Pasteurization of passion fruit Passiflora setacea pulp to optimize bioactive compounds retention.

Passiflora setacea is a wild species of passion fruit with interesting functional properties. Fruit seasonality demands conservation methods to enable its consumption throughout the year. We evaluated High Temperature Short Time (HTST) and Low Temperature Long Time (LTLT) binomials on physical, chemical, antioxidant and sensory characteristics of Passiflora setacea pulps. In natura (IN) and pasteurized pulps were analysed for DPPH, FRAP, ORAC, total phenolic content (TPC), vitamin C, bioactive amines, flavonoids, color, remaining enzymatic activity (REA), microbiological analyzes, sensory evaluation and physical stability. All binomials reached microbiological standards. Binomials 82 °C/20 s and 82 °C/40 s were selected for providing higher total antioxidant activity (TAA), TPC and lower REA. The highest levels of antioxidant activity, flavonoids, vitamin C were kept by 82 °C/20 s, without difference from IN pulp. LTLT binomial showed higher retention of bioactive amines, but also higher REA. Sensory acceptance was not affected by the binomials but pasteurized-cooked flavor was more checked for 82 °C 40 s than IN pulp.

Consumption effect of a synbiotic beverage made from soy and yacon extracts containing Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 on the intestinal polyamine concentrations in elderly individuals.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a synbiotic beverage made from soy and yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) extracts containing Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 on healthy elderly individuals' intestinal polyamine concentrations. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial has been conducted with twenty-nine volunteers (over 65years of age) who either had a daily intake of 150mL of synbiotic (synbiotic group - S) or placebo (placebo group - P) beverages. Both had the same nutrient composition, except that a probiotic culture was added to the synbiotic beverage. Total experiment time was 8weeks, which was divided into 3 consecutive phases: a prefeeding period (2weeks), followed by a feeding period (4weeks) and a postfeeding period (2weeks). Stool samples were collected at 3 time periods. Fecal concentrations of polyamines, putrescine (PUT), cadaverine (CAD) and spermidine (SPD) that were obtained during the synbiotic and placebo consumption period were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those found during the pre-consumption baseline level period. No significant differences in the number of bifidobacteria, clostridia, or enterobacteria were observed in any of the two groups at the three time periods. Similarly, no significant effect on the production of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10) was induced by the synbiotic or placebo beverages consumption. The results herein indicate that both the synbiotic and the placebo beverage consumption have increased polyamines levels, which are often reduced in elderly individuals, without influencing inflammatory responses. In addition, both placebo and synbiotic beverages seems to contribute by maintaining increased polyamines levels.

Multiclass method for pesticides quantification in honey by means of modified QuEChERS and UHPLC-MS/MS.

Bee products can be produced in an environment contaminated by pesticides that can be transported by honey bees to the hive and incorporated into the honey. Therefore, rapid and modern methods to determine pesticide residues in honey samples are essential to guarantee consumers' health. In this study, a simple multiresidue method for the quantification of 116 pesticides in honey is proposed. It involves the use of a modified QuEChERS procedure followed by UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. The method was validated according to the European Union SANCO/12571/2013 guidelines. Acceptable values were obtained for the following parameters: linearity, limit of detection (0.005mg/kg) and limit of quantification (0.010 and 0.025mg/kg), trueness (for the four tested levels the recovery assays values were between 70 and 120%), intermediate precision (RSD<20.0%) and measurement uncertainty tests (<50.0%). The validated method was applied for determination of 100 honey samples from five states of Brazil.

Pesticides in honey: A review on chromatographic analytical methods.

Honey is a product of high consumption due to its nutritional and antimicrobial properties. However, residues of pesticides, used in plagues' treatment in the hive or in crop fields in the neighborhoods, can compromise its quality. Therefore, determination of these contaminants in honey is essential, since the use of pesticides has increased significantly in recent decades because of the growing demand for food production. Furthermore, pesticides in honey can be an indicator of environmental contamination. As the concentration of these compounds in honey is usually at trace levels and several pesticides can be found simultaneously, the use of highly sensitive and selective techniques is required. In this context, miniaturized sample preparation approaches and liquid or gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry became the most important analytical techniques. In this review we present and discuss recent studies dealing with pesticide determination in honey, focusing on sample preparation and separation/detection methods as well as application of the developed methods worldwide. Furthermore, trends and future perspectives are presented.