The main objective of this study was to optimize the extraction of dietary fiber (insoluble dietary fiber and soluble dietary fiber) and degree of esterification from yellow dragon fruit peels using ultrasound-assisted extraction. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the potential application of this fiber as a fat replacement in alpaca-based sausages. The optimization process for extracting dietary fiber and degree of esterification involved considering various factors, including the liquid-to-solid ratio, pause time, and total ultrasound application time. A Box–Behnken design consisting of 15 treatments was employed to determine the optimal levels for ultrasound-assisted extraction. The optimized conditions were found to be a liquid-to-solid ratio = 30 mL/g, pause time = 1 s, and total ultrasound application time = 60 min, which resulted in the highest values of insoluble dietary fiber (61.3%), soluble dietary fiber (10.8%), and the lowest value of degree of esterification (39.7%). The predicted values were validated against experimental data and showed no significant differences (p > 0.05). Furthermore, a completely randomized design was utilized to assess the effect of dietary fiber on replacing fat content during the production of alpaca-based sausages. The findings revealed that up to 78% of the fat content could be successfully replaced by soluble dietary fiber obtained from yellow dragon fruit peels when compared to high-fat sausages. Additionally, experimental sausages using soluble dietary fiber showed similar (p > 0.05) quality characteristics, such as hardness (24.2 N), chewiness (11.8 N), springiness (0.900), cohesiveness (0.543), redness (a* = 17.4), and chroma values (20.0), as low-fat commercial sausages.

The aim of this work was to obtain chitosan nanoparticles (<1000 nm) with chincho (Tagetes elliptica Sp.) essential oil (CEO-CSNPs) using the ionic gelation method. A Box–Behnken design (BBD) was applied, using chitosan solution (CS) pH (4.0, 4.4, 4.8); the mass ratio of CS/CEO (1:0.7, 1:0.85, 1:1.0) and the mass ratio of CS/CS-tripolyphosphate (1:0.46, 1:0.58, 1:0.7) as independent variables. The formulation-dependent variables, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC) of the CEO-CSNPs were evaluated. BBD determined that optimal conditions for CEO-CSNPs were pH: 4.4, CS/CEO mass ratio 1:0.7 and CS/TPP mass ratio 1:0.46. Once the optimization was defined, particle size (PS), zeta potential (ZP), polydispersity index (PDI), CEO-CSNPs morphological studies, in vitro CEO release, and antibacterial activity were determined. The CEO-CSNPs showed an EE of 52.64% and a LC of 11.56%, with a diameter of 458.5 nm, with a ZP of 23.30mV, and a PDI of 0.418. The SEM studies showed that the nanoparticles were rounded and had uniform shapes. In addition, CEO-CSNPs showed a minimum inhibitory concentration against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella infantis and Escherichia coli of 5.29, 10.57 and 10.57 µg/mL, respectively. These results could be very useful for the stabilization of chincho essential oil for food industry purposes. However, several studies about the release, as well as interaction with food matrices, will be necessary.

The research aimed to develop a children's pumpkin compote, functional, inexpensive, preservative-free and of considerable shelf life. The effect of incorporating xanthan gum (XG) was evaluated at three concentrations (0.10%, 0.15% and 0.20%) on its rheological properties. Sensory characteristics were applied to 60 panelists (30 undergraduate students and 30 children between 2 and 3 years). Its physical, physicochemical, and microbiological characteristics were determined. With the pH values was estimated the shelf life of pumpkin compote using accelerated testing method. The product was stored at 20 °C, 30 °C and 40 °C for 0, 10, 20, and 30 days. The results show the pumpkin compote presented non-Newtonian behavior, pseudoplastic, and was adjusted to the Ostwald Waele model (R2 > 0.98). Compote formulated with 0.15% of XG was conceived as the best treatment, with a "Like" scale for color attributes, smell, texture, taste and general appearance (3.80 to 4.13 points) associated with the presence of 82.45% humidity, 5.40 pH, 17 °Brix, and absence of molds, yeasts and total coliforms. Influence of temperature on viscosity was modeled using Arrhenius equation, showing a decrease in viscosity with increasing temperature. Finally, the estimated shelf life at 20 °C, 30 °C and 40 °C were 125, 75, and 45 days, respectively.

The aim of this study was to extract and quantify cannabinoids from female inflorescences of Cannabis sativa L. from three altitudinal floors of Peru, by optimizing the amplitude, time, and methanol concentration in the ultrasound-assisted extraction required to maximize cannabidiol (CBD), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) content, and yields. Optimal extraction conditions were determined by response surface and the central composite design was used. The quadratic model was adequate for yield, Δ9-THC, and CBD with R ² values of 0.998, 0.985, and 0.991 respectively. Optimal conditions were 99% radiation amplitude, 20 min extraction time, and 96% ethanol concentration. The optimized extract of C. sativa L. inflorescences had a yield of 24.12%, 0.62% CBD, and 5.973% THC. The content of cannabinoids studied in the Junín Region at altitudes between 2,070 and 3,274 m above sea level (m asl) had a CBD content between 0.1 and 0.4%, THC between 2.2 and 6%, and yield of 10–24%; in the Ayacucho region at an altitude of 2,627 m asl the CBD content was between 0.62 and 0.65%, THC was 6.21–6.72%, and yield of 23.8–24%; and in the Huánuco region at altitude of 660–711 m asl it had a CBD content between 0.55 and 0.65%, THC from 8.11 to 8.92%, and yield from 24.3 to 29.7%. It was concluded from the present work that the parameters such as amplitude, time, and solvent directly influence the extraction yield, in the same way the altitude influences the content of cannabinoids, being lower yields at higher planting altitude.