Atividade antioxidante da polpa, casca e sementes do noni (Morinda citrifolia Linn)

Na busca pela identificação de novas fontes de antioxidantes naturais e de esclarecer lacunas acerca das reais propriedades benéficas atribuídas ao Noni (Morinda citrifolia Linn), este trabalho teve como objetivo realizar a caracterização química e avaliar a atividade antioxidante da polpa, casca e sementes do noni. Foram determinadas a composição centesimal (umidade, cinzas, proteínas, carboidratos e lipídios); os compostos bioativos (fenólicos totais, carotenoides totais e vitamina C) e a atividade in vitro em extratos aquoso, etanólico e acetônico. Os resultados demonstraram que o Noni possui quantidades significativas de carboidratos (27,21%; 9,70% e 8,37%) e de proteínas (2,64%; 2,23%; e 2,24%) nas sementes, casca e polpa, respectivamente. A polpa apresentou maior teor de vitamina C (23,1 mg/100g) e de carotenoides totais (3,90 mg/100g). No extrato acetônico da polpa, foram quantificados 109,81 mg/100g de fenólicos totais, seguidos pelos extratos acetônicos da casca (76,01 mg/100g), das sementes (28,75 mg/100g) e do extrato etanólico da polpa (20,33 mg/100g). Todos os extratos avaliados apresentaram atividade antioxidante in vitro; os extratos acetônico e etanólico da casca e das sementes do Noni apresentaram maior atividade pelo método β-caroteno/ ácido linoleico, enquanto o extrato etanólico da polpa teve maior atividade antioxidante pelo ensaio DPPH e ABTS, e o extrato acetônico da polpa, pelo método ABTS. O noni é um fruto com significativo teor de compostos fenólicos totais que apresentam atividade antioxidante in vitro.

Discrepancies over the onset of surfactant monomer aggregation interpreted by fluorescence, conductivity and surface tension methods

Molecular probe techniques have made important contributions to the determination of microstructure of surfactant assemblies such as size, stability, micropolarity and conformation. Conductivity and surface tension were used to determine the critical aggregation concentration (cac) of polymer-surfactant complexes and the critical micellar concentration (cmc) of aqueous micellar aggregates. The results are compared with those of fluorescent techniques. Several surfactant systems were examined, 1-butanol-sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) mixtures, solutions containing poly(ethylene oxide)-SDS, poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-SDS and poly(acrylic acid)-alkyltrimethylammonium bromide complexes. We found differences between the cac and cmc values obtained by conductivity or surface tension and those obtained by techniques which use hydrophobic probe.

Optimisation of the lipase-catalysed preparation of a nucleoside prodrug model using an experimental design methodology

The preparation of 2', 3'-di-O-hexanoyluridine (2) by a Candida antarctica B lipase-catalysed alcoholysis of 2', 3', 5'-tri-O-hexanoyluridine (1) was optimised using an experimental design. At 25 ºC better experimental conditions allowed an increase in the yield of 2 from 80% to 96%. In addition to the yield improvement, the volume reaction could be diminished in a factor of 5 and the reaction time significantly shortened.

Potencial alelopático de catequinas de Tachigali myrmecophyla (leguminosae)

Two compounds, (+)-catechin and epicatechin, were isolated from leaves of T. myrmecophyla, using chromatographic techniques. The structural identification was carried out on the basis of ¹H and 13C NMR spectral data and comparison with literature data. The compounds (+)-catechin and epicatechin were submitted to germination inhibition and radicle and hypocotyl growth assays. Results showed some significant activities confirming the initial hypothesis about allelopathic properties of that plant.

Aplicação da metodologia de superfície de resposta no estudo da produção e extração da poligalacturonase

The aim of this work was to verify the effects of initial medium moisture content (U), addition of ammonium sulphate (N) and of potassium phosphate (P) in the production of the polygalacturonase through the solid-state fermentation, using cashew apple husk as substrate and Aspergillus niger CCT0916 as transformation agent. We also studied the best extraction conditions of the produced enzyme. The best condition of production was with U of 40%, 1% of N and 0% of P being reached an activity of the poligalacturonase of 10.1 U/g. The best extraction condition is an agitation system with a time of 100 min and a solvent-fermented medium volume ratio of 5 mL/g.

Avaliação da composição mineral do chá da folha senescente de Montrichardia linifera (arruda) schott (araceae) por espectrometria de absorção atômica com chama (FAAS)

Levels of Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn were determinated by FAAS in the tea and dry matter from senescent leaf from Montrichardia linifera, plant used in folk medicine Amazon. The content of these metals that are transferred of the leaf to the infusions have presented significant reductions, however, the Mn values in the infusion may exceed the tolerable daily intake (11 mg) if consumption of this tea is greater than 1.0 L per day. So the tea of senescent leaves of M. linifera may be considered as a toxic beverage and thus its use is not advised.

Synthesis and characterization of Fe(III)-piperazine-derived complexes encapsulated in zeolite Y

Zeolite-encapsulated complexes have been widely applied in hydrocarbon oxidation catalysis. The "ship-in-a-bottle" encapsulation of iron(III) complexes containing piperazine and piperazine-derivative ligands in zeolite-Y is described. The flexible ligand methodology was employed and the efficiency and reproducibility of the procedure was investigated. The catalysts were characterized employing several techniques and the results indicate the presence of coordinated and uncoordinated iron(III) ions inside and outside the zeolitic cage.

Biodiesel de microalgas: avanços e desafios

Microalgae biomass has been described by several authors as the raw material with the greatest potential to meet the goals of replacing petroleum diesel by biodiesel while not competing with arable land suitable for food production. Research groups in different countries are seeking the most appropriate production model for productivity, economic viability and environmental sustainability. This review focused on recent advances and challenges of technology for the production of biodiesel from microalgae, including the procedures used to obtain biomass.

Descriptores globales y locales de la reactividad para el diseño de nuevos fármacos anticancerosos basados en cis-platino(II)

Density functional theory was used to investigate the global and local reactivity of some cis-platinum(II) complexes including anticancer drugs, such as cisplatin and carboplatin. Calculated equilibrium geometries at mPW1PW/LANL2DZ* are in close agreement with their available X-ray data. We develop three new local reactivity descriptors: atomic descriptor of philicity, atomic descriptor group and atomic descriptor of philicity group for determining chemical reactivity and selectivity of the studied complexes. This contribution on chemical reactivity allow us to establish qualitative trends, which enable our descriptors for use in rational platinum based anticancer drug design.

Exploración estocástica de las superficies de energía potencial de dímeros cis-trans y trans-trans del ácido fórmico

Potential energy surface (PES) of cis-trans and trans-trans formic acid dimers were sampled using a stochastic method, and the geometries, energies, and vibrational frequencies were computed at B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,2p) level of theory. The results show that molar free energy of dimerization deviated up to 108.4% when basis set superposition error (BSSE) and zero-point energy (ZPE) were not considered. For cis-trans dimers, C=O and O - H bond weakened, whereas C - O bonds strengthened due to dimerization. Also, trans-trans FA dimers did not show a trend regarding strengthening or weakening of the C=O, O - H and C - O bonds.