Abstract One of the current challenges of the food industry is to develop lipid bases with the desired technological performance for food application and with lower caloric value, in compliance with new legislations. In this context, the objective of this research is to compare chemical and enzymatic interesterification as methods for obtaining structured low-calorie lipids. Both processes are of commercial importance, since they can be used to modify the physical characteristics of fat without generating trans fatty acids. The lipid matrices used were olive oil, soybean oil and fully hydrogenated crambe oil, behenic acid source, presenting anti-obesogenic potential. Samples interesterified were characterized regarding the physicochemical behavior and regiospecific distribution in comparison to the simple mixture of the raw materials, in order to show the importance of the interesterification process. There was a reduction in their solid fat content after interesterification, which improved their physical properties and there was an increase in consistency, while the simple mixture did not represented a good option for industrial use. There was a 47% increase of saturated fatty acids at the sn-1,3 position after enzymatic synthesis. The results indicate that the structured lipids obtained can be a viable alternative to replace fats in foods low calorie.

O objetivo foi estudar a seletividade de inseticidas aos inimigos naturais na cultura do algodão (Gossypium hirsutum L.r. latifoliumHurtch), cultivar DeltaOpal, no município de Malhada (BA) e conhecer a fauna benéfica associada. O trabalho foi conduzido na safra 2010/2011, com delineamento experimental em blocos ao acaso, com seis tratamentos e quatro repetições, sendo os tratamentos: (1) Fipronil 200 SC (0,38 L.ha-1); (2) Alfacipermetrina 100 SC (0,30 L.ha-1); (3) Lufenuron 50 CE (0,30 L.ha-1); (4) Imidacloprid 200 SC (0,30 L.ha-1); (5) Paration Metil 600 CE (1,00 L.ha-1); e (6) Testemunha (água). A aplicação dos produtos foi feita 80 dias após a emergência, com avaliações um dia antes da aplicação e 1, 7 e 14 dias após a aplicação (DAA) por meio do pano de batida e armadilha Moericke. Em laboratório, os insetos foram triados, contados e identificados em famílias. A toxicidade dos produtos varia em função do grupo do inimigo natural. A Imidacloprida é seletiva às aranhas, sendo os demais inseticidas medianamente tóxicos (Alfacipermetrina e Paration Metil: 1º e 14º DAA; Lufenuron: 14º DAA) ou tóxicos (Fipronil e Alfacipermetrina: 7º DAA). Fipronil (1º DAA), Alfacipermetrina (7º DAA) e Paration Metil (14º DAA) são medianamente tóxicos aos adultos de joaninhas. Os inseticidas estudados são tóxicos às larvas de joaninhas, com mais impacto até os sete dias após a aplicação, com exceção do Paration Metil, classificado como inócuo até esse período. Registra-se a ocorrência de 13 famílias de aranhas e 18 famílias de hymenópteros parasitoides em agroecossistema de algodão na região de Malhada (BA).

The aim of this work was study the selectivity of insecticides in favor of natural enemies in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum latifolium Hurtch Lr), DeltaOpal cultivar, in the city of Malhada (BA), and to know the associated beneficial fauna. The study was conducted at the agricultural year of 2010/2011. The design was conducted in randomized blocks with six treatments and four replications. The treatments were: (1) Fipronil 200 SC (0.38 L.ha-1); (2) Alphacypermethrin 100 SC (0.30 L.ha-1), (3) Lufenuron 50 EC (0.30 L.ha-1), (4) Imidacloprid 200 SC (0.30 L.ha-1), (5) Methyl parathion 600 EC (1.00 L.ha-1), and (6) control (water). The product was applied 80 days after emergence, and the evaluations were performed one day before application and 1, 7 and 14 days after application (DAA). The samples were taken using the sampling method beating cloth and Moericke traps. Natural enemies were brought to the laboratory for sorting, counting and identification by family. The toxicity of the products ranged according to the group of natural enemies. Imidacloprid is selective to the spiders and insecticides are moderately toxic (Methyl Parathion and Alphacypermethrin: 1 and 14th DAA; Lufenuron: 14th DAA) or toxic (Fipronil and Alphacypermethrin: 7thDAA). Fipronil (1 DAA), Alphacypermethrin (7th DAA) and Methyl Parathion (14th DAA) are moderately toxic to adult ladybirds. The analyzed insecticides are toxic to the larvae of ladybirds, with more impact until seven days after the application, with the exception of Methyl Parathion classified, as innocuous until this period. The occurrence of 13 families of spiders and 18 families of parasitic Hymenoptera is registered in cotton agroecosystems in the region of Malhada, in the state of Bahia.

Complex B vitamins as Biotin and Riboflavin are required by living organisms, not only for growth but also for metabolite production, and the feed market classifies them as growth promoters. Since Brazil will soon be one of the world's biggest animal protein producers, feed production is a large consumer of vitamins and micronutrients. The industry requires 10 mg riboflavin/0.2 mg biotin per kilogram of feed; a ratio of 40 ~ 50:1. Although few studies have been conducted specifically on riboflavin production using factorial design and surface response method as an optimization strategy, it is a common practice in biotechnology with many research reports available. However, there are no reports on the use of statistical design for biotin production. This study set out to evaluate medium composition influence on biotin and riboflavin production using a statistical design. There are no studies relating biotin and riboflavin production by Candida sp LEB 130. In this preliminary study to improve the simultaneous production of biotin and riboflavin, the maximum riboflavin/biotin ratio of 8.3 µg/mL was achieved with medium component concentrations of: sucrose 30 g/L, KH2PO4 2 g/L, MgSO4 1 g/L and ZnSO4 0.5mL/L.

Finding a new microbial source of transglutaminase (MTGase) and the study of the medium composition for MTGase production were the goals of this work. A total of 200 actinomycete-like strains were isolated from Brazilian soil samples and two of them named T10b and P20 were selected based on their ability to produce 0.15 U.mL-1 and 0.25 U.mL-1 of MTGase, respectively. Strain P20 was chosen to continue the study and was identified as Streptomyces sp. In order to optimize the MTGase activity, modifications of the usual media composition described for enzyme production were tested. The strategy adopted was: (1) screening experiment for the best carbon and nitrogen sources; (2) fractional factorial design (FFD) to elucidate the key ingredients in the media (the results indicated that the soybean flour, peptone, KH2PO4 and MgSO4.7H2O had a significant effect on MTGase) production and (3) central composite design (CCD) to optimize the concentration of the key components. The experimental results were fitted to a second-order polynomial model at the 95% level of significance (P < 0.05). Under the proposed optimized conditions, the model predicted a MTGase activity of 1.37 U.mL-1, very closely matching the experimental activity of 1.4 U.mL-1.