Aedes aegypti is the vector responsible for transmitting pathogens that cause various infectious diseases, such as dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya, worrying health authorities in the tropics. Due to resistance of mosquitoes to synthetic insecticides, the search for more effective insecticidal agents becomes crucial. The aim of this study was to verify the larvicidal, adulticidal, and anticholinesterase activities of the essential oils of the Illicium verum (EOIV), Pimenta dioica (EOPD), and Myristica fragrans (EOMF) against Ae. aegypti. The essential oils (EOs) were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The larvicidal and adulticidal activities of EOs were evaluated against third instar larvae and Ae. aegypti adult females, respectively, using the procedures of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the anticholinesterase activity of the EOs by the modified Ellman method. The following major components were identified: (E)-anethole (90.1%) for EOIV, methyl eugenol (55.0%) for EOPD, and sabinene (52.1%) for EOMF. All EOs exhibited larvicidal and adulticidal activity against Ae. aegypti. The highest larval mortality was observed in EOMF with LC = 28.2 μg mL. Adult mortality was observed after 1 (knockdown) and 24 h exposure, with the highest potential established by the EOIV, KC = 7.3 μg mg female and LC = 10.3 μg mg female. EOIV (IC = 4800 μg mL), EOMF (IC = 4510 μg mL), and EOPD (IC = 1320 μg mL) inhibited AChE. EOMF (4130 μg mL) and EOPD (IC = 3340 μg mL) inhibited BChE whereas EOIV showed no inhibition. The EOs were toxic to larvae and adults of Ae. aegypti, as well as being less toxic to humans than the currently used insecticides, opening the possibility of elaboration of a natural, safe, and ecological bioinsecticide for vector control.

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RESUMOBuriti do Brejo (Mauritia flexuosa L.) é um típico fruto da Amazônia, Nordeste e Centro-Oeste brasileiro, muito utilizado na culinária para produção de sucos, doces e vinhos. É considerado uma excelente fonte de carotenóides precursores da vitamina A, apresentando maior concentração de β-caroteno. Além dos carotenóides também encontramos ácido ascórbico e açúcares. O ácido ascórbico administrado em quantidades suficientes pode prevenir os sinais clínicos de deficiência conhecida como escorbuto. O emprego da radiação ionizante gama tem mostrado um potencial efeito na redução de perdas pós-colheita, mantendo a qualidade nutricional dos alimentos. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos da radiação gama, nas doses de 0,5 kGy e 1,0 kGy, na concentração de carotenóides totais, ácido ascórbico e açúcares do buriti. A determinação dos carotenos (α, β e luteína), ácido ascórbico e açúcares foi realizada por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE) e os carotenóides totais por espectrofotometria. Os resultados demonstraram que o Buriti é uma excelente fonte de carotenóides totais (44600µg/100g), podendo ser utilizado no combate à hipovitaminose A. A irradiação dos frutos de buriti na dose de 0,5 kGy não alterou significativamente os teores de carotenóides e açúcares. Entretanto, houve uma redução na concentração do ácido ascórbico com o aumento da dose, que pode ter sido causada pela irradiação ou por fatores intrínsecos e extrínsecos que alteram a estabilidade do ácido ascórbico nos alimentos, podendo converter o ácido ascórbico a dehidroascórbico, mantendo ainda a forma ativa da vitamina C. PALAVRAS-CHAVE:Buriti, Irradiação Gama, Carotenóides, CLAE, Ácido Ascórbico, Açúcares. Evaluation of Gamma Irradiation Effects on Carotenoids, Ascorbic Acid and Sugar Contents of Buriti Fruit (Mauritia flexuosa L.)ABSTRACT Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.), a typical fruit from the Northeast and Center-West Amazon of Brazil, is used in many regional dishes. It is considered an excellent source of carotenoids that are A vitamin precursors, showing a majority of β-carotene. It also presents ascorbic acid and sugar contents. Many studies have indicated that the lack of A vitamin is the main cause of night blindness and xerophthalmia. Also, ascorbic acid deficiency may cause scorbutic disease. The use of food irradiation is growing and represents an economic benefit to agriculture through the reduction of post-harvesting losses while maintaining food nutritional quality. In this study, Buriti in natura was treated with gamma irradiation with doses of 0.5 kGy and 1.0 kGy. The objective was to evaluate the irradiation effects on total carotenoids, ascorbic acid and sugars concentrations of Buriti. The fruit was evaluated through the total carotenoids analysis, by spectrophotometry, and the carotenoids (α and β-carotene and lutein), ascorbic acid and sugars were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that buriti is an excellent source of total carotenoids (44600 µg/100g). ...

Uma combinação de técnicas analíticas foi utilizada para acompanhar a evolução da mesofase em pixes de petróleo em fase sólida. As amostras foram caracterizadas por dessorção a laser assistida por matriz, seguida de espectrometria de massas por tempo de vôo (MALDI-TOF-MS), ressonância magnética nuclear de 13 C ( 13 C NMR) de alto campo, 1 H NMR de baixo campo, ressonância eletrônica de spin (EPR), microscopia ótica polarizada e análise termogravimétrica (TGA). A análise por MALDI-TOF-MS revelou uma distribuição oligomérica de pesos moleculares no pixe: monomérica (m/z 200 a 400), dimérica (m/z 400 a 650), trimérica (m/z 650 a 950) e tetramérica (m/z 950 a 1600), fator essential para a produção de fibras de carbono, bem como outros compósitos de carbono. Estudos de tempo de relaxação (T 1 ) permitiram a observação de duas grandes áreas: a dos aromáticos e a de mesofase. Estes resultados também mostraram que o tempo de aquecimento aumenta a área de mesofase. Através de medidas não destrutivas de 13 C NMR, foram obtidos os conteúdos de carbonos aromáticos e alifáticos, e também o grau de protonação desses carbonos. A microscopia ótica com luz polarizada mostrou as interfaces entre as regiões anisotrópicas e isotrópicas, bem como o processo de coalescência da mesofase. Os resultados obtidos pelas outras técnicas corroboram com os resultados de MALDI-TOF-MS e NMR.A combination of analytical techniques was used to follow the mesophase evolution of petroleum pitches in the solid phase. The samples were characterized by matrix assisted laser desorption and time of flight analysis by mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), high field 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance ( 13 C NMR), low field 1 H NMR, electron spin resonance (EPR), polarized optical microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). MALDI-TOF-MS revealed an oligomeric distribution of molecular weights in the pitch: monomeric (m/z 200 to 400), dimeric (m/z 400 to 650), trimeric (m/z 650 to 950) and tetrameric (m/z 950 to 1600), an essential factor for the production of carbon fibers, among other advanced composite of carbon. Relaxation time (T 1 ) studies permitted to observe two large areas: the aromatics and the mesophases. These results also showed that the heating time increases the mesophasic area. Also through direct and non-destructive 13 C NMR measurements, we obtained the content of aromatic and aliphatic carbons, as well as the degree of protonation of these carbons. Optical microscopy with polarized light showed the interfaces between the anisotropic and isotropic regions as well as the process of coalescence of mesophase. The results obtained by the other techniques corroborate the MALDI-TOF-MS and NMR results.

Liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry was shown to be an adequate technique to control the adulteration of whey protein food supplements with prohibited substances, not declared on the labels. An extraction method combined with an instrumental analysis that allowed for the determination of 105 substances in whey protein food supplements, was established. The pre-treatment of the samples consisted of protein precipitation and solid-phase extraction using weak cation exchange functionalized polymeric sorbent cartridges. The samples were directly analyzed by LC-Orbitrap-HRMS. The selectivity, limit of detection, repeatability, recovery, carryover and matrix effect were estimated as the validation parameters. The repeatability obtained was 96.19% and the recovery 83.80%, but carryover and the matrix effect were not observed. The present method was successfully applied to the analysis of commercial samples, verifying adulteration by diuretics (conivaptan and politiazide) and a stimulant (benfluorex) in seven of the eleven brands evaluated.