Pectin and mucilage are polysaccharides from the cactus Opuntia ficus-indica, which are also known as hydrocolloids, with useful properties in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and construction, among others. In the present work, cactus hydrocolloids were hydrolyzed characterized using two techniques: first, thin-layer chromatography, to identify the monosaccharides present in the sample, followed by the phenol–sulfuric acid method to determine the monosaccharide content. The hydrolyzing method allowed us to reduce the processing time to 180 min and, considering the identification and quantification procedures, the proposed methodology is much simpler and more cost-effective compared to other methods, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectrometry. The analysis of the results revealed that the maximum concentration of monosaccharides was obtained after hydrolyzing for 90 min. Under such conditions, with pectin being the main component contained in the cactus hydrocolloids analyzed here, galacturonic acid was found in the largest quantities.

Ultrasound (US) is a technology that enables microbial inactivation through cavitation-induced cell wall disruption, preserving food safety and quality. This study evaluated the impact of US parameters, including time, temperature, and surrounding media (saline solution and lipid parenteral emulsion) on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reduction. Microbial survival was quantified via plate counting, and inactivation kinetics were modeled using GInaFiT. Microbial reductions ranged from 0.05 to 6.10 Log₁₀ CFU/mL, with E. coli showing greater susceptibility than S. aureus. The highest reduction (6.10 Log₁₀ CFU/mL) was observed for E. coli in the emulsion after 5 min at uncontrolled temperature, while S. aureus exhibited lower susceptibility (3.92 Log₁₀ CFU/mL). The Weibull model provided the best fit, highlighting the non-linear nature of microbial inactivation. The US presents a promising alternative for microbial control in food and pharmaceutical applications. Future research should optimize treatment conditions, understand microbial resistance mechanisms, and integrate the US with other hurdle technologies to enhance efficiency. In addition, studies about the US’s scalability for the pharmaceutical industry could widespread its implementation in that sector.

This work describes a rheological characterization in terms of shear and extensional properties of whole milk, modified with food grade thickening agents (xanthan and carboxymethyl cellulose) with the purpose of being utilized in dysphagia treatment. Shear viscosity of the thickened fluids (2% wt. of xanthan and CMC) were measured in a stress-controlled rheometer and for extensional viscosity, a custom-built orifice flowmeter was used, with elongation rates from 20 to 3000 s^-1. Such elongation-rate values represent the entire swallowing process, including the pharyngeal and esophageal phases. The steady-state shear and extensional flow curves were compared with the flow curve of a pudding consistency BaSO₄ suspension (α=05), typically used as a reference fluid for the specialized commercial dysphagia products. The modified fluids presented non-Newtonian behavior in both, shear and extensional flows, and the comparison with the reference fluid show that the thickened milk prepared here, can be safely used for consumption by patients with severe dysphagia.

Type I collagen hydrogels are widely employed as scaffolds in tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility and ability to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM). ECM viscoelasticity plays a critical role in regulating key cellular functions such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. This study evaluates how collagen source and quality influence hydrogel architecture, mechanical properties, and keratinocyte behavior. Hydrogels were prepared at a concentration of 2.3 mg/mL using collagen from Advanced Biomatrix (AB, GLP grade) and Collagen Solutions (CS, GMP grade), and assessed for fibrillogenesis, rheological performance, and their ability to support stratified HaCaT keratinocyte cultures. AB-derived hydrogels exhibited higher porosity but lower mechanical resilience, characterized by a linear viscoelastic region (LVER) of 2.54%. In contrast, CS-derived hydrogels showed reduced porosity, denser fiber networks, and a higher LVER of 9.96%, indicating enhanced strain tolerance. HaCaT cells cultured on AB hydrogels showed diminished proliferation, metabolic activity, stratification, and expression of differentiation markers compared to those on CS hydrogels, which supported a more robust epidermal architecture. These findings highlight the critical role of collagen quality and mechanical characteristics on scaffold performance and epidermal tissue formation, emphasizing the need to optimize biomaterial properties for effective regenerative outcomes.