Abelmoschus esculentus has fruit popularly known as okra and belongs to the Malvaceae family. It is commonly used in cooking but also in traditional medicine in the treatment of worms, dysentery, inflammation, and also irritation of the stomach, intestines, and kidneys, as it is a potential functional food. Its mucilage is a highly viscous polysaccharide that is mostly composed of monosaccharides D-galactose, L-rhamnose, and galacturonic acid, as well as proteins and minerals. The functional properties of okra mucilage have been widely studied, mainly for its potential antidiabetic activity; thus, its use as adjuvant or nutraceutical therapy for diabetes is very promising. Due to its rheological properties, it is a potential resource for pharmaceutical and food applications. Okra mucilage can be extracted by several methods, which can directly influence its physicochemical characteristics and biological activity. Features such as low cost, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and high availability in nature arouse the interest of researchers for the study of okra mucilage. The survey of research on the applications of okra mucilage highlights the importance of using this promising source of bioactive compounds with interesting technological properties. The potential of okra as a functional food, the properties of okra mucilage, and its technological applications are discussed in this review.

The use of agro-industrial wastes in combination with indigenous lactic acid bacteria is an interesting option to confer functional potential to food products. The microbial viability, chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, texture and sensory acceptability of a fermented dairy dessert containing the indigenous culture Lactobacillus plantarum CNPC003, whey and ingredients obtained from the jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) peel were compared with formulations without lactobacilli (control) or containing a commercial probiotic culture (Lactobacillus rhamnosus LR32). L. plantarum presented viability higher than 7 log CFU g⁻¹ in the dessert, as did the commercial probiotic, for 21 days at 4 ± 1 °C. Total phenolic contents (45–60 mg gallic acid equivalents, GAE, 100 g⁻¹) were comparable to those of other studies evaluating dairy products containing plant sources. The formulations were low in fat, presenting as acceptable for overall consumption, with attractive color and appreciable texture. Considering the total antioxidant capacity, 200–250 g of dessert would be necessary to capture 1 g of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. The dessert with Lactobacillus plantarum CNPC003 is seen as a viable alternative for the use of whey and jabuticaba peel, as well as a potential functional food due to the concentration of lactobacilli reached, besides the presence of antioxidant phenolic compounds.

O processamento industrial da manga gera um grande volume de resíduos que não são reaproveitados mas descartados de forma inadequada. O objetivo deste trabalho foi extrair o amido da amêndoa da manga Tommy Atkins e utilizá-lo como espessante em bebida láctea. Para ser utilizado em bebida láctea em três concentrações (1,2; 0,6 e 0,3%) o amido foi caracterizado através de análises físico-químicas e microbiológicas e, por microscopia eletrônica de varredura, a morfologia dos grânulos, capacidade de gelificação (1,2; 0,6 e 0,3%) e só então submetido à análise sensorial. O amido apresentou rendimento de extração de 59,82% em peso de amêndoas com umidade de 10,14%, proteína de 2,33%, cinzas de 0,35% e lipídios de 4,67%, além da isenção de micro-organismos patogênicos. O formato do grânulo de amido foi irregular, entre esféricos a elipsoidais, com tamanhos diferenciados. A concentração mínima de gelificação foi observada em 6% de amido. A bebida láctea elaborada mostrou-se viável à comercialização por apresentar boas características sensoriais e físico-químicas utilizando-se 0,3% de amido como espessante. O amido apresentou características desejáveis podendo ser largamente utilizado.

Dairy desserts have emerged as interesting options for the incorporation of probiotics, bioactive ingredients and alternative sources of thickeners. This shows an opportunity to investigate the use of Gracilaria seaweeds in the formulation of potentially probiotic dairy desserts. This study aimed to compare the effects of dispersions obtained from Gracilaria domingensis and Gracilaria birdiae used as thickening agents on texture properties of dairy desserts fermented with SAB 440-A, composed of the starter Streptococcus thermophilus and the potential probiotics Bifidobacterium animalis and Lactobacillus acidophilus, and also to study their physicochemical characteristics, microbial viability and sensory acceptability. No significant differences between desserts with G. birdiae or G. domingensis dispersions regarding total solids, ash and fat content, as well as pH, titratable acidity, the viability of the microorganisms of the mixed culture and sensory acceptability were verified (P > 0.05). Nonetheless, the dessert with G. domingensis dispersion showed higher dietary fibre content and significantly increased firmness than the one produced with G. birdiae (P < 0.05). Moreover, B. animalis was able to maintain higher populations, above 7 log cfu g⁻¹ during 21 days of storage of desserts, in the presence of either G. birdiae or G. domingensis dispersions, despite the fact that L. acidophilus has shown low viability in the final products. Therefore, the G. domingensis dispersion is suitable to be used as a thickening agent to produce dairy desserts with enhanced firmness and good sensory acceptability, it being also advisable to use only B. animalis as a probiotic for this product.