Hugo Pereira

Pantanal is a unique biome located in Brazil, with diverse fauna and flora, being home to native species such as the rice types Oryza latifolia and Oryza rufipogon. Rice is a staple food for two-thirds of the population, with increasing consumption, especially in Asia, regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, countries in the Caribbean, and Latin America. The per capita rice consumption had an average consumption of 160 g/day. However, rice consumption may lead to the intake of other harmful substances to health, such as toxic metals/metalloids. The determination of potential hazards in native species is crucial in maintaining the local population in good health. In this study, we determined the concentration of essential elements and potentially toxic elements in seven different types of Brazilian rice grains, including the two Pantanal native species O. latifolia and O. rufipogon, using ICP-OES to identify their nutritional richness or potential toxicity. The contaminant with the highest HQ levels was chromium, with an HQ above one only in the native species. All species (commercial and native) showed carcinogenic risk considering inorganic arsenic. Rice exhibits duality in its classification, providing nutritional content and leading people to potential risks of overexposure to toxic elements. While rice can be part of a healthy and nutritious diet, more studies should be conducted on avoiding or remedying contamination with toxic elements.

Information on the content of medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes is scarce in the literature. The objectives of this study were to determine the levels of macroelements and microelements in three different medicinal plant species including the dry samples and teas from Bauhinia forficata, Eleusine Indica, and Orthosiphon stamineus and assess the human health risks of ingestion of the tea. The content of the dry samples and teas was obtained using the technique of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) after microwave digestion procedure. The hazard quotient (HQ) method was used to access the human health risks posed by heavy metal through tea consumption. The results revealed the presence of K, Mg, Na, P, Al, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Se in dry samples and plant teas. The dry plants have high concentration of K and P. All dry plants contain Mg, Na, Al, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, and Cu above the limit permissible level set by the World Health Organization (WHO). All the hazard index (HI) values in plant teas were found to be within safe limits for human consumption (HI < 1). The plants may have possible action benefits when used in popular medicine. However, the ingestion through capsules prepared by enclosing a plant powder or teas can be harmful to the health of diabetics. The prescription of this plant for the treatment of diabetes should be treated with caution.

Fruits and byproducts are valuable sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds, which are associated with a decreased risk of developing several diseases, such as cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, and Alzheimer’s. The fruits of canjiqueira (Byrsonima cydoniifolia) are already exploited as a food resource, while the seeds are discarded. This study aimed at showing the potential of the whole fruit of canjiqueira. Elemental characterization was performed on ICP OES, while thermal stability was assessed on thermogravimetry. The determination of the fatty acid profile was carried out on gas chromatography and bioactive compound identification using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Results show that both parts of canjiqueira fruit are a source of various minerals, such as Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, and Mn while the seed only is a good source for Zn. Oleic and linoleic acids are the main compounds in pulp and seed. The thermal stability of seed oil is superior to pulp oil, while piceatannol concentration is higher in seed than pulp. All parts of canjiqueira fruit may be used as a strategy to address nutrition issues and are valuable ingredients to prospective food products.