It is known that ethylene plays an important role in the quality characteristics of fruits, especially in storage. To avoid the deterioration of fruits caused by ethylene, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has been used due to its photocatalytic capacity. The aim of this study was to develop films based on two types of biopolymers, Mater-Bi (MB) and poly-lactic acid (PLA), with nanoparticles of TiO₂ and to determine their ethylene removal capacity and its application in bananas. First, the films were fabricated through an extrusion process with two different concentrations of TiO₂ (5 and 10% w/w). Then, the films were characterized by their structural (FTIR), morphological (SEM), thermal (DSC and TGA), dynamic (DMA), barrier, and mechanical properties. The ethylene removal capacities of the samples were determined via gas chromatography and an in vivo study was also conducted with bananas for 10 days of storage. Regarding the characterization of the films, it was possible to determine that there was a higher interaction between PLA with nano-TiO₂ than MB; moreover, TiO₂ does not agglomerate and has a larger contact surface in PLA films. Because of this, a higher ethylene removal was also shown by PLA, especially with 5% TiO₂. The in vivo study also showed that the 5% TiO₂ films maintained their quality characteristics during the days in storage. For these reasons, it is possible to conclude that the films have the capacity to remove ethylene. Therefore, the development of TiO₂ films is an excellent alternative for the preservation of fresh fruits.

The food industry has developed a vegan dressing-type mayonnaise due to new consumer demands. The aim of this study was to compare three commercial mayonnaise types with a vegan dressing, measuring their physicochemical properties. Four dressing samples were analyzed: vegan, homemade recipe, creamy, and light. The following properties were measured: water activity, color, droplet size, rheological properties, structural analysis, and oxidative stability. A high color difference was observed between vegan and the other samples due to the presence of chickpea protein. The size and distribution of droplets of the vegan sample were greater than the others. The rheological properties indicated that all samples are non-Newtonian pseudoplastic fluids. The FT-IR results indicated that the highest peak for vegan corresponded to its content in mono-unsaturated fat. Therefore, it showed the lowest oxidative stability. In conclusion, the mayonaise formulations were affected by physicochemical properties such as the content and composition of the oil, thickener and protein contents, along with processing technology.

Ethylene is a phytohormone that is responsible of fruit and vegetable ripening. TiO₂ has been studied as a possible solution to slowing down unwanted ripening processes, due to its photocatalytic capacity which enables it to remove ethylene. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop nanocomposites based on two types of eco-friendly materials: Mater-Bi^® (MB) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) combined with nano-TiO₂ for ethylene removal and to determine their ethylene-removal capacity. First, a physical–chemical characterization of nano-TiO₂ of different particle sizes (15, 21, 40 and 100 nm) was done through structural and morphological analysis (DRX, FTIR and TEM). Then, its photocatalytic activity and the ethylene-removal capacity were determined, evaluating the effects of time and the type of light irradiation. With respect to the analysis of TiO₂ nanoparticles, the whole samples had an anatase structure. According to the photocatalytic activity, nanoparticles of 21 nm showed the highest activity against ethylene (~73%). The results also showed significant differences in ethylene-removal activity when comparing particle size and type and radiation time. Thus, 21 nm nano-TiO₂ was used to produce nanocomposites through the melt-extrusion process to simulate industrial processing conditions. With respect to the nanocomposites’ ethylene-removing properties, there were significant differences between TiO₂ concentrations, with samples with 5% of active showed the highest activity (~57%). The results obtained are promising and new studies are needed to focus on changes in material format and the evaluation in ethylene-sensitive fruits.

Mortiño (Vaccinium floribundum K.) is a fruit native to the Andean region of South America, a berry rich in polyphenolic compounds and with a high antioxidant capacity beneficial to health, therefore the extraction of functional compounds from this fruit is a good option for the development of functional foods. The aim of this work was to study and classify the different conditions for extracting bioactive compounds from mortiño using statistical cluster analysis. For this purpose, combinations of the following conditions were used: fruit condition (entire-E and ground-G), extraction process (agitation-A and maceration-M) and extraction medium (acidified water-W and acidified methanol- Me), and in each of these conditions the content of total anthocyanins (TAC), total polyphenols (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (ORAC and DPPH) were determined. The results of the cluster analysis showed the formation of three groups. Moreover, the samples of cluster 1 showed the highest values of AT 696.34 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside 100g-1 and PT 132.39 mg EAG 100g-1. In terms of ORAC antioxidant capacity, cluster 1 showed a higher antioxidant capacity (31422.40 μmol TE 100mL-1), while for DPPH the highest value was for cluster 2 (2625.14 μmol TE 100mL-1). It was concluded that the best conditions for the extraction of bioactive compounds from mortiño were crushing the fruit and using acidified methanol as the extraction medium.