The potential of imidazole as a new solvent in the pretreatment of agro-industrial lignocellulosic biomass.

Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable material of great abundance. However, its recalcitrant characteristic requires the application of pretreatments. Sugarcane bagasse (SB), soybean hulls (SH), cocoa pod husks (CPH) and oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) were subjected to imidazole pretreatment in order to evaluate chemical composition variations and influence over enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency.

Immobilization of Aspergillus awamori β-glucosidase on commercial gelatin: An inexpensive and efficient process.

In this work, a β-glucosidase of Aspergillus awamori with a molecular weight of 180 kDa was produced in solid-state cultures using a mixture of pineapple crown leaves and wheat bran. Maximum production of the enzyme (820 ± 30 U/g substrate) was obtained after 8 days of culture at 28 °C and initial moisture of 80%. The crude enzyme was efficiently immobilized on glutaraldehyde cross-linked commercial gelatin.

Analysis of a whole diet in terms of phenolic content and antioxidant capacity: effects of a simulated gastrointestinal digestion.

This work compares the phenolic contents and the total antioxidant capacity of the 36 most popular Brazilian foods submitted to aqueous extraction or in vitro digestion. The purpose was to evaluate the extent by which digestion differs from the simple aqueous extraction procedures of several food matrices. After in vitro digestion, cereals, legumes, vegetables, tuberous vegetables, chocolates and fruits showed higher phenolic contents and higher antioxidant activities than those obtained by aqueous extraction.

The role of microorganisms in a planktonic food web of a floodplain lake.

Food webs include complex ecological interactions that define the flow of matter and energy, and are fundamental in understanding the functioning of an ecosystem. Temporal variations in the densities of communities belonging to the planktonic food web (i.e.

Total antioxidant capacity and phenolic content of the Brazilian diet: a real scenario.

The present study aimed to estimate the total dietary antioxidant capacity (TDAC) taken in by the Brazilian population. For analysis, the 36 most consumed foods in Brazil were evaluated. The foods were prepared according to their usual form of consumption and submitted to in vitro digestion.