Wheat bran is an important source for human and animal feed. Its nutritional aspects include a high content of fibre and minerals, as well as phenolic compounds that help prevent chronic diseases. However, wheat can be susceptible to contamination by fungus, which can produce mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN), causing adverse health effects. Therefore, methods should be developed to reduce possible contamination. Ozone can be used for this purpose as it is considered safe and environmental friendly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reduction of DON and ZEN concentrations in wheat bran using the ozonation process as well as to evaluate the effect of ozonation on the nutritional quality of bran. Considering this, wheat bran naturally contaminated with both DON and ZEN was processed using ozone at different conditions. The nutritional quality of the bran was evaluated after processing considering the following aspects: the total phenolic content and the bran antioxidant capacity (by using both DPPH and ABTS radicals). The results showed that the degradation of ZEN was higher and faster than the degradation of DON, which could be explained by their molecular structures. The total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of the bran were not affected by the ozonation process, which is preferable from a nutritional point of view. Therefore, ozonation was demonstrated to be a possible method for reducing mycotoxins in wheat bran, although more studies are needed in order to better understand and optimise processing and product quality.

The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have proven health benefits, but it is not common to find them together in a processed food product. This could lead to healthier and more functional food products, which may have positive implications for consumer health and well-being. This work aimed to fortify a model burger manufactured with fillets of an Amazonian fish (boquichico, Prochilodus nigricans) by adding microencapsulated sacha inchi oil (Plukenetia volubilis, rich in ALA) (MSIO) produced by spray-drying. MSIO was incorporated into the burgers at different levels (0, 3, 4, 5, and 6%). The burgers were characterized by their proximal composition, cooking losses, texture profile, lipid oxidation, sensory profile, overall liking, and fatty acid profile. The results showed that adding MSIO up to concentrations of 5% or 6% increased the instrumental hardness, chewiness, and lipid oxidation in the burgers. However, fortifying the burgers with 3% MSIO was possible without affecting the burgers’ sensory properties and overall liking. Regarding the fatty acid profile, the burgers with 3% MSIO had a higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, with the ALA, EPA, and DHA types of fatty acids. Therefore, we recommend using this fortification concentration, but future studies should be carried out to improve the oxidative stability of MSIO and the burgers.

This study aimed to formulate burgers made from three Amazonian fish species: pacu (Pyaractus brachypomus), boquichico (Prochilodus nigricans), and bujurqui (Chaetobranchus flavescens), focusing on sodium reduction and fortification with fish oil microparticles (FOM) rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The proximal composition, sodium and calcium content, instrumental texture profile, fatty acid profile, sensory profile, and overall liking were evaluated. Differences in proximal composition and fatty acid profiles between the fillets were reflected in the burgers. Fortification with FOM increased EPA and DHA in the burgers; thus, they can be considered “high in omega-3 fatty acids” and reduced the n-6/n-3 ratio below 4. There were sensory attributes that could be related to lipid oxidation but reduced overall liking for less than 10% of consumers. Nevertheless, certain sensory attributes (grilled, characteristic, aromatic, tasty, tender, and juicy) had a positive impact on the overall liking of more than 20% of consumers, yielding adequate scores (between 5.60 and 5.71) on the 9-point hedonic scale. The production process must be optimized by knowing the fish fillet quality in depth, improving the FOM and burgers’ oxidative stability, and achieving an adequate sensory and hedonic profile by employing consumers’ vocabulary to characterize new products.

La gestión de la investigación, el desarrollo tecnológico y la innovación (I+D+i) en la UNSM muestra avances notables en los últimos años. Ello se evidencia en la continua evolución de los indicadores de gestión y de resultados de la investigación, así como la articulación y consolidación del ecosistema de I+D+i que impulsa nuestra casa superior de estudio, con los principales actores de desarrollo en la región San Martín.

La gelatina de pescado ha ganado una creciente atención como alternativa a la gelatina de mamíferos. Sin embargo, la búsqueda de nuevas fuentes con características similares a las comerciales aún es necesario. Debido a esto, el objetivo de este estudio fue obtener y caracterizar gelatina de piel de Doncella (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum) y evaluar su uso como material encapsulante al producir micropartículas por coacervación compleja. La gelatina y la goma arábica se utilizaron como materiales de pared y aceite de Mauritia flexuosa, como material de relleno. La gelatina de piel Doncella fue obtenida por extracción ácida y evaluada en cuanto a los aspectos: rendimiento, punto de fusión; distribución de masa molar; composición proximal; tamaño, morfología, diámetro medio de partículas y eficiencia de encapsulación. El rendimiento de la gelatina en polvo fue de ~20.03% por 100 g de piel húmeda, además, presentó un punto de fusión de 29.1 °C. Los diámetros medios reportados fueron 117.40 μm ±38.05 y 105.39 μm ±37.93, cuando fueron utilizados gelatina de piel de Doncella (MCGD) y gelatina porcina (MCGP), respectivamente, con diferencias estadísticas significativas (p<0.05). Las eficiencias de encapsulación obtenidas por los sistemas MCGD y MCGP fueron 88.45 ± 1.77 y 83.78 ± 4.44 respectivamente. En conclusión, demostramos la viabilidad de la gelatina de Doncella como material encapsulante. Más aún faltan investigaciones para garantizar la calidad de la gelatina. De esta forma, ponemos de manifiesto el potencial de la gelatina de piel de Doncella para usos en diversas áreas.