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Yellow mombin juice was microencapsulated by spray drying. Optimum operating conditions were selected from the outcomes of tests carried out according to a central composite rotatable design, using air inlet temperature (90 to 190 °C), feed flow rate (0.20 to 1.00 L/h) and 15 DE maltodextrin concentration (10 to 30%) as the independent variables, while powder moisture content, water activity, hygroscopicity, total carotenoids retention, and process yield as the responses. As expected, water activity, moisture content and yield of samples were significantly reduced by spray drying. The powder prepared under optimum conditions, whose reconstituted nectar was the most appreciated by panelists in sensory analysis, was partially characterized in terms of physicochemical properties. It exhibited an apparent density of 0.59 g/mL and a solubility of 81.49%. Particles generally occurred in clusters and exhibited spherical shape and smooth surface. The antioxidant activity was shown to be weak to intermediate.

Pollination is provided by biodiversity and maintains global food production. We investigated the effects of vegetation cover on the abundance of floral visitor and vine (Vitis labrusca Raf.) production. We expected an increase in both floral visitor frequencies and vineyard yields with an increase in native vegetation cover in the landscape. We also investigated different scenarios of visitor abundance with and without honeybees (Apis mellifera L.).• We surveyed floral visitors from ten vineyard plots with different native cover surrounding them and related both visitors and native vegetation to fruit set. Considering some of these vineyards, we compared physical and chemical traits of berries to understand how they vary according to native vegetation.• Floral visitor abundance was positively related to native vegetation cover. However, considering only native bee abundance, we found a dual (hyperbolic) response. Apis mellifera (L.) Africanized was the most abundant species and had the highest number of interactions; however, when removed from the network analysis, the relationship between vineyards and native bees became more specialized. The fruit size and mass of berries differed among vineyards, as did some chemical traits related to commercial quality of fruits, such as soluble solids, pH and flavonoids.• Vineyards surrounded by intermediate areas of native vegetation present a balance between resource availability from vineyards and native vegetation. Apis and non-Apis (such as flies and small bees) floral visitors, known to have different effects on vine pollination, could hypothetically provide variation in vine production and quality. Considering a near 20% native vegetation increment, there was an enhancement, on average, of ten-fold more berries per bunch, the changing physical and chemical fruit traits by vegetation increment could also increase the aggregate value of vines and the value of pollination services in the economy.Landscape vegetation affects on native and non-native bees Baronio, Souza, Silva et al.

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