Green banana flour shows good potential as a functional ingredient for special-purpose foods, but there are no data in the literature concerning the use of a green banana pulp and peel flour for the development of products such as pasta. The aim of the present study was to develop tagliatelle pasta substituting the wheat flour with different concentrations of a green banana mixed pulp and peel flour. The pasta formulations were prepared replacing the wheat flour by the green banana mixed pulp and peel flour in two concentrations: 15% and 30%. A control formulation with wheat flour was also prepared. The green banana mixed pulp and peel flour presented higher ash, total fibre and total phenolic compound contents than traditional wheat flour. The pasta formulation with the addition of 15% green banana flour showed the highest ash content and the best sensory acceptability of all the formulations. It was concluded that it was possible to develop a tagliatelle pasta with satisfactory acceptance replacing the wheat flour by a green banana mixed pulp and peel flour.

Olive trees not only produce olives but also generate a substantial amount of waste and by-products, including leaves, pomace (the solid remains after pressing olives for oil), and wastewater from the olive oil-making process. The waste products, particularly the leaves, contain bioactive compounds, especially phenolic compounds, known for their health benefits, such as high antioxidant potential and the ability to reduce inflammation. These compounds have shown promise in preventing and treating cancer. This review, based on in vitro evidence, provides a detailed description and discussion of the mechanisms through which these compounds from olive leaves can prevent development, the ways they might act against cancer cells, and their potential to increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to conventional anticancer therapy. The possible synergistic effects of these compounds suggest that olive leaf extracts may offer a promising approach for cancer treatment, compared with isolated compounds, thus providing novel possibilities for cancer therapy.

O agravamento do estado nutricional durante a internação hospitalar, afeta negativamente o estado clínico do paciente, pois, podem ocorrer alterações fisiológicas oriundas de um processo adaptativo do organismo à escassez de nutrientes. Nesse sentido, o presente artigo teve por objetivo discutir estratégias de gastronomia hospitalar voltadas para a aceitação de dietas, com o intuito de auxiliar na prevenção da desnutrição hospitalar. Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa da literatura. Foram realizadas buscas nas bases de dados National Center for Brotecnologia for Information (PUBMED), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), e em livros da temática, entre o recorte temporal de 1997 e 2021. Os estudos mostraram que a desnutrição hospitalar é uma condição multifatorial, com prevalência entre 20% a 50% dos pacientes internados, em âmbito mundial, que aumenta significativamente a morbidade, mortalidade, duração da estadia hospitalar e taxa de readmissão hospitalar. A redução da ingestão alimentar é uma das causas da desnutrição hospitalar, e pode estar associada a baixa aceitação de dietas. Dessa forma, a aplicação de técnicas de gastronomia hospitalar que possibilitem a melhoria das características sensoriais das preparações são ferramentas essenciais para aumentar a aceitação das preparações oferecidas aos pacientes, favorecendo a manutenção e/ou recuperação do estado nutricional, bem como a redução do desperdício de alimentos. Mais estudos sobre essa temática devem ser realizados para que sejam avaliadas e desenvolvidas novas estratégias voltadas para a gastronomia hospitalar aplicadas à dietoterapia.

Context: Olive oil is a vegetable oil that provides health benefits, including a reduction in free radicals and total cholesterol and prevention of chronic diseases. The escalating incidence of chronic diseases presents a substantial challenge to public health, prompting numerous studies to assess these health-related effects. Despite several systematic reviews and meta-analyses summarizing the association between olive oil consumption and specific health outcomes, there is no summary of the accumulated evidence from these reviews. Objective: This umbrella review summarizes the evidence on olive oil consumption or intervention in adults and its association with multiple risk factors and diseases. Data Sources: We retrieved systematic reviews of randomized trials or observational studies on oral interventions or the consumption of olive oil. The systematic search encompassed databases including MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, and CENTRAL from inception to February 6, 2023. Data Extraction: Two independent reviewers conducted data extraction and assessed methodological quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool. Data Analysis: Overall, 17 systematic reviews of randomized trials and observational studies, covering outcomes such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes, glucose metabolism, inflammatory and oxidative markers, and all-cause mortality, were included. The evidence suggests a beneficial association between olive oil consumption and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality. However, the evidence was less definitive for inflammatory markers, oxidative stress, glucose metabolism, and blood lipid outcomes. Several meta-analyses revealed high heterogeneity and wide confidence intervals, along with a limited number of randomized clinical trials. Conclusion: Given the high heterogeneity and low quality of evidence, further studies involving randomized trials are imperative. Prioritizing an in-depth analysis of specific olive oil components and using a control group with distinct characteristics and different effects is strongly recommended. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022357290.

Objective: This study aimed to develop two non-industrial food products as financially accessible options to prevent and treat malnutrition in hemodialysis (HD) patients. These food products were developed and intended for use as dialysis snacks. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and multi-step study. First, 183 adult HD patients (55 ± 14 years; 50.8% males), replied to a questionnaire with their food preferences regarding taste (salty, sweet, bitter, sour) and consistency (liquid, solid, pasty) for a dialysis snack. Most patients preferred a food product with a solid consistency (90%) and a salty flavor (81.4%). Second, three muffin formulations of fine herbs were developed; one enriched with whey protein concentrate (WPC), a second with textured soy protein (TSP) and a third standard formulation without protein for comparison with the protein-enriched muffins, for which the chemical and nutritional compositions were analyzed. In the third step, 60 patients on HD (61 ± 15 years; 53% males) were enrolled in a sensory analysis by applying a 9-point structured hedonic scale, ranging from “extremely liked” (score 9) to “extremely disliked” (score 1). Results: When compared with the standard formulation, the formulations enriched with WPC and TSP protein had a significantly higher amount of protein/serving (Standard: 5.9 ± 0.3 g vs WPC: 14.5 ± 0.9 g and TSP 10.8 ± 0.7 g; P < 0.05) but a lower amount of carbohydrate (Standard: 13.1 ± 2.2 g vs WPC: 5.6 ± 0.8 g and TSP 6.0 ± 1.2 g vs; P < 0.05). The mineral content/serving of the protein-enriched muffins was low in phosphorus (50 mg) and sodium (180 mg). The potassium content/serving was moderate for the WPC muffin (225.2 mg) and low for the TSP muffin (107.9 mg). The acceptability index (AI) for the enriched protein muffins was higher than 70% and similar to the standard formulation. Conclusion: The muffins with fine herbs and enriched with protein were well-accepted by all patients and appropriate to serve as dialysis snacks for HD patients.