The chemopreventive potential of water extracts of the Brassica vegetables cabbage and kale was evaluated by administering their aqueous extracts in drinking water ad libitum to Wistar rats submitted to Ito’s hepatocarcinogenesis model (CB group and K group, respectively - 14 rats per group). Animals submitted to this same model and treated with water were used as controls (W group - 15 rats). Treatment with the vegetable extracts did not inhibit (P > 0.05) placental glutathione S-transferase-positive preneoplastic lesions (PNL). The number of apoptotic bodies did not differ (P > 0.05) among the experimental groups. Ex vivo hydrogen peroxide treatment of rat livers resulted in lower (P < 0.05) DNA strand breakage in cabbage- (107.6 ± 7.8 µm) and kale- (110.8 ± 10.0 µm) treated animals compared with control (120.9 ± 12.7 µm), as evaluated by the single cell gel (comet) assay. Treatment with cabbage (2 ± 0.3 µg/g) or kale (4 ± 0.2 µg/g) resulted in increased (P < 0.05) hepatic lutein concentration compared with control (0.5 ± 0.07 µg/g). Despite the absence of inhibitory effects of cabbage and kale aqueous extracts on PNL, these Brassica vegetables presented protection against DNA damage, an effect possibly related to increased hepatic lutein concentrations. However, it must be pointed out that the cause-effect relationship between lutein levels and protection is hypothetical and remains to be demonstrated.

Durante o amadurecimento da banana ocorre redução dos teores de amido e acúmulo de açúcares como frutose, glicose, com predominância de sacarose, com reflexos importantes na qualidade do fruto. Essas alterações têm sido estudadas em nosso laboratório no cultivar Nanicão. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar em outros cultivares as diferenças na degradação do amido e acúmulo de açúcares solúveis nos estágios pré-climatérico e climatérico do amadurecimento, visando também sua possível utilização comercial. Para tanto, os frutos foram analisados quanto ao teor de açúcares solúveis (glicose, frutose e sacarose) e de amido pelo método enzimático, após extração com etanol 80% e hidróxido de sódio, respectivamente. Os cultivares estudados apresentaram diferenças acentuadas nos teores de açúcares solúveis nos frutos maduros, variando desde 9,7% no cultivar Mysore até 20,6% na banana Nanica. Observou-se uma queda no teor de amido paralelamente ao acúmulo de açúcares solúveis. No cultivar Ouro Colatina o teor de amido variou de 22,0% no fruto verde a 1,2% no fruto maduro, havendo acúmulo de sacarose no decorrer do amadurecimento atingindo níveis de 12,0%. Nos cultivares Nanica e Nanicão os teores de amido foram de 21,7% a 0,9% e 23,1% a 0,9% com acúmulo de sacarose a 15,2% e 14,0% no fruto maduro, respectivamente.

During banana ripening there is a decrease of starch content and an increase of fructose, glucose and mainly sucrose, which has an important impact in the quality of the fruit. These changes have been extensively studied in our laboratory for the cv. Nanicão. The aim of this research was to evaluate in several other commercial and non commercial cultivars the differences in starch degradation and soluble sugar formation. Starch and soluble sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) contents were enzimatically determined after extraction with ethanol 80% and sodium hydroxide, respectively. Data indicate marked differences of total sugar quantities in ripened fruit, from 9.7% in cv. Mysore to 20.6% in cv. Nanica. Starch content of the cv. Ouro Colatina decreased from 22.0% to 1.2% with ripening, with concomitant sucrose increase to 12.0%. For cvs. Nanica and Nanicão starch decreased from 21.7% to 0.9% and 23.1% to 0.9%, and sucrose increased to 15.2% and 14.0%, respectively.