Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

The objective of the present work was to use passion fruit flour as functional ingredient in the processing of cookies. Three corn cake formulations with increasing concentrations of passion fruit flour (5%, 7.5% and 10%) and 15% of oat bran were processed. The control consisted of a standard formulation of corn cake, without passion fruit flour and oat bran. The different formulations were evaluated sensorially. Sensorial tests of global acceptance and acceptance by attributes (taste, appearance and texture) were performed. The cake that presented the best overall result in the sensorial analysis was that of 5% of passion fruit flour addition, and the acceptance of the cakes of the other formulations was reduced, as the concentration of this flour increased. In addition, the 5% formulation also presented better results in terms of appearance, taste, overall acceptance, lower caloric value and greater intention to purchase.

Grain production plays an important role in Brazilian agriculture. The main crops produced are soybeans and corn, followed by rice, beans and wheat. The State of Santa Catarina is responsible for much of the grain production in the southern region of the country. In this context, the use of quality seed ensures a better establishment of the crop and, consequently, greater productivity. Seed production and commercialization are determined by Law, guaranteeing the quality and identity of the seeds, dividing them into categories (Certified C1 and C2), and outside the certification system (S1 and S2). In addition to the categories, there are minimum criteria for the marketing of seeds such as: physical purity, germination, number of seeds of other cultivated species, number of wild seeds, number of noxious seeds tolerated and prohibited. In order to guarantee the established minimum standards, there is the external quality control system (CEQ), carried out by government agencies, in the seed lots of commercial establishments. Santa Catarina exercises the CEQ of the seeds commercialized through the Integrated Company of Agricultural Development of Santa Catarina (CIDASC). The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical and physiological quality of soybean, corn, rice, wheat and bean seeds collected from commercial establishments in the state of Santa Catarina during the period from 2013 to 2015. A total of 62 soybean seeds, 13 rice samples, 23 maize samples, 18 wheat samples and 20 bean seed samples were collected and submitted to the Official Laboratory (LANAGRO) for analysis, the physical purity, germination and determination of other seeds by number. The seed lots collected during the period are within the limits established in the legal standards, specific for each species, for the quality criteria evaluated.

The forestation of cities presents countless advantages among the ones which improvement of the microclimate and well to be population. However, the planning lack and knowledge of the responsible public power for that process can provoke effects contrary to those wanted. With that, the objective of this work consisted of evaluating the perception of the local population as the qualification of the forestation in the city of Pombal, Paraíba, in the intention of like this to collect necessary information to the future and correct arboreal planning of this urban center. For that, they were applied semi-structured questionnaires containing 11 objective questions, where four questions were to characterize the interviewees' profile in relation to the sex, age, education level and main activity, and the seven remaining questions included the subjects regarding the forestation of the municipal district, reaching this way a public of 200 people. The city of Pombal-PB is reasonably wooded and they still present problems with electric and phone nets due to lack of correct planning of the responsible public organs. The population notices the benefits of the forestation affirming that the arboreal ones existent they especially favor the shadow and temperature reduction.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of aqueous extract of purple nutsedge bulbs (Cyperus rotundus L.) compared to indole-3-butyric acid (AIB) on the germination and early growth of radish seedlings. Two experiments were conducted in both were used completely randomized design with four replications of 50 seeds for germination and 20 seeds for the length of the primary root. In the first experiment, radish seeds were treated with concentrations of zero, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mg L-1 of AIB. In the second experiment, the radish seeds were subjected to concentrations of zero 15, 25, 50 and 100% of the aqueous extract of purple nutsedge bulbs, confronted with the best concentration obtained from synthetic auxin. In both experiments, the seeds were soaked in each solution for five minutes. Evaluations consisted of the germination test, first counting of germination, germination speed index and length of primary root. The data were subjected to analysis of variance; means were compared by Tukey test at 5% probability and polynomial regression. The AIB allow better physiological performance of radish seeds, being that 1.5 mg L-1 was the better concentration employed. The aqueous extract of purple nutsedge stimulates germination and early development of radish seedlings when their seeds are soaked in concentrations around 25%, similarly to the results obtained when employing the AIB.

The watershed is considered the territorial unit for the implementation of the National Policy of Water Resources and where the activities of land cover are concentrate. These activities altering the vegetation cover of the watershed, which directly influences the surface temperature, since the vegetation functions as a temperature regulator. In this context, the preservation of vegetation along the watersheds is considered of fundamental importance because it allows the protection of the soil to the occurrence of erosion processes, contributes to the infiltration of water in the soil and the maintenance of the microclimate. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in the vegetation cover of the Marapanim river watershed, comparing values of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and surface temperature for the years 1995, 2004 and 2016. It was used the Satellite images (Land Sat 5 and 8) and processed to obtain the NDVI and the surface temperature of the years of analysis. The results showed that there was a loss of vegetative in this period, as well as a decrease of 2.06 °C in the average temperature from 1995 to 2004 and an increase of 3.43 ° C from 2004 to 2016. The areas with the lowest values of NDVI presented the highest temperatures, mainly urban areas, showing the influence of vegetation in the microclimate. In this context, this study can support the formulation of public policies to promote the sustainable use of natural resources in the area of the basin.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the postharvest quality of sugar aplle submitted to the delay in the withdrawal of the PVC film. The fruits were harvested at the stage of physiological maturity, then selected and sanitized. Some of them were individually wrapped with PVC film trademark and accommodated in styrofoam tray and the other fruits were kept without film, representing the control. The treatments applied in the fruits were: (Control) without PVC film (T1) individually wrapped with PVC film being removed with 2 days of storage (T2) of PVC film being removed with 4 days of storage and (T3) of PVC film being removed with 6 days of storage. The analyzes physical and physico-chemical properties were performed every 2 days of storage. The characteristics analyzed were: fresh weight loss (%), of pulp firmness (N), external appearance, index of cracking, acidity (mg.100L-1), pH, soluble solids (Brix) and ratios (SS/TA). The use of PVC films delayed the loss of mass in the sugar aplle and decreased the titratable acidity contents, besides having seams for better external appearance. The treatments T2 and T3 maintained a higher firmness up to the 6th day, when compared to the other treatments. The appearance of cracks was lower in the control. The PVC film is delaying the ripening of the sugar aplle, but has not diminished the quality of the sugar aplle proceedings at the end of the storage. The 6 day PVC film yielded a post-harvest life of 6 days, because despite all the cracks, it was fit for consumption.

Corn is a crop of great economic importance, however, it is greatly impaired by the attack of the carcass caterpillar, where chemical control is used, which is toxic to biodiversity, necessitating the development of natural control alternatives. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different extracts derived from neem in the control of carpiaceous caterpillar (Spodoptera frugiperda) in irrigated corn cultivation. The experiment was conducted under field conditions at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Ceará, Campus Iguatu. For the experiment, a randomized complete block design was used, with 6 treatments and 4 replications totaling 24 plots. The neem-based treatments used were: without insecticide; fruits; sheets; leaves + seeds; commercial oil and chemical insecticide. The population level of the caterpillars (S. frugiperda) as well as their length at 18, 36, 54, 72 and 90 days after planting were evaluated. In parallel, a visual evaluation of the damage to the cartridge and expanded leaves of maize plants was carried out, based on a visual scale (Dives scale). The treatment with the neem fruits presented the best results in all analyzed variables, and could be used in substitution of chemical products in the control of the carcass caterpillar. For the number and length of caterpillars, treatments with fruits and chemical insecticide stood out from the others. Regarding the damages, the treatments with fruits, leaves, fruits plus leaves and chemical insecticide did not have statistical difference between them. The treatment with neem commercial oil did not present satisfactory results.

The cactus forage cultivated in the Brazilian semiarid region is a crop of extreme importance for the local population, being used as alternative sources for feeding the animals in critical periods of drought. However, for this species to reach maximum growth potential are required soils with high fertility levels, wich are not found in this region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the development of three varieties of cactus forage, resistant to carmine cochineal, with different sources of organic fertilization. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replications in the factorial scheme (3x4): three varieties of cactus forage cv. (Orelha de Elefante Mexicana, Baiana and Miúda/Doce) and four fertilization treatments (Manure, Fulvic acid, Humic acid and Control). At 90 and 240 days after planting, plant development evaluations were performed, such as the survival index; plant height; number of shoots per plant; as well as the variables for cladodes (area, area index, mean weight, length, width and thickness) and, finally, the average productivity mean of phytomass. Manure fertilization presented significant results for the cladode area and the cladode area index, mainly in the cv. Orelha de Elefante Mexicana variety in relation to the control and fulvic acid. The increase of cladode area in this variety of forage cactus as a function of the manure application represented 63, 34 and 40% on Fulvic acid, Humic acid and the Control, respectively. The cv. Orelha de Elefante Mexicana variety responded positively to Manure fertilization, obtaining the highest productivity mean phytomass among the others varieties, with 81 t ha-1 at the end of the experiment. Among the sources of organic fertilizers used, only Manure had a significant effect on the forage cactus variety of cv. Orelha de Elefante Mexicana.

Several anthropic activities provide wastes and rejects in ecosystems mainly aquatic, and usually inadequately. As a result there can be increases in the amount of nutrients mainly of phosphorus and nitrogen making a medium conducive to Cyanobacteria blooms. The objective of study was identify and quantify the phytoplankton community and water nutrients from June to November 2015 at three points in one branch of Rio Grande, Frutal-MG, to verify the possibility of using water for irrigation of agroecological crops of olerícolas. At the three sampling points the variables temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and pH were in accordance with CONAMA 357/2005. The nutrients (total phosphorus, orthophosphate, nitrate, nitrite and total ammoniacal nitrogen) presented low concentrations and remained in compliance with the resolution in all sites and periods analyzed. The abundance of phytoplankton was divided into 3 large groups: Bacillariophyceae, Chlophyceae and Cyanobacteria. Large amounts of cyanobacteria were observed in the samples, posing a risk due to the potential of these algae to produce toxins. To be used in irrigation of agroecological crops, it is necessary that the water in question goes through treatment.

Introduction: Single radial immunodiffusion assay is a technique with immunological base, which is reliable because of its specificity in the quantification of main immunoglobulins, although it is also used for other proteins.  Commercial immunodiffusion plates are offered with a determined number of holes where the biological samples containing protein to be quantified are placed. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the modification implemented to optimize the usage of single radial immunodiffusion plates from Siemens by increasing the number of samples in the plates. Materials and Methods: An innovating procedure that allows to optimize the non-used biologically active area and use it in the quantification of other samples is presented. A parallel quantification of control samples from traditional  holes  and  the  other  ones opened in available spaces was performed in order to quantify IgG and albumin in serum and in cerebrospinal fluid.Results: Sensitivity was not affected significantly between the normal plates and the usage of the new procedure.  Regarding specificity, there are also no significant differences except in the plates used to quantify serum albumin; so, it is recommended to dilute serum samples before the application. In case of NOR and LC Partigens®, this proposed modification duplicates the number of samples to be quantified in each plate, but otherwise, it could be applied in other commercial immunoplates.Conclusions: This innovation allows to make an optimal usage of immunodiffusion plates with the consequent saving of import materials, which can be easily applied in all the laboratories of the country.Keywords: radial immunodiffusion, protein quantification, innovation, serum, cerebrospinal fluid, IgG, albumin, sensitivity, specificity, ROC curves.