The red peppers of the genus Capsicum have been much investigated as a new source of natural antioxidants. Studies show that they have antioxidant properties due to the presence of capsaicin and other bioactive compounds. Antioxidants are extremely important because they act on different mechanisms in food, including, breaking free radicals responsible for the oxidation reactions. This study aimed to evaluate the content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity by DPPH ˙ sauce fermented Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum ("Dedo-de-Moça"). The values of total phenolic compounds decreased with increasing concentration of sucrose, except for the sauce fermented with Lactobacillus brevis. The lowest IC50 value was observed for samples of sauce fermented with L. brevis and L. plantarum. Probably the antioxidant activity, this work is related to the concentration of carotenoids, observed by the tone of the sample with more intense staining (red-burgundy), in relation to the color presented at the beginning of fermentation (red-orange). As pimentas vermelhas do gênero Capsicum vêm sendo muito investigadas como uma nova fonte de antioxidantes naturais. Estudos mostram que estas possuem propriedades antioxidantes devido a presença de capsaicina e outros compostos bioativos. Os antioxidantes são de extrema importância, pois atuam em diferentes mecanismos nos alimentos, dentre eles, quebrando os radicais livres responsáveis pelas reações de oxidação. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o conteúdo de compostos fenólicos e a capacidade antioxidante pelo método DPPH˙ do molho fermentado de Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum ("Dedo-de-Moça"). Os valores dos compostos fenólicos totais diminuíram com o aumento da concentração de sacarose, com exceção do molho fermentado com Lactobacillus brevis. O menor valor de IC 50 foi observado para amostras de molho fermentado com L. brevis e L. plantarum. Provavelmente a atividade antioxidante, neste trabalho, esteja relacionada à concentração dos carotenoides, observados pela tonalidade da amostra com coloração mais intensa (vermelho-bordô), em relação à cor apresentada no inicio da fermentação (vermelho-laranja). Keywords Palavras-chave:Capsicum baccatum, molho fermentado, avaliação, antioxidantes, compostos fenólicos. BBR -Biochemistry and Biotechnology Reports

Ethanol is a central nervous system depressant that is widely consumed worldwide. When consumed chronically, it may have several consequences to the organism, such as oxidative stress. Ethanol metabolism increases the production of oxidant molecules and its consumption may cause changes in enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems that maintain cellular homeostasis. The activity of endogenous enzymes and lipid peroxidation are altered in alcohol consumers. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate oxidative stress parameters in ethanol users compared to a control group. For that, the activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), and malondialdehyde were evaluated. The influence of the amount of ethanol consumed on the analyzed parameters was also verified. The group of alcohol users consisted of 52 volunteers, 85% male and 15% female, with a mean age of 41±13 years. The control group consisted of 50 non-drinkers, 40% male and 60% female, with a mean age of 50±10 years. There was a significant difference in superoxide dismutase (P<0.001) and malondialdehyde (P=0.007) measurements between groups, as both parameters were increased in the group of ethanol users. Because of the higher amount of ethanol consumed, there was an increase of the catalase activity parameters and gradual reduction of FRAP. Thus, the ethanol-consuming participants were most likely under oxidative stress.