This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the treatment with bacuri seed butter (BB) on body weight, growth, body mass index, lipid profile, atherosclerotic indices, and liver function in dyslipidemic hamsters. Freshly weaned, male hamsters were divided into four groups: (1) normal group (NG)—maintained with standard chow (AIN-93G); (2) dyslipidemia group (DG)—maintained with hyperlipidemic chow (AIN-93G modified) throughout the follow-up period; (3) bacuri seed butter 25 mg/kg/day (BB-25); and (4) bacuri seed butter 50 mg/kg/day (BB-50). BB groups (25 and 50 mg/kg/day) were also maintained with hyperlipidemic chow throughout the follow-up period, and the treatment started after 21 days receiving a hyperlipidemic diet to induce hypercholesterolemia and maintained for 28 days. No significant differences in triglycerides and total cholesterol were observed for BB-25 and BB-50 groups when compared with NG and DG groups. On the contrary, BB-25 and BB-50 induced both increase of HDL-c (51.40 ± 1.69 and 51.00 ± 2.34, respectively) and decrease of LDL-c (103.80 ± 6.87 and 100.50 ± 3.95, respectively) when compared with DG (41.00 ± 2.94 and 132.70 ± 9.41, respectively). In addition, BB promoted a reduction in the risk of atherosclerotic disease by decreasing p < 0.05 the atherogenic index, coronary artery risk index, and LDL/CT ratio p < 0.05 and increasing HDL/CT ratio. On the contrary, no changes were observed in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels or in body weight, growth, body mass index, or liver function parameters. Thus, bacuri seed butter at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg/day has positive repercussions on the lipid profile, more precisely on plasma HDL-c and LDL-c, and additionally promotes reduction in the risk of atherosclerosis in hamsters.

No abstract

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease that affects millions of people worldwide, making the search essential for more accessible treatments. The species Platonia insignis Mart. (Clusiaceae) has been extensively studied and has gained prominence for its pharmacological potential. The objective of this work was to evaluate the antileishmania activity, cytotoxic effect and activation patterns of macrophages of hydroalcoholic extract (EHPi), ethyl acetate fractions (FAcOEt) and morelloflavone/volkensiflavone mixture (MB) from P. insignis flowers. EHPi, FAcOEt and MB demonstrated concentration-dependent antileishmania activity, with inhibition of parasite growth in all analyzed concentrations. EHPi exhibited maximum effect at 800 μg/mL, while FAcOEt and MB reduced the growth of the parasite by 94.62% at 800 μg/mL. EHPi, FAcOEt and MB showed low cytotoxic effects for macrophages at 81.78, 159.67 and 134.28 μg/mL, respectively. EHPi (11.25 µg/mL), FAcOEt (11.25 and 22.5 µg/mL) and MB (22.5 µg/mL) characterized the increase in lysosomal activity, suggesting a possible modulating effect. These findings open for the application of flowers from a P. insignis flowers and biflavones mixture thereof in the promising treatment of leishmaniasis.

Bacuri (Platonia insignis) is a monotype belonging to the Clusiaceae family. Of Amazonian origin, it is highly appreciated for fresh consumption, mainly due to its peculiar sensory characteristics. It is also widely used in the food industry, mainly in pulp (endocarp), used in the manufacture of beverages, jellies, and ice cream. Although the use of pulp is well established in the food sector, recently, research has turned attention to the use of other parts of the fruit and plant, especially in the therapeutics, cosmetics, and fuel sectors. Its bioactive components have been investigated for having important antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, hypotensive, cardioprotective, antiepileptic, antileishmanial, and antifungal activities, among others, mainly attributed to the presence of compounds such as xanthones, terpenes, phenolics, and fatty acids. Thus, this study aimed to gather data on the species Platonia insignis Mart. through an integrative review of the agronomic, nutritional, physical–chemical characteristics and a technological prospection about its applications. The study showed that in the last ten years there has been a significant increase in the number of patents deposited, with the prospect that with the advancement of studies on their properties, results for application in the most diverse areas will prove increasingly viable and promising.

Nowadays, the modified atmosphere with ozone is one of the main alternatives for controlling insect pests in stored grains, as it allows grain quality to be maintained while causing no environmental damage. In light of this, the purpose of this study was to assess the toxicity of ozone to C. maculatus in cowpea grains as well as how it affects the physiological and physical properties of the grains. The toxicity was determined by estimating lethal doses (mg/g) at the top and bottom of the fumigation chamber for 50% and 95% of adult insects (LD50 and LD95). Cowpea grain samples were removed after being exposed to ozone, and the effect of ozonation on the physical and physiological quality of the grains was assessed. The electrical conductivity, water content, and germination were all examined in this manner. The lethal doses LD50 were 65.97 and 45.52 mg/g when the insects were distributed at the top and bottom of the fumigation chamber, respectively. As a result, ozone toxicity was higher at the bottom than at the top. The increase in ozone doses resulted in a decrease in water content. The germination rate exceeded 90% in both locations where ozone was applied. The electrical conductivity remained constant, ranging between 152.01 and 239.59 S cm−1 g −1. The findings indicate that ozone is toxic to C. maculatus but has no effect on grain quality. Ozone may therefore be used to manage C. maculatus in cowpea that has been stored.

The Amazon contains the most significant number of known species on the planet, where fruits with peculiar characteristics can be found. The bacuri (Platonia insignis) is a native fruit of this region and has gained prominence over the years. A data survey was conducted to understand the bacuri production chain system and its economic potential. The results show that the popularity of the fruit has led to an increase in consumer demand and its price over the years. In addition, the mapping shows that this production chain needs a well-defined structure. Its current organization consists of the activities of associations and cooperatives that, over time, have assumed the integration between producers, industry, and the consumer market. This study also identified a gap in the official censuses and a need for studies to quantify production within the scope of small producers, aiming for more effective monitoring that allows the development and direction of policies that can support producers to strengthen this important production chain.

No abstract

Para conhecer o potencial de utilização de ingredientes não convencionais para formulação de produtos alimentícios, esta pesquisa objetivou elaborar barras alimentícias utilizando coprodutos e subprodutos da cadeia agroindustrial e avaliar suas características nutricionais, sensoriais e intenção de compra. Foram desenvolvidas quatro formulações, sendo uma barra alimentícia padrão (F0) tendo como ingrediente base uma pasta preparada com o coproduto do pedúnculo de caju e soro de leite, sem acréscimo de gergelim e três modificações dessa formulação (F1, F2, F3) com adição de 5%, 10% e 15% de gergelim, respectivamente. A aceitação global das formulações foi avaliada por meio de escala hedônica estruturada de 9 pontos e intenção de compra verificada através de teste de preferência com escala 1 a 5 pontos. Os resultados dos testes sensoriais mostraram que a média de aceitação do produto foi de 6,24, sendo que a barra F3 obteve melhores notas nos testes de intenção de compra. Para os testes de cor e firmeza, a formulação F3 apresentou maior ΔE, indicando uma coloração mais clara em comparação às demais formulações. Na avaliação para força de corte, a formulação F0 apresentou os maiores resultados, caracterizando-se como produtos mais firmes. O estudo demonstrou que barras alimentícias podem ser produzidas a partir do aproveitamento de coprodutos e subprodutos da cadeia agroindustrial com características nutricionais e sensoriais satisfatórias.