appropriate bis-aminal cyclam intermediate. The high reactivity of quaternized aminal moiety toward nucleophilic agent has been used to elaborate a new class of cross-bridged and side-bridged cyclam derivatives containing cyanide group on the ethylene bridge. Several chelators and corresponding copper(II) complexes have been prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction. These new constrained polyazamacrocycles are valuable precursors of bifunctional chelating agents for the preparation of PET radiotracers.

International audience; Bombesin (BBN) was covalently bound to graftable subphthalocyanine (SubPc) or to a cholesterol derivative, a component of a liposome that encapsulates non-graftable SubPc. The latter bioconjugation approach was suitable to address the stability of SubPc and was achieved by copper-free click-chemistry on the outer-face of the liposome. Liposomes were purified (FPLC) and then analyzed in size (outer diameter about 60 nm measured by DLS). In vitro binding studies allowed to determine the IC50 13.9 nM for one component of the liposome, cholesterol, conjugated to BBN. Hence, azido- (or alkynyl-) liposomes give fluorophores with no reactive functional group available on their backbone a second chance to be (indirectly) bioconjugated (with bombesin).

International audience; The present work investigates the formation of protein aggregates (85 degrees C, 60 min incubation) upon heat treatment of beta-lactoglobulin (beta lg) pea globulins (Glob) mixtures at pH 7.2 and 5 mM NaCl from laboratory-prepared protein isolates. Various beta lg/Glob weight ratios were applied, for a total protein concentration of 2 wt % in admixture. Different analytical methods were used to determine the aggregation behavior of "mixed" aggregates, that is, surface hydrophobicity and also sulfhydryl content, protein interactions by means of SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, and molecule size distribution by DLS and gel filtration. The production of "mixed" thermal aggregates would involve both the formation of new disulfide bonds and noncovalent interactions between the denatured beta lg and Glob subunits. The majority of "mixed" soluble aggregates displayed higher molecular weight and smaller diameter than those for Glob heated in isolation. The development of pea whey protein "mixed" aggregates may help to design new ingredients for the control of innovative food textures.

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the water content of wood on the concentrations of volatile compounds which can be extracted after heat treatments. Head Space-Solid Phase Micro Extraction Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME GC-MS) has been used to compare the concentrations of six aroma compounds (vanillin, furfural, eugenol, guaiacol and cis- and trans-whisky lactones) in hydroalcoholic extracts of heated oak wood samples either previously soaked in hot water or not. Except for eugenol, concentrations of extracted aromas appeared to be lower in soaked woods than in dry woods for temperatures up to 200 °C. If a delaying effect of water could explain such overall lower extracted concentrations from soaked woods, a PCA analysis revealed that for the longer duration (25 min of heat treatment), the adsorbed water could promote a higher impact of furfural, eugenol and both whisky lactones on the composition of hydroalcoholic extracts, suggesting that alternative mechanisms of thermal modifications of the wood macromolecular network could exist at high temperatures in presence of adsorbed water.

International audience; A silane-derivatized tetraaza Cu2+ macrocyclic complex is prepared, which forms monolayers on glass surfaces, capable of allowing the further deposition of a stable monolayer of silver nanoparticles, obtaining by this, surfaces that display an enhanced antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

A powerful synthetic route for the preparation of new poly-azamacrocycles, valuable precursors of bifunctional chelating agents with applications in nuclear medicine, is reported. The desired functional group was introduced onto the macro-cycle backbone during the cyclization step, thus avoiding the tedious preparation of a C-functionalized synthon. The regioselective reaction of macrocycles bearing an aminomethyl pendant arm with aldehydes is also described.

A multitasking fluorescent device can be obtained by forming micelles of Triton X-100, containing a lipophilic macrocyclic Cu(2+) complex and the coordinating fluorophore Coumarin 343 (C343), which features a COOH moiety. At low pH the two micellised components do not interact, and the fluorescence of Courmarin 343 (C343) is intense. At intermediate pH, C343 is deprotonated and coordinates to the Cu(2+) centre in its apical position, with fluorescence quenching. At higher pH the deprotonated C343 is displaced from Cu(2+) by the formation of an OH(-) complex, and the fluorescence is revived. This allows the system to carry out its first task as it behaves as an "on-off-on" fluorescent sensor for pH windows. The "off" part of the window ranges from pH 6 to 8. In this interval, in which the carboxylate form of C343 is apically coordinated to the Cu(2+) complex inside micelles, the device carries out its second task, that is, it behaves as a gauge for lipophilicity. For pHs between 6 and 8, molecules containing a COOH group are in their COO(-) form and distribute between bulk water and micelles proportionally to their lipophilicity. Upon entering the micelle, their COO(-) moiety competes for coordination with C343, displacing it from the Cu(2+) centre, and this results in fluorescence revival, the intensity of which is also proportional to the lipophilicity of the examined molecule. We have chosen the physiological pH value (7.4) as the working pH, and we have examined the lipophilicity of fatty acids and of the widely used family of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The device successfully measures their lipophilicity, expressing it with an "off-on" type fluorescent signal, as demonstrated by the correlation of the fluorescence increase with the logarithmic water/octanol partition coefficient (log P) and with the difference between the pK(a) observed in micelles and that measured in water for NSAIDs.

Three 13aneN4 macrocyclic ligands have been prepared bearing a -CH(2)NHR side arm (R = H, n-C(5)H(11), n-C(10)H(21)) on a carbon atom. When Cu(2+) is complexed in the macrocyclic ring, the amino group of the side arm undergoes an acid-base protonation equilibrium but it is not able to coordinate apically the metal cation even when it is deprotonated. The Cu(2+) complex with the ligand bearing the longest appended aliphatic chain is fully confined inside Triton X-100 micelles, and its ability to bind and sequestrate a series of anions inside micelles has been studied at two different pH values, i.e. both with protonated and neutral side-arm amino group. The favourable role played by the protonated amino group in the side arm has been demonstrated.

Potentiometric titrations, fluorescence versus pH titrations, dynamic light scattering and fluorescence polarization anisotropy studies demonstrate that inside the nanodimensioned Triton X-100 micelles, 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid, PCOO-, forms an apical complex with the Zn2+ cation encircled by a lipophilic cyclen ligand and hugely increasing its fluorescence. The ability of the Zn2+-cyclen-PCOO- complex plus its micellar container to act as a fluorescent sensor to evaluate the lipophilicity of molecular species is demonstrated on the fatty acid series CH 3(CH2)xCOOH (x=0-16). At pH 7.4 a decrease in fluorescence is observed on the addition of fatty acids that is directly related to their chain length, that is, to their tendency to enter the micellar containers, where they dislocate PCOO- from the Zn2+ centre. The independent determination of fatty acid pKa values in the presence of Triton X-100 micelles confirms that our fluorescent micellar device is capable of sensing their lipophilicity. © 2008 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

In the context of protein source diversification, pea protein is a promising ingredient and may be associated with milk proteins such as whey proteins in the production of new food products. In the present work, the thermal aggregation (85°C - 1 h) of pea globulins (Glob) alone and in admixture with β-lactoglobulin (βlg), prior to acid gelation, was studied as a function of total protein concentration, βlg/Glob weight ratio and ionic strength. The characterization of soluble aggregates was carried out by combining different analytical methods such as surface hydrophobicity determination, disulfide bridge quantification, dynamic light scattering (DLS), size exclusion chromatography (SEC-HPLC) and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. The formation of mixed aggregates seems to be governed by non-covalent intermolecular interactions, but also by covalent bonds between βlg and legumin subunits at low ionic strength (5 mM NaCl). The latter seem to control the structural features of mixed aggregates (high molecular weight and reduced diameter 150 nm). The second part of this work investigated the formation of acid gels by glucono-δ-lactone, obtained either from soluble mixed aggregates such as characterized previously, either from mixtures of thermal aggregates of the two proteins prepared separately. The parameters associated to acidification kinetics and gelation (time and pH at sol/gel transition, mechanical properties by dynamic rheology and microstructure analysis by Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy, water holding capacity) were evaluated. The results showed that mixed aggregates from heat-treated initial mixtures of the two proteins provides more elastic acid gels with a more regular and less porous fibrillar structure having close characteristics to those of pure βlg gels., Dans un contexte de diversification des sources protéiques alimentaires, les protéines de pois représentent un ingrédient de choix et pourraient être associées à des protéines laitières comme celles du lactosérum dans la fabrication de nouveaux aliments. Dans ce travail, le comportement d’agrégation thermique (1h à 85°C), préalable à une gélification acide, des globulines de pois (Glob) seules et en mélange avec la β-lactoglobuline (βlg), a été étudié en fonction de la concentration totale en protéine, du ratio massique βlg/Glob et de la force ionique. La caractérisation des agrégats solubles a été réalisée par une combinaison de techniques analytiques telles que la détermination de l’hydrophobicité de surface, la quantification des ponts disulfures, la diffusion dynamique de la lumière (DLS), la chromatographie d’exclusion de taille (SEC-HPLC) et l’électrophorèse SDS-PAGE. La formation d’agrégats mixtes semble être gouvernée par des interactions intermoléculaires non covalentes, mais aussi des liaisons covalentes entre la βlg et les sous-unités de légumine notamment à faible force ionique (5 mM NaCl). Ces dernières semblent contrôler les caractéristiques méso-structurales des agrégats mixtes formés (haut poids moléculaire et diamètre réduit < 110 nm) comparativement aux agrégats formés de globulines seules (diamètre > 150 nm). Le deuxième volet de l’étude concernait la formation de gels acides obtenus par acidification au glucono-δ-lactone, soit à partir des agrégats mixtes solubles caractérisés précédemment, soit à partir de mélanges d’agrégats thermiques de chaque protéine obtenus séparément. Les différents paramètres liés à la cinétique d’acidification et à la gélification (temps et pH de transition sol/gel, propriétés mécaniques par rhéologie dynamique et analyse de la microstructure par Microscopie Confocale à Balayage Laser, capacité de rétention d’eau) ont été évalués. Les résultats démontrent que les agrégats mixtes issus des mélanges thermisés des deux protéines permettent d’obtenir des gels plus élastiques avec une structure fibrillaire plus ordonnée et moins poreuse, avec des caractéristiques proches de celles des gels formés d’agrégats purs de Blg.