RESUMO
The food manufacturing industry has increasingly focused in the development of wholesome and safer products, including certified labeled "super foods," "healthy foods" and "functional foods," which are currently under great demand worldwide. Plant pigments and vitamins are amidst the most common additives incorporated to foodstuff, not only for improving their nutritional status but also for coloration, preservation, and even therapeutic purposes. The recovery of pigments from agro industrial wastes using green emerging approaches is a current trend and clearly the best alternative to ensure their sustainable obtainment and make these ingredients more popular, although still full of challenging aspects. Stability and bioavailability limitations of these active molecules in food matrices have been increasingly studied, and a number of methods have been proposed to minimize these issues, among which the incorporation of a co-pigment, exclusion of O2 during processing and storage, and above all, microencapsulation and nanoencapsulation techniques. The most recent advances and challenges in the application of natural pigments and vitamins in functional foods, considering only reports of the last 5 years, were the focus of this chapter.
Assuntos
Indústria Alimentícia/tendências , Alimento Funcional/análise , Pigmentos Biológicos/análise , Plantas Comestíveis/química , Vitaminas/análise , Disponibilidade Biológica , Estabilidade de Medicamentos , Corantes de Alimentos , Conservantes de Alimentos , Alimentos Fortificados/análise , Valor NutritivoRESUMO
Acetogenins are bioactive fatty acid derivatives found in avocado tissues. Their efficacy as antimicrobials has been documented and initiated interest to use them as replacements of synthetic food additives. The present work focused on evaluation of multiple analytical methodologies for detection and quantification of organic solids present in a food-grade acetogenin-enriched extract (Avosafe®), and on its safety evaluations using bacterial reverse mutation (AMES) tests and acute oral toxicity to rat assays. Results confirmed chemical structures of two acetogenins as present in Avosafe® (AcO-avocadyne-(0) and AcO-avocadiene B-(3)), and together with seven other previously known compounds, quantified 94.74 ± 5.77% w/w of its solids as acetogenins. Safety evaluations indicated that Avosafe® was non-mutagenic and had an acute median lethal oral dose (LD50) to rats higher than the maximum concentration tested (>2000 mg·kg-1), with no signs of macroscopic abnormalities in organs. Mean body weight and hematological and biochemical parameters were normal after 14 days of a single oral dose of 2000 mg·kg-1. The results advance scientific information on the safety of avocado seed acetogenins and also generate new knowledge on profiles and concentrations of individual acetogenins found in avocado tissues (seed, pulp, and leaves) and in Avosafe®.