Erna Vogt de Jong’s research while affiliated with Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and other places

The effects of annatto seeds and of bixin on the oxidative damage induced by cisplatin in male Wistar rats was evaluated in the present study by way of lipid peroxidation, weight gain, the food efficiency coefficient, fat deposits in the hepatocytes and dosing of the enzymes in this organ. The animals were divided into four groups: control group (CG), cisplatin group (CPG), bixin+cisplatin group (CBG) and annatto+cisplatin group (CUG). Cisplatin (5 mg/kg body weight) was injected intraperitoneally 48 hours before the end of the experiment. The bixin and annatto were administered daily together with the commercial feed. The pre-treatment with annatto and bixin attenuated the cisplatin-induced liver damage and significantly reduced the enzymes AST and ALT. Annatto was shown to be capable of inhibiting lipid peroxidation as determined by TBARS. These results suggest that annatto seeds and bixin could be important agents in the reduction of cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity.

The aim of this study was to evaluate quinoa flakes and bread prepared with the pseudocereal with regard to nutritional aspects by determining chemical composition, content of tocopherols and fatty acid composition as well as to possible beneficial effects in Wistar rats given commercial feed supplemented or not with quinoa flakes and cholesterol. The following parameters were determined: weight gain, food intake, liver weight, fat in liver and lipid profile in blood and liver. The results showed that processing affected the nutritional characteristics of bread because there was a significant increase in dietary fiber content but reduction in soluble fiber. Increased fiber did not influence food intake or weight gain. Regarding fat in liver of rats, the group that consumed bread without quinoa but with cholesterol showed higher lipid content. The addition of quinoa increased significantly the level of all types of tocopherols, especially in the group of animals that consumed 20% quinoa bread, improving the lipid profile both in blood and liver, largely due to a reduction in oxidized LDL. © 2016, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas (Biblioteca). All rights reserved.

Quinoa has attracted worldwide attention because it is a good source of vitamins, antioxidants and high-quality protein. Quinoa can be added to food products for the purpose of improving their nutritional composition. In this work, we determined the physicochemical characteristics of quinoa flakes as well as breads made with flour containing 0, 10, 15 and 20% of this pseudocereal, using the sponge method. Tocopherol and protein levels were higher in the bread with 20% quinoa. However, other nutrients in the nutritional composition did not vary in proportionality when compared with the bread without quinoa; the level of soluble fiber decreased, and there were changes in the amino acid profile. In this case, the process was relevant under those variations and consequently the rheological properties were altered from the control bread to the breads with quinoa. The color, texture and specific volume varied with the amount of flakes added; the inner part became darker (from L* 77.14 bread without quinoa to 75.22 bread with 20% quinoa) with a tendency to be less reddish (from a* 1.84 to 1.47) and more yellowish (b* from 16.51 to 19.56), and the texture changed during shelf life, becoming less soft, while the specific volume decreased (from 5.20 mL/g control bread to 4.06 mL/g bread with 20% quinoa). These aspects influenced the sensory analysis, resulting in lower acceptance to chewiness and adhesiveness for bread with 20% quinoa (75 and 74%, respectively) compared to control bread (79 and 78%). The addition of quinoa flakes in the preparation of the bread influenced the nutritional composition, where the amino acid profile was altered and the level of soluble fiber diminished when compared with the bread without quinoa. The color, texture and specific volume increased with the amount of flakes added; the inner part became darker, and the texture changed during shelf life, while the specific volume decreased.

This study assessed the protective effect of the carotenoid bixin and annatto seeds against possible nephrotoxicity induced with a single peritoneal administration of pharmacological cisplatin in male Wistar rats. After 48h, the blood cell differential count showed a significant reduction in neutrophil counts in rats that received a diet rich in bixin when compared to the group that received only cisplatin. The use of cisplatin led to an increase in kidney weight. The carotenoid bixin attenuated renal injury, characterized by increased polymorphonuclear infiltration. No protective effect was observed with respect to Annatto. These results demonstrate the role of toxic cisplatin and suggest that bixin affords a protective effect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in adult Wistar rats.

The current study aimed to evaluate the dehydration process of blueberry fruits at temperatures of 70, 80 and 90C and its effect on their physicochemical and bioactive properties. The values for moisture content and water activity ( a w ) were still high for dehydrated fruits, although at temperatures of 80 and 90C, the dried fruits showed a a w below the limit for contamination by pathogenic microorganisms. The antioxidant activity increased during the first half of dehydration at 80C, but after 3 h suffered a significant reduction ( P < 0.05), which continued up to the end of the process. The anthocyanins showed mean half‐lives of 7.7 and 6.8 h for dehydration at 70 and 80C, respectively. These results indicated that the stability of the anthocyanins and the antioxidant capacity of the fruits could be related to both the intensity and the duration of the dehydration. Practical Applications The present work consists of a study of the dehydration of blueberry fruits at different temperatures in order to extend their shelf life and provide their consumption at any time of the year in the form of dried blueberries. Thus, mathematical modeling of the process was carried out to evaluate the behavior of water activity and moisture, and to determine the degradation of its antioxidant compounds. The optimization of the drying time and temperature of these products is essential to avoid losses in the bioactive properties of blueberries.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes induced by isolated soy protein (ISP)-based diet on glycemia and oxidative stress biomarkers in diabetic rats. Fifteen male Wistar rats (35 ± 4 g, aged 21 days) were assigned to three groups: Casein (C group), which received casein-based diet during experimental protocol; Diabetic treated with Casein (D + C group) that received caseinbased diet before and after diabetes induction; Diabetic treated with ISP (D + S group) that received casein-based diet before diabetes induction and after received ISP-based diet for the experimental protocol. Diabetes was induced by a single dose of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body weight i.v.). After three weeks of dietary treatment, total nitrates, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were measured in heart homogenates. ISP-based diet promoted an improvement in the glycemic levels of diabetic rats compared with casein-based diet (362 ± 25 vs 461 ± 30 mg/dL). CAT activity demonstrated a significant decrease in D + C and D + S groups. D + S group presented a significant increase in SOD and GST activities. Lipid peroxidation was not different among experimental groups. The overall results suggested the potential benefits of ISP-based diet consumption to improve the life quality of diabetic patients.

The objectives of this study were to physicochemically characterize and determine the antioxidant activities and anthocyanin contents of organic Rabbiteye blueberries grown in Southern Brazil and its derived products, in order to investigate the utility of food processing wastes as raw materials for developing products with beneficial health properties. The antioxidant capacity of the blueberries was superior to that of other fruits and juices. The pomace exhibited high activity, albeit lower than that of the fruit, while the flour and the dried blueberries lost 66% and 46% of the original antioxidant activity, respectively. The average anthocyanin contents of the fruits were moderate compared to other sources and species of blueberries. The pomace contains a large amount of anthocyanins while the flour and dried blueberries exhibited a 32% and 42% loss in anthocyanin content, respectively. The use of agro-industrial residues, in addition to adding value and minimizing the impact caused by the accumulation in the environment, can be directed toward the development of new products with bioactive properties.

In this work we evaluated the variability in fiber content and physical and chemical parameters of byproducts from orange juice extraction. Five different treatments and two drying methods were evaluated. The results indicate that drying by lyophilization was better than that drying in an oven. The pH ranged from approximately 3.47 to 3.96. The variation in moisture values was 9.22% ± 0.02 to 18.48 ± 0.52%. The total dietary fiber content in the resulting flours ranged from 42.44% to 62.74%. The soluble and insoluble dietary fiber contents differed among the samples, ranging from 5.04% to 19.95% for the first fiber type, and 23.96% to 57.70% for the second. In conclusion, three treatments, associated with freeze-drying, showed promising results in the development of fiber-rich product. However, some modifications are needed, as well as further analysis, to guarantee the benefits of these products for human health. This study contributes to the possible application of industrial byproducts. © 2014, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas (Biblioteca). All right reserved.

The present study was the first to examine the protective effect and antioxidant potential of two fruits native to the south of Brazil, namely guabiju (Myrcianthes pungens (O. Berg) D. Legrand) and red guava (Psidium cattleyanum Sabine), with respect to reducing the effects of cisplatin-induced hypercholesterolemia in male Wistar rats. The cisplatin-treated animals showed high glucose, LDL cholesterol, oxidized LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels. These native fruits reversed the increase in these parameters. The fat levels in the liver improved with supplementation with the fruits, and there were no differences in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), creatinine, urea or HDL cholesterol levels, nor in the weight of the organs analyzed, indicating that the dose used did not affect these markers. © 2014, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas (Biblioteca). All right reserved.