Physicochemical parameters of Amazon Melipona honey

Stingless bees produce a honey that is different from the Apis honey in terms of composition. There aren't enough data to establish quality control parameters for this product, mainly due to lack of research results. The aim of this work is to evaluate some physicochemical parameters that can be used for the characterization and for the quality control of the Meliponinae honey. Four different samples were collected in the Amazon region of Brazil in 2004 (Melipona compressipes manaoense bee and Melipona seminigra merribae bee). Honey analyses were performed as described by the official methods. The mean results were: moisture (30.13%), pH (3.65), acidity (24.57 mEq/kg), water activity (0.75), fructose (31.91%), glucose (29.30%) and sucrose (0.19%). These results reinforce the need for a specific regulation for stingless bee honey. This will only be feasible when enough data is available to establish upper and lower limits for the physicochemical parameters used for quality control.

Características ópticas e morfológicas de nanoestruturas de ouro

The present study describes a new procedure to obtain gold nanoparticles, directly in the pores of polycarbonate membranes commonly used in ultrafiltration. The dimensions of the particles may be controlled through the reduction time of the ions in the channels of the harbor matrix. The dissolution of the metallized polymer enables an investigation of the optical and morphologic properties of these elements.

Visões de meio ambiente e suas implicações pedagógicas no ensino de química na escola média

This study was realized with high school Chemistry teachers from the region of and around Florianópolis (SC). It examines the pedagogical implications of these teachers' views on environmental issues, and discusses the possibilities and difficulties of bringing these issues into the Chemistry classroom. The semi-structured interviews were analyzed using Textual Discourse Analysis principles. The dominance of content-based teaching and traditional pedagogical approaches appears to hinder curricular changes. Most subjects pay little heed to environmental issues and their relation to Chemistry, and endorse a view of science as neutral, and the environment as anthropocentric - views far from Green Chemistry principles.

Validação de métodos cromatográficos por clae para análise das vitaminas B1, B2, B6 e niacina naturalmente presentes em farinha de cereais

Complex B vitamins are present in some cereal foods and the ingestion of enriched products contributes to the recommended dietary intake of these micronutrients. To adapt the label of some products, it is necessary to develop and validate the analytical methods. These methods must be reliable and with enough sensitivity to analyze complex B vitamins naturally present in food at low concentration. The purpose of this work is to evaluate, with validated methods, the content of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and niacin in five cereal flours used in food industry (oat, rice, barley, corn and wheat).

Fracionamento de metais pesados em solo contaminado antes e após cultivo de arroz

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the distribution of Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn among the different fractions of contaminated soil, before and after rice cultivation. Seven soil samples with different degrees of contamination were studied using a randomized experimental design, with four replicates. Using an ICP-OES we analyzed the contents of heavy metals in fractions of soil, the organic matter therein, the oxides and the residual content before and after rice cultivation. The largest concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn and Zn in the soil are found in the fractions with stable chemical bonds.

Desenvolvimento e validação de método por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência para determinação simultânea das impurezas timina e timidina na matéria-prima estavudina

A HPLC method was developed to quantify thymine and thymidine impurities in stavudine bulk drug. The separation was carried out in isocratic mode using methanol/water (20:80) as mobile phase, a C18 column and UV detection at 266 nm. The method provided selectivity based on peak purities and resolution among peaks. It was linear over the range of 0.5-5.0 µg/mL. The quantitation limits were 0.021 µg/mL for thymine and 0.134 µg/mL for thymidine. The average accuracies of three concentrations ranged from 97.06 to 102.61% and precision was close to 1%. The method showed robustness, remaining unaffected by deliberate variations in relevant parameters.

Quantitation of genistein and genistin in soy dry extracts by UV-Visible spectrophotometric method

This paper describes the development and validation of an UV-Visible spectrophotometric method for quantitation of genistein and genistin in soy dry extracts, after reaction with aluminum chloride. The method showed to be linear (r²= 0.9999), precise (R.S.D. < 2%), accurate (recovery of 101.56%) and robust. Seven samples of soy dry extracts were analyzed by the spectrophotometric validated method and by RP-HPLC. Genistein concentrations determined by spectrophotometry (0.63% - 16.05%) were slightly higher than values obtained by HPLC analysis (0.40% - 12.79%); however, the results of both methods showed a strong correlation.

Determinação potenciométrica da concentração micelar crítica de surfactantes: uma nova aplicação metodológica no ensino de Química

The participation of the students in the planning, execution and discussion of experimental results is important for the valuation of the role of them in the construction of the chemical knowledge implicited in the approach between education and research. This work relates either the construction of selective membrane electrodes for surfactants and its application in the potenciometric determination of the critical micellar concentration of the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) surfactants. In adition it´s possible to discuss the potenciometric results in matching with the data valued for the tensiometric and condutimetric traditionally used in the physical-chemistry lessons.

Relationship between botanical origin and antioxidants vitamins of bee-collected pollen

This study quantified vitamin C, E and β-carotene in samples of fresh bee-collected pollen and correlating them with the botanical origin. Vitamin content varied between 13.5 and 42.5 µg/g for vitamin E; 56.3 and 198.9 µg/g for β-carotene and 273.9 and 560.3 µg/g for vitamin C. It was concluded that the botanical origin and collecting season influenced the vitamin contents. There is a relationship between the vitamins and its botanical origin: Raphanus sp and Macroptilium sp, Mimosa caesalpineafolia with β-carotene; Raphanus sp, Eucalyptus sp, Macroptilium sp, Mimosa caesalpineafolia with vitamin E and Anadenanthera sp, Arecaceae type and Philodendron sp with vitamin C.

Stability of antioxidants vitamins in bee pollen samples

This study evaluated the stability of vitamins C, E and β-carotene in six samples of bee pollen after their process, and in a one-year period of storage. After the pollen's process, there was a 67.1% increase for vitamin C (p <0.05), an 18.7% loss for vitamin E and 15.6% for β-carotene. Storage in freezer was the most efficient condition for the vitamins conservation; the loss in storage at room temperature (exposed or protected from light) was similar. Vitamin E appears to be better preserved during storage when compared to vitamin C and β-carotene.

Perfil de flavonoides e avaliação do potencial antioxidante e citotóxico de Bauhinia purpurea (Fabaceae) da região amazônica

Bauhinia purpurea (Fabaceae). Plants of the Bauhinia species (Fabaceae) are used in the treatment of several infections and diseases, especially diabetes. In this paper, with an aim to contribute to the knowledge of the chemistry and therapeutic potential of the Amazonian species of the genus Bauhinia, flavonoid profiles in the leaves and branches of Bauhinia purpurea collected in Manaus and São Gabriel da Cachoeira/AM were analyzed by HPLC-DAD and ESIMS. Differences in the flavonoid profiles were detected along with the presence of rutin and isoquercitrin in the leaves collected in Manaus. All samples showed antioxidant activity, however, no cytotoxic activity against cell lines MDA-MB435 (breast), HCT-8 (colon), and SF-295 (glioblastoma) could be detected.

Preliminary data on Brazilian monofloral honey from the northeast region using FT-IR ATR spectroscopic, palynological, and color analysis

Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FT-IR ATR) spectroscopy was used to determine 14 different measurands in northeast Brazilian honey samples. Nine different honey samples (six monofloral and three polyfloral) from 2009 obtained from the company CEARAPI underwent FT-IR ATR, palynological, color, and sensorial analysis to obtain preliminary results for these types of honey. The results showed that there are five monofloral, three bifloral, and one extrafloral honey, and also that mid-infrared spectrometry can be used as a screening method for the routine analysis of Brazilian honey, with the advantages of being rapid, nondestructive, and accurate.

Reação de híbridos de milho à mancha-de-macrospora

A mancha-de-macrospora, causada pelo fungo Stenocarpella macrospora, tem se mostrado frequente e importante na cultura do milho no Brasil. A resistência genética é uma das principais estratégias de controle de doenças foliares do milho. No Brasil, são escassas as informações sobre resistência de híbridos à S. macrospora. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a reação de 25 híbridos de milho à mancha-de-macrospora. O experimento foi conduzido em 2011, em casa de vegetação com condições controladas de temperatura e umidade relativa do ar. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com cinco repetições, sendo as unidades experimentais constituídas por um vaso com cinco plantas. A inoculação foi feita no estádio fenológico V2 (duas folhas totalmente expandidas), depositando no cartucho de cada planta 2,0 mL da suspensão de 1,8x10(4)conídios mL-1 do patógeno. Foram utilizados quatro isolados do fungo obtidos de restos culturais infectados, oriundos dos municípios de Lages e de Quilombo, Santa Catarina, e Campinas do Sul e Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul. A severidade da doença foi avaliada aos 21 dias após a inoculação no estádio V4 (quatro folhas totalmente expandidas). Nenhum híbrido testado mostrou-se totalmente resistente ao fungo S. macrospora. Houve diferença significativa na severidade da doença entre híbridos e isolados do fungo. Híbridos inoculados com o isolado Quilombo apresentaram quatro grupos de reação, e os isolados Vacaria, Lages e Campinas do Sul dois grupos. Alguns híbridos se comportaram de maneira distinta frente aos diferentes isolados, sugerindo diferentes níveis de agressividade. Houve híbridos com reação similar entre os isolados, sugerindo maior estabilidade em relação à mancha-de-macrospora.

Alçando voo: a experiência de ampliar o diálogo entre psicologia e medicina

O ensino médico tem sido alvo, nas últimas décadas, de permanente reflexão, mudanças e transformações, principalmente no que tange à revalorização da humanização do ensino e da atividade médica. Inserindo-se no bojo destas discussões e ações, este artigo relata a experiência da inclusão de temas humanísticos no currículo médico que vem ocorrendo na Faculdade de Medicina de Campos/RJ (FMC) desde a década de 1990 e que, avançando neste processo, em 2009 e nos anos subsequentes, implementou a disciplina de Habilidades Médicas, subdividida em módulos. Um deles é o módulo Conversas Médicas, que propõe a reflexão e ampliação da discussão sobre as competências ético-moral, técnica e emocional da atividade médica, esta essencialmente relacional. A implementação da metodologia requereu um esforço interdisciplinar para trabalhar com métodos diversificados com vistas a estabelecer uma relação que transcende o modelo tradicional de ensino. Esta proposta surge das inquietações de profissionais envolvidos na formação médica com o intuito de valorizar os seres humanos envolvidos no cotidiano da atividade médica.

Percepções dos estudantes de medicina da ufop sobre sua qualidade de vida

Assim como em qualquer comunidade, fatores estressantes estão presentes no dia a dia dos acadêmicos de Medicina, impactando sua qualidade de vida. Como um desdobramento da experiência pedagógica na disciplina Saúde e Sociedade, do curso de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (Ufop), um grupo de alunos decidiu investigar o tema, a fim de conhecer a própria percepção sobre o assunto. A partir de um grupo focal e com base em parâmetros adotados pelo Grupo de Qualidade de Vida da OMS, foram analisados fatores que têm determinado a qualidade de vida dos acadêmicos de Medicina. O principal elemento considerado na qualidade de vida do estudante de Medicina da Ufop é uma extensa carga horária curricular, frequentemente associada a uma carga excessiva de atividades extracurriculares, que limitam práticas de esporte, lazer e qualidade de sono. Outro ponto considerável é a precária relação dos alunos com a infraestrutura da cidade. Considera-se o grande desafio que se apresenta à adequação do programa do curso às diretrizes curriculares nacionais sem prejuízo das condições necessárias à saúde física e mental dos graduandos.