Retenção de compostos fenólicos e aceitabilidade de churros sem glúten feitos com farinha de sorgo com ou sem tanino

The objective of this work was to evaluate the acceptability of gluten-free churros made either with tannin or tannin-free sorghum flour, as well as the retention of their phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity retention after cooking and frying. The churros were developed by replacing wheat flour with sorghum flour from the sorghum cultivars BRS 305 with tannin (T-churro) or BRS 501 tannin free (TF-churro). The content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were evaluated before and after the thermal processing. Both products had a high acceptability (84.5‒95.5%) for all evaluated sensory attributes, and no difference was observed for color, aroma, and flavor. However, the T-churro showed a higher acceptance for texture, overall acceptability, and purchase intention. The churros had a similar proximate composition for fiber content. The phenol content was about three times and antioxidant activity about 20 times higher for T-churro than for TF-churro. Although subjected to two types of processing (cooking and frying), the fried and ready-to-eat T-churro retained more than 50% of anthocyanins, phenols, and antioxidant activity. The TF-churro product showed a retention of these compounds above 70, 40, and 65%, respectively. The tannin content of 'BRS 305' sorghum increases its functional potential and does not negatively affect the acceptability of the churros. Sorghum either with or without tannins has the potential to be used for the production of gluten-free churros.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a aceitabilidade de churros sem glúten, feitos com farinha de sorgo com ou sem tanino, assim como a retenção de seus compostos fenólicos e da sua capacidade antioxidante após processamento por cozimento e fritura. Os churros foram desenvolvidos pela substituição da farinha de trigo por farinhas de sorgo das cultivares BRS 305 com tanino (T-churro) ou BR 501 sem tanino (TF-churro). O teor de compostos fenólicos e a atividade antioxidante foram avaliados antes e depois do processamento térmico. Ambos os produtos apresentaram alta aceitabilidade (84,5‒95,5%) para todos os atributos sensoriais avaliados, e nenhuma diferença foi observada quanto à cor, ao aroma e ao sabor. Entretanto, o T-churro teve maior aceitação quanto à textura, à aceitabilidade geral e à intenção de compra. Os churros apresentaram composição centesimal semelhante quanto ao conteúdo de fibra. O teor de fenol foi cerca de três vezes e a atividade antioxidante cerca de 20 vezes maior no T-churro do que no TF‑churro. Apesar de ter sido submetido a dois tipos de processamento (cozimento e fritura), o T-churro frito pronto para consumo apresentou mais de 50% de retenção de antocianinas, fenóis e atividade antioxidante, após a fritura. O produto TF-churro apresentou retenção desses compostos acima de 70, 40 e 65%, respectivamente. O teor de tanino do sorgo 'BRS 305' aumenta seu potencial funcional e não afeta negativamente a aceitabilidade dos churros. Sorgos com ou sem taninos têm potencial para a produção de churros sem glúten

Yield losses in off-season corn crop due to stalk rot disease

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as perdas causadas pelas podridões da base do colmo em híbridos de milho (Zea mays), bem como identificar os principais patógenos causadores da doença, durante a safrinha, no Estado do Tocantins, Brasil. Foram realizados dois ensaios, um com cinco híbridos, em 2015, e outro com quatro, em 2016. Espigas de plantas sadias e doentes foram colhidas em cada parcela, por ocasião da colheita. Foram medidos tamanho de espigas, peso de grãos e espigas, e umidade dos grãos. De cada planta doente, foi retirado um fragmento do colmo com dois a três entrenós, utilizado para identificação e quantificação dos patógenos. Os patógenos mais comuns foram: Fusarium graminearum, Stenocarpella maydis e Macrophomina phaseolina. Todas as variáveis de produtividade foram significativamente menores nas plantas doentes, com perdas médias de 30,6%, em 2015, e de 34,3% em 2016. As maiores perdas são observadas em híbridos com maior relação entre pesos de grãos e espigas.The objective of this work was to assess yield losses due to stalk rot in corn (Zea mays) hybrids, as well as to identify the main pathogenic fungi responsible for the disease during the off-season, in the state of Tocantins, Brazil. Two field experiments were carried out, one with five hybrids, in 2015, and another with four, in 2016. Ears of healthy and stalk rot-infected plants were collected from each plot, at harvest. Ear size, grain and ear weights, and grain moisture content were measured. From each diseased plant, a stalk piece with two to three nodes was removed for pathogen identification and quantification. The most common pathogens were: Fusarium graminearum, Stenocarpella maydis, and Macrophomina phaseolina. All yield parameters were significantly lower in stalk rot-infected plants, with average losses of 30.6%, in 2015, and of 34.3% in 2016. The highest yield losses are observed in hybrids with the highest grain/ear weight ratio

Novel insights into the early stages of infection by oval conidia of Colletotrichum sublineolum

Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum sublineolum Henn. ex Sacc. & Trotter, is one of the most important sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] diseases in Brazil. This fungus exhibits conidial dimorphism, producing either falcate or oval conidia on solid and liquid media, respectively. We compared patterns of the initial infection events by these two types of conidia on sorghum leaves using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The infection events during the first 24 h were similar for both oval and falcate conidia. Globose and melanized apressoria were formed at 24 h after inoculation (hai) regardless of the conidia type. Dense mycelium and oval conidia developed from germinated falcate conidia at 32 hai. Hyphal mass displaying acervuli filled with falcate conidia and surrounded by setae, developed from germinated oval conidia at 48 hai. Oval conidia were as capable as falcate conidia of infecting sorghum leaves. The inherent ability to grow faster and the easeness with which oval conidia can be produced in vitro as compared to falcate, make the former a preferred choice for studies on the C. sublineolum-sorghum interaction. It would be instructive to further investigate the potential role of the oval conidia in epidemics

Novel insights into the early stages of infection by oval conidia of Colletotrichum sublineolum

Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum sublineolum Henn. ex Sacc. & Trotter, is one of the most important sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] diseases in Brazil. This fungus exhibits conidial dimorphism, producing either falcate or oval conidia on solid and liquid media, respectively. We compared patterns of the initial infection events by these two types of conidia on sorghum leaves using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The infection events during the first 24 h were similar for both oval and falcate conidia. Globose and melanized apressoria were formed at 24 h after inoculation (hai) regardless of the conidia type. Dense mycelium and oval conidia developed from germinated falcate conidia at 32 hai. Hyphal mass displaying acervuli filled with falcate conidia and surrounded by setae, developed from germinated oval conidia at 48 hai. Oval conidia were as capable as falcate conidia of infecting sorghum leaves. The inherent ability to grow faster and the easeness with which oval conidia can be produced in vitro as compared to falcate, make the former a preferred choice for studies on the C. sublineolum-sorghum interaction. It would be instructive to further investigate the potential role of the oval conidia in epidemics