No abstract

Adzuki seed β-vignin, a vicilin-like globulin, has proven to exert various health-promoting biological activities, notably in cardiovascular health. A simple scalable enrichment procedure of this protein for further nutritional and functional studies is crucial. In this study, a simplified chromatography-independent protein fractionation procedure has been optimized and described. The electrophoretic analysis showed a high degree of homogeneity of β-vignin isolate. Furthermore, the molecular features of the purified protein were investigated. The adzuki bean β-vignin was found to have a native size of 146 kDa, and the molecular weight determined was consistent with a trimeric structure. These were identified in two main polypeptide chains (masses of 56–54 kDa) that are glycosylated polypeptides with metal binding capacity, and one minor polypeptide chain with a mass 37 kDa, wherein these features are absent. The in vitro analysis showed a high degree of digestibility of the protein (92%) and potential anti-inflammatory capacity. The results lay the basis not only for further investigation of the health-promoting properties of the adzuki bean β-vignin protein, but also for a possible application as nutraceutical molecule.

Bioactive compounds extracted from plants such as antimicrobials have attracted the attention of consumers and the food industry. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of Annona muricata leaf oleoresin obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction. The oleoresin was obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction and the chemical identification by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by broth microdilution method against 14 foodborne fungi and bacteria. The oleoresin major chemical class was phytosterols (22.7%) and the major compounds were γ-sitosterol (15.7%), α-tocopherol (13.7%), phytol (13.1%), and hexadecanoic acid (11.5%). Minimum inhibitory concentration against bacteria ranged from 0.0025 to 0.010 mg mL −1 . The oleoresin had high bactericidal activity against all bacteria, mainly Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 0.005 mg mL −1 minimum bactericidal concentration. However, it had low fungicidal activity. The leaf oleoresin of A. muricata has promising applications in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.

This study aimed to evaluate Attalea funifera seed oil with or without resveratrol entrapped in organogel nanoparticles in vitro against A375 human melanoma tumor cells. Organogel nanoparticles with seed oil (SON) or with resveratrol entrapped in the seed oil (RSON) formed functional organogel nanoparticles that showed a particle size <100 nm, polydispersity index <0.3, negative zeta potential, and maintenance of electrical conductivity. The resveratrol entrapment efficiency in RSON was 99 ± 1%. The seed oil and SON showed no cytotoxicity against human non-tumor cells or tumor cells. Resveratrol at 50 μg/mL was cytotoxic for non-tumor cells, and was cytotoxic for tumor cells at 25 μg/mL. Resveratrol entrapped in RSON showed a decrease in cytotoxicity against non-tumor cells and cytotoxic against tumor cells at 50 μg/mL. Thus, SON is a potential new platform for the delivery of resveratrol with selective cytotoxic activity in the treatment of melanoma.

A uva é uma fruta típica de região de clima temperado, sendo cultivada para a elaboração de vinhos tradicionais nos países da União Europeia, Estados Unidos, Austrália, Nova Zelândia, África do Sul e América do Sul (Chile e Argentina). No Brasil, além do Rio Grande do Sul, onde as condições climáticas se aproximam dos países tradicionais, a videira foi adaptada para cultivo no Semiárido do Nordeste. A região semiárida brasileira possui um grande potencial para a produção de uvas de alta qualidade durante todo o ano por possuir elevados índices de insolação, favorecendo também a produção de uvas passas de excelentes características organolépticas. O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de avaliar a probabilidade de serem produzidos materiais desidratados de uvas e seus descartes, a partir das variedades Shirah, Alicante Bouschet, Isabel, Mourvedre, Crimson, Petit Verdot e Red Globe, produzidas no Vale do São Francisco, com a finalidade de serem utilizadas em infusões, como fonte de antocianinas para os consumidores. Com base nos resultados obtidos, verifica-se que os chás foram bem aceitos, inclusive os de uvas das variedades Izabel e Mouvedre foram os chás que apresentaram predominância de aprovação em todos dos atributos sensoriais avaliados. A variedade mais importante como fonte de antocianinas é a Petit Verdot, uma vez que foi classificada neste estudo como uma das duas variedades que apresentou maior teor deste antioxidante, seguida pela Alicante.