Medicinal plants have various beneficial conditions for humanity, one of them is its medicinal contribution due to the presence of phytochemicals and antioxidants, characterized by these bioactive compounds as the main source of nutraceuticals. The fruit of Cassia grandis, traditionally known as carao, is a plant that is attributed antimicrobial and medicinal properties. The objective of this work was to determine the bromatological, mineralogical composition and bioactive molecules of carao in the department of Choluteca (Honduras). Total phenolic compounds determined by the Folin-Ciocateau method resulted in higher concentrations in the seeds 11.1±0.3 mg EAG 100 g-1. The antioxidant activity was also found to be higher in carao seeds, with concentrations of 7.31±0.11 μg g-1 of DPPH and total carotenoids showed higher concentration in the pulp with a concentration of 4.12±0.11 μg mL-1. Among the macro minerals, high concentrations of magnesium and calcium stand out in the seed with a concentration of 18.27±0.14 mg 100 g-1 and 7.31±0.23 mg 100 g-1 respectively. Among the microminerals, iron stands out in higher concentrations than in the rest of the microminerals being higher in the shell with concentrations of 1.71±0.23 mg 100 g-1 followed by manganese in concentrations of 0.51±0.12 mg 100 g-1.

This research responds to a new strategy of foods nutritionally modified to improve the bioavailability and quantity of nutrients in the egg. Fortification with iron is one of the most common and the sources that exist to obtain it are varied. Carao (Cassia grandis) is such one of them due to its content of inorganic iron and possible use in the fortification of egg products. In Honduras there are no validated studies on the fortification of powdered egg with iron coming from carao (C. grandis), and its incidence as a potential alternative to treat iron-deficiency anemia. For its achievement, an objective was set out to evaluate the phenotypic, physicochemical and sensory characteristics of carao (C. grandis) to determine its fortifying capacity in powdered egg. Fresh eggs from the poultry farm of the National University of Agriculture and carao (C. grandis) from the department of Choluteca, Honduras were used as raw material. It was determined that the phenotypic characterizations of the carao fruit (C. grandis) were distributed in 11.81% seeds, 9.45% pulp and 78.74% bark. It has a length of 55 cm, a width of 36 mm, a thickness of 30 mm, contains 80 locules and 60 seeds, and the fruit has a mass of 254 g. Fresh carao pulp contains 72% soluble solids, a pH of 5.51 and a viscosity of 200.66 cP. The same, when subjected to dehydration increases 13% of soluble solids, however, its pH-maintains stability.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar el nivel de conocimientos sobre primeros auxilios en docentes de educación básica de dos instituciones educativas de la ciudad de Portoviejo. Este se desarrolló con un enfoque cuantitativo, diseño no experimental y alcance analítico en una población constituida por 13 docentes de una escuela pública y 8 de una institución privada (21 en total). Los datos se recopilaron mediante una encuesta validada que midió cuatro dimensiones. Con respecto al conocimiento sobre primeros auxilios, se determinó un predominio de aquellos que no habían recibido capacitación (86%), los que manifestaron tener motivación para aprender (85%) y los que le concedieron importancia para su desempeño profesional (78,35%). La mayoría de los docentes evaluados tenía insuficiente nivel de conocimiento sobre primeros auxilios, precisando preparación al respecto; además, no existió asociación entre estos y la autopercepción al respecto en el contexto de investigación.

Carao honey is a potential functional ingredient that can generate added value to food products enriched by reducing waste. In many countries, carao has been utilized for therapeutic purposes since this type of plant extract can inhibit the growth against the most common dermatophytes, a pathogenic fungus that grows on the skin, mucous membranes, hair, nails, feathers, and other body surfaces, causing ringworm and related diseases. The physicochemical characteristics of the cookies were also investigated, which included aW, proximate analysis, hardness, and color. A sensory study was carried out to determine the rejection threshold, acceptability, purchase intent, and general taste of 90 consumers. The gluten-free cookies were prepared with carao honey as a partial substitute for rice flour in different percentages (0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10%). The carao honey proximate composition, rheological properties, and pasting properties were analyzed. It was emphasized that incorporating carao honey into cookies improves the ingredient’s sustainability. The impact of carao on the physicochemical and sensory properties of cookies was evident in color, flavor, and smell. According to the results, only samples with 2.5% carao were accepted regarding flavor and smell. Overall, liking scores, age, and flavor were the most significant predictors of purchase intent. The information given to panelists did not significantly (p < 0.05) influence liking scores only for cookies. According to physicochemical analysis, carao honey flour was high in carbohydrates (88%). The incorporation of carao produced cookies with darker colors and a softer texture. The study demonstrated that carao flour could be included to produce sensorial accepted cookies at a 2.5% addition level as an alternative in the food industry that benefits from environmental sustainability and, at the nutritional level, improves the availability of nutrients, mainly sugars and proteins.

Lactobacillus plantarum has beneficial effects on the reduction of symptoms of poor lactose digestion and hypercholesterolemia, removal of the duration and severity of diarrheal processes, improvement of the intestinal permeability barrier, prevention of some types of cancer by adsorption or inactivation of genotoxic agents, increased resistance to intestinal and extraintestinal infections, attenuation of inflammatory bowel disease, and prevention of allergies (especially food). On the other hand, carao (Cassia grandis) has shown remarkable nutritious content with influential dietary applications. As a result, this investigation aimed to explore the effect of Cassia grandis pulp on viability of Lactobacillus plantarum under gastrointestinal conditions, immunomodulatory capacity, and probiotic potential. Adding carao to the medium under different experimental conditions, including rich and minimal culture media and a gastrointestinal digestion process of skimmed milk, did not substantially affect Lactobacillus plantarum’s growth but prolonged its viability. The administration of Lactobacillus plantarum with carao in mice did not induce a proinflammatory response at a systemic level. Still, it did cause an increase in the production of immunoregulatory cytokines. Also, the viability of TSB broth was improved by adding carao. Carao improved the growth of acid tolerance, bile tolerance, growth in TSB broth, and NaCl resistance. According to the results, carao may enhance the characteristics of L. plantarum when enriching fermented dairy products.

El presente trabajo aborda la descripción y fundamentación, desde el punto de vista teórico-metodológico, del diseño de un libro de texto universitario de análisis instrumental de los alimentos. Para ello, se tomaron en consideración los postulados del enfoque histórico-cultural y la teoría de la actividad, situando el centro de atención en la tarea docente-educativa como elemento integrador del sistema de contenidos. La concepción didáctica para el diseño de la propuesta se apoyó en otros aspectos relevantes, como el enfoque profesional de los contenidos, el diseño de un efectivo aparato de organización de la asimilación y, por último, la funcionalidad y pertinencia del material ilustrativo. Una muestra conformada por estudiantes de tres cursos académicos diferentes refirió una percepción muy positiva sobre la contribución del libro a la comprensión de los contenidos de la asignatura.