Starches used in food industry are extracted from roots, tubers and cereals. Seeds of jackfruit are abundant and contain high amounts of starch. They are discarded during the fruit processing or consumption and can be an alternative source of starch. The starch was extract from the jackfruit seeds and characterised to chemical, morphological and functional properties. Soft and hard jackfruit seeds showed starch content of 92.8% and 94.5%, respectively. Starch granules showed round and bell shape and some irregular cuts on their surface with type-A crystallinity pattern, similar to cereals starches. The swelling power and solubility of jackfruit starch increased with increasing temperature, showing opaque pastes. The soft seeds starch showed initial and final gelatinisation temperature of 36°C and 56°C, respectively; while hard seeds starch presented initial gelatinisation at 40°C and final at 61°C. These results suggest that the Brazilian jackfruit seeds starches could be used in food products.

The functional properties viz. solubility, water and oil absorption, emulsifying and foaming capacities of the protein isolates prepared from raw and heat processed cashew nut kernels were evaluated. Protein solubility vs. pH profile showed the isoelectric point at pH 5 for both isolates. The isolate prepared from raw cashew nuts showed superior solubility at and above isoelectric point pH. The water and oil absorption capacities of the proteins were slightly improved by heat treatment of cashew nut kernels. The emulsifying capacity of the isolates showed solubility dependent behavior and was better for raw cashew nut protein isolate at pH 5 and above. However, heat treated cashew nut protein isolate presented better foaming capacity at pH 7 and 8 but both isolates showed extremely low foam stability as compared to that of egg albumin.

Coalho cheese is a traditional dairy product from the northeast of Brazil, which is currently commercialized in other regions of the country and even abroad. The pasteurization process eliminates most of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which are responsible for the specific characteristics of the cheese such as taste or aroma. This work aimed to identify the LAB present in different artisanal Coalho cheeses produced in the 'Sertão' region of the State of Paraíba, northeast of Brazil. The LAB populations showed some diversity comprehending species of the genus Lactococcus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc and Weissella. Different prevailing LAB species were found in different micro-regions of the Sertão region of the State of Paraíba, indicating that local environmental conditions, animal genetics and cheese production characteristics may influence the milk and the cheese microbial populations.Identificación de bacterias lácticas aislado de queso Coalho artesanal producidos en el Nordeste Brasileño RESUMEN Queso Coalho es un producto lácteo tradicional del Nordeste de Brasil, que se comercializa actualmente en otras regiones del país y incluso del extranjero. El proceso de producción utiliza la leche no pasteurizada, que puede ser una fuente de microorganismos patógenos en contraste con el proceso de producción industrial que favorece el uso de la leche pasteurizada. El proceso de pasteurización elimina la mayor parte de las bacterias de ácido láctico (LAB), que son responsables por las características específicas del queso como el sabor o el aroma. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar las LAB presente en diferentes quesos Coalho artesanales producidos en la región Sertão del Estado de Paraíba, Nordeste de Brasil. Las poblaciones de LAB mostraron una cierta comprensión de la diversidad del género Lactococcus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc y Weissella. Las diferentes especies predominantes de LAB fueron encontradas en diferentes microrregiones del Sertão de Paraíba, lo que indica que las condiciones ambientales locales, la genética de los animales y las características de producción de queso pueden influir en la leche y las poblaciones microbianas del queso. ARTICLE HISTORY

This study describes the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of an essential oil from the leaves of Croton rhamnifolioides Pax&Hoffm., an aromatic plant widely distributed in northeastern Brazil and commonly used in folk medicine. Eight components were identified: 1.8-cineole (46.32%) as the major compound, followed by 1-felandreno (16.70%), p-cymene (10.21%), sabinene (8.14%) and trans-caryophyllene (4.81%). The essential oil exhibited antibacterial activity against Aeromonas hydrophila, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 20 and 5 to 40 µL.mL -1 , respectively. In addition, the essential oil also affected the cellular viability of these bacteria. The results suggest the need for research to establish the potential uses of this essential oil as a natural antimicrobial in the food industry. Key words: Croton rhamnifolioides, essential oil, antimicrobial activity, chemical composition ResumoO presente estudo descreve a composição química e a atividade antimicrobiana do óleo essencial das folhas de Croton rhamnifolioides Pax & Hoffm, uma planta aromática amplamente distribuída no Nordeste do Brasil e largamente utilizada na medicina popular. Cromatografia gasosa -espectrometria de massa foi utilizada para determinar sua composição. Oito componentes foram identificados, sendo 1,8-cineol (46,32%) o composto majoritário, seguido por 1-felandreno (16,70%), p-cimeno (10,21%), sabineno (8,14%) e trans-cariofileno (4,81%). O óleo essencial apresentou atividade antibacteriana contra Aeromonas hydrophila, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Enteritidis e Staphylococcus aureus com valores de concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) e concentração bactericida mínima (CBM) entre 2,5 -20 μL/mL e 5 -40 μL/mL, respectivamente. Além disso, o óleo essencial também afetou a viabilidade celular dessas bactérias. Os resultados sugerem a necessidade de estudos para estabelecer o uso potencial deste óleo essencial como antimicrobiano natural na indústria de alimentos. Palavras-chave: Croton rhamnifolioides, óleo essencial, atividade antimicrobiana, composição química

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