Probiotic Almond-Fermented Beverages Processed by Ultrasound: Vegan and Non-Vegan Consumer Perceptions through Packaging.

Consumer perception of foods processed by emerging technologies has been scarcely studied. This study aimed to evaluate the perception of vegan and non-vegan consumers regarding probiotic almond-fermented beverages processed by ultrasound using the packaging of the products (pasteurized/conventional, processed by ultrasound, and processed by ultrasound with a claim on the label). A "Check All That Apply" test with emojis and the Food Technology Neophobia scale were used. The "processed by ultrasound" information did not impact the purchase intention and the perception of healthiness, safety, nutrition, environmental impact, flavor, texture, and price of the products. The claim inclusion increased the perceived acceptability and purchase intention and improved the emotional profile. The vegan consumers showed a more positive perception of ultrasound processing, resulting in increased perceived acceptability, higher citation frequency of positive emoji, and lower sums for the neophobia scale. Vegan and non-vegan consumers agreed that the most important attributes for consumer acceptance are almond aroma, flavor, and consistency. In conclusion, the "processed by ultrasound" information did not negatively impact the acceptability and emotional profile of probiotic almond-fermented beverages, and using a claim on the label may improve consumer perception of the products.

High-intensity ultrasound influences the probiotic fermentation of Baru almond beverages and impacts the bioaccessibility of phenolics and fatty acids, sensory properties, and in vitro biological activity.

High-intensity ultrasound (HIUS, 20 kHz, 450 W, 6 min) was used as an alternative to the pasteurization of a water-soluble Baru almond extract (WSBAE). Then, probiotic fermented beverages (Lacticaseibacillus casei) were processed and evaluated during storage (7 °C, 28 days). Four formulations were prepared: RAW (untreated [no pasteurization or ultrasound] and unfermented WSBAE), PAST (pasteurized WSBAE fermented with probiotic), U-BEF (WSBAE added with probiotic, submitted to ultrasound, and fermented), and U-AFTER (WSBAE submitted to ultrasound, added with probiotic, and fermented). PAST and HIUS-treated beverages had similar microbiological quality. The PAST formulation showed decreased monounsaturated fatty acids, compromised health indices, and had the lowest consistency. U-AFTER showed higher concentrations of lactic and acetic acids, lower bioaccessibility for most phenolics and fatty acids, and reduced consumer acceptance. U-BEF had the fermentation time reduced by 13.64%, higher probiotic survival during storage and simulated gastrointestinal conditions, and higher bioaccessibility of phenolics and fatty acids during storage. Furthermore, it presented higher in vitro antidiabetic properties and improved consistency and stability. Finally, U-BEF had improved volatile compound composition, resulting in increased sensory acceptance and improved sensory properties. Our results indicate that the HIUS applied after probiotic addition may be a suitable alternative to pasteurization in the processing of fermented beverages, resulting in reduced fermentation times and improved technological, sensory, and biological properties.

Cerrado and Pantanal fruit flours affect gut microbiota composition in healthy and post-COVID-19 individuals: an in vitro pilot fermentation study.

Cerrado and Pantanal plants can provide fruits with high nutritional value and antioxidants. This study aims to evaluate four fruit flours (from jatobá pulp, cumbaru almond, bocaiuva pulp and bocaiuva almond) and their effects on the gut microbiota in healthy (HD) and post-COVID-19 individuals (PC). An in vitro batch system was carried out, the microbiota was analysed by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and the short-chain fatty acids ratio was determined. Furthermore, the effect of jatobá pulp flour oil (JAO) on cell viability, oxidative stress and DNA damage was investigated in a myelo-monocytic cell line. Beyond confirming a microbiota imbalance in PC, we identified flour-specific effects: (i) reduction of Veillonellaceae with jatobá extract in PC samples; (ii) decrease in Akkermansia with jatoba and cumbaru flours; (iii) decreasing trend of Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus with all flours tested, with the exception of the bocaiuva almond in HD samples for Ruminococcus and (iv) increase in Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in PC samples with bocaiuva almond flour. JAO displayed antioxidant properties protecting cells from daunorubicin-induced cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and DNA damage. The promising microbiota-modulating abilities of some flours and the chemopreventive effects of JAO deserve to be further explored in human intervention studies.

Avaliação da atividade antioxidante e inibitória da tirosinase das folhas de Dipteryx alata Vogel (Baru) / Antioxidant and inhibitory action on tyrosinase from Dipteryx alata Vogel (Baru) leaves

Nos últimos anos, uma quantidade substancial de evidências tem indicado o papel chave dos radicais livres e outros oxidantes como grandes responsáveis pelo envelhecimento e pelas doenças degenerativas associadas ao mesmo. Por outro lado, substâncias fenólicas são reconhecidamente detentoras de pronunciada atividade antioxidante, muitas vezes envolvidas em tratamentos de pigmentação que resultam em hiperpigmentação ou hipopigmentação cutânea. Para o tratamento desses problemas de pigmentação vários produtos cosméticos e farmacêuticos são utilizados, porém, não são totalmente eficazes ou seguros, o que justifica a intensa pesquisa na busca de novos agentes ativos, principalmente àqueles envolvidos na melanogênese, como a tirosinase. Considerando que algumas substâncias obtidas de plantas apresentam essa atividade, a flora brasileira constitui-se uma importante fonte de pesquisa de novas substâncias. Assim, este trabalho foi realizado para avaliar os fenóis (método de Folin-Ciocalteau), a atividade antioxidante (CE50) (método de seqüestro do radical livre DPPH), a capacidade de quelação dos íons cobre, e a capacidade de inibição da tirosinase do extrato das folhas da espécie Dipteryx alata Vogel. Os resultados de fenóis totais mostraram uma concentração de 112,3 mg EAG.g-1 no extrato etanólico e 45 mg EAG.g-1 no extrato hexânico. A capacidade antioxidante dos extratos indica que o extrato etanólico, em comparação ao hexânico e ao BHT, possui maior teor de compostos antioxidantes, apresentando os respectivos valores sobre a quantidade de extrato necessária para decrescer a concentração inicial de DPPH em 50%: 52,9 ± 1,3 ppm, 169,1 ± 2,3 ppm, e 181± 6 ppm. Já a capacidade de quelação dos íons cobre mostrou que o extrato etanólico possui capacidade de quelação insignificante. No ensaio de inibição da tirosinase o extrato etanólico demonstrou um percentual de inibição da enzima de 42% após uma hora.

In recent years, a substantial amount of evidence has shown the key role of free radicals and other oxidants as largely responsible for aging and associated degenerative diseases. On the other hand, phenolic substances are known to hold pronounced antioxidant activity, often involved in pigmentation treatments, which result in skin hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation. For the treatment of these pigmentation problems several cosmetic and pharmaceutical products have been used; however, they are not fully effective or safe, which justifies intense research to find new active agents, especially those involved in melanogenesis such as tyrosinase. Considering that some substances obtained from plants have this activity, the Brazilian flora constitutes an important source of research for new substances. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the phenols (Folin-Ciocalteau assay), the antioxidant activity (EC50) (DPPH free radical scavenging assay), the chelation capability of copper ions, and the inhibition capability of tyrosinase from leaf extract of the species Dipteryx alata Vogel. Results for total phenols showed concentration of 112.3 mg GAE.g-1 in ethanol extract and 45 mg GAE.g-1 in hexane extract. The antioxidant capacity of extracts indicates that ethanol extract, compared to hexane extract and BHT, has higher content of antioxidant compounds, showing the respective values of the necessary amount of extract to decrease the initial DPPH concentration by 50%: 52.9 ± 1.3 ppm, 169.1 ± 2.3 ppm and 181 ± 6 ppm. On the other hand, the chelation capacity of copper ions showed that the ethanol extract has insignificant chelation capacity. In the tyrosinase inhibition test, the ethanol extract had 42% enzyme inhibition after one hour.