SOUTHERN JOURNAL OF SCIENCES

Background: The Araucaria angustifolia is a prominent tree species indigenous to the southern regions of Brazil. The tree can be a source of different compounds of interest if properly used. Aims: This research aims to compare the alcoholic extraction of compounds from Araucaria angustifolia using two different methods, microwave-assisted extraction and maceration extraction. Methods: Alcahoolic extractions of compounds from the sawdust of Araucaria angustifolia were performed using microwave-assisted extraction and maceration extraction. The color was observed by eye inspection. The taste was observed by putting the samples into the mouth and tasting it. The olfactive test was conducted at hot and cold temperatures. Results: it was obtained red color solution, both from the bark and from the branch. The intensity of the color changed with the extraction method and time of maceration. The solutions tasted like "green wood". Discussion: MAE and Maceration extraction can provide extracts from the bark and branch of the araucaria tree. There is the possibility that the “green wood” taste of the MAE extract can be changed with the thermal treatment of the wood. Conclusions: microwave-assisted extraction can perform the faster extraction of compounds from Araucaria angustifolia than maceration extraction.

Background: Heat treatment is one of the most used methods to preserve food, such as orange juices, which are an excellent source of ascorbic acid. To avoid vitamin C degradation and reduce loss, fast heating is recommended. However, little is known about heat transfer during juice pasteurization. Aim: Therefore, this work aimed to determine the vitamin C content and the convective heat transfer coefficient in the pasteurization of orange juice. Methods: To perform the experiment, in the juice container, two regions were analyzed: the central region and near the wall. For the time-temperature control, thermometers were installed in the two regions mentioned. Every 120 seconds, the temperature was measured. The vitamin C content in the juice was evaluated before and after pasteurization using the iodometric method. The convective coefficient was evaluated using the method of dimensionless numbers and the experimental method. Results and Discussion: In pasteurization, the solution was heated to 80 °C, where heating lasted 3000 seconds and cooling for 2520 seconds. The graph showing the relationship of the convective heat transfer coefficient and temperature follows the same trend of the literature. The convective coefficient is higher in the region near the wall. As time passes and temperature decreases, the central region tends to equilibrium, and the coefficient becomes more constant. The vitamin C content remained constant before and after pasteurization. The values of the dimensionless numbers used in the calculations are in the same order of magnitude as the literature. Conclusions: The pasteurization did not cause ascorbic acid degradation since the heating step was fast in the heat treatment. The graphic showed that there is a dependence of the dimensionless of temperature with the dimensionless Biot and Fourier. It was noted that studying the thermal behavior in the cooling of orange juice is extremely important to ensure its quality.

This study was designed to examine the DPPH free radical-scavenging activity, in different concentrations (0.025, 0.05, 0.07, 0.1, 0.2, 0.04 and 0.6) of methanolic extracts of Salvia nemorosa L. collected from the northwest of Iran (Zonouz and Ardabil regions) at two-stage of growth (vegetative stage leaves, flowering stage leaves, and flowers). The result showed that the mean of inhibition percentage in the Zonouz region increased in various concentrations and between flowers, vegetative stage leaves, and flowering stage leaves, compared with the plants of the Ardabil region. In each of the regions of Zonouz and Ardabil, the highest amount of DPPH inhibition was observed in the vegetative stage leaves in comparison with flowering stage leaves and flowers. In addition, in the effect of DPPH radical trapping in different concentrations of methanolic extracts of Salvia nemorosa L. was observed that from each of the collected region, methanolic extracts from sage plants were dose-dependent and acted very effective and useful and the best antioxidant activity was in the high concentration of extracts, So in Zonouz and Ardabil regions, the content of inhibition of DPPH increased significantly, by increasing the concentration of 0.025 mg/ml to 0.6 mg/ml and in Zonouz region the content of inhibition of DPPH similarly increased in 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg/ml concentrations. In the Ardabil region, the most content of inhibition of DPPH was seen in 0.4 mg/ml and 0.6 mg/ml concentrations, but in this region, the content of inhibition of DPPH in 0.2 mg/ml concentration there was only in vegetative stage leaves and flowering stage leaves.