Consumption of teas has been increasing around the world. In Brazil, mate tea, prepared from yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), is the most popular tea and its popularity is increasing due to the development of new mate-based products and the increasing health consciousness of the Brazilian population. Further development of the mate market in Brazil requires accurate consumer profiling, focusing on tea drinking behavior, preferences and perceptions. We applied a questionnaire to mate tea consumers to assess their beliefs, consumption behavior, and taste preferences. We also explored the acceptability of tea made from yerba mate processed in different ways: immediately after harvest and after eight months of storage, varying the percentage of leaves and sticks. One hundred consumers evaluated six experimental samples and two commercial mate teas. Results indicated that mate was most consumed in tea bag form, followed by ice teas. The preferred flavors were natural and lemon. Most of the consumers (61%) consumed mate with sugar, drinking it at home before bedtime. Product quality, brand and price were the most important aspects taken into account when purchasing mate. The majority of consumers were not satisfied with the products currently offered in the market, and the main criticism was poor quality and packaging. Consumers accepted all tasted samples, except the tea prepared with 100% sticks. Commercial teas were less preferred than the experimental teas, indicating that there are opportunities for further development of commercially viable mate products.

ABSTRACT. Since the characteristics of the fresh fruit of cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) are little known, its valorization and use are impaired. The fruit's bioactive compounds at two stages of maturity, start and end of maturity, are evaluated, with differentiating colors between green-yellow and orange for two sizes of the fruit. The ratio between sugars and acids increased from the beginning to the end of maturity. Quercetin was not found in the samples. Nevertheless, rutin was predominant in small and large size mature sample, followed by greenish yellow (start of maturity) color of the small size fruit, with values ranging between 6.904 and 6.761 μg g for greenish yellow and orange fruits, respectively. These results characterize the fruit of Physalis peruviana L. as a source of phenolic compounds in food. Antioxidant activity, influenced by the different stages of fruit ripening, is correlated to a higher content of the flavonols rutin and myricetin. Maturity degree and fruit size affect the fruit's chemical characteristics.Keywords: phenolic compounds, cape gooseberry, Rutin, Myricetin.Flavonóis e atividade antioxidante do fruto Physalis peruviana L. em dois estádios de maturação RESUMO. As características do Joá do capote (Physalis peruviana L.) consumido na forma "in natura", são pouco conhecidas, o que dificulta sua valorização e aproveitamento. Dessa forma, este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os compostos bioativos do fruto em dois estádios de maturação, início e final do amadurecimento, com a coloração diferenciando-se entre verde-amarelo e laranja, para dois tamanhos de frutos. A relação entre os açúcares e os ácidos (ratio) teve incremento do início para o final da maturação. A quercetina não foi encontrada nas amostras analisadas. Entretanto, a rutina predominou na amostra madura nos tamanhos pequeno e grande, seguida da verde-amarela (início da maturação) no tamanho pequeno, com valores que variaram entre 6,904 -6,761 μg g

In this study, the effects of chemical refining and deodorization on fatty acid profiles and physicochemical and sensory characteristics of the tuna by-product oil obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis were evaluated. Enzymatic extraction was conducted for 120 min at 60 °C and pH 6.5 using Alcalase at an enzyme-substrate ratio of 1:200 w/w. The chemical refining of crude oil consisted of degumming, neutralization, washing, drying, bleaching, and deodorization; deodorization was conducted at different temperatures and processing times. Although chemical refining was successful, temperature and chemical reagents favored the removal of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from the oil. Aroma attributes of fishy odor, frying odor, and rancid odor predominantly contributed to the sensory evaluation of the product. Deodorization conditions of 160 °C for 1h and 200 °C for 1h were recommended for the tuna by-product oil, which is rich in PUFA.

Summary This study evaluated the quality of oil extracted from yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) by enzymatic hydrolysis (EHO) compared with oil extracted by traditional methods, such as the physical method of cooking and pressing after fishmeal production and the chemical solvent method. The oil extracted by EHO presented the lowest acidity (1.96% oleic acid) and peroxide indexes (5.14 mEq O2 kg−1 of oil) and the highest levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (6.05g 100 g−1) and docosahexaenoic acid (27.15 g 100 g−1), two omega‐3 fatty acids with high nutritional value. Importantly, oil extraction from yellowfin tuna heads using EHO produced oil rich in omega‐3s with no oxidation. This study shows that this extraction method greatly increases the value of fish by‐products and increases the competitiveness of the fishing industry.

The importance of the preservation of water resources has resulted in the application of technologies such as nanostructured materials, which are able to minimize the impact associated with water contamination. This work evaluated the application of polyamide-66 (PA) pellets functionalized with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) at polymer mass percentages of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.50% to disinfect of drinking water. Studies were carried out in three stages. The first stage was the synthesis of the silver nanoparticles by using silver nitrate as a metal precursor and sodium borohydrate as a reduction agent. The colloidal dispersion was characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy (MET). Afterwards, the nanostructures were incorporated into a polyamide-66 polymeric matrix. In the second stage, the silver ions leached from the polymer matrix in the water after a three-hour period were quantified in order to evaluate the limit established by Conama Resolution 357/2005, which imposes a concentration limit of 0.010 mg L-1. The best results were obtained with the application of 0.05% AgNPs in the polymeric matrix, yielding an average concentration of silver ions lixiviated of 0.008 mg L-1. The last step comprised the quantification of the antibacterial activity of the polymer matrix containing 0.05% of AgNPs against the microorganism E. coli using the Standard Test Method for Determining the Antimicrobial Agents Under Dynamic Contact Conditions. The samples containing 0.05% of AgNPs exhibited an antibacterial reduction of 97.89% after 24 h of incubation under stirring at room temperature (25°C).