Anthocyanins: Antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory activities

Anthocyanins are polyphenols with known antioxidant activity which may be responsible for some biological activities including the prevention or lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer. Nevertheless such properties, their stability and bioavailability depend on their chemical structure. In the present work a brief review is made on chemical structures, bioavailability and antioxidant/anti-inflammatory of anthocyanins

Editorial to Special Issue—Composition and biological properties of bee products

Honey continues to be the most studied bee product, with 60% of articles addressing this thematic and, more specifically, its biological properties. Only one article was focused on the effect of heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotic residues on the quality of honey, and only one article had the honey of the African stingless bee Meliponula ferruginea as its study objective [...].info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Characteristics of the fruits of some varieties of almond grown in the Algarve region

Neste trabalho pretendemos sensibilizar o público para a existência no Algarve de um património genético rico, o qual os algarvios devem salvaguardar. Assim, sempre que possível deve-se plantar amendoeiras de variedades regionais, pois a melhor forma de uma variedade se perpetuar é mantê-la em cultivo...

Color identifying system for color blind people

In the most developed States colorblindness affects 10% of the male population. This handicap incurs limitations as well as uncomfortable personal and social situations for those afflicted that depend on others to choose products in which color is a predominant factor, such as pieces of apparel and decoration. A sample group of colorblind people showed in a recent study found relevant the development of a system which would allow them to identify colors. The development of a graphic color identification system was the answer to this need, its concept and structure make it universal, easy to communicate and memorize. This system can be used in a variety of products and allow the colorblind to reduce or even eliminate their dependence on others

Sustainable postharvest handling of horticultural products

Sustainable commercial horticultural success depends on satisfying consumer requirements. Fresh fruits and vegetables are important components of human food. However, horticultural products are highly perishable and losses can be of great importance if postharvest correct measures are not provided. Quality of fresh horticultural products can not be improved by postharvest technologies, only can be maintained, what means horticultural products must be of high quality at harvest. There is a worldwide trend to explore new alternatives to increase storage life, giving priority to methods that reduce horticultural product decay avoiding negative effects to human health and environment. The objective of our research was to apply environmental and human health friendly techniques to preserve fresh fruit quality through storage. Figs, apricots, oranges, pomegranates and kiwifruits were treated with sodium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, acetic acid or subjected to modified atmosphere packaging to increase their storage life with minimal quality loss, as well as damage to human health and environment. The use of these treatments and techniques gave a great performance in the reduction of fruit losses, weight loss and fruit softening. Postharvest techniques such as modified atmosphere and calcium, sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid treatments, when applied in adequate concentrations, help to keep fruit quality through storage, without damaging the environment and human health. The benefit of each treatment depends on the type of fruit

Antioxidant and Antiacetylcholinesterase Activities of Some Commercial Essential Oils and Their Major Compounds

The commercial essential oils of Citrus aurantium L., Cupressus sempervirens L., Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Thymus vulgaris L., isolated by steam distillation by a company of Morocco were evaluated in terms of in vitro antioxidant activity through several methods. In vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was also determined. Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. oil was also studied, but it was obtained by peel expression. The best antioxidant was T. vulgaris oil, independent of the method used, mainly due to the presence of the phenolic monoterpenes thymol and carvacrol, which when studied as single compounds also presented the best activities. Concerning the acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity, E. globulus was the most effective. Nevertheless its main components 1,8-cineole and limonene were not the most active, a feature that corresponded to delta-3-carene

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.): A medicinal plant with myriad biological properties - A short review

The pomegranate, Punica granatum L., which can be found throughout the Mediterranean region, in Southeast Asia, California and Arizona in USA was in ancient times referred as possessing powers of fertility, abundance and good luck (fruit). The biological properties of extracts (antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, among other properties) obtained from several parts of pomegranate is reported in the present work. Due to such properties, the extracts have been used in therapeutics, such as in the prevention of infection, inflammation, cancer, among other applications. However, other aspects are also referred in the present work such as the good practices of culture and fruit preservation, search of new compounds, selection of cultivars through biotechnological techniques for obtaining juice or fruits ready to eat. Such compilation of information was based on the search in the ISI Web of Knowledge (Thomson Reuters) from 2009 up to the beginning of October 2010

Vitamin C content of citrus from conventional versus organic farming systems

Fertilization in citrus is a cultural practice with great importance as it affects significantly the quality of fruit. In this work we evaluated the effects of organic versus conventional farming systems on internal and external characteristics of citrus, with particular emphasis on vitamin C content. The study was carried out in different orchards of the Algarve region, in the south of Portugal. Fruits of different orchards were harvested at physiological maturity and submitted to physical and chemical analyses. The results showed that mineral fertilization led to fruits with greater weight and diameter, a thicker peel and a more intense colour. Compared with conventional production, fruits from organic farming had more soluble solids and a lower maturation index. The highest concentrations of vitamin C were recorded in fruits from organic farming, but the response depended on species and cultivar

Edible coatings enriched with essential oils and their compounds for fresh and fresh-cut fruit

Fresh fruit and vegetables consumption has increased in the past few years due to the enhanced awareness of consumers for healthy food. However, these products are highly perishable, and losses can be of great significance if postharvest correct management is not provided. Fresh-cut products are of increasing importance, since they are presented to the consumer in a state that allows for direct and immediate consumption. However, those products are even more perishable since cutting can induce a series of senescence associated responses to wounding, and are more susceptible to microbial spoilage. Edible coatings, which intend to reduce ripening processes and protect the fruit from water loss and spoilage may be a good way to enhance the shelf life of these products. More recently, the inclusion of additives into these edible coatings to increase their effectiveness, such as essential oils and their constituents with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, has been reported and patented. © 2012 Bentham Science Publishers

Poly(ethylene oxide)-sodium dodecyl sulfate interactions studied using static and dynamic light scattering

Static and dynamic light scattering measurements have been made on poly(ethy1ene oxide) (PEO) in the presence of the ionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in aqueous solution over a range of relative concentrations. The purpose was, in part, to demonstrate the polyelectrolyte effecte which arise in PEO on formation of the charged complex between the components in solution in which small SDS micelles are incorporated into the flexible PEO coil. The influence of the ionic strength of the medium was studied. Static light scattering measurements show that the radius of gyration changes as a function of SDS concentration and the ionic strength of the medium. Diffusion coefficients from dynamic light scattering (DLS) reflect changes in the pair interaction potential as the SDS and ionic strength are altered. Laplace inversion of the DLS time correlation function gives relaxation time distributions consisting of the PEO/SDS complex as the main component and free SDS micelles as the minor component. Changes in peak areas are related to the increase in the degree of binding between SDS and PEO as the relative concentrations change and also the increase in SDS micellar size with increase in the ionic strength of the medium