Gallic Acid Mitigates 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Formation while Enhancing or Preserving Browning and Antioxidant Activity Development in Glucose/Arginine and Sucrose/Arginine Maillard Model Systems.

The current trend of lowering 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) dietary exposure is challenging since its formation is parallel with the development of food color, flavor and aroma. We aimed to investigate the effect of gallic acid (GA) addition on 5-HMF formation, color development and antioxidant activity (AA) in a series of Maillard Reaction (MR) model systems. The effects of GA addition on browning and AA development were not uniform for all model systems, but always occurred in the same direction, indicating that these phenomena were interconnected. GA mitigated 5-HMF development in four of the nine tested systems, possibly by preventing the oxidation of MR intermediates. Correlation analysis indicated that when GA addition mitigated 5-HMF formation, browning was either promoted or not affected. The proposed strategy was effective for glucose/arginine and sucrose/arginine systems, since GA mitigated 5-HMF formation (49% and 54%, respectively) in addition to increasing color development and antioxidant activity.

[Lack of variety of fruit and vegetables available in Brazilian households: data from the Household Budget Surveys of 2008-2009 and 2017-2018]. / Baixa variedade na disponibilidade domiciliar de frutas e hortaliças no Brasil: dados das POF 2008-2009 e 2017-2018.

The objective of this study was to establish the quantity and variety of fruit and vegetables (FV) available in Brazilian households in 2008-09 and 2017-18, and according to regions and income classes in 2017-18. Data from the Household Budget Surveys were used regarding household availability of fruit and vegetables. The annual per capita amount of each food item purchased was transformed into daily amounts. The absolute (gram/per capita/day) and the relative average quantities of each type of FV in Brazil (in both periods), and according to region and income (in 2017-18), were analyzed. An insufficient quantity of fruit and vegetables purchased in Brazil (54.4 g and 42.7 g in 2008-09; 49.7 g and 37.4 g in 2017-18, respectively) in all regions and income classes was verified. The South represented the highest amount purchased, while the North revealed the lowest; the quantity of FV increased as income increased. Six varieties of fruit (banana, apple, plantain, orange, watermelon, and papaya) and three types of vegetables (tomato, onion, and carrot) represented more than 50% of the total acquisition in Brazil, which was similar for all strata analyzed. The acquisition of fruit and vegetables in Brazil was low and featured little variation. This scenario was the same for all regions and income brackets.

O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar a quantidade e a variedade de frutas e hortaliças adquiridas nos domicílios brasileiros em 2008-09 e 2017-18 e segundo regiões e classes de rendimento em 2017-18. Foram utilizados dados das Pesquisas de Orçamentos Familiares referentes a disponibilidade domiciliar de frutas e hortaliças. A quantidade anual per capita adquirida de cada item alimentar foi transformada em valores diários. Foram descritas as médias da quantidade absoluta (grama/per capita/dia) e relativa de cada tipo de fruta e hortaliça para o Brasil (nos dois períodos) e segundo regiões e renda (em 2017-18). Verificou-se baixa aquisição de frutas e hortaliças para o Brasil (54,4 g e 42,7 g em 2008-09; 49,7 g e 37,4 g em 2017-18, respectivamente), e em todas as regiões e classes de renda analisadas. O Sul apresentou a maior aquisição e o Norte a menor; a quantidade adquirida aumentou com o aumento da renda. Seis tipos de frutas (banana prata, maçã, banana d'água, laranja pera, melancia e mamão) e três de hortaliças (tomate, cebola e cenoura) representaram mais de 50% da aquisição total no Brasil, sendo semelhante em todos os estratos analisados. A aquisição de frutas e hortaliças no Brasil foi baixa e apresentou pouca variação. Esse cenário se reproduziu em todas as regiões e faixas de renda.

Baixa variedade na disponibilidade domiciliar de frutas e hortaliças no Brasil: dados das POF 2008-2009 e 2017-2018 / Lack of variety of fruit and vegetables available in Brazilian households: data from the Household Budget Surveys of 2008-2009 and 2017-2018

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar a quantidade e a variedade de frutas e hortaliças adquiridas nos domicílios brasileiros em 2008-09 e 2017-18 e segundo regiões e classes de rendimento em 2017-18. Foram utilizados dados das Pesquisas de Orçamentos Familiares referentes a disponibilidade domiciliar de frutas e hortaliças. A quantidade anual per capita adquirida de cada item alimentar foi transformada em valores diários. Foram descritas as médias da quantidade absoluta (grama/per capita/dia) e relativa de cada tipo de fruta e hortaliça para o Brasil (nos dois períodos) e segundo regiões e renda (em 2017-18). Verificou-se baixa aquisição de frutas e hortaliças para o Brasil (54,4 g e 42,7 g em 2008-09; 49,7 g e 37,4 g em 2017-18, respectivamente), e em todas as regiões e classes de renda analisadas. O Sul apresentou a maior aquisição e o Norte a menor; a quantidade adquirida aumentou com o aumento da renda. Seis tipos de frutas (banana prata, maçã, banana d'água, laranja pera, melancia e mamão) e três de hortaliças (tomate, cebola e cenoura) representaram mais de 50% da aquisição total no Brasil, sendo semelhante em todos os estratos analisados. A aquisição de frutas e hortaliças no Brasil foi baixa e apresentou pouca variação. Esse cenário se reproduziu em todas as regiões e faixas de renda.

Abstract The objective of this study was to establish the quantity and variety of fruit and vegetables (FV) available in Brazilian households in 2008-09 and 2017-18, and according to regions and income classes in 2017-18. Data from the Household Budget Surveys were used regarding household availability of fruit and vegetables. The annual per capita amount of each food item purchased was transformed into daily amounts. The absolute (gram/per capita/day) and the relative average quantities of each type of FV in Brazil (in both periods), and according to region and income (in 2017-18), were analyzed. An insufficient quantity of fruit and vegetables purchased in Brazil (54.4 g and 42.7 g in 2008-09; 49.7 g and 37.4 g in 2017-18, respectively) in all regions and income classes was verified. The South represented the highest amount purchased, while the North revealed the lowest; the quantity of FV increased as income increased. Six varieties of fruit (banana, apple, plantain, orange, watermelon, and papaya) and three types of vegetables (tomato, onion, and carrot) represented more than 50% of the total acquisition in Brazil, which was similar for all strata analyzed. The acquisition of fruit and vegetables in Brazil was low and featured little variation. This scenario was the same for all regions and income brackets.

Green banana flour supplementation improves obesity-associated systemic inflammation and regulates gut microbiota profile in mice fed high-fat diets.

This study evaluated the effect of green banana flour (GBF) consumption on obesity-related conditions in mice fed high-fat diets. GBF was prepared using stage 1 green banana pulp, which was dehydrated and milled. Mice were fed a control diet (n = 20; 10% of energy from lipids) or a high-fat diet (n = 20; 50% of energy from lipids). After 10 weeks, mice were divided into 4 groups based on feed: standard chow (SC; n = 10), standard with 15% GBF (SB; n = 10), high-fat diet (HF; n = 10) and high-fat diet with 15% GBF (HFB; n = 10) for 4 weeks. HFB exhibited lower gains in body weight (-21%; p < 0.01) and in all fat pads (p < 0.01) compared with the HF group. SC, SB, and HFB showed smaller retroperitoneal white adipose tissue diameters (p < 0.001). SB and HFB-treated mice showed lower levels of leptin, IL-6, and TNF-α compared with the SC and HF groups (p < 0.01). In the GBF-fed groups, there was a reduction in the abundance of Firmicutes (SB: -22%; HFB: -23%) and an increase in Bacteroidetes (SB: +25%; HFB: +29%) compared with their counterparts. We demonstrated that GBF consumption attenuated inflammation and improved metabolic status, adipose tissue remodeling, and the gut microbiota profile of obese mice. Novelty: Green banana flour (GBF) consumption, rich in resistant starch, regulates body weight in mice fed high-fat diets. GBF consumption improves fat pad distribution in mice fed high-fat diets. GBF improves obesity-associated systemic inflammation and regulates gut microbiota profile in mice fed high-fat diets.

Enzymes produced by solid state fermentation of agro-industrial by-products release ferulic acid in bioprocessed whole-wheat breads.

Solid-state fermentation (SSF) presents low cost and the possibility of adding value to waste by generating products rich in enzymes. The production of enzymes by SSF and its application in bakery have been previously reported separately in the literature. However, very few studies combine both approaches to evaluate the feasibility of applying enzymes produced by SSF to bread processing. The objective of this study was to use cocoa bean shell (CBS), wheat bran (WB) and brewer's spent grain (BSG) for enzyme production by SSF, and to evaluate their addition in breads. Three breads were produced: control bread (CB), bioprocessed bread added with fermented wheat bran (WBB) and bioprocessed bread added with fermented BSG (BSGB). Feruloyl esterase highest activities were 1,730 mU/g for WB fermented for 24 h and 1,128 mU/g for BSG fermented for 72 h. Xylanase highest activities were 547.9 U/g for BSG fermented for 48 h and 868.1 U/g for WB fermented for 72 h. CBS showed the lowest enzymatic activities. Bioprocessing breads with fermented WB and BSG led to an increase in soluble ferulic acid of 159% and 198%, respectively. The combination of SSF enzyme production and bread enzymatic bioprocessing strategies proved to be an effective green option for the valorization of agro-industrial by-products and the production of breads with enhanced ferulic acid content.

Development of muffins as dialysis snacks for patients undergoing hemodialysis: results of chemical composition and sensory analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop two non-industrial food products as financially accessible options to prevent and treat malnutrition in hemodialysis (HD) patients. These food products were developed and intended for use as dialysis snacks. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional and multi-step study. First, 183 adult HD patients (55 ± 14 years; 50.8% males), replied to a questionnaire with their food preferences regarding taste (salty, sweet, bitter, sour) and consistency (liquid, solid, pasty) for a dialysis snack. Most patients preferred a food product with a solid consistency (90%) and a salty flavor (81.4%). Second, three muffin formulations of fine herbs were developed; one enriched with whey protein concentrate (WPC), a second with textured soy protein (TSP) and a third standard formulation without protein for comparison with the protein-enriched muffins, for which the chemical and nutritional compositions were analyzed. In the third step, 60 patients on HD (61 ± 15 years; 53% males) were enrolled in a sensory analysis by applying a 9-point structured hedonic scale, ranging from "extremely liked" (score 9) to "extremely disliked" (score 1). RESULTS: When compared with the standard formulation, the formulations enriched with WPC and TSP protein had a significantly higher amount of protein/serving (Standard: 5.9 ± 0.3 g vs WPC: 14.5 ± 0.9 g and TSP 10.8 ± 0.7 g; P < 0.05) but a lower amount of carbohydrate (Standard: 13.1 ± 2.2 g vs WPC: 5.6 ± 0.8 g and TSP 6.0 ± 1.2 g vs; P < 0.05). The mineral content/serving of the protein-enriched muffins was low in phosphorus (50 mg) and sodium (180 mg). The potassium content/serving was moderate for the WPC muffin (225.2 mg) and low for the TSP muffin (107.9 mg). The acceptability index (AI) for the enriched protein muffins was higher than 70% and similar to the standard formulation. CONCLUSION: The muffins with fine herbs and enriched with protein were well-accepted by all patients and appropriate to serve as dialysis snacks for HD patients.

Bioaccessibility and gut metabolism of phenolic compounds of breads added with green coffee infusion and enzymatically bioprocessed.

This study aimed at investigating two strategies to enhance the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds from whole-wheat breads: enzymatic bioprocessing and addition of green coffee infusion. Although both strategies had a significant effect on increasing the contents of total soluble phenolic compounds in breads, the addition of green coffee infusion was much more relevant (19.1-fold) than enzymatic bioprocessing (1.8-fold). The phenolic compounds present as soluble forms were completely released from all breads' matrix already at the oral phase of digestion. While gastric digestion did not promote the release of insoluble phenolic compounds, intestinal conditions led to a slight release. All bread samples showed maximum phenolic compounds bioaccessibility after 4 h of gut fermentation. Upon the end of in vitro digestion and gut fermentation, the difference between the strategies was that enzymatic bioprocessing accelerated ferulic acid release, while the addition of green coffee infusion increased 10.4-fold the overall phenolic compounds bioaccessibility.

Resistant starch from green banana (Musa sp.) attenuates non-alcoholic fat liver accumulation and increases short-chain fatty acids production in high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of resistant starch from green banana (GB) on steatosis and short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) production in high fat diet-induced obesity in mice. High-fat green banana group (HFB) exhibited lower gains in BM (body mass; -6%; P < 0.01) compared with High-fat diet group (HF). Additionally, HFB mice showed reduction in liver steatosis (-28%, P < 0.01) with reduction of 93% in hepatic triacylglycerol (P < 0.01) compared to HF-diet-fed mice. In addition, the protein abundance of AMPKp/AMPK, HMGCoA-r and FAS were downregulated in livers of HFB mice (P < 0.01), relatively to the HF-diet-fed mice. ABCG8 and ABCG5 were up-regulated in HFB group compared to HF group (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the HFB fed-mice produced the highest amount of SCFAs (p < 0.05) compared to its counterpart HFD. In conclusion, we demonstrated that resistant starch from GB improved metabolic parameters by modulating the expression of key proteins involved in liver lipid metabolism.

Antiadipogenic effects of açai seed extract on high fat diet-fed mice and 3T3-L1 adipocytes: A potential mechanism of action.

Body adiposity is an important risk factor for the development of chronic non-transmissible diseases. Studies on the process of adipogenesis have been extensively performed in vivo and in vitro models to describe the molecular and cellular bases of adipose tissue development and the effect of natural products in this process. The açai seed extract (ASE) has been evidenced as a potential regulator of body mass. In our work high-fat diet-fed mice treated with ASE (300 mg/Kg/d) (HFD-ASE) showed a lower adipose index (-32.63%, p < 0.001) than the high-fat diet-fed mice group (HFD) and the adipocytes from the HFD group were considerably enlarged (p < 0.001) compared to those in the control group (CG) and HFD-ASE group (+175% and +123%, respectively). We also evaluated the effects of ASE on the modulation of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. ASE exposure (25 and 100 µg/mL) led to a decrease of 26.6 (p < 0.05) in proliferation and also inhibited pre-adipocyte differentiation through the decreasing expression (p < 0.05) of transcription factors and adipogenic proteins such as PPARÉ£, SREBP-1, and FAS. These results show that the ASE reduce adipogenesis and suppress lipid accumulation in the in vivo model and in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and reinforce ASE as a potential strategy to modulate adipogenesis.

Brazilian red propolis improves cutaneous wound healing suppressing inflammation-associated transcription factor NFκB.

The use of natural products in wound healing has been extensively studied in the context of complementary and alternative medicine. Propolis, a natural product, is a polyphenol-rich resin used for this purpose. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Brazilian Red Propolis Extract (BRPE) on inflammation and wound healing in mice, using a tissue repair model. The BRPE polyphenol content was analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC/MS). A full-thickness excision lesion was created, and mice were treated orally with daily doses of vehicle solution (water-alcohol solution containing 2% of ethanol, control group) or 100mg/kg of BRPE (P100 group) during nine consecutive days. BRPE chemical composition analysis showed that this complex matrix contains several phenolic compounds such as phenolic acids, phenolic terpenes and flavonoids (especially catechins, flavonols, chalcones, isoflavones, isoflavans, pterocarpans and bioflavonoids). After BRPE administration, it was observed that, when compared to the control group, P100 group presented faster wound closure (p<0.001); less neutrophils per mm2 (p<0.05) and macrophages (p<0.01) in tissue analyses, down regulation of the inflammatory transcription factor pNF-κB protein expression, and reduced production of inflammatory cytokine, such as TGF-ß, TNF-α (p<0.0001), and IL-6 (p<0.001). These findings suggest a positive role of BRPE oral administration in the wound healing process via suppressing the inflammatory response during tissue repair.

Phenolic compounds of Brazilian beers from different types and styles and application of chemometrics for modeling antioxidant capacity.

In the present study we aimed at investigating, for the first time, phenolic compounds in Brazilian beers of different types and styles. We also aimed at applying chemometrics for modeling beer's antioxidant capacity as a function of their physicochemical attributes (density, refractive index, bitterness and ethanol content). Samples (n=29) were analyzed by PCA originating five groups, especially according to ethanol contents and bitterness. In general, Group V (alcoholic beers with very high bitterness) presented higher refractive index, bitterness, ethanol and phenolics contents than Groups I (non-alcoholic beers) and II (alcoholic beers with low bitterness). Brazilian beers phenolics profile was distinct from that of European beers, with high contents of gallic acid (0.5-14.7 mg/L) and low contents of ferulic acid (0.2-1.8 mg/L). Using PLS, beer's antioxidant capacity measured by FRAP assay could be predicted with acceptable precision by data of ethanol content and density, bitterness and refractive index values.

Bread formulated with guava powder was enriched in phenolic and aroma compounds, and was highly acceptable by consumers.

Guava powder (GP) was used as source of aroma and phenolic compounds to fortify wheat bread 10% (GB10) and 20% (GB20), substituting for wheat flour. Phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, volatile compounds profile, and sensory acceptability of control bread (CB; without GP) and guava breads (GB) were evaluated. Incorporation of GP increased roughly 2-to-3-fold the phenolic compounds contents of bread. Ten phenolic compounds were identified in GB20, and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside was the major compound, while in CB, ferulic acid was the major among the six phenolic compounds in CB. Bread making seemed to promote the release of phenolic compounds from structural components. Breads incorporated with GP presented a richer volatile profile than CB, especially due to the presence of terpenes. GB improved aroma profile of bread. GP added aroma compounds and phenolic antioxidants, and seemed to be an interesting approach to enhance bread bioactivity and acceptability.

The increase in human plasma antioxidant capacity after acute coffee intake is not associated with endogenous non-enzymatic antioxidant components.

This study evaluated the association between the main plasma endogenous non-enzymatic antioxidant components and the increase in human antioxidant capacity (AC) after acute coffee intake. Ten adults were tested before and 90 min after consumption of coffee or water, in a crossover design, with a 7-day interval between tests. AC (FRAP and TRAP), ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol, albumin, bilirubin and uric acid were analyzed in plasma/serum. After coffee consumption FRAP and TRAP increased 2.6% and 7.6% (P<0.05), whereas after water consumption FRAP and TRAP decreased 2.5% and 1.0% (P <0.05), respectively. In general, AC assays correlated with uric acid and α-tocopherol (r >0.75; P <0.04), independently of treatment and time point. Changes in AC assays after coffee intake did not correlate with endogenous components, which remained unchanged. These results suggest that coffee components spare endogenous antioxidants or are themselves the main contributors to plasma AC increase after coffee intake.