This study evaluated the influence of tea, sucrose, and inoculum concentrations on green tea kombucha’s physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity to optimize its production. The highest total phenolic content (98.61 mg GAE/100 mL) and radical scavenging activity for ABTS (9647.14 μmol/mL) and DPPH (6640.00 μmol/mL) were observed with 8 g/L of tea, 80 g/L of sucrose, and 30% inoculum. Principal Component Analysis highlighted inoculum as the key factor influencing these parameters. Following this, fermentation was scaled up in 6.5 L bioreactors operating under static and stirred conditions. Monitoring physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and volatile compounds revealed the impact of agitation on fermentation, with the kombucha obtained by static cultivation presenting higher biological activity. Eleven volatile compounds were identified, including carboxylic acids, terpenes, esters, alcohols, and phenols. Notably, α-terpinolene, dodecanoic acid, and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, found in kombucha, exhibit antioxidant properties linked to health benefits. Differences in volatile compound profiles were observed between static and stirred processes. This study concluded that kombucha maintains its physicochemical characteristics and bioactivity during scale-up, contributing to a better understanding of large-scale production. It also suggests stirred cultivation as an alternative for kombucha production.

The industrial demand for proteolytic enzymes is stimulating the search for new enzyme sources. Fungal enzymes are preferred over bacterial enzymes, and more effective and easier to extract. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential of protease production by solid state fermentation (SSF) of Mucor subtilissimus UCP 1262, evaluate different specific activities, purify and partially characterize the enzyme in terms of biochemical as to the optimal pH and temperature. Initially, the enzyme crude extract was screened for 3 different proteolytic activities, collagenolytic (161.4 U/mL), keratinolytic (39.6 U/mL) and fibrinolytic (26.1 U/mL) in addition to conventional proteinase activity. After ammonium sulfate precipitation, the active fractions with fibrinolytic activity were dialyzed in 15 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 8, loaded onto DEAE-Sephadex A50 ion-exchange column and gel filtrated through Superdex 75 HR10/300. The enzyme showed a fibrinolytic maximum activity at 40 C and pH 9,0. The purified enzyme showed activity against a chromogenic chymotrypsin substrate, SDS-PAGE showing a molecular mass of approximately 70 kDa and, the specific activity of 25.93 U/mg. These characteristics suggest that the enzyme could be and efficiently produced in a simple and low-cost way using Mucor subtilissimus UCP 1262 in SSF.

Teas derived from Camellia sinensis are traditionally used in kombucha fermentation, a process in which bacteria and yeasts play key roles. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of green, black, and white teas, as well as their combinations, on the physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic compound content of kombucha. In addition, the production of kombucha flavored with fruits. Statistical analysis of simplex centroid mixture design indicated that green tea promoted a positive increase in total phenolic content and antioxidant activities against ABTS and DPPH free radicals, being observed at 5868.46 µmol/mL, 705.40 µmol/mL, and 380.77 mg GAE/100 mL in the kombucha prepared using this tea individually. Then, six kombucha beverages were prepared from green tea, flavored with grape, caja, cashew apple, genipap, passion fruit, and tamarind. The phenolic profile analysis revealed the presence of twenty-six compounds, including twenty-five phenolics and one caffeine derivative. Among the beverages, tamarind-flavored kombucha stood out, exhibiting the highest total flavonoid content (156.77 mg EQ/g), which highlights the positive influence of tamarind on the bioactive properties of kombucha beverages. These results provide valuable insights to optimize kombucha production and explore the potential beneficial effects of flavored non-alcoholic beverages.

Copaiba oil is a natural product used by Amazonian populations and recognized for its medicinal properties because it has significant antimicrobial activity for several pathogenic microorganisms. The present work aimed to evaluate and characterize the effect of natural oil produced by copaiba – Copaifera multijuga against multiresistant isolates of bubaline mastitis. The nitrocefin test was performed with isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from bubaline mastitis, which were 100% positive for beta-lactamase enzyme detection. Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of 25% to 3.12% was obtained for Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli and 50% and 25% for S. aureus, but Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus subtilis were resistant. MBC with 12.5% and 6.25% oil were obtained for most multiresistant bubaline mastitis isolates from the states of Pernambuco, Ceará, Bahia and Alagoas. The results demonstrated the great potential of using copaiba natural oil in the treatment of buffalo mastitis.

Bioprospecção de enzimas produzidas por Aspergillus tamarii URM 4634, isolado do solo da Caatinga, por fermentação em estado sólido / Bioprospecting of enzymes produced by Aspergillus tamarii URM 4634, isolated from Caatinga soil, by solid state fermentation

β-fructofuranosidases (FFases) are enzymes involved in sucrose hydrolysis and can be used in the production of invert sugar and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). This last is an important prebiotic extensively used in the food industry. In the present study, the FFase production by Aspergillus tamarii Kita UCP 1279 was assessed by solid-state fermentation using a mixture of wheat and soy brans as substrate. The FFase presents optimum pH and temperature at 5.0–7.0 and 60 °C, respectively. According to the kinetic/thermodynamic study, the FFase was relatively stable at 50 °C, a temperature frequently used in industrial FOS synthesis, using sucrose as substrate, evidenced by the parameters half-life (115.52 min) and D-value (383.76 min) and confirmed by thermodynamic parameters evaluated. The influence of static magnetic field with a 1450 G magnetic flux density presented a positive impact on FFase kinetic parameters evidenced by an increase of affinity of enzyme by substrate after exposition, observed by a decrease of 149.70 to 81.73 mM on K_m. The results obtained indicate that FFases present suitable characteristics for further use in food industry applications. Moreover, the positive influence of a magnetic field is an indicator for further developments of bioprocesses with the presence of a magnetic field.