Vegetable proteases have been studied as milk coagulants, and artichoke flower (Cynara cardunculus L. var scolymus) has potential coagulant action as a substitute for microbial chymosin. The objective was to perform chemical characterization of aspartic proteases from artichoke flower (Cynara cardunculus L. var scolymus) by mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR) and analytical measurements. Artichoke flower extracts were obtained and crude thistle flower extract and microbial chymosin were used as a reference. Plant extracts and microbial chymosin were analyzed for protein concentration, proteolytic activity (PA), milk clotting activity (MCA), specificity ratio (SR), effects of pH, temperature, NaCl and CaCl2 concentration on MCA and PA and characterized by electrophoretic, spectroscopic, chromatographic and storage stability. The results indicated that the crude extract of artichoke flower showed high MCA (510.08 SU mL 1), low PA (10.50 µg mg-1), SR (48.57) and storage stability for up to 90 days under frozen. The electrophoretic profile of artichoke flower resulted in a protein band with an apparent molecular weight of 32 kDa, associated with cardosin A. Artichoke flower may be a new alternative for commercial plant proteases with active enzymes for milk coagulation.

The objective of this work is the identification of cheese maturation time using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) data and analytical measurements associated with chemometrics techniques. Minas artisanal cheeses were collected from 8 producers matured at times 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 45 and 60 days, fractioned in rind and crumb for moisture, water activity (aw), dry in fat extract, pH, acidity, ashes, protein, extent and depth of proteolysis, color and identification of functional groups in FTIR-ATR. Principal component analysis (PCA), multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least squares (PLS) techniques were performed on the dataset. PCA was used to assess differences and similarities of the samples. The best results to predict the maturation time were using MLR for analytical measurements in the portion of the crumb, with coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.92, root mean square error of validation (RMSEV) = 5.4 days and PLS for FTIR-ATR with R2 = 0.92, RMSEV = 5.3 days. The results indicated that the FTIR-ATR was adequate to predict maturation times. Although, it does not eliminate the need for more detailed chemical analysis.

Mid-infrared spectroscopy (MID), chemical composition and physicochemical characteristics associated with chemometrics were used to rapidly detect and quantify the amount of cow’s milk added in buffalo’s milk. A total of 165 samples, divided into buffalo’s milk, buffalo’s milk added with cow’s milk (10 to 90%) and cow’s milk were evaluated to obtain fat, protein, lactose, total and defatted solids, urea, pH, acidity, cryoscopic index and band absorbances in the spectra associated with principal component analysis (PCA), multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least squares regression (PLS). The treatments were separated into groups by PCA, allowing the classification of samples. MLR and PLS models were able to predict cow’s milk contents in buffalo’s milk. MID and results of the analytical measures studied when associated with chemometrics are efficient in the rapid quantitative detection of adulteration in buffalo’s milk.

The objective of this study was to use Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis to identify adulterations in raw milk and in samples from producers. Five levels of concentration of sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, starch, sucrose and urea were used. A total of 620 samples previously adulterated, frozen and lyophilized were analyzed in FTIR-attenuated total reflection (ATR) equipment and 15 peaks of the spectra were obtained. With the multiple linear regression method for samples adulterated with sodium bicarbonate, sucrose and urea, a coefficient greater than 75% was obtained, and with artificial neural networks all adulterated samples obtained a percentage of correctness greater than 76.6%, making it possible to identify adulterants from 0.1%. Of the 249 samples of producers analyzed, 2.4% were adulterated. With the use of FTIR allied to the multivariate analysis as a screening method, it was possible to obtain a satisfactory classification for the adulterated samples in this study.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of whole cottonseed on diets of cows under grazing on fatty acid profile and milk cholesterol. Five crossbred Holstein × Zebu cows were distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square. Inclusion levels were 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24%. There was a linear decrease in all fatty acids quantified, saturated and monounsaturated (p > 0.05), possibly due to the action of polyunsaturated fatty acids ingested in the diet. There was no influence of treatment on conjugated linoleic acids or cholesterol. It is concluded that, regardless of inclusion level, there is a modification in the milk lipid profile, reducing the concentration of saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, and making it rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial to health.

Com o presente trabalho teve-se como objetivo determinar o perfil de ácidos graxos (AG) em diferentes cortes comerciais da carne de capivaras. Cinco capivaras adultas foram abatidas por tiro na região temporo-occiptal, sangradas, depeladas, evisceradas, divididas em 2 meias carcaças e resfriadas a 5ºC por 24horas. A desossa e os cortes comerciais foram realizados às 24 horas post mortem. O percentual da gordura foi determinado segundo a AOAC (1990), e para a determinação dos AG, a gordura foi extraída segundo Folch et al. (1957) e submetida à cromatografia gasosa. Os diferentes cortes mostraram variações significativas (P<0,05) para os ácidos graxos C16:0, C16:1ω7, C18:1ω9, C20:4ω6 e C22:4ω6. Os demais ácidos graxos não variaram entre si. A relação ω3/ω6 foi de: 1:23,2; 1:10,9; 1:14,5, 1:18,7 e 1:17,3 para os cortes pernil, peito-fralda, lombo, paleta e carré, respectivamente.

The present work had as objective to determine the fat acids (FA) profile in different commercial cuts of capybara meat. A total of five adults were slaughtered by shot in the temporo-occiptal region, bled, taken the skin out, eviscerated, divided in two half carcass and cooled at 5ºC for 24h. The taking out of the bone and the preparation of the commercial cuts were carried out at 24 h post mortem. The fat percentage was determined as AOAC (1990) and for the determination of FA, extraction was performed as Folch et al. (1957), followed by gas chromatography analysis. The different cuts showed significant variations (P<0,05) for the C16:0, C16:1ω7, C18:1ω9, C20:4ω6 and C22:4ω6 fat acids. The others fat acids did not differ among them. The ration ω3/ω6 was of 1:23.2, 1:10.9, 1:14.5, 1:18.7 and 1:17.3 for the hind leg, chest - plati, loin, palette and carré cuts, respectively.