Caatinga flora which are found in a poor Brazilian region contain a substantial number of endemic taxa with biomedical and social importance for regional communities. This study examined the antiox...

Bioactive compounds extracted from natural sources can benefit human health. The aim of this work was to determine total phenolic content and antioxidant activity in extracts of Euphorbia tirucalli L. followed by identification and quantification of the phenolic compounds, as well as their antibacterial activities. Antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH and ABTS^•+ assay. Identification of phenolic compounds was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and antimicrobial activities were verified by agar dilution methods and MIC values. Total phenolic content ranged from 7.73 to 30.54 mg/100 g gallic acid equivalent. Extracts from dry plants showed higher antioxidant activities than those from fresh ones. The DPPH EC₅₀ values were approximately 12.15 μg/mL and 16.59 μg/mL, respectively. Antioxidant activity measured by the ABTS method yielded values higher than 718.99 μM trolox/g for dry plants, while by the Rancimat^® system yielded protection factors exceeding 1 for all extracts, comparable to synthetic BHT. Ferulic acid was the principal phenolic compound identified and quantified through HPLC-UV in all extracts. The extracts proved effective inhibitory potential for Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus. These results showed that extracts of Euphorbia tirucalli L. have excellent antioxidant capacity and moderate antimicrobial activity. These can be attributed to the high concentration of ferulic acid.

Na busca pela identificação de novas fontes de antioxidantes naturais e de esclarecer lacunas acerca das reais propriedades benéficas atribuídas ao Noni (Morinda citrifolia Linn), este trabalho teve como objetivo realizar a caracterização química e avaliar a atividade antioxidante da polpa, casca e sementes do noni. Foram determinadas a composição centesimal (umidade, cinzas, proteínas, carboidratos e lipídios); os compostos bioativos (fenólicos totais, carotenoides totais e vitamina C) e a atividade in vitro em extratos aquoso, etanólico e acetônico. Os resultados demonstraram que o Noni possui quantidades significativas de carboidratos (27,21%; 9,70% e 8,37%) e de proteínas (2,64%; 2,23%; e 2,24%) nas sementes, casca e polpa, respectivamente. A polpa apresentou maior teor de vitamina C (23,1 mg/100g) e de carotenoides totais (3,90 mg/100g). No extrato acetônico da polpa, foram quantificados 109,81 mg/100g de fenólicos totais, seguidos pelos extratos acetônicos da casca (76,01 mg/100g), das sementes (28,75 mg/100g) e do extrato etanólico da polpa (20,33 mg/100g). Todos os extratos avaliados apresentaram atividade antioxidante in vitro; os extratos acetônico e etanólico da casca e das sementes do Noni apresentaram maior atividade pelo método β-caroteno/ ácido linoleico, enquanto o extrato etanólico da polpa teve maior atividade antioxidante pelo ensaio DPPH e ABTS, e o extrato acetônico da polpa, pelo método ABTS. O noni é um fruto com significativo teor de compostos fenólicos totais que apresentam atividade antioxidante in vitro.

The aim of this study was to determine the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity present in three fruit species from the Brazilian Cerrado: carnauba (Copernicia prunifera (Mill.) H.E. Moore), murici (Byrsonima crassifolia L. Rich)and oiti (Licania tomentosa (Benth) Fritsch). Among analyzed fruits, oiti showed the highest total phenolic content (1236.42 ± 34.06 mg GAE 100 g-1) followed by murici (468.90 ± 27.30 mg GAE 100 g-1) and carnauba (314.44 ± 9.50 mg GAE 100 g-1). Regarding the antioxidant activity, murici showed 4350.31 ± 1.85 µmol TEAC.100 g-1 and oiti showed 14721.69 ± 0.85 µmol TEAC.100 g-1. In addition, high content of anthocyanins was verified in carnauba (9.35 ± 0.00 mg-cy-3-glu.100 g-1), as well as carotenoids (20.0 ± 1.23 mg-ß-carot.100 g-1) and vitamin C (58.60 ± 1.32 mg.100 g-1) in murici. In conclusion, data obtained add valuable information to the current knowledge on the nutritional and functional features of fruits from the Brazilian Cerrado that have been scarcely explored, such as those analyzed, which showed high content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity.

O trabalho visou estudo da composição dos ácidos fenólicos de bagaço de maçã dos cultivares Gala e Fuji. Os ácidos fenólicos foram fracionados em ácidos fenólicos, esterificados e insolúveis e analisados por cromatografia a gás e espectrometria de massa (CG-MS). Foram identificados dezesseis ácidos fenólicos nas amostras de bagaço de maçã. Os teores de ácidos fenólicos totais nos bagaços de maçã dos cultivares Gala e Fuji foram respectivamente 93,94 e 68,38 mg/g (massa seca). O conteúdo de ácidos fenólicos livres no bagaço de maçã Gala foi 29,11 mg/g, sendo identificados os ácidos salicílico, protocatequínico, quínico, p-cumárico, gálico, propilgalato, sináptico. O teor de ácidos fenólicos livres no bagaço de maçã Fuji foi 16,03 mg/g, sendo identificados cinco (salicílico, protocatequínico, gálico, ferúlico, sináptico). O ácido salicílico foi o ácido fenólico livre predominante nas amostras de bagaço de maçã Gala e Fuji, constituindo 91,67% e 63,57% dos ácidos fenólicos livres, respectivamente. O ácido clorogênico (1,147 mg/g) foi encontrado somente no bagaço de maçã Fuji. Os teores de ácidos fenólicos esterificados do bagaço de maçã Gala e Fuji foram 53,75 e 48,29 mg/g, respectivamente. Verificou-se que o ácido fenólico esterificado predominante no bagaço de maçã Gala é derivado do ácido salicilico (52,76 mg/g) sendo também encontrado derivados de ácido gálico (0,175 mg/g), propilgalato (0,198 mg/g), ferúlico (0,159 mg/g) e sináptico (0,140 mg/g). No bagaço de maçã Fuji, o ácido fenólico esterificado encontrado em maior quantidade também é derivado do ácido salicílico (47,42 mg/g), seguido do acido gálico (0,270 mg/g), ácido benzóico (0,194 mg/g) e ácido sinaptico (0,115 mg/g). Os teores de ácidos fenólicos insolúveis nos bagaços de maçã Gala e Fuji foram respectivamente 11,08 e 4,05 mg/g (massa seca). Os ácidos fenólicos insolúveis derivados de ácido salicílico foram encontrados em maior quantidade nos bagaços de maçã de ambos cultivares.The present work aimed the study of phenolic acids composition in apple pomace of Gala and Fuji cultivars. Phenolic acids were fractionated in phenolic acids, esterified and insoluble and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sixteen phenolic acids were identified in apple pomace samples. Total phenolic acids in apple pomace from Gala and Fuji cultivars were, in dry weight, 93.94 mg/ g and 68.38 mg/g, respectively. Content of free phenolic acids in apple pomace from Gala cultivar was 29.11 mg/g and the following acids were identified: salicylic, protocatequinic, quinic, p-coumaric, gallic, propylgallate and synapic. Content of free phenolic acids in apple pomace from Fuji cultivar was 16.03 mg/g and the following acids were identified: salicylic, protocatequinic, gallic, ferulic and sinapic. Salicylic was the predominant free phenolic acids found in both cultivars, consisting of 91.67% and 63.57% of the free phenolic acids in Gala and Fuji cultivars, respectively. Chlorogenic acid (1.147 mg/g) was found only in apple pomace from Fuji cultivar. Content of esterified phenolic acids in apple pomace from Gala and Fuji cultivars were 53.75 mg/g and 48.29 mg/g, respectively. It was verified that the predominant esterified phenolic acid in pomace from apple Gala is derived from salicylic acid (52.76 mg/g). Acids derived from gallic acid (0.175 mg/g), propylgallate acid (0.198 mg/g), ferulic acid (0.159 mg/g) and sinapic acid (0.140 mg/g) were also found in Gala cultivar. Regarding to pomace from cultivar Fuji, the main esterified phenolic acid found is also derived from salicylic acid (47.42 mg/g) followed by gallic acid (0.270 mg/g), benzoic acid (0.194 mg/g) and sinapic acid (0.115 mg/g). Content of insoluble phenolic acids in apple pomace from Gala and Fugi cultivars were, in dry weight, 11.08 mg/g and 4.05 mg/g, respectively. Insoluble phenolic acids derived from salicylic acid were found in higher concentrations in apple pomace from both cultivars