In this study, we characterize fructan extracts from five wild agave varieties at three ages to identify their potential use in the food industry. Physicochemical parameters (solids soluble total and pH), sugar content and fructan distribution profiles by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) were evaluated. We found that the ages and variety influenced the carbohydrate content and also fructan dispersion. Two- to four-year-old plants exhibited the highest concentrations of free sugars and fructans, with a low apparent degree of polymerization (DP_a) of ≤9 monomers, which highlights their potential use as prebiotics. Conversely, 10- to 12-year-old plants presented a low concentration of free sugars and fructans with a maximum DP_a of 70 monomers, which can be used to obtain fractions with high, intermediate and low DP_a. These fractions have a potential use in the food industry as prebiotic, soluble fibers, stabilizers and sweeteners, among others. The agave varieties Agave spp., Agave salmiana, and Agave atrovirens showed mainly fructooligosaccharides (FOSs). Due to the presence of these low molecular carbohydrates, prebiotics, fermented products and/or syrups could be obtained. A. salmiana spp. crassipina and Agave tequilana variety cenizo presented DP_a ≤50 and DP_a ≤70, respectively, which could be useful in the production of fructan fractions of different DP_a. These fractions might be used as functional ingredients in the manufacture of a wide range of food products.

The stem of Agave tequilana is used to obtain: agave syrup (AS) and native agave fructans (NAF). Ground-agave-fiber is the by-product from fructans production. These ingredients were used to design a food ingredient: agave dietary fiber (ADF), containing NAF (30 g/100 g) as soluble dietary fiber (DF) and ground-agave-fiber (70 g/100 g) as an insoluble DF. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the incorporation of A. tequilana ingredients (AS, NAP, ADF) on the proximate composition, in vitro starch hydrolysis (HI) and predicted glycemic index (pGI) of oat-based granola bars. Total DF (82.03 g/100 g) was the main component in ADF, with 22.8 g/100 g soluble DF. Granola bars were prepared by substituting honey and wheat flour by AS and ADF. A sensory test was used to select the level of sugar substitution by NAF, where 62 g NAF/100 g was the preferred one. The effect of each ingredient on the chemical composition was evaluated using a 2(3-1) fractional design. Soluble DF in a granola bar containing a combination of three agave ingredients (AS, NAP and ADF) was 23.35 g/100 g, with HI and pGI values of 74 and 72%, respectively, pointing this product as a moderate GI food. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

In this work, the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) (operating conditions of sonication amplitude, pulse-cycle, and extraction time) was investigated to obtain an extract rich in biologically active compounds from Annona muricata leaves. In addition, the content of bioactive compounds from the extract by the optimal UAE conditions (UAE extract) was compared with extracts prepared by decoction and infusion. Moreover, Artemia salina toxicity was evaluated in all extracts. UAE extract (using optimal conditions: 80% amplitude, 0.7 s pulse-cycle, for 4.54 min) contained 178.48 mg/100 mL of soluble phenols, 20.18 mg/100 mL of total flavonoids, 27.81 mg/100 mL of hydrolyzable polyphenols, 167.07 mg/100 mL of condensed tannins, 30.44 mg/100 mL of total alkaloids and 14.62 mg/100 mL of total acetogenins. The UAE extract exhibited a high antioxidant capacity and a higher content of bioactive compounds from ~6 to ~927-fold than decoction or infusion, depending on the type of compound. Twenty-four different phenolic compounds were identified in the samples, and UAE extract produced the highest concentration. All extracts were considered non-toxic using the A. salina test. The UAE extract from A. muricata leaves is a rich source of bioactive compounds and can be utilized to formulate therapeutic drugs or nutraceutical foods.