Study of the shelf-life of a mixed araça (Psidium guineensis Sw.) and marolo (Annona crassiflora Mart.) jam

The objective of this study was to add value to araça and marolo fruits by developing jams and verifying changes in their physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters during storage. The analyses were carried out every 2 months. From the results, it was shown that the levels of moisture (35.89 - 26.34%), lipids (0.43 - 0.27%), sucrose (30.62 - 28.98%), total pectin (0.83 - 0.50%), soluble pectin (0.52 - 0.38%), total phenolic compounds (180.31 - 135.52 mg.GAE 100 g-1), and organic acids (401.1 - 68.5 µg.g-1 citric acid) decreased during storage. However, the levels of protein (0.83 - 0.95%), carbohydrate (62.52 - 72.5%, calories (257,11 - 295,931 kcal), fiber (0.72 - 1.4%), total soluble sugar (62.52 - 70.44%), reducing sugar (32.05 - 41.41%), soluble solids (68.4 - 72.18 °Brix), consistency (0.33 - 0.44 N), total antioxidant potential (11.3 - 22.63%), and color (a* 7.56 - 9.49, and b* 8.63 - 10.49) increased during 1-year storage. The quality of the fruit jams studied was in accordance with the microbiological standards established by the Brazilian legislation. It was concluded that the mixed araça and marolo jam can be stored for 1 year without the addition of additives.

Nutritional composition of Annona crassiflora pulp and acceptability of bakery products prepared with its flour

Annona crassiflora offers an edible fruit native to the Savanna. This study aimed to develop a flour meal from Annona crassiflora pulp; analyze the chemical composition of the fresh pulp and its flour; develop and verify the acceptance of formulations with different concentrations of the flour of Annona crassiflora pulp. Fruit used were selected and processed. The pulp was dried in an oven at 60-65 ºC/48h. We analyzed the chemical composition, and two formulations of breads were prepared with 10 and 20% Annona crassiflora pulp. The results showed that the drying of Annona crassiflora pulp enriched its nutritional value. The Annona crassiflora pulp showed important chemical components, as insoluble fibers (pulp and flour), minerals (potassium, calcium, manganese and others) and antioxidant compounds. The formulations were well-accepted in a sensory point of view and proved to be a good alternative to the exploitation of the fruit.

Ant visitation to extrafloral nectaries decreases herbivory and increases fruit set in Chamaecrista debilis (Fabaceae) in a Neotropical savanna

Studies of ant-plant relationships elucidate how top-down effects of the third trophic level can affect the biomass, richness, and/or species composition of plants. Although widespread in the neotropics, few studies have so far examined the direct effects of ants on plant fitness. Here, through experimental manipulation (ant-exclusion) under natural conditions, we examined the effect of ant visitation to extrafloral nectaries on leaf herbivory and fruit set in Chamaecrista debilis in the Brazilian savanna. As opposed to other Chamaecrista species, our results showed that visiting ants (15 species) significantly reduce herbivory and increase fruit set by more than 50% compared to plants from which ants were excluded. This mutualistic system is facultative in nature, and corroborates the potential beneficial role of exudate-feeding ants as anti-herbivore agents of tropical plants. (C) 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Fruit color and contrast in seasonal habitats - a case study from a cerrado savanna

Communication contributes to mediate the interactions between plants and the animals that disperse their genes. As yet, seasonal patterns in plant-animal communication are unknown, even though many habitats display pronounced seasonality e.g. when leaves senescence. We thus hypothesized that the contrast between fruit displays and their background vary throughout the year in a seasonal habitat. If this variation is adaptive, we predicted higher contrasts between fruits and foliage during the fruiting season in a cerrado-savanna vegetation, southeastern Brazil. Based on a six-year data base of fruit ripening and a one-year data set of fruit biomass, we used reflectance measurements and contrast analysis to show that fruits with distinct colors differed in the beginning of ripening and the peak of fruit biomass. Black, and particularly red fruits, that have a high contrast against the leaf background, were highly seasonal, peaking in the wet season. Multicolored and yellow fruits were less seasonal, not limited to one season, with a bimodal pattern for yellow ones, represented by two peaks, one in each season. We further supported the hypothesis that seasonal changes in fruit contrasts can be adaptive because fruits contrasted more strongly against their own foliage in the wet season, when most fruits are ripe. Hence, the seasonal variation in fruit colors observed in the cerrado-savanna may be, at least partly, explicable as an adaptation to ensure high conspicuousness to seed dispersers. © 2013 The Authors.

Anthropogenic edges, isolation and the flowering time and fruit set of Anadenanthera peregrina, a cerrado savanna tree

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Growth-active gibberellins overcome the very slow shoot growth of Hancornia speciosa, an important fruit tree from the Brazilian ""Cerrado""

Shoot elongation of Hancornia speciosa, an endangered tree from the Brazilian savannah ""Cerrado"", is very slow, thus limiting nursery production of plants. Gibberellins (GAs) A(1), A(3), and A(5), and two inhibitors of GA biosynthesis, trinexapac-ethyl and ancymidol were applied to shoots of Hancornia seedlings. GA(1) and GA(3) significantly stimulated shoot elongation, while GA(5) had no significant effect. Trinexapac-ethyl and ancymidol, both at 100 A mu g per seedling, inhibited shoot elongation up to 45 days after treatment, though the effect was statistically significant only for ancymidol. Somewhat surprisingly, exogenous GA(3) more effectively stimulated shoot elongation in SD-grown plants, than in LD-grown plants. The results from exogenous application of GAs and inhibitors of GA biosynthesis imply that Hancornia shoot growth is controlled by GAs, and that level of endogenous growth-active GAs is likely to be the limiting factor for shoot elongation in Hancornia. Application of GAs thus offer a practical method for nursery production of Hancornia seedlings for outplanting into the field.

Characterization of fruits from the savanna: Araça (Psidium guinnensis Sw.) and Marolo (Annona crassiflora Mart.)

The objective of this work was to characterize fruits from the Brazilian savanna by means of physical and chemical analyses. The results obtained for araça peel, araça pulp and marolo pulp, respectively, were: moisture (77.03, 80.41 and 70.56 g.100 g-1), ash (0.65, 0.44 and 0.54 g.100 g-1), protein (1.39, 1.87 and 1.99 g.100 g-1), lipids (0.32, 0.33 and 2.36 g.100 g-1), total carbohydrates (90.88 , 78.25 and 24.55 g.100 g-1), total soluble sugars (8.45, 9.99 and 127.4 g.100 g-1), pH (3.76, 3.99 and 4.49), soluble solids (11° Brix, 8.8 °Brix and 21.4 °Brix) and antioxidant potential (16.33, 12.75 and 34.29 discoloration DPPH/100 mL). Calcium was the predominant mineral in araça (490 mg.kg-1 peel and 485 mg.kg-1 pulp) while magnesium was in marolo (350 mg.kg-1). Citric acid was the predominant organic acid in araça (3125 μg.g-1 peel and 881.25 μg.g-1 pulp) and Malic acid was predominant in marolo (76.68 μg.g-1). Therefore, given their nutrient contents, the consumption of these fruits from the savanna should be encouraged.

Oxidative stability of cereal bars made with fruit peels and baru nuts packaged in different types of packaging

Food industries have been concerned about managing the waste generated by their production processes in order to minimize environmental impacts and also about the development of formulations with different and innovative ingredients such as fruits from the Brazilian savanna. Seeking to meet the expectations of consumers who desire healthy and practical products, this study aimed to evaluate the oxidative stability and the variations in chemical composition and antioxidant potential of cereal bars made with fruit peels and baru nuts packaged in different types of packaging. The bars formulated were packed in four different types of packaging: laminated without vacuum (LWV), transparent without vacuum (TWV), transparent under vacuum (TV), and laminated under vacuum (LV); they were subsequently analyzed for proximate composition, fatty acid profiles, antioxidant activity, and oxidative capacity. The results showed that the cereal bars made with fruit peel and baru are sources of protein, dietary fiber, and fat, especially unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acids. The cereal bars exhibited oxidative stability up to 120 days of storage, and the type of packaging was not significant for the variables evaluated; therefore, they can be stored in low cost packaging such as transparent packaging without vacuum for a period of 120 days.

High levels of genetic differentiation and selfing in the Brazilian cerrado fruit tree Dipteryx alata Vog. (Fabaceae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effects of environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation on the reproductive phenology of the cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae)

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

Molecular And Biochemical Characterization Of Caffeine Synthase And Purine Alkaloid Concentration In Guarana Fruit.

Guarana seeds have the highest caffeine concentration among plants accumulating purine alkaloids, but in contrast with coffee and tea, practically nothing is known about caffeine metabolism in this Amazonian plant. In this study, the levels of purine alkaloids in tissues of five guarana cultivars were determined. Theobromine was the main alkaloid that accumulated in leaves, stems, inflorescences and pericarps of fruit, while caffeine accumulated in the seeds and reached levels from 3.3% to 5.8%. In all tissues analysed, the alkaloid concentration, whether theobromine or caffeine, was higher in young/immature tissues, then decreasing with plant development/maturation. Caffeine synthase activity was highest in seeds of immature fruit. A nucleotide sequence (PcCS) was assembled with sequences retrieved from the EST database REALGENE using sequences of caffeine synthase from coffee and tea, whose expression was also highest in seeds from immature fruit. The PcCS has 1083bp and the protein sequence has greater similarity and identity with the caffeine synthase from cocoa (BTS1) and tea (TCS1). A recombinant PcCS allowed functional characterization of the enzyme as a bifunctional CS, able to catalyse the methylation of 7-methylxanthine to theobromine (3,7-dimethylxanthine), and theobromine to caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine), respectively. Among several substrates tested, PcCS showed higher affinity for theobromine, differing from all other caffeine synthases described so far, which have higher affinity for paraxanthine. When compared to previous knowledge on the protein structure of coffee caffeine synthase, the unique substrate affinity of PcCS is probably explained by the amino acid residues found in the active site of the predicted protein.

Ant-caterpillar Antagonism At The Community Level: Interhabitat Variation Of Tritrophic Interactions In A Neotropical Savanna.

Ant foraging on foliage can substantially affect how phytophagous insects use host plants and represents a high predation risk for caterpillars, which are important folivores. Ant-plant-herbivore interactions are especially pervasive in cerrado savanna due to continuous ant visitation to liquid food sources on foliage (extrafloral nectaries, insect honeydew). While searching for liquid rewards on plants, aggressive ants frequently attack or kill insect herbivores, decreasing their numbers. Because ants vary in diet and aggressiveness, their effect on herbivores also varies. Additionally, the differential occurrence of ant attractants (plant and insect exudates) on foliage produces variable levels of ant foraging within local floras and among localities. Here, we investigate how variation of ant communities and of traits among host plant species (presence or absence of ant attractants) can change the effect of carnivores (predatory ants) on herbivore communities (caterpillars) in a cerrado savanna landscape. We sampled caterpillars and foliage-foraging ants in four cerrado localities (70-460 km apart). We found that: (i) caterpillar infestation was negatively related with ant visitation to plants; (ii) this relationship depended on local ant abundance and species composition, and on local preference by ants for plants with liquid attractants; (iii) this was not related to local plant richness or plant size; (iv) the relationship between the presence of ant attractants and caterpillar abundance varied among sites from negative to neutral; and (v) caterpillars feeding on plants with ant attractants are more resistant to ant predation than those feeding on plants lacking attractants. Liquid food on foliage mediates host plant quality for lepidopterans by promoting generalized ant-caterpillar antagonism. Our study in cerrado shows that the negative effects of generalist predatory ants on herbivores are detectable at a community level, affecting patterns of abundance and host plant use by lepidopterans. The magnitude of ant-induced effects on caterpillar occurrence across the cerrado landscape may depend on how ants use plants locally and how they respond to liquid food on plants at different habitats. This study enhances the relevance of plant-ant and ant-herbivore interactions in cerrado and highlights the importance of a tritrophic perspective in this ant-rich environment.

Molecular Genetic Variability Of Commercial And Wild Accessions Of Passion Fruit (passiflora Spp.) Targeting Ex Situ Conservation And Breeding.

Passiflora species are distributed throughout Latin America, and Brazil and Colombia serve as the centers of diversity for this genus. We performed cross-species amplification to evaluate 109 microsatellite loci in 14 Passiflora species and estimated the diversity and genetic structure of Passiflora cincinnata, Passiflora setaceae and Passiflora edulis. A total of 127 accessions, including 85 accessions of P. edulis, a commercial species, and 42 accessions of 13 wild species, were examined. The cross-species amplification was effective for obtaining microsatellite loci (average cross-amplification of 70%). The average number of alleles per locus (five) was relatively low, and the average diversity ranged from 0.52 in P. cincinnata to 0.32 in P. setacea. The Bayesian analyses indicated that the P. cincinnata and P. setacea accessions were distributed into two groups, and the P. edulis accessions were distributed into five groups. Private alleles were identified, and suggestions for core collections are presented. Further collections are necessary, and the information generated may be useful for breeding and conservation.

Modeling The Effects Of Temperature And Ph On The Resistance Of Alicyclobacillus Acidoterrestris In Conventional Heat-treated Fruit Beverages Through A Meta-analysis Approach.

In this work, all publicly-accessible published findings on Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris heat resistance in fruit beverages as affected by temperature and pH were compiled. Then, study characteristics (protocols, fruit and variety, °Brix, pH, temperature, heating medium, culture medium, inactivation method, strains, etc.) were extracted from the primary studies, and some of them incorporated to a meta-analysis mixed-effects linear model based on the basic Bigelow equation describing the heat resistance parameters of this bacterium. The model estimated mean D* values (time needed for one log reduction at a temperature of 95 °C and a pH of 3.5) of Alicyclobacillus in beverages of different fruits, two different concentration types, with and without bacteriocins, and with and without clarification. The zT (temperature change needed to cause one log reduction in D-values) estimated by the meta-analysis model were compared to those ('observed' zT values) reported in the primary studies, and in all cases they were within the confidence intervals of the model. The model was capable of predicting the heat resistance parameters of Alicyclobacillus in fruit beverages beyond the types available in the meta-analytical data. It is expected that the compilation of the thermal resistance of Alicyclobacillus in fruit beverages, carried out in this study, will be of utility to food quality managers in the determination or validation of the lethality of their current heat treatment processes.

Malpighiaceae: correlations between habit, fruit type and basic chromosome number

The family Malpighiaceae presents species with different habits, fruit types and cytological characters. Climbers are considered the most derived habit, followed, respectively, by the shrubby and arboreal ones. The present study examines the relationship between basic chromosome numbers and the derivation of climbing habit and fruit types in Malpighiaceae. A comparison of all the chromosome number reports for Malpighiaceae showed a predominance of chromosome numbers based on x=5 or 10 in the genera of sub-family Malpighioideae, mainly represented by climbers with winged fruits, whereas non-climbing species with non-winged fruits, which predominate in sub-family Byrsonimoideae, had counts based on x=6, which is considered the less derived basic number for the family. Based on such data, confirmed by statistic assays, and on the monophyletic origin of this family, we admit the hypothesis that morphological derivation of habit and fruit is correlated with chromosome basic number variation in the family Malpighiaceae.