Melon (Cucumis melo L.) has high economic value and in recent years, its production has increased; however, part of the fruit is wasted. Usually, inedible parts such as peel and seeds are discarded during processing and consumption. Extracts of melon residues were prepared and their phenolic compounds, antioxidants and antiproliferative activities were evaluated. Total phenolic compounds were found in hydroethanolic, hydromethanolic, and aqueous extracts, especially for melon peel (1.016 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g). Flavonoids total content found for melon peel aqueous extract was 262 µg of catechin equivalent (CA)/100 g. In all extracts of melon peel significant amounts of gallic acid, catechin, and eugenol were found. For total antioxidant capacity, reported as ascorbic acid equivalent, the hydroethanolic and hydromethanolic extracts in peels and hydromethanolic in seeds were 89, 74, and 83 mg/g, respectively. Different extracts of melon showed iron and copper ions chelating activity at different concentrations, especially melon peel aqueous extract, reaching values of 61% for iron and 84% for copper. The hydroethanolic extract of melon peel presented a significant ability for hydroxyl radicals scavenging (68%). To assess the antiproliferative potential in human cancer cell lines, such as kidney carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, cervical adenocarcinoma and cervical carcinoma, MTT assay was performed. The proliferation was inhibited by 20–85% at extracts concentrations of 0.1–1.0 mg/mL in all cancer cell lines. The results suggest that melon residues extracts display a high antioxidant activity in in vitro assays and have effective biological activity against the growth of human tumor cells.

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Background Buriti oil presents numerous health benefits, but due to its lipophilic nature and high oxidation, it is impossible to incorporate it into aqueous food matrices. Thus, the present study evaluated whether powder nanoparticles based on porcine gelatin (OPG) and in combination with sodium alginate (OAG) containing buriti oil obtained by O/W emulsification followed by freeze-drying enabled water dispersibility and preserved or increased the antimicrobial activity of the oil. Results OPG presented spherical shape, smooth surface, smaller particle size and polydispersity index [51.0 (6.07) nm and 0.40 (0.05)], and better chemical interaction between the nonpolar amino acids and the hydrophobic oil chain. OPG also presented a higher dispersibility percentage [85.62% (7.82)] than OAG [50.19% (7.24)] (p < 0.05), and significantly increased the antimicrobial activity of the oil by 59, 62, and 43% for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Conclusions Thus, nanoencapsulation in gelatin is a promising strategy to increase the potential to use buriti oil in foods.

The effects of different hydrothermal pretreatments on the physical chemical characteristics and drying kinetics of red rice starch (Oryza sativa L.) were investigated.The hydrothermal pretreatments chosen include the cooking, autoclave, and steam explosion processes. To obtain the starch in powder form, the pastes were dried at a temperature of 50°C with an air speed of 1.0 m/s. The mathematical models (empirical and diffusive) were adjusted to the experimental data. The starches were submitted to extraction yield, color, water binding capacity, and proanthocyanidins. The values for the diffusivity are between 3.08 × 10 −7 and 2.74 × 10 −6 m 2 /min for treatments. The pretreatments of cooking in the grain and autoclave in the starch gave better results than the other studied treatments (formulations), presenting shorter drying time (450 and 510 min) and higher yield (48.60% and 53.54%), respectively. With the application of pretreatments, it is possible to save energy and reduce thermal damage. Novelty impact statement:The results obtained in this study reveals the application autoclave pre-treatment in red rice starch effectively saves energy and reduces thermal damage as the drying time is shortened. In addition, the drying process information can be used when designing future new equipments. Highlights• The effects of different hydrothermal pre-treatments on the physical chemical characteristics and drying kinetics of red rice starch (Oryza sativa L.) were investigated.• The hydrothermal pre-treatments included the cooking, autoclave and steam explosion processes.• The pre-treatments of cooking (grain) and autoclave (starch) gave the best results, presenting shorter drying time (510 and 450 min) and higher yield (53.54% and 48.60%), respectively. | INTRODUC TI ONRice is a staple food consumed in many countries around the world due to its nutritional composition (Pereira-Caro et al., 2013). Presenting a series of pigmented varieties, among which red rice has attractive characteristics such as high content of proteins, minerals, vitamins, starch, and bioactive compounds (anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and carotenoids) (Sumczynski et al., 2016;Butardo et al., 2019).One of the carbohydrates most found in rice is starch, a polysaccharide that exhibits interesting properties because of its biodegradability, biocompatibility, and nontoxicity (Afolabi et al., 2012).