In recent years, there has been a growing interest in developing sustainable food products that consider not only economic but also environmental and social impacts. Therefore, this study aimed to prepare fortified tortillas with ayocote (Phaseolus coccineus) and quintonil (Amaranthus hybridus) flours, analyzing the nutritional, functional, physical (color, rollability) and textural properties. Different concentration levels (3, 6, and 9%) and flour mixtures (1:1, 2:1, and 1:2) of quintonil/ayocote were evaluated. The most remarkable chemical composition changes were observed for a 9% substitution, where the contents of protein, ash, and fiber were 1.29, 1.79, and 2.73 times greater than those of the control sample, respectively. In the fortified tortillas, both total phenolic content and antioxidant activity decreased. This can be attributed to the distinct chemical interactions present in the prepared mixtures, which restrict the release of bioactive compounds. Changes were also observed in textural and color properties; however, rollability was not compromised. It is worth noting the potential of this innovation, which can contribute to enhancing nutrition and ensuring food safety, promoting the consumption and preservation of the underutilized plant species employed.

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.), a Middle Eastern crop, is a globally popular nut due to its high nutritional value. Pistachio hulls, typically discarded as low-value byproducts during nut processing, represent approximately 60% of total production and pose environmental concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the extraction efficiency of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant potential from pistachio hull extracts using green technologies. Three extraction methods were evaluated: ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), and a combined ultrasound–microwave method (UMAE). Extracts were purified via column chromatography to isolate phenolic-rich fractions. The highest extraction efficiency was achieved with MAE, yielding 263.77 ± 0.71 mg of total phenols per g of dry matter (dm), comprising 89.89 ± 2.97 mg EC/g dm of condensed phenols and 173.87 ± 2.39 mg GAE/g dm of hydrolysable phenols. The MAE extract exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity, reaching 520.73 ± 7.91 mg TE/g dm (DPPH•) and 747.33 ± 13.48 mg TE/g dm (ABTS). RP-HPLC–ESI-MS analysis identified six bioactive compounds, with geraniin as the major constituent. FTIR confirmed the presence of hydroxylated, glycosylated, and esterified phenolics. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of green technologies in recovering high-value bioactive compounds, supporting the use of pistachio hulls as a sustainable source of natural antioxidants with potential applications in the industry.

Modern food systems face the challenge of improving nutritional quality while reducing environmental impact and conserving agrobiodiversity. This study evaluated the effects of thermal processing and fortification with ayocote (Phaseolus coccineus) and quintonil (Amaranthus hybridus) flours on the physicochemical, nutritional, and functional properties of blue maize tortillas, baked tortilla chips (BTCs), and fried tortilla chips (FTCs). Two nominal fortification levels (F1: 6% and F2: 9%) were incorporated into nixtamalized blue maize flour. The resulting products were characterized for proximate composition, mineral profile, color, texture, phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activity, and in vitro phenolic bioaccessibility. Fortification significantly increased protein, ash, mineral, phenolic, and flavonoid contents, particularly in F2 formulations, while maintaining adequate technological quality. Thermal processing influenced phytochemical content and antioxidant activity, although these effects depended on the parameter evaluated. BTCs generally exhibited higher flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity, whereas total phenolic content remained comparable between BTCs and FTCs. Fortification improved tortilla flexibility but increased tortilla chip hardness. During simulated gastrointestinal digestion, fortified products released more phenolics than the controls. BTC-F2 maintained the highest phenolic content after digestion, whereas tortilla formulations exhibited the greatest relative phenolic bioaccessibility. These findings demonstrate the potential of the underutilized native species ayocote and quintonil to enhance the nutritional and functional value of maize-based products.

Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) is one of the most important species worldwide due to its human health benefit properties and high economic value. Oregano leaves are primarily used for essential oil extraction, generating substantial agro-industrial waste known as bagasse (OB). It has been reported that OB still contains several bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activity. This study aimed to evaluate the extraction conditions to recover phenolic compounds and assess their antioxidant capacity in OB extracts obtained through ultrasound. A 3k Box-Behnken design was employed to explore the effects of temperature, mass/volume ratio, and [EtOH]. Total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity against DPPH· and ABTS·+ radicals were determined. The increase in temperature and m/v ratio promoted the extraction of phenolic compounds, with strong correlations to antioxidant activity by DPPH· (0.81) and ABTS·+ (0.82) assays. A quadratic effect by [EtOH] was observed, with a maximum value of 50% ethanol. The highest value of total phenolic content (35.66 mgGAE/gdm), and antioxidant capacity against DPPH· (100.94 mgTE/gdm) and ABTS (93.02 mgTE/gdm) radicals were achieved in treatment 13 (0.02 mg/mL, 50% EtOH, and 90°C). The OB is a potential source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in functional food development.

Potenciando el ruezno de pistache: Fermentación en estado sólido para la recuperación de compuestos fenólicos Boosting pistachio green hull: Solid-state fermentation for the recovery of phenolic compounds Autor(es): Andrés Javier Ordoñez-Cano, Edwin Rojo-Gutiérrez, Leonardo Sepúlveda-Torre y José Juan Buenrostro-Figueroa Fuente: Mexican Journal of Technology and Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 24-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61767/mjte.003.3.2430 Resumen