Solange M. Cottica

Antioxidant activity and composition of propolis obtained by different methods of extraction

Ethanolic extracts of propolis obtained with different concentrations of propolis and made using hydrous ethanol with various water/ethanol contents were analyzed. The antioxidant action of the extracts was determined by free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH·) scavenging and by ferric reducing ability power (FRAP), using the ferric-tripyridyl triazine (Fe3+-TPTZ) complex. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also determined, and the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry spectra (ESI(-)-MS) of the extracts were acquired. The chemical composition of propolis extracts and their antioxidant activity were observed to vary with the concentration of propolis, and especially with the water/ethanol contents of the hydrous ethanol used for extraction. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was also found to be significantly dependent on these extraction parameters, as well as on the composition of the phenolic compounds and flavonoids. FRAP values showed, however, poor correlation with the flavonoid content

Voltammetric determination of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) in drugs using a glassy carbon electrode modified with chromium(III) hexacyanoferrate(II)

A CrIII hexacyanoferrate(II) (CrHCF)-modified glassy carbon electrode was used to determine pyridoxine (vitamin B6) in three drugs by cyclic voltammetry. The influence of several parameters on the voltammetric electrode response was analyzed. The linear range found was of 1.33 × 10-6 mol L-1 to 1.32 × 10-5 mol L-1 of vitamin, with r = 0.9990 and relative standard deviation of 4.2%. The limits of detection and quantification were 3.46 × 10-7 mol L-1 and 1.05 × 10-6 mol L-1, respectively. The voltammetric proposed method for determination of vitamin B6 presented good accuracy and the experimental results demonstrated that the CrHCF-modified glassy carbon electrode has a large potential for the analysis of pyridoxine in real samples. Furthermore, it has the advantages of a fast response, a low detection limit, low cost, and simple development and application.

Quantification of essential fatty acids in the heads of nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with linseed oil

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of linseed oil on n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acid content in the heads of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), these are normally discarded during the filleting process. The quantification of PUFA was carried out in absolute weights through the use of methyl ester (23:0), as an internal standard, and TCFx (theoretical FID correction factor) by GC gas chromatography. Tilapias were given diets with increasing levels (0.00, 1.25, 2.50, 3.75 and 5.00%) of linseed oil as a replacement for sunflower oil (control) for a period of five months. The ingestion of LNA causes sequential desaturation and elongation in fish heads, leading to an increase in all n-3 PUFAs. This experiment demonstrated clearly that adding linseed oil to the feed of Nile tilapia can markedly increase the amounts (per 100 g-1 of head) of LNA (100.8 to 973.6 mg), EPA (4.8 to 82.1 mg), and DHA (24.0 to 125.4 mg) in their heads, and thus, may be used to help balance n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios in dietary supplements, and creating a valuable alternative food source in the human diet.

Use of propolis extracts as antioxidant in dairy beverages enriched with conjugated linoleic acid

The addition of propolis to food formulations containing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) can improve nutritional properties and stability during storage. The purpose of this study was to enrich dairy beverages with both CLA and Canadian propolis extracts and to determine the chemical characteristics of the enriched beverages, with a focus on antioxidant properties and protection against lipid oxidation. Analysis of DPPH, ORAC, color and aldehyde production along with CLA quantification was performed. Adding different propolis extracts increased the antioxidant capacity of dairy beverages enriched with CLA, while pasteurization treatment reduced the antioxidant capacity. The production of aldehydes during storage under light exposure was reduced significantly in the presence of propolis extracts. Since no nutritional loss was observed during processing and storage of dairy beverages, the main advantage of using propolis extract relates to its higher antioxidant capacity and ability to reduce off-flavors associated with aldehyde production.