Application of Tamarind Waste Extracts to Improve the Antioxidant Properties of Tamarind Nectars.

Tamarind fruits are consumed worldwide and their seeds have an underexploited potential. We assessed the effect of the addition of a freeze-dried aqueous of extract tamarind seed (FAE) at three concentration levels (0.3, 1.15 and 2%) on the antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and ORAC) and concentrations of total phenolic compounds in tamarind pulp. Conditions used to prepare the aqueous extracts were established using multivariate optimization. Moreover, nectars prepared from pulps combined with FAE were subjected to sensory tests. Tamarind fruits from three geographic regions in Brazil (Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Bahia) that were harvested in 2013 and 2014 were used in the study. Generally, the freeze-dried aqueous extracts increased the concentrations of antioxidants in the pulp. The results revealed a positive correlation between the FAE concentration in the pulp and the antioxidant capacity of all samples, particularly samples from Bahia and Minas Gerais, which presented an increase of up to 1,942% in the ABTS method when 2% FAE was incorporated into the pulp, from approximately 40.1 to 209.1 mMTrolox/gdw and 13.4 to 143.4 mMTrolox/gdw, respectively. Sensory tests indicated the satisfactory acceptance and non-distinction between nectar samples to which FAE was or was not added when the FAE concentration was less than 2.3gFAE/L, regardless of the geographic origin of the samples.

Anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative and cytoprotective potential of the Attalea phalerata Mart. ex Spreng. pulp oil.

The anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative and cytoprotective activity of the Attalea phalerata Mart. ex Spreng pulp oil was evaluated by in vitro and in vivo methods. As for the chemical profile, the antioxidant activity was performed by spectrophotometry, and the profile of carotenoids and amino acids by chromatography. Our data demonstrated that A. phalerata oil has high carotenoid content, antioxidant activity and the presence of 5 essential amino acids. In the in vitro models of inflammation, the oil demonstrated the capacity to inhibit COX1 and COX2 enzymes, the production of nitric oxide and also induces macrophages to spreading. In the in vivo models of inflammation, the oil inhibited edema and leukocyte migration in the Wistar rats. In the in vitro model of antiproliferative and cytoprotective activity, the oil was shown inactive against the kidney carcinoma and prostate carcinoma lineage cells and with cytoprotective capacity in murine fibroblast cells, inhibiting the cytotoxic action of doxorubicin. Therefore, it is concluded that A. phalerata pulp oil has anti-inflammatory effects with nutraceutical properties potential due to the rich composition. Moreover, the oil also has cytoprotective activity probably because of its ability to inhibit the action of free radicals.

Enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic residues using cellulolytic enzyme extract produced by Penicillium roqueforti ATCC 10110 cultivated on residue of yellow mombin fruit.

The aim of this work was to enzymatic saccharification of food waste was performed by crude enzymatic cellulolytic extract produced by P. roqueforti cultivated in yellow mombin residue. The best yield of reducing sugars (259.45mgg-1) was achieved with sugarcane bagasse after 4h; the hydrolysis of corn cob, rice husk and peanut hull resulted in yields around 128-180mgg-1. The addition of 10mmolL-1 of Mn2+ potentiated the saccharification of sugarcane bagasse, in about 86%. The temperature and substrate (sugarcane bagasse) concentration parameters were optimized using a Doehlert Design and, a maximum sugar yield of 662.34±26.72mgg-1 was achieved at 62.40°C, 0.22% (w/v) of substrate, with the addition of Mn2+. Sugar yield was significantly high when compared to previous studies available in scientific literature, suggesting the use of crude cellulolytic supplemented with Mn2+ an alternative and promising process for saccharification of sugarcane bagasse.

Chemical profiling of guarana seeds (Paullinia cupana) from different geographical origins using UPLC-QTOF-MS combined with chemometrics.

Paullinia cupana, commonly known as guarana, is an Amazonian fruit whose seeds are used to produce the powdered guarana, which is rich in caffeine and consumed for its stimulating activity. The metabolic profile of guarana from the two largest producing regions was investigated using UPLC-MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed significant differences between samples produced in the states of Bahia and Amazonas. The metabolites responsible for the differentiation were identified by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Fourteen phenolic compounds were characterized in guarana powder samples, and catechin, epicatechin, B-type procyanidin dimer, A-type procyanidin trimer and A-type procyanidin dimer were the main compounds responsible for the geographical variation of the samples.

Fast method for capsaicinoids analysis from Capsicum chinense fruits.

Chili peppers are widely utilized in the world as savory food additives due the pungency induced by the capsaicinoids. Also, these compounds have functional properties as antimutagenic, antitumoral, antioxidant and analgesic. These characteristics increase the interest in this compound class, hence the capsaicinoid analysis must be reproducible and accurate. This study aimed to develop and validate a fast, efficient and reproducible method to analyze capsaicinoids in Brazilian Capsicum chinense fruits. The extracts were obtained after an optimization step that indicated the condition 100% of methanol and 10min on ultrasound assisted extraction. The analyses were carried out in an ultra high performance liquid chromatographic system with detection by a photo diode array and mass spectrometer. The analytical method developed permits the separation of 8 capsaicinoids in 4min of time analysis expending only 2mL of solvent as mobile phase. The validation parameters evaluated for the method show the effectiveness and satisfactory performance to answer the analytical needs of this research area, presenting low values to relative standard deviation in repeatability and reproducibility and recoveries ranged from 88 to 112% for capsaicin and 89 to 109% for dihydrocapsaicin. In the extracts from different accessions of C. chinense fruits analyzed, the contents of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin were in the range of 156-1442µgg-1 and 26-478µgg-1 of fresh fruit, respectively, showing the large application of this method for quantification of the two major capsaicinoids in fast routine analysis and may be used to determine the concentrations of other minor capsaicinoids once appropriate standards are available.