Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen

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Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen

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Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen

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Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Tecnología de los Alimentos,Nutrición y Bromatología

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Open Access
Evaluation of Commercial Carob Syrups (Ceratonia siliqua L.) in Randomized Controlled Trials: Effects on Lipid, Glycaemic, and Anthropometric Parameters
(MDPI, 2025-10-28) Planes Muñoz, David; Rosell, María de los Ángeles; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; López Nicolás, Rubén; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
Background: Metabolic disorders such as diabetes and dyslipidaemia are intricately connected to dietary habits. This has resulted in an increasing interest in functional foods that may offer benefits for glycaemic and lipid regulation. This study aims to evaluate the effects of two commercial carob syrups on postprandial glycaemic response, serum lipid profile, and anthropometric measurements in healthy adults. Methods: The research comprised two complementary randomized and controlled trials: (i) a glycaemic test involving 20 volunteers and (ii) a six-week intervention that assessed serum cholesterol levels and body composition in a cohort of 72 participants. Volunteers were between the ages of 18 and 65 years in both studies. Results: Both syrups displayed statistical significance in low glycaemic indices (GI = 56.04 ± 13.75, and 60.46 ± 26.92%) and an attenuation of the postprandial glucose response by 16% compared to glucose control (p < 0.05). Furthermore, daily consumption of carob syrup was associated with a statistically significant reduction, p < 0.05, in total cholesterol and waist circumference: −14.68 ± 25.60 mg/dL and −3.58 ± 1.79 cm, respectively. These effects are attributed to the bioactive compounds naturally present in carobsyrup, particularly D-pinitol and polyphenols, which may play a role in modulating insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. Conclusions: These findings indicate that carob syrups may serve as promising functional ingredients with a reduced glycaemic impact and potential cardiometabolic benefits. However, they should be interpreted as preliminary evidence. The novelty of the present study lies mainly in the use of commercially available syrups in a healthy cohort, where effects on lipids and anthropometry were modest but consistent.
Open Access
Effect of gazpacho, hummus and ajoblanco on satiety and appetite in adult humans: a randomised crossover study
(MDPI, 2021-03-12) Gaspar Ros Berruezo; Rubén López Nicolás; Planes Muñoz, David; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; López Nicolás, Rubén; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
Nowadays, overweight and obesity has reached an epidemic level around the world. With the aim to tackle them, an interesting strategy is the study of food and ingredients with satiety properties. In addition to reducing food and/or calorie intake, this type of foods must be included as part of a healthy diet. With regard to this, it is well known that the Mediterranean Diet (MD) is a feeding pattern that helps us to maintain good health, providing an adequate intake of micronutrients and active compounds. With this background, the main aim of this research was to identify MD foods with a high satiating potential capacity. For this purpose, three typical foods of the Mediterranean region, mainly based on vegetables, were selected: hummus, ajoblanco and gazpacho. As a control, white bread was used. Twenty-four human healthy volunteers consumed a standard breakfast followed by the different typical Mediterranean foods, and then the subjective sensation of hunger and satiety for each food was assessed by visual analogue scales (VAS) during 3 h. Subsequently, volunteers had ad libitum access to a standard meal. The results indicate that gazpacho showed the highest satiating scores, despite the fact that it was not the food that provided the highest protein or fibre amount. More studies of this type are needed to determine the proportion and/or combination of ingredients from these classical Mediterranean recipes that could enhance human satiety.
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Nondigestible carbohydrates affect metabolic health and gut microbiota in overweight adults after weight loss
(Elsevier, 2020-06-08) Johnstone, Alexandra M.; Kelly, Jennifer; Ryan, Sheila; Romero-Gonzalez, Reyna; McKinnon, Hannah; Fyfe, Claire; Naslund, Erik; López Nicolás, Rubén; Bosscher, Douwina; Bonnema; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Horgan, Graham; Ze, Xiaolei; Harrold, Jo; Halford, Jason; Gratz, Silvia W.; Duncan, Sylvia H.; Shirazi-Beechey, Soraya; Flint, Harry J.; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
Background: The composition of diets consumed following weight loss (WL) can have a significant impact on satiety and metabolic health. Objective: This study was designed to test the effects of including a nondigestible carbohydrate to achieve weightmaintenance (WM) following a period of WL. Methods: Nineteen volunteers [11 females and 8 males, aged 20–62 y; BMI (kg/m2): 27–42] consumed a 3-d maintenance diet (15%:30%:55%), followed by a 21-d WL diet (WL; 30%:30%:40%), followed by 2 randomized 10-d WM diets (20%:30%:50% of energy from protein:fat:carbohydrate) containing either resistant starch type 3 (RSWM; 22 or 26 g/d for females and males, respectively) or no RS (C-WM) in a within-subject crossover design without washout periods. The primary outcome, WM after WL, was analyzed by body weight. Secondary outcomes of fecal microbiota composition and microbial metabolite concentrations and gut hormones were analyzed in fecal samples and blood plasma, respectively. All outcomes were assessed at the end of each dietary period. Results: Body weight was similar after the RS-WM and C-WM diets (90.7 and 90.8 kg, respectively), with no difference in subjectively rated appetite. During the WLdiet period plasma ghrelin increased by 36% (P<0.001), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) decreased by 33% (P < 0.001), and insulin decreased by 46% (P < 0.001), but no significant differences were observed during the RS-WM and C-WM diet periods. Fasting blood glucose was lower after the RS-WM diet (5.59 ± 0.31 mmol/L) than after the C-WM diet [5.75 ± 0.49 mmol/L; P = 0.015; standard error of the difference between themeans (SED): 0.09]. Dietary treatments influenced the fecal microbiota composition (R2 = 0.054, P = 0.031) but not diversity. Conclusions: The metabolic benefits, for overweight adults, from WL were maintained through a subsequent WM diet with higher total carbohydrate intake. Inclusion of resistant starch in theWMdiet altered gut microbiota composition positively and resulted in lower fasting glucose compared with the control, with no apparent change in appetite. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01724411.
Open Access
Comparison of bioavailability and transporters gene expression of four iron fortificants added to infant cereals
(Elsevier, 2022-09-08) Caballero Valcárcel, Ana M.; López Nicolás, Rubén; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; González Bermúdez, Carlos A.; Martínez Gracia, Carmen; Santaella-Pascual, Marina; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
Iron deficiency is one of the most important nutritional disorders around the world. To reduce this health problem in infants, most countries have developed different iron fortification programs as a long-term strategy. However, it is necessary to select the best iron source to get the highest bioavailability with the lowest impact on the organoleptic properties of the foods. The aim of this research was to assess the in vitro bioavailability and intestinal cellular transport of four iron sources (electrolytic iron: EI, ferrous fumarate: FF, a micronized and dispersible ferric pyrophosphate: MDFP, and ferrous sulphate heptahydrated: FSH) used to fortify infant cereals. Fortified cereals were in vitro digested and soluble fractions were then incubated in Caco-2 cells to study iron retention, transport and uptake. Moreover, mRNA expression of iron transporters and ferritin formation were also measured in cells incubated with the iron standard salts. Iron solubility, uptake percentage, transport and uptake efficiencies by the Caco-2 cells were significantly higher in cereals fortified with FSH than with EI, obtaining intermediate values for the other two iron fortificants. MDFP induced higher expression of iron transporters Zip-14 and HEPH than other iron sources. FSH promoted the highest iron storage protein ferritin, followed by FF and MDFP, while EI presented the lowest in vitro bioavailability due to its low solubility. This work demonstrated that iron absorption, storage, and gene expression of transporters depend on the source of iron. These are important challenges to be taken into consideration when assessing the potential of iron fortificants.
Open Access
Diet: a specific part of the western lifestyle pack in the asthma epidemic
(MDPI, 2020-07-01) Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; González-Bermúdez, Carlos A.; García-Marcos Álvarez, Luis Vicente; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
The Western lifestyle is a complex concept that includes the diet as the main axis of di erent factors which contribute to a detrimental e ect on health, lower life expectancy and low quality-of-life. This type of diet is characterized by being high in calories, mainly provided by saturated fats, and rich in sugars that can lead to changes in immune cells and their responsiveness, by di erent mechanisms that have yet to be totally clarified. Inflammatory processes are perpetuated through di erent pathways, in which adipose tissue is a major factor. High fat stores in overweight and obesity accumulate energy but the endocrine function is also producing and releasing diferent bioactive compounds, adipokines, known to be pro-inflammatory and which play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. This review therefore explores the latest evidence regarding the adverse e ect of theWestern diet on adipose tissue inflammation and its causative e ect on the asthma epidemic.
Open Access
Evaluation of the antimicrobial potential of digested and undigested carob phenolic extracts: Impact on selected gut microbiota
(AKJournals, 2023-10-19) Chaalal, M.; Ydjedd, S.; Chemache, L.; López Nicolás, Rubén; Sánchez Moya, Teresa; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Kati, D.E.; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
Carob pulp is a natural source of polyphenols, which have been shown to possess health benefits. These compounds play a crucial role in initiating, shaping, and modulating the gut microbiota. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of carob pulp phenolic extracts on nine specific groups of human gut microbiota before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The effects of pure gallic and coumaric acids were also tested. The results showed that the treated phenolic compounds exhibited inhibitory effects on the growth of most pathogenic bacteria. Gallic acid, in particular, demonstrated the most potent antimicrobial effect on Listeria monocytogenes, reducing its growth to below 5%. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli showed a growth reduction of up to 10%. Furthermore, both phenolic acids, before and after digestion, led to a slight reduction in E. coli O157:H7 numbers. Probiotic bacteria experienced minimal decrease following exposure to phenolic extracts. However, the growth of Lactobacillus casei ssp. rhamnosus was significantly inhibited by almost 50%. Interestingly, the in vitro digestion process exhibited a stronger antibacterial effect against pathogenic bacteria compared to probiotic bacteria. These results highlight the potential of carob phenolic extracts in modulating the intestinal microbiota, thereby offering interesting prospects for the development of diet-based health strategies.
Open Access
The Iron and Calcium Availability and the Satiating Effect of Different Biscuits
(MDPI, 2023-09-15) Martínez-Martínez, Antonio; Planes Muñoz, David; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; López Nicolás, Rubén; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
Biscuits are bakery products made with wheat flour. Wheat is a good source of minerals and dietary fibre, although the presence of phytate or other components could modify mineral availability. In addition, cereal-based products are usually characterised by high fibre content that can influence satiety. The objectives of this study were to evaluate both the iron and calcium availability and the satiety effect of different types of biscuits (traditional recipe vs. “Digestive”) sold in the Spanish market, identifying whether the biscuit type could have effects on these parameters. Nutritional composition and the use of the generic descriptor “Digestive” of biscuits were collected from labels. Phytate and mineral contents were also measured. All samples were previously digested by a simulated process of the gastrointestinal conditions. The satiating effect of biscuits was evaluated according to VAS questionnaires. Results indicated that the mineral content and availability were different between types of biscuits (the traditional recipe showed the highest calcium concentration, while iron was higher in the “Digestive” type). However, mineral availability showed the highest percentages for both minerals, calciumand iron, in the Maria-type samples. Regardless of the different fibre content of both types of biscuits, and despite being higher in the Digestive type than in the Maria type, the satiety measures indicated that the Maria type had more effect on the food intake control. Thus, the descriptor “Digestive¨ in biscuits does not seem to be a marker of better nutritional quality, including parameters of effects on health such as mineral availability or satiety.
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Effect of soaking and inositol phosphate content on in vitro mineral availability in edible seaweeds
(Springer, 2018-11-05) Sánchez Moya, Teresa; Martínez-Hernández, Valerie M.; López Nicolás, Rubén; González-Bermúdez, Carlos A.; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología; Facultad de Veterinaria
Seaweeds are an ideal food-safe natural source of minerals with a potential use in human nutrition. However, the presence of phytate and different treatments before consumption could modify mineral availability. The content and in vitro mineral availability after a simulated gastrointestinal digestion of wakame (Undaria pinnatifida), nori (Porphyra spp.), sea salad (Ulva lactuca, Palmaria palmata, Undaria pinnatifida, Porphyra spp., Laminaria spp.), and sea spaghetti (Himanthalia elongata) were studied. Experiments were assessed after a soaking treatment of seaweeds with cold (20 °C) or hot (70 °C) water, as usually processing before eating. Moreover, inositol phosphate content was determined in the edible macroalgae and the molar ratio phytate/mineral was used as a predictor of the relative availability of minerals. Overall, edible analyzed seaweeds showed a high Ca, Fe, P, and K contents, highlighting wakame for all the studied minerals. In all cases, soaking in cold water showed the highest soluble and dialyzable mineral fractions. High content of phytic acid (IP6) was observed in sea salad (≈ 25 mg (100 g)−1); meanwhile, sea spaghetti showed the lowest IP6 content (3.9 mg (100 g)−1). The low molar ratios Phy/Ca and Phy/Zn obtained in seaweeds could indicate an adequate availability. However, ratios Phy/Fe could compromise the iron availability in wakame, nori, and sea spaghetti. Results obtained confirm that external factor such as soaking, gastrointestinal digestion, and inositol phosphates can affect the mineral availability. Consumption of edible seaweeds can be recommended for the necessary intake of available minerals and trace elements.
Open Access
Milk whey from different animal species stimulates the in vitro release of CCK and GLP-1 through a whole simulated intestinal digestion
(The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2020-08-05) Sánchez Moya, Teresa; Planes Muñoz, David; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Ros-Berruezo, G.; López Nicolás, Rubén; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología
Milk whey is effective in enhancing satiety mainly due to its protein composition. Peptides and aminoacids derived from digestion of whey protein can act as suppressants of appetite by stimulation of receptors of satiety gut hormones. But, the protein fraction of whey can vary depending on species of animal, season, lactation period, etc. The aim of this study is to evaluate the satiety effect of milk whey from different species of ruminants (cow, sheep, goat and a mixture of them) through a simulated in vitro digestion, which performed the whole gastrointestinal process, from oral digestion to colonic fermentation. The satiety effect of each sample was measured by the production of satiating hormones (CCK and GLP-1) secreted by enteroendocrine cell line (STC-1) after 2 hours of incubation with non-digested, digested and fermented whey. Digested samples have shown to be potent CCK and GLP-1 secretagogues followed by fermented and non-digested samples, showing that the last one showed a weak hormone stimulation. Digested goat whey was the most efficient stimulator of GLP-1 (86.33 ± 4.55 pg mL−1) and fermented mixture whey produced the major release of CCK (80.78±1.81 pg mL−1). This study demonstrates that milk whey is a suitable ingredient to stimulate satiety through the effect of peptides, aminoacids produced from digestion, and metabolites released by fermentation.
Open Access
Effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on encapsulated and nonencapsulated phenolic compounds of Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) pulp extracts and their antioxidant capacity
(American Chemical Society, 2017-01-17) Ydjedd, Siham; Bouriche, Sihem; López Nicolás, Rubén; Sánchez Moya, Teresa; Frontela Saseta, María del Carmen; Ros Berruezo, Gaspar; Rezgu, Farouk; Louaileche, Hayette; Kati, Djamel-Edine; Tecnología de Alimentos, Nutrición y Bromatología; Facultad de Veterinaria
To determine the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the release and antioxidant capacity of encapsulated and nonencapsulated phenolics carob pulp extracts, unripe and ripe carob pulp extracts were microencapsulated with polycaprolactone via double emulsion/solvent evaporation technique. Microcapsules' characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry analysis. Total phenolics and flavonoids content and antioxidant activities (ORAC, DPPH, and FRAP) were evaluated after each digestion step. The release of phenolic acids and flavonoids was measured along the digestion process by HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The most important phenolics and flavonoids content as well as antioxidant activities were observed after gastric and intestinal phases for nonencapsulated and encapsulated extracts, respectively. The microencapsulation of carob polyphenols showed a protective effect against pH changes and enzymatic activities along digestion, thereby promoting a controlled release and targeted delivery of the encapsulated compound, which contributed to an increase in its bioaccessibility in the gut.