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The present study evaluates the chemical compositions and antioxidant and antipathogenic properties of commercial orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) essential oils obtained using the cold-press method (EOP) and the cold-press method followed by steam distillation (EOPD). The chemical compositions of the volatilizable fractions, determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, were similar in both samples. A relatively large amount of γ-terpinene was found in the EOPD (1.75%) as compared to the EOP (0.84%). Monoterpene hydrocarbons with limonene (90.4-89.8%) followed by myrcene (3.2-3.1%) as the main compounds comprised the principal phytochemical group. The non-volatile phenolics were eight times higher in the EOP than in the EOPD. Several assays with different specificity levels were used to study the antioxidant activity. Although both essential oils presented similar reducing capacities, the radical elimination ability was higher for the EOP. Regarding the antipathogenic properties, the EOs inhibited the biomass and cell viability of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Furthermore, both EOs similarly attenuated the production of elastase, pyocyanin, and quorum-sensing autoinducers as assessed using Gram-negative bacteria. The EOP and EOPD showed important antioxidant and antipathogenic properties, so they could represent natural alternatives to extend the shelf life of food products by preventing oxidation and contamination caused by microbial spoilage.

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This study evaluated the use of gamma irradiation (3, 6 and 9 kGy) in frozen vacuum-packed beef and subsequent thawing and aging for up to 14 days. The effects on tenderness, color, and oxidative properties were determined and compared to non-irradiated controls for frozen/thawed and chilled vacuum-packed beef. The combined irradiation and freezing/thawing processes increased total exudate loss and reduced the meat water-holding capacity, regardless of the dose used. Myofibrillar fragmentation was favored by the freezing/thawing processes and negatively affected by irradiation. Lower shear force values were observed in the non-irradiated frozen/thawed samples. Frozen samples irradiated at 9 kGy had a higher percentage of soluble collagen, lipid peroxidation, and a more reddish color tone. The meat reducing capacity and oxygen consumption were reduced by freezing and further by irradiation, which also included accumulation of metmyoglobin. It was concluded that irradiation of frozen meat and its subsequent thawing and aging does not confer any additional advantages for beef technological quality.

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Beet is a traditional root consumed worldwide and is considered a potential source of several bioactive compounds, yet during production and commercialisation activities, its leaves and stalks are discarded. The beet residue has notable quantities of diverse phenolic compounds that are not taken advantage of it. The beet stalks (sample) were obtained from a local producer at the municipality of Marechal Cândido Rondon, Paraná state, Brazil. The optimisation of the extraction process of antioxidant capacity compounds from beet stalk was done by response surface methodology (RSM), with three independent variables (time, from 5 to 85 min; temperature, from 20 to 80 °C and solvent, from 0 to 100% of ethanol/ water ratio). Extracts were evaluated for their reducing capacity, measured by the Folin­Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant capacity by the ability to scavenge DPPH and ABTS free radicals. The optimal global extraction conditions determined were 5 min, 80 °C and 50% ethanol, yielding 13.157 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) g­1, 21.539 µmol Trolox equivalents g-1 (TE; DPPH) and 250.190 µmol TE g­1 (ABTS). Beet stalk demonstrated to be an alternative and rich source of recovering of natural antioxidant compounds, showing higher contents when compared to other agro-industrial residues.(AU)

A beterraba é uma raiz tradicionalmente consumida em todo mundo e reportada como fonte de diversos compostos bioativos, porém, em atividades de processamento e comercialização, tem suas folhas e talos descartados. O resíduo de beterraba possui quantidades notáveis de compostos bioativos que não são aproveitados. Os talos de beterraba (amostra) foram obtidas de produtor local do município de Marechal Cândido Rondon, Paraná, Brasil. A otimização do processo de extração de compostos com capacidade antioxidante do talo da beterraba foi realizada por metodologia de superfície de resposta (MSR) utilizando três variáveis independentes (tempo, de 5 a 85 min; temperatura, de 20 a 80 °C e solvente, de 0 a 100% de etanol/água). Os extratos foram avaliados quanto a sua capacidade redutora, avaliada pelo método Folin­Ciocalteu, e capacidade antioxidante avaliada pela sua habilidade em sequestrar os radicais livres DPPH e ABTS. As condições ótimas globais determinadas foram 5 min, 80o C e 50% de etanol, que produziram valores de: 13,157 mg equivalente de ácido gálico (EAG) g-1, 21,539 µmol de equivalente Trolox g-1 (ET; DPPH) e 250,190 µmol ET g-1 (ABTS). O talo de beterraba demonstrou ser uma alternativa e rica fonte de recuperação de compostos antioxidantes naturais apresentando maiores teores quando comparado a outros resíduos agroindustriais.(AU)

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The biological production of butanol has become an important research field and thanks to genome sequencing and annotation; genome-scale metabolic reconstructions have been developed for several Clostridium species. This work makes use of the iCAC490 model of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 to analyze its metabolic capabilities and response to an external electron supply through a constraint-based approach using the Constraint-Based Reconstruction Analysis Toolbox. Several analyses were conducted, which included sensitivity, production envelope, and phenotypic phase planes. The model showed that the use of an external electron supply, which acts as co-reducing agent along with glucose-derived reducing power (electrofermentation), results in an increase in the butanol-specific productivity. However, a proportional increase in the butyrate uptake flux is required. Besides, the uptake of external butyrate leads to the coupling of butanol production and growth, which coincides with results reported in literature. Phenotypic phase planes showed that the reducing capacity becomes more limiting for growth at high butyrate uptake fluxes. An electron uptake flux allows the metabolism to reach the growth optimality line. Although the maximum butanol flux does not coincide with the growth optimality line, a butyrate uptake combined with an electron uptake flux would result in an increased butanol volumetric productivity, being a potential strategy to optimize the production of butanol by C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824.

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A method for the determination of total reducing capacity (TRC) based on the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) by antioxidants in a buffered solution (pH 7.0) containing 4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-biquinoline acid (BCA) was developed. Absorbance values at 558 nm characteristic of the Cu(I)/BCA complexes formed were used to determine the TRC of aqueous extracts of twelve Brazilian plants. The TRC values obtained with the suggested method correlated well with values obtained using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method (r² = 0.959). They were also compared with the total polyphenol content (using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent) and the good agreement (r² = 0.919) indicates that the polyphenols should be responsible for this reducing capacity. The method proposed here (and successfully applied in plant extracts) can be used to measure the TRC of aqueous samples derived from other plants (e.g., teas, juices, beers and wines) and even in biological samples (e.g., serum, urine and follicular fluid). To achieve a structure-activity relationship of the proposed reaction, the reduction capability of 25 standard antioxidants (phenolic derivatives, flavonoids, stilbenoids, vitamins, etc.) was individually evaluated and the apparent molar absorptivity values (at 558 nm) obtained were compared and discussed.

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The influence of green coffee genotype on the bioactive compounds and the in vitro antioxidant capacity against the principal reactive oxygen (ROO(•), H2O2, HO(•), and HOCl) and nitrogen (NO(•) and ONOO(-)) species of biological relevance was investigated. This is the first report on the capacity of green coffee to scavenge H2O2, HOCl, and NO(•). Variations in the contents of total chlorogenic acids (22.9-37.9 g/100 g), cinnamoyl-amino acid conjugates (0.03-1.12 g/100 g), trigonelline (3.1-6.7 g/100 g), and caffeine (3.9-11.8 g/100 g) were found. Hydrophilic extracts of Coffea canephora and Coffea kapakata were the most potent scavengers of ROO(•), H2O2, HO(•), NO(•), and ONOO(-) due to their chlorogenic acid contents, which were, on average, 30% higher than those found in Coffea arabica and Coffea racemosa. The results showed that genotype is a determinant characteristic in the bioactive compound contents and consequently in the antioxidant capacity of green coffee.

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