The açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) is an Amazonian fruit that is widely consumed in Brazil and around the world, particularly due to its large number of bioactive compounds. In order to verify the bioactive characteristics of açaí in popular consumer products, the aim of this study was to test the increasing function of açaí pulp (bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity) in the production of coconut candy. The treatments consisted of four formulations of coconut candy (C): with no açaí pulp (CA0), with 10% açaí pulp (CA10), with 20% açaí pulp (CA20) and with 30% açaí pulp (CA30), in addition to the sugar, grated coconut, gum agar, citric acid and water that are part of the standard formulation of each treatment. The experimental design was completely randomised with three replications. The following analyses were carried out: total sugars, lipids, proteins, moisture, calorific value, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity using the DPPH method. The increasing concentrations of açaí in the formulations significantly increased the total sugar and lipid concentrations, moisture, and calorific value. The anthocyanin concentration increased linearly with the increase in pulp concentration. The coconut candy from formulation CA20 showed the greatest antioxidant activity between the proposed formulations. The formulations had no effect on the levels of phenolic compounds. The anthocyanin content differed statistically between formulations, with the highest values seen in formulation CA30. Formulations CA20 and CA30 are sources of bioactive components.

Although peppers have a specific niche of use, due to their use in gastronomy, studies on morphoagronomic characterization and their nutritional qualities are scarce. The objective of this work was to evaluate the main descripts and to quantify bioactive compounds of the most cultivated pepper cultivars (Capsicum spp.) and consumed in the state of Roraima, Brazil. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with three replications, and the following peppers were evaluated: ‘Malagueta’, ‘Mesa’, ‘Cheiro’, ‘Canaimé’, ‘Olho de peixe’ and ‘Muripi’. Each plot consisted of seven seedlings. The following descriptors were analyzed: canopy diameter, plant height, stem color, stem diameter, height of the 1st bifurcation, and leaf length. The following bioactive and other compounds were also evaluated: calories, capsaicin, total anthocyanins, carotenoids, titratable acidity, pH, total and soluble fibers, total and reducing sugars, humidity, ashes, lipids, carbohydrates, soluble solids, proteins, antioxidant activity by ORAC and DPPH methods, phenolic compounds and vitamin C. It was observed that the cultivars Mesa, Malagueta, Olho de Peixe and Cheiro presented the best results regarding height, stem diameter, cup diameter, favorable to field cultivation. It was also verified that the best cultivar for consumption was Malagueta, since it presented higher indices of physicalchemical analyzes, higher levels of bioactive compounds and the highest antioxidant activity.

Peppers of the genus Capsicum are rich in antioxidants and considered to be an excellent source of compounds, which can bring benefits for human health, such as vitamin C and phenolic compounds. These compounds are influenced by the ripening stage of the fruits. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the ideal harvest point for ‘Murupi’ pepper fruits, targeting the consumer market, based on physical, chemical, and functional attributes. These attributes were evaluated during postharvest, being the fruits packed in low density polyethylene plastic film (LDPE) and submitted to cold storage (25±1°C and 95±3% U.R.) for 20 days. The treatments consisted of three different fruit maturation stages at harvest time (fruit peel color: green, partially red and totally red). The authors analyzed the vitamin C, total and soluble fibers, ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), DPPH (2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), total and reducing sugars, total phenolics, carotenoids, capsaicin and anthocyanins. The fruits harvested in immature stage (green) showed the highest values of vitamin C, total phenolics and, capsaicin contents, and also the highest averages of fruit antioxidant activity. The use of 0.10 mm-thick LDPE packages showed to be effective in delaying the maturation of pepper fruits in relation to sensory attributes, especially in terms of total fiber contents, being also observed, in this case, better maintenance of vitamin C and capsaicin contents, phenolic compounds and the highest antioxidant activity.