Acrylamide (AA) levels in conventional (n = 112) and traditional (n = 43) Colombian foods were analysed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) detection. Samples included: infant powdered formula, coffee and chocolate powders, corn snacks, bakery products and tuber-, meat- and vegetable-based foods. There was a wide variability in AA levels among different foods and within different brands of the same food, especially for coffee powder, breakfast cereals biscuits and French fries samples. Among the conventional foods tested, the highest mean AA value was found in bakery products, such as biscuit (1104 µg kg⁻¹) and wafer (1449 µg kg⁻¹), followed by potato chips (916 µg kg⁻¹). On the other hand, among the traditional foods, higher AA amounts were detected in fried platano (2813 µg kg⁻¹) and yuca (3755 µg kg⁻¹) compared to other products. Interestingly, the arepa, a traditional Colombian bakery product made with corn flour, showed a lower AA content (< 75 µg kg⁻¹) when compared with similar bakery products tested, such as soft bread (102–594 µg kg⁻¹), which is a made with wheat flour.

This first phytochemical study of leaves of Ocotea caudata led to the isolation of ten isoquinoline alkaloids, one of them previously unreported, S-(+)-9-O-demethylnorpreocoteine (1), three known flavonoids, two phenols, two eudesmane type sesquiterpenoids, one proline derivative, one fatty alcohol and a phytosterol. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses including HSQC, HMBC, ¹H–¹H COSY, NOESY, as well as HRESIMS data in addition to comparison with reports in the literature.

Many Neotropical representatives of Ericaceae have fruits with antioxidant activity and high nutritional value. However, in Colombia, these fruits are little consumed and are considered underutilized. One such example is the berries of Cavendishia nitida (Kunth) A.C.Sm. In this study, the nutritional value, the total phenolic, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents, and antioxidant activity of C. nitida fruit were performed. From the leaves, an ethanolic extract was made, which was then fractioned to measure its antioxidant activity and analyze its chemical composition. The results indicate that the fruit of C. nitida can be classified as potentially edible, due to its minerals and vitamins contents. Five anthocyanins were detected in the berries; while in the leaves extract six terpenes and one flavonol were identified. The ethyl acetate fraction of the leaves extract exhibited strong antioxidant activity with the DPPH^• and ABTS^•+ radicals tested. We also found a strong correlation between the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and the values of percentage of inhibition of DPPH^• and ABTS^•+ in all the samples tested. The results of this study suggest that the berries of C. nitida are promising as edible fruits, and beneficial for human and animal health. However, even though the communities of the region use this berry as food, the toxicity of fruits must be evaluated to confirm that their consumption is safe for humans.

Se presenta una revisión acerca de las especies colombianas de Ericaceae con frutos comestibles, con énfasis en su forma de uso, su propagación y su cultivo. Se registraron 25 especies en diez géneros, cuya mayor diversidad se concentra en Cavendishia, Disterigma, Gaultheria y Vaccinium. La mayoría de las especies se distribuyen en zonas medias y altas de las cordilleras Oriental y Central. Si bien lo más frecuente es el consumo directo y esporádico de sus frutos, para siete especies se reporta su procesamiento en productos derivados y solo tres de ellas han tenido algún nivel de comercio. Aunque los estudios sobre propagación y cultivo se concentran en Vaccinium meridionale, se registran estudios básicos de propagación en Vaccinium floribundum, Macleania rupestris, Cavendishia bracteata, Disterigma alaternoides y Thibaudia floribunda. No obstante, la mayoría de los frutos de las ericáceas colombianas se cosechan primordialmente de poblaciones silvestres. En la actualidad, no se conocen estudios detallados del efecto de la cosecha en las poblaciones naturales ni se cuenta con planes de manejo para su aprovechamiento.

A partir de hojas frescas de la especie vegetal Bejaria resinosa (Ericaceae) se obtuvo el aceite esencial por la técnica de hidrodestilación; la determinación de la composición química se realizó por cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas (CG-EM), comparación de los índices de retención, los espectros de masas y los datos reportados en la literatura. Los metabolitos secundarios identificados en el aceite esen­cial se cuantificaron aplicando el método de estandarización interna; además, se verificó la densidad absoluta y se determinó el índice de refracción del aceite obtenido. El aceite esencial se obtuvo con un rendimiento del 0.031% en peso; en el cual fueron identificados 26 compuestos los cuales constituyen cerca del 75% de la composición relativa total del aceite esencial, dentro de los cuales se encontraron 6 monoterpenos, 16 sesquiterpenos, y 4 hidrocarburos alifáticos, donde está presente el compuesto mayoritario, que en este caso corresponde al noneno (61.91%). El valor obtenido para la densidad absoluta fue de 0,742 g/mL y el índice de refracción fue de 1,4265.