The aim of the current study was the valorization of hesperidin, the dominant flavonoid in citrus processing waste, by microwave-assisted synthesis of hesperidin-Mg complex, improving its antioxidant activity and insecticidal potential. Here we show, for the first time, that microwave-assisted synthesis of [Mg(hesp)2(phen)]OAc (1) (hesp: hesperidin, phen: phenanthroline) improve the reaction rate and yield. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments proved to be powerful tools for the identification of three isomers in metal complexes. Moreover, we explore the insecticidal potential of 1 and [Mg(phen)2(Isov)]OAc (2) (Isov : isovanillic acid) complexes against three insects. Complex 1 killed 80% of adults whitefly at 0.14 μmol L-1, and 2 76% at 0.36 μmol L-1. There was a total mortality of Spodoptera frugiperda with 2 at 0.39 μmol L-1, and 83% with 1 at 0.14 μmol L-1. Both have similar activity, and represent a novel group of insecticide for Bemisia tabaci and S. frugiperda; nevertheless, the benefits of both as Myzus persicae repellent require further evaluation.

As principais variedades de Coffea arabica da coleção de Campinas, bem como algumas progênies de maior produtividade de um ensaio de seleções regionais, também desta localidade, foram analisadas a fim de verificar a variabilidade no teor de óleo que apresentam. Na coleção de variedades notou-se que as menores porcentagens em óleo foram encontradas nas amostras dos cafés Amarelo de Botucatu (10,51) e Mokka (10,911 e, as mais elevadas, em amostras dos cafés Mucronata (17,75), Bourbon Vermelho (17,07) e São Bernardo (17,06). Notou-se, de um modo geral, que as amostras despolpadas se revelaram mais ricas em óleo do que as não despolpadas. Nas duas séries de determinações realizadas no ensaio de seleções regionais observou-se ampla variação nas principais progênies de Mundo Novo, várias das quais se mostraram mais ricas em óleo do que a var. typica, tomada como padrão. Entre as linhagem mais produtivas do café Mundo Novo, a de prefixo CP 387-17 (13,90%) revelou-se mais pobre em óleo do que as demais, enquanto as de prefixos CP 385.20 (16,38%), CP 390-2 (16,28%), CP 374-3 (16,25%), P 381-1 (16,22%) e CP 379-19 (16,20%), mostraram-se com maior teor em óleo, indicando a possibilidade de serem selecionadas progênies do café Mundo Novo com maior ou menor, conteúdo, de óleo nas sementes.

A survey was made in order to find out the degree of variability in seed oil content exhibited by the varieties of Coffea arabica L. from the collection grown at the Campinas Central Experiment Station. The extraction with ethylic ether revealed that the lowest oil percentage was present in the Amarelo de Botucatu (10.51 per cent) and Mokka (10.91) coffees, while the Mucronata (17.75), Red Bourbon (17.07) and São Bernardo (17.06 per cent) showed the highest oil content. In a general way a higher amount of oil was found in samples of pulped coffee seeds and lower values in samples of dried cherries, not submitted to pulping operation. Among the entries of a group of selected strains from an experiment located in Campinas, the typica variety taken as a standard had 13.26 per cent of oil in the seed, while several strains of Mundo Novo coffee revealed a significantly higher oil content (Table 2). The results obtained with other coffee samples from the same experiment (Table 3) also revealed that some strains of Mundo Novo present a higher amount of oil than the Sumatra (typica) standard. Among the highest yielding Mundo Novo coffee strains significant difference were found, the lowest oil percentage being obtained in the strain CP 387-17 and the highest ones in the strains CP 385-20, CP 390-2, CP 374-3, P 381-1 and CP 379-19, indicating that a successful selection could be done in order to obtain coffee strains with low and high seed oil content.