ABSTRACT The present study evaluated the effect of two thermal concentration systems on bioactive compounds, the sugar content of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) pulp, and the carotenoid bioaccessibility of pulp concentrate. The closed processing system ensured a higher retention of phenolic and carotenoid compounds. The bioaccessibility of lycopene in tomato pulp concentrate was relatively low (0.54 %) but higher than in raw tomato pulp (0.15 %), corroborating other results that have reported the low availability of the compound in these matrices. Carotenoid extraction from tomato residue was also evaluated through both conventional (CE) and ultrasound (UAE) extractions together with the stability of extracts over 30 days. UAE promoted a superior release of lycopene and lutein than conventional extraction. Lycopene showed less stability with a reduction of 18 % in 30 days.

Abstract This work aimed to characterize some of the bioactive compounds of Eugenia punicifolia (Kunth) DC. fruit to enhance the knowledge of its functional potential. Ripe fruits were collected from the restinga of Maricá, in the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil. Bioactive compounds were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Ascorbic acid (74.14 mg 100-1 g-1), lycopene (504 µg g-1) and total carotenoids (632 µg g-1) contents were superior to other fruits rich in these compounds. In fact, E. punicifolia fruits are an excellent source of carotenoids and can be considered a good source of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Furthermore, its chemical composition has presented phenolic compounds like gallic acid and anthocyanins. Thus, this underutilized Brazilian fruit stands out as a source of bioactive compounds, presenting a good potential as a functional food, especially due to the high content of lycopene.

Resumo Este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar alguns dos compostos bioativos do fruto da Eugenia punicifolia (Kunth) DC. para aprofundar o conhecimento do seu potencial funcional. Frutos maduros foram coletados da restinga de Maricá-RJ, Brasil. Os compostos bioativos foram analisados por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência. Os teores de ácido ascórbico (74,14 mg 100-1 g-1), licopeno (504 µg g-1) e carotenoides totais (632 µg g-1) foram superiores aos de outras frutas ricas nesses compostos. Os frutos de E. punicifolia são uma excelente fonte de carotenoides e podem ser considerados uma boa fonte de ácido ascórbico (vitamina C). Além disso, sua composição química apresentou compostos fenólicos, como ácido gálico e antocianinas. Assim, essa fruta brasileira subutilizada se destaca como fonte de compostos bioativos, apresentando um bom potencial como alimento funcional, principalmente devido ao alto teor de licopeno.

ABSTRACT: Vitamin A deficiency is the third most important micronutrient deficiency having a significant impact on public health worldwide. The aim of this study was to develop a carotenoid extraction process with edible vegetable oils, using a central composite design which, concurrently, enriches the oils with provitamin A carotenoids. The stability of carotenoids in the oil and their shelf life was also evaluated. The process also aimed to meet the Recommended Daily Intake for vitamin A (600 μg retinol equivalent for an adult) with the enriched oil. The results showed that 20 % of the vegetable matrix (dried carrot) in vegetable oil and 5 min of extraction time was an optimum combination for both soy oil (64.43 μg retinol equivalent mL−1) and olive oil (62.98 μg retinol equivalent mL−1). Furthermore, the ingestion of just a spoonful (∼10 mL) of the enriched oils would meet the Recommended Daily Intake for vitamin A (600 μg retinol equivalent), and, thus, it was possible to affirm that a dose of vegetable oils enriched with provitamin A contributes to meeting the Recommended Daily Intake for vitamin A. The proposed process is based on simple and low-cost technology that can be used to enrich edible oils (soybean and olive oil) with provitamin A.

ABSTRACT Acylated anthocyanins from a purple-fleshed sweet potato (PFSP), obtained by organic cultivation in Brazil, were characterized after separation by a high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-PDA). These anthocyanins were manually collected at the detector output, concentrated and injected into a high resolution mass spectrometer (ESI-QTOF-MS2). Twenty-two acylated anthocyanins were detected. Among them, sixteen had been reported in the literature and six, derived from peonidin were reported for the first time in sweet potato roots in this study. These compounds showed molecular ions with accurate mass/charge ratios (m/z) of 909.2081, 961.3010, 961.2571, 963.3345, 1123.2932 and 1179.3862. Although anthocyanins in PFSP have already been extensively studied, the variety studied in this work is probably genetically different from all varieties and cultivars already researched, which would explain why these anthocyanins have not been observed in the previously studied varieties.