Interest in edible oil extraction processes is growing interest because the final nutritional quality of the extracted oil depends on the procedure used to obtain ir. In this context, a domestic cold oil press machine is a valuable tool that avoids the use of chemicals during oil extraction, in an environmentally friendly way. Although babassu (Attalea speciosa) oil is economically important in several Brazilian regions due to its nutritional and healthy features, few studies have been conducted on the chemical composition and stability of babassu oils extracted by cold pressing. Babassu oil’s major constituents are saturated fatty acids (~86.42%), with the most prevalent fatty acids being lauric (~47.40%), myristic (15.64%), and oleic (~11.28%) acids, respectively, within the recommended range by Codex Alimentarius, presenting atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indexes favorable for human consumption. Peroxide value, Rancimat, and TGA/DSC results indicated that babassu oil is stable to oxidation. Also, macro- (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P) and micro-elements (Fe, Mn, Cr, Se, Al, and Zn) of babassu oil were determined, revealing levels below the tolerable upper intake level (ULs) for adults. These findings demonstrated that cold-press extraction using a domestic machine yielded a high-quality oil that kept oil chemical composition stable to oxidation with natural antioxidants.

and Pb by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) was performed on dry matter and decoctions of the medicinal plants Cordia salicifolia, Chiococca alba (L.) Hitchc., and Echites peltata used as an appetite suppressant and diuretic in Brazil. e accuracy of the measurements was analyzed by the spike recovery test. Results showed that the concentration of these seven metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Na, and Zn) in dry plant samples is below the oral concentration of elemental impurities established by the United States Pharmacopoeia Convention (USP). However, there are no concentration limits for Fe, Na, and Zn established by the USP in drug substances and excipients. Levels higher than the recommended value by the USP were observed for Pb and the lowest for Cd, Co, Cr, and Cu, both in dried plant samples and their decoctions. In the decoctions prepared from these plants were found elements such as Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Na, Zn, and Pb. In the decoction prepared from 40 g C. salicifolia leaves and 40 g C. alba wood, the content of Cd is above the oral daily exposure value set by the USP. Hazard index (HI) for decoctions prepared from these plants exceeded the threshold (1). Given the uncertainties associated with the estimates of toxicity values and exposure factors, futures researches should address the possible toxicity in humans. Uncontrolled selling and long-term ingestion of medicinal plants can cause toxicity and interfere with the effect of drugs. Limited knowledge on the interaction potential of medicinal plants poses a challenge and public health problem in Brazil and other countries.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by interconnected factors related to metabolic disturbances, and is directly related to the occurrence of some diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. MetS is described as one or both of insulin resistance and visceral adiposity, considered the initial causes of abnormalities that include hyperglycemia, elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia, elevated inflammatory markers, and prothrombotic state, as well as polycystic ovarian syndrome in women. Other than in MetS, visceral adiposity and the pro-inflammatory state are also key in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is the most prevalent chronic liver disease in modern society. Both MetS and NAFLD are related to diet and lifestyle, and their treatment may be influenced by dietary pattern changes and the use of certain dietary supplements. This study aimed to review the role of food ingredients and supplements in the management of MetS and NAFLD specifically in human clinical trials. Moreover, bioactive compounds and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may be used as strategies for preventing the onset of and treatment of metabolic disorders, such as MetS and NAFLD, improving the inflammatory state and other comorbidities, such as obesity, dyslipidemias, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

This data article provides elemental compositions profile, determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES), of the medicinal plant Hymeneaea martiana Hayne which belongs of the family Fabaceae (Leguminosae).It is a tree that demonstrates medicinal purposes as antioxidant, immunomodulatory (Boniface et al., 2017) [1], microbial, antiviral, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective (Almeida et al., 2012) [2] and antifungal (Souza et al., 2010) [3].The content of 13 elements (Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, S and Zn) in the barks, leaves, tea leaves and bark tea were detected. Data on the cataloging of the plant can be found in the deposit number 64779 of Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul herbarium, available in www.splink.org.br/form?lang=pt&collectioncode=CGMS.

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