Control of fungal spoilage in strawberries using crude plant extracts against the fungus Botrytis cinerea.

The study evaluated the conservation of strawberries treated with crude plant extracts (barbatimão, sibipiruna, guarana, and catuaba) against fungal deterioration and physicochemical characteristics. MIC of 0.125; 0.0156; 0.25 and 0.0312 g/mL were found for barbatimão, sibipiruna, guaraná and catuaba, respectively, against B. cinerea. Treated samples showed no fungal deterioration during 11 days. Analyzes of weight loss, soluble solids, titratable acidity, and pH variation were performed. Sibipiruna showed lower values ​​of mass loss, and the greatest occurred for the catuaba extract. Barbatimão did not change soluble solids and stood out with catuaba in the color parameters L and a*. Small changes in pH were observed with time. Soluble solids maintained values ​​between 6.47 oBrix and 9.90 oBrix for catuaba and sibipiruna extracts at zero and six days. Principal component analysis did not show a strong correlation between the variables. The extracts become alternatives for strawberry conservation, increasing conservation and maintaining physicochemical characteristics.

Medicinal effects of Peruvian maca (Lepidium meyenii): a review.

Peruvian maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a root native to the Andean region, cultivated for at least 2000 years. Maca is rich in fiber, a large number of essential amino acids, fatty acids, and other nutrients, including vitamin C, copper, iron, and calcium. Besides these essential nutrients, this root contains bioactive compounds responsible for benefits to the human body, which has caused a considerable increase in its consumption in the last 20 years worldwide. This review documents the Peruvian maca composition and the recent findings regarding the medicinal effects of this root in sexual dysfunction regulation, neuroprotective effects, action in memory enhancement, antidepressant, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory activities, and skin protection.

Substitution of synthetic antioxidant by curcumin microcrystals in mortadella formulations.

This research was to compare mortadella elaborated with synthetic antioxidant and microcrystals of curcumin in relation to its physicochemical and sensorial characteristics for a period of 90 days. It was detect no differences between the three evaluated treatments in relation to the pH, color, and texture profile features. The mortadella with curcumin microcrystals showed significantly lower TBARS values at the end of the storage when compared to the other treatments. In the sensory analysis, the addition of curcumin decreased the acceptance of color's sample and the purchase intention, but no significant difference was observed among the other attributes. The color of the sample containing curcumin also became worse than its day-of-production standard during storage. The results obtained suggest the potential of curcumin in replacing synthetic antioxidants in cooked meat sausage, since it practically does not modify its physicochemical characteristics, besides preventing the oxidation of the food.