Implication of anthropometric profile and alimentary consumption on risk for diseases among school children in the 1st to 4th grades

This study aimed to determine the anthropometric profile and diet of 652 school children from the 1st to 4th grades of elementary education in six private schools in the city of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. Children's weight and height were classified according to the Body Mass Index proposed by Must et al. (1991). Food consumption was evaluated by means of a questionnaire about daily food frequency. Statistical analysis was carried out using linear and logistic regression tests, with a significance level of 5%. High rates of overweight and obesity, 21.9% and 13.3% respectively, were observed, which did not show a significant relationship with total food consumption. The data obtained were: high consumption of foods rich in energy, such as sugar- and fat-rich foods, and insufficient consumption of low-energy foods that are sources of micronutrients, such as vegetables. It is necessary to enhance the promotion of good alimentary and health habits within schools to lower risk factors for developing diseases, as well as to develop and validate a questionnaire to reliably assess the diet of the infant population.Este trabalho objetivou determinar o perfil antropométrico e o consumo alimentar entre escolares de 1ª a 4ª séries do ensino fundamental de escolas privadas de Maringá - PR. A amostra de estudo foi de 652 alunos. Verificou-se o peso e a estatura e classificados de acordo com o Índice de Massa Corporal proposto por Must et al. (1991). O consumo alimentar foi avaliado por meio de um questionário de freqüência alimentar diária. A análise estatística foi realizada pelos testes de associação e regressão logística linear, com nível de significância de 5%. Verificaram-se índices altos de sobrepeso e obesidade, 21,9% e 13,3%, respectivamente, os quais não mostraram relação significativa com o consumo alimentar. Os dados obtidos foram: alto consumo de alimentos ricos em energia, como aqueles ricos em açúcares e gorduras, e um consumo insuficiente de alimentos pouco energéticos e fonte de micronutrientes, como os vegetais. Para diminuir os fatores de risco do desenvolvimento de doenças faz-se necessário o aumento da promoção de bons hábitos alimentares e saúde dentro das escolas, além da necessidade de elaborar e validar um questionário de consumo alimentar para avaliar a população infantil

Primjena mikrokapsula antocijanina, izoliranih iz ploda palme Euterpe edulis Mart., u proizvodnji hrane, te ispitivanje njihove stabilnosti pomoću toplinsko-analitičkih metoda i fotoakustične spektroskopije

Anthocyanins extracted from the pulp of the fruit of juçara palm (Euterpe edulis Mart.) were microencapsulated with maltodextrin in order to stabilise them. Photoacoustic spectroscopy was used to investigate the photostability of the microencapsulated samples. Complementary differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy measurements were also performed. Lyophilised extract had 14 340.2 mg/L of total anthocyanins, and the microencapsulation effi ciency of 93.6 %. Temperature analysis showed that maltodextrin conferred protection up to 70 °C for 120 min. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the microencapsulated particles had a flake-like morphology with a smooth surface, characteristic of lyophilisation processes. In addition, when added to yogurt, a red colourant was predominant in the samples at pH from 1.5 up to 5.0. Thermal analysis showed a weak interaction between the sample and the encapsulating agent, and photoacoustic data indicated the photostability of the matrix when exposed to light. Yogurts containing microencapsulated anthocyanins showed a more intense pink colour than yogurts treated with pure dye, and sensory analysis demonstrated that they can have good acceptance on the market. Microencapsulation enabled the innovative application of anthocyanins from juçara palm fruit, and complementary techniques allied to the photoacoustic spectroscopy were effective tools for its evaluation.Antocijanini izolirani iz pulpe ploda palme Euterpe edulis Mart. enkapsulirani su maltodekstrinom radi povećanja njihove stabilnosti. Stabilnost mikrokapsula na svjetlu ispitana je pomoću fotoakustične spektroskopije. Osim toga, kapsule su dodatno ispitane diferencijalnom pretražnom kalorimetrijom i pretražnom elektronskom mikroskopijom. Liofilizirani je ekstrakt sadržavao 14 340.2 mg/L ukupnih antocijanina, a učinkovitost postupka mikroenkapsulacije bila je 93,6 %. Toplinska je analiza potvrdila da maltodekstrin sprečava razgradnju antocijanina na temperaturi do 70 ºC tijekom 120 min. Pretražna je elektronska mikroskopija pokazala da su mikrokapsule imale pahuljastu strukturu i glatku površinu, što je tipično za postupak liofilizacije. Osim toga, uzorci su jogurta kojima su dodane kapsule antocijanina pri pH-vrijednosti od 1,5 do 5,0 imali pretežno crvenu boju. Toplinskom je analizom utvrđeno da je došlo do slabog povezivanja uzorka s maltodekstrinom, a zatim je fotoakustičnom analizom ispitana stabilnost kapsula nakon izlaganja svjetlu. Jogurti s mikrokapsulama antocijanina imali su intenzivniju ružičastu boju od onih koji su sadržavali čisto bojilo, a senzorska je analiza pokazala da su takvi proizvodi prihvatljivi na tržištu. Mikroenkapsulacija omogućuje novi način primjene antocijanina iz ploda palme Euterpe edulis Mart., a za njihovu je procjenu moguće upotrijebiti fotoakustičnu spektroskopiju u kombinaciji s drugim metodama

Curcumin–β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex: Stability, solubility, characterisation by FT-IR, FT-Raman, X-ray diffraction and photoacoustic spectroscopy, and food application

AbstractCurcumin was complexed with β-CD using co-precipitation, freeze-drying and solvent evaporation methods. Co-precipitation enabled complex formation, as indicated by the FT-IR and FT-Raman techniques via the shifts in the peaks that were assigned to the aromatic rings of curcumin. In addition, photoacoustic spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, with the disappearance of the band related to aromatic rings, by Gaussian fitting, and modifications in the spectral lines, respectively, also suggested complex formation. The possible complexation had an efficiency of 74% and increased the solubility of the pure colourant 31-fold. Curcumin–β-CD complex exhibited a sunlight stability 18% higher than the pure colourant. This material was stable to pH variations and storage at −15 and 4°C. With an isothermal heating at 100 and 150°C for 2h, the material exhibited a colour retention of approximately 99%. The application of curcumin–β-CD complex in vanilla ice creams intensified the colour of the products and produced a great sensorial acceptance

Biosynthesis of Indole-3-Acetic Acid by New Klebsiella oxytoca Free and Immobilized Cells on Inorganic Matrices

While many natural and synthetic compounds exhibit auxin-like activity in bioassays, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is recognized as the key auxin in most plants. IAA has been implicated in almost all aspects of plant growth and development and a large array of bacteria have been reported to enhance plant growth. Cells of Klebsiella oxytoca isolated from the rhizosphere of Aspidosperma polyneuron and immobilized by adsorption on different inorganic matrices were used for IAA production. The matrices were prepared by the sol-gel method and the silica-titanium was the most suitable matrix for effective immobilization. In operational stability assays, IAA production was maintained after four cycles of production, obtaining 42.80 ± 2.03 μg mL−1 of IAA in the third cycle, which corresponds to a 54% increase in production in relation to the first cycle, whereas free cells began losing activity after the first cycle. After 90 days of storage at 4°C the immobilized cells showed the slight reduction of IAA production without significant loss of activity