Publications
In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Chitosan/HPMC/Insulin Hydrogel for Wound Healing Applications KU Leuven
Treatment of chronic wounds is challenging, and the development of different formulations based on insulin has shown efficacy due to their ability to regulate oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions. The formulation of insulin with polysaccharides in biohybrid hydrogel systems has the advantage of synergistically combining the bioactivity of the protein with the biocompatibility and hydrogel properties of polysaccharides. In this study, a ...
Stability and bioaccessibility of micronutrients and phytochemicals present in processed leek and Brussels sprouts during static in vitro digestion. KU Leuven
Vegetables are frequently processed before consumption. However, vegetable functionalization continues beyond ingestion as the human digestive tract exposes vegetable products to various conditions (e.g. elevated temperature, pH alterations, enzymes, electrolytes, mechanical disintegration) which can affect the stability of micronutrients and phytochemicals. Besides the extent to which these compounds withstand the challenges posed by digestive ...
From static to semi-dynamic in vitro digestion conditions relevant for the older population: starch and protein digestion of cooked lentils KU Leuven
In the context of adequately feeding the rising older population, lentils have an important potential as sources of (plant-based) protein as well as slowly digestible bio-encapsulated starch and fibre. This study evaluated in vitro digestion of protein and starch in lentils under conditions representing the gastrointestinal tract of older adults. Both static and semi-dynamic simulations were applied to analyze the effect of specific ...
Impact of refrigerated storage on (bio)chemical conversions of health-related compounds in pretreated, pasteurized Brussels sprouts and leek KU Leuven Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Vegetable processing often consists of multiple processing steps. Research mostly focused on the impact of individual processing steps on individual health-related compounds. However, there is a need for more holistic approaches to understand the overall impact of the processing chain on the health potential of vegetables. Therefore, this work studied the impact of pretreatment (relatively intact versus pureed vegetable systems), pasteurization ...
Water-soluble biopolymers from heat-treated and high pressure homogenized vegetable purees: investigating their emulsion forming and stabilizing capacities KU Leuven
The emulsion forming and stabilizing capacities of water-soluble biopolymers originating from the aqueous (serum) phase of heat-treated and high pressure homogenized purées were investigated. The serum biopolymers were characterized and then utilized as emulsifier/stabilizer in simple oil-in-water emulsions. The resulting emulsions were stored at 4 °C and monitored for 2 weeks. Results revealed that carrot and tomato sera contained higher ...
Texture classification and in situ cation measurements by SEM-EDX provide detailed quantitative insights into cell wall cation interaction changes during ageing, soaking, and cooking of red kidney beans KU Leuven
Hard-to-cook (HTC) is a textural defect that delays the softening of common bean seeds during cooking. While this defect is commonly associated with conventionally stored beans, soaking/cooking of beans in CaCl2 solutions or sodium acetate buffer can also prolong the cooking time of beans due to formation of Ca2+ crosslinked pectin retarding bean softening during cooking. In this study, the role of the cell wall-bound Mg2+/Ca2+ content and the ...