Tamara Rezende Marques

Antioxidants from medicinal plants used in the treatment of obesity.

Aims: The objective of this work was to quantify phenolic compounds, flavonoids, vitamin C, total carotenoids, �≤ -carotene and lycopene and to measure the antioxidant activity in themedicinal plantsAloe vera(L.)Burm. (aloe),Simaba ferrugineaSt. Hil. (calunga), Baccharis trimera(Less.) DC (carqueja),Garcinia cambogia Desr., andTournefortia paniculataCham. (marmelinho) and of the phytotherapic made with the combination of these plants.

Cereal bars enriched with antioxidant substances and rich in fiber, prepared with flours of acerola residues

In the processing for obtaining acerola juice, a large amount of residues, which is usually discharged, is generated (seeds and bagasse). Adding value to these by-products is of great interest, since their use can enrich human food as a good source of nutrients and dietary fiber. In this study, acerola seed flours (ASF) and acerola bagasse flours (ABF) were used to develop cereal bars (CB) in different combinations with brown oats: CB 1: control - with the addition of 25% brown oats, CB 2: with the addition of 12.5% ASF and 12.5% ABF, CB 3: with the addition of 6.25% ASF and 18.75% ABF, CB 4: with the addition of 12.5% ASF and 12.5% brown oats and CB 5: with the addition of 12.5% ABF and 12.5% brown oats. These bars were sensorially evaluated and CB 1, CB 4 and CB 5 received the highest scores. We conclude that CB 4 and CB 5 can be considered as products with enhanced nutritional value, containing iron with a low energetic value and high levels of dietary fibre, besides being enriched with antioxidants.

Malpighia emarginata DC. bagasse acetone extract: Phenolic compounds and their effect on Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Annually, several tons of residues that are rich in phenolic compounds are produced during the processing of acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) juice. Adding value to these residues is of great interest, since they can be a viable solution in the search for natural substances with insecticidal action and low impact on the environment and humans. Taking into account the economic losses from the attacks by the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in different crops, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the extract of acerola bagasse flour (ABF) against this insect and determine the phenolic compounds in this extract. Bagasse of acerola (BRS238 or Frutacor clon) generated after juice production, was frozen and lyophilized. To obtain the extract, 6 g ABF was mixed with 60 mL acetone:water solution (7:3 v/v), and the extract was lyophilized. Spodoptera frugiperda caterpillars, 48 h-old, obtained by the maintenance breeding, were transferred to glass tubes supplied with an artificial diet containing the ABF extract at 0, 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg L-1 diet. The following variables were evaluated: duration and survival of larval and pupal stages, pupal weight, sex ratio, adult longevity, oviposition period, number of egg masses, and total number of eggs. The ABF extract contained several phenolic compounds including gallic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, catechin, p-coumaric acid, salicylic acid, and quercetin. The extract was toxic to S. frugiperda, prolonging the pre-pupal stage and increasing the mortality of caterpillars.

Fruit Bagasse Phytochemicals from Malpighia Emarginata Rich in Enzymatic Inhibitor with Modulatory Action on Hemostatic Processes: Acerola extract modulating hemostasis…

Agro-industrial wastes are promising sources of phytochemicals for the development of products to be used in health promotion and maintenance. In this study, extracts from acerola bagasse (AB) were characterized by HPLC, and evaluated according to its modulatory action on phospholipases A2 and proteases involved in processes such as inflammation and blood clotting. Snake venoms were used as biological tools once they have high functional and structural homology between their enzymes and human enzymes. Two types of extracts were prepared from AB: aqueous and methanolic. These extracts, evaluated at different proportions (venom:extract, w:w), significantly inhibited the phospholipase activity induced by the venoms of Bothrops moojeni, Bothrops atrox (11% to 31%), and Crotalus durissus terrificus (C. d. t.) (11% to 19%). The hemolytic activity induced by the venoms of B. moojeni and C. d. t. was better inhibited by the methanolic extract (inhibition between 23% and 48%). Thrombolysis induced by the venoms of B. moojeni and C. d. t. was inhibited by both extracts, with inhibition ranging from 13% to 63% for the aqueous extract, and from 12% to 92% for the methanolic one. Both extracts increased the time of coagulation induced by the venoms of B. moojeni and Lachesis muta muta in 26 and up to 68 s. These inhibitory actions were related to the following phenolic compounds present in the extract of AB: gallic acid, catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, and quercetin. Additional studies are needed to confirm their potential use for nutraceutical purposes. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Agro-industrial wastes are promising sources of phytochemicals for the development of products that can be used by pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industries. Studies report the use of the acerola bagasse extract in health improvement. However, its toxic-pharmacological characterization is still scarce. In this study, the extracts of acerola bagasse presented phenolic compounds that can modulate the activity of enzymes such as phospholipases A2 and proteases that act on the coagulant/anticoagulant and thrombotic/thrombolytic activities and the break of phospholipids, decreasing the inflammation and platelet aggregation. Although the in vivo effects of the extracts are not fully understood, this study shed light upon the possibilities of their usage.

Antibacterial activity and in vivo wound healing potential of phenolic extracts from jaboticaba skin

In this study, different phenolic extracts were obtained from the jaboticaba skin meal (JSM), whose phenolic compounds were characterized and their antibacterial activities were assessed. Moreover, the activity of lyophilized ethanolic extract of jaboticaba skin (EEJS) on wound healing was analyzed in rats. The JSM phenolic extracts were obtained in four ways: aqueous, methanolic, ethanolic, and acetone extracts. The phenolic compounds were characterized in these extracts by high‐performance liquid chromatography, and their antibacterial activities were evaluated. The in vivo experiment was divided into four groups and received the following treatments: G1—silver sulfadiazine (positive control); G2—EEJS at 10%; G3—EEJS at 5%, and G4—EEJS at 2.5%. The aqueous extract did not inhibit the growing of any bacterium. The ethanolic, acetone, and methanolic extracts inhibited the growing of all bacteria tested at the concentrations of 1.25%, 2.50%, and 5.00%, respectively. The ethanolic extract was the one that showed the highest bacterial inhibition potential and the highest contents of phenolic compounds, especially of catechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin. The G3 and G4 treatments presented faster wound healing compared to the G1 one, as it promoted a less intense inflammatory reaction and full closure of the wounds at an accelerated rate.

Modifications in the methods to extract pectin from cv. “Pedro Sato” guavas during ripening

Guava is a highly perishable fruit due to its intense metabolism during ripening, with a shelf life of up to five days at room temperature. The loss of firmness during ripening is caused by the activity of hydrolytic enzymes that promote dissolution of the pectin constituents of the cell wall. Although guava is considered to be rich in pectin, the amounts reported in the literature do not exceed 2.4%, a content indicating it is not responsible for the firmness of guava. The aim of this study was to extract pectin from the guava pulp during 7 days of ripening by two methods (ethanol and EDTA extraction) and suggest modifications in the methods by adding to the extraction residue, cellulase and pectinase to degrade the cell wall structure of the fruit and obtain larger amounts of pectin, which would imply the participation of pectin in the maintenance of fruit firmness. It was possible to infer there were no differences in the pectin levels extracted by the two methods, due to sugar contamination. As from the new stage in the execution by the two methods, the extraction was more efficient: 9.10% of pectin with EDTA and 7.63% with ethanol. The pectin contents found were higher than those mentioned in the literature, better explaining their responsibility in fruit firmness.

MINERALS AND PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS OF CAGAITA FRUITS AT DIFFERENT MATURATION STAGES (Eugenia dysenterica)

O Cerrado e o maior bioma no Estado de Minas Gerais-Brasil, representado uma biodiversidade de especies frutiferas, destacando a cagaiteira (Eugenia dysenterica). Frutos de cagaiteira sao considerados uma opcao importante para fruticultura, por apresentarem fonte de compostos fenolicos com propriedades antioxidantes e teores de minerais que podem contribuir com efeitos beneficos a saude. Neste estudo, caracterizaram-se os compostos fenolicos por cromatografia liquida de alta eficiencia e avaliaram-se os teores de minerais presentes em frutos de cagaiteira em estadio de maturacao maduros e verdes. Em relacao aos minerais, frutos maduros e verdes destacam-se por serem ricos em potassio. Os frutos verdes sao ricos em boro, enquanto os frutos maduros sao fonte desse mineral. Nos frutos de cagaiteira maduros e verdes, foram identificados os compostos fenolicos: os acidos galico, cafeico, vanilico, p-cumarico, siringico, ferulico e salicilico, epicatequina, quercetina e rutina, sendo os maiores teores dos compostos os acidos cafeico, p-cumarico, siringico e ferulico, epicatequina e rutina identificados nos frutos verdes, enquanto para frutos maduros o destaque foi para os acidos galico, vanilico esalicilico e quercetina. Assim, frutos de cagaita podem apresentar grande potencial para aplicacoes alimentares, terapeuticas e medicinais, trazendo beneficios a saude.

Aqueous extract of Psidium guajava leaves: phenolic compounds and inhibitory potential on digestive enzymes

Leaves of Psidium guajava L. (guava) have been widely used in the popular way for prevention and treatment of various diseases. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory potential of leaves aqueous extract from three cultivars of P. guajava (Pedro Sato, Paluma and Século XXI) on α-amylase, α-glycosidase, lipase, and trypsin enzymes, in the presence or not of simulated gastric fluid and to determine the content of phenolic compounds by high performance liquid chromatography. All cultivars presented the same composition in phenolic compounds, but in different proportions. The compounds identified are gallic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, syringic acid, o-coumaric acid, resveratrol, quercetin, and catechin (which was the major compound in all the cultivars evaluated). In the absence of simulated gastric fluid, it was observed different inhibitions exercised by the leaves aqueous extracts from three cultivars of P. guajava on each enzyme. In presence of simulated gastric fluid, all cultivars showed increase in the inhibition of lipase and α-glycosidase, and decrease in inhibition of α-amylase and trypsin enzymes. These results indicate that P. guajava leaves aqueous extracts from all cultivars evaluated possess potential of use as an adjuvant in the treatment of obesity and other dyslipidemias.

Efeito de diferentes métodos de extração sobre a atividade antioxidante e o perfil de compostos fenólicos da folha de mandioca

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaves are agroindustrial residues with the potential for human consumption, being sources of protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidant substances, especially phenolic compounds. The objective of the present study was to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds present in different cassava leaf flour (FFM) extracts, from the Pao da China cultivar, and evaluate their antioxidant potential. The phenolic compounds were extracted using the following three methods: a) refluxing with methanol/water (50:50, v/v); b) maceration with ethanol/water (50:50, v/v) followed by refluxing with acetone/water (70:30, v/v); c) maceration with methanol PA. The compounds were identified and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography, and the antioxidant activity determined by the ABTS and β-carotene/linoleic acid methods. Five phenolic compounds were found in the FFM extracts: gallic acid, gallocatechin, catechin, chlorogenic acid and epigallocatechin, extraction with methanol/water (50:50, v/v) revealing the presence of the greatest number of these compounds and the highest antioxidant potential. Of the phenolic compounds found in FFM, catechin was the major one, independent of the extraction method. It can be inferred that the antioxidant activity of the FFM extracts is related to the presence of phenolic compounds, since the sample with the highest content of these compounds demonstrated the highest antioxidant potential.

PADRONIZAÇÃO DA EXTRAÇÃO DO INIBIDOR PROTEICO DE ALFA-AMILASE DE FEIJÃO BRANCO

The Alpha-Amylase inhibitors have been indicated as auxiliariesto loss of weight and to the management of diabetes mellitus type 2through the reduction of starch absorption. This work standardized theprocess of extraction of white beans alpha-amylase inhibitor determiningthe extractor, the time of agitation and the conditions for thermal treatment.The results indicate that the methodology used the water as extracting, inthe ratio of 1:5, followed for 3 consecutives extractions under agitation for15 minutes and 70°C thermal treatment for 5 minutes as faster and moreefficient option in the extraction of inhibitor.