Rheological parameters of mixed Brazilian Cerrado fruits sugar-free preserves: the effect of body agents.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the bodying agents (erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol, and polydextrose) and their mixtures on the preparation of mixed Brazilian Cerrado fruit preserves (marolo, soursop, and sweet passion fruit). Mixture design was used for product optimization and the preserves were evaluated by texture profile, stress relaxation test, and uniaxial compression test. The research data were analyzed using regression equations on SAS software. The results indicated that the rheological parameters were affected by the body agents. Erythritol should not be used as an isolated component because it provoked changes in the properties of the final product (harder and brittle preserves); xylitol and sorbitol made preserves more elastic, cohesive, and more fragile; and polydextrose showed a synergistic effect with erythritol for rupture deformation and lesser effects for hardness, adhesiveness, and gumminess.

Effects of grape juice, red wine and resveratrol on liver parameters of rat submitted high-fat diet.

This work evaluated the effect of grape juice, red wine and resveratrol in liver parameters of rats submitted to high-fat diet. Experimental model was conducted with groups of adult females Rattus norvegicus: control (CG); high-fat (HG); grape juice (JG); red wine (RW) and resveratrol solution (RG). The high-fat diet significantly altered hepatocytes and Kupffer cells in all treated groups. HG group presented severe steatosis followed hepatocyte ballooning and tissue damages. JG group minimized hepatic histological lesion caused by high-fat diet and WG group also induced steatosis and inflammation in hepatocytes, similar to HG. Still, resveratrol protected the tissue against fatty liver disease by reducing fat infiltration and inflammation, indicating possible therapeutic effects on the liver. Cell cycle analysis showed that HG promoted damage to the tissue, reducing the viable cell content and increasing apoptosis, even when associated with wine consumption or isolated resveratrol. However, JG protected the liver against cell damage generated by the diet. Consumption of grape juice, even associated with a high-fat diet, represents a promising protection of the liver against cellular damage, but red wine further affects the tissue, and resveratrol alone was able to reduce damage but did not minimize cellular damage to the liver.

CHARACTERIZATION AND INFLUENCE OF SUBTROPICAL PERSIMMON CULTIVARS ON JUICE AND JELLY CHARACTERISTICS.

To increase the availability to consumers and add more value to persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.), which is a very perishable and seasonal fruit and in order to identify which cultivars grown in subtropical regions are more suitable for processing in the form of juice and jelly, as well as understand what the consumer profile is for these products, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different persimmon cultivars (Rama Forte, Mel, Guiombo and Taubaté) grown in subtropical regions of Brazil on the physicochemical characteristics, rheological properties and sensory acceptance of the resulting juice and jelly in order to identify cultivars with the greatest potential for industrial use. The different studied persimmon cultivars had different physical and physicochemical characteristics which resulted in juices and jellies with different physicochemical, rheological and sensory characteristics. Based on sensory acceptance and productivity/adaptability of persimmon crop in Brazil, the most suitable persimmon cultivars for processing are Rama Forte and Guiombo. In this study it was found that the consumer prefers a more acidic persimmon juice and a less firm or softer, less sweet, clearer and more intense yellow color persimmon jelly.

OVA-Induced Allergic Airway Inflammation Mouse Model.

Asthma is a worldwide public health issue, affecting the sufferer's quality of life. Many researchers are extensively studying the cellular processes involved in the affected airways. Experimental asthma using animals has been performed for a long time, mainly applying murine models due to well-known advantages. The aim of this study is to present an allergic airway inflammation protocol in mice. Basically, the allergic airway inflammation is induced by intraperitoneal sensitization and intratracheal challenge with ovalbumin (OVA). The model provided here mimics acute asthma characteristics including excessive mucus production, airway hyperresponsiveness, and eosinophilic airway inflammation.

Description of Ovariectomy Protocol in Mice.

Estrogen and ovarian function decline are relevant characteristics of menopause period. Numerous physiological, metabolic and immunological alterations in the female body occur in the menopause period and some of these changes remain uncertain. The animal model that mimics menopause phase is an important approach to better comprehend the biological process involved in this period of women life. Ovariectomy is a procedure where ovaries are surgically excised and have been a valuable tool for understanding estrogen deficiency through animal experiments. Despite the diversity of ovariectomy protocols, the aim of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive guideline in performing ovariectomy in mice. Furthermore, isoflurane anesthesia system, postoperative care and surgery success evaluation will be described. We highlight that all procedures must be carried out by a qualified and trained professional, respecting ethical and safety principles.

Berry Jelly: Optimization Through Desirability-Based Mixture Design.

Berries are among the nutritionally richest fruits and the mixing of these fruits can originate products with peculiar characteristics and added value, since the fruit mixture allows adding nutritional and sensory value to the final product. Thus, in this study we aimed to optimize a mixed berry jelly formulation of red fruit (blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry), through the mixture design, desirability function, and response surface methodology. The fruit mixture influenced the physical-chemical, sensory, and nutritional characteristics of mixed jelly, and it was observed that the mixture of two or more fruits may increase the acceptance of the product and even its nutritional value. According to the contour curve graph for the sensory and nutritional desirability function, the ideal mixed berry jelly should contain 55% to 100% blackberry, 0% to 20% blueberry, and 0% to 40% strawberry. The exact proportion of fruit may depend on seasonality or the commercial value of the fruit. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: In Brazil, there are many blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry cultivars grown in subtropical regions and high perishability hinders the fruit consumption in fresh form. In this context, through this study it was possible to verify which fruits are more suitable for processing in the form of jelly, as well as to optimize, based on sensory and nutritional characteristics, a mixed berry jelly formulation with greater attractiveness to consumers.

Characterization and influence of subtropical persimmon cultivars on juice and jelly characteristics

ABSTRACT To increase the availability to consumers and add more value to persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.), which is a very perishable and seasonal fruit and in order to identify which cultivars grown in subtropical regions are more suitable for processing in the form of juice and jelly, as well as understand what the consumer profile is for these products, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different persimmon cultivars (Rama Forte, Mel, Guiombo and Taubaté) grown in subtropical regions of Brazil on the physicochemical characteristics, rheological properties and sensory acceptance of the resulting juice and jelly in order to identify cultivars with the greatest potential for industrial use. The different studied persimmon cultivars had different physical and physicochemical characteristics which resulted in juices and jellies with different physicochemical, rheological and sensory characteristics. Based on sensory acceptance and productivity/adaptability of persimmon crop in Brazil, the most suitable persimmon cultivars for processing are Rama Forte and Guiombo. In this study it was found that the consumer prefers a more acidic persimmon juice and a less firm or softer, less sweet, clearer and more intense yellow color persimmon jelly.

Comparing the performance of multilayer perceptrons networks and neuro-fuzzy systems for on-line inference of Bacillus megaterium cellular concentrations.

Penicillin G acylase (PGA) is one of the most important enzymes for the pharmaceutical industry. Bacillus megaterium has the advantage of producing extra-cellular PGA. This work compares two neural networks (NNs) architectures for on-line inference of B. megaterium cell mass in an aerated stirred tank bioreactor, during the production of PGA. Nowadays, intelligent computing tools such as artificial NNs and fuzzy logic are commonly applied for state inference and modeling of bioreactors. Combining these two approaches in hybrid, neuro-fuzzy systems, may be advantageous. Our results indicate that a neuro-fuzzy inference system showed a better performance to infer cell concentrations, when compared to multilayer perceptrons networks.