Physicochemical and sensory profile of Beauregard sweet potato beer.

Beer has been one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages worldwide. However, the incorporation of adjuncts in the beer can add new organoleptic and functional characteristics to the beverage. For this, Beauregard sweet potato shows high potential due to being a rich source of starch and many bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to develop the best process condition to produce a Sweet potato beer with enhanced nutritional and antioxidant properties and good sensory characteristics. Beer samples showed increased antioxidant activity especially due to ß-carotene and their total phenolic content. The phytochemical profile of sweet potato biocompounds demonstrated a direct effect of this adjunct on sensory and functional characteristics of the finished beer. In conclusion, it was found that Beauregard sweet potato is a promising adjunct for beer brewing with nutraceutical properties due to its rich composition of bioactive compounds.

Technological prospection: patents mapping involving compounds for the treatment of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD), is a disorder debilitant characterized by the reduction of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons within the midbrain, specifically in the substantia nigra pars compacta, which results for the dopamine (DA) depletion in the striatum. Dopamine replacement therapies with the 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (Levodopa or L-DOPA) represent the most common strategy to treat PD. However, chronic administration of L-DOPA results in abnormal involuntary movement (AIMs). Thus, the present study aimed to prospect patents of alternative treatment strategies for L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias.Areas covered: This review covers the therapeutic patents published over the 2001-2019 period in the WIPO, INPI, and ESPACENET, which report treatment strategies for L-DOPA induced dyskinesias (LIDs).Expert opinion: In recent years, several pharmaceutical companies, as well as universities and researchers have tested effective compounds for LIDs treatment, showing substances that act on central pathways as antagonists and agonists of the serotonergic system, which may result in the key to onset of LIDs in animal models of PD. Future works aiming to elucidate the L-DOPA, Flibanserin, Eltoprazine, and Pridopidina mechanisms of action on the receptors of the serotonergic system and D2 receptors of the indirect pathway, will allow the development of effective therapies for LIDs.

Beer Molecules and Its Sensory and Biological Properties: A Review.

The production and consumption of beer plays a significant role in the social, political, and economic activities of many societies. During brewing fermentation step, many volatile and phenolic compounds are produced. They bring several organoleptic characteristics to beer and also provide an identity for regional producers. In this review, the beer compounds synthesis, and their role in the chemical and sensory properties of craft beers, and potential health benefits are described. This review also describes the importance of fermentation for the brewing process, since alcohol and many volatile esters are produced and metabolized in this step, thus requiring strict control. Phenolic compounds are also present in beer and are important for human health since it was proved that many of them have antitumor and antioxidant activities, which provides valuable data for moderate dietary beer inclusion studies.

Triphenyltin exposition induces spermatic parameter alters of Calomys laucha species.

The present study aims to evaluate the influence of triphenyltin (TPT) exposure on reproductive physiology on Calomys laucha species, since this species inhabits regions susceptible to exposure to this contaminant. Animals exposed to the highest dose (10.0 mg/kg) presented signs of severe intoxication in only 7 days of exposure, demonstrating a higher sensitivity of this species to triphenyltin. The 10.0 mg TPT/kg dose was analyzed separately for short-term exposure and results suggest that exposure to this dose was severely detrimental to sperm activity. Among the main results obtained in the evaluation of sperm kinetics, a reduction in total motility was observed from the 0.5 mg TPT/kg group, accentuated according to the increase in the doses of TPT. In progressive motility, there was a decrease from the dose of 0.5 mg TPT/kg and maintained the plateau until the dose of 5.0 mg TPT/kg. It was also observed an increase in the distances and velocities average path, rectilinear and curvilinear in doses of 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg. From the flow cytometry, evaluation a decrease in mitochondrial functionality was observed as the dose increased. Increased membrane fluidity was also observed from the 5.0 mg TPT/kg dose and the acrosome reaction presented higher values at doses of 0.5 and 5.0 mg TPT/kg. We can conclude that TPT causes impairment of the sperm activity, reducing it in individuals exposed in the adult phase.