This paper presents the quantification, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin and the flavonoid chrysoeriol isolated from different extracts (hexane and acetonitrile extracts from whole fruit, peel and seed) of Capsicum frutescens (pimenta malagueta). The acetonitrile extract of the seeds, peel and whole fruits contained capsaicin as a major component, followed in abundance by dihydrocapsaicin and chrysoeriol. The antimicrobial activity of the isolated compounds against seven microorganisms showed chrysoeriol was the most active compound. In the antioxidant test, the acetonitrile extract from the whole fruit showed the highest activity. The antioxidant activity of pimenta malagueta may be correlated with its phenolic content, principally with the most active compound, capsaicin.

Food-derived bioactive peptides are of great interest to science and industry due to evolving drivers of food product innovation, including health and wellness. This study aims to draw attention through a critical study on how bioinformatics analysis is employed in the identification of bioactive peptides in the laboratory. An in silico analysis (PeptideRanker, BIOPEP, AHTpin, and mAHTPred) of a list of peptides from goat casein hydrolysate was performed to predict which sequences could potentially be bioactive. To validate the predictions, the in vitro antihypertensive potential of the five peptides with the highest potential was first measured. Then, for three of these, gastrointestinal digestion was simulated in vitro, followed by the analysis of the resulting ACE inhibitory activity as well as antioxidant capacity. We thus observed that the use of new computational biology technologies to predict peptide sequences is an important research tool, but they should not be used alone and complementarity with various in vitro and in vivo assays is essential.

A protease from the fungus Mucor subtilissimus URM 4133, capable of producing bioactive peptides from goat casein, was purified. SDS-PAGE and zymography showed a molecular mass of 30 kDa. The enzyme was active and stable in a wide pH range (6.0-10.5) and (5.0-10.5), respectively. Optimum temperature was at 45-50 °C and stability was above 80 % (40 °C/2 h). Activity was not influenced by ions or organic substances (Triton, Tween, SDS and DMSO), but was completely inhibited by PMSF, suggesting that it belongs to the serine protease family. The Km and Vmax were 2.35 mg azocasein.mL-1 and 333.33 U.mg protein-1, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters of irreversible denaturation (40-60 °C) were enthalpy 123.63 - 123.46 kJ.mol-1, entropy 120.24-122.28 kJ.mol-1 and Gibbs free energy 85.97 - 82.45 kJ.mol-1. Any peptide sequences compatible with this protease were found after analysis by MALDI-TOF, which suggests that it is a new serine protease.

A própolis é produzida pelas abelhas e corresponde a um material proveniente da coleta de secreções resinosas vegetais, com adição de enzimas salivares e cera na composição do produto final, são atribuídas diversas propriedades biológicas a própolis, dentre elas um potencial de atividade antimicrobiana que vem sendo amplamente estudada, uma vez que, a descoberta de princípios ativos antibacterianos, trouxe significativos avanços para a área da saúde. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a eficácia antimicrobiana de seis diferentes concentrações de extrato de própolis de abelha Jataí em bactérias Gram-positivas e Gram-negativas, para isso foram coletadas 20 amostras de própolis, produzidas em meliponários localizados em Uchoa-SP e Tabapuã-SP, nos meses de dezembro 2018 a março de 2019. O extrato hidroetanólico mostrou efetividade antimicrobiana frente aos micro-organismos Gram-positivos e Gram-negativos testados, onde E. coli e P. aeruginosa foram sensíveis a quatro das seis concentrações e a CIM foi de 125 µg/mL, já a K. pneumoniae apresentou maior sensibilidade entre as cepas Gram-negativas, assim como as três bactérias Gram-positivas, tiveram inibição de crescimento por cinco das concentrações testadas e CIM de 62,5 µg/mL. Dessa forma foi possível concluir que o extrato hidroetanólico da própolis de abelha Jataí apresentou substâncias capazes de inibir o crescimento de todas as bactérias testadas e os baixos valores de CIM indicam uma promissora possibilidade de uso deste material biológico como alternativa ao uso de antibióticos, contribuindo também para a redução da resistência microbiana.

Peptides are biomolecules composed of amino acids linked through peptide bonds present in proteins. These peptides may have biological activities associated with their secondary structure, especially when released from the original protein sequence. The prospect of these biomolecules is the subject of study and research in various sectors, including the food and pharmaceutical industries. This is due to the possibility of using them as substitutes for traditionally marketed drugs, especially those with restrictive legislation on their use, or losing their effectiveness. A scientometric analysis of studies published from 2011 to 2021 by Brazilian researchers demonstrated the growing interest in basic research involving bioactive peptides from numerous protein sources, including food-based and agro-industrial residues. The antioxidant activity, followed by the antimicrobial potential, has been the most studied property of these biomolecules. Several other activities such as anxiolytic, anti-adipogenic, anticoagulant, anticonvulsant, antisclerotic, and cytoregulatory actions have been reported in a limited number of studies, highlighting the potential application of these biomolecules in the development of new products.