Universidade Estadual de Londrina

About: Universidade Estadual de Londrina is a education organization based out in Londrina, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Toxoplasma gondii. The organization has 13052 authors who have published 19291 publications receiving 212123 citations.

Comparison of Botryosphaeran production by the ascomyceteous fungus Botryosphaeria sp., grown on different carbohydrate carbon sources, and their partial structural features.

Abstract: The influence of glucose concentration and other carbohydrates (monosaccharides: fructose, galactose, mannose; polyols: mannitol and sorbitol; disaccharides: lactose, sucrose and commercial sucrose; and industrial sugarcane molasses) were compared as sole carbon sources for the production of Botryosphaeran, an exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by Botryosphaeria sp. The optimum glucose concentration for EPS production was 50 g l(-1). With the exception of mannitol, the fungus produced EPS on all carbon sources studied, with highest yields occurring with sucrose followed by glucose. All EPS showed exclusively glucose after acid hydrolysis and monosaccharide analysis. FTIR spectroscopy demonstrated the presence of beta-anomers indicating that all the EPS produced by Botryosphaeria sp. on the different carbon sources were essentially of the beta-D-glucan type.

Yeasts and filamentous fungi in bottled mineral water and tap water from municipal supplies

Abstract: The main objective of this study was to analyse the occurrence of yeasts and filamentous fungi in drinking water as well as to investigate their correlation with the indicator bacteria of faecal pollution. Yeasts were detected in 36.6% and 11.6% of the bottled mineral on water dispensers and tap water samples from municipal system, respectively. Twenty-one (35.0%) of bottled mineral water and two (3.3%) of tap water samples were positive for filamentous fungi. For bottled mineral water 12 (20.0%) of 60 samples were positive for total coliform, compared with 3(5.0%)out of 60 samples from tap water. The mineral water from dispensers was more contaminated than tap water. Strains belonging to the genera Candida identified to the species level were C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata and C. albicans. Thus, bottled mineral water from water dispensers and tap water could be considered a possible transmission route for filamentous fungi and yeasts, and could constitute a potential health hazard, mainly to immunocompromised indivuals.

Extruded puffed functional ingredient with oat bran and soy flour

Abstract: Extrusion cooking is a food processing technique that is used worldwide to transform various ingredients. The aim of this work was to apply extrusion to develop a functional puffed ingredient with defatted soy flour and oat bran and the minimum amount of corn starch required to attain good textural properties. The proportions of the feed ingredients and the processing conditions (extruder temperature, moisture, and inulin percentage as a technological coadjutant) were optimized. Applying mixture experimental design to study the effect of feed ingredients on expansion and textural properties of extruded product, the formula containing 250 g/kg corn starch, 375 g/kg soy flour, and 375 g/kg oat bran was selected as the best between tested. Using this blend and applying incomplete factorial design, the best process conditions (250 g/kg moisture; 45 g/kg inulin and 130 °C) were chosen. Based on the results of the process, optimization step temperatures higher than 130 °C were tested and showed that 160 °C increased the radial expansion ratio and decreased hardness the most. The obtained puffed product had 212.6 g/kg fiber, 281.0 g/kg protein, and a caloric value of 319.1 kcal/100 g. It was well accepted by the panelists in the sensory evaluation, mainly in terms of texture.