Ciencias Exactas y Ciencias de la Salud
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11285/551014
Pertenecen a esta colección Tesis y Trabajos de grado de los Doctorados correspondientes a las Escuelas de Ingeniería y Ciencias así como a Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud.
Browse
Search Results
- Microalgae-based bioremediation of food and beverage processing wastewater: A sustainable approach toward a circular economy concept(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2025-12-03) Najar Almanzor, César Eduardo; Carrillo Nieves, Danay; mtyahinojosa, emipsanchez; Luzardo Ocampo, Iván Andres; Gutiérrez Uribe, Janet Alejandra; Chairez Oria, Jorge Isaac; Detrell, Gisela; Santaeufemia Sánchez, Sergio; Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias; Campus Guadalajara; García Cayuela, TomásFood and beverage production generates large volumes of nutrient-rich wastewaters that pose severe environmental challenges when discharged untreated. Effluents such as nejayote (from tortilla production), tequila vinasses (from tequila distillation), and cheese whey (from cheese production) contain high organic loads and extreme pH values that contribute to eutrophication and ecosystem disruption. Developing sustainable technologies that mitigate pollution while enabling resource recovery is therefore essential for advancing circular and cleaner production. This thesis evaluates microalgae-based bioremediation as an alternative for the treatment and valorization of these agro-industrial effluents. The work encompasses algae adaptation, process scale-up, biomass characterization, and environmental assessment. A UV-mutagenesis and gradual acclimatization strategy enabled Chlorella vulgaris, Haematococcus pluvialis, and Anabaena variabilis to grow in undiluted wastewater, achieving pollutant reductions of 87–99.9% in nejayote, 31–81% in vinasses, and 35–56% in whey. Although substantial, these results indicate that microalgae are best suited as components of a hybrid treatment systems rather than standalone technology. The technology’s scalability was validated through the cultivation of H. pluvialis in 100-L raceway pond, which maintained high remediation performance and biomass productivity despite minor declines associated with evaporation. The biomass showed significant protein and ash content, supporting potential use as biofertilizer, feed ingredient, or nutraceutical ingredient. Biochemical and functional characterization of biomass grown in nejayote and tequila vinasses revealed reduced pigment and phenolic content due to cultivation stress. However, extracts retained cytokine-modulating activity in RAW 264.7 macrophages, indicating potential for use as nutraceutical ingredient, animal feed, or biofertilizers following safety validation. Life Cycle Assessment comparing a microalgae-based vinasse treatment with the conventional industrial process showed similar overall environmental burdens but substantial reductions in terrestrial ecotoxicity and human carcinogenic toxicity. It also highlighted the need for optimization in coagulant sourcing and energy integration. Overall, this work demonstrates that microalgae-based treatment of agro-industrial effluents is technically viable, environmentally promising, and aligned with a circular bioeconomy, while identifying key challenges that must be addressed to enable industrial implementation.
- Development of functional ingredients from berry by-products: a process engineering approach to the optimization and characterization of convective drying(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2025-05-26) Tejeda Miramontes, José Pedro; García Amézquita, Luis Eduardo; emipsanchez; Sánchez López, Angélica Lizeth; Rodríguez Martínez, Verónica; García Varela, Rebeca; Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias; Campus Guadalajara; García Cayuela, Tomás /Tejada Ortigoza, ViridianaValorizing high-moisture (60–80%) berry by-products (pomace and bagasse), rich in fiber and bioactives, through optimized convective drying is critical for industrial sustainability. This doctoral research demonstrated that engineered optimization of convective drying (50–90 °C) effectively transforms raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry by-products into functional ingredients with improved techno-functional and bioactive profiles, employing kinetic modeling (Page model), physicochemical characterization, and for blackberry, advanced analyses (phase-segmented mass transfer, thermodynamics, sustainability, multivariate). Raspberry pomace at 70 °C (Page R2 >0.996) showed a 0.46 kg H2O·kg−1 db·min−1 drying rate, 34.17 kJ·mol−1 Ea, a 43.40% SDF increase (to 3.37 g·100g−1 db), retaining 32.10 mg GAE·g−1 db TPC and 25.84 mg C3G·g−1 db TAC. Blueberry pomace dried at an optimized 70 °C (Page R2 >0.996, Ea 39.55 kJ·mol−1) yielded increased SDF (4.66 g·100g−1 db) and TPC (13.65 mg GAE·g−1 db). Evaluating the 50–90 °C range, increasing temperature reduced SEC from 67.35 (50 °C) to 33.17 kWh−1·kg−1 H₂O (90 °C); the 70 °C optimum also yielded a 47% reduction in estimated production costs and lower CO2 emissions, enhancing process sustainability. For blackberry pomace, phase- segmented exergy analysis (revealing continuous drying limitations like final ηEx 0.8744 at 50 °C vs. 0.6311 at 90 °C) supported a proposed staged temperature profile (70–80 °C → 60–70 °C → 50–60 °C). This staged approach offers improved exergy efficiency, further optimized SEC, and enhanced sustainability (improved Sustainability Index, reduced CO2 emissions vs. continuous low-temperature drying), demonstrating techno- economic viability. Blackberry bagasse multivariate analysis (PCA 86.4% variance) showed maximum TPC (27.35 mg GAE·g−1 db) at 70 °C, while TAC dropped 76% at 90 °C (1.29 mg C3G·g−1 db) versus freeze-drying (8.62 mg C3G·g−1 db). These quantitative findings establish a robust engineering framework for by-product valorization, enabling targeted ingredient design. This research details these transformations, offering validated industrial strategies to convert waste into quality ingredients with improved energy efficiency, sustainability, and techno-economic viability.
- Wounding stress and UVB radiation for increasing anti-obesogenic compounds in raw vegetables – a practical approach(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2024-12) Gastélum Estrada Alejandro; Reza Zaldívar, Edwin Estefan; emipsanchez; Marilena Antunes Ricardo; Reza Zaldívar, Edwin Estefan; Canales Aguirre, Alejandro Arturo; Benavides Lozano, Jorge; School of Engineering and Sciences; Campus GuadalajaraThe rise of uncommunicable diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases has urged the development of innovative approaches to improve public health, particularly through dietary interventions. Fruits and vegetables are widely recognized as important sources of bioactive compounds , including phenolics, carotenoids, and flavonoids, which contribute to their health-promoting properties. Despite the known benefits, global vegetable consumption remains below recommended levels, leaving many populations at risk for these diet-related diseases. This work explores the potential of two postharvest abiotic stresses, wounding stress and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, as techniques for increasing the bioactive compound content of commonly consumed vegetables. This study propases adapting these stress techniques (wounding stress and UVB radiation) for domestic environments. These adaptations would give consumers a practica! Do-lt Yourself (DIY) approach to improving the bioactive content of their vegetable consumption, making it possible to obtain greater health benefits from smaller portions. Three widely consumed vegetables (carrots, broccol,i and lettuce) were chosen for this study due to their high consumption rates and nutraceutical potential. The first part of the research involved applying wounding stress to carrots through shredding, followed by storage at 15ºC for 48 hours to allow for phenolic accumulation . The stressed carrots were then used to prepare a biofortified juice, blended with orange juice, broccoli sprouts, and pasteurized. Physicochemical attributes and bioactive compound content were evaluated weekly in juice during a storage period of 28 days. Bioactivity was assessed in vitro at daysO and 28 after preparation. Results showed that the stressed carrots significantly increased total phenolic content, chlorogenic acid, and glucosinolates. The biofartified juice displayed enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which were preserved throughout storage. Far the UVB radiation stress study, a chamber was developed to treat vegetables, including carrots, broccoli, and lettuce. The chamber configuration and exposure conditions (time and intensity) were optimized to deliver the appropriate UVB dose to maximize phenolic compounds accumulation. The treated vegetables were then assessed far their bioactive compound content by chromatography analysis ; antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory potential, and anti-obesogenic potential were evaluated in vitro. Results indicated significant increases in phenolic compounds in the three evaluated vegetables and glucosinolates far broccoli in the UVB-treated vegetables, with enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The findings of this research confirm the efficacy of wounding stress and UVB radiation in increasing the bioactive compound content of vegetables, demonstrating that these techniques can be successfully applied in domestic and industrial contexts. The development of a UVB chamber far home use also represents a significant innovation, offering consumers a practica! tool far enhancing the health benefits of their vegetables. This research opens a new opportunity far improving diet quality through scalable and affordable techniques. The DIY approach offers an accessible strategy far individuals to increase their vegetable consumption's health impact. The perspectives of this work suggest broader applications in restaurants, schools, and other faod service environments, where these techniques could be implemented to improve the nutritional quality of meals served, which potentially clase the gap between low vegetable intake and bioactive compounds consumption needed to reduce the risk of uncommunicable diseases.
- Evaluation of compositional changes in pecan nuts during storage and the use of pulsed electric fields as an aid to enhance oil extraction yield(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2021-02) Rábago Panduro, Lourdes Melisa; RABAGO PANDURO, LOURDES MELISA; 418204; Welti Chanes, Jorge; hermlugo, emipsanchez; Serna Saldívar, Sergio; Chuck Hernández, Cristina; Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias; Campus Monterrey; Morales de la Peña, MarianaPecan nut kernels have been identified as an important source of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols, tocopherols, and phenolic compounds. Likewise, the oil commonly extracted by mechanical pressing of pecan nut kernels, is considered a specialty product due to its phytochemical profile. However, the effect of processing and storage on these bioactive compounds and how to improve the mechanical extraction of pecan nut oil have been scarcely investigated. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) are being applied as a pretreatment to improve oil extraction from different seeds increasing the oil extraction yield (OEY) and enhancing the oil phytochemical profile. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to evaluate i) the effect of drying and storage conditions on phytochemical content and antioxidant capacity (AC) of pecan nuts, and ii) the application of PEF as a pecan nuts pretreatment to improve OEY along with its effect on oil stability and bioactive compounds concentration of the oil and by-product generated usually named cake. Fatty acids, tocopherols, phenolic compounds (PC), and AC of fresh and dry kernels were determined to assess the effect of drying on pecan nuts. PC and AC of kernels and in-shells nuts stored during 240 days at 4 and 25°C were analyzed to study the effect of storage conditions. PEF was evaluated on fresh and dry pecan nuts by comparison of PEF-treated kernels against untreated and soaked kernels. Fresh kernels were pretreated at different levels of specific energy inputs (0.5–17.6 kJ·kg-1) to evaluate OEYTOTAL, oil acidity and AC along with cake PC and AC. Dry kernels were pretreated at 0.8, 7.8, and 15.0 kJ·kg-1 to assess OEYTOTAL and kernels microstructure. Oil stability was investigated by determination of acidity, AC, oil stability index (OSI), phytosterols, tocopherols, and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity. Cake PC and AC were also analyzed. The results showed that the drying process reduced the initial concentration of PC and AC (33.2 and 22.3%, respectively), but it helped to preserve pecan nut kernels for 240 days without microbial deterioration. During storage, a decrement of condensed tannins (CT) concentration (31.5–41.8%) and an increment of AC (188.4–216.4%) on both kernels and in-shell nuts were observed. Regarding the evaluation of PEF, water immersion of fresh kernels to PEF pretreatment decreased the initial oil content (7.3–11.7%). Despite that, the highest OEYTOTAL was achieved in kernels pretreated at 0.5 kJ·kg-1, being 21.4 and 17.6% higher than values of untreated and soaked kernels, respectively. A rise of PC content was observed in cakes generated from kernels pretreated at 0.8 kJ·kg-1 in comparison with cakes from untreated and soaked kernels (9.5–17.8 and 30.1–39.3% for PC and CT, respectively). Despite PC improvement, the PEF pretreatment did not increase the AC of cakes. Dry kernels water immersion also caused a reduction of the initial oil content (9.7%). OEY of untreated kernels was 88.7%, being higher than OEYTOTAL of soaked (76.5–83.0) and PEF-treated kernels (79.8–85.0%). The microstructural analysis of kernels pretreated at 0.8 kJ·kg-1 showed that PEF processing induced oleosomes fusion within the intracellular space of kernels cotyledon tissue. Neither soaking nor PEF processing significantly modified oil acidity, AC, OSI, and LOX activity. In contrast, the application of 0.8 kJ·kg-1 to dry kernels increased cake CT and AC by 43.5 and 21.8%, respectively, compared to untreated kernels while in comparison with control kernels was 27.0 and 24.3% higher, respectively. This dissertation proved that PC and AC of kernels are highly susceptible to drying and storage time, evidencing their impact on the functional properties of pecan nuts. Concerning pretreatment with PEF, it was demonstrated that it is necessary to take into consideration the recovery of the oil retained into the soaking water. Furthermore, the effectiveness of PEF to improve OEYTOTAL depended on whether the pretreatment was applied to fresh or dry pecan nuts. The microstructural analysis showed that the application of PEF modifies kernels oleosomes. Oil extracted from PEF-treated kernels displayed comparable characteristics to pecan nut oil extracted by mechanical and solvent processes. The by-product generated from PEF-treated kernels exhibited an improved CT concentration, making it an attractive ingredient to consider in food formulations.
- The enhancement of the health potential of prickly pear fruits with the use of high hydrostatic pressure(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2020-06-05) Gómez Maqueo Cerecer, Andrea; GOMEZ MAQUEO CERECER, ANDREA; 692751; Welti Chanes, Jorge; emipsanchez; Jacobo Velázquez, Daniel A.; García Cayuela, Tomás; Martín Cabrejas, María Ángeles; Hector Campanella, Osvaldo; Fornari Reale, Tiziana; Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias; Campus Monterrey; Cano Dolado, M. PilarPrickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.) fruits are low-cost, sustainable sources of bioactive compounds which could contribute to the reduction of risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome. However, for prickly pears to exert mentioned health benefits, bioactive compounds must be first released from the food matrix, transformed in the gastrointestinal tract and absorbed by our bodies. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is an innovative food processing technology which affects the microstructure of the foods and modifies/ruptures intracellular compartments where bioactive compounds are located. Thus, contributing to their immediate release as well as to their release in the gastrointestinal tract in early, intermediate or late stages of digestion. The aim of this dissertation was to enhance the health potential of prickly pear fruits with the use of HHP by increasing the bioaccessibility of their bioactive compounds. To achieve this goal, the following topics were thoroughly assessed: (i) the characterization and quantification of bioactive compounds (betalains, phenolic compounds, carotenoids and ascorbic acid) in different Mexican and Spanish prickly pear fruits; (ii) the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic and delipidating activity of their extracts and of their main isolated bioactive compounds; (iii) the effect of HHP on target bioactive compounds in prickly pear fruits, their bioactivity and microstructure; and (iv) the in vitro digestive stability and bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds in control and HHP-treated prickly pear fruits. On one hand, pulps were studied due to their importance as the edible fraction of the fruit. Meanwhile, peels were evaluated because they may be used as by-products to obtain healthy ingredients. The major finding of this dissertation was that HHP could, in fact, enhance the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds in prickly pear fruits, thus contributing to their health potential. The studies included in this dissertation have been carried out hoping to contribute to the use of innovative technologies for the development of healthy foods so that we can live longer and healthier lives.