Search

Strawberries are a rich source of vitamins and antioxidants, among other nutrients, but they are highly susceptible to mechanical injuries, dehydration, and microbial spoilage, and thus have a limited post-harvest shelf-life. Bioactive edible coatings have been studied to decrease or prevent these damages. In this study, ethanolic extracts of Arrayan (Luma apiculata), a traditional berry from the south of Chile, were used to enrich a chitosan-based edible film and coat fresh strawberries. A long-term storage (10 °C) study was conducted to determine the strawberries’ weight loss, microbial stability, fruit firmness impact, and antioxidant activity. Later, a sensory panel was conducted to determine overall consumer acceptance. Our results show that the bioactive coating inhibited the growth of different pathogenic bacteria and spoilage yeast. In the stored strawberries, the weight loss was significantly lower when the bioactive coating was applied, and the samples’ firmness did not change significantly over time. Microbial growth in the treated strawberries was also lower than in the control ones. As expected, the antioxidant activity in the coated strawberries was higher because of the Arrayan extract, which has high antioxidant activity. Regarding sensory qualities, the covered strawberries did not show significant differences from the uncoated samples, with an overall acceptance of 7.64 on a 9-point scale. To our knowledge, this is the first time an edible coating enriched with Arrayan extracts has been reported as able to prevent strawberries’ decay and spoilage.

In this work, two microencapsulation techniques were used to protect and improve the absorption of emamectin benzoate (EB), which is an antiparasitic drug used to control Caligus rogercresseyi. EB has a low aqueous solubility, which affects its absorption in the intestine of Salmo salar. Microparticles were produced by spray drying and ionic gelation, using Soluplus® (EB–SOL) and sodium alginate (EB–ALG) as polymers, respectively. Studies were conducted on dissolution/permeation, apparent permeability (Papp), apparent solubility (Sapp), and absorption using synthetic and biological membranes. Based on these results, the amount of EB in the microparticles needed to achieve a therapeutic dose was estimated. The EB–ALG microparticles outperformed both EB–SOL and free EB, for all parameters analyzed. The results show values of 0.45 mg/mL (80.2%) for dissolution/permeation, a Papp of 6.2 mg/mL in RS–L, an absorption of 7.3% in RS, and a Sapp of 53.1% in EM medium. The EB–ALG microparticles decrease the therapeutic dose necessary to control the parasite, with values of 3.0−2 mg/mL and 1.1−2 mg/mL for EB in EM and RS, respectively. The Korsmeyer–Peppas kinetic model was the best model to fit the EB–ALG and EB–SOL dissolution/permeation experiments. In addition, some of our experimental results using synthetic membranes are similar to those obtained with biological membranes, which suggests that, for some parameters, it is possible to replace biological membranes with synthetic membranes. The encapsulation of EB by ionic gelation shows it is a promising formulation to increase the absorption of the poorly soluble drug. In contrast, the spray-dried microparticles produced using Soluplus® result in even less dissolution/permeation than free EB, so the technique cannot be used to improve the solubility of EB.

The study of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in wine fermentations allows the exploration of new alternatives for the reduction of ethanol in wines. The objective of this work was to evaluate the fermentation capacity of two indigenous Candida yeasts (C. oleophila and C. boidinii) in monoculture and sequential fermentations (laboratory and microvinification scale) to produce Chilean Sauvignon Blanc wine. Fermentations were monitored by the determination of ethanol, glycerol, organic acids, and residual sugars. The results indicated that at the laboratory scale for both the monoculture and sequential fermentations it was possible to reduce the ethanol concentration on 0.77% v/v (monoculture) and 1.5% v/v (sequential) for C. oleophila and 0.50% v/v (monoculture) and 0.04% v/v (sequential) for C. boidinii compared to S. cerevisiae (12.87% v/v). Higher glycerol concentrations were produced in monoculture than sequential fermentations (C. oleophila: 9.47 g/L and C. boidinii 10.97 g/L). For microvinifications, the monoculture and sequential fermentations with C. boidinii managed to reduce ethanol content by 0.17% v/v and 0.54% v/v, respectively, over the S. cerevisiae control (13.74% v/v). In the case of C. oleophila, the reduction was only observed in sequential fermentations with 0.62% v/v. Interestingly, grapes with higher sugar concentration resulted in wines with lees ethanol concentrations. This might be associated to the use of C. oleophila (13.12% v/v) and C. boidinii (13.20% v/v) in sequential fermentations microvinification scale.

The increase in the Chilean elderly population has promoted public policies to favor an adequate nutrition in later life. This study evaluated the nutritional status, micronutrients intake and serum micronutrients levels of an elderly group beneficiary of the PACAM from the Metropolitan Region, Santiago de Chile. Anthropometric and dietary survey (24 h food recalls) were assessed in 182 elderly individuals (60 and 80 years old). Blood serum collection was used to measure the micronutrient status. The sample was comprised by 12.6%, 46.1%, 28.0% and 13.2% of underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese subjects, respectively. Women presented 11% of underweight, 45% of normal weight and 44% of overweight and obese, while men—18%, 50% and 32%, respectively. Only the 63% of the elderlies consumed PACAM foods, reaching average daily intakes below (50%) the recommended daily serving. Serum deficiencies of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (88%), vitamin B12 (33%) and calcium (36%) were observed, being the highest ones in the PACAM foods women (60–75 years old). Chilean elderlies presented mainly a normal weight; however, an important proportion of overweight/obese subjects was observed. Although PACAM foods consumption significantly increased the micronutrient intake, it was not enough to ensure an adequate serum micronutrient levels in the elderly.

Grapes are a source of native yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB); however, the microbial make up is dependent on the grape cultivar and the regional growth conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize the yeast and LAB in seven grape cultivars cultivated in Chile. Grape juices were fermented at 25 °C for 7 days. Samples were collected to analyze sugar, organic acids, and ethanol. Microbial evolution was measured with culture-dependent and molecular approaches. Then, a native isolated Candida oleophila was selected for further sequential fermentations with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The grape cultivars in the Maule showed a diversity of non-Saccharomyces yeasts, with a greater diversity observed at the beginning of the fermentation. However, species from the Hansenasporia, Metschnikowia, Torulaspora, Lachancea, and Candida genera were detected after 7 days, suggesting tolerance to environments rich in ethanol, capability may be associated to the terroir studied, which is characterized by torrid weather and antique and traditional vineyards. The alcoholic fermentation negatively impacted the LAB population, and after 7 days only Leuconostoc mesenteroides was isolated. In the sequential fermentations, C. oleophila was able to produce fermented grape juices with v/v) alcohol, and low concentrations of malic (0.3 (g/L). To our knowledge this is the first time C. oleophila has been reported as a potential starter culture for wine production. However, more studies are necessary to fully characterize the potential of C. oleophila on wine attributes.