A banana é uma das frutas mais consumidas no mundo, sendo produzida na maioria dos países tropicais (SOUSA et al., 2003), representa a quarta fonte de energia depois do milho, arroz e trigo. Sua alta concentração de amido a partir do processamento em farinha é de interesse como fonte alimentar e propósito industrial. Em países como o Brasil e a Venezuela, onde se consome muito trigo importado, este pode ser mesclado com outros cereais e vegetais com alto conteúdo de amido como fontes de nutrientes com menos custos (PACHECO-DELAHAYE;TESTA, 2005).Segundo Adão e Glória (2005), a banana possui variável fonte de minerais, sendo um importante componente na alimentação em todo o mundo. Seu sabor é um dos mais importantes atributos de qualidade, a polpa verde é caracterizada por uma forte adstringência determinada pela presença de compostos fenólicos solúveis, principalmente taninos. À medida que a banana amadurece, ocorre polimerização desses compostos, com consequente diminuição na adstringência, aumento da doçura e redução da acidez (VILAS BOAS et al., 2001).Conforme o Sistema Brasileiro de Respostas Técnicas -SBRT (2006), as farinhas de bananas podem ser obtidas de secagem natural ou artificial, através de bananas verdes ou semiverdes das variedades, Prata, Terra, Cavendish, Nanica ou Nanicão. Quando bem processadas podem ser utilizadas em panificação e alimentos infantis. Sua qualidade depende de vários fatores incluindo matéria-prima, método de secagem, técnicas de procedimentos e forma de armazenamento.Segundo Loures (1989), instalações de fábricas de farinha de médio e pequeno porte podem ser localizadas próximas às fontes de alimento in natura a fim de estimular a agricultura, implantar novas indústrias alimentícias e favorecer criação de novos empregos, promovendo assim o aumento de renda per capita. AbstractThe objective of the present study was the physicochemical characterization and the microbiological control during the processing of the green banana flour (Musa spp.), Prata cultivar, aiming at the use of the flour in bread-making, dietary products and children's food. To obtain the flour, the fruits were cut, immersed in sodium meta-bisulfite, dehydrated, and ground. The following criteria were determined: humidity; ethereal extract; raw protein; raw fiber; ash; glicidic fraction; starch; caloric value; pH; total titratable acidity; vitamin C; macrominerals (K, P, Ca, Mg, S and N); microminerals (B, Cu, Mn, Zn and Fe); coliforms at 45 °C; filamentous fungi and yeast; Bacillus cereus; Salmonella sp.; Staphylococcus aureus; and the quantitative counting of aerobic mesofile. The results indicated that the process for the production of banana flour is viable for Prata green banana due to its rich content of starch, protein, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, and high caloric value. The pH, the total titratable acidity and the vitamin C are compatible with the values found in other flours. The flour obtained using the process in this study presented ideal microbiological pattern and, therefore, i...

No abstract

No abstract

A B S T R A C TEndophytic fungi are widely studied as producers of secondary metabolites of biotechnological interest. In recent years, the interest in these fungi as new sources of enzymes, especially hydrolytic, has increased. In the present study, 14 strains of endophytic fungi not yet explored as enzymes sources were randomly chosen and prospected for cellulases and xylanases production by solid-state fermentation. Initially, fungi were cultivated in a mixture (1:1 w/w) of sugarcane bagasse and wheat bran for 7 days, at 28°C. In this initial screening, 4 fungi excelled in endoglucanase activity (U/g): Cladosporium cladosporioides PAJ 03 (88.51 ± 1.0), Phomopsis stipata SC 04 (83.44 ± 7.7), Trichoderma viridae PAJ 01 (64.56 ± 4.0) and Botryosphaeria sp. AM 01 (42.79 ± 1.6). On the other hand, the following 4 fungi stood out in relation to β-glucosidase activity (U/g): Saccharicola sp. EJC 04 (51.56 ± 2.7), Paecilomyces sp. SF 021 (33.19 ± 9.2), Ustilaginoidea sp. CV 04 (29.75 ± 0.8) and Ustilaginoidea sp. XYA 04 (21.72 ± 3.05). Among these fungi, P. stipata SC 04 and Botryosphaeria sp. AM 01 were the best producers of xylanase and β-xilosidase (694,33 and 4,87 U/g, respectively). These 8 fungi were then cultured in new mixtures (1:1 w/w) of lignocellulosic substrates. Botryosphaeria sp. AM01and Saccharicola sp. EJC04 stood out regarding endoglucanase and β-glucosidase activities (184.74 ± 6.0 and 92.28 ± 9.57 U/g, respectively) when cultivated on cotton seed meal and wheat bran and were selected to continue the study. The influence of time cultivation, inoculum amount and substrate initial moisture content was evaluated and the best condition for cellulases production was 192 h, six mycelial plugs and 65%, respectively, for both fungi. Cellulases and xylanases produced under these conditions were characterized and optimum pH and temperature values were between 4.5-6 and 60-75°C, respectively. The enzymes were stable over a wide pH range and under 30-70°C. β-glucosidase from both isolates retained about 75-80% of their activity in the presence of glucose at 6 mM. The presence of ethanol stimulated β-glucosidase activity from Botryosphaeria sp. AM01 (about 60% higher in the presence of ethanol at 15%). On the other hand, the activity of β-glucosidase produced by Saccharicola sp. EJC 04 was reduced at ethanol concentrations above 15%. A blend of the enzymatic extracts was used to saccharify pretreated sugarcane bagasse and a face-centered central composite design was used to find the best conditions. Under the predicted optimum condition (50°C, 5% of sugarcane bagasse, 150 U g −1 of endoglucanase and 20 h), glucose and xylose concentrations obtained were 3.56 and 1.66 mg mL −1 , respectively. These results show that the 14 endophytic fungi studied have potential to be explored as producers of plant material degrading enzymes. Botryosphaeria sp. AM01 and Saccharicola sp. EJC 04 are promising in relation

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition of taro mucilage (TM) and explain its emulsification properties using different commercial emulsifiers and gums as benchmarks. The following analyses were performed: moisture, ether extract, protein, fiber, ash, sugar fraction, starch content, infrared spectroscopy and determination of monosaccharides and amino acids using HPLC. The analyses showed that TM has a high carbohydrate content and small protein fraction, similar to commercial gums. Commercial emulsifiers have a high content of lipids compared to TM. Therefore, it can be concluded that the emulsifying power of the studied mucilage is primarily caused by the protein content along with weakly polar amino acids, which occur in gums. The methyl group (CH3), which was observed in the infrared spectrum, and the lipid content may also contribute to the emulsifying activity by providing a hydrophobic moiety.