ABSTRACT
Ora-pro-nobis (OPN) is an unconventional food plant with high nutritional value, and its nutritional composition can be altered according to cultivation. Cereal bars are a popular nutrient-poor foods, and OPN could be incorporated to improve the nutritional quality. This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics and sensory acceptability of cereal bars enriched with OPN flour (OpnF) from different forms of cultivation. OpnF was obtained by dehydrating and grinding OPN leaves collected in rural (ROpnF) and urban (UOpnF) municipalities. Two formulations of cereal bars, peanut flavor (Bpn) and mango flavor (Bmg), each with 10% OpnF, were prepared. The macronutrients and mineral composition, oxalate content, water activity, texture, color profile, and acceptability were evaluated. ROpnF had the highest protein, iron, and manganese content, whereas UOpnF had the highest ash and magnesium content. The oxalic acid/calcium ratio was 1.43 and did not imply calcium bioavailability. In addition to nutritional and protein values, Bpn and Bmg presented a good sensory acceptability index of > 77.5% with market potential. Bmg has the highest mineral content and is a source of iron, manganese, and magnesium. OpnF can be used in cereal bars and potentially improve nutritional attributes and used in other foods in a similar way.
ABSTRACT
Brazil has a megadiversity that includes marine species that are distributed along 800 km of shoreline. This biodiversity status holds promising biotechnological potential. Marine organisms are important sources of novel chemical species, with applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical, and nutraceutical fields. However, ecological pressures derived from anthropogenic actions, including the bioaccumulation of potentially toxic elements and microplastics, impact promising species. This review describes the current status of the biotechnological and environmental aspects of seaweeds and corals from the Brazilian coast, including publications from the last 5 years (from January 2018 to December 2022). The search was conducted in the main public databases (PubChem, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar) and in the Espacenet database (European Patent Office-EPO) and the Brazilian National Property Institute (INPI). Bioprospecting studies were reported for seventy-one seaweed species and fifteen corals, but few targeted the isolation of compounds. The antioxidant potential was the most investigated biological activity. Despite being potential sources of macro- and microelements, there is a literature gap regarding the presence of potentially toxic elements and other emergent contaminants, such as microplastics, in seaweeds and corals from the Brazilian coast.