Infant milk formulas: effect of storage conditions on the stability of powdered products towards autoxidation

Thirty samples of powdered infant milk formulas containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been stored at four different temperatures (20, 28, 40 and 55 °C) and periodically monitored for their malondialdehyde (MDA) content up to one year. MDA levels ranged between 250 and 350 ng/kg in sealed samples with a maximum of 566 ng/kg in samples stored at 28 °C for three weeks after opening of their original packages, previously maintained for ten months at 20 °C. Sample stored at 40° and 55 °C were also submitted to CIE (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage) colorimetric analysis, since color is the first sensorial property that consumers may evaluate. Overall, the results demonstrated a good stability of PUFA-enriched infant milk formulas in terms of MDA content. However, some care has to be paid when these products are not promptly consumed and stored for a long time after first opening

Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis of different extracts from Thymus algeriensis aerial parts

This study was performed to evaluate the metabolite recovery from different extraction methods applied to Thymus algeriensis aerial parts. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method using photodiode array detector with gradient elution has been developed and validated for the simultaneous estimation of different phenolic compounds in the extracts and in their corresponding purified fractions. The experimental results show that microwave-assisted aqueous extraction for 15 min at 100 C gave the most phenolics-enriched extract, reducing extraction time without degradation effects on bioactives. Sixteen compounds were identified in this extract, 11 phenolic compounds and five flavonoids, all known for their biological activities. Color analysis and determination of chlorophylls and carotenoids implemented the knowledge of the chemical profile of this plant

The quality of the environment and the diseases hydric related

This article presents the results of the analysis of the relationship between environment and health of the population in the basins of the rivers Alto Ribeirão and Ribeirão do Porto, in the south of the Island of Santa Catarina. For this, the water and socio-environmental conditions of the towns were analyzed; the basic sanitation government policies implanted in the area were identified and the situation of the hydric related diseases in the local centers of health was inquired. The results demonstrate the close relationship between environment and health, and show how the absence or inadequacy of sanitation systems makes the environment unhealthy and increases the risks of people contracting the hydric related diseases

Optimization of the drying process of autumn fruits rich in antioxidants: A study focusing on rosehip (: Rosa canina L.) and sea buckthorn (Elaeagnus rhamnoides (L.) A. Nelson) and their bioactive properties

Nowadays, it is very important to identify the traditional uses of different plants and to create the context in which new cultural or economic value is given to local resources. In this study, two wild fruits traditionally harvested in autumn in Romania were selected to investigate the effects of drying conditions on the chemical compositions and bioactivities exerted by the extracts and to select the best conditions in terms of air temperature and time of drying. The extracts obtained were assessed in terms of antioxidant capacity and enzyme inhibitory activity, and their main bioactive compounds were identified and quantified. The data presented in this article represent a step forward in applying this process on an industrial-scale. This journal isThis work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2019-1245, within PNCDI III”. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/ MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); the national funding by FCT, P. I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for L. Barros, Maria Inês Dias and C. Pereira’s contracts; to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme through the project TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P; European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042: GreenHealth.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of an optimized drying process for the recovery of bioactive compounds from the Autumn Fruits of Berberis vulgaris L. and Crataegus monogyna Jacq

Hot air drying has proven to be an efficient method to preserve specific edible plant materials with medicinal properties. This is a process involving chemical, physical, and biological changes in plant matrices. Understanding these processes will lead to an improvement in the yields of bioactive compounds. This study aims to optimize the drying process of two species’ fruits used in folk medicine, Berberis vulgaris and Crataegus monogyna. The optimized extracts’ antioxidant capacity was assessed using various assays, with the barberry extract showing very good activity (50.85, 30.98, and 302.45 mg TE/g dw for DPPH, TEAC, and FRAP assays, respectively). Both species exerted good fungal α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.34 and 0.56 mg/mL, respectively) but no activity on mammalian α-glucosidase. Additionally, this study identified and quantified the main bioactive compounds. The results presented herein are a breakthrough in industrializing this drying process. Additional studies are necessary to mechanistically understand the drying process involved in these plant materials.This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS–UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-5360.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), the national funding for F.C.T. and P.I. and through the institutional scientific employment program contract for M.I.D., and L.B. The authors are grateful to FEDER—Interreg España—Portugal programme for financial support through the project TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Commercial hemp seed oils: a multimethodological characterization

Nine commercial hemp seed oils from different countries were studied using a multimethodological approach to obtain information about their quality and chemical composition. Due to the lack of a specific regulation for hemp seed oils, quality parameters used in the case of olive oils (free acidity, peroxides number, spectrophotometer parameters) and anisidine number were measured and compared with those reported for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Free acidity and peroxides number showed a great variability, ranging from 0.4 to 17.24% and from 4.32 to 22.14 meqO2/kg, respectively, whereas the anisidine number ranged from 0.11 to 3.58. K232 value turned out to be generally below the limit reported for EVOO, whereas K270 and ΔK values were higher, with respect to EVOO limits, due to the high amount of tri-unsaturated fatty chains. Colorimetric analysis showed a peculiar curve trend that could represent the fingerprint of this product. Untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance methodology allowed to measure the amount of fatty chains, ω-6:ω-3 ratio, β-sitosterol, and aldehydes. The ω-6:ω-3 ratio turned out to be, in some cases, different from that reported on the bottle labels. Finally, lipoperoxidation assays were also carried out under different storage (light and temperature) and time exposure conditions, confirming that the exposure to direct light is the condition that interferes more with the product quality

The school as a space for social participation and citizenship promotion : the experience of building participation in a school environment

O presente artigo tem como foco o desenvolvimento da intervenção construída no âmbito da pesquisa do Movimento pela Saúde dos Povos ‘Engajamento da Sociedade Civil para Saúde para Todos’, em uma escola estadual em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. Por meio da experiência apresentada, objetiva-se discutir sobre as possibilidades e as dificuldades da inserção de um movimento social no espaço escolar, juntamente com outros atores do campo da saúde, para estimular a participação social. Trata-se de uma intervenção direcionada à população jovem, no ambiente escolar, unindo vários segmentos: escola, Unidade de Saúde da Família, conselho de saúde, movimento social e universidades. Tendo a proposta da sistematização de experiências como método, a experiência é descrita por meio da sequência de atividades realizadas, baseadas na concepção de Bem Viver, que cultiva o pertencimento e o respeito à natureza. A revitalização da floresta abandonada da escola foi o eixo condutor das ações. A experiência demonstrou, por um lado, a dificuldade de estimular a participação social vinculada ao controle social e de praticar ações com forte interface entre escola e serviço de saúde. Por outro lado, possibilitou experimentar formas não institucionalizadas de participação, baseadas no exercício constante da cidadania e nas ações solidárias.This article focuses on the development of the intervention built within the research of the People’s Health Movement ‘Civil Society Engagement for Health for All’, in a public school in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. Through this experience, it was aimed at discussing the possibilities and difficulties of the insertion of a social movement in the school environment, together with other actors in the health field, to stimulate social participation. This is an intervention directed at the youth, in the school environment, uniting several segments: school, Family Health Unit, health council, social movement and universities. Referenced on the proposal of the systematization of experiences as a method, the experience is described through the sequence of activities performed, based on the conception Buen Vivir, which cultivates belonging and respect for nature. The revitalization of the school’s abandoned forest was the guiding axis of the set of actions. This experience has shown, on the one hand, the difficulty of stimulating social participation linked to social control and of practicing actions with strong connection between school and health service. On the other hand, it made it possible to attempt non-institutionalized forms of participation, based on the constant exercise of citizenship and solidarity actions

Risk of Hospitalization and Death for COVID-19 in People with Parkinson's Disease or Parkinsonism

The risk of COVID-19 and related death in people with Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism is uncertain. The aim of the study was to assess the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 and death in a cohort of patients with Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism compared with a control population cohort, during the epidemic bout (March-May 2020) in Bologna, northern Italy