Yacon syrup (YS) and cashew apple extract (CAE) are products with high concentrations of bioactive compounds such as fructooligosaccharides and carotenoids, which exhibit prebiotic and antioxidant properties. The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of YS and CAE on the chemical, physical, physicochemical and sensory properties when these products were incorporated into natural yoghurt. Initially, the YS and CAE were characterized by chemical, physical and physicochemical analyses. The bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, fructooligosaccharides and phenolic compounds, and the antioxidant activity were also determined. After characterization, natural yoghurt was supplemented with YS and CAE in different concentrations as follows: formulation A (non-supplemented yoghurt, as the control), formulation B (yoghurt with the addition of 20% of YS), formulation C (yoghurt with the addition of 20% of YS and 10% of CAE) and formulation D (yoghurt with the addition of 20% of YS and 20% of CAE). The formulations were evaluated for their sensory acceptance (overall acceptance, texture and appearance) and purchase intent, and were then characterized by chemical, physicochemical and physical analyses. The results indicated that the YS and CAE presented high concentrations of bioactive compounds, such as fructooligosaccharides and carotenoids, respectively. In addition, when the yoghurt was supplemented with these products, this induced changes in the chemical, physicochemical and physical properties of the yoghurt. In the sensory analysis, all the formulations presented good acceptance. The results indicated that yoghurt could be considered as an interesting vehicle for YS and CAE, products with high levels of bioactive compounds that may exert beneficial effects on human health.

Despite the high consumption of Japanese gherkin in the Northeast of Brazil, very few studies with this vegetable are found in the literature. As it is consumed raw or after cooking, being mainly consumed cooked, there was the interest to know if cooking could influence bioactive compounds content and antioxidant activity since high temperatures are related to benefits losses in food. This research aimed to compare the content of bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity between in natura and cooked Japanese gherkin. Gherkins were submitted to quantification of carotenoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C and phenolic compounds, in addition to the antioxidant activity analyses through the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the DPPH free radical scavenging methods. After cooking, carotenoids (from 4.90 to 4.59 ?g.g-1) and phenolic compounds (from 17.07 to 14.95 mg.100 g-1) content decreased, but with no significant difference between in natura and cooked samples. As for the antioxidant activity, the in natura gherkin showed a higher value (3.31 ?M Ferrous Sulfate.g-1) than the cooked one (1.96 ?M Ferrous Sulfate.g-1) for FRAP method, while for DPPH method no difference between the samples was detected. Anthocyanin and vitamin C were not detected in gherkins. We concluded that, in general, cooking did not affect the bioactive compounds of gherkins and that antioxidant activity increased.

The Azadirachta indica A. Juss, better known as Neem (Meliaceae family), is a fruit which have been identified over 40 terpenoids. These have against insects, the most efficient of them azadirachtin. Knowing this, it is important to characterize the fruits of Neem, thus verifying its composition. Was collected 180 Neem fruits in two maturation stages (green and mature). The experimental design used was completely randomized with 2 treatments composed by maturation stages green and mature. We used 80 fruits of Neem to each stage of maturation with the plot being composed of 4 replications of 20 fruits. It can be concluded that the nim has a high content of carbohydrates (in two maturation stages), which has considerable soluble solids concentration, with emphasis to the mature fruit, and yet, high energy value. It was possible to observe from these results, that is necessary to do the fruit toxicological study, to know if it is possible to use it for human consumption, whether in the food industry or the gastronomy as an NCFP (non-conventional food plant), for example, or the isolation of the compound.