Natural Products Journal, The - Volume 2, Issue 3, 2012

The “umbu” (Spondias tuberosa Arruda) is an important plant in the semi-arid regions of the rural communities in northeastern Brazil. Thus, the purpose of this study was to obtain the physical and chemical characteristics of Spondias tuberosa grown under different landscapes in order to identify promising materials for commercial use. Ten individual plants were selected from each of the region's landscape units (mountai Read More

The objectives of this work were to evaluate workers' consumption of fruits and vegetables in their main meals in food service unit, the principal author's local work place, as well as to analyze the effect of diet contracts of this group of food intake. The study was divided into three phases, and it lasted two years. It involved a registered company in the Workers' Nutrition Program (WNP) that chooses one of its units to prepare m Read More

Avocado is a tropical fruit is high nutritional value. This fruit is also rich in carotenoids and vitamins, particularly vitamin E, however, it is sensitive to climate and is perishable. So, postharvest techniques are needed to prolong its useful life and to maintain its nutritional quality. This work evaluates the antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content and coloration of Hass avocado submitted to UV-C radiation. Fruits were selected and ex Read More

Commercialization of processed avocado is difficult due to darkening of the pulp and sensorial alterations during the storage. The objective of this research was to verify the sensorial parameters, along with polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities in an avocado product with added α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid and stored at low temperature. Samples of products were wrapped in polyethylene and polyethylene plus Read More

Persimmons have a short harvest season, making it necessary to use adequate storage techniques to extend their shelf life. The objective of this work was to find the best time to harvest the fruit and the best storage temperature for the persimmon, caqui ‘giombo’. The fruits were harvested in four different stages of maturity: 1 - totally green; 2 - start of maturity 75% green; 3 – medium maturity 50% green; 4 - mature 25% g Read More

The Bioactive composition of blueberries has attracted interest as a potential source of beneficial bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols, because the consumption of plant phenolics and others bioactive compounds has been recognized as lowering the risk of aging-associated diseases. Berries such as the Brazilian blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) are increasingly cultivated throughout the world. In Brazil, its c Read More

Consumption of bioactive compounds in fruits, vegetables and their derivatives is related to lower incidences of non-communicable diseases. This study determines the contents of bioactive compounds and vitamin C and verifies the antioxidant capacities of fresh (FG) and industrialized frozen pulps (IP1 and IP2) of guava. Results showed that the total soluble solids and pH for FG and IP were within the limits established by curre Read More

Musa (AAB group) Thap Maeo is very productive and resistant to various banana diseases. However, quality attributes of this fruit were poorly investigated so far. The aim of this work was to establish a parallel between the sensory and volatile compound profile of this cultivar. A Quantitative Descriptive Analysis technique was used for sensory evaluation and the headspace volatile profile was analyzed by solid-ph Read More

The genus Ilex (Aquifoliaceae) was reviewed for its chemical constituents and pharmacological significance including traditional uses. The structure-activity relationship for various compounds was illustrated to understand the mechanism of a particular activity. The genus has been known for its numerous biological activities like antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, anti-platelet aggregation, anti-inflammatory etc. Most of the plan Read More

Plant endophytic fungi are considered an important source of natural bioactive compounds which commonly applied in agriculture, medicine, and food industry. In the past two decades, many valuable bioactive secondary metabolites obtained from the endophytic fungi have antimicrobial, insecticidal, cytotoxic and anticancer activities. Many recent articles revealed endophyte natural products as new compounds and discus Read More

Nerium oleander Linn. (Family: Apocynaceae) is a Ayurvedic traditional ornamental plant in Indian gardens useful in various ailments including indigestion, malaria, leprosy, mental and venereal diseases. It is also used as cardiac tonic, aborifacient, diuretic, molluscicide and insecticide and for the treatment of epilepsy, snake bites and skin condition such as leprosy, pruritus, ulcers, ringworm infection, and scabies. Prelimina Read More