A new edible coating of fish gelatin incorporated into açaí oil to increase the post-harvest shelf life of tomatoes.

Açaí oil (Euterpe oleracea) is a new active ingredient, originating from the Amazon Forest, which offers numerous benefits as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. Here, we report how açaí oil can be used as an active ingredient in gelatin coatings to increase the shelf life of tomatoes. The optimized viscosity and gel strength conditions were 5.40 % gelatin, 17.25 % açaí oil and 18 % plasticizer. FTIR, XRD and zeta potential analysis reveals that repulsive forces dominate the interactions between açaí oil and gelatin. The optimized coating (GAO) reduced mass loss by 8 % and achieved greater firmness (25 N), proving its effectiveness in maintaining tomato quality during storage. For the first time, it was found that the addition of açaí oil to fish gelatin improves the percentage of acidity and firmness of the tomato, delaying ripening, making it a promising alternative as packaging for climacteric fruits.

Effect of Hydrothermal Treatment on Structural and Catalytic Properties of [CTA]-MCM-41 Silica.

The [CTA]-MCM-41 hybrid silica is a useful and simply prepared heterogeneous basic catalyst for the transesterification reaction. Here, the effect of hydrothermal treatment during catalyst preparation was investigated, with the aim of improving the structural stability of this catalyst during the reaction. It was observed that the hydrothermal step led to the formation of a material with a higher degree of organization and a greater wall thickness, which improved its structural stability. However, the catalyst prepared using this treatment presented lower catalytic activity, due to the presence of fewer active sites.

Synthesis of TS-1 molecular sieves using a new Ti source.

The incorporation of Ti in the MFI structure using a cheap and easy to handle source, the hexafluorotitanic acid, was successfully achieved without the formation of contaminant phases. The TS-1 samples with 1%, 2%, and 2.5% Ti present a linear increase in the cell parameters. This indicates that the Ti present in the solid is incorporated into the framework, and this is confirmed by infrared analysis. The TS-1 particles present morphology that is typical of the MFI structure. The UV-vis diffuse reflectance results indicate the existence of tetra- and hexacoordinated framework Ti species. Independent of Ti content, all of the samples present similar activity for the oxidation of cyclohexene using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant agent. Also, a high selectivity for the formation of the corresponding epoxide is observed.