Avaliação do teor e da estabilidade de vitaminas do complexo B e vitamina C em bebidas isotônicas e energéticas

Vitamin C stability and concentration was evaluated in isotonic beverages and B group vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6) in power beverages. The amount of vitamins was found to be above of that declared on the labels, even after the shelf life had been exceeded. A small decrease in the amount of B group vitamins was observed during the shelf life of the products. In the case of vitamin C this decrease was slightly higher. The present research shows the need of increased quality control and inspection.

Guia para a determinação da estabilidade de produtos químicos

Companies worldwide are reviewing their working process to avoid waste, become aligned with environmental management standards and to fulfill specifications defined for national and international regulations. In this context, it is important that Brazilian Chemical companies have a specific stability guide for their products. The main purpose of this work is to present a stability guide for chemical products based on the existing guides of the Pharmaceutical and Cosmetics segments. Furthermore, this work proposes to offer an additional period of shelf life for chemical products, provided they meet certain prerequisites.

Influência da embalagem de polietileno de baixa densidade e da temperatura na conservação do repolho minimamente processado

This research studied the effect of low density polyethylene packaging and storage temperature on the preservation of fresh-cut (minimally processed) cabbage. The cabbages, previously cooled to a temperature of 10 ºC, were selected, washed, cut in four parts (with the central stalk removed), sanitized, cut in strips, rinsed, put in the centrifuge, weighed and stored in plastic packaging of low density polyethylene (70 µm), and then stored in cold chambers at temperatures of 1 and 10 ºC for 20 days. The following aspects were evaluated: carbon dioxide, oxygen and ethylene in the internal atmosphere of the package as well as, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, vitamin C, loss of fresh mass and the total soluble solids/acidity in the fresh-cut cabbage ratio. The experimental design was entirely casual, with three repetitions. The analysis parameters, except for the vitamin C, loss of fresh mass and ethylene, presented significant variation between the temperatures and days of storage. The cabbage stored at a temperature of 1 ºC presented a shelf life of around 15 days, significantly higher than that stored at 10 ºC. At this temperature, on the 8th day of storage, the product was completely decayed, unfit for commercialization or consumption.

Avaliação de índices de firmeza para abacaxi minimamente processado em fatias tratadas com soluções de sais de cálcio

Fresh-cut sliced fruits and vegetables are ready to eat immediately and their sensorial characteristics should be similar to fresh product. Although most of the studies in this area are focused on vegetables, there is a great market potential for fresh-cut sliced fruits, mainly for those which exhibit some commercialization or preparation difficulties such as pineapple. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of 1% and 3% concentrations of calcium salts (chloride, sulphate and lactate) on pH, total soluble solids and firmness values of minimally processed pineapple slices. Two types of indenters and three firmness indexes were investigated aiming to identify the best index. Results showed that calcium sulphate 3% kept average firmness index up to 44.45% higher than the index value of the control. Even though both indenters exhibited similar variability the cylindrical one was able to point out more differences between control and treatments than the cylindrical borer indenter.

Qualidade pós-colheita de caqui 'fuyu' com utilização de diferentes concentrações de cobertura comestível

One of the main objectives of applying edible coatings on fruits surface is to create a protective film to reduce weight loss due to evaporation and transpiration and also to decrease the risk of fruit rot caused by environmental contamination, in order to improve the visual aspect. Therefore, it is possible to increase shelf life, and decrease post harvest losses. Persimmon is a much appreciated fruit, with high potential for export, but sensitive to handling and storage. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of applying the edible coating Megh Wax ECF-124 (18% of active composts, consisting of emulsion of carnauba wax, anionic surfactant, preservative and water) produced by Megh Industry and Commerce Ltda in three different concentrations (25, 50 and 100%) on post harvest quality of 'Fuyu' persimmon stored for 14 days. The attributes evaluated for quality were: firmness, pH, acidity, soluble solids, weight loss and color. The results showed that application of carnauba wax in different concentrations was effective on decreasing weight loss of persimmon cv. Fuyu and maintenance of color aspects. Treatment at lower concentration, 25%, showed lower rate of discharge, but high concentrations showed lower values of mass loss. Carnauba wax application showed a high potential for use on postharvest conservation, and can be applied together with other technologies, helping to maintain quality for export.

Quality of sausage elaborated using minced Nile Tilapia submmitted to cold storage

Filleting yield of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (L.) is low (30%) and generates large amount of wastes that may turn into environmental and economic problem. However, these wastes can be used for the extraction of minced fish (MF) which can be used in the preparation of sausages. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of sausages prepared with 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% of MF from Nile tilapia filleting waste during storage at 0±0.3ºC. Alterations in the instrumental color (L*, a* and b*), lipid oxidation (TBARS), total volatile nitrogenous bases (TVB-N), pH, microbiological condition (pathogenic bacteria and aerobic psychrotrophic bacteria), and sensory attributes (color, odor, flavor, texture and overall acceptability) were evaluated for up to 40 days. The addition of MF to sausages increased TBARS values and decreases TVB-N, L*, a* and b* values. Acceptability of color attribute decreased with increasing MF; best flavor, texture and overall acceptability scores were registered for sausages containing 40 and 60% MF; best odor was registered for 100% MF. Pathogenic microorganisms were not detected, but decrease in pH and proliferation of aerobic psychrotrophic bacteria which, however, did not compromise sensory evaluation of sausages were registered throughout storage. Sausages prepared with MF from tilapia filleting waste have a shelf-life of 40 days when stored at 0±0.3ºC, and the maximum recommended MF inclusion to maintain good sensory quality is 60%.

Atividade de plasmina e plasminogênio no leite longa vida com alta e baixa contagem de células somáticas durante o armazenamento

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da contagem de células somáticas (CCS) do leite na atividade de plasmina e plasminogênio durante o período de armazenamento do leite longa vida integral. Os leites crus foram categorizados em grupos de CCS de baixa (342.000-487.000 células mL-1) e alta contagem (603.000-808.000 células mL-1). Dois lotes de leite longa vida em cada categoria de CCS foram analisados para determinação de plasmina e plasminogênio após 10, 30, 60, 90 e 120 dias de armazenamento em temperatura ambiente. Para a fabricação do leite longa vida, o leite cru foi submetido à pasteurização rápida seguida da esterilização industrial do leite por injeção de vapor pelo método direto e embalagem asséptica do produto. A CCS não apresentou efeitos sobre as características físico-químicas do leite cru, e nem sobre a atividade de plasmina e plasminogênio nos leites cru e longa vida, armazenados por 120 dias. Entretanto, independentemente da CCS, a atividade de plasmina e plasminogênio aumentou no leite longa vida ao longo do armazenamento, indicando a possibilidade de aumento da proteólise no produto durante sua vida de prateleira.

Minas-type fresh cheese developed from buffalo milk with addition of L. acidophilus

Effective incorporation of a probiotic into foods requires the culture to remain viable all along processing and storage, without adverse alterations to sensory characteristics. The objective of this work was developing Minas-type fresh cheese with probiotic properties from buffalo milk. Four batches of Minas-type fresh cheese were prepared using buffalo milk: batch T1 in which neither culture nor lactic acid added; batch T3 in which only lactic acid added; batches T2 and T4 , both added of Lactobacillus acidophilus LAC 4, but T4 was also acidified. Resulting cheeses were evaluated for probiotic culture stability, texture profile, sensory acceptance, and changes in pH. The T4 probiotic cheese presented hardness, gumminess, and chewiness significantly lower than the other treatments. However, values for springiness and cohesiveness did not differ between all cheeses, and no sensory differences (p > 0.05) were found between treatments for texture, taste, and overall acceptance. The addition of probiotic to the acidified cheese (T4) yielded best aroma. The populations of L. acidophilus were greater than 10(6) CFU g-1 after 28 days of storage all products. Minas-type fresh cheese from buffalo milk is a suitable food for the delivery of L. acidophilus, since the culture remained viable during the shelf life of the products and did not negative affect analysed parameters.

Tempo de vida útil de propelentes base-simples

The purpose of this work was to determine the safe shelf life of single-base propellants. The kinetic parameters relative to the consumption of the stabilizer diphenylamine (DPA) added to the propellant were determined as a function of the storage and ageing time. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with spectrophotometric detection was used to determine the DPA percentage before and after the artificial ageing at 60, 70 and 80 ºC. The experimental data were very well adjusted to a pseudo-first order kinetic model and the respective kinetic constants are 8.0-10-3 day-1 (60 ºC); 1.9-10-2 day-1 (70 ºC); 1.2-10-1 day-1 (80 ºC). The activation energy was calculated as 130 kJ mol-1 and the half-time for depletion of the DPA at the hypothetical temperature of 40 ºC of storage was estimated as being 6 years.

Stability of fruit bases and chocolate fillings

Syrups with high sugar content and dehydrated fruits in its composition can be added to chocolate fillings to reduce the need of artificial flavor and dyes attributing a natural appeal to the product. Fruit bases were produced with lyophilized strawberry, passion fruit, and sliced orange peel. Rheological dynamic oscillatory tests were applied to determine the products stability and tendency of shelf life. Values of G´< G´´ were observed for strawberry and passion fruit flavor, whereas values of G´ > G´´ were found for orange flavor during the 90 days of storage. It was observed that shear stress values did not vary significantly suggesting product stability during the studied period. For all fillings, it was found a behavior similar to the fruit base indicating that it has great influence on the filling behavior and its stability. The use of a sugar matrix in fillings provided good shelf life for the fruit base, which could be kept under room temperature conditions for a period as long as one year. The good stability and storage conditions allow the use of fruit base for handmade products as well as for industrialized products.

Paleoproductivity changes during the Late Quaternary in the southeastern Brazilian upper continental margin of the Southwestern Atlantic

Changes in the Brazilian continental margins oceanic productivity and circulation over the last 27,000 years were reconstructed based on sedimentological and microfaunal analyses. Our results suggest that oceanic paleoproductivity and the supply of terrigenous sediments to the Brazilian continental margin were higher during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) than during the Holocene. These changes may have been primarily influenced by significant sea level fluctuations that have occurred since the late Pleistocene. During the LGM, the lower sea level, higher productivity and lower sea-surface paleotemperatures may have been the result of the offshore displacement of the main flow of the Brazil Current. However, during the Holocene, the warm waters of the Brazil Current were displaced toward the coast. This displacement contributed to the increase in water temperature and prevented an increase in oceanic productivity. The decrease in terrigenous supply since the LGM could be related to the increase of the extension of the continental shelf and/or drier climatic conditions.

Brazilian offshore wave climate based on NWW3 reanalysis

This paper provides a description of the wave climate off the Brazilian coast based on an eleven-year time series (Jan/1997-Dec/2007) obtained from the NWW3 operational model hindcast reanalysis. Information about wave climate in Brazilian waters is very scarce and mainly based on occasional short-term observations, the present analysis being the first covering such temporal and spatial scales. To define the wave climate, six sectors were defined and analyzed along the Brazilian shelf-break: South (W1), Southeast (W2), Central (W3), East (W4), Northeast (W5) and North (W6). W1, W2 and W3 wave regimes are determined by the South Atlantic High (SAH) and the passage of synoptic cold fronts; W4, W5 and W6 are controlled by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and its meridional oscillation. The most energetic waves are from the S, generated by the strong winds associated to the passage of cold fronts, which mainly affect the southern region. Wave power presents a decrease in energy levels from south to north, with its annual variation showing that the winter months are the most energetic in W1 to W4, while in W5 and W6 the most energetic conditions occur during the austral summer. The information presented here provides boundary conditions for studies related to coastal processes, fundamental for a better understanding of the Brazilian coastal zone.

Radiocarbon geochronology of the sediments of the São Paulo Bight (southern Brazilian upper margin)

The aim of this work was to generate an inventory of the data on radiocarbon datings obtained from sediments of the São Paulo Bight (southern Brazilian upper margin) and to analyze the data in terms of Late Quaternary sedimentary processes and sedimentation rates. A total of 238 radiocarbon datings from materials collected using differents ampling procedures was considered for this work. The sedimentation rates varied from less than 2 to 68 cm.kyr-1. The highest sedimentation rate values were found in a low-energy (ría type) coastal system as well as in the upwelling zones of Santa Catarina and Cabo Frio. The lowest rates were found on the outer shelf and upper slopes. Our results confirm the strong dependency of the shelf currents, with an emphasis to the terrigenous input from the Río de La Plata outflow which is transported via the Brazilian Coastal Current, as well as of the coupled Brazil Current - Intermediate Western Boundary Current (BC-IWBC) dynamics on the sedimentary processes. At least three indicators ofthe paleo sea level were found at 12200 yr BP (conventional radiocarbon age) (103 meters below sea level - mbsl),8300-8800 cal yr BP (13 mbsl) and 7700-8100 cal yr BP (6 mbsl).

Marcadores orgânicos de contaminação por esgotos sanitários em sedimentos superficiais da baía de Santos, São Paulo

Organic markers, such as sterols and ketones, were used to assess sewage contamination in sediments from the Santos Bay, SP, and its continental shelf. These compounds were analyzed by GC/FID after soxhlet extraction, clean up and derivatization. The concentration of coprostanol and ratios between selected sterols were used to evaluate fecal contamination. The stations located in the mid-western part of the Santos Bay presented organic matter from sewage due to the input of fecal material from the city of Santos by submarine sewage outfall. Stations located at the continental shelf did not present fecal contamination. Coprostanol levels in sewage outfall stations were higher in comparison to other Brazilian coastal areas, except Guanabara Bay/RJ, and could be related to the fraction of the population without sewage treatment.

Caracterização de feições oceanográficas na plataforma de Santa Catarina através de imagens orbitais

Este trabalho tem por objetivo identificar e caracterizar as feições oceanográficas de pequena e mesoescala que ocorrem na plataforma continental de Santa Catarina (SC). Foram empregadas imagens de temperatura e concentração de clorofila da superfície do mar (TSM e CSM), obtidas pelo sensor MODIS. Foi selecionada uma imagem diária para cada mês do ano de 2003, excetuando dezembro, onde procurou-se avaliar efeitos sazonais. As feições oceanográficas foram observadas através da aplicação de diferentes níveis de contraste e paletas de cores para realce. Foram identificadas feições como vórtices, meandros, cogumelos, plumas, filamentos, frentes e áreas de ressurgências. Os resultados indicam que no verão a distribuição superficial em mesoescala da temperatura é mais homogênea, levando a um número menor de feições observáveis. O fenômeno de ressurgência costeira em escala localizada ao sul da Ilha de SC e junto à costa foi observado nos meses de novembro, janeiro e fevereiro. Durante o outono e o inverno as imagens apresentaram maior grau de complexidade, principalmente devido à presença da frente costeira do Prata, com características de menor temperatura e maiores valores de clorofila.