Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) constitutes a potential alternative raw material and ingredient in food industry applications due to its dietary fiber content. Gum can be extracted from its dietary fiber fractions for use as an additive to control viscosity, stability, texture, and consistency in food systems. The gum extracted from chia seeds was characterized to determine their quality and potential as functional food additives. The extracted chia gum contained 26.2% fat and a portion was submitted to fat extraction, producing two fractions: gum with fat (FCG) and gum partly defatted (PDCG). Proximal composition and physicochemical characterization showed these fractions to be different (P < 0.05). The PDCG had higher protein, ash, and carbohydrates content than the FCG, in addition to higher water-holding (110.5 g water/g fiber) and water-binding capacities (0.84 g water/g fiber). The FCG had greater oil-holding capacity (25.7 g oil/g fiber) and water absorption capacity (44 g water/g fiber). In dispersion trials, the gums exhibited a non-Newtonian fluid behavior, specifically shear thinning or pseudoplastic type. PDCG had more viscosity than FCG. Chia seed is an excellent natural source of gum with good physicochemical and functional qualities, and is very promising for use in food industry.

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Methanolic extract was obtained from Melipona beecheii honey and quantitative analysis of components like total amount of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and flavonols were estimated. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were fractionated by reverse phase HPLC and assessed for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities by in vitro methods. Total phenol content was estimated as 63.22 mg of Gallic acid equivalents/100 g of honey. Total flavonoids and flavonols were found to be 3.61 and 3.16 mg of Catechin or Naringenin equivalents/100 g of honey, respectively. The flavonoids fraction exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, with IC 50 values of 0.33, 0.92 and 0.36 mg/mL for radical scavenging activity, chelating effects and reducing power, respectively. Inhibition of albumin denaturation, membrane stabilization and proteinase inhibition assays indicated that flavonoids extract showed anti-inflammatory activity. Phenolic compounds like phenolic acids and flavonoids present in the M. beecheii honey could be partially responsible for their antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities.

The leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni has nutrients and phytochemicals, which make it an adequate source for the extraction and production of functional food ingredients. Preclinical and clinical studies suggest therapeutic and pharmacological applications for stevia and their extracts because they are not toxic and exhibit several biological activities. This review presents the biological activity of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and their relationship to antidiabetic, anticariogenic, antioxidant, hypotensive, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities. Consumption and adverse effects were also reviewed.

The results indicate the possibility of obtaining bioactive peptides from V. unguiculata proteins by means of a controlled protein hydrolysis using Alcalase(®), Flavourzyme(®) and pepsin-pancreatin. The V. unguiculata protein hydrolysates and their corresponding ultrafiltered peptide fractions might be utilized for physiologically functional foods with antihypertensive and antioxidant activities.

In this study a new wheat bread was designed whose sugars were replaced with S. rebaudiana Bertoni aqueous extract. The impact of the S. rebaudiana Bertoni aqueous extract on nutritional and sensory quality, its ability to reduce sugar intake and its antioxidant properties were investigated. Functional bread with 50 % of sugars replaced with S. rebaudiana extract was compared with traditional wheat bread. The extract demonstrated alpha amylase (IC 50 = 198.40 μg/mL) glucosidase (596.77 μg/mL) inhibition. The radical scavenging activity exhibited an IC 50 value of 335.94 mg/mL. In comparison with the control, the bread with stevia extract was softer and had lower microbial growth during the shelf-life study. The sensory test showed that the substitution of 50 % stevia extract was more acceptable when comparing with all quality characteristics. Regarding the nutritional contribution, the content of dietary fiber and digestible carbohydrates in the bread with stevia extract was higher and lower respectively, so caloric intake was significantly reduced. The results showed that the biological properties of S. rebaudiana extract were retained after the bread making process and that the proposed bread is suitable as functional food in human nutrition.

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