Physicochemical quality control of bee honeysfrom Campos Gerais region of Paraná: Brazil

Bee (Apis mellifera L.) honeys have been widely used for therapeutic and nutritional proposes. For evaluating the honey production, physicochemical approaches have been extensively performed to ensure that this hive product is authentic in respect to the legal requirements. The aim of this paper was to discuss the quality control of 93 samples of honey from Campos Gerais region of Paraná State – South Brazil by physicochemical parameters. Moisture, reducing sugars, sucrose, water-insoluble solids, ash, free acidity, pH, activity of diastase, hydroxymethylfurfural content and colour were performed by the standard usual methods. Samples were also classified in floral honeys or honeydew honeys according to the Kirkwood equation. A total of 71 samples (76.34%) showed values in accordance with the Brazilian legal requirements for all the achieved physicochemical parameters. Otherwise, all the studied honeys were likewise within the legislation limits only for water-insoluble solids and colour. For pH, an additional parameter that has not been provided in honey legislation, samples showed values ranging from 3.60 to 5.35. By the Kirkwood equation, 61 honeys were considered as floral products.

Detección de suero de quesería en leches ultrapasteurizadas mexicanas mediante la cuarta derivada del espectro de absorción / Rennet whey solids detection in Mexican ultrapasteurized milk using fourth derivative absortion spectrum

Presence of rennet whey solids in ultrapasteurized milk (UHT) commercialized in Mexico City was determined using fourth derivative of absorption spectrum method, which allows to know the variation in whey protein/total protein ratio (WP/TP). The quantification of WP/TP ratio was used as an indicator of adulteration with rennet whey solids. The method was standardized to evaluate the accuracy, linearity and repeatability by rennet whey addition in concentrations between 0-15%, in raw milk. Thirty samples of skim ultrapasteurized milk were analyzed during September, October and November; found values were compared to the ones of raw milk added with rennet whey solids (0-15%, in levels of 2.5%). A marginal difference was found in the WP/TP ratio for the 0% concentration between the two types of milk, while the rest of the concentrations showed a high significance (P < 0.01). Values above 13.5% of WP/TP showed rennet whey solids addition; 36.7% of the UHT milk samples were between 5% and 12% positive to rennet whey solids addition. The results indicated that fourth derivative of the absorption spectrum of the WP/TP ratio was a sensitive indicator to rennet whey solids additions.

Se determinó la presencia de suero de quesería en leches ultrapasteurizadas (UHT) comercializadas en la Ciudad de México mediante el método de la cuarta derivada del espectro de absorción, el cual permite conocer la variación de la relación proteínas de suero/proteína total (PS/PT). La cuantificación de la relación PS/PT se utilizó como indicador de la adulteración con suero de quesería. El método fue estandarizado evaluando la exactitud, linealidad y repetibilidad mediante la adición de suero en concentraciones entre 0%-15% a leche cruda. Se analizaron 30 muestras de leche ultrapasteurizada descremada durante septiembre, octubre y noviembre; los valores encontrados se contrastaron con los de leche cruda adicionada con suero de quesería (0%-15%, en niveles de 2.5%. Se encontró una diferencia marginal en la relación PS/PT para la concentración 0% entre los dos tipos de leche, mientras que el resto de las concentraciones mostró una significancia alta (P < 0.01). Valores por encima de 13.5% de PS/PT expresaron adición de suero; 36.7% de las muestras de leche UHT fueron positivas a la adición de suero entre 5% y 12%. Los resultados indicaron que la cuarta derivada del espectro de absorción de la relación PS/PT fue un indicador sensible a adiciones de suero de quesería.

Atividade antioxidante de tinturas vegetais, vendidas em farmácias com manipulação e indicadas para diversos tipos de doenças pela metodologia do DPPH / Antioxidant activity of plant tinctures, commonly sold in pharmacies and indicated for several types of diseases, using the DPPH methodology

O presente trabalho descreve a avaliação da atividade antioxidante pela metodologia do radical livre DPPH de tinturas comerciais obtidas de farmácias com manipulação indicadas para os mais variados tipos de doença que apresentam em maior ou menor grau, alguma etiologia fundamentada em excesso de radicais livres. Foi interessante notar uma sincronia entre a família a que a planta de determinada tintura pertence, com suas substâncias químicas e a atividade antioxidante esperada. Para os casos em que isso não ocorreu, pode-se verificar através de métodos cromatográficos que as tinturas não haviam sido preparadas de forma adequada ou se tratava de falsificações.

This work describes the antioxidant evaluation through the DPPH free radical methodology of commercial available tinctures indicated for different diseases and purchased in commercial pharmacies. All of those diseases have always being caused by excess or accumulation of free radicals. It was noteworthy the coherence between the botany family in which the plant of each tincture is inserted as well as its chemical composition with the antioxidant activity observed. In the cases where this statement could not be shown, it was proved by chromatographic methods that the tinctures were not properly prepared or even it constituted a case of adulteration.