The side effects and potential impacts on human health by traditional chemical additives as food preservatives (i.e., potassium and sodium salts) are the reasons why novel policies are encouraged by worldwide public health institutes. More natural alternatives with high antimicrobial efficacy to extend shelf life without impairing the cheese physicochemical and sensory quality are encouraged. This study is a comprehensive review of emerging preservative cheese methods, including natural antimicrobials (e.g., vegetable, animal, and protist kingdom origins) as a preservative to reduce microbial cheese contamination and to extend shelf life by several efforts such as manufacturing ingredients, the active ingredient for coating/packaging, and the combination of packaging materials or processing technologies. Essential oils (EO) or plant extracts rich in phenolic and terpenes, combined with packaging conditions and non-thermal methods, generally showed a robust microbial inhibition and prolonged shelf life. However, it impaired the cheese sensory quality. Alternatives including EO, polysaccharides, polypeptides, and enzymes as active ingredients/nano-antimicrobials for an edible film of coating/nano-bio packaging showed a potent and broad-spectrum antimicrobial action during shelf life, preserving cheese quality parameters such as pH, texture, color, and flavor. Future opportunities were identified in order to investigate the toxicological effects of the discussed natural antimicrobials’ potential as cheese preservatives.

Brazilian Amazon contains over 30,000 plant species and foods rich in bioactive compounds such as terpenes, phenolic acids, alkaloids, and flavonoids, of potential health benefits (antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anticancer, gastroprotection, prebiotic effects, among others). The existence of residues from non-edible parts of plants (leaves, roots, stems, branches, barks) or fruit wastes (peel, bagasse, seeds) in the agri-food industry and its supply chain is an important challenge in food loss and waste management. In this critical review several Amazon species, focusing on extracts/essential oils from nonedible parts or wastes, were analyzed in terms of phytochemicals, biological activity, and underlying mechanisms. We hope this review emphasizes the importance of Amazon’s sustainability initiatives on population health due to the potential shown against cancer, infectious diseases, and prevention of oral diseases. It is urgent to think about the conversion of amazon food wastes and co-products into high-added-value raw materials to develop novel drugs, food packaging systems, or nutraceutical foods.

Babassu coconut (Attalea speciosa syn. Orbignya phalerata) contains an oil-rich nut and is primarily found in South America's Amazon region. Future market researchers predict an increase in the babassu oil market from USD 227.7 million in 2022 to USD 347.0 million by 2032, and the yield of babassu oil from babassu-processed waste could reach 90%. Of these, mesocarp flour is an underrated by-product used only for animal feed purposes by local producers. This comprehensive review focuses on advances in knowledge and understanding of phytochemicals from babassu oil by-products considering the mechanisms of action – covering antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, immunomodulatory, and anticancer effects. Babassu coconut fruit contains free fatty acids, (poly)phenols, phytosterols, and triterpenes. Pytochemicals, antiparasitic and antibacterial activities of babassu mesocarp flour were shown, but fungi and viruses can get more attention. Beyond its antioxidant capacity, babassu mesocarp flour showed potential as a dietary food supplement. Aqueous suspensions of mesocarp flour with a higher preference for cancer cells than normal cells and an antithrombotic effect were also identified, probably related to the antioxidant capacity of its secondary metabolites. Mesocarp flour, a starch-rich fraction, is promising for application as biodegradable packaging to improve the oxidative stability of foods. Finally, low-added value fractions can be considered bio-waste/co-products, and their phytochemicals may attract interest for applications in medicine and nutrition. Toxicological concerns, trends, and gaps are discussed for the future of foods and related sciences.

Physical activities that are unaccustomed and involve eccentric muscle contractions have been demonstrated to temporarily impair macrovascular and microvascular functions, which may be caused by exercise-induced oxidative stress. Jaboticaba (Myrciaria jaboticaba) is a famous Brazilian berry that has been described to exhibit high antioxidant activity. However, no human study has investigated the protective effects of jaboticaba consumption against the vascular damage induced by eccentric exercise. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess whether supplementation with jaboticaba berry juice could positively affect macro- and microvascular functions within 48 hours after eccentric exercise. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial enrolled 24 healthy participants consuming 250 mL per day of jaboticaba berry juice (containing ∼1,300 mg of total polyphenols) or placebo for 6 days. At the baseline, pre-exercise, and 24 h and 48 h postexercise stages, blood samples were taken for analysis of reduced glutathione (GSH) levels. Also, brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), blood flow, and tissue oxygen saturation (StO₂) responses to 5-minute cuff occlusion were assessed using Doppler ultrasound and near-infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Our findings revealed significant decreases in blood GSH (P < 0.001, ES = 0.76), FMD (P = 0.005, ES = 0.48), reperfusion slope of StO₂ (P = 0.018, ES = 0.42) at 24 h and blood flow (P = 0.012, ES = 0.42) at 48 h following eccentric exercise in the control group as compared to the jaboticaba berry juice group. Our results demonstrated that jaboticaba berry juice prevented the exercise-induced increase in reactive oxygen species production and protected macro- and microvascular functions against the damage caused by eccentric exercise, suggesting that jaboticaba berry consumption could protect the vascular function under conditions of imbalance in redox homeostasis.

Açaí (Euterpe oleracea) seeds account for up to 95% of the fruit’s weight and are commonly discarded during pulp processing. Roasted açaí seed extract (RASE) has recently emerged as a caffeine-free coffee substitute, although its composition and functionality remain underexplored. This study characterized commercial açaí seed powder and evaluated the effect of temperature on the recovery of total phenolic content (TPC) in the aqueous extract using a Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD). An intermediate extraction condition (6.0 ± 0.5 g 100 mL⁻¹ at 100 °C) was selected, resulting in 21.78 mg GAE/g TPC, 36.23 mg QE/g total flavonoids, and notable antioxidant capacity (FRAP: 183.33 µmol TE/g; DPPH: 23.06 mg TE/g; ABTS: 51.63 mg TE/g; ORAC: 31.46 µmol TE/g). Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H NMR) analysis suggested the presence of amino acids, carbohydrates, and organic acids. During in vitro digestion, TPC decreased from 54.31 to 17.48 mg GAE 100 mL⁻¹ when RASE was combined with goat milk. However, higher bioaccessibility was observed with skimmed (33%) and semi-skimmed (35%) cow milk. These findings highlight RASE as a phenolic-rich, antioxidant beverage with functional stability when prepared with boiling water. This is the first study to report the phytochemical profile of RASE and its interactions with different milk types, supporting its potential as a coffee alternative.

Kefir is a fermented beverage produced from goat or cow milk. This study evaluated the bioactive potential and peptidomic profile of kefirs from both species before and after in vitro digestion. Peptides from undigested, gastric, and intestinal phases were characterized by LC-MS/MS. In silico tools identified sequences homologous to known bioactive peptides, with functions such as antihypertensive, immunomodulatory, and anticancer. β-casein was identified as the main precursor protein, with the highest number of peptides identified during the gastric phase. Undigested kefir showed antioxidant activity in ABTS and FRAP assays, and peptide extracts from both kefirs exhibited activity in all antioxidant assays across digestion phases. Antimicrobial activity against E. coli and S. aureus was observed before digestion for both kefir peptides; however, after digestion, only goat kefir peptides remained active against E. coli. This data indicates that kefir peptides are promising bioactive compounds for food and pharmaceutical applications.