Industrialized cashew juices: variation of ascorbic acid and other physicochemical parameters

Commercial cashew apple juice is widely accepted in the Brazilian market. Cashew apple has high content of ascorbic acid, an important nutrient to human beings. Ascorbic acid content in food can be affected by processing and storage conditions. Commercial cashew apple juice samples, ready-to-drink and concentrated, were analyzed. The ascorbic acid content, total titratable acidity, total soluble solids, and pH of the juices were determined during storage at 4 °C after the containers were opened. The ascorbic acid content presented a great variability among the samples analyzed ranging from 37.3 to 46.3 mg.100 mL-1 in ready-to-drink juices and from 75.7 to 152 mg.100 mL-1 in concentrated juices. The storage of commercial cashew apple juices for 48 hours at 4 °C resulted in ascorbic acid losses of up to 8.8% for concentrated and 6.4% for ready-to-drink juices. The other parameters remained stable during storage. The results of this study point to the importance of considering ascorbic acid losses in commercial cashew apple juices which occurs after opening but before the expiration date expires.

Variation of glucoraphanin and glucobrassicin: anticancer components in Brassica during processing

Effects of cold storage and three common cooking practices, blanching, sauteing, and microwave cooking at different time intervals, on the content of glucosinolate (GSL) anticancer components in six Brassica vegetables were investigated. Eleven GSLs including progoitrin, glucoraphanin, sinigrin, glucoalyssin, gluconapin, glucobrassicanapin, glucoerucin, glucobrassicin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, gluconasturtiin, and neoglucobrassicin were quantified using LC-MS and HPLC. Storage at 4 ºC indicated no significant loss of GSLs in broccoli, kohlrabi, and cabbage, and approximately 90-100% of the total concentration of aliphatic and indolyl GSLs were detected. Interestingly, glucoraphanin and glucobrassicin, known as a cancer prevention agents, increased approximately above 50% in broccoli, kohlrabi, and cabbage, while the amount of glucobrassicin decreased by 5% in cauliflower for 5 days at 4 ºC. Blanching of broccoli at 120 sec significantly (36%) decreased total GSLs; however, sautéing and microwaving decreased by13-26%. Individual GSLs have different response at blanching. These findings suggest that different processing methods for each vegetable would be preferred to preserve the nutritional qualities.

Variation of some chemical and functional properties of Bambara groundnut (Voandzeia Subterranean L. Thouars) during sort time storage

Abstract The storage susceptibility of Bambara groundnut (B. G.) (Voandzeia Subterranean (L.) Thouars) to Callosobruchus maculatus and chemical and functional properties of 11 varieties form Far-North of Cameroon were investigate using standard analytical methods. Storage susceptibility shown that, after five months within treatment, C. maculatus destroy 10 to 50% of grains. The chemical characteristics of none attack grains of 11 varieties were range to 18.64 at 21.08%, 6.85 at 7.44%, 49.75 at 52.68% and to 6.05 at 7.55% respectively for protein, fat, starch and free carbohydrate. These chemical characteristics significantly (p < 0.05) decreases form attacks varieties. For the functional parameters, the none attacks grains was range of 130 at 135%, 19.15 at 20.91%, 18.20 at 21.13%, 2.76 at 3.21% and of 8.54 at 10.14% respectively for water capacity absorption, solubility index, gel length, ash and humidity. The results of this study indicated that storage susceptibility, chemical and functional properties of B. G. be dependant to the varieties.

Soil seed bank variation patterns according to environmental factors in a natural grassland

This research aimed to determine the soil seed bank and its relationship with environmental factors that have an influence in the distribution of the vegetation above the ground in an excluded area of natural grassland in the South of Brazil. Most of the 122 identified species in the seed bank were perennials. Data analysis indicated three distinct community groups, according to the size and composition of the soil seed bank in lowlands with permanent wet soils, in lowlands and in other areas. In general, lowlands were characterized by low-fertility soils, high moisture and aluminum contents, being spatially homogeneous habitats and, therefore, more restricted to vegetation heterogeneity than other parts of the relief. Environmental factors most associated with soil seed bank size and composition were relief position and their co-related soil variables such as: soil moisture content, potassium content, organic matter, basic saturation of cation exchange soil capacity, exchangeable basics sum of the soil and clay soil content. According to that, relief position, associated with combined effects of soil chemical properties related to it, determines the observed variation pattern of the soil seed bank, as a reflection of the vegetation above the area.