Demand analysis on food: effects of Bolsa Família on dairy consumption as a source of calcium.

Bolsa Família is a conditional cash transfer program in Brazil, which aims to improve education, health and nutrition in poor households. Dairy products are also representative in terms of food expenses in Brazil besides being an important source of calcium. This paper aims to evaluate effects of Bolsa Família on the dairy products demand. Survey data from 55,700 households collected in 2008/2009 by the Brazilian Bureau of Statistics (IBGE) are used. The Heckman two-step method is applied for the estimation. The results suggested that Bolsa Família increases the probability of buying milk powder and unpasteurized milk. As for policy consideration, managing unpasteurized milk and other nutritional education procedures should be considered to improve health and nutrition for low income families.Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-06T03:31:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cnpgl2015PlanPolPublDemand.pdf: 225001 bytes, checksum: d644abf12e77df3d7456d7c9a29656cb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-04201

Production of fatty acids and protein by nannochloropsis in flat-plate photobioreactors

Nannochloropsis is an industrially-promising microalga that may be cultivated for alternative sources of nutrition due to its high productivity, protein content and lipid composition. We studied the growth and biochemical profile of Nannochloropsis 211/78 (CCAP) in optimized flat-plate photobioreactors. Eighteen cultivations were performed at two nutrient concentrations. The fatty acid, protein content and calorific values were analyzed after 8,12 and 16 days. Neutral lipids were separated and the changes in fatty acids in triglycerides (TAGs) during nutrient depletion were recorded. The maximum cell density reached 4.7 g·L-1 and the maximum productivity was 0.51 g·L-1·d-1. During nutrient-replete conditions, eicosapentaneoic acid (EPA) and total protein concentrations measured 4.2-4.9% and 50-55% of the dry mass, respectively. Nutrient starvation induced the accumulation of fatty acids up to 28.3% of the cell dry weight, largely due to the incorporation of C16:0 and C16:1 n-7 fatty acyl chains into neutral lipids. During nutrient starvation the total EPA content did not detectibly change, but up to 37% was transferred from polar membrane lipids to the neutral lipid fraction

What makes Allium species effective against pathogenic microbes?

The antimicrobial activity of garlic (Allium sativum L.) has been known since ancient times. The first citation dates back to the Egyptian period of 15th century B.C. when garlic was reported to be used in folk medicine as a remedy for microbial infections. Scientific investigations on garlic started in 1858 with the work of Pasteur who first noted antibacterial properties of garlic extracts. From that date to the discovery of antibiotics, garlic has been used against amoebic dysentery and epidemic diseases such as typhus, cholera, diphtheria, and tuberculosis. But what makes garlic and Allium species effective against pathogenic microbes? The volatile sulphur compound allicin and other thiosulfinates, giving pungency to Allium plants, are well-studied and are the main element responsible for garlic activity against microbes. The thiosulfinates or alkane(ene) thial-S-oxide are formed by the action of the enzyme alliinase (EC 4.4.1.4) from their respective S-alk(en)yl cysteine sulfoxides when the bulbs are cut. However, depending on the Allium species, and under differing conditions, thiosulfinates can decompose to form additional sulfur constituents, including diallyl, methyl allyl, and dipropyl mono-, di-, tri- e tetra-sulfides, and (E)- and (Z)-ajoene without losing antimicrobial activity. Besides these apolar compounds, onion and garlic are characterized by more polar compounds of steroidal and phenolic origin, often glycosilated, showing also interesting antimicrobial activity. These latter compounds, compared to the more studied thiosulfinates, have the advantages of not being pungent an are more stable during cooking. Recently, there has been increasing scientific attention given to such compounds. Compounds possessing nitrogen atoms, like alkaloids and polypeptides, have also been isolated from these plants and have shown antimicrobial activity. In this paper, the literature about the major volatile and non-volatile organic compounds of garlic and other Allium plants has been reviewed. Particular attention is given to the compounds possessing antimicrobial activity and to the correlation between the observed activity and the chemical structure of the tested compound