Pilates exercise program with PFM contraction is not able to change the PFM strength assessed by manometer in pregnant women, but it improved adherence to the intervention.

Considering the growing consumption of artisanal foods worldwide, we aimed to evaluate the microbial safety of Serro artisanal cheese (SAC), produced in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This cheese is produced with raw milk using 1 of 2 natural starter cultures: "pingo" and "rala." A total of 53 SAC samples (pingo = 8; rala = 45) were obtained from different farmers and subjected to conventional and molecular assays to detect and enumerate Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS), diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Brucella abortus. The SAC samples were also subjected to an ELISA to detect classical staphylococcal enterotoxins (CSE: SEA, SEB, SEC, SED, SEE) and to PCR assays to detect staphylococcal enterotoxin-related genes (sea, seb, sec, sed, see). Coagulase-positive staphylococci isolates were obtained and tested by the same assays to detect their potential in CSE production and presence of CSE-related genes. None of the SAC samples showed any of the screened food-borne pathogens and zoonotic agents, and none showed the presence of CSE by phenotypic and genotypic approaches. Despite the absence of microbial hazards, mean counts of CPS in SAC samples were 5.2 log cfu/g (pingo starter) and 4.6 log cfu/g (rala starter), indicating poor hygiene practices during production. None of the tested CPS isolates (n = 116) produced CSE or presented CSE-related genes. Despite the relative microbial safety, hygienic conditions during SAC production must be improved to meet official guidelines established in Brazil.

This study aimed to use a differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) assay, based on the electroreduction of oxygen, to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of pequi pulp. The results were expressed in coefficient of antioxidant capacity (K), at different pH values and in trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and were compared to the 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) spectrophotometric assays. The principal component analysis showed higher K for pequi pulp extract and pH tending to 7.15. The antioxidant capacity was related to the presence of gallic acid in its composition. Regarding the TEAC value, the best result was obtained by the DPV test (53.43 ± 5.14 µmol trolox g -1 pulp). The pequi pulp showed antioxidant capacity, compared to the standard antioxidant compounds evaluated. It was concluded that the voltammetric protocol was efficient to assess the total antioxidant capacity of pequi pulp and can be an alternative to conventional spectrophotometric assays, for the analysis of food matrices.

The aim of our research was to elaborate, characterize and evaluate the stability under light/darkness and different temperatures (4 and 25 ºC) of the color of an isotonic beverage based on whey permeate with carotenoid extract powder from pequi, and verify its microbiological safety and sensory acceptance. The 3% (w/v) concentration of powdered carotenoid from pequi was chosen because it has osmolality (314.89 mOsmol/L) in the range of hydroelectrolytic beverages and light-yellow tint. The beverage was evaluated for minerals Na (662 mg/L), K (1363.73 mg/L), total carotenoids (75.9 mg/L) and antioxidant capacity by the radicals ABTS (10.79 μmol equivalent Trolox/100 mL) and DPPH (73.38 μmol equivalent Trolox/100 mL), had good sensory acceptance by athletes and remained within microbiological criteria during stability study. The color coordinate L* has undergone less change and C*, greater change. The condition darkness at 4 ºC showed less change in yellow tint, for more than 30 days (t1/2=121.6 day). Due to its characteristics, the beverage has potential benefits for consumption by athletes, because besides being isotonic, it has bioactive properties of pequi carotenoids and natural constituents of whey permeate. The use of permeate, often discarded as effluent, has benefits for the environment.

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