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Acerola is a perishable fruit with high vitamin C levels and an attractive nutrition property. The goal of the present work was to produce dehydrated acerola pulp with preserved vitamin C, selecting freeze-drying and refractance window (considered a novel and promising drying method) as suitable technologies. The final properties of dehydrated pulps using the drying technologies freeze-drying and refractance window were compared: i) water activity, ii)moisture content, iii) hygroscopicity, iv) color parameters, v) microstructure, vi) antioxidant activity, and vii) ascorbic acid stability (30 °C, 75% RH). The dried acerola pulps exhibited low moisture, water activity, and hygroscopicity regardless of the drying technology. However, the pulp dehydrated by refractance window presented significantly higher antioxidant activity than the freeze-dried pulp, with higher ABTS•+ (1,838.60 μM TE/g dehydrated pulp) and FRAP (1,290.00 μM TE/g dehydrated pulp) values. The ascorbic acid stability values were also higher for the pulp dried by the refractance window, which showed a final content of 98.03 mg/100 g dehydrated pulp after ten days of storage. The refractance window is a more appropriate technology to dehydrate acerola pulp with high vitamin C content, antioxidant activity, and ascorbic acid stability than freeze-drying.

Mead is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of a diluted honey solution by the action of yeast. Recently, research has shown the potential of S. boulardii for brewing beer and in the development of probiotic alcoholic beverages and, to date, no research has examined for mead production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth conditions of S. boulardii for the development of potentially probiotic mead. The findings show that initial wort soluble solids conditions of 30°Brix and initial concentration of 0.030 g/L of S. boulardii obtain potentially probiotic mead with viable yeast cells of 6.53 Log10 CFU/mL, alcohol content of 5.05%, and has the presence of total phenolics (17.72 mg GAE/100 mL) and natural antioxidants (62.79 and 1.37 µmol TE/100 mL for ABTS and FRAP methods, respectively). In conclusion, S. boulardii has a potential for the development of probiotic mead.

Ora-pro-nobis (OPN) (Pereskia aculeata Miller) is a non-conventional edible plant rich in protein, fibres and minerals. The innovation of this work is based on the sustainability production of the aqueous extract (green solvent) containing iron and bioactive compounds as well as employing a native plant from Brazil. A screening of phytochemicals components, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and tannins contents were performed using OPN extract. The antioxidant activity of the OPN aqueous extract was determined by three different assays as following: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•); Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP); and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC). The OPN dried leaves presented high protein and minerals contents. Indeed, the Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR Spectroscopy) analysis performed in OPN aqueous extract confirmed the appearance of representative functional groups of the bioactive compounds. Overall the results suggested that it is possible to use simple aqueous solvent to produce OPN extract rich in iron, bioactive compounds and within antioxidant activity that could be potentially used as functional food ingredient. Resumo Ora-pro-nobis (OPN) (Pereskia aculeata Miller) é uma planta alimentícia não convencional rica em proteínas, fibras e minerais. A inovação deste trabalho é baseada na produção sustentável de um extrato aquoso contendo ferro e compostos bioativos utilizando uma planta nativa brasileira. Uma triagem dos componentes fitoquímicos e a determinação dos compostos fenólicos, flavonoides e taninos foram realizadas usando extrato de OPN. A atividade antioxidante do extrato aquoso de OPN foi investigada empregando-se três diferentes métodos: DPPH•, FRAP e ORAC. Folhas secas de OPN apresentaram elevados conteúdos de proteínas e minerais. A análise de FTIR realizada no extrato aquoso de OPN confirmou a presença de grupos funcionais representativos de compostos bioativos. Os resultados sugerem que é possível usar um solvente aquoso simples para produzir um extrato de OPN rico em ferro, compostos bioativos e com atividade antioxidante, o qual poderia ser potencialmente utilizado como ingrediente alimentar funcional.

In the orange juice industry, more than 50% of raw material becomes by-products that are rich in active compounds and have high nutritional content. Improved use of these by-products could represent a key strategy for a circular economy. The objective of this study was to produce a flour from orange juice by-product, characterize it, and then apply this flour to produce cookies. Orange by-product flour (OBPF) was characterized in terms of its chemical composition, dietary fiber, phenolic compounds, antioxidant potential, and hygroscopic properties. Subsequently, the effect of substituting wheat flour by OBPF in cookies was evaluated. OBPF presented a very high content of dietary fiber (73.61% dry matter (DM)), minerals (ash = 2.72% DM), and total phenolic compounds (534 &plusmn, 30 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g of DM). In general, the properties of cookies were not significantly influenced by using OBPF as a substitution for wheat flour. Sensorial analyses showed that cookies produced with 10% OBPF presented the higher scores. Therefore, OBPF showed interesting characteristics, suggesting its possible use in the development of fiber enriched foods such as cookies, and its production represents a key strategy for the orange juice processing industries towards the application of a circular economy in the food system.

A indústria do processamento de frutas gera um grande volume de resíduos. Entretanto, muitos destes resíduos podem apresentar elevado valor nutricional, ou ainda, apresentarem teores importantes de compostos ativos com atividades antioxidantes, podendo, em alguns casos serem superiores às concentrações encontradas na polpa da fruta. Entretanto, o descarte de tais resíduos pode provocar sérios problemas ambientais. Diversos estudos relatam que os resíduos agroindustriais provenientes do processamento (produção de sucos, polpas congeladas, extratos secos, etc) de frutas podem ser usados na produção de diversos produtos, tais como: produtos de panificação, ração animal, fertilizantes, produção de biogás, dentre outros. Por outro lado, ainda há poucos estudos e aplicações frente ao grande potencial apresentado por estes resíduos. Diversos estudos relatam que resíduos agroindustriais provenientes do processamento do camu-camu apresentam teores significativas de compostos ativos e elevado valor nutricional. Assim, o objetivo deste projeto foi produzir e caracterizar farinhas obtidas em diferentes temperaturas (50, 60 e 70°C) do resíduo do despolpamento do camu-camu (FRCC) e avaliar o potencial para aplicação das mesmas em cookies. O resíduo foi submetido a secagem em três diferentes temperaturas (50, 60 e 70°C) em estufa de circulação forçada de ar, trituradas em moinho de facas e a granulometria padronizada em 16 mesh. As farinhas obtidas, assim como o resíduo úmido do processamento do camu-camu foram caracterizados quanto: ao conteúdo de água, atividade de água, pH, cor, composição centesimal (proteína, fibras, lipídeos, cinzas e carboidratos), composição mineral (nitrogênio, fósforo, potássio, cálcio, magnésio, enxofre, boro, cobre, ferro, manganês e zinco), fenólicos totais, potencial antioxidante (métodos do DPPH•, FRAP e ORAC), carotenóides, taninos, vitamina C, capacidade de absorção de água e óleo, capacidade emulsificante e capacidade espumante. Após a caracterização, a farinha com potencial antioxidante superior e maior concentração de fenólicos totais, foi utilizada para a produção de cookies com as seguintes porcentagens de substituição da farinha de trigo: 5%(C-5FRCC), 10% (C-10FRCC), 15% (C-15FRCC) e 20% (C-20FRCC), além do controle (sem substituição).Por sua vez, os cookies foram avaliados em relação ao conteúdo de água, pH, cor, perda de água, altura, diâmetro, fator de espalhamento, volume específico, dureza, fenólicos totais e potencial antioxidante (métodos do DPPH•, FRAP e ORAC). Verificou-se, de um modo geral, que a temperatura de secagem afetou as propriedades das farinhas, sendo que as farinhas obtidas após secagem a 70°C (FRCC70) apresentou valores superiores de concentração de compostos ativos e potencial antioxidante, em relação às farinhas obtidas após secagem nas demais temperaturas. Desta forma, a FRCC70 utilizada na produção dos cookies. A substituição parcial da farinha de trigo pela FRCC70 provocou pequenas alterações nas características físicas (altura, diâmetro, fator de espalhamento, volume específico) dos cookies, principalmente para as porcentagens de substituição mais elevadas desta farinha. De um modo geral, os cookies com substituição pela FRCC apresentaram dureza superior. Verificou-se ainda que o aumento da concentração da FRCC70 nos cookies provocou aumento da concentração dos compostos fenólicos. Da mesma forma, verificou-se que o aumento da porcentagem de substituição da FRCC70 nos cookies aumentou o potencial antioxidante medido pelos métodos do FRAP e ORAC. Por outro lado, não verificou-se efeito do aumento da porcentagem de substituição no potencial antioxidante medido pelo método do DPPH• dos cookies. Assim, verificou-se que a farinha do resíduo do processamento do camu-camu mostrou potencial para aplicação em cookies por poder agregar valor nutricional, em função do aumento do potencial antioxidante e da concentração de fenólicos totais desses produtos. Fruit processing industry generates a high volume of by-products. However, many of these byproducts may present high nutritional value, or they may present important concentrations of active compounds with antioxidant activities, and in some cases they could have higher concentrations than thosefound in the fruit pulp. However, the discard of such by-prodcuts can cause serious environmental problems. Several studies report that the agroindustrial by-products from fruit process (production of juices, frozen pulp, dried extracts, etc.) can be used in the production of several products, such as: bakery products, animal feed, fertilizers, biogas production, among others. On the other hand, there are still few studies and applications in view of the great potential presented by these by-products. Several studies reported that agroindustrial by-products from camu-camu processing have significant concentrations of active compounds and high nutritional value. Thus, the aim of this project was to produce and characterize flours obtained at different temperatures (50, 60 and 70 ° C) of the camu-camu pulp by-product (FRCC) and to evaluate the potential for application of the same in cookies. By-product was dried in three different temperatures (50, 60 and 70 ° C) in a forced air circulation oven, milled with a knife mill and the standard granulometry in 16 mesh. Flours and the wet by-product were evaluated in relation to water content, water activity, pH, color, centesimal composition (protein, fiber, lipids, ashes and carbohydrates), mineral composition (nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, copper, iron, manganese and zinc), total phenolics, antioxidant potential (DPPH•, FRAP and ORAC methods), carotenoids, tannins, vitamin C, water absorption capacity and oil, emulsifying capacity and foaming capacity. After the characterization, the flour with higher antioxidant potential and higher total phenolic concentration was used to produce cookies with the following percentages of wheat flour substitution: 5% (C-5FRCC), 10% (C-10FRCC), 15% (C-15FRCC) and 20% (C-20FRCC), in addition to the control (without substitution). Cookies were evaluated in relation towater content, pH, color, water loss, height, diameter, spreading factor, specific volume, hardness, total phenolics and antioxidant potential (DPPH•, FRAP and ORAC methods). It was generally found that the drying temperature affected the properties of the flour. The flour obtained after drying at 70 ° C (FRCC70) showed higher concentration of active compounds and antioxidant potential in relation to the flour obtained after drying in other temperatures. In this way, the FRCC70 used in the production of cookies. The partial replacement of wheat flour by FRCC70 caused small changes in the physical characteristics (height, diameter, spreading factor and specific volume) of the cookies, mainly for the higher substitution percentages of this flour. In general, cookies with FRCC70 substitution showed higher hardness. It was also verified that the increase of FRCC70 concentration in cookies caused an increase in the concentration of phenolic compounds, likewise, in the antioxidant potential measured by the FRAP and ORAC methods. On the other hand, no effect was observed in the antioxidant potential measured by the DPPH• method. Thus, it can be concluded that the flour of the camu-camu processing byproducts showed potential for application in cookies because it can add nutritional value, due to the increase of the antioxidant potential and the total phenolic concentration of these products.

Camu-camu processing coproducts can present a high concentration of bioactive compounds with antioxidant characteristics. However, the application of these coproducts in food products is little explored. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different drying temperatures on camu-camu coproducts in relation to the bioactive compound concentration and the effect of substitution of wheat flour by this coproduct on the characteristics of cookies. Camu-camu coproducts were dried at 50 °C, 60 °C and 70 °C and evaluated for proximate composition, phenolic profile and the total phenolic and antioxidant potential (DPPH, FRAP, ORAC assays). Cookies were produced with 5%–20% replacement of wheat flour by the coproduct powder and characterized in relation to hardness, spreading factor, specific volume and the total phenolic and antioxidant potential. The camu-camu coproduct powder dried at 70 °C showed the highest concentration of total phenolic and antioxidant potential. A total of 11 flavonoids were identified for camu-camu coproduct regardless of drying temperature. The incorporation of camu-camu coproduct powder, with a maximum substitution of 20%, did not affect the physical properties of the cookies when compared to the control cookies, improving total phenolics and antioxidant potential, confirming a possible to insert this coproduct in food industry.

Cosmetics, personal care and biomedical products obtained by bio-based polymers and natural bioactive compounds are a new growing market. The ecological awareness is changing consumers' demands, causing consumers to look for more sustainable options, with a reduced environmental impact. The innovation of this work was to develop a natural polymer matrix (chitosan) entrapping antioxidant actives compounds such as annatto (Bixa Orellana L.) and vitamin C with potential application as sustainable anti-aging skin mask treatment. Films of chitosan (Ch) and reacetylated chitosan (RCh), exhibiting different degrees of acetylation (DA = 13.3 and 33.9%, respectively), were produced. The formulations of active films of chitosan (BCh) and reacetylated chitosan (BRCh) were 1% (w/w) of chitosan, 1% (w/w) of annatto powder, 5% (w/w) of vitamin C and 1% (w/w) of glycerol (as plasticizer). Reacetylated chitosan films (DA = 33.9%) presented higher water affinity than chitosan films (DA = 13.3%). The elongation of RCh and BRCh increased and the resistance decreased, as compared to Ch and BCh. The antioxidants compounds (annatto and vitamin C) of BRCh films released faster than BCh films. Thus, the BRCh films showed potential application as an anti-aging skin mask.