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Inulin is a carbohydrate that belongs to fructans; due to its health benefits, it is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In this research, cabuya (Agave americana) was employed to obtain inulin by pulsed electric field-assisted extraction (PEFAE) and FTIR analysis confirmed its presence. The influence of PEFAE operating parameters, namely, electric field strength (1, 3 and 5 kV/cm), pulse duration (0.1, 0.2 and 0.5 ms), number of pulses (10,000, 20,000 and 40,000) and work cycle (20, 50 and 80%) on the permeabilization index and energy expenditure were tested. Also, once the operating conditions for PEFAE were set, the temperature for conventional extraction (CE) and PEFAE were defined by comparing extraction kinetics. The cabuya meristem slices were exposed to PEFAE to obtain extracts that were quantified, purified and concentrated. The inulin was isolated by fractional precipitation with ethanol to be characterized. The highest permeabilization index and the lowest energy consumption were reached at 5 kV/cm, 0.5 ms, 10,000 pulses and 20%. The same extraction yield and approximately the same amount of inulin were obtained by PEFAE at 60 °C compared to CE at 80 °C. Despite, the lower amount of inulin obtained by PEFAE in comparison to CE, its quality was better because it is mainly constituted of inulin of high average polymerization degree with more than 38 fructose units. In addition, TGA analyses showed that inulin obtained by PEFAE has a lower thermal degradation rate than the obtained by CE and to the standard.

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Agave tequilana Weber var. Blue is used as the primary raw material in tequila production due to its fructans (inulin) content. This study evaluates the formulation of a plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) consortium (Pseudomonas sp. and Shimwellia sp.) to increase sugars in A. tequilana under field conditions. A total of three doses were tested: low (5 L ha-1), medium (10 L ha-1), and high (15 L ha-1), with a cellular density of 1 × 108 CFU mL-1 and one control treatment (without application). Total reducing sugars (TRS), inulin, sucrose, glucose, fructose, and plant growth were measured in agave plants aged 4-5 years at 0 (T0), 3 (T3), 6 (T6), and 12 (T12) months. Yield was recorded at T12. The TRS increased by 3%, and inulin by 5.3% in the high-dose treatment compared to the control at T12. Additionally, a low content of sucrose, glucose, and fructose (approximately 1%) was detected. At T12, the weight of agave heads increased by 31.2% in the medium dose and 22.3% in the high dose compared to the control. The high dose provided a higher inulin content. The A. tequilana plants were five years old and exhibited growth comparable to the standards for 6-7-year-old plants. This study demonstrates a sustainable strategy for tequila production, optimizing the use of natural resources and enhancing industry performance through increased sugar content and yield.

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Increased prevalence of diabetes prompts the development of foods with reduced starch digestibility. This study analyzed the impact of adding soluble dietary fiber (inulin-IN; polydextrose-PD) to baked gluten-starch matrices (7.5-13%) on microstructure formation and in vitro starch digestibility. IN and PD enhanced water-holding capacity, the hardness of baked matrices, and lowered water activity in the formulated matrices, potentially explaining the reduced starch gelatinization degree as IN or PD concentration increased. A maximum gelatinization decrease (26%) occurred in formulations with 13% IN. Micro-CT analysis showed a reduction in total and open porosity, which, along with the lower gelatinization degree, may account for the reduced in vitro starch digestibility. Samples with 13% IN exhibited a significantly lower rapidly available glucose fraction (8.56 g/100 g) and higher unavailable glucose fraction (87.76 g/100 g) compared to the control (34.85 g/100 g and 47.59 g/100 g, respectively). These findings suggest the potential for developing healthier, starch-rich baked foods with a reduced glycemic impact.

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The health benefits of functional foods are associated with consumer interest and have supported the growth of the market for these types of foods, with emphasis on the development of new formulations based on plant extracts. Therefore, the present study aimed to characterize a symbiotic preparation based on water-soluble soy extract, supplemented with inulin and xylitol and fermented by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 8014. Regarding nutritional issues, the symbiotic formulation can be considered a source of fiber (2 g/100 mL) and proteins (2.6 g/100 mL), and it also has a low-fat content and low caloric value. This formulation, in terms of microbiological aspects, remained adequate to legal standards after storage for 60 days under refrigeration and also presented an adequate quantity of the aforementioned probiotic strain, corresponding to 9.11 Log CFU.mL-1. These viable L. plantarum cells proved to be resistant to simulated human gastrointestinal tract conditions, reaching the intestine at high cell concentrations of 7.95 Log CFU.mL-1 after 60 days of refrigeration. Regarding sensory evaluation, the formulation showed good acceptance, presenting an average overall impression score of 6.98, 5.98, and 5.16, for control samples stored for 30 and 60 days under refrigeration, respectively. These results demonstrate that water-soluble soy extract is a suitable matrix for fermentation involving L. plantarum ATCC 8014, supporting and providing data on the first steps towards the development of a symbiotic functional food, targeting consumers who have restrictions regarding the consumption of products of animal origin, diabetics, and individuals under calorie restrictions.

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Probiotic microorganisms are a promising alternative to antibiotics in preventing and treating bacterial infections. Within the probiotic group, the lactic acid bacteria (LAB)stand out for their health benefits and for being recognized as safe by regulatory agencies. However, these microorganisms are sensitive to various environmental conditions, including the acidic environment of the stomach. Faced with these obstacles, this work aimed to promote the symbiotic microencapsulation of LAB in a composite matrix of alginate and prebiotics to enhance their survival and improve their probiotic activity during gastrointestinal transit. We evaluated the effect of inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) as prebiotic sources on the growth of Pediococcus pentosaceus LBM34 strain, finding that MOS favored LAB growth and maintenance of microencapsulated cell viability. The symbiotic microparticles were produced using the spray-drying technique with an average size of 10 µm, a smooth surface, and a composition that favored the stabilization of live cells according to the FTIR and the thermal analysis of the material. The best formulation was composed of 1 % of alginate, 10 % MOS and 1 % M10 (% w/v), which presented notable increases in the survival rates of the probiotic strain in both alkaline and acidic conditions. Therefore, this industrially scalable approach to symbiotic LAB microencapsulation can facilitate their growth and colonization within the host. This effort aims to contribute to reducing antibiotic reliance and mitigating the emergence of new zoonotic diseases, which pose significant challenges to public health.

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Boeremia exigua var. exigua is a recurrent pathogen causing root rot in industrial chicory. Currently, there is no chemical or varietal control for this disease, and thus, management strategies need to be developed. This study determined the biocontrol effect of strains of Pseudomonas protegens bacteria with antimicrobial compounds on the fungus B. exigua var. exigua under in vitro, in vivo, and field conditions. In addition, root colonization by these bacteria was estimated by the phlD-specific PCR-based dilution end point assay. Eighteen isolates of Pseudomonas spp were evaluated, and the strains that showed the greatest in vitro inhibition of fungal mycelial growth (mm), Ca10A and ChB7, were selected. Inoculation with the strain ChB7 showed less severity (necrotic area) under in vivo conditions (root trials) compared with the control inoculated with the pathogen (p ≤ 0.05). The molecular analysis revealed that the root colonization of plants grown in pots was equal to or greater than 70%. Similar levels were observed in the field trials conducted at the Selva Negra and Canteras experimental stations (2015-2016 season), with values ranging from 85.7 to 70.5% and from 75.0 to 79.5%, respectively. Regarding yield (ton ha-1), values were higher in the treatments inoculated with strains Ca10A and ChB7 (p ≤ 0.05) at both experimental sites, while a lower incidence and severity of root rot were observed at Selva Negra. These results suggest that the Chilean strains of P. protegens are a promising tool for the control of root diseases in industrial chicory.

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Inulin is a fructose-based polysaccharide that can be found in several plant species, from grass and onions to chicory roots; thus, it has the potential to be an excellent renewable source of fructose for several industrial applications. Among them, inulin hydrolysis can be coupled to a fermentation operation to produce polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) using Cupriavidus necator H16. This work reports the PHB production process involving chicory root inulin hydrolysis using inulinase Novozym 960 followed by a C. necator fermentation. It was found that the maximum saccharification (95% wt.) was reached at 269 U/ginulin after 90 min. The hydrolysates obtained were then inoculated with C. necator, leading to a biomass concentration of 4 g/L with 30% (w/w) polymer accumulation. Although PHB production was low, during the first hours, the cell growth and polymer accumulation detected did not coincide with a fructose concentration decrease, suggesting a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process, potentially alleviating the product inhibition inherent to the inulinase-fructose system. The characterization of the obtained PHB showed a polymer with more homogeneous values of Mw, and better thermal stability than PHB produced using pure fructose as a fermentation substrate. The results obtained demonstrate a viable alternative carbon substrate for PHB production, opening the possibility for inulin-rich renewable feedstock valorization.

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Gut dysbiosis is linked to type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). Inulin (INU), a prebiotic, modulates the gut microbiota, promoting beneficial bacteria that produce essential short-chain fatty acids for immune regulation. However, how INU affects T1D remains uncertain. Using a streptozotocin-induced (STZ) mouse model, we studied INU's protective effects. Remarkably, STZ + INU mice resisted T1D, with none developing the disease. They had lower blood glucose, reduced pancreatic inflammation, and normalized serum insulin compared with STZ + SD mice. STZ + INU mice also had enhanced mucus production, abundant Bifidobacterium, Clostridium cluster IV, Akkermansia muciniphila, and increased fecal butyrate. In cecal lymph nodes, we observed fewer CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells expressing CCR4 and more Foxp3+CCR4+ cells in pancreatic islets, with higher CCL17 expression. This phenotype was absent in CCR4-deficient mice on INU. INU supplementation effectively protects against experimental T1D by recruiting CCR4+ regulatory T cells via CCL17 into the pancreas and altering the butyrate-producing microbiota.

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Tamales are a traditional dish rich in fat and carbohydrates with increasing popularity. The present study aimed to investigate the use of agave inulin powder (AIP) as a potential fat replacer in tamales. The effect of replacing 0%, 33%, 66%, and 100% (w/w) of fat with AIP was evaluated in the physicochemical, sensory, and nutritional features of tamales. The fat content of tamales decreased up to 88% in AIP tamales, whereas total dietary fiber (TDF) increased up to 14%. TDF in AIP tamales had a higher proportion of soluble dietary fiber (SDF). Moreover, results indicated that both insoluble and SDF were formed during the processing of tamales. Fat replacement led to a reduction of up to 26% in the calorie load of tamales. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed changes in the absorption bands related to carbohydrates, with increments in peaks associated with inulin (936 and 862 cm-1 ), and inhibition of retrogradation when inulin was included. AIP addition resulted in tamales with lighter color. Fat replacement with AIP affected the texture of tamales increasing their softness, adhesiveness, and cohesiveness. In general, inulin positively affected the hedonic attributes and acceptance of tamales. Interestingly, full-fat tamales had a lower glycemic index and presented higher contents of resistant starch compared to tamales with AIP. Nevertheless, agave inulin may serve as a fat replacer yielding reduced-fat tamales with higher TDF and SDF and yielding a lower calorie load without significantly affecting the sensory acceptability of this traditional meal.

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Halophilic archaea are capable of producing fructans, which are fructose-based polysaccharides. However, their biochemical characterization and biological and technological properties have been scarcely studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the production, chemical characterization, biological and technological properties of a fructan inulin-type biosynthesized by a halophilic archaeon. Fructan extraction was performed through ethanol precipitation and purification by diafiltration. The chemical structure was elucidated using Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Haloarcula sp. M1 biosynthesizes inulin with an average molecular weight of 8.37 × 106 Da. The maximal production reached 3.9 g of inulin per liter of culture within seven days. The glass transition temperature of inulin was measured at 138.85 °C, and it exhibited an emulsifying index of 36.47 %, which is higher than that of inulin derived from chicory. Inulin from Haloarcula sp. M1 (InuH) demonstrates prebiotic capacity. This study represents the first report on the biological and technological properties of inulin derived from halophilic archaea.

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