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HighlightsUltrasound improves the bioactives content from green propolis in a lower time.Optimization allowed good extraction of artepillin C and p-coumaric acid.Green propolis had similar effects to synthetic antioxidant in emulsion systems.Green propolis did not change the S. cerevisiae membrane.

Lychee fruit has been studied owing to the presence of several bioactive compounds that can contribute to weight loss in obese individuals. However, the anti-obese potential of the fruit has not been explored yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different parts of lychee in reducing the adipose tissue mass of cafeteria diet-fed rats. Phenolic compounds and scavenging capacities were quantified. The food intake, apparent digestibility, weight of the body and liver, body mass, Lee Index, and the mass of epididymal and visceral adipose tissues were evaluated. The results were estimated by Tukey's Test at 5% probability. A higher amount of phenolic compounds and scavenging capacity were observed in the peel of lychee as compared to the other parts of the fruit. The hypercaloric diet with lychee flour resulted in a higher apparent digestibility. There was no difference between groups control (C), hypercaloric (H), hypercaloric with lychee flour-50.00% peel and 50.00% seeds (H2F), and hypercaloric with lychee flour-33.33% peel, 33.33% pulp and 33.34% seeds (H3F) with respect to body and liver weight, corporal mass, and Lee Index. The hypercaloric diet-fed group exhibited an increase in visceral and epididymal adipose tissue mass, whereas the group fed with hypercaloric diets and flour made from the peel and seed of lychee presented a lower visceral adipose tissue mass. In conclusion, the use of lychee flour was considered viable because it decreased visceral adipose tissue mass in rats.

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RESUMOO objetivo do trabalho foi elaborar um iogurte com a adição de "caviar" de cenoura e analisar sua aceitação sensorial por crianças do ensino fundamental. O "caviar" foi elaborado utilizando-se a técnica da esferificação com alginato de sódio, sendo adicionado em iogurte do tipo batido sem a adição de polpa na proporção de uma porção de cenoura para uma porção de iogurte. Foram realizadas as análises microbiológicas e posteriormente a avaliação da aceitação sensorial com crianças. De acordo com as análises microbiológicas o produto estava apto para o consumo. O escore médio em pontos obtido na análise sensorial realizada com 52 crianças foi de 6,7 (sendo 6,6 no gênero masculino e 6,8 no feminino). As crianças do gênero feminino apresentaram as maiores notas (p < 0,05). O índice de aceitabilidade geral obtido para o iogurte com "caviar" de cenoura foi de 95,70%. Conclui-se que o iogurte acrescido de "caviar" de cenoura foi aceito sensorialmente, pois apresenta elevadas notas que reflete no seu índice de aceitabilidade, sugerindo que este produto seja empregado como uma alternativa para aumentar o consumo de cenoura por crianças.

Although the functions and structural roles of sterols have been the subject of numerous studies, the reasons for the diversity of sterols in the different eukaryotic kingdoms remain unclear. It is thought that the specificity of sterols is linked to unidentified supplementary functions that could enable organisms to be better adapted to their environment. Ergosterol is accumulated by late branching fungi that encounter oxidative perturbations in their interfacial habitats. Here, we investigated the antioxidant properties of ergosterol using in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches. The results showed that ergosterol is involved in yeast resistance to tert-butyl hydroperoxide and protects lipids against oxidation in liposomes. A computational study based on quantum chemistry revealed that this protection could be related to its antioxidant properties operating through an electron transfer followed by a proton transfer mechanism. This study demonstrates the antioxidant role of ergosterol and proposes knowledge elements to explain the specific accumulation of this sterol in late branching fungi. Ergosterol, as a natural antioxidant molecule, could also play a role in the incompletely understood beneficial effects of some mushrooms on health.

RESUMOO objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver e avaliar a aceitação sensorial de formulações de iogurte com sementes de chia. Após a elaboração das formulações (A -controle, B -iogurte adicionado de 2% de sementes de chia, C -iogurte adicionado de 3% de sementes de chia) realizou-se análises microbiológicas e físico-químicas. Utilizou-se escalas hedônicas para verificar a aceitação e a intenção de compra das formulações elaboradas, bem como o Índice de Aceitabilidade. Os dados dos testes de aceitação e intenção de compra foram avaliados por meio de Análise de Variância (ANOVA) e, posteriormente, aplicou-se Teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. As formulações de iogurte estavam dentro dos padrões exigidos pela Legislação Brasileira quanto às análises microbiológicas e físico-químicas. Não houve diferença significativa (p > 0,05) entre as 3 formulações de iogurte para os atributos sabor, textura e impressão global. Entretanto, quanto ao atributo aparência, a formulação com 3% de sementes de chia (C) foi menos apreciada (p < 0,05) que a formulação controle (A). As formulações com sementes de chia (B e C) tiveram uma boa aceitação sensorial pelos avaliadores e o atributo sabor foi o de maior destaque. Dentre as formulações com sementes de chia, a formulação B apresentou o melhor Índice de Aceitabilidade. Não houve diferença significativa (p > 0,05) quanto à média das notas na intenção de compra para as 3 formulações de iogurte. Conclui-se que as formulações de iogurtes com sementes de chia apresentaram-se adequadas quanto aos parâmetros microbiológicos e físico-químicos ao longo do período de armazenamento, além de obter uma boa aceitação sensorial, apresentando-se como uma alternativa láctea mais saudável para os consumidores.

Potential of acerola (Malpighia emarginata) metabolites as antioxidants in different oxidative systems mediated by free radicals Natural antioxidants extracted from plants show potential to replace synthetic ones. However, publications that both evaluates the activities of these compounds in in vivo systems and elucidate the chemical characteristics of these substances are scarce and often resorts to techniques that do not necessarily reflect the antioxidant activity in different systems. Acerola fruits have considerable concentrations of antioxidant compounds, so in this study the extraction of natural compounds from green and ripe acerola fruits was optimized and different methods for in vivo antioxidant activity evaluation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as model microorganism were performed. Surface response methodology was applied to identify effects of ethanol concentration and temperature during the extraction of antioxidants compounds, using as response the reducing power and the sequestering activity of radicals ABTS and DPPH. Two strains of S. cerevisiae were used to evaluate the in vivo antioxidant activity: wild Type (WT) and the genetically modified (erg6Δ), which had difference in the presence of ergosterol (ERG) and zymosterol (ZYM). These two sterols were analyzed by molecular modelling to evaluate their possible antioxidant activity. Effects of green and ripe acerola fruits extracts, synthetic antioxidants Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and ascorbic acid were evaluated on the oxidative stress caused in the cells by different chemical reagents, cell culturability, cell membrane oxidation level and intracellular oxidation. Finally, the effect of the microencapsulation process by spray drying on the chemical composition of the acerola extracts was evaluated. Through the surface response methodology it was possible to determine the optimal conditions to produce acerola extracts rich in phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid. The extracts of acerola showed a high or equal antioxidant activity in the studies with S. cerevisiae cells, especially when compared to the synthetic antioxidants BHT and ascorbic acid. It has still been proven in in vivo experiments that at the presence of BHA in all concentrations, besides to do not prevent oxidation, proved to be a deleterious substance to cells, mainly in the intracellular studies. Through molecular modeling it was possible to predict an antioxidant activity for ERG and, in a lesser degree, for ZYM by the mechanism of electron transfer followed by proton donation. It was possible to obtain a microencapsulated powder from green acerola extract as a promising product for future food applications. The same conditions applied to mature acerola fruit extracts showed undesirable effect on reduction power and scavenging capacity. The study concludes that it is possible to obtain extracts rich in antioxidants compounds from green and ripe acerola fruits under optimized conditions. S. cerevisiae can be used as a model microorganism for in...