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López Nicolás, Rubén

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López Nicolás, Rubén
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Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Tecnología de los Alimentos,Nutrición y Bromatología
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  • Publication
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    Effect of adding different thickening agents on the viscosity properties and in vitro mineral availability of infant formula
    (Elsevier, 2014-03-12) González Bermúdez, Carlos Alberto; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; López Nicolás, Rubén; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Martínez Gracia, Carmen; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
    The effect of adding different thickening agents (locust bean gum (LBG), modified corn and rice starches (MCS, MRS)) to an infant formula on both in vitro mineral availability (Ca, Fe and Zn), quantified by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), and formula viscosity, after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, was investigated. LBG was the most effective agent to increase formula thickness. However, it showed a negative effect on Ca, Fe and Zn in vitro solubility and dialysability. MCS and MRS only affected calcium solubility and dialysability when they were used at P50% of the maximum legal limit. No negative effect was observed for Fe and Zn when modified starches were added at the different concentrations assessed. The phytate content in the thickening ingredients was also analysed. Despite finding a considerable amount of phytic acid in the raw ingredients, its final concentration in the infant formula was insufficient to decrease in vitro mineral availability.
  • Publication
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    In vitro effect of green tea and turmeric extracts on GLP-1 and CCK secretion: the effect of gastrointestinal digestion
    (Royal Society of Chemistry, 2018-09-18) Planes Muñoz, David; López Nicolás, Rubén; González Bermúdez, Carlos Alberto; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
    Plant extract activity can be modified by the digestion process. In order to assess the satiety effect of green tea and turmeric extracts, an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion process was performed and the STC-1 cell line was used. The enteroendocrine cell line was incubated (for 30, 60 and 120 minutes) with the digested and non-digested extracts measuring the secretion of cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The release of satiety hormones by the STC-1 cells showed similar or higher results for plant extracts compared to the positive controls reported as satiatogenic (proteins and short chain fatty acids). For the non-digested samples, the largest amount of CCK and GLP-1 was found for turmeric, with 379 ± 46 pg ml−1 (60 min) and 347 ± 125 pg ml−1 (120 min) respectively. For the digested samples, the highest level of CCK was found for turmeric at 30 minutes (43.3 ± 11) and for GLP-1 by green tea at 120 minutes (165.7 ± 52). The in vitro gastrointestinal digestion process affects the satiety of plant extracts, increasing for green tea and decreasing for turmeric. Green tea showed the most stable satiating capacity after the in vitro digestion process and this may be useful for using it as a stable food supplement to reduce hunger associated with overweight and obesity.
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Folate fortification of white and whole-grain bread by adding Swiss chard and spinach. Acceptability by consumers
    (Elsevier, 0016-05-14) López Nicolás, Rubén; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; González-Abellán, Raquel; Barado-Piqueras, Ana; Perez-Conesa, Darío; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
    The aim of this work was to study the effect of bread-making on the content of endogenous folate of white and whole-grain bread fortified with either Swiss chard or spinach at 20 g/100 g and 40 g/100 g measured by HPLC (H4-folate and 5-CH3-H4-folate); and to assess the sensory acceptability of folatefortified breads compared to non-fortified breads. The fortification of breads with 20 g/100 g and 40 g/100 g vegetables significantly (p < 0.001) increased the total folate content (from 19.9 to 57.9 mg/ 100 g in white bread and from 37.4 to 75.5 mg/100 g in whole-grain bread). Moreover, 40 g/100 g Swiss chard- and spinach-fortified breads obtained higher scores in overall acceptability than 20 g/100 g fortified or control bread for both white and whole-grain breads. The consumption of two servings (56 g each) per day of 40 g/100 g fortified bread would meet the daily folate requirements by 14.3e21.8% in adults and 9.6e14.5% in some special states like women of child-bearing age.
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Effect of gazpacho, hummus and ajoblanco on satiety and appetite in adult humans: a randomised crossover study
    (MDPI, 2021-03-12) Gaspar Ros Berruezo; Rubén López Nicolás; Planes Muñoz, David; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; López Nicolás, Rubén; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
    Nowadays, overweight and obesity has reached an epidemic level around the world. With the aim to tackle them, an interesting strategy is the study of food and ingredients with satiety properties. In addition to reducing food and/or calorie intake, this type of foods must be included as part of a healthy diet. With regard to this, it is well known that the Mediterranean Diet (MD) is a feeding pattern that helps us to maintain good health, providing an adequate intake of micronutrients and active compounds. With this background, the main aim of this research was to identify MD foods with a high satiating potential capacity. For this purpose, three typical foods of the Mediterranean region, mainly based on vegetables, were selected: hummus, ajoblanco and gazpacho. As a control, white bread was used. Twenty-four human healthy volunteers consumed a standard breakfast followed by the different typical Mediterranean foods, and then the subjective sensation of hunger and satiety for each food was assessed by visual analogue scales (VAS) during 3 h. Subsequently, volunteers had ad libitum access to a standard meal. The results indicate that gazpacho showed the highest satiating scores, despite the fact that it was not the food that provided the highest protein or fibre amount. More studies of this type are needed to determine the proportion and/or combination of ingredients from these classical Mediterranean recipes that could enhance human satiety.
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    Nondigestible carbohydrates affect metabolic health and gut microbiota in overweight adults after weight loss
    (Elsevier, 2020-06-08) Johnstone, Alexandra M.; Kelly, Jennifer; Ryan, Sheila; Romero-Gonzalez, Reyna; McKinnon, Hannah; Fyfe, Claire; Naslund, Erik; López Nicolás, Rubén; Bosscher, Douwina; Bonnema; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Horgan, Graham; Ze, Xiaolei; Harrold, Jo; Halford, Jason; Gratz, Silvia W.; Duncan, Sylvia H.; Shirazi-Beechey, Soraya; Flint, Harry J.; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
    Background: The composition of diets consumed following weight loss (WL) can have a significant impact on satiety and metabolic health. Objective: This study was designed to test the effects of including a nondigestible carbohydrate to achieve weightmaintenance (WM) following a period of WL. Methods: Nineteen volunteers [11 females and 8 males, aged 20–62 y; BMI (kg/m2): 27–42] consumed a 3-d maintenance diet (15%:30%:55%), followed by a 21-d WL diet (WL; 30%:30%:40%), followed by 2 randomized 10-d WM diets (20%:30%:50% of energy from protein:fat:carbohydrate) containing either resistant starch type 3 (RSWM; 22 or 26 g/d for females and males, respectively) or no RS (C-WM) in a within-subject crossover design without washout periods. The primary outcome, WM after WL, was analyzed by body weight. Secondary outcomes of fecal microbiota composition and microbial metabolite concentrations and gut hormones were analyzed in fecal samples and blood plasma, respectively. All outcomes were assessed at the end of each dietary period. Results: Body weight was similar after the RS-WM and C-WM diets (90.7 and 90.8 kg, respectively), with no difference in subjectively rated appetite. During the WLdiet period plasma ghrelin increased by 36% (P<0.001), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) decreased by 33% (P < 0.001), and insulin decreased by 46% (P < 0.001), but no significant differences were observed during the RS-WM and C-WM diet periods. Fasting blood glucose was lower after the RS-WM diet (5.59 ± 0.31 mmol/L) than after the C-WM diet [5.75 ± 0.49 mmol/L; P = 0.015; standard error of the difference between themeans (SED): 0.09]. Dietary treatments influenced the fecal microbiota composition (R2 = 0.054, P = 0.031) but not diversity. Conclusions: The metabolic benefits, for overweight adults, from WL were maintained through a subsequent WM diet with higher total carbohydrate intake. Inclusion of resistant starch in theWMdiet altered gut microbiota composition positively and resulted in lower fasting glucose compared with the control, with no apparent change in appetite. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01724411.
  • Publication
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    Influence of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of fruit juices enriched with pine bark extract on intestinal microflora
    (Elsevier, 2014-02-02) López Nicolás, Rubén; González Bermúdez, Carlos Alberto; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
    The selective antimicrobial effect of fruit juices enriched with pine bark extract (PBE) (0.5 g/L) has been studied before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. PBE (a concentrate of water-soluble bioflavonoids, mainly including phenolic compounds) has been proven to have high stability to the digestion process. Pure phenolic compounds such as gallic acid had a high antimicrobial effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, maintaining the lactic acid bacteria population ( 100%). Otherwise, E. coli O157:H7 only growth 50% when PBE was added to the culture media, while a slight increase on the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria was observed after exposition to the bark extract. Fresh fruit juices enriched with PBE showed the highest inhibitory effect on pathogenic intestinal bacterial growth, mainly E. coli and Enterococcus faecalis. The in vitro digestion process reduced the antibacterial effect of juices against most pathogenic bacteria in approximately 10%. However, the beneficial effect of fruit juices enriched with PBE (0.5 g/L) on gut microbiota is still considerable after digestion.
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    Supplementation of infant formulaswith recombinant human lactoferrin and/or galactooligosaccharides increases iron bioaccessibility as measured by ferritin formed in Caco-2 cell model
    (Elsevier, 2016-08-24) Aly, Esmat; Darwish, Aliaa Ali; López Nicolás, Rubén; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
    Recently, lactoferrin (Lf), a glycoprotein belonging to transferrin family, has received more attention for the discovery of its wide spectrum of functionalities. Among its important functionalities is its ability to bind Fe and its high stability against in vitro digestion. Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) also has functionality related to Fe bioaccessibility and it also positively affect Lf stability. This study aimed to evaluate the functionality of recombinant human Lf (rhLf) and GOS as factors that improve iron bioaccessibility in human milk. In this study, rhLf and GOS were added to First Infant Formula (FIF) in three concentrations (0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 and 3.3, 5 and 10 g 100 mL−1 of the reconstituted formula, respectively), whether alone or in combination. In vitro digestion model was applied to different infant formulas to evaluate Fe solubility and the obtained digests were added to Caco-2 cell line to determine Fe bioaccessibility through themeasurement of synthesized ferritin. The obtained results revealed that supplementation of formulas with rhLf and GOS enhanced Fe solubility to 66–97% which turns in an improvement of Fe bioaccessibility. Caco-2 cell ferritin content ranged from6 to 46 ng per mgcell protein with 5–7.5 fold increases in cells incubated with digested samples containing both rhLF and GOS. Although mineral solubility is the most important factor, which affects on Fe bioaccessibility, other factorsmay also interfere with it, such as the expression of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1). The findings also revealed that rhLf is a highly stable protein, especially in the presence of GOS and more researches are needed to clarify this hidden effect of GOS. Thus, rhLf and GOS together are prominent components of human milk could improve Fe bioaccessibility and it is noteworthy that these findingmust be taken into account during infant formula evolution to prevent some disease related to Fe deficiency.
  • Publication
    Open Access
    The Iron and Calcium Availability and the Satiating Effect of Different Biscuits
    (MDPI, 2023-09-15) Martínez-Martínez, Antonio; Planes Muñoz, David; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; López Nicolás, Rubén; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
    Biscuits are bakery products made with wheat flour. Wheat is a good source of minerals and dietary fibre, although the presence of phytate or other components could modify mineral availability. In addition, cereal-based products are usually characterised by high fibre content that can influence satiety. The objectives of this study were to evaluate both the iron and calcium availability and the satiety effect of different types of biscuits (traditional recipe vs. “Digestive”) sold in the Spanish market, identifying whether the biscuit type could have effects on these parameters. Nutritional composition and the use of the generic descriptor “Digestive” of biscuits were collected from labels. Phytate and mineral contents were also measured. All samples were previously digested by a simulated process of the gastrointestinal conditions. The satiating effect of biscuits was evaluated according to VAS questionnaires. Results indicated that the mineral content and availability were different between types of biscuits (the traditional recipe showed the highest calcium concentration, while iron was higher in the “Digestive” type). However, mineral availability showed the highest percentages for both minerals, calciumand iron, in the Maria-type samples. Regardless of the different fibre content of both types of biscuits, and despite being higher in the Digestive type than in the Maria type, the satiety measures indicated that the Maria type had more effect on the food intake control. Thus, the descriptor “Digestive¨ in biscuits does not seem to be a marker of better nutritional quality, including parameters of effects on health such as mineral availability or satiety.
  • Publication
    Open Access
    Evaluation of the antimicrobial potential of digested and undigested carob phenolic extracts: Impact on selected gut microbiota
    (AKJournals, 2023-10-19) Chaalal, M.; Ydjedd, S.; Chemache, L.; López Nicolás, Rubén; Sánchez Moya, Teresa; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Kati, D.E.; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
    Carob pulp is a natural source of polyphenols, which have been shown to possess health benefits. These compounds play a crucial role in initiating, shaping, and modulating the gut microbiota. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of carob pulp phenolic extracts on nine specific groups of human gut microbiota before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The effects of pure gallic and coumaric acids were also tested. The results showed that the treated phenolic compounds exhibited inhibitory effects on the growth of most pathogenic bacteria. Gallic acid, in particular, demonstrated the most potent antimicrobial effect on Listeria monocytogenes, reducing its growth to below 5%. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli showed a growth reduction of up to 10%. Furthermore, both phenolic acids, before and after digestion, led to a slight reduction in E. coli O157:H7 numbers. Probiotic bacteria experienced minimal decrease following exposure to phenolic extracts. However, the growth of Lactobacillus casei ssp. rhamnosus was significantly inhibited by almost 50%. Interestingly, the in vitro digestion process exhibited a stronger antibacterial effect against pathogenic bacteria compared to probiotic bacteria. These results highlight the potential of carob phenolic extracts in modulating the intestinal microbiota, thereby offering interesting prospects for the development of diet-based health strategies.
  • Publication
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    Effect of soaking and inositol phosphate content on in vitro mineral availability in edible seaweeds
    (Springer, 2018-11-05) Sánchez Moya, Teresa; Martínez-Hernández, Valerie M.; López Nicolás, Rubén; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; González Bermúdez, Carlos Alberto; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología; Facultad de Veterinaria
    Seaweeds are an ideal food-safe natural source of minerals with a potential use in human nutrition. However, the presence of phytate and different treatments before consumption could modify mineral availability. The content and in vitro mineral availability after a simulated gastrointestinal digestion of wakame (Undaria pinnatifida), nori (Porphyra spp.), sea salad (Ulva lactuca, Palmaria palmata, Undaria pinnatifida, Porphyra spp., Laminaria spp.), and sea spaghetti (Himanthalia elongata) were studied. Experiments were assessed after a soaking treatment of seaweeds with cold (20 °C) or hot (70 °C) water, as usually processing before eating. Moreover, inositol phosphate content was determined in the edible macroalgae and the molar ratio phytate/mineral was used as a predictor of the relative availability of minerals. Overall, edible analyzed seaweeds showed a high Ca, Fe, P, and K contents, highlighting wakame for all the studied minerals. In all cases, soaking in cold water showed the highest soluble and dialyzable mineral fractions. High content of phytic acid (IP6) was observed in sea salad (≈ 25 mg (100 g)−1); meanwhile, sea spaghetti showed the lowest IP6 content (3.9 mg (100 g)−1). The low molar ratios Phy/Ca and Phy/Zn obtained in seaweeds could indicate an adequate availability. However, ratios Phy/Fe could compromise the iron availability in wakame, nori, and sea spaghetti. Results obtained confirm that external factor such as soaking, gastrointestinal digestion, and inositol phosphates can affect the mineral availability. Consumption of edible seaweeds can be recommended for the necessary intake of available minerals and trace elements.