Effects of heat treatment and storage temperature on the use of açaí drink by nutraceutical and beverage industries

This study assesses the storage temperature effect on the anthocyanins of pasteurized and unpasteurized açaí pulp. The data was obtained using a pasteurized and lyophilized pulp (PLP) to evaluate the temperature effect (0, 25, and 40 °C). Part of non-pasteurized frozen pulp (NPP) was pasteurized (NPP-P) at 90 °C for 30 seconds; both pulps were stored at 40 °C. The anthocyanin content reduction in the drink was evaluated from the half-life time (t1/2), activation energy (Ea), temperature quotient (Q10), and the reaction rate constant (k). The t1/2 of the PLP anthocyanins stored at 40 °C was 1.8 times less than that stored at 25 °C and 15 times less than that stored at 0 °C; therefore, the higher temperatures decreased the stability of anthocyanins. The pasteurization increased the t1/2 by 6.6 times (10.14 hours for NPP and 67.28 hours for NPP-P). The anthocyanin degradation on NPP-P followed a first order kinetic, while NPP followed a second order kinetic; thus it can be said that the pasteurization process can improve the preservation of anthocyanins in the pulp.

Climate strategies of firms in the automotive and pulp & paper industries in Brazil: insights from an international perspective

This article focuses on the results of the final stage of research into the climate strategies of firms in the automotive and pulp-and-paper industries in Brazil, a country that is becoming increasingly important also in terms of climate change issues. In the first stage, the Climate Strategy Model (CSM) was developed to assess whether firms were adopting the necessary practices to assure the successful implementation of climate strategies. In the second, the CSM was applied to firms in the above mentioned industries that were chosen because of their important role in the domestic economy. In the final stage, interviews with executives of these firms were conducted to identify root causes of climate strategy implementation deficiencies and obtain new insights from an international perspective.

Public health and the knowledge industry

Knowledge plays an important role in health care. The production and diffusion of health-related knowledge are increasingly under the control of private commercial interests, which are characterized by conflicts of interests that result in abuses of power. Considerable research has been done on the medical-industrial complex and its role in the production of power imbalances and the consequent abuses, but little attention has been dedicated to the role played by the publishing industry, which can be subject to the same problems. The widely diffused idea that "frequent and major changes" occur in medicine, albeit unsupported by clearcut evidence, is an effective marketing tool for both the pharmaceutical and publishing industries, who feed and thrive on physicians' insecurities. The production and distribution of knowledge should be addressed as a strategic component of public health.

Anti-HSV-1 and anti-HIV-1 activity of gallic acid and pentyl gallate

The synthetic n-alkyl esters of gallic acid (GA), also known as gallates, especially propyl, octyl and dodecyl gallates, are widely employed as antioxidants by food and pharmaceutical industries. The inhibitory effects of GA and 15 gallates on Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) replication were investigated here. After a preliminary screening of these compounds, GA and pentyl gallate (PG) seemed to be the most active compounds against HSV-1 replication and their mode of action was characterized through a set of assays, which attempted to localize the step of the viral multiplication cycle where impairment occurred. The detected anti-HSV-1 activity was mediated by the inhibition of virus attachment to and penetration into cells, and by virucidal properties. Furthermore, an anti-HIV-1 activity was also found, to different degrees. In summary, our results suggest that both compounds could be regarded as promising candidates for the development of topical anti-HSV-1 agents, and further studies concerning the anti-HIV-1 activity of this group of molecules are merited.

Soil, water and nutrient losses by interrill erosion from green cane cultivation

Interrill erosion occurs by the particle breakdown caused by raindrop impact, by particle transport in surface runoff, by dragging and suspension of particles disaggregated from the soil surface, thus removing organic matter and nutrients that are essential for agricultural production. Crop residues on the soil surface modify the characteristics of the runoff generated by rainfall and the consequent particle breakdown and sediment transport resulting from erosion. The objective of this study was to determine the minimum amount of mulch that must be maintained on the soil surface of a sugarcane plantation to reduce the soil, water and nutrient losses by decreasing interrill erosion. The study was conducted in Pradópolis, São Paulo State, in 0.5 x 1.0 m plots of an Oxisol, testing five treatments in four replications. The application rates were based on the crop residue production of the area of 1.4 kg m-2 (T1- no cane trash; T2-25 % of the cane trash; T3- 50 % trash; T4-75 % trash; T5-100 % sugarcane residues on the surface), and simulated rainfall was applied at an intensity of 65 mm h-1 for 60 min. Runoff samples were collected in plastic containers and soon after taken to the laboratory to quantify the losses of soil, water and nutrients. To minimize soil loss by interrill erosion, 75 % of the cane mulch must be maintained on the soil, to control water loss 50 % must be maintained and 25 % trash controls organic matter and nutrient losses. This information can contribute to optimize the use of this resource for soil conservation on the one hand and the production of clean energy in sugar and alcohol industries on the other.

Effect of rock powder and vinasse on two types of soils

Can vinasse accelerate the change of minerals in rock dust to obtain fertilizers, using residues from alcohol agro-industries and mining? Answering this question was the main objective of this study. Therefore, an experiment was set up in the laboratory in a completely randomized design using Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) columns, in which the 0-50 cm layers of a clayey soil (eutroferric Red Oxisol) and sandy soil (Typic Quartzipsamment) were reproduced. We applied three different rates of basalt powder (0.0; 2.0, and 4.0 t ha-1) and one rate of vinasse (200 m³ ha-1) to the soils. The control was made by treatments with water (200 m³ ha-1) with the same rates of rock powder. Samples were first collected on the surface of each column (1, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 days after the application of vinasse and rock powder), and, at the end of the experiment, at the various depths and in leached water, to determine pH and the concentration of soluble Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+. There was a significant effect of the solvent and the soil on the surface layer, with higher concentrations found in the treatments with vinasse and in clayey soil, confirming the potential of vinasse to alter minerals in basalt powder. The resulting levels from the beginning to the end of the experiment suggest that sorption phenomena with neoformed mineral phases or organic acids may have occurred. It may be concluded that the use of rock powder and vinasse mixtures is a promising alternative for soil fertilization and recycling of waste from the sugarcane and mining industries.

Thermoanalytical study and characterization of native starches of Paraná pine seeds (Araucaria angustiofolia, Bert O. Ktze) and European chestnut seeds (Castanea sativa, Mill)

Starch is the most important carbohydrate storage in plants. It is a raw material with diverse botanical origins, and is used by the food, paper, chemical, pharmaceutical, textile and other industries. In this work, native starches of Paraná pine seeds (pinhão) (Araucária angustiofolia, Bert O. Ktze) and european chestnut seeds (Castanea sativa, Mill) were studied by thermoanalytical techniques: thermo-gravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), as well as X-ray powder patterns diffractometry. Apparent and total amylose content was also determined.

In vitro development and acclimatization of dendezeiro (Elaeis guineensis)

Fruits and almond from the dendezeiro, oil palmbelonging to the Elaeis genus,are widely used for the production of cookingoils or for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.In the last decade, this oil palm also emerged as a promising source for commercialbiofuel production. This study evaluated the effect of different culture media, MS (MURASHIGUE AND SKOOG) and Y3 (EEUWENS)and carbohydrates duringin vitro germination of zygotic embryos, the effect of growth regulators GA3, NAA and BA Ponin vitro seedling development, and the survival rate of acclimatized seedlingsof Manicoré hybrid (Elaeis oleifera x E. guineensis). Zygotic embryos were inoculated on MS and modified Y3 media, supplemented with different sucrose concentrations (30, 45, and 60 gL-1) or sorbitol (36 gL-1), and the germination rate was evaluated after 30 days. Subsequently, seedlings were transferred to modified Y3 culture medium supplemented with differentGA3 concentrations (3.5 and 7 mgL-1) or without it, combined or not with 1 mgL-1 of NAA, 5 mgL-1 of BAP.The highest germinationpercentage of germinated embryos (92%) was observed in MS medium supplemented with 36 gL-1 sorbitol. Culture media supplemented with growth regulatorsGA3, NAA and BAP promoted greater shoot lengththan control media. Rooted seedlings showed high survival percentage (85%) during acclimatization.

Precision agriculture in Australia: present status and recent developments

A brief account of the present status of Precision Agriculture (PA) in Australia is presented, and areas of opportunity in the grains, sugar and wine industries are identified. In particular, these relate to the use of spatially-distributed experimentation to fine-tune management so as to achieve production efficiencies, reduced risk of environmental impact and enhanced food security, and the management of crop quality through selective harvesting and product streaming. The latter may be an important avenue by which farmers can take a more active role in the off-farm part of agricultural value chains. The important role of grower groups in facilitating PA adoption is also discussed.

Effect of particle morphology on the mechanical and thermo-mechanical behavior of polymer composites

Fiber reinforced polymer composites have been used in many applications, such as in automobile, aerospace and naval industries, due basically to their high strength-to-weight and modulus-to-weight, among other properties. Even though particles are usually not able to lead to the level of reinforcement of fibers, particle reinforced polymer composites have been proposed for many new applications due to their low cost, easy fabrication and isotropic properties. In this work, polymer composites were prepared by incorporating glass particles of different morphologies on poly(aryl sulfones) matrices. Particles with aspect ratios equal to 1, 2.5 and 10 were used. The prepared composites were characterized using electron microscopy and thermal analysis. Mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated using a four-point bending test. The thermo-mechanical behavior of the obtained composites was also investigated. The results showed that the morphology of the particles alter significantly the mechanical properties of composites. Particles with larger values of aspect ratio led to large elastic modulus but low levels of strain at failure. This result was explained by modeling the thermo-mechanical behavior of the composites using a viscoelastic model. Parameters of the model, obtained from a Cole-Cole type of plot, demonstrated that interactions at the polymer-reinforcing agent interface were higher for composites with large aspect ratio particles. Higher levels of interactions at interfaces can lead to higher degrees of stress transfer and, consequently, to composites with large elastic modulus, as experimentally observed.

Biotechnological production of bioflavors and functional sugars

Bioflavors and oligosaccharides are two classes of substances that may be produced biotechnologically through microbial bioprocesses. These compounds have attracted the interest of pharmaceutical and food industries not only due to their technological properties (sweetening/fiber or flavoring, respectively), but also as a consequence of other functional properties such as, for example, health promoting benefits. The use of agro-industrial residues as substrates in biotechnological processes seems to be a valuable alternative in helping to overcome the high manufacturing costs of industrial fermentations. This manuscript reviews the most important advances in biotechnological production of bioflavors and oligosaccharides. The use of some agro-industrial residues in such processes is also cited and discussed, showing that this is a rising trend in biotechnology.