Bioactivity of Licaria puchury-major essential oil against Aedes aegypti, Tetranychus urticae and Cerataphis lataniae

The present study was carried out to evaluate an alternative controlling agent for greenhouse pests and the yellow fever mosquito larvae. The potential bioactivity of Licaria puchury-major (Mart.) Kosterm. (“puxuri”) was evaluated here against three most common pests in tropical and subtropical countries: Aedes aegypti Linn. Larvae, Tetranychus urticae Koch. mites and Cerataphis lataniae Boisd. aphids. The essential oil from seeds was analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The major compounds were safrole (38.8%) and eucalyptol (21.7%). Phenylpropanes (51.7%) was the main group of compounds and oxygenated monoterpenes represented 28.8% of the total oil. The essential oil has shown no inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the tested concentrations. However, potential antioxidant activities were evaluated by different methods [DPPH: LD50 = (27.8 ± 1.0) µg/.mL; ABTS: (977.3 ± 25.2) µM TEs/g (Trolox Equivalents); FRAP: (548.2 ± 29.0) µM Fe(II)/g]. A significant larvicidal potential for 24 h of exposure was observed with LD50 = 98.9 µg/mL, being an indicative that the larval mortality may occur by ingestion or contact due to the no inhibition against AChE. Volatile phase effects were evaluated against T. urticae Koch. and C. lataniae Boisd. and LD50 were found about 30.8 and 13.5 µg/mL, respectively. These results are consistent with an octopaminergic effect, since some phenylpropanoids (such as Safrole, identified as the major compound in this work) can block octopamine, a multi-functional, naturally occurring biogenic amine. Then, this study clearly illustrated the efficacy of the investigated seeds, which encourages the development of a new potential natural controlling agent against these common pests due to the abundance of these seeds in the Amazon region and to the high essential oil yield. © 2018 ACG Publications. All rights reserved

Análise química e farmacológica de óleos essenciais obtidos de espécies vegetais da família Lauraceae

A família Lauraceae possui cerca de 2500 espécies em 52 gêneros, com distribuição de cerca de 29 gêneros e 900 espécies nas Américas. A família é comum em florestas tropicais de altitude, com algumas espécies habitando em grandes altitudes, mas a grande diversidade ocorre nas terras baixas na Amazônia e América Central. As espécies vegetais de Lauraceae são utilizadas amplamente em diversos segmentos da indústria, por exemplo, na alimentação, o abacate (Persea americana), a canela (Cinnamomun verum) e o louro (Laurus nobilis). Ainda nesse contexto, as espécies da família possuem alto valor comercial no mercado, porque são espécies aromáticas e produtoras de óleos essenciais e possuem aplicação na indústria de cosméticos, onde o pau-rosa (Aniba rosaeodora) ocupa lugar de destaque. Os óleos essenciais (OE) podem, de fato, serem usados como insumos na indústria de química fina, principalmente na elaboração de perfumes, fragrâncias e cosméticos. Adicionalmente, a possiblidade de aplicações dos OE, e, evidentemente das substâncias obtidas a partir destes, abarca a indústrias de medicamentos, veterinária e horticultura (inseticidas, fungicidas, bactericidas, larvicidas). Deve-se salientar que a composição dos óleos essenciais é determinada por fatores genéticos, porém os fatores ambientais podem causar variações significativas em seus componentes. A época da colheita, fontes geográficas, o horário, o modo de secagem do material vegetal e fatores ambientais, como umidade, água, solo e herbivoria também podem influenciar sobre a composição e o teor do óleo. Em trabalho recente realizado pelo nosso grupo de pesquisas, as folhas de Aniba canelilla e Licaria canella foram coletadas nas estações climáticas predominantes no Amazonas, verão e inverno, e os óleos essenciais obtidos por hidrodestilação foram analisados por CG-EM. Os resultados mostraram uma larga predominância de benzenóides, sendo o principal constituinte o benzil benzoato em L. canella e 1-nitro-2-feniletano em A. canelilla. Os resultados derivados desse trabalho evidenciaram que o constituinte principal dos óleos essenciais de L. canella é comercialmente utilizado como uma medicação tópica contra várias parasitoses, o que sugere uma utilização potencial deste óleo para esta finalidade. Adicionalmente, percebeu-se que as folhas de L. canella e A. canelilla podem ser qualificadas como duas fontes naturais, abundantes e renováveis ecologicamente de benzoato de benzilo e 1-nitro-2-feniletano, respectivamente, com valor comercial para fins medicinais, no caso de L. Canella e como um aroma para as indústrias de cosméticos e alimentos no caso A. Canelilla. Diante essas premissas, tendo em vista, o grande potencial biológico e econômico que os óleos essenciais possuem, o presente trabalho pretende avaliar a composição química dos óleos essenciais obtidos de espécies de Lauraceae em coletas realizadas em estações climáticas distintas.FAPEA

Enhancing Bioactive Compound Bioaccessibility in <i>Tapirira guianensis</i> Juices through Ultrasound-Assisted Applications

This study evaluated the chemical profile and bioactive compounds in Tapirira guianensis juice samples under high-intensity ultrasound (US) effects. T. guianensis juices were produced and processed using the US with varying ultrasound energy (0, 0.9, 1.8, 2.7, and 3.6 kJ·cm−3) for 10 min. The treated juices were evaluated for total acidity, color, pH, total phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, carotenoids, antioxidant capacity, in vitro digestibility, as well as quantification of bioactive compounds by HPLC-DAD. The hydromethanolic extract obtained from T. guianensis exhibited the presence of two major categories of polyphenols, specifically galloylquinic acids and flavonols. Overall, US technology was responsible for inducing some negative changes, such as carotenoid degradation, but also some positive changes in the chemical profile of the beverages, such as increased phenolic content, improved antioxidant capacity, and increased anthocyanin content. However, the beneficial effects were prominent, thus opening opportunities to develop new functional beverages using this fruit with limited scientific studies

Encapsulation of Amazonian Blueberry juices: Evaluation of bioactive compounds and stability

Bioactive compounds of Clidemia japurensis and Clidemia hirta juices were encapsulated in maltodextrin (MD) of different dextrose equivalents (DE – MD10, MD20 AND MD30). Microparticles containing the encapsulated juices were obtained by freeze-drying process. The stability of the encapsulated bioactive compounds was evaluated under different relative humidity (22 and 77%) at 25 °C by DPPH and ABTS methods. Twelve bioactive compounds were identified by UFLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and classified as organic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins. The juices presented good antioxidant properties [DPPH value of 943 ± 15 (C. japurensis) and 994 ± 14 μM TE (C. hirta); ABTS value of 1119 ± 24 (C. japurensis) and 1273 ± 18 μM TE (C. hirta)]. Encapsulation Efficiency (EE) ranged from 97.0 to 99.8% (DPPH) and from 87.8 to 99.1% (ABTS). The encapsulated juices did not present activity water (AW) values that could favor microbial growth. The powdered juices prepared using lower DE carrier resulted in better retention and stability of the bioactive compounds due to the low water adsorption According to the ABTS results, the bioactive compounds of C. hirta and C. japurensis encapsulated in MD10 carrier and stored at RH = 22% presented half-life time around 45 and 37 days, respectively. These results represent an interesting possibility of application in food industry. © 202

Thermosonication applied on camu–camu nectars processing: Effect on bioactive compounds and quality parameters

Camu–camu is a red berry rich in bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid and anthocyanins. In this study, the main objective was to evaluate the effect of thermosonication on the physicochemical changes of camu–camu nectars, alterations such as those in quality parameters (pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids and cloud value), vitamin C, antioxidant activity, anthocyanin content, phenolic compounds, enzymes (PPO and POD) color parameters (L*, a*, b* and ΔE*) and microbiological quality. The thermosonication improved the bioavailability of the bioactive compounds, increased the cloud value and maintained the physicochemical properties of the camu–camu nectars. The enzymatic activity was reduced with increasing time and temperature processing. No microorganisms were observed after thermosonication processing. This study shows that thermosonication could be employed as a preservation technique for fruit nectar processing where bioactive compounds retention is desired. © 201

Theoretical Investigation of the Structural, Spectroscopic, Electronic, and Pharmacological Properties of 4-Nerolidylcathecol, an Important Bioactive Molecule

4-Nerolidylcatechol (4NRC), a secondary metabolite described as a potent antioxidant that presents anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, analgesic, and cytotoxic properties, has been receiving prominence in the catechol class. In this work, a theoretical DFT study of the vibrational, structural, and quantum properties of 4-nerolidylcatechol (4NRC) using the B3LYP/6-311G (2d,p) level is presented. The theoretical molecular geometry data were compared with the X-ray data of a similar molecule in the associated literature and a conformational study is presented, with the aim of providing a good comprehension of the 4NRC structural arrangement and stability. Also, HOMO-LUMO energy gap and natural bond orbitals (NBOs) were performed and discussed. The calculated UV spectrum showed similarity to the experimentally obtained data, with transitions assigned. The comparative IR studies revealed that intermolecular hydrogen bonds that stabilize dimeric forms are plausible and also allowed the assignment of several characteristic vibrations. Molecular docking calculations with DNA topoisomerase I-DNA complex (TOPO-I), glyceraldehyde 3-phospate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH) showed binding free energies of −6.3, −6.5, and −7.6 kcal/mol, respectively, which indicates that 4NRC is a good competitive inhibitor for these enzymes

Ultrasound-assisted homogenization and gum Arabic combined to physicochemical quality of cupuaçu juice

The influence of ultrasound (US)-assisted homogenization and gum Arabic (GA) on the colloidal stability of cupuaçu juice has been studied. The experimental design was a complete factorial with two levels for US (750 and 1,000 J/cm3) and GA (0.5 and 1% w/w). The increase in energy density and GA concentration increased the viscosity of the juice, reducing its sedimentation. Increased energy density occurs to increased bioavailability of vitamin C in cupuaçu juice serum. The two levels of energy density of US were effective in the denaturation of the polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase enzymes. The use of US and GA may be a good alternative for the food industry to maintain the physicochemical properties of cupuaçu juice during storage. Practical applications: Cupuaçu is a fruit with great economic importance for the region of the Amazon Rainforest. Due to their physical characteristics, the juices present a rapid phase separation and it can compromise their processing and sensorial acceptance. The use of the ultrasonic homogenization process and the addition of natural hydrocolloids (GA) can improve the physical juice quality because the US reduces the particles size and the hydrocolloid increases the viscosity of the serum, reducing the separation of the phases of the juice. Also, the study is interesting due to the use of nonthermal technologies and natural additives, maintaining the nutritional juices quality. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Microwave processing of camu-camu juices: Physicochemical and microbiological parameters

The objective of this work was to evaluate microwave heating (MW) in the processing of camu-camu juices. A factorial design (22) with repetition at the central point was performed. We evaluated the effect of microwave power (310-940 W) and processing time (15-45 s) on physicochemical characteristics, reduction of enzyme activity (POD and PPO), microbiological quality and bioactive compounds content (DPPH, phenolic compound, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanins). Generally, the juices treated by MW presented better results in comparison to the conventional method. There were no significant changes in pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, and color parameter in camu-camu juices in comparison with untreated samples. The ascorbic acid content in the juices increased after the treatment by MW. A significant reduction of degrading microorganisms was observed for the treated juice in relation to the control juice. Microwave heating can be a good alternative for the treatment of Amazonian fruit juices. Practical applications: The global consumer market requires that foods be high in bioactive compounds to improve human health. The Amazon Rainforest is known worldwide for its rich biodiversity, mainly for its wide variety of foods rich in bioactive compounds. The lack of transportation infrastructure and basic sanitation in the region causes the food to present high microbial contamination that can accelerate food degradation, especially its bioactive compounds. The use of microwave heating may be an opportunity to offer a fast, efficient, and low-cost process for the reduction of microorganisms in fruit juices and pulps. This study is a pioneer in the use of emerging technologies in the conservation of Amazonian fruit juices, allowing a new opportunity for the food industry to offer products with high nutritional value. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc