Suco integral de amora (Morus nigra L.) obtido através de prensagem e despolpamento: rendimento e caracterização físico-química

Mulberry (Morus nigra L.) is a fruit with a great potential for technological uses, which could be employed to manufacture of syrups, ice cream, candies, yoghurts, beverages, jam, etc. Only the leaf from mulberry trees is commercially used for silkworm feeding. This tree is cultivated on many agricultural environments such as small rural proprieties and settlements. Small farmers waste a great amount of their production for not knowing about mulberry technology. Thus, the objective of this work was to access extraction yield and physical-chemical properties of mulberry whole juice from ripe, green and a mixture of both by using press and depulper. Statistical analysis of results was carried by media and standard deviation calculations. 173 kg of mulberry were picked being 49.31% ripe and 50.68% green. Press delivered greater extraction yield of whole juice (80.50% to 81.60%) when compared to press (71.43% to 77.50%). Whole juice obtained from both equipments has shown the following values: soluble solids 7.45% - 12.11%, titrable acidity 0.45 – 1.23%, ratio 6.03 – 26.84, pH 3.69 – 4.35, total reducing sugar 4.05% – 9.96%, reducing sugar 3.95% - 9.15%, sucrose 0.00% - 0.04%, turbidity 221.25 NTU - >4,000 NTU. Whole juices obtained from both equipments has shown similar physical-chemical characteristics except turbidity. The authors concluded that press was the best extraction equipment due to its greater yield and whole juice quality regarding turbidity

Prediction of soil shear strength in agricultural and natural environments of the Brazilian Cerrado

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Environmental heterogeneity: Anuran diversity in homogeneous environments

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Assessment of Cerdocyon thous distribution in an agricultural mosaic, southeastern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Geographic distribution and associated environments characterization of trichilia catigua A. Juss - Meliaceae in Santa Catarina State - Brazil

A survey was conducted aiming to recognize and characterize the environments of occurrence of Trichilia species and their geographic distribuition, particulary T. catigua A. Juss, in Santa Catarina State. These informations will support a domestication strategy for agricultural production of this spcies. This species is widely used by traditional communities as dye and tonic beverage, as well as digestive and purgative. Some pharmaceutical and beverage industries in Brasil use bark of this species to prepare a tonic drink. There are several common names reffering the species and this situation can promove mistakes in collecting and selling processes. Termperature, soil, vegetational types and edaphoclimatic aspects have great influence on the occurrence of this species. Plant collection strategu was based on herbaria data and field verification. The vouchers were deposited at the Federal University of Parana herbarium (UPCB). The collection sites were geographically located, by latitude and longitude and these data were crossed with climate, soil, temperature, rainfall, altitude and vegetation maps. Catuaba occurs predominantly on a stational semidecidual forest and also on transitional forest with Araucaria and part of Atlantic forest. It is found growing in lower canopy, with fertile soils, and high content of organic matter. The main geomorphological formation are basaltic and the soil types vary from dark red latossol to yellow red latossol, including structured red latossl and cambissol from basaltic and granitic origin.

Geographical distribution and associated environments characterisation of catuba (Trichilia catigua A. Juss. - Meliaceae) in Paraná State - Brazil

Trichilia catigua A. Juss. - Meliaceae has been traditionally used as a tonic and digestive medicine. Some Brazilian pharmaceutical firms use this species to produce phytopharmaceuticals and alcoholic beverages. The aim of this work is to determine its geographical distribution and characterise the environments where catuaba is found in the state of Paraná, in order to support the domestication strategy for the agricultural production of this species. Based on the literature, botanical collections and field observations it was established, that five species of the genus occurring in Paraná, which were identified as T casaretti, T catigua, T claussenii, T elegans, T pallida and another supposed to be T pattens. Trichilia catigua occurs within a wide but defined strip in the state. By evaluating data of climate; soil types; natural vegetation formations; mean, maximum and minimum temperatures; relative humidity; rainfall; altitudes and evapotranspiration the strip may be localised above latitude 25° in the central and Eastern regions of the state and above latitude 26° in South-western Parana. In general, T catigua was found to occur on fertile, organic-matter-rich soils and predominantly under forest canopies.

Discrimination of production environments of specialty coffees by means of stable isotopes and discriminant model

The south of Minas Gerais, Brazil stands out among various regions through its capacity for production of specialty coffees. Its potential, manifested through being one of the most award-winning Brazilian regions in recent years, has been recognized by the Cup of Excellence (COE). With the evident relationship between product quality and the environment in mind, the need arises for scientific studies to provide a foundation for discrimination of product origin, creating new methods for combating possible fraud. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in discrimination of production environments of specialty coffees from the Serra da Mantiqueira of Minas Gerais by means of the discriminant model. Coffee samples were composed of ripe yellow and red fruits collected manually at altitudes below 1,000 m, from 1,000 to 1,200 m and above 1,200 m. The yellow and red fruits were subjected to dry processing and wet processing, with five replications. A total of 119 samples were used for discrimination of specialty coffee production environments by means of stable isotopes and statistical modeling. The model generated had an accuracy rate of 89% in discrimination of environments and was composed of the isotope variables of δ15N, δ13C, %C, %N, δD, δ18O (meteoric water) and sensory analysis scores. In addition, for the first time, discrimination of environments on a local geographic scale, within a single municipality, was proposed and successfully concluded. This shows that isotope analysis is an effective method in verifying geographic origin for specialty coffees.