The aim of this research was to determine the influence of tara gum and xanthan gum on rheological and textural properties of gluten-free doughs and breads made from corn starch and potato starch. Four formulations were developed: corn starch with xanthan gum (CS-XG), corn starch with tara gum (CS-TG), potato starch with xanthan gum (PS-XG) and potato starch with tara gum (PS-TG) (XG and TG—0.5% of flour). Rheological and textural properties of doughs were evaluated, as well as specific volume, alveolar structure and texture profile of breads. The results showed that the addition of tara gum increased pasting properties of the potato starch formulation, however, in the corn starch formulations, it was not significantly different from xanthan gum addition. All formulations showed more elastic than viscous behavior (G′>G″) and these viscoelastic properties had an influence on the kinetics of dough growth during the leavening process. The formulation PS-XG presented high specific volume, low crumb hardness, and good crumb structure, while the PS-TG showed inferior properties. In contrast, in the corn starch formulations, CS-XG and CS-TG presented very similar physical characteristics. The application of tara gum in gluten-free breads is reported for the first time and depending on the starch used it showed desirable properties for obtaining good quality products.

From tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) farming, the by-products have been identified as a source of collagen that could be used for the development of dermocosmetics or pharmaceutical products. However, the characteristics of collagen related to a specific strain or culture must be well defined prior to its application. Collagen was extracted from the skin of three strains of tilapia: red YY males (YY: two Y-type sex chromosomes), XX gray females, and the F1: offspring of crossing red YY males with XX gray females; at different ages in the adult phase, using acetic acid and pepsin enzyme. The characteristics of acid-soluble collagen (ASC) and pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) were shown by SDS-PAGE band profiles to be similar to bovine collagen type I (SIGMA), the PSC of gray tilapia being more fragile to temperature changes, consistent with the results of fractional viscosity. The characteristics of the F1 progeny were prioritized for being a commercially productive and sustainable source for the extraction of collagen, and the ASC form, being the one with the greatest stability and advantage over PSC, of importance to our investigations, leads to a controlled digestion as in the case of peptide induction, and also in the development of natural products in the pharmaceutical and/or dermocosmetic industry. Evaluations of the triple helix structure by FT-IR, X-ray diffraction and UV–visible spectroscopy give similar results between the strains: red, gray, and F1, and between ages in the adult form F1 (15, 24, and 36 months of age). Consequently, the skin of tilapia in adult form is recommended sustainably for up to 24 months of age where the collagen is obtained with the use of acetic acid without enzymatic treatment.

Bacterial cellulose is a biomaterial known for its physical and mechanical properties, including its high mechanical strength, water retention capacity, and biocompatibility. Its production from various carbohydrates has been widely studied, aiming to find more efficient and cost-effective culture media. This study investigated the production of bacterial cellulose from agroindustrial asparagus peel waste by Komagataeibacter rhaeticus QK23. A strain of QK23 was isolated and cultivated from a kombucha tea, identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics using the 16S rRNA gene. The waste was hydrolyzed and converted into fermentable sugars. Using the response surface methodology, the inoculum dose (1–20%) and incubation time (3–25 days) were evaluated concerning bacterial cellulose yield. The results demonstrated that with an optimal inoculum dose of 10.5% and an incubation time of 25 days, a production of 2.57 g/L was achieved. It was characterized as similar to type I cellulose, exhibiting a high degree of crystallinity (81.89%) and suitable morphological properties, evidenced by a fiber size of 178 nm and a surface roughness of 27.05 nm. Converting asparagus waste into bacterial cellulose is a sustainable and effective strategy that promotes the development of advanced biomaterials in biotechnology research.

The physical-chemical, thermal and rheological properties of starches isolated from four commercial potato cultivars (Colparina, Huayro, Canchan and Yungay) were evaluated and characterized. The starches presented ovoid and spherical shapes, with average size from 20.08 ± 2.48 to 25.33 ± 6.54 μm and B-type granules, with amylose content from 15.49 ± 2.02 to 32.10 ± 0.14% and relative crystallinity, between 34.6 and 37.3%. The rheological properties measured using a dynamic rheometer, showed predominance storage module (G’) on the loss module (G’’) during the frequency range (0.01 - 3.20 Hz) studied, which would classify them as weak gels. The starches presented low syneresis, high clarity, pasting temperature from 65.70 ± 0.31 °C to 67.70 ± 0.23 °C, gelatinization start temperature (To); peak temperature (Tp); gelatinization final temperature (Tf) and gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) values between 57.90 ± 0.24 and 62.23 ± 0.17 °C; 61.18 ± 0.01 and 64.85 ± 0.01 °C; 65.5 ± 0.31 and 68.34 ± 0.29 °C; 11.49 ± 0.8 and 15.43 ± 0.51 J/g, respectively. The starches evaluated had suitable properties to be used as ingredients in specific foods to improve their textural characteristics.