López Nicolás, Rubén

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López Nicolás, Rubén

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López Nicolás, Rubén

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

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Open Access
A reliability generalization meta-analysis of the dimensional obsessive-compulsive scale
(2021-02) Rubén López-Nicolás; María Rubio-Aparicio; Carmen López-Ibáñez; Julio Sánchez-Meca; López Nicolás, Rubén; Rubio Aparicio, María; López-Ibáñez, Carmen; Sánchez Meca, Julio; Psicología Básica y Metodología
Background: The Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) is a well-established tool for assessing obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. A reliability generalization meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the average reliability of DOCS scores and how reliability estimates vary according to the composition and variability of samples, to identify study characteristics that can explain its variability, and to estimate the reliability induction rate. Method: A literature search produced 86 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Results: For the DOCS total scores, an average alpha coefficient of .925 was found (95% CI [.920,.931]), as well as mean alphas of .881, .905, .913, and .914 for Contamination, Responsibility, Unacceptable Thoughts, and Symmetry subscales, respectively. Moderator analysis showed that internal consistency fell signifi cantly the more clinical and subclinical participants there were in the sample, and the larger the mean score in the sample for the total scores. The most important moderator variables for the subscales were the standard deviation and the mean of the scores. Conclusions: The DOCS scores exhibited excellent internal consistency reliability for both total score and subscale scores and DOCS is suitable both for research and clinical purposes.
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
Reliability generalization meta‑analysis: comparing different statistical methods
(Springer, 2024-01-22) López‑Ibáñez, Carmen; López Nicolás, Rubén; Blázquez‑Rincón, Desirée M.; Sánchez Meca, Julio; Psicología Básica y Metodología; Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia
Reliability generalization (RG) is a kind of meta-analysis that aims to characterize how reliability varies from one test application to the next. A wide variety of statistical methods have typically been applied in RG meta-analyses, regarding statistical model (ordinary least squares, fixed-effect, random effects, varying-coefficient models), weighting scheme (inverse variance, sample size, not weighting), and transformation method (raw, Fisher’s Z, Hakstian and Whalen’s and Bonett’s transformation) of reliability coefficients. This variety of methods compromise the comparability of RG meta-analyses results and their reproducibility. With the purpose of examining the influence of the different statistical methods applied, a methodological review was conducted on 138 published RG meta-analyses of psychological tests, amounting to a total of 4,350 internal consistency coefficients. Among all combinations of procedures that made theoretical sense, we compared thirteen strategies for calculating the average coefficient, eighteen for calculating the confidence intervals of the average coefficient and calculated the heterogeneity indices for the different transformations of the coefficients. Our findings showed that transformation methods of the reliability coefficients improved the normality adjustment of the coefficient distribution. Regarding the average reliability coefficient and the width of confidence intervals, clear differences among methods were found. The largest discrepancies were found between the different strategies for calculating confidence intervals. Our findings point towards the need for the meta-analyst to justify the statistical model assumed, as well as the transformation method of the reliability coefficients and the weighting scheme.
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
Reliability Generalization of the School Attitude Assessment Survey‑Revised: A Meta‑Analytic Structural Equation Modeling Approach
(Sage Publications, 2025-06-09) López López, José Antonio; López Nicolás, Rubén; Sandoval Lentisco, Alejandro; Sánchez Meca, Julio; Veas Iniesta, Alejandro; Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación; Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia
The School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised (SAAS-R) is a popular scale for assessing attitudinal and motivational aspects of students’ academic achievement. However, evidence on key psychometric properties of the SAAS-R such as reliability remains limited. We conducted a reliability generalization study of the SAAS-R using meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM). We included studies reporting an application of the SAAS-R and providing correlation coefficients between the SAAS-R subscales. We searched ERIC, PsycINFO, Academic Search Premier, Supplemental Index, and Web of Science from database inception to July 2023. Analyses were based on 18 independent matrices from 13 studies examining 8712 participants. Our main results, based on a one-stage, correlation-based MASEM approach and with omega total as the reliability measure, yielded an overall reliability estimate of 0.795 (95% CI 0.778–0.811). This suggests that the SAAS-R offers good score reliability for research and practice purposes. Applications using adapted versions obtained on average higher score reliabilities than the original ones. We discuss the implications of these results, which need to be interpreted with caution given the important reporting limitations of the primary studies included.
Open Access
Reproducibility of Published Meta-Analyses on Clinical-Psychological Interventions
(SAGE Publications, 2024-02-05) López Nicolás, Rubén; Lakens, Daniel; López López, José Antonio; Rubio Aparicio, María; Sandoval Lentisco, Alejandro; López-Ibáñez, Carmen; Blázquez-Rincón, Desirée; Sánchez Meca, Julio; Psicología Básica y Metodología; Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia
Meta-analysis is one of the most useful research approaches, the relevance of which relies on its credibility. Reproducibility of scientific results could be considered as the minimal threshold of this credibility. We assessed the reproducibility of a sample of meta-analyses published between 2000 and 2020. From a random sample of 100 articles reporting results of meta-analyses of interventions in clinical psychology, 217 meta-analyses were selected. We first tried to retrieve the original data by recovering a data file, recoding the data from document files, or requesting it from original authors. Second, through a multistage workflow, we tried to reproduce the main results of each meta-analysis. The original data were retrieved for 67% (146/217) of meta-analyses. Although this rate showed an improvement over the years, in only 5% of these cases was it possible to retrieve a data file ready for reuse. Of these 146, 52 showed a discrepancy larger than 5% in the main results in the first stage. For 10 meta-analyses, this discrepancy was solved after fixing a coding error of our data-retrieval process, and for 15 of them, it was considered approximately reproduced in a qualitative assessment. In the remaining meta-analyses (18%, 27/146), different issues were identified in an in-depth review, such as reporting inconsistencies, lack of data, or transcription errors. Nevertheless, the numerical discrepancies were mostly minor and had little or no impact on the conclusions. Overall, one of the biggest threats to the reproducibility of meta-analysis is related to data availability and current data-sharing practices in meta-analysis.
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.