In recent years, there has been a strong focus on beneficial foods with probiotic microorganisms and functional organic substances. In this context, there is an increasing interest in the commercial use of kefir, since it can be marketed as a natural beverage that has health promoting bacteria. There are numerous commercially available kefir based-products. Kefir may act as a matrix in the effective delivery of probiotic microorganisms in different types of products. Also, the presence of kefir’s exopolysaccharides, known as kefiran, which has biological activity, certainly adds value to products. Kefiran can also be used separately in other food products and as a coating film for various food and pharmaceutical products. This article aims to update the information about kefir and its microbiological composition, biological activity of the kefir’s microflora and the importance of kefiran as a beneficial health substance.

Gibberellic acid is a plant growth hormone that promotes cell expansion and division. Studies have aimed at optimizing and reducing production costs, which could make its application economically viable for different cultivars. Gibberellins consist of a large family of plant growth hormones discovered in the 1930s, which are synthesized via the terpenes route from the geranylgeranyl diphosphate and feature a basic structure formed by an ent-gibberellane tetracyclic skeleton. Among them, only four have biological activity, including gibberellic acid (GA), which acts as a natural plant growth regulator, especially for stem elongation, seed germination, and increased fruit size. It can be obtained from plants, fungi, and bacteria. There are also some reports about microalgae GA producers. Fungi, especially Gibberella fujikuroi, are preferred for GA production via submerged fermentation or solid-state fermentation. Many factors may affect its production, some of which are related to the control and scale-up of fermentation parameters. Different GA products are available on the market. They can be found in liquid or solid formulations containing only GA or a mixture of other biological active gibberellins, which can be applied on a wide variety of cultivars, including crops and fruits. However, the product's cost still limits its large and continuous application. New low-cost and efficient GA production alternatives are surely welcome. This review deals with the latest scientific and technological advances on production, recovery, formulation, and applications of this important plant growth hormone.

IntroduçãoA primeira relação sexual, considerada um marco na vida dos jovens, tem iniciado cada vez mais precocemente. No contexto brasileiro, a idade média da primeira relação sexual é de 14 anos para o sexo masculino e 15 para o feminino 1 .As mulheres priorizam o sentimento de "entrega e amor" na primeira relação sexual, ao mesmo tempo em que existe o desejo de se descobrir, impõe-se a necessidade de se "preservar". Em contrapartida, a experiência sexual masculina é vista como um ganho, sustentando o poder da masculinidade 2 . Estudo revela que jovens tendem a não usar preservativo no início de sua vida sexual e definem esta relação como casual. Os principais motivos alegados para a sua não utilização de modo consistente são: não gostar de usá-los, confiar no parceiro e a imprevisibilidade das relações sexuais 3 .Além disso, há uma relação entre o uso de ál-cool e outras substâncias psicoativas com comportamentos sexuais de risco na adolescência 4 . Ademais, investigações indicam que a iniciação sexual precoce está associada a um maior risco de contaminação por doenças sexualmente transmissíveis (DST) e gravidez na adolescência 5,6,7 . A literatura científica sugere que os fatores associados à iniciação sexual dependem de aspectos culturais. O uso de substâncias apresenta associação significativa com iniciação sexual precoce em países europeus e nos Estados Unidos, ARTIGO ARTICLE

The gibberellins (GAs) are an important group of hormones which exert various effects on promoter and regulator of plant growth. Gibberellic acid (GA(3)) is a natural plant hormone, with great economical and industrial importance. It affects stem elongation, germination, elimination of dormancy, flowering, sex expression, enzyme induction and leaf and fruit senescence. Despite its diverse applications, the use of GA(3) is limited due to its high production costs. The industrial process currently used for the production of GA(3) is based on submerged fermentation (SmF) techniques. As an alternative for its production, solid state fermentation (SSF) has also been investigated for its ability to increase the yields of GA(3) with the use of agro-industrial wastes as support/substrate, which contributes to the decreased production costs. This review describes GA(3)'s physical, chemical and biological properties, its production by fermentation and new advances that are being carried out with special interest on the SSF technique.

No abstract