Cristhiane Maria Bazílio de Omena

Cocos nucifera Linn. (Palmae) husk fiber ethanolic extract: antioxidant capacity and electrochemical investigation.

The present study aims to determine the antioxidant capacity of the ethanolic extracts of husk fiber of four coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) varieties (yellow dwarf, green dwarf, giant and hybrid) and to evaluate the electrochemical behavior of these extracts on a glassy carbon electrode and on a modified glassy carbon electrode. The highest values of total phenolic content were obtained for the hybrid (531 ± 24 mg GAE g(-1) dry extract) and yellow dwarf (501 ± 29 mg GAE g(-1) dry extract) varieties and the lowest was for the green dwarf variety with 58 ± 9 mg GAE g(-1) dry extract. The ability of the extracts to scavenge DPPH˙ radicals was in the order of giant > yellow dwarf > hybrid > green dwarf and the IC50 values varied from 8.6 to 55.9 μg mL(-1). All varieties showed reducing potential by the use of FRAP and CUPRAC methods, with the lowest performance obtained for the green dwarf variety. Additionally, through the use of mimetic biomembranes, ethanolic extracts of coconut husk were shown to protect lipids against oxidative damage independent of the variety. The main antioxidants identified in the extract of yellow dwarf variety by UPLC-MS were quercetin and catechin. Cyclic voltammetric studies of the ethanolic extracts on glassy carbon electrode confirmed the presence of easily oxidized compounds, and the high antioxidant capacity of the varieties. This capacity was expressed as mg quercetin equivalents g(-1) dry extract and ranged from 25.9 up to 53.5 mg QE g(-1). A poly-xanthurenic acid (poly-Xa)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) / glassy carbon modified electrode (poly-Xa/MWCNT/GCE) was used for this purpose. Our findings suggest that these extracts are potentially important antioxidant supplements for the everyday human diet, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, thereby aggregating value to the enormous amount of waste from the coconut industry, mostly used for burning purposes.

Café e saúde humana: um enfoque nas substâncias presentes na bebida relacionadas às doenças cardiovasculares

Coffee is the most consumed beverage in the Western world, including Brazil. The fact that it is one the most popular beverages and its worldwide consumption and economic importance explain the interest for studies on coffee, from its composition to its effects on human health. In addition to the nutrients, its various components include caffeine, the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol, and chlorogenic acids, with coffee being an important dietary source of these compounds. Many studies have verified the association between its constituents and health, especially caffeine and high blood pressure, cafestol and kahweol and dyslipidemias, and chlorogenic acids and cardiovascular protection from their antioxidant properties. This article aims to succinctly present the importance and composition of the drink, the physiological mechanisms involved in the increased blood pressure and serum cholesterol attributed to coffee, and selected studies that verified the association between coffee consumption and these cardiovascular diseases.O cafe e a bebida mais consumida no Brasil e no mundo ocidental. O fato de ser uma bebida tao popular, aliado a sua importância economica, explica o interesse por estudos sobre o cafe, desde a sua composicao ate seus efeitos na saude humana. Dentre as diversas substâncias presentes na composicao quimica do cafe, alem dos nutrientes, destacam-se a cafeina, os diterpenos cafestol e kahweol e os acidos clorogenicos, o que faz do cafe uma importante fonte dietetica destes compostos. Muitos estudos tem verificado a influencia de seus constituintes na saude, principalmente a cafeina vs a elevacao da pressao arterial; o cafestol e o kahweol vs a dislipidemia; e acidos clorogenicos vs protecao cardiovascular, por suas propriedades antioxidantes. Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar de forma sucinta a importância da bebida e sua composicao quimica, os mecanismos fisiologicos envolvidos na elevacao da pressao arterial e do colesterol serico atribuiveis ao cafe, bem como estudos selecionados que verificaram a associacao do consumo da bebida com estas doencas cardiovasculares.

Reflexos da utilização de farelo de coco sobre o valor nutricional do filé de tilápia-do-nilo (Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1857)

The use of coconut meal may represent an alternative source to fish feeding. The purpose of this work was to assess the impact of the use of coconut meal in Nile tilapia feeding and on the nutritional value of the fish fillets. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments (T1 - 0%, T2 - 10%, T3 - 20%, and T4 - 30% for the inclusion of coconut meal) with five repetitions. The proximate composition, cholesterol, and fatty acids were determined. There was a difference (p < 0.05) between the treatments T1 and T3 and between T2 and T3 with regard to moisture levels; between T2 and T3 with regard to lipids; T1 and all the other treatments with regard to carbohydrates, and finally between T1 and T2 and between T3 and T4 with regard to ash. The cholesterol level showed a significant gradual increase following the increase in the inclusion of coconut meal. There was also a difference (p < 0.05) between the treatments concerning the following fatty acids: C10:0; C12:0; C14:0; C18:1; C18:3 (gama); C20:3 , and C22:6 , but the nutritional quality of the product was not affected.

Consumo de café segundo métodos de preparo da bebida e associação com perfil lipídico sérico em hipertensos e diabéticos

1 Artigo elaborado a partir da dissertacao de F.A. LIMA, intitulada “Consumo de cafe segundo metodos de preparo e associacao com perfil lipidico serico em hipertensos e diabeticos de Flexeiras AL”. Universidade Federal de Alagoas; 2008. Apoio: DELIT-MS/CNPq/FAPEAL/SESAU-AL (PPSUS) e Fundacao de Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas (Processo no 2005-0230427-7). 2 Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Faculdade de Nutricao, Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Nutricao. Maceio, AL, Brasil. 3 Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Faculdade de Nutricao, Laboratorio de Nutricao em Cardiologia. Campus A. C. Simoes, BR 104 Norte, km 97, Tabuleiro dos Martins, 57072-970, Maceio, AL, Brasil. Correspondencia para/Correspondence to: S.M.L. VASCONCELOS. E-mail: . 4 Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Quimica e Biotecnologia, Instituto de Quimica e Biotecnologia. Maceio, AL, Brasil. Consumo de cafe segundo metodos de preparo da bebida e associacao com perfil lipidico serico em hipertensos e diabeticos1

Food Insecurity in Households of Patients with Hypertension and Diabetes

Background: People living in households with food insecurity typically have a monotonous diet, low in complex carbohydrates and rich in simple sugars and fats. Such condition associated with obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HA) compromises the quality of life and contributes to an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, especially from cardiovascular diseases. Objectives: To evaluate cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in patients with HA and/or diabetes mellitus and its relationship with the socioeconomic status and the situation of food insecurity (IA) in households. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Patients evaluated: (In) household food security according to the Brazilian Scale of food insecurity (EBIA): Mild, moderate and severe FI; economic status and CVRF. We used the chi-square test, bivariate logistic regression, OR with 95% CI and p≤0.05. Results: The study included 225 patients: 74.0% (n=166) hypertensive (M), 18.0% (n=41) diabetic hypertensive (HD) and 8.0% (n=18) diabetic patients (D); 80.9% were women, mean age 60.3±11.19 years and 64.0% belonging to the economy class D. The patients resided in households in FI: 78.0% of H, 73.0% of HD and 78.0% of D. The frequency of CVRF among individuals in FI was high: 92.0% hypertension, 80.0% hypercholesterolemia, 79.0% hyperglycemia, 76.0% overweight/obesity, 73.0% abdominal obesity and 72.0% hypertriglyceridemia. There was a positive association between FI and hypertension (p=0.034), abdominal obesity (p=0.009) and hypertriglyceridemia (p=0.001). Conclusions: The predominant unsafe condition in the households of the population studied represents an additional risk factor, since the difficulty of access to healthy food both in quantitative and quality terms compromises the treatment and control of these diseases.