CURVAS DE SECAGEM E AVALIAÇÃO DA ATIVIDADE DE ÁGUA DA BANANA PASSA

Curvas de secagem de banana passa foram determinadas, utilizando-se três temperaturas do ar de secagem. Os resultados indicaram que para reduzir o teor de umidade do produto até 23,5% foram necessários tempos de secagem de 51, 36 e 30 horas paras as temperaturas de 50, 60 e 70ºC, respectivamente. O modelo exponencial U/Uo = exp(-kt) foi ajustado para os dados experimentais mediante análise de regressão não-linear, encontrandose alto coeficiente de regressão linear. Determinou-se a atividade de água do produto ao longo do processo de secagem para as três temperaturas testadas. Estudou-se a correlação entre a atividade de água e o teor de umidade do produto, determinando-se as isotermas de dessorção da banana passa a 25ºC. Observou-se que a atividade de água diminuiu em função do tempo de secagem e do teor de umidade para as três temperaturas de secagem. Os dados experimentais foram ajustados mediante regressão não-linear ao modelo polinomial e a seguinte equação foi obtida: U = -1844,93 + 7293,53Aa 9515,52Aa2 + 4157,196Aa3. O ajuste mostrou-se satisfatório (R2 > 0,90). DRYING CURVES AND WATER ACTIVITY EVALUATION OF THE BANANA-PASSES Abstract Banana drying curves were determined by utilizing three drying air temperatures. The results indicated that to reduce the moisture content of the product until 23.5% it were necessary drying times of 51, 36 and 30 hours for temperatures of 50, 60 and 70ºC, respectively. The exponential model U/Uo = exp(-kt) was adjusted for the experimental data by means of non linear regression analysis, and a high coefficient of linear regression was found. The water activity of the product was determined throughout the drying process for the three tested temperatures. The correlation between the water activity and moisture content of the product was studied, and the sorption isotherms were determined at 25º C. It was observed that the water activity decreased in function to the drying time and moisture content for the three drying temperatures. The experimental data were adjusted by means of non linear regression to the polynomial model and the following equation was obtained: U = - 1844.93 + 7293.53A a 9515.52 Aa 2 + 4157.196A a 3. The final adjust was satisfactory (R2 > 0.90)

Impact of common cardio-metabolic risk factors on fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease in Latin America and the Caribbean: an individual-level pooled analysis of 31 cohort studies

Background: Estimates of the burden of cardio-metabolic risk factors in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) rely on relative risks (RRs) from non-LAC countries. Whether these RRs apply to LAC remains un- known. Methods: We pooled LAC cohorts. We estimated RRs per unit of exposure to body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (TC) and non-HDL cholesterol on fatal (31 cohorts, n = 168,287) and non-fatal (13 cohorts, n = 27,554) cardiovascular diseases, adjusting for regression dilution bias. We used these RRs and national data on mean risk factor levels to estimate the number of cardiovascular deaths attributable to non-optimal levels of each risk factor. Results: Our RRs for SBP, FPG and TC were like those observed in cohorts conducted in high-income countries; however, for BMI, our RRs were consistently smaller in people below 75 years of age. Across risk factors, we observed smaller RRs among older ages. Non-optimal SBP was responsible for the largest number of attributable cardiovascular deaths ranging from 38 per 10 0,0 0 0 women and 54 men in Peru, to 261 (Dominica, women) and 282 (Guyana, men). For non-HDL cholesterol, the lowest attributable rate was for women in Peru (21) and men in Guatemala (25), and the largest in men (158) and women (142) from Guyana. Interpretation: RRs for BMI from studies conducted in high-income countries may overestimate disease burden metrics in LAC; conversely, RRs for SBP, FPG and TC from LAC cohorts are similar to those esti- mated from cohorts in high-income countries

Abietatrienes diterpenoids from Sagittaria montevidensis SSP Montevidensis

The antimicrobial properties of the hexane, hexane/EtOAc and methanol fractions of the fresh petioles of Sagittaria montevidensis ssp montevidensis (Alismataceae) were evaluated against fungi and Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. A new abietatriene-type diterpenoid, 3β,7α-dihydroxi-abieta-8,11,13-triene and the known 3β-hydroxy-abieta-8,11,13-trien-7-one were isolated from the most active fraction tested and the structures of these compounds were elucidated by data including IR, EIMS, and 1D and 2D NMR spectra

Presence or absence of cognitive complaints in Parkinson’s disease: mood disorder or anosognosia?

ABSTRACT We intended to evaluate whether non-demented Parkinsons’s disease (PD) patients, with or without subjective cognitive complaint, demonstrate differences between them and in comparison to controls concerning cognitive performance and mood. We evaluated 77 subjects between 30 and 70 years, divided as follows: PD without cognitive complaints (n = 31), PD with cognitive complaints (n = 21) and controls (n = 25). We applied the following tests: SCOPA-Cog, Trail Making Test-B, Phonemic Fluency, Clock Drawing Test, Boston Naming Test, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Beck Depression Inventory. PD without complaints presented lower total score on Scales for outcome of Parkinson’s disease-cognition as compared to controls (p = 0.048). PD with complaints group showed higher scores on HADS (p = 0.011). PD without complaints group showed poorer cognitive performance compared to controls, but was similar to the PD with complaints group. Moreover, this group was different from the PD without complaints and control groups concerning mood

Lipoxygenase inhibitory activity of <i>Cuspidaria pulchra</i> and isolated compounds

<div><p>This work evaluated the <i>in vitro</i> inhibitory activity of the crude ethanolic extract from the aerial parts of <i>Cuspidaria pulchra</i> (Cham.) L.G. Lohmann against 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX). The bioassay-guided fractionation of the <i>n</i>-butanol fraction, which displayed the highest activity, led to the isolation of three compounds: caffeoylcalleryanin (<b>1</b>), verbascoside (<b>2</b>) and 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-<i>O</i>-β-glucoside (<b>3</b>). Assessment of the ability of the isolated compounds to inhibit 15-LOX revealed that compounds <b>1</b>, <b>2</b> and <b>3</b> exerted strong 15-LOX inhibitory activity; IC₅₀ values were 1.59, 1.76 and 2.35 μM respectively. The XTT assay showed that none of the isolated compounds seemed to be significantly toxic.</p></div