Dielectric barrier atmospheric cold plasma applied on camu-camu juice processing: Effect of the excitation frequency.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effect of cold plasma excitation frequency on camu-camu juice processing. Different levels of frequency (200, 420, 583, 698 and 960 Hz) were applied on camu-camu juice to measure the contents of ascorbic acid and anthocyanins, as well as to evaluate the antioxidant compounds (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and phenolic compounds), peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase enzymatic activity and color. Furthermore, the juice bioaccessibility was evaluated after simulated digestion. The ascorbic acid concentration was increased when higher excitation frequencies were employed, increasing their bioavailability. Anthocyanins, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase presented considerable degradation with increasing the plasma excitation frequency. For this reason, the juice processing proposed herein represents an alternative to enhance its nutritional quality. Moreover, the use of cold plasma reduced the activity concentration of endogenous enzymes, presenting considerable degradation for higher excitation frequency.

Cold plasma processing effect on cashew nuts composition and allergenicity.

The study investigated the influence of atmospheric plasma processing on cashew nut composition as well as on its allergenicity. The cashew nuts were processed by low-pressure plasma, using glow discharge plasma (80 W and 50 kHz power supply). Anacardic acids and allergens were quantified by HPLC and immunoassay, respectively. Additionally, the overall composition was evaluated by 1H qNMR. Increases in amounts of anacardic acids (15:1, 15:2, and 15:3) and fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic) were detected after all process conditions, with 70.92% of total variance captured using 2 LVs. The total amount of anacardic acids increased from 0.7 to 1.2 µg·mg-1 of nut. The major change was observed for anacardic acid (C15:3) with an increase from 0.2 to 0.55 µg/mg of nut for the samples treated with a flow of 10 mL·min-1 and 30 min of processing. On the other hand, the amount of sucrose decreased, from 33 to 18 mg·g-1 of nut, after all processing conditions. Plasma processing of cashew nuts did not affect binding of either the rabbit anti-cashew or human cashew allergic IgE binding. Among the treatments, 10 min of plasma processing at flow rate of 30 mL·min-1 of synthetic air followed by 20 min at flow rate 5.8 mL·min-1 had the least effect on nut composition as a whole.

Evaluation of nutritional and chemical composition of yacon syrup using 1H NMR and UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MSE.

A complete characterization of yacon syrup was performed by analytical techniques, including NMR and UPLC-QTOF-MSE. The effect of the different stages of yacon syrup production on fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and chlorogenic acid (CGA) contents were also evaluated. As a result, in addition to higher levels of FOS and CGA, some mineral elements, such as K, Ca and P, and essential amino acids, such as tryptophan, valine, and threonine, were determined in yacon syrup. Twenty-five compounds were putatively identified, and the main compounds were phenolics derived from quinic and trans-cinnamic acids. Considering the different stages of yacon syrup production, the results indicate that the contents of FOS and CGA were maintained in the pulping, enzymatic maceration and microfiltration, leading to a concentration of these components in the last stage of processing (vacuum concentration). These results will be used to fortify this innovative and promising product in the area of functional foods.

Perfil dos principais componentes em bebidas energéticas: cafeína, taurina, guaraná e glucoronolactona / Major compounds profiles in energetic drinks: caffeine, taurine, guarana, and glucoronolactone

As chamadas bebidas energéticas tiveram um grande crescimento no mercado nacional e internacional, principalmente entre os jovens e praticantes de atividades esportivas, seus maiores consumidores. Este trabalho apresenta uma revisão de literatura sobre os componentes mais comuns presentes nas bebidas energéticas: cafeína, taurina, guaraná e glucoronolactona, dando ênfase à legislação do Brasil, composição, ação sobre o organismo, aspectos toxicológicos e metabólicos. As pesquisas e estudos publicados demonstram que ainda há muitas divergências em relação às concentrações adequadas para o uso destes componentes na formulação destas bebidas e que se faz necessário maiores estudos sobre a interação destes componentes com outras substâncias como o álcool, uma vez que as bebidas energéticas são freqüentemente consumidas misturadas às bebidas alcoólicas com a finalidade de potencializar o efeito do álcool.