Technology Prospection of Ora-pro-Nóbis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.): A Non-conventional Food Plant.

BACKGROUND: The ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.) is a plant from Brazilian biodiversity used for food and medicinal purposes. It has ample technological potential, however, it is still underutilized, being classified as a Non-Conventional Food Plant (PANC). Prospective studies in intellectual property banks make it possible to expand perspectives for scientific research, enhancing the generation of new products. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the patents of products containing Pereskia aculeata Mill. for the areas of food and health in intellectual property databases. METHODS: The study was conducted through structured prospective investigation (collection, processing and analysis) in 4 patent databases: National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI) - Brazil, United States Patent and Trademark Office, World Trade Organization Intellectual Property (WIPO) and Espacenet. RESULTS: The evaluation showed a reduced number of registered patents. In general, 8 patent applications were examined, of which 7 are directly associated with the species (and its derivatives) and 1 is related to a device specially designed for harvesting leaves/fruits and removing thorns. The focus of the patents was the use of the species in the food, pharmaceutical and biotechnological areas, with emphasis on the use of the leaves in the extraction of mucilage and proteins. CONCLUSION: This study showed that Pereskia aculeata Mill. is a technologically promising plant, because of its nutritional and medicinal composition, and it is important to encourage innovation and the development of new products with the species.

Eugenol derivatives: synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant activities.

Eugenol is the major component of clove essential oil and has demonstrated relevant biological potential with well-known antimicrobial and antioxidant action. Therefore, this work carried out the synthesis, purification, characterization, and evaluation of the antioxidant and antibacterial potential of 19 eugenol derivatives. The derivatives were produced by esterification reactions in the hydroxyl group (-OH) of eugenol with different carboxylic acids and also by addition reactions in the double bond of the allyl group. The derivatives had a promising antibacterial potential, including a lower minimum inhibitory concentration of 500 µg/mL than eugenol (1000 µg/mL). In addition, the derivatives were active against bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus) that eugenol itself showed no activity, thus increasing the spectrum of antibacterial action. As for the antioxidant activity, it was observed that the derivatives that involved esterification reactions in the hydroxyl group (-OH) of the eugenol molecule's phenol resulted in a significant reduction of the antioxidant action (IC50 > 100 µg/mL) when compared with the eugenol precursor molecule (IC50 = 4.38 µg/mL). On the other hand, the structural changes located in the double bond affected much more smoothly the capacity of capturing radicals than the starting molecule, also being obtained derivatives with proximal antioxidant capacity (IC50 = 19.30 µg/mL) to commercial standards such as Trolox (IC50 = 16.00 µg/mL).