Luciana de Siqueira Oliveira

Orally disintegrating films (ODFs) have attracted increasing attention because of their rapid disintegration and ease of administration. In this study, galactomannan–starch biopolymer films were developed as fast-dissolving oral film matrices using galactomannan extracted from Caesalpinia pulcherrima combined with corn and arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) starches at different proportions. The effect of polymer composition on structure–function relationships was systematically investigated, with emphasis on how intermolecular interactions influence the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the films. Starch incorporation significantly affected polymer-network organization, leading to changes in rheological behavior, morphology, and macroscopic performance. Mechanical properties were strongly dependent on starch type: corn starch promoted greater flexibility, whereas arrowroot starch increased rigidity, likely because of differences in amylose content. The films exhibited homogeneous morphology, high transparency, and surface pH values close to neutrality. Water affinity and disintegration behavior were directly influenced by polymer composition, highlighting the role of polymer–polymer interactions in controlling hydration and the structural stability of the developed film matrices. Spectroscopic analysis suggested the presence of intermolecular interactions, particularly hydrogen bonding, which contributed to the modulation of film properties. Among the evaluated formulations, the system containing 75% galactomannan and 25% corn starch exhibited a balanced combination of mechanical strength, flexibility, and rapid disintegration. These findings demonstrate that galactomannan–starch blends are promising materials for ODF applications and provide insights into tailoring structure–function relationships in sustainable biopolymer systems.

The present study investigated the effect of liquid smoke (LS) on the physicochemical, structural, barrier, and functional properties of okra mucilage–corn starch (OMCS) films. Formulations containing varying concentrations of LS (0–3%) were prepared using the casting method. The incorporation of LS modified the rheological behavior of the film-forming dispersions, as evidenced by increased apparent viscosity and consistency index. In the films, water solubility increased from 43.6 to 53.2%, contact angle increased from 31.9° to 55.6°, and opacity increased from 4.73 to 8.83, while water vapor permeability decreased from 1.05 to 0.88 g·mm·m⁻²·h⁻¹·kPa⁻¹, indicating modifications in matrix organization and surface hydrophobicity. Tensile strength increased from 26.3 to 40.5 MPa at 3% LS, accompanied by a slight reduction in elongation, suggesting enhanced structural rigidity. Structural analyses revealed interactions between the LS phenolic compounds and the polysaccharide hydroxyl groups, resulting in a more cohesive polymeric network. LS was the main contributor to the film’s antioxidant activity owing to its elevated phenolic content and free radical scavenging capacity. The films also showed substantial degradation under soil burial conditions, with mass loss ranging from 61% to 96%. Overall, LS proved to be an effective functional additive, improving the structural and antioxidant performance of OMCS films and expanding their potential for active food packaging applications.

Medicinal plants from South and Central America are widely used, but the scientific literature remains fragmented and strongly concentrated in laboratory-based studies. This scientometric review mapped research trends and translational gaps for five focal species (Amburana cearensis, Libidibia ferrea, Justicia pectoralis, Lippia origanoides, and Spondias mombin). These species were selected because they combine ethnobotanical relevance, recurrent pharmacological and phytochemical interest, and sufficient representation in the retrieved corpus to support comparative scientometric analysis. Records indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (1991–2024) were analyzed using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix within a transparent and reproducible workflow. Evidence was also organized across four domains, chemistry, preclinical, clinical, and safety, to support cross-species synthesis. A total of 183 publications were included. Brazil accounted for more than 60% of the records and concentrated the most productive authors and institutions. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology was the main publication outlet, followed by Industrial Crops and Products, indicating overlap between ethnopharmacological research and application-oriented development. Keyword networks were dominated by Spondias and Lippia, with recurring themes such as antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, and in vitro assays. Across species, preclinical evidence substantially exceeded controlled human studies and systematic safety reporting. Controlled trials were found only for Amburana and Justicia, whereas clinical and safety gaps remained evident for the other species despite the extensive experimental literature. Overall, the field is expanding, but its translational progress remains uneven. Future advances will depend on stronger chemical standardization, mechanism-driven study designs, and better integration of clinical and safety evidence.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus remains a major global health challenge, and natural hypoglycemic compounds are of increasing interest. Aqueous extracts from five Brazilian medicinal plants (Lippia origanoides Kunth, Amburana cearensis (Allemão) A.C. Smith, Justicia pectoralis Jacq., Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L.P. Queiroz, and Spondias mombin L.) were evaluated for α-glucosidase and intestinal disaccharidase inhibition; next, they were chemically profiled by UPLC-HRMS. Extracts of L. origanoides, A. cearensis, and J. pectoralis exhibited the strongest activities, attributed to flavonoids, iridoid and cinnamic acid derivatives, phenolic acids, and saponins. Molecular docking identified hyperoside, eudesmic acid and isoquercitrin as their main α-glucosidase inhibitors, respectively. In vitro testing confirmed that isoquercitrin effectively inhibited α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 0.09 mg mL⁻¹), showing stronger activity than acarbose. ADME simulations indicated low gastrointestinal absorption but favorable intestinal enzyme-targeted properties, consistent with their pharmacological profiles. Acute toxicity in zebrafish showed low toxicity for L. origanoides and A. cearensis and moderate levels for J. pectoralis, supporting their overall safety. These findings highlight these species as promising sources of bioactive compounds for developing safe, plant-based antidiabetic agents.

Pitaya peels are an underutilized by-product rich in antioxidant phenolics and betalains but highly unstable under environmental and gastrointestinal conditions. This study aimed to produce bioactive-rich particles with improved bioaccessibility by applying ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) followed by freeze-drying encapsulation with maltodextrin (MD) and gum Arabic (GA) at different ratios (MD:GA 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, 0:100, w/w). A rotatable central composite design (pH 4–8, time 10–50 min) was applied to optimize UAE conditions. Optimum conditions (pH 6.2, 35 min) yielded a pitaya peel extract with TPC 166.85 mg GAE·100 g⁻¹ DW. Although the betalain model was not significant, contents ranged from 30.20 to 51.99 mg·100 g⁻¹ DW across treatments. Particles produced with GA only (G100) had the highest phenolic (316.33 mg GAE∙100 g⁻¹ DW) and betalain (17.58 mg·100 g⁻¹ DW) contents, high solubility (~80%), low hygroscopicity (~11 g H₂O·100 g⁻¹ DW), and amorphous morphology. G100 showed enhanced in vitro bioaccessibility of betalains and phenolics compared to the non-encapsulated extract (p < 0.05). Betalain bioaccessibility decreased in the intestinal phase (~55%), consistent with pH-driven degradation, while phenolic bioaccessibility was higher (~140%). Overall, gum Arabic proved to be an effective carrier for stabilizing pitaya peel bioactives, supporting their valorization into functional food and nutraceutical ingredients.

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo fazer um levantamento sobre a percepção dos consumidores na utilização de revestimentos comestíveis (RC) em carne bovina fresca, como tecnologia de preservação, e sua influência na aquisição e nos hábitos de consumo desse produto. A coleta de dados ocorreu por meio de questionário online, divulgado através de mídias sociais no território nacional e respondido voluntariamente. Foram avaliadas 423 respostas, sendo em sua maioria do gênero feminino (72,8%), com idade de 18 a 35 anos (70,9%), solteiro (61,9%), com alta escolaridade (87,8%) e renda familiar mensal de dois a quatro salários mínimos (25,1%). Observou-se que a maioria dos participantes que realizam a compra de alimentos para suas casas (61,2%), tem preferência de fazê-la em supermercados (62,2%), consideram o odor e a aparência da carne bovina os atributos mais importantes para a sua aquisição (64,8% e 64,4%, respectivamente) e consomem esse alimento de duas a quatro vezes por semana (47,8%). Os participantes têm familiaridade com o tema de RC (34,7%), consideram sua utilização muito importante para os alimentos e que a informação sobre o RC esteja presente no rótulo (96%). Sobre a aplicação do RC na carne bovina, os participantes consideram que essa tecnologia é muito interessante para a conservação desse alimento (51,1%), porém têm curiosidade em conhecer o produto para obterem as próprias conclusões (73,2%). Diante do exposto, concluímos que os consumidores acreditam que a aplicação de RC pode ter um grande potencial para conservação da carne bovina fresca durante o armazenamento.

A Revista Ciência Agronômica é voltada para estudos relacionados com as Ciências Rurais e Recursos Naturais