O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a influência das diferentes condições de extrusão nas propriedades térmicas e reológicas de biopolímeros de glúten de trigo plastificado com glicerol. A temperatura das zonas de aquecimento da extrusora co-rotativa de parafuso duplo influi nas propriedades térmicas e reológicas dos biopolímeros. Temperaturas entre 55 ºC e 60 ºC produziram extrusados de bom aspecto e pouca rugosidade. Os extrusados apresentaram elevados valores de G’ e G’’ e a modelagem do processo de extrusão mostrou que a mudança na configuração das zonas de aquecimento influencia principalmente na localização da deformação ao longo da extrusora.

The main objective of this work was to study the influence of different extrusion conditions on thermal and rheological properties of biopolymers of wheat gluten plasticized with glycerol. The temperature of the heating zones of the extruder co-rotating twin screw influences the rheological and thermal properties of biopolymers. Temperatures between 55 ºC and 60 ºC produced extrudates with good looks and low roughness. The extrudates showed high values of G’ and G’’ and shaping the extrusion process showed that the change in configuration of the heating zones mainly influences the location of the deformation along the extruder.

As microalgas são micro-organismos fotossintetizantes de grande importância, uma vez que sintetizam biocompostos de alto valor agregado. Os ácidos gordos de microalgas podem ser produzidos tanto de forma autotrófica quanto heterotrófica e sua síntese ocorre no cloroplasto. O objetivo do presente trabalho é realizar uma breve revisão sobre os ácidos gordos poli-insaturados produzidos por microalgas, enfatizando a influência das condições de cultivo das microalgas, síntese e metabolismo para a produção de ácidos gordos. Esta revisão aborda alguns trabalhos desenvolvidos pelo grupo do LEB e, enfoca os seguintes itens: microalgas, conteúdo lipídico das microalgas, síntese e metabolismo de ácidos gordos, influência das condições de cultivo das microalgas na produção de lipídios e perfil de ácidos gordos.

Microalgae are photosynthetic micro-organisms of great importance, since they are capable of synthesizing high value biocompounds. Fatty acids of microalgae can be produced both by autotrophic and heterotrophic pathways, and are synthesized in the chloroplast. The aim of this study is to perform a brief review of the polyunsaturated fatty acids produced by microalgae, emphasizing the influence of culture conditions, synthesis and metabolism for the production of fatty acids. This review discusses some of the work undertaken by the group LEB, and focuses on the following items: microalgae, lipid content of microalgae, fatty acid synthesis and metabolism, influence of culture conditions of microalgae for the production of lipids and fatty acid profile.

The objective this work was to obtain bioplastics from mixtures of wheat gluten and glycerol by two different processes and evaluate their respective rheological properties. The mixtures and their respective bioplastics were obtained through direct batch mixing under approximately adiabatic and isothermal conditions. The bioplastics showed high values for the storage (G') and loss (G") moduli, suggesting a stronger protein network formed in both processes. The temperature onset and the percentage of weight loss to be estimated were found to be near in both bioplastics. The bioplastics have demonstrated to be materials of interesting potential of use as biodegradable barrier materials.