Abstract Twenty six sweet cassava clones were evaluated in two agricultural years, in randomized block design, with 3 replications and plots with 25 plants. The harvests were at 12 months after planting, in both years. The traits evaluated were root yield (RY), dry matter content (DMC), total carotenoids content (TC), β-carotene content (BC), trans-β-carotene content (TrBC) and total cyanide content (TCy). Genotype was significant (P<0.05) in all traits. Broad-sense heritability estimates at the plot level ( h m g 2 ) ranged from 77% (RY) to 93% (TC and TrBC), while the accuracy ranged from 0.88 (RY) to 0.96 (BC and TrBC). The genetic correlations among TC, BC and TrBC were high (0.96 to 0.99) and significant, and the genetic correlations involving these traits and TCy were negative. These results demonstrate the existence of great genetic variability in characteristics important to cassava biofortification and, consequently, great perspectives in the breeding for this purpose.

ABSTRACT: The average yield of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) in Brazil is below the crop potential, and appropriate cultural practices and more productive cultivars are needed to improve crop yield. The Beauregard sweet potato cultivar, originally from the United States, has shown high productive potential. This study evaluated the performance of features of agronomic importance of the Beauregard cultivar in comparison to local cultivars and eight sweet-potato clones in Brazilian regions. For that purpose, two sets of experiments were carried out. The first set evaluated eight sweet potato clones and cultivars Beauregard, Olho Roxo and Ourinhos in Brasília–DF and Itabaiana–SE using as criteria two foliage and six root traits. In the second set, two sweet potato clones (9 and 75), and Beauregard, Brazlândia Branca and Canadense cultivars were evaluated in Piacatú–SP, Brasília–DF, PAD–DF, Canoinhas–SC and Altamira–PA, for the traits: commercial, non-commercial, and total yield. Beauregard presented little foliage production but great root yield across the different environments. Since it has low dry matter content, acceptance of this cultivar may be limited in some regions. None of the sweet potato clones showed stable yield to justify a commercial launch.

Abstract The fruit of the jussara palm (Euterpe edulis M.) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest is rich in anthocyanins, mainly 3-O-glucoside cyanidin and 3-O-rutinoside cyanidin, with high antioxidant capacity which can prevent different types of diseases. The aim of this review addresses aspects of the fruit, proximate composition, bioactive compounds, main methods for determining the antioxidant activity as well as phenolic compounds, fruit processing and some products with functional properties.

Abstract Biofortification is an important technique where the nutritional quality of food crops is enriched through the increase of nutrient content. Provitamin A deficiency is still a public health concern mainly in developing countries. Since beta-carotene is a vitamin A precursor, the increase of this compound in foods through biofortification is a manner to reach people under hidden hunger condition. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of different cooking styles on carotenoids content and antioxidant activity of two different genotypes of biofortified Cucurbita moschata. In the present study, biofortified pumpkins submitted to different cooking conditions were assessed for antioxidant activity by ABTS, DPPH, β-carotene/linoleic acid systems and have polyphenols and carotenoids content compared. The cooking style affected the antioxidant activity. Pumpkins from genotype 1 showed high levels of carotenoids, α-carotene and all-E-β-carotene compared to samples from genotype 2. There was an increase of all carotenoids in both cooked pumpkins, and steam cooking showed the highest retention percentages. Steam cooking presented a higher percentage of carotenoid retention. Pumpkin consumption in developing countries, especially in the Northeast Brazil may be promoted to combat vitamin A deficiency.

Abstract Despite the high catalytic properties of pectinases, the utilization of free enzymes always presents some hindrances such as low stability, a difficulty for product recovery and the impossibility of continuous use. Enzyme encapsulation is one of the methods used to overcome these limitations; however, some kind of effect is expected to occur on its catalytic activity. The objective of this work was to study the parameters involved in the process of encapsulation of a commercial pectinase product in calcium alginate and the effect of this encapsulation on its catalytic activity. The effect of the parameters of sodium alginate, calcium chloride, enzyme concentration and reaction time on enzymatic activity and encapsulation yield were also evaluated. The effect of pH and temperature on the activity of the free and encapsulated enzyme was studied. The highest yield of immobilization was obtained with a concentration of enzyme solution of 4%. Free and encapsulated enzymes showed similar behavior regarding the catalytic activity. The encapsulated enzyme had a narrower pH range (pH 4.0) than the free enzyme (pH 3.0 to 5.0). Besides, the encapsulated enzyme showed an increase in the stability in the pH range between 7 and 8 and above 10 to 12.

Abstract The relation between oxidative stress and inflammation induced by diseases and exercise has increased the interest in the benefits of antioxidant supplements in the improvement of health and physical and mental performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of açai gel in reducing oxidative stress in individuals engaged in physical activities as well as their acceptance. Sensory evaluation was performed to determine its acceptability and the biochemical parameters related to immune profile and biomarkers of muscle, liver and oxidative stress, with and without the use of gel were evaluated. The appearance, sweetness and overall impression of the açai gel were considered good. It was observed a significant increase in CK enzyme, without the gel as well as the oxidative stress biomarkers, it was observed that the MDA (with and without gel) a significant increase (p < 0.05). Through biochemical evaluation, it is concluded that the gel provided protection for some of parameters studied, since it modulated the immunological parameter reducing the lymphocyte activity and muscular stress. However, more studies must be carried out with a larger number of individuals to confirm the gel functionality.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo a produção de massas alimentícias de maior densidade nutricional, utilizando como base a mistura de três matérias-primas biofortificadas: arroz, feijão e trigo. Para a produção das massas, foi utilizado um delineamento experimental central composto rotacional a fim de avaliar o efeito da umidade e do percentual de farinha de feijão na farinha de arroz, na qualidade das massas. Os melhores resultados (maior aumento de peso e volume e menor tempo de cozimento) foram obtidos nos tratamentos: T4 (36% umidade, 9% feijão, 21% arroz), T8 (34% umidade, 9,9% feijão, 20,1% arroz) e T9-13 (34,5% umidade, 5,5% feijão, 24,5% arroz). Os tratamentos selecionados apresentaram características tecnológicas muito próximas às da massa alimentícia controle (100% de farinha de trigo refinada), com o diferencial na composição química, na qual se pôde verificar o aumento na densidade nutricional, com a adição de farinha de feijão e arroz polido à formulação

This study aimed to produce pasta of high nutritional quality, using as a basis the mixture of three materials biofortified: rice, beans and wheat. For the production of pasta a central compound rotational experiment to evaluate the effect of moisture and the percentage of bean flour on the quality of rice flour pasta was used. The best results (greater increase in weight and volume and shorter cooking time) were obtained in the treatments T4 (36% moisture, 9% beans, 21% rice), T8 (34% moisture, 9.9% beans, 20, 1% rice) and T9-13 (34.5% moisture, 5.5% beans, rice 24.5%). The selected treatments showed very similar technological characteristics of the control pasta (100% refined wheat flour), with the difference in chemical composition, where it could be seen the increase in nutrient density with the addition of bean flour and polished rice in the formulation.

Carotenoids have antioxidant activity, but few are converted by the body into retinol, the active form of vitamin A. Among the 600 carotenoids with pro-vitamin A activity, the most common are α- and β-carotene. These carotenoids are susceptible to degradation (e.g., isomerization and oxidation) during cooking. The aim of this study was to assess the total carotenoid, α- and β-carotene, and 9 and 13-Z- β-carotene isomer contents in C. moschata after different cooking processes. The raw pumpkin samples contained 236.10, 172.20, 39.95, 3.64 and 0.8610 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene, 13-cis-β-carotene, and 9-Z-β-carotene, respectively. The samples cooked in boiling water contained 258.50, 184.80, 43.97, 6.80, and 0.77 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene, 13-Z-β-carotene, and 9-Z-β-carotene, respectively. The steamed samples contained 280.77, 202.00, 47.09, 8.23, and 1.247 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene,13-Z-β-carotene, and 9-Z-β-carotene, respectively. The samples cooked with added sugar contained 259.90, 168.80, 45.68, 8.31, and 2.03 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoid, β-carotene, α-carotene, 13-Z- β-carotene, and 9-Z- β-carotene, respectively. These results are promising considering that E- β-carotene has 100% pro-vitamin A activity. The total carotenoid and carotenoid isomers increased after the cooking methods, most likely as a result of a higher availability induced by the cooking processes.

Um extensivo trabalho de determinação de peso do hectolitro grão (PH), peso de mil grãos (PMG) e dureza do grão (DZ), foi realizado durante as safras de 90 a 94, com o objetivo de traçar um perfil do trigo brasileiro e sua implicação na extração de farinha (EXFA). Obteve-se um valor médio de PH de 78,2kg/hl, de PMG de 34,2g e uma DZ classificada como semi-dura. Os valores encontrados variaram de acordo com o ano, estado e, dentro do estado, nos diferentes anos. Entre os estados, os melhores resultados foram de amostras provenientes do MS/DF/MG/GO. Correlações entre EXFA e PH, PMG e DZ mostram ser significativas (P< 5,0%) mas de baixo valor, não devendo, portanto, estes parâmetros físicos, ser utilizado em relação direta com a extração de farinha mas apenas como indicadores do potencial desta. Segregação dos valores de PH, PMG e DZ, por faixas, não melhoraram as correlações com EXFA.

An extensive work to determine the test weight (TW), the thousand kernel weight (TKW) and the hardness (HD) of Brazilian wheat, was undertaken for the crop years from 1990 to 1994, with the objetive of drawing the Brazilian wheat physical characteristics and their relationship with flour extraction (FE). The results showed a median TW of 78.2kg/hl, a TKW of 34.2g and the HD was graded as hard. The values varied accordingly with the crop year, the local and year vs. local. Among the locals the wheat from the MS/DF/MG/GO States showed the best results. Correlation coefficients between FE and each of the parameters, TW, TKW and HD were low but significant (P< 5.0%) and, therefore, should not be used as a direct relationship but only as an indicator of FE. Segregation of TW, TKW and HD by specific ranges did not improve the correlation coefficient values.