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Consumption of plant food rich meals, such as feijoada, a traditional meal in Brazil, is associated with the reduction of chronic disease. The objectives of this study were to determine phytochemical content and antioxidant activity by chemical and cellular antioxidant assays (CAA) of feijoada with or without in vitro digestion. Feijoada showed no difference in phenolics and flavonoids after digestion. Bound and residue contributions to total phenolics were 20.9% and 32.2%, respectively, suggesting that phenolics reach the colon after intake. Flavonoids in residue and bound fractions represented 50% of total flavonoids. Antioxidant activity of feijoada without digestion was higher than that with digestion; however, it showed lower antiproliferative activity and CAA. Feijoada with in vitro digestion also yielded phenolics with higher CAA. Analyses of whole meals should be used to evaluate phytochemicals present in food mixtures consumed, especially with digestion models coupled with CAA resulting in information similar to those in physiological conditions.

OBJECTIVE:To estimate total polyphenol availability in fruits and vegetables commonly consumed in Brazil and its regions, and to identify the main food sources that constitute food habits in this country. METHODS:Total polyphenols were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and the availability estimated according to the Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares 2002. Twelve highly consumed food items were chosen, of which six were "tropical fruits" and six were vegetables under the categories of "leafy and fl ower vegetables", "fruit vegetables" and "tuberous vegetables". Polyphenol quantifi cation was performed with three independent experiments, each one in duplicate. The national polyphenol availability was estimated in grams per fresh weight of each analyzed food. Daily per capita availability in Brazil and its regions was calculated using the amount of polyphenol provided by the consumption of the 12 foods analyzed. RESULTS:Polyphenol contents of foods varied from 15.35 to 214.84 mg GAE/ 100 g of fresh weight. Polyphenol availability in Brazil, based on the amount in kilograms that is annually acquired in Brazil, of the 12 selected foods was 48.3 mg/ day, and the Southeast and Central-West regions had the highest and lowest values, respectively. Banana was the main polyphenol source consumed in Brazil, even though this pattern varied among regions. CONCLUSIONS:The estimated daily polyphenol availability in Brazil was similar to other countries. Differences observed among regions could be directly related to distinct cultural habits. Although there is no recommended daily availability of polyphenols, consumption of the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables can increase the availability of polyphenols 16 times, showing a clear relationship between the consumption of these food groups and the availability of benefi cial bioactive compounds.

The influence of low temperature and storage time on the antioxidant capacity of standard solutions and apple and orange extracts was evaluated. In addition, the effects of ascorbic acid (AA) addition to the fruit extracts in terms of antioxidant capacity, AA content and soluble and hydrolyzable polyphenol contents were also analysed. Polyphenol contents in both apple and orange extracts were stable during storage period, which reflected also in the antioxidant capacity stability. Freezing at )18°C did not result in different retention rates for polyphenols, AA and antioxidant capacity when compared to freezing at )70°C. However, vitamin C content in orange juice, without AA addition, slightly increased along the experimental period (10 days). Thus, this study shows that it may not be necessary to measure the antioxidant capacity immediately after the preparation of fruit extracts or antioxidant standard solutions.

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Berries and leukemia: a systematic review of experimental studies and the in vitro effect of ellagic acid on chronic myeloid leukemia cells Frutas vermelhas e leucemia: uma revisão sistemática de estudos experimentais e o efeito in vitro do ácido elágico sobre células de leucemia mieloide crônica

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