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Lung Cancer (LC) is an emergent disease widespread globally. Compared to other types of cancer, LC has one of the lowest survival rates (18%). As some risk factors associated with the development of lung carcinogenesis are still unavoidable, researchers have been trying to find efficient and safe alternatives that can help prevent LC or even attenuate its rapid evolution after diagnosis. Studies with natural products promise to offer biological effects against several types of cancers, including LC. The uncountable types of plant matrices dispersed in nature, or even their extracts, contain a powerful composition of bioactive compounds with promising biological effects on LC. The biomes in Brazil are examples of regions with a great biodiversity of bioactive compounds-rich fruits. Therefore, this review aimed to present the potential anticancer effect of Brazilian native fruits, their fractions, and by-products on LC through the elucidation of the main molecular mechanisms involved. The Brazilian plant matrices discussed here (açaí, achiote, araticum, camu camu, cocoa, jaboticaba, genipap, guarana, and pequi) showed promising evidence by inducing cellular apoptosis, reducing cancer cell viability and tumor growth, and regulating cell cycle.

This work proposes a sequential high-pressure extraction to recover bioactives from biquinho peppers. The nonpolar fraction was extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide (sc−CO2). Then, the sc−CO2 extracted biquinho pepper (EBP) was submitted to pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) using ethanol and water mixtures (50%, 75%, 100% ethanol) at different temperatures (45, 55, 65 °C) to recover compounds of higher polarity. The sc−CO2 extraction yield was 4.75%, with capsiate concentration of 8.67 mg/g oleoresin. In PLE, the solvent composition influenced the extraction yield and quality. Sixteen phenolics were identified in PLE extracts by UHPLC-MS/MS. Rutin isomer and vicenin-2 were quantified. The highest concentration of rutin isomer (441 μg/g extract) was obtained with pure ethanol whereas, for vicenin-2, the best solvent was 50% ethanol (299 μg/g extract). Considering the extraction of total phenolics, 75% ethanol was the most effective solvent. sc−CO2 extraction followed by PLE is an interesting alternative to obtain bioactives from peppers.

Latin America has a wide range of native plants spread through its territory. The palms of the Astrocaryum genus are examples of crops occurring in Central and South America, including the large plant life in Brazil. Although not very well known, the Astrocaryum spp. possess edible and non-edible fractions with potential technological and medicinal uses, as evidenced by recent research. Two native Brazilian fruits, tucumã-do-Amazonas (Astrocaryum aculeatum) and tucumã-do-Pará (Astrocaryum vulgare), typically found in the north and northeast of the country, respectively, stand out for their high antioxidant capacity and rich content in bioactive compounds, mainly carotenoids and phenolic compounds. Accordingly, experimental studies indicate their potential to prevent and treat inflammatory and oxidative stress-related conditions, including cancer. The tucumã plants have also been suggested as tools in the industry, for example for biofuel production, activated carbon technology, and as alternative packaging. Considering the importance of bringing light to underestimated yet culturally relevant native crops with potential benefits for small and large communities, this review aims to present and discuss the characteristics, bioactive composition, health effects, and technological potential of tucumã-do-Amazonas and tucumã-do-Pará fruits.

The Attalea dubia and Attalea phalerata palms belong to the Arecaceae family and are commonly found in the Brazilian Cerrado. Their leaves and stems are important in handicrafts, fodder and house construction. On the other hand, the edible part of the fruits (pulp and kernel) and its byproducts have shown nutritional and/or commercial importance, as well as applications in popular medicine, which serve as a basis for scientific studies. Like many other palm fruits from the Brazilian Cerrado, A. dubia and A. phalerata have a high nutritional and functional potential that still need to be further explored. Especially, there is a need for more reliable research capable of exploring the potential of the products from Attalea as functional foods and nutraceuticals. For this chapter, consistent information will be presented as far as the botanical aspects, regional uses and consumption, chemical and nutritional compositions (fatty acids, total phenolics, carotenoids), biological applications through scientific studies (in vitro and in vivo), and technological potential of two promising palm species of the Attalea genus.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease with increasing incidence in the world, especially in developing countries. Although knowledge of its pathogenesis has progressed over the last years, some details require clarification. Studies have highlighted the role of microbial dysbiosis and immune dysfunction as essential factors that may initiate the typical high-grade inflammatory outcome. In order to better understand the immunopathophysiological aspects of UC, experimental murine models are valuable tools. Some of the most commonly used chemicals to induce colitis are trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid, oxazolone and dextran sodium sulfate. These may also be used to investigate new ways of preventing or treating UC and therefore improving targeting in human studies. The use of functional foods or bioactive compounds from plants may constitute an innovative direction towards the future of alternative medicine. Considering the above, this review focused on updated information regarding the 1. gut microbiota and immunopathogenesis of UC; 2. the most utilized animal models of the disease and their relevance; and 3. experimental application of natural products, not yet tested in clinical trials.

The extract obtained from blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) residues was encapsulated in polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) by three methods: the conventional spray-drying (SD) and freeze-drying (FD) techniques, and the new method of supercritical antisolvent (SAS), using CO2 as antisolvent and ethanol as solvent of the organic solution (extract + PVP). The methods and their produced particles were evaluated in terms of precipitation yield, residual ethanol and moisture contents, anthocyanin concentration, antioxidant capacity, morphology, crystallinity and thermal stability. SD,FD and SAS achieved particles with good anthocyanin yields (above 76%), high antioxidant capacity (above 100 μmol TE/g particle) and were effective to concentrate anthocyanins in PVP without great degradation. Using SAS, particles with 1.42 mg ECy3Gl/g were achieved. Nevertheless, SAS particles presented high residual ethanol (8.17% w/w) and moisture (11.30% w/w), whereas in SD and FD particles these contents remained below 2 and 5%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a spherical shape in the particles obtained by SD, while those produced by SAS and FD presented irregular agglomerates. The encapsulation processes were equivalent in terms of thermal protection of the extracts and they did not modify the crystallinity and thermal behavior of PVP. The SAS process achieved preferential precipitation of anthocyanins when compared to SD and FD, since supercritical CO2 does not have any affinity to such compounds.

An ethanolic anthocyanin-rich extract was obtained from blackberry residues through ultrasound assisted extraction, and extracts were co-precipitated with the biodegradable polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) through the supercritical antisolvent process (SAS), using carbon dioxide as antisolvent. The influence of temperature (30–45 °C), PVP concentration in the extract (0.5–4.0%) and solution flow rate (1–10 mL/min) on the SAS process were investigated. The decrease of these three parameters contributed to produce particles with smaller diameter, residual ethanol, humidity and water activity, although with higher hygroscopicity. Moreover, the increase of these parameters intensified the agglomeration of the particles. SEM images revealed co-precipitates with irregular shapes obtained at high temperatures, flow rates and PVP concentrations. FTIR analysis showed that neither extract nor PVP properties were modified in the SAS process. Good precipitation yields were achieved, indicating that the SAS process is effective and selective in the co-precipitation of anthocyanins.

DUNE is a massive experiment for the study of neutrinos physics which uses liquid argon as active medium. The X-ARAPUCA is a novel technology for the detection of liquid argon scintillation light with an increased detection efficiency with respect to more standard solutions. The X-ARAPUCA light collection efficiency depends on several parameters: the Quantum Efficiency of the active photo-sensitive device, the transmissivity, and reflectivity of the dichroic filter, the shifting efficiency of the wavelength shifters, the reflectivity and shape of the box. The collection efficiency of the device can be maximized by optimizing all of these factors. The present work deals with the Monte Carlo simulation of an experimental set-up which is being used to estimate the total detection efficiency of an X-ARAPUCA. The experiment is constituted by a stainless steel cylinder which hosts the device to be tested and an alpha source. The cylinder is filled with ultra-pure liquid argon and the X-ARAPUCA detects the scintillation photons produced by the alpha particles. The comparison of the experimental spectrum of the detected number of photons with the Monte Carlo spectrum of the number of photons impinging on the X-ARAPUCA acceptance window allows to determine its total detection efficiency. The simulation is based on the GEANT4 package.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are illnesses characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation and microbial dysbiosis that have emerged as a public health challenge worldwide. It comprises two main conditions: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Currently, conventional therapy to treat IBD are not free from side effects, such as liver and kidney toxicity, drug resistance, and allergic reactions. In view of this, there is growing research for alternative and complementary therapies that, in addition to acting in the prevention or the control of the disease, do not compromise the quality of life and health of individuals. In this sense, a growing body of evidence has confirmed the benefits of natural phenolic compounds in intestinal health. Phenolic compounds or polyphenols are molecules widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom (flowers, vegetables, leaves, and fruits), including plant materials remaining of the handling and food industrial processing, referred to in the scientific literature as by-products, food waste, or bagasse. Since by-products are low-cost, abundant, easily accessible, safe, and rich in bioactive compounds, it becomes an exciting option to extract, concentrate or isolate phenolic compounds to be posteriorly applied in the therapeutic approach of IBD. In this article, we have reviewed the main phenolic compounds present in various plants and by-products that have shown beneficial and/or promising effects in experimental pre-clinical, clinical, and in vitro research with IBD. In addition, we have mentioned and suggested several plants and by-products originated and produced in Latin America that could be part of future research as good sources of specific phenolic compounds to be applied in the prevention and development of alternative treatments for IBD. This review may offer a valuable reference for studies related to IBD administering phenolic compounds from natural, cheap, and easily accessible raw and undervalued materials.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), mainly Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are high-prevalent chronic gastrointestinal disorders that may cause an important reduction in life quality. Such diseases are characterized by their immune-mediated inflammatory, oxidative and dysbiotic events, which can lead to important symptoms in patients, such as abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea and body weicght loss. In the last years, alternative natural options have been postulated for the prevention or treatment of IBDs, since common drug therapy may not be well accepted due to recurrent adverse effects and/or partial efficacy. Among those new natural products, agro-industrial byproducts, such as the peel and seed of foods, are emerging as cheap and pro-ecological options, as they are rich in bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, but also in non-phenolic compounds, like unsaturated fatty acids, dietary fibers and prebiotics, carotenoids, bioactive peptides, and vitamins. In that sense, Latin America is rich in little explored native fruits and vegetables, from which great amounts of byproducts can be produced. Studies have shown that the byproducts from Latin American vegetables, such as passion-fruit (Passiflora edulis), pineapple (Ananas comosus) and pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.), for example, could represent interesting tools against IBDs, judging by the results of in vitro and animal studies. Therefore, the aim of this review is to discuss the potential role of non-phenolic compounds from native Latin American food byproducts in the prevention or treatment of IBDs, by highlighting their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and/or anti-dysbiotic effects.

Extracts with antioxidant compounds were obtained from residues of blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L.) through pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). The influence of solvent type (water, acidified water pH = 2.5, ethanol and ethanol + water 50% v:v) and temperature (60, 80 and 100 °C) on global yield (X0), total phenolics (TP), monomeric anthocyanins (MA) and antioxidant activity (AA) (by DPPH and ABTS) of the extracts was evaluated. Moreover, anthocyanins were identified and quantified by UHPLC-QToF-MS e UHPLC-UV-Vis, respectively. The best PLE condition was compared to conventional extractions (Soxhlet and maceration). Results showed positive influence of temperature on global yield, TP and AA. Ethanol + water as solvent at 100 °C was chosen as the best PLE condition, providing TP = 7.36 mgGAE/g fresh residue, MA = 1.02 mg C3GE/g fresh residue, AA = 76.03 μmol TE/g fresh residue and X0 = 6.33%. Excepting MA, all other results were over those of conventional extractions. Four anthocyanins were identified by UHPLC in the extracts, and their higher yields were achieved with acidified water as solvent at 60 and 80 °C. PLE has proved to be a promising alternative to recover bioactive compounds from blackberry residues, as well as other food by-products.

Food industries produce annually billions of tons of non-edible residues, which can cause pollution, management and economic problems worldwide. Environment damages such as water, soil and air contamination are global concerns, and are the main reason for the development of different strategies to use agricultural and industrial residues as source of new products. To apply the food wastes, environment-friendly processes are recommendable, in which renewable sources are used and the products do not offer environmental risks. Sub- and supercritical fluid technologies can meet such requirements when using green solvents. This review gives an overview of the potential of food residues as raw materials for the production of nutritionally interesting compounds, chemicals and biofuels. Aiming to recover components from food residues, processes in which sub- and supercritical technologies can be used, in single or combined ways, are discussed. Several applications are reported.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SFE) was performed to recover bioactive components from blackberry ( Rubus sp.) industrial residues. Ultrasound was applied during the extractions in order to enhance rate and yield. Moreover, water and ethanol at different proportions were used as cosolvents to improve the extraction of polar compounds from the residues. The extraction global yields were measured at all performed conditions (pressure, temperature, ultrasound power and cosolvent). The extracts were evaluated in terms of their antioxidant activity, measured using two methods, phenolic content, monomeric anthocyanins, and anthocyanin profile. The application of ultrasound in SFE helped increasing the extraction rate at the beginning of the process, which could be observed on the extraction curves at 15 MPa, the lowest pressure applied. Scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to analyze the blackberry bagasse undergoing SFE with and without ultrasounds and showed that ultrasound disturbs the cell walls, enhancing the release of the extractable compounds. The extracts have shown high antioxidant activity and phenolic contents when obtained at higher temperatures. Regarding anthocyanins, the use of water as cosolvent resulted in a significant increase. Four major anthocyanins were identified and quantified by ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC).

A demanda por fontes energeticas que permitam um desenvolvimento sustentavel tem impulsionado estudos sobre a obtencao de energias alternativas, renovaveis e nao poluentes como a energia hidrica, eolica, biomassa e solar. Sendo assim, o objetivo neste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial de um tanque solar de gradiente salino (TSGS) para o armazenamento de energia termica obtida a partir da energia solar. Um TSGS piloto com area superficial de 1,76 m² e volume de 1 m³ foi montado no municipio de Itapetinga, BA e a temperatura nas camadas convectivas superior (CCS) e inferior (CCI) foi monitorada entre 20 de agosto e 03 de novembro de 2008. Verificou-se que a diferenca de temperatura entre as camadas aumentou de 2°C para 13,2°C, com um valor medio de 5,7°C para o periodo. Para uma eficiencia de 30% na utilizacao da energia acumulada, seria possivel elevar em 10°C a temperatura de 50 L de leite resfriado em um laticinios. Em periodos mais quentes a diferenca de temperatura poderia ser ainda maior. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho demonstram o potencial de utilizacao em nosso pais do TSGS para armazenar energia termica a partir da energia solar, como alternativa renovavel e nao-poluente, para industrias e propriedades rurais.