RESUMO
The Amazon region is home to many plant species, many of which have not been studied. The objective was to evaluate the physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of Phytelephas tenuicalis (tintiuk), Grias neuberthii (apai), Euterpe oleracea (acai), and Mauritia flexuosa (brown moriche). Physicochemical analyses were carried out on fresh fruit from local markets. Bioactive compounds (carotenoids, phenolics, vitamin C, and organic acids) were quantified in the freeze-dried pulp by rapid-resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC), and antioxidant activity was determined by ABTS and DPPH assays. The results showed high soluble solids (10.7 °Brix) and ascorbic acid (67.3 mg/100 g DW) in tintiuk; ß-carotene (63.4 mg/100 g DW) and malic acid (19.6 g/100 g DW) in brown moriche; quercetin (944.2 mg/100 g DW) and antioxidant activity by ABTS (6.7 mmol ET/100 g DW) in apai; and citric acid (2.1 g/100 g DW) in acai. These results indicate interesting bioactive properties that could increase the consumption of these fruits nationally and internationally, benefiting local farmers and stimulating the development of new products in functional food, medicine, and cosmetics.
RESUMO
Inulin is a carbohydrate that belongs to fructans; due to its health benefits, it is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In this research, cabuya (Agave americana) was employed to obtain inulin by pulsed electric field-assisted extraction (PEFAE) and FTIR analysis confirmed its presence. The influence of PEFAE operating parameters, namely, electric field strength (1, 3 and 5 kV/cm), pulse duration (0.1, 0.2 and 0.5 ms), number of pulses (10,000, 20,000 and 40,000) and work cycle (20, 50 and 80%) on the permeabilization index and energy expenditure were tested. Also, once the operating conditions for PEFAE were set, the temperature for conventional extraction (CE) and PEFAE were defined by comparing extraction kinetics. The cabuya meristem slices were exposed to PEFAE to obtain extracts that were quantified, purified and concentrated. The inulin was isolated by fractional precipitation with ethanol to be characterized. The highest permeabilization index and the lowest energy consumption were reached at 5 kV/cm, 0.5 ms, 10,000 pulses and 20%. The same extraction yield and approximately the same amount of inulin were obtained by PEFAE at 60 °C compared to CE at 80 °C. Despite, the lower amount of inulin obtained by PEFAE in comparison to CE, its quality was better because it is mainly constituted of inulin of high average polymerization degree with more than 38 fructose units. In addition, TGA analyses showed that inulin obtained by PEFAE has a lower thermal degradation rate than the obtained by CE and to the standard.
Assuntos
Agave , Inulina , Inulina/química , Inulina/isolamento & purificação , Agave/química , Extratos Vegetais/química , Espectroscopia de Infravermelho com Transformada de Fourier , Eletricidade , TemperaturaRESUMO
Less common tropical fruits have been the subject of little research, leaving a vast field to be explored. In this context, a comprehensive study was carried out on the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of 51 non-traditional fruits consumed in Ecuador. Vitamin C, organic acids, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds were evaluated using microextraction and rapid resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC) techniques, while antioxidant activity was measured using microplate readings. The results showed high levels of vitamin C (768.2 mg/100 g DW) in Dovyalis hebecarpa, total organic acids (37.2 g/100 g DW) in Passiflora tripartita, carotenoids (487.0 mg/100 g DW) in Momordica charantia, phenolic compounds (535.4 mg/g DW) in Nephelium lappaceum, Pourouma cecropiifolia (161.4 µmol TE/g DW) and Morus alba (80.5 µmol AAE/g DW) in antioxidant activity. Effective extraction of carotenoids was also observed using a mixture of methanol: acetone: dichloromethane (1:1:2) with an extraction time of 2 min, while an 80% solution of 0.1% acidified methanol with hydrochloric acid with an extraction time of 3 min was highly effective for phenolics in fruit. These results provide a valuable basis for optimising future extraction processes of bioactive compounds from non-traditional fruits, with significant implications for their potential use in various nutritional and pharmaceutical contexts.
RESUMO
Cocoa liquor is the primary precursor of the worldwide highly appreciated commodity chocolate. Its quality depends on several factors, such as the type of cocoa, the fermentation process, and the control of the contaminants in the fermented beans. This study aims to evaluate whether the induced magnetic field treatment during the fermentation process or the pathogen reduction with gamma irradiation after the fermentation affect the characteristics of the cocoa liquor obtained from Ecuadorian cocoa beans. For this purpose, liquor samples from controls (standard process), from beans treated with an induced magnetic field up to 80 mT, and from beans irradiated with nominal doses up to 3 kGy were characterized through Raman spectroscopic analysis and sensorial evaluation. The most relevant bands of the cocoa liquor were assigned according to reports from the literature, spectroscopic data, and chemometrics. The spectra corresponding to different treatments and doses were visually very similar, but they could be discriminated using OPLS-DA models, where the most intense Raman signals were attributed to the lipid components. The sensorial evaluation rated the presence of floral, fruity, almondy, acid, and bitter flavors, along with astringency and intense aroma, and these attributes exhibited variable behavior depending on the dose of the irradiation or magnetic treatment. Therefore, both treatments may exert an influence on cocoa beans and, therefore, on the cocoa liquor quality.
RESUMO
Tree tomato (Solanum betaceum) is susceptible to nematode attack; for this reason, grafting is used as an alternative to reduce this impact. In this study, the bioactive compounds of the fruit (shell, pulp, and seed jelly) of two tree tomato ecotypes ('giant orange' and 'giant purple') were evaluated in both control and grafted plants grown at different altitudes (2010-2250, 2260-2500, 2510-2750 and 2760-3000 masl). Commercial quality, vitamin C, organic acids, phenolics, carotenoids and antioxidant activity were determined by microextraction and quantified by liquid chromatography (RRLC) or spectrophotometry (microplate reader). The results showed high concentrations of vitamin C, organic acids and antioxidant activity in the seed jelly, organic acids in the pulp and phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and antioxidant activity in the shell. The main phenolics were ferulic acid, caffeic acid and luteolin, while the main carotenoids were lutein, B-cryptoxanthin and B-carotene. Multivariate analysis showed that tree tomato quality was mainly influenced by altitude and fruit part and that grafting positively affected soluble solids for both ecotypes and all altitudes.
RESUMO
HLA-C, a gene located within the major histocompatibility complex, has emerged as a prominent target in biomedical research due to its involvement in various diseases, including cancer and autoimmune disorders; even though its recent addition to the MHC, the interaction between HLA-C and KIR is crucial for immune responses, particularly in viral infections. This review provides an overview of the structure, origin, function, and pathological implications of HLA-C in the major histocompatibility complex. In the last decade, we systematically reviewed original publications from Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Our findings reveal that genetic variations in HLA-C can determine susceptibility or resistance to certain diseases. However, the first four exons of HLA-C are particularly susceptible to epigenetic modifications, which can lead to gene silencing and alterations in immune function. These alterations can manifest in diseases such as alopecia areata and psoriasis and can also impact susceptibility to cancer and the effectiveness of cancer treatments. By comprehending the intricate interplay between genetic and epigenetic factors that regulate HLA-C expression, researchers may develop novel strategies for preventing and treating diseases associated with HLA-C dysregulation.
RESUMO
Inulin is a polysaccharide of fructose widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industry due to its physicochemical properties and technological applications. Inulin from jicama (Smallanthus sonchifolius) and cabuya (Agave americana) was obtained. The steps for inulin obtention were: raw material preparation, extraction and purification. The extraction conditions were determined using a random design with three levels of stirring speed (0, 130 and 300 rpm), and a 32 factorial experimental design with three levels of temperature (40, 60 and 80 °C) and solid:liquid ratio (1:2, 1:3 and 1:5 S:L). The results showed that the best extractions conditions for jicama were 130 rpm, 75 °C, 1:5 S:L and 25 min; while for cabuya were 80 °C, 300 rpm, 1:5 S-L and 100 min. The weight average molecular weight of inulin from jicama and cabuya were 5799.9 and 4659.75 g/mol, respectively. The identity of the obtained inulin from jicama and cabuya were confirmed by infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry analyses were performed to characterize both inulins.