Culinary Spices in Food and Medicine: An Overview of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. and L. M. Perry [Myrtaceae]

Spices-dried aromatic parts of plants (leaves, seeds, bark, roots, rhizomes, buds, etc) used to enhance flavour, taste and colour (sensory quality) of foods, are increasingly finding other useful roles in healthcare beyond their primary use as culinary organoleptic enhancers. Several spices are currently being investigated for their potential health benefits, because of the failing efficacy, toxicity and high cost associated with conventional drugs. One such spice: Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. and L.M.Perry [Myrtaceae] (Clove), has a multi-dimensional role in diet, medicine, functional foods and nutraceuticals, agriculture, among other industries. Peer-reviewed articles, mostly from PubMed and Google Scholar, were consulted for the purpose of this review. The nutritional and phytochemical contents, selected biological activities as well as some functional foods and beverages of clove and their uses for human health are presented. Although these observations are largely empirical, the efficacious attributes have led to their pharmacological applications in the indigenous system of medicine all over the world and bridge between food, diet and medicine. Considering the GRAS status of clove, more studies on bioavailability, accumulation, toxicity, dosage and efficacy of clove as a spice drug or functional foods in biological systems especially in humans are required. Meanwhile, clove and its products can be used as co-adjuvants in the prevention, treatment and management of chronic diseases. Further, many applications of clove in food, health, cosmetics, pharmaceutics, nanoparticles and agricultural industries are still open for investigations.

New Method for Obtaining a Bioactive Essence Extracted from Iberian Ham Fat Rich in MUFA and Antioxidants

Iberian ham is one of the most representative Spanish products and presents an excellent nutritional and sensory quality. Iberian ham trimming fat is considered a by-product and to give a new use to this remaining part could represent a healthy and innovative option for obtaining sustainable foods. The purpose of this work was to obtain a new bioactive ingredient from Iberian ham trimming fat with the highest amount of antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), using a new non-invasive solvent-free method. To obtain the essence, two different extraction procedures were carried out. After fatty acid characterization, degree of acidity, peroxide index and a basic sensory analysis were performed. Antioxidant in vitro activity and total phenolic compounds (TPC) were also determined. This new ingredient showed a better sensory profile than raw ham fat, a lower degree of acidity, a higher content of MUFAs, and also showed a higher antioxidant capacity and an increase in phenolic compounds compared to the raw material. This bioactive essence could be used as a food, a cosmetic or a nutraceutical ingredient to prevent certain diseases related to oxidative stress and could also contribute to the maintenance of the circular economy.

Artificial Shading Can Adversely Affect Heat-tolerant Lettuce Growth and Taste, with Concomitant Changes in Gene Expression

Shading has been used to produce high-quality lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in locations where production conditions are not optimal for this cool-season crop. To learn what additional benefits shading provides if heat-tolerant cultivars are used and to understand the effects of shading on growth, sensory quality, chemical content, and transcriptome profile on heat-tolerant lettuce, we grew two romaine lettuce cultivars with and without shading using 50% black shadecloth in 2018 and 2019. Shading reduced plant leaf temperatures, lettuce head fresh weights, glucose and total sugars content, and sweetness, but not bitterness, whereas it increased lettuce chlorophyll b content compared with unshaded controls. Transcriptome analyses identified genes predominantly involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and carbohydrate metabolism as upregulated in unshaded controls compared with shaded treatments. For the tested cultivars, which were bred to withstand high growing temperatures, it may be preferable to grow them under unshaded conditions to avoid increased infrastructure costs and obtain lettuce deemed sweeter than if shaded.

Use of propolis in foods and its protective properties

Propolis is a natural mixture of saliva, enzymes and plant secretions which collected by bees from various plants and used for protection of hives against external fac-tors. Biological activities and chemical composition of propolis may vary accor-ding to the plant sources, location and time, and it contains phenolic compo-unds, aromatic acids, essen-tial oils, minerals and vita-mins. Propolis has been used in traditional medicine for various therapeutic pur-poses, and it has a potential as a natural preservative in foods. Propolis may have various protective effects such as reducing microbial growth and oxidation, pre-venting fungus, rotting and weight loss, maintaining product stability and exten-ding shelf life in meat, po-ultry, fish, dairy, vegetables, fruits and fruit juices during storage. However, propolis's unique odor and taste may alter the sensory quality of foods and that may effect its use in the food industry ne-gatively.