Carlos Henrique Pagno

Development of active biofilms of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa W.) starch containing gold nanoparticles and evaluation of antimicrobial activity.

Active biofilms of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, W.) starch were prepared by incorporating gold nanoparticles stabilised by an ionic silsesquioxane that contains the 1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane chloride group. The biofilms were characterised and their antimicrobial activity was evaluated against Escherichiacoli and Staphylococcusaureus. The presence of gold nanoparticles produces an improvement in the mechanical, optical and morphological properties, maintaining the thermal and barrier properties unchanged when compared to the standard biofilm. The active biofilms exhibited strong antibacterial activity against food-borne pathogens with inhibition percentages of 99% against E. coli and 98% against S. aureus. These quinoa starch biofilms containing gold nanoparticles are very promising to be used as active food packaging for the maintenance of food safety and extension of the shelf life of packaged foods.

Caracterização física, química e sensorial de sobremesas à base de soja, elaboradas com mucilagem de chia

In product development is important to study the influence of ingredients in the physical, chemical and sensory properties of the product. The aim of this study was to characterize soy-based desserts with and without addition of chia mucilage, used as food thickener. The formulations were characterized for their rheological properties, °Brix, pH and color. The sensory profile was determined by Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) using 10 trained judges. The results regarding to pH, ° Brix and color coordinate a* did not differ. Unlike these parameters, the other chromaticity coordinates and the rheological properties presented significant statistical differences between the samples. The QDA results showed that the samples did not differ as to the attributes, color, pink guava flavor, creaminess and flavor of soy, but differed in consistency. Thus, it is concluded that the addition of mucilage chia can be made without causing major changes to the product.

Desenvolvimento de espessante alimentar com valor nutricional agregado, destinado ao manejo da disfagia

Dysphagia is characterized by a dysfunction of the swallowing process, being a prevalent symptom of degenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons disease. Foods with modified texture and thickened beverages are traditionally used in the clinical treatment of dysphagia. This study aims to develop a formulation of food thickener with value nutritional aggregate, as well as evaluate its action on various liquid food , under different conditions of preparation time (10 and 120 minutes and 24 hours) temperature (25°C) and refrigeration (10°C). The formulation was composed of whey protein concentrate (WPC), mix of vitamins and minerals and guar gum as a thickening agent. The values obtained for the viscosity showed a difference statistically significant at the 5% level, between the times of thickening, ranging from 58±3CP to 2848±3CP, as well as between different samples tested when compared to each other for the same time. However, viscosity measurements showed that the most beverages are in international standards suggested by the National Dysphagia Diet (NDD), for consistency of food for dysphagia patients.

Gelatin capsule waste: new source of protein to develop a biodegradable film

This work aimed to develop biodegradable films utilizing a new source of gelatin derived from the nutraceutical capsule manufacture waste of coconut with safflower oil, coconut oil and safflower oil. The mechanical, physicochemical, barrier, optical, biodegradation, thermal and morphological properties were evaluated. All films showed low water vapor permeability, intermediate water solubility and high elongation at break. In addition, the films exhibited excellent barrier ability to ultraviolet light. After 15 days of soil burial degradation, the films lost over 68% of initial weight. Scanning electron microscopy showed an appearance free of pores, cracks or bubbles. Furthermore the films showed similar characteristics independent of the waste utilized. The results demonstrated that all the biodegradable films prepared presented appropriate characteristics to be used as substitute to synthetic packaging.

Evaluation of the functionality of bread loaves prepared with quinoa flakes through biological tests

The aim of this study was to evaluate quinoa flakes and bread prepared with the pseudocereal with regard to nutritional aspects by determining chemical composition, content of tocopherols and fatty acid composition as well as to possible beneficial effects in Wistar rats given commercial feed supplemented or not with quinoa flakes and cholesterol. The following parameters were determined: weight gain, food intake, liver weight, fat in liver and lipid profile in blood and liver. The results showed that processing affected the nutritional characteristics of bread because there was a significant increase in dietary fiber content but reduction in soluble fiber. Increased fiber did not influence food intake or weight gain. Regarding fat in liver of rats, the group that consumed bread without quinoa but with cholesterol showed higher lipid content. The addition of quinoa increased significantly the level of all types of tocopherols, especially in the group of animals that consumed 20% quinoa bread, improving the lipid profile both in blood and liver, largely due to a reduction in oxidized LDL.

Avaliação biológica da funcionalidade de pão de fôrma com adição de quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)

Summary The pseudo-cereal known as quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is a grain-like crop from the Andean region of South America, considered as an important diet source of protein for the people of that region. Research has shown that quinoa is a balanced source of amino acids, rich in antioxidants and does not contain gluten, although presenting some antinutritional factors. Bread is a highly popular, readily available staple food, very much appreciated due to its sensorial properties such as taste, flavor, and price. The objective of this work was to compare different loaves bread formulations with and without the addition of quinoa. It was determined the centesimal composition and the level of tocopherols in the formulated products. In order to investigate the possible positive effects of quinoa in the bread, experiments with Wistar rats were carried out using commercial feeding supplemented or not with quinoa and cholesterol. It was determined the net weight gain, feed consumption, net feeding efficiency, weight and percentage of fat and cholesterol in the liver. Results have shown a significant difference for both fat and cholesterol percentage in the liver in those animals that were fed bread and cholesterol compared to controls.