Resumo Componentes como açúcares e ácidos clorogênicos, que são acumulados durante a maturação dos grãos de café, possuem importante papel na qualidade da bebidanão somente atribuído a sua alta concentração, mas também às alterações ocorridas nos grãos durante a torração. Os açúcares predominantes nos grãos de café são frutose, glicose e sacarose. Porém, os ácidos clorogênicos podem ser responsáveis pela desvalorização na qualidade da bebida, devido à intensa degradação térmica durante o processamento dos grãos. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a composição química destas duas substâncias durante as etapas pós-colheita em cafés colhidos em diferentes estádios de maturação, pela técnica de Cromatografia Liquída de Alta Eficiência (CLAE). Com relação aos monoisômeros dos ácidos clorogênicos, o teor de 5-acido cafeoilquinico (5-CQA) teve aumento durante o processamento dos grãos, apesar de ter se mantido instável durante as etapas de secagem em terreiro. Os três lotes estudados foram: Lote 1, representado por 90% frutos cereja + 10% frutoscru; Lote 2, frutos 100% cereja; e Lote 3, 85% frutos boia + 10% frutos cereja + 5% frutos cru. Esses lotes diferiram significativamente entre si com relação ao teor de 5-CQA. Com referência ao lote 2, este foi o lote que apresentou a maior concentração de 5-CQA, por outro lado, durante o processo de torração e elaboração da bebida, ocorreu redução no teor de 5-CQA. Os teores dos isômeros 3 e 4 não apresentaram uma tendência definida de aumento ou diminuição durante o processamento. Com relação aos açúcares, uma maior concentração de sacarose foi encontrada no lote 3. Ainda vale ressaltar que o teor de sacarose teve um aumento durante o processamento, enquanto os teores de frutose e glicose teve uma diminuição. Após a torração, os níveis de sacarose, frutose e glicose diminuíram significativamente, e não houvedetectação tanto de glicose quanto de frutose nos grãos torrados. O método escolhido para a determinação dos açúcares e ácidos clorogênicos foi considerado eficiente diante dos resultados obtidos durante a validação dos métodos.

Abstract Compounds such as sugar and clorogenic acids, accumulated during the ripening of coffee beans, have an important role in beverage quality, which is ascribed not only to their high concentration, but also to the changes occurring during roasting. The predominant sugars present in coffee beans are glucose, fructose and sucrose. Chlorogenic acids may be responsible for a loss in beverage quality, since they suffer intense thermal degradation during bean processing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the behaviour of the chemical compounds during the post-harvest steps in coffees harvested at different ripening stages, using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). With respect to the chlorogenic acid monoisomers, the 5-CQA content tended to increase during the bean processing, despite being unstable during sun drying. The three batches studied (batch 1: 90% cherry + 10% unripe; batch 2: 100% cherry; batch 3 85% floaters + 10% cherry + 5% unripe) presented significantly different 5-CQA contents, batch 2 presenting the highest concentration. During the roasting process and elaboration of the beverage, a reduction in the 5-CQA contents occurred. The levels of the isomers 3 and 4 showed no defined tendency to increase or decrease during processing. With respect to the sugars, the sucrose content tended to increase and the fructose and glucose contents decreas during processing. A higher concentration of sucrose was found in batch 3. After roasting, the levels of sucrose, fructose and glucose decreased drastically, glucose and fructose not being detected in the roasted beans. The method chosen to determine the sugar and clorogenic acid contents was considered efficient during validation of the methods, due to the results obtained.

Ascorbic acid has important nutritional characteristics such as high antioxidant potential, preventing diverse damage and diseases in the tissues and the process of aging. Different isomeric forms of the ascorbic acid can be found in nature and each one have different potential antioxidant and different activity pro-vitamin C. This work examined a method to detect and quantify the isomers L-ascorbic acid (LAA) and D-iso-ascorbic acid (DIAA) in jelly fruit. The method showed acceptable selectivity, linearity, repeatability and recovery. DIAA was not found in the analyzed samples, but LAA was found up to 605 mg in 100 g of sample.

A metodologia indicada pela AOAC para a determinação de Vitamina C em sucos e preparados emprega uma titulação com o indicador 2,6-diclorofenol-indofenol. Esta técnica apresenta dificuldades quando são analisadas amostras com intensa coloração. Tendo em vista a necessidade de uma metodologia mais adequada para estas amostras, foram feitas modificações no método tradicional e sua eficácia foi comprovada. Testes comparativos foram realizados entre a metodologia original, a modificada e um método cromatográfico. Seis diferentes geleias de frutas foram analisadas e as modificações propostas foram satisfatórias, ao passo que os resultados foram mais semelhantes aos obtidos pelo método cromatográfico. O sistema apresentou-se linear, repetitivo (desvio padrão de 2,50%), com alta recuperação (102,10%), e uma economia de 92,88% de reagentes foi realizada. Foram encontradas concentrações entre 0 a 6,08 mg de ácido ascórbico por 100 g de amostra.

The AOAC standard methodology for determination of vitamin C in juices and preparations employs a titration with the indicator 2,6-di-chlorophenol-indophenol. This technique presents difficulties when samples with intense coloration are analyzed. Considering the need for a more adequate methodology to deal with these samples, adaptations of the traditional method were performed and their efficacy was verified. Comparative tests were performed on the standard methodology, the modified methodology and the chromatography method. Six different jelly fruits were analyzed and the proposed modifications were considered satisfactory, because these results were closest to the chromatographic results. The system proved to be linear, repeatable (standard deviation of 2.50%), with high recovery (102.10%) and an economy of 92.88% of reagents was achieved. Concentrations were between 0 to 6.08 mg of ascorbic acid per 100 g of sample.

The Energy Value (EV) corresponds to the sum of the energetic contributions from food macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) and is required on the labels of pre-packaged foods. The determinations of these parameters are based on distinct analytical procedures, each one being time-consuming, laborious and producing residues. This work presents multivariate models to determine the EV contents of industrialized foods for human consumption by using X-ray fluorescence spectra of samples with known parameters, determined through conventional methods. The proposed method is an alternative to conventional analytical methods and does not require any reagent, given the demands of the "green chemistry".

The objective of this research was to determine the levels of enrichment of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and B3 in different types and brands of enriched cookies. The chromatographic separation was performed in a C18 column with gradient elution and UV detection at 254 and 287 nm. The results show that only 5 of the 24 brands evaluated are in accordance with the Brazilian legislation with respect to the vitamin content declared on the labels. However, consumption of approximately 100-150 g of most of the brands supplies the recommended dietary intake for children and adults of the vitamins evaluated.

Synthetic dyes are much used in processed foods. HPLC was applied to different types of snacks, such as colored cereals, chocolate confetti, chewing gums and candies for the determination of those additives. In the case of artificially colored breakfast cereals, 71% of the samples exceeded the allowed limits. Regarding the portions recommended for consumption by the makers of two of the samples, the amounts exceeded those allowed by the Brazilian legislation. In the case of chocolate confetti and candies none of the samples showed higher amounts than those allowed. However 37% of the chewing gum samples presented larger contents than the authorized ones, and one sample contained five times more synthetic dyes than allowed.

Synthetic dyes were determined by high performance liquid chromatography in 76 samples of regular jelly and diet jelly powders, of several flavors produced by seven different manufacturers. Three sample of each product, from different batches, were analyzed. The same qualitative composition was observed for products of the same flavor from different manufacturers, but the quantitative composition varied markedly from one manufacturer to the other. There were no or few significant differences between batches from a given manufacturer, demonstrating good quality control in the use of these additives by the food industry. None of the samples exceeded the limit stipulated by Brazilian legislation.