Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, popularly known as “Pink pepper”, is a plant native to Brazil. The objective of this work was to analyze the chemical composition and the antioxidant and antibacterial potential of essential oils (EOs) from the leaves, fruits and twigs of S. terebinthifolius, aiming for their application in food safety. EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation and the chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Phenolic compounds were quantified and antioxidant activity was evaluated using three different methods. The antibacterial activity was determined by the broth microdilution method against foodborne bacteria. In the chemical analysis, 22 compounds were identified in the leaves, 13 compounds in the fruits and 37 compounds in the twigs, revealing the presence of the main compounds germacrene D (12.04%, 15.78%, 20,41%), caryophyllene (15.97%, 3.12%, 11.73%), α-pinene (11.6%, 17.16%, 2.99%), β-pinene (5.68%, 43.34%, 5.60%) and γ-gurjunene (16,85%, 3,15%) respectively. EOs showed better antioxidant potential using the β-carotene/linoleic acid method with 40.74, 61.52 and 63.65% oxidation inhibition for leaves, fruits and twigs, respectively. The EO from the leaves showed greater antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.62 mg mL⁻¹, a value lower than the MIC of sodium nitrite (5.00 mg mL⁻¹), the antimicrobial standard synthetic. The activities of pink pepper EOs suggest their potential as a biopreservative in foods.

Iron and zinc bioaccumulation in mycelial biomass of different medicinal basidiomycetes was evaluated in order to produce metal-enriched mycelial biomass as an alternative functional food from non-animal sources and based on biotechnology processes. Pleurotus ostreatus strain U2-9, U2-11, U6-8, and U6-9, Pleurotus eryngii strain U8-11, Schizophyllum commune strain U6-7, and Lentinula edodes strain U6-11 and U6-12 were grown in malt extract agar with or without addition of 50 mg/L iron or 7.5 mg/L zinc. The mycelial biomass was separated and iron and zinc concentrations were determined in a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Basidiomycete strains presented different growth rates with the presence of iron and zinc; there was no dependence between the metal bioaccumulation and the fungal growth. The fungi presented greater capacity to bioaccumulate iron than zinc. P. ostreatus (U2-9) has greater iron bioaccumulation (3197.7 mg/kg) while P. ostreatus (U6-8) greater zinc bioaccumulation (440.4 mg/kg) in mycelial biomass. P. ostreatus (U2-9), P. ostreatus (U2-11), and S. commune (U6-7) had the highest metal translocation rates from the culture medium to mycelial biomass. The mycelial biomass enriched with iron or zinc is an alternative to a new functional food from non-animal sources.

Background and Objectives: The cultivation of Humulus lupulus has been encouraged in Brazil, despite the country’s climate generally being unfavorable for its development. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and photoprotective potential of four H. lupulus varieties, Cascade, Columbus, Comet, and Nugget, cultivated in the northwestern region of Paraná State, Brazil. Methods: The varieties were grown in experimental plots. Crude extracts (CEs) of cones and leaves were obtained through dynamic maceration with solvent renewal (96% ethanol), followed by concentration in a rotary evaporator. Assays for sun protection factor (SPF), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^•) radical scavenging activity, and 2.2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS^•⁺) were performed to assess antioxidant activity. Chemical profiling was performed using UHPLC-MS/MS. Results: UHPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of phenolic and organic acids, flavonoids, phenolic aldehydes, alkaloids, and α-benzopyrone-type lactones, with high concentrations of rutin (>500 µg/g) in both cones and leaves. Total phenolic content ranged from 69.70 to 95.95 µg gallic acid equivalent/mg CE; flavonoids from 170.53 to 696.67 µg quercetin equivalent/mg CE; DPPH^• EC₅₀ values ranged from 1.34 to 3.13 mg/mL; FRAP from 1.19 to 2.52 µM ferrous sulfate/mg; ABTS^•⁺ from 5.11 to 22.60 mM Trolox/mg CE; and SPF ranged from 16.02 to 39.48 in the CE of H. lupulus cones and leaves. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the cultivated varieties possess antioxidant and photoprotective properties, encouraging further studies to explore their potential applications.

Bioactive compounds extracted from plants such as antimicrobials have attracted the attention of consumers and the food industry. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of Annona muricata leaf oleoresin obtained by supercritical CO₂ extraction. The oleoresin was obtained by supercritical CO₂ extraction and the chemical identification by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by broth microdilution method against 14 foodborne fungi and bacteria. The oleoresin major chemical class was phytosterols (22.7%) and the major compounds were γ-sitosterol (15.7%), α-tocopherol (13.7%), phytol (13.1%), and hexadecanoic acid (11.5%). Minimum inhibitory concentration against bacteria ranged from 0.0025 to 0.010 mg mL⁻¹. The oleoresin had high bactericidal activity against all bacteria, mainly Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 0.005 mg mL⁻¹ minimum bactericidal concentration. However, it had low fungicidal activity. The leaf oleoresin of A. muricata has promising applications in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Graphical Abstract

Agaricus subrufescens, a basidiomycete native to Brazil, is worldwide cultivated due to its medicinal properties. This fungus is capable of bioaccumulating metals in the mycelial biomass when cultured in the presence of them; however, this capacity is little explored for functional food production. This study aimed to evaluate the amount of iron or zinc bioaccumulated in the vegetative mycelium of sixteen strains of A. subrufescens. Mycelia were grown in malt extract agar added with 50 mg/L of iron or with 7.5 mg/L of zinc. The metal bioaccumulation in the mycelial biomass was strain-dependent. In general, metal can inhibit or stimulate the mycelial growth ranging from -81 to +78% for iron and from -86 to +100% for zinc. The highest bioaccumulated iron and zinc concentrations in the mycelial biomass was 2,595.65 mg/kg and 1,655.83 mg/kg, respectively and occurred in the U4-4 strain. The supplementation of mycelial biomass using iron or zinc is an alternative to develop food supplements, that can be used both in the human and animal diet and in the prevention of diseases.