ABSTRACT Blueberry farming can be considered an excellent alternative to diversify the family income. In addition, the fruits have several health benefits thanks to the presence of phenolic compounds ...and anthocyanins, however blueberries chemical composition is affected by edaphoclimatic conditions and bud position within the shoot. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of the bud position on the total phenolic content, anthocyanins, antioxidant capacity, and other quality parameters of blueberry fruits of three cultivars (Climax, Bluegem, and Powderblue) grown in the mesoregion of Pelotas, Brazil. Fruits of these cultivars were harvested from three shoot position. The fruits were evaluated for their total soluble solids content, pH, total titratable acidity, total soluble solids/total titratable acidity ratio, fruit color, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and antioxidant potential against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl radical. The bud position in the shoots influenced the physicochemical parameters of the blueberry fruits of all cultivars. Fruits harvested from apical levels had higher content of soluble solids, pH, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and antioxidant potential, demonstrating that studies aiming at evaluating fruits from different shoot levels are important, as they directly impact the quality of the fruits as well as their biological potentials.
Fermented drinks of water kefir grains are a healthy option. The study aimed to evaluate the physical, chemical, sugar, active acid, and ethanol profiles, in the fermentation stages 0, 24, and 48 h, ...to obtain kefir fermented beverages from industrial pineapple and Spirulina residues. sp. biomass processing, after physicochemical characterization of these ingredients. Fermented drinks with the addition of pineapple extract and Spirulina sp. LEB 18 or with the addition of pineapple extract were characterized as acidic drinks. The study presented an average of 6.54°Brix and a higher content of sucrose and fructose when compared to the control drink. Only the fermented drink with Spirulina sp. LEB 18 remained stable in relation to the physicochemical parameters in storage at 4°C for 30 days. Water‐based kefir beverages with the addition of pineapple residue extract and Spirulina sp. LEB 18 after future sensory analysis can be a healthy and viable option for consumption.
Novelty impact statement
The development of beverages with live microorganisms that seek the reuse of food peels is important since, in addition to providing a new product with bioactive potential, it also avoids waste.
ABSTRACT Minimally processed strawberries have high acceptability but a short shelf life. The application of edible coatings with essential oils may be an alternative to preserve these fruits. Our ...objective was to develop, apply and characterize the effect of bioactive edible coatings based on agar or sodium alginate with thyme and/or sweet orange essential oils with antimicrobial properties, mainly against Listeria monocytogenes, for strawberries. The effect of the coatings on the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties that determine the shelf life of strawberries was verified at 1, 8, and 15 days. The effect against Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in strawberries artificially contaminated with this microorganism was also evaluated. Thyme and sweet orange essential oils had thymol and D-limonene, respectively, as main components. Alginate coating with sweet orange and thyme essential oil showed the best results. For Listeria monocytogenes, the coating applied after fruit contamination had an antimicrobial effect.
Brazilian native fruit trees have great potential for their use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Among these, the Myrtaceae family stand out for the diversity of known native fruits, as the ...case of “araçazeiro” or cattley guava Psidium cattleianum, “pitangueira”, Suriname cherry or Brazilian cherry Eugenia uniflora, “guabijuzeiro” Myrcianthes pungens, “guabirobeira” Campomanesia xanthocarpa and “uvalheira” Eugenia pyriformis. These fruits contain substances of nutritional and potentially functional importance, including dietary fiber, vitamins (especially A and C) and minerals (potassium, iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus), as well as antioxidant compounds, such as phenolics and carotenoids. The consumption of fruits rich in bioactive compounds and high antioxidant activity has the potential to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemias, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic respiratory diseases. For example, Suriname cherry and cattley guava fruit extracts showed anti-hyperglycemic, antidyslipidemic and antioxidant effects in animal models with insulin resistance, cattley guava also showed anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging activities. “Uvaia” has a promising effect as an antimicrobial agent. In this review, summarized information on the main native fruits of the Myrtaceae is presented, highlighting their composition and biological activities in order to direct new research.
This study aimed to inhibit fungal spoilage in bread by applying cassava starch fibers loaded with lemongrass essential oil (LEO). Cassava starch was extracted and measured for amylose content, and ...the LEO was extracted and characterized for chemical composition. The starch-LEO polymeric solution was prepared at various LEO concentrations (0, 20, 30, and 40%, v/w) and evaluated for rheological parameters. The fibers were produced by electrospinning and evaluated for morphology, size distribution, FTIR spectra, thermogravimetric properties, contact angle with water, mechanical properties, antioxidant activity against DPPH, OH, and NO radicals, and in vitro and in situ antifungal activities in bread against Penicillium crustosum and Aspergillus flavus. The amylose content of cassava starch was 27.3%, and LEO showed citral as the major compound (β-citral and α-citral). Incorporating LEO into the polymeric solutions did not affect the viscosity, and the fibers displayed homogeneous and continuous morphologies with mean diameters ranging from 460 to 577 nm. The FTIR spectra of the fibers showed characteristic bands of their constituents (starch and LEO). The fibers presented high thermal stability and antioxidant activity, and low contact angle with water and tensile strength. The in vitro assays revealed that LEO had inhibitory and fungicidal effects, and starch-LEO fibers only had an inhibitory effect. For the in situ assays, the treatments were applied as two systems directly in the bread dough and as membranes in active bread packages. The fibers with 40% LEO showed great antifungal activity (for both systems), reducing the fungi count compared to the other treatments (control, free LEO, and 0% LEO fibers) applied over the storage period analyzed (0, 5, and 10 days). Therefore, the cassava starch-LEO fibers are a promising antifungal agent to replace synthetic additives applied to the food matrix and as active packaging for bread.
Display omitted
•Lemon grass essential oil (LEO) can be encapsulated in cassava starch fibers.•LEO showed activity against Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium crustosum.•LEO starch fibers can be applied as antifungal agents directly into bread dough.•LEO starch fibers can be used as active bread packaging.•LEO starch fibers have great thermal stability and antioxidant activity.
The brassicas have the potential to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases and it is proposed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of broccoli, cabbage and ...extracts. The extracts were prepared and characterized and the antioxidant potential was evaluated against three radicals while the antimicrobial potential was analyzed using three techniques against four bacteria. The extracts have glucosinolates and phenolic compounds in their composition, and effectively inhibit the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical. The extracts of broccoli and cauliflower showed an inhibitory effect against hydroxyl radicals and nitric oxide. Disk diffusion showed that broccoli and cauliflower extract were active against three bacteria, while kale extract showed active halos for Gram-negative bacteria. Kale extract had an inhibitory effect Gram-positive bacteria, cauliflower extract inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. The cauliflower extract thus had a higher concentration of phenols, a strong antioxidant activity and promising results at a concentration of 100 mg/mL against S. aureus.The brassicas have the potential to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases and it is proposed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of broccoli, cabbage and extracts. The extracts were prepared and characterized and the antioxidant potential was evaluated against three radicals while the antimicrobial potential was analyzed using three techniques against four bacteria. The extracts have glucosinolates and phenolic compounds in their composition, and effectively inhibit the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical. The extracts of broccoli and cauliflower showed an inhibitory effect against hydroxyl radicals and nitric oxide. Disk diffusion showed that broccoli and cauliflower extract were active against three bacteria, while kale extract showed active halos for Gram-negative bacteria. Kale extract had an inhibitory effect Gram-positive bacteria, cauliflower extract inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. The cauliflower extract thus had a higher concentration of phenols, a strong antioxidant activity and promising results at a concentration of 100 mg/mL against S. aureus.
Display omitted
•Starch/carvacrol nanofibers are promising natural biopreservatives for food.•Starch/carvacrol nanofibers exerted a fungicidal effect.•Starch/carvacrol nanofibers reduced fungal ...growth when applied to bread dough.•Bioactive package from 30 % (v/w) starch nonwoven carvacrol prevented bread spoilage.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro susceptibility of fungi to starch/carvacrol nanofibers produced by electrospinning. The nanofibers were incorporated into bread dough or used in the development of active packages to minimize bread spoilage. In agar diffusion and micro-atmosphere assays, the nanofibers with 30 % or 40 % carvacrol presented inhibition zones with low growth and were effective inhibiting both the fungi evaluated in this work. The MICs for nanofibers with 30 % carvacrol were 0.098 and 9.8 mg/mL against Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus flavus, respectively; for the 40 % nanofibers, the MIC was 19.6 mg/mL against Aspergillus flavus. As for MFC, only the 30 % nanofibers exerted fungicidal effect. The treatments administered directly to the bread dough had low colony-forming unit. For bioactive packages, nonwovens with 30 % carvacrol were effective in preventing bread spoilage. Thus, nanofibers are a good alternative to chemical additives or bioactive packages in food industry.
•The digestive process affects the content of compounds in the broccoli extracts.•After the digestive process, the broccoli extracts fractions maintain antihyperglycemic activity.•The antioxidant ...activity of the broccoli extracts is affected by the digestive process.
Compounds present in broccoli are vulnerable to the digestive process, and encapsulation becomes an alternative for their preservation. The encapsulation of broccoli extract, by electrospraying, was performed with the purpose of evaluating the effect of in vitro simulated digestion on individual compounds and antioxidant and antihyperglycemic potentials. Each digestion fraction was evaluated by chromatography, as well as for antioxidant activity and antihyperglycemic potential. The encapsulated extract showed high encapsulation efficiency and spherical morphology. Losses in the levels of phenolic compounds and glucosinolates were found in both extracts, considering the fractions submitted to digestion. The digestion promoted an increase in the inhibition of hydroxyl, nitric oxide and α-amylase, as well as a decrease in the inhibition of α-glucosidase in both extracts, when compared to undigested fractions. Thus, the digestion affects the compounds content in both encapsulated and unencapsulated extracts. However, they still promote the control of oxidative processes and hyperglycemia.
