Chemical composition and biological activities of Juçara (Euterpe edulis Martius) fruit by-products, a promising underexploited source of high-added value compounds

The pulp of the fruits of Juçara (Euterpes edulis Martius), a native tree of the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, is widely consumed thanks to its flavour and nutritional value. The industrial production of Juçara fruit pulp generates solid residues (peel) which are usually discarded. In this work, a hydroalcoholic extract from Juçara peel flour was evaluated for its phenolic profile as well as for its bioactivities. A total of nineteen phenolic compounds were identified in the Juçara peel flour. Among these, seventeen were non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds, namely two phenolic acids, four flavanonols, six flavones, and five flavonols; whereas the two anthocyanin molecules were cyanidin glycoside derivatives. The Euterpe edulis peel flour presented antioxidant activity and antibacterial potential but was not hepatotoxic. These observations corroborate the idea that this byproduct could fit well into the circular bioeconomy concept, thus promoting the Juçara fruit production chain.J.A.A. Garcia thanks Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for the financial support provided for her masters studies in the State University of Maringá. R.C.G. Corrêa thanks Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnologia (CNPq) for financing her postdoctoral research at State University of Maringá (Process number 167378/2017-1). R.M. Peralta (Project number 307944/2015-8) and A. Bracht (Project number 304090/2016-6) are CNPq research grant recipients. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/ 00690/2013), L. Barros and R. C. Calhelha contracts; to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E; the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to FEDER through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-023289: DeCodE and project Mobilizador Norte-01-0247-FEDER-024479: ValorNatural®.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phytochemical profile and biological activities of 'Ora-pro-nobis' leaves (Pereskia aculeata Miller), an underexploited superfood from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Pereskia aculeata Miller, known worldwide as ora-pro-nobis, is a highly nutritive species of the Cactaceae family from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. In this work, we report inedited information on the phenolic profile of P. aculeata leaves, besides a broad study of their antioxidant potential using a set of five different methods. A total of ten phenolic compounds were identified, such as two phenolic acids (caffeic acid derivatives) and eight flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin glycoside derivatives). Caftaric acid was the extract’s major phenolic constituent, accounting for more than 49% of the phenolic content, followed by quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (14.99%) and isorhamnetin-O-pentoside-O-rutinoside (9.56%). Overall, the ora-pro-nobis leaf extract showed relevant values of antioxidant capacity, with higher activities than the Trolox in the DPPH and ABTS trials. The antimicrobial activity exhibited by the extract against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria suggests the presence of a broad spectrum of phytochemicals with antibiotic activity.J.A.A. Garcia thanks Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for the financial support provided for her masters studies in the State University of Maringá. R.C.G. Corrêa thanks Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnologia (CNPq) for financing her postdoctoral research at State University of Maringá (Process number 167378/2017-1). R.M. Peralta (Project number 307944/2015-8) and A. Bracht (Project number 304090/2016-6) are CNPq research grant recipients. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/ 00690/2019), L. Barros, R. C. Calhelha and C. Pereirás contracts; to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E; the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER- 023289: DeCodE and project Mobilizador.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Composição Química e Atividades Biológicas da Casca do Fruto da Palmeira Juçara (Euterpe edulis Martius)

A polpa dos frutos de Juçara (Euterpes edulis Martius), uma árvore nativa da mata Atlântica, é amplamente consumida graças ao seu sabor e valor nutricional, gerando grande quantidade de resíduos sólidos (casca) que geralmente são descartados. Este trabalho, teve por objetivo avaliar o perfil fenólico e bioatividades da casca de Juçara. Um total de dezenove compostos fenólicos foram identificados, sendo dezessete compostos fenólicos não-antocianinas (dois ácidos fenólicos, quatro flavanonóis, seis flavonas e cinco flavonóis). A casca do fruto de E. edulis apresentou atividades antioxidante e antimicrobiana e não apresentou hepatotoxicidade. Os resíduos da fruta Juçara podem ser utilizados para produzir aditivos alimentares de alto valor agregado, tanto corantes quanto conservantes, seguindo o conceito da bioeconomia circular.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploring the α-amylase-inhibitory properties of tannin-rich extracts of Cytinus hypocistis on starch digestion

Cytinus hypocistis (L.) L. is an edible parasitic plant that grows within the roots of its host. In addition to its use as famine food in the past, it is also tradidionally used for treating several illnesses such as intestinal problems, inflammations, tumors, and bleeding. This species is rich in hydrolysable tannins, compounds often associated with inhibiting starch digestion. Therefore, the present work investigated how effectively C. hypocistis tannin-rich extracts inhibited enzymes involved in starch digestion and if such effect also occurs in vivo. The latter premise was approached using the starch tolerance test in mice. Two optimized hydroethanolic extracts were used, a heat-assisted and an ultrasound-assisted extract, with known hydrolysable tannin content. Both extracts demonstrated potent inhibition of α-amylase. Inhibitions were of the mixed type with inhibitor constants in the 15 μg/mL range. The inhibition of the intestinal α-glucosidase was at least ten times less effective. The inhibition of the α-amylase was negatively affected by in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and bovine serum albumin. In vivo, both extracts inhibited starch digestion at doses between 100 and 400 mg/mL in healthy mice. The highest doses of the ultrasound and heat extracts diminished the peak glucose levels in the starch tolerance test by 46 and 59.3%, respectively. In streptozotocin diabetic mice, this inhibition occurred only at the dose of 400 mg/mL. Under this condition, diminution of the peak glucose concentration in the starch tolerance test was equal to 36.7% and 48.8% for the ultrasound and heat extracts, respectively. Maltose digestion was not inhibited by the C. hypocistis extracts. Qualitatively and quantitatively, thus, the actions of both extracts were similar. The results allow adding a new biological property to C. hypocistis, namely, the ability to decrease the hyper-glycemic excursion after a starch-rich meal, propitiating at the same time a diminished caloric intake.This research was financed by Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (CNPq) and Fundaç˜ao Arauc´aria. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/ 0007/2020). A. R. Silva is grateful to FCT and FSE for her Doctoral Grant (SFRH/BD/145834/2019), and L. Barros for her institutional scientific employment program-contract. R. C. G. Corrêa is a research grant recipient of Cesumar Institute of Science, Technology, and Innovation (ICETI).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chemical composition and bioactivities of Juçara fruit bio-residues, a promising source of valuable molecules

Euterpe edulis Martius, popularly known as Juçara, is a native tree of the Atlantic Rainforest found predominantly in the states of the southern and southeastern regions of Brazil. Juçara fruit is a globose berry that, when ripe, acquires a dark purple shade and sweet pleasant taste. The industrial production of Juçara fruit pulp generates solid residues (peel) which are usually discarded [1]. The aim of the present work was to perform an unprecedented in-depth study on the bioactive components profile of E. edulis fruit peel. The nutritional composition of this material was estimated and its hydroethanolic extract was characterized in terms of phenolic compounds, besides antioxidant and antibacterial potential. Finally, the hepatotoxicity of the extract was assessed. A total of nineteen phenolic compounds was identified in Juçara peel. Seventeen were non-anthocyanin molecules: two phenolic acids, namely caffeic acid and a ferulic acid derivative; four flavanonols, corresponding to three dihydroquercetin (taxifolin) and one dihydrokaempferol (aromadendrin) glycoside derivatives; six flavones, assigned as apigenin C-glycoside derivatives; and five flavonols, among which quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, and isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside. The major components of the peel extract were the anthocyanins cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (5.32 and 6.23 mg/g of extract, respectively), which together accounted for more than 87% of the extract’s total phenolic content, which corroborates literature data [2, 3]. Anthocyanins are amidst the main compounds related to the great free radical-scavenging capacity of Juçara fruit, whereas a significant positive correlation with its general antioxidant capacity was observed (Shultz et al., 2016). The herein studied fruit peel extract presented expressive values of antioxidant capacity, assessed by five distinct methods, namely (1) oxidative haemolysis inhibition assay (OxHLIA), (2) inhibition of the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS); (3) reduction of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH); (4) reduction of the 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) cation (ABTS), and (5) reduction power of the ferric ion (FRAP). Furthermore, the results obtained for antioxidant activity were more expressive than the ones verified by other authors for Juçara residues [1]. The evaluated E. edulis extract showed no toxicity against a non-tumour liver primary culture PLP2, at the highest concentration assessed (400 μg/mL). The inhibitory activity displayed by the extract against both Gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - MRSA) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Morganella morganii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria indicates the presence of an extensive spectrum of phytochemical constituents with antibiotic potential. Indeed, the extract was more effective than the antibiotic ampicillin against M. morganii and P. aeruginosa. Therefore, Juçara fruit residues could be used to produce high added-value food ingredients, both colorants and preservatives, following the circular bioeconomy concept and stimulating the Juçara production chain.R.C.G. Corrêa (Process number 167378/2017-1), R.M. Peralta (Project number 307944/2015-8) and A. Bracht (Project number 304090/2016-6) thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnologia (CNPq), Brazil, for the financial support. The authors are grateful to FCT - Portugal and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2019), L. Barros, R. C. Calhelha and C. Pereira contracts; to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E; FEDER through the Regional Operational Program North 2020: Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-023289 (DeCodE) and project Mobilizador Norte-01-0247-FEDER-024479 (ValorNatural®).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora