Health in Madeira: a comprehensive study of aging, body composition, physical activity and functional fitness

Physical Activity (PA) and functional fitness (FF) are predictors of a healthy and independent lifestyle in older adults. The purpose of this study was: (1) to construct reference values for FF; (2) to describe sex- and age-related changes in FF, balance, gait, PA, body composition, and bone health/strength; and (3) to determine their variation and co-variation with respect to PA. This cross-sectional study included 401 males and 401 females aged 60-79 years old. FF was assessed using the Senior Fitness test and balance by the Fullerton Advance Balance scale (FAB). Gait parameters: gait velocity (GV), stride length (SL), cadence and gait stability ratio (GSR) were measured. Femoral strength index (FSI) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the total body, lumbar spine, hip region and total lean tissue mass (TLTM) and total fat mass (TFM) were determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-DXA. PA was assessed during face-to-face interviews using the Baecke questionnaire. Demographic and health history information were obtained by structured telephone interview. In both sexes, a significant main effect for age-group was found for FF parameters, balance scores, gait performances, TLTM and hip, LS and total BMD and FSI. Likewise there were significant main effects for age-group for total PA in women and sports related PA in men. Men scored significantly better than women in FF (except in upper- and lower-body flexibility), balance, GV, SL, GSR and had higher BMD and TLTM compared with women. Active subjects scored better in FF, balance, and gait than their average and non-active peers. PA and FF exerted only a minor influence in the differentiation of BMD and FSI among the elderly while constitutive factors like age, height, body mass, TLTM and TFM entered as the most significant contributors. This study gives scientific support to public policies at the community level, targeted to increase PA, FF and TLTM, thereby contributing to improved quality of life in older adults.

Impact of forced-aging process on Madeira Wine flavor

The aim of this study was to determine the optimal temperature and baking time to obtain a Madeira wine considered typical by an expert panel. For this purpose simultaneous descriptive analyses of typical Madeira wines were performed, and seven descriptors were selected: “dried fruit”, “nutty”, “musty”, “baked”, “oak”, “mushroom”, and “brown sugar”. Up to 10 odor-active zones were the most frequently cited by the members of the GC-olfactometry panel as corresponding to the panel’s descriptors. The odor importance of each of the zones reported by the GC-O analysis was ranked by AEDA. Three odor zones were identified as common to both Malvasia and Sercial wines and had retention indices (RI) of 1993 (“brown sugar” and “toasted”), 2151 (“brown sugar”), and 2174 (“nutty”, “driedfruits”);sotolonwasidentifiedasresponsibleforthislastaroma.Severalmoleculeswereselected to be quantified on baked wines on the basis of AEDA results and expected Maillard volatiles, such as sotolon, furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 5-ethoximethylfurfural, methional, and phenylacetaldehyde. It was observed that typicity scores were positively correlated with the concentrations of sotolon and sugar and baking time and negatively with the fermentation length.

Optimisation of solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry based methodology to establish the global volatile signature in pulp and skin of Vitis vinifera L. grape varieties

The volatiles (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) responsible for aroma are mainly present in skin of grape varieties. Thus, the present investigation is directed towards the optimisation of a solvent free methodology based on headspace-solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography–quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC–qMS) in order to establish the global volatile composition in pulp and skin of Bual and Bastardo Vitis vinifera L. varieties. A deep study on the extraction-influencing parameters was performed, and the best results, expressed as GC peak area, number of identified compounds and reproducibility, were obtained using 4 g of sample homogenised in 5 mL of ultra-pure Milli-Q water in a 20 mL glass vial with addition of 2 g of sodium chloride (NaCl). A divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fibre was selected for extraction at 60 °C for 45 min under continuous stirring at 800 rpm. More than 100 VOCs and SVOCs, including 27 monoterpenoids, 27 sesquiterpenoids, 21 carbonyl compounds, 17 alcohols (from which 2 aromatics), 10 C13 norisoprenoids and 5 acids were identified. The results showed that, for both grape varieties, the levels and number of volatiles in skin were considerably higher than those observed in pulp. According to the data obtained by principal component analysis (PCA), the establishment of the global volatile signature of grape and the relationship between different part of grapes—pulp and skin, may be an useful tool to winemaker decision to define the vinification procedures that improves the organoleptic characteristics of the corresponding wines and consequently contributed to an economic valorization and consumer acceptance.