Diet with different concentrations of lychee peel flour modulates oxidative stress parameters and antioxidant activity in zebrafish.

The agri-food industry generates substantial waste, leading to significant environmental impacts. Lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonnerat), which is rich in bioactive compounds in its peel, pulp, and seeds, offers an opportunity for waste use. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing a high-carbohydrate diet with varying levels of lychee peel flour on lipid metabolism biomarkers and oxidative stress in a zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. A total of 225 zebrafish, approximately four months old, were divided into five groups: control, high-carbohydrate (HC), HC2%, HC4%, and HC6%. The study did not find significant differences in the growth performance of zebrafish in any group. However, the HC6% group exhibited a significant decrease in glucose and triglyceride levels compared with the HC group. Furthermore, this group showed enhanced activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), along with reduced levels of malondialdehyde (MDA). Increased antioxidant activity was also evidenced by DPPH-, ABTS+, and ß-carotene/Linoleic acid assays in the HC6% group. A positive correlation was identified between SOD/CAT activity and in vitro antioxidant assays. These findings suggest that dietary supplementation with 6% lychee peel flour can significantly modulate glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism, and antioxidant activity in zebrafish.

Bee pollen in zebrafish diet affects intestinal microbiota composition and skin cutaneous melanoma development.

Bee pollen is recommended as dietary supplement due to immunostimulating functions including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of such properties is still not well understood. As diet can be associated with animal performance, microbiota modulation and potentially factor for cancer, this study aimed to analyze if bee pollen could influence growth, gut microbial and skin cutaneous melanoma development in zebrafish. Control diets based on commercial flakes and Artemia were compared with the same diet supplemented with bee pollen. Fish weight gain, increased length, intestinal bacteria metagenomics analysis, serum amyloid A gene expression and cutaneous melanoma transplantation assays were performed. Bee pollen affected microbiota composition and melanoma development. Differential abundance revealed higher abundance in the control group for Aeromonadaceae family, Aeromonas and Pseudomonas genus, A. sobria, A. schubertii, A. jandaei and P. alcaligenes species compared with pollen diet group. Pollen group presented higher abundance for Chromobacterium genus and for Gemmobacter aquaticus, Flavobacterium succinicans and Bifidobacterium breve compared with control group. Unexpectedly, fish fed with bee pollen showed higher tumor growth rate and larger tumor size than control group. This is the first study to report intestinal microbial changes and no protective cancer properties after bee pollen administration.

Brazilian Group of Gastrointestinal Tumours' consensus guidelines for the management of oesophageal cancer.

Oesophageal cancer is among the ten most common types of cancer worldwide. More than 80% of the cases and deaths related to the disease occur in developing countries. Local socio-economic, epidemiologic and healthcare particularities led us to create a Brazilian guideline for the management of oesophageal and oesophagogastric junction (OGJ) carcinomas. The Brazilian Group of Gastrointestinal Tumours invited 50 physicians with different backgrounds, including radiology, pathology, endoscopy, nuclear medicine, genetics, oncological surgery, radiotherapy and clinical oncology, to collaborate. This document was prepared based on an extensive review of topics related to heredity, diagnosis, staging, pathology, endoscopy, surgery, radiation, systemic therapy (including checkpoint inhibitors) and follow-up, which was followed by presentation, discussion and voting by the panel members. It provides updated evidence-based recommendations to guide clinical management of oesophageal and OGJ carcinomas in several scenarios and clinical settings.

Development of quaternary nanocomposites made up of cassava starch, cocoa butter, lemongrass essential oil nanoemulsion, and brewery spent grain fibers.

We report on production of novel quaternary nanocomposite films based on thermoplastic starch (TPS, 8% w/v) derived from cassava, cocoa butter, (CB, 30% wt.%), and lemongrass essential oil (LEO, 1:1) nanoemulsions reinforced with different concentrations of brewery spent grain (BSG, 5 or 10 wt.%) fibers, by continuous casting. The chemical composition, the morphological, thermal, mechanical properties, film barrier, biodegradability in the vegetable compound, in addition to the application in chocolates, have been widely studied. The addition of CB, LEO, and BSG caused relevant changes in the starch-based films, such as increased extensibility (from 2.4-BSG5 to 9.4%-BSG10) and improved barrier to moisture (2.9 and 2.4 g.mm.kPa-1 .h-1 .m-2 ). Contrastingly, the thermal stability of the starch film was slightly decreased. The biodegradability of the herein developed quaternary nanocomposite films was the same as that of TPS films, eliminating concerns on the supplementation with active ingredients that are expected to have some biocidal effect. Despite checking antimicrobial activity only by contact under the biocomposites, chocolates packed with the films were well accepted by consumers, especially the samples of white chocolate stored in the BSG5 biocomposite. Overall, this new approach towards quaternary active, biodegradable films produced in a pilot-scale lamination unit was successful in either improving or at least maintaining the essential properties of TPS-based films for food packaging applications, while providing them with unique features and functionalities. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This contribution relates to new approach toward quaternary films produced in a pilot-scale lamination unit. It relates to sustainability as it is both biodegradable and based on plant biomass, as well as produced via a clean, through high-yield process. The four components of the edible films we developed provide it with good in properties performance, as both a passive barrier (i.e. purely physical), and active, related to the sensory attributes of food, essential to be applied in food packaging. The valorization of a BSG also adds to the relevance of our contribution within the circular bioeconomy framework.

Brazilian Group of Gastrointestinal Tumours' consensus guidelines for the management of gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is among the ten most common types of cancer worldwide. Most cases and deaths related to the disease occur in developing countries. Local socio-economic, epidemiologic and healthcare particularities led us to create a Brazilian guideline for the management of gastric carcinomas. The Brazilian Group of Gastrointestinal Tumors (GTG) invited 50 physicians with different backgrounds, including radiology, pathology, endoscopy, nuclear medicine, genetics, oncological surgery, radiotherapy and clinical oncology, to collaborate. This document was prepared based on an extensive review of topics related to heredity, diagnosis, staging, pathology, endoscopy, surgery, radiation, systemic therapy and follow-up, which was followed by presentation, discussion, and voting by the panel members. It provides updated evidence-based recommendations to guide clinical management of gastric carcinomas in several scenarios and clinical settings.

Evidence-based recommendations for gastrointestinal cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Brazilian Gastrointestinal Tumours Group.

PURPOSE: As of 2020, the world is facing the great challenge of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While the overall mortality is low, the virus is highly virulent and may infect millions of people worldwide. This will consequently burden health systems, particularly by those individuals considered to be at high risk of severe complications from COVID-19. Such risk factors include advanced age, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, diabetes and cancer. However, few data on the outcomes of cancer patients infected by SARS CoV-2 exist. Therefore, there is a lack of guidance on how to manage cancer patients during the pandemic. We sought to propose specific recommendations about the management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. METHODS: The Brazilian Gastrointestinal Tumours Group board of directors and members sought up-to-date scientific literature on each tumour type and discussed all recommendations by virtual meetings to provide evidence-based-and sometimes, expert opinion-recommendation statements. Our objectives were to recommend evidence-based approaches to both treat and minimise the risk of COVID-19 for cancer patients, and simultaneously propose how to decrease the use of hospital resources at a time these resources need to be available to treat COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: Overall and tumour-specific recommendations were made by stage (including surgical, locoregional, radiotherapy, systemic treatments and follow-up strategies) for the most common gastrointestinal malignancies: esophagus, gastric, pancreas, bile duct, hepatocellular, colorectal, anal cancer and neuroendocrine tumours. CONCLUSIONS: Our recommendations emphasise the importance of treating cancer patients, using the best evidence available, while simultaneously taking into consideration the world-wide health resource hyperutilisation to treat non-cancer COVID-19 patients.

Effect of pasteurisation and freezing method on bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of strawberry pulp.

This study evaluated the stability of strawberry pulp subjected to three factors, pasteurisation (pasteurised and unpasteurised), freezing method (static air and forced air) and storage time (0, 2, 4 and 6 months). Pasteurisation favoured vitamin C retention during storage but enhanced the total loss of phenolics without affecting anthocyanin levels. Freezing by forced air was more effective in retaining phenolics during the first 4 months of storage, although the freezing method did not affect the anthocyanin levels. Processing and storage reduced the levels of individual phenolics. Freezing by forced air was more effective than static air in retaining antioxidant activity of the pulp. Polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase enzyme levels were relatively stable and independent of pasteurisation, freezing and storage time. Even after 6 months of frozen storage, strawberry pulp is a significant source of nutrients and bioactive compounds and retains high antioxidant capacity independent of pasteurisation and freezing method.

GUIDELINE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BILE DUCT CANCERS BY THE BRAZILIAN GASTROINTESTINAL TUMOR GROUP.

The Brazilian Gastrointestinal Tumor Group developed guidelines for the surgical and clinical management of patients with billiary cancers. The multidisciplinary panel was composed of experts in the field of radiology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiotherapy, endoscopy and pathology. The panel utilized the most recent literature to develop a series of evidence-based recommendations on different treatment and diagnostic strategies for cholangiocarcinomas and gallbladder cancers.

Guideline for the management of bile duct cancers by the brazilian gastrointestinal tumor group

ABSTRACT The Brazilian Gastrointestinal Tumor Group developed guidelines for the surgical and clinical management of patients with billiary cancers. The multidisciplinary panel was composed of experts in the field of radiology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiotherapy, endoscopy and pathology. The panel utilized the most recent literature to develop a series of evidence-based recommendations on different treatment and diagnostic strategies for cholangiocarcinomas and gallbladder cancers.

RESUMO O Grupo Brasileiro de Tumores Gastrointestinais desenvolveu diretrizes de tratamento cirúrgico e clínico de pacientes com tumores de vias biliares. O painel multidisciplinar foi composto de especialistas nas áreas radiologia, oncologia, cirurgia, radioterapia, endoscopia e anatomia patológica. O painel utilizou literatura atual para desenvolver recomendações baseadas em evidência científica para as diferentes estratégias terapêuticas e diagnósticas dos colangiocarcinomas e tumores de vesícula biliar.

Combined effect of starch/montmorillonite coating and passive MAP in antioxidant activity, total phenolics, organic acids and volatile of fresh-cut carrots.

This work evaluates fresh-cut carrots (FCC) coated with montmorillonite (MMT) subjected to passive modified atmosphere packaging. Carrots were sanitized, cooled, peeled and sliced. Half of the FCC were coated with MMT nanoparticle film and the other half were not. All FCCs were packed in a polypropylene rigid tray, covered with a polypropylene rigid lid or sealed with polyethylene + propylene film, in four treatments (RL, rigid lid; RLC, rigid lid + coating; ST, sealed tray; STC, sealed tray + coating). FCCs were stored at 4 °C and were analyzed weekly for 4 weeks (total antioxidant activity by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl method and the ß-carotene/linoleic acid, phenolic compounds, organic acids and volatile compounds). The use of coating film with starch nanoparticles and a modified atmosphere leads to the preservation of the total antioxidant activity, the volatile and organic acids of FCC.

Estudo da estabilidade físico-química de suco de abacaxi 'pérola' / Study of the psycho-chemical stability of 'Pérola' pineapple juice

Neste trabalho foram avaliadas as mudanças físico-químicas provocadas pelo tipo de armazenamento do suco de abacaxi 'Pérola', durante de 48 horas após sua elaboração. Foram avaliadas 4 condições de armazenamento, em ambiente refrigerado (4 ±1º C) e em temperatura ambiente (22 ±1º C), ambas com e sem luminosidade. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com os tratamentos dispostos em esquema fatorial 2 x 2 x 6, sendo 2 ambientes de luminosidade (presença e ausência), 2 condições de temperatura (refrigeração e ambiente) e 6 tempos de amostragem (0, 6, 12, 24, 36 e 48 horas) com 3 repetições. Foram analisados, pH, acidez titulável, sólidos solúveis, vitamina C total e cor utilizando-se as variáveis claridade (L*), ângulo de cor (hº) e cromaticidade (C*). O tempo de armazenamento apresentou influência negativa na qualidade do suco provocando a diminuição dos teores de ácido ascórbico e ácido cítrico, alterações na cor, principalmente o escurecimento. Entretanto, quando armazenado em ambiente refrigerado e sem luz, o suco conservou suas características iniciais por mais tempo, sendo estas melhor preservadas pelas baixas temperaturas.

In this work, psycho-chemical changes caused by the storage of homemade 'Pérola' pineapple juice, over 48 hours after its preparation were evaluated. Four storage conditions were evaluated in a refrigerated environment (4 ±1º C) and in room temperature (22 ±1º C) both in the presence and abscence of light. The experiment was conducted with a totally random design, with treatments arranged in a factorial 2 x 2 x 6, with 2 light conditions (presence and absence), 2 temperature conditions (cooling and room temperature) and 6 sampling times (0, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours) with three replicates. pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, total vitamin C and color using the variables: luminosity (L*), hue angle (hº) and chromaticity (C*) were analyzed. The period of storage presented a negative influence on the pineapple juice, causing a reduction of ascorbic and citric acid contents and color changes, mainly darkening. However, when stored in refrigerated environment in the abscence of light, the juice conserved its initial features for a longer time, which were better preserved by low temperatures.

Total polyphenols from syzygium cumini (L) skeels fruit extract / Polifenóis totais de Ssyzygium cumini (L) skeels extrato de frutas

A precise, accurate and low cost spectrophotometric method was developed and validated for routine determination of total polyphenols, as pyrogallic acid equivalents, from the percolated and lyophilized extract of Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels fruits. Validation was assessed experimentally and data were rigorously treated by statistical analysis. Analytical parameters were: linearity, interval (range), precision and recovery/accuracy, limit of detection (LOD, μg mL-1) and limit of quantification (LOQ, μg mL-1). The visible spectrophotometric method presented linearity (r² = 0.9979 ± 0.0010) over the concentration range 0.25-7.5 μg mL-1 of standard pyrogallic acid, precision < 2.918171 percent, recovery/accuracy ranging from 96.228693 to 107.17701 percent, LOD = 0.21 μg mL-1 and LOQ = 0.64 μg mL-1.

Um método espectrofotométrico preciso, rigoroso e de baixo custo foi desenvolvido e validado para a determinação de polifenóis totais, utilizando-se como padrão o ácido pirogálico. O extrato dos frutos de Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels foi preparado empregando-se o método de percolação com posterior liofilização. A validação foi executada experimentalmente e os dados foram submetidos à análise estatística. Os parâmetros analíticos considerados foram: linearidade, intervalos de precisão e de recuperação, limite de detecção (LD, μg.mL-1) e o limite de quantificação (LQ, μg.mL-1). O método espectrofotométrico apresentou linearidade (r² = 0,9979 + 0,0010) ao longo do intervalo de concentração de 0,25-7,5 μg mL-1 de ácido pirogálico, padrão de precisão menor do que 2,918171 por cento; recuperação/precisão entre 96,228693 a 107,17701 por cento, e LD = 0,21 μg-mL-1 e LOQ = 0,64 μg mL-1.