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.

Edible films made from blends of manioc starch and gelatin ― Influence of different types of plasticizer and different levels of macromolecules on their properties

Abstract: The interest in the development of edible and biodegradable films has increased because it is every day more evident that non-degradable materials are doing much damage to the environment. In this research, bioplastics were based on blends of manioc starch (native and modified) and gelatin in different proportions, added of glycerol or sorbitol, which were used as plasticizers. The objective was to study the effect of two different plasticizers, glycerol and sorbitol, and different concentrations of starch and gelatin on the barrier (water vapor permeability – WVP), mechanical (tensile strength and elongation at break), physicochemical (solubility in water and in acid) and physical properties (opacity and thickness) of the obtained bioplastics samples. As a result, all of them showed transparency and resistance to tensile strength, as well as increasing in thickness values and in the WVP, as the gelatin content increased in the formulations. Finally, all results for tensile strength and elongation at break obtained for those samples plasticized with sorbitol were better than those plasticized with glycerol.

The role of oxidative and nitrosative stress in accelerated aging and major depressive disorder.

Abstract: Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects millions of individuals and is highly comorbid with many age associated diseases such as diabetes mellitus, immune-inflammatory dysregulation and cardiovascular diseases. Oxidative/nitrosative stress plays a fundamental role in aging, as well as in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative/neuropsychiatric disorders including MDD. In this review, we critically review the evidence for an involvement of oxidative/nitrosative stress in acceleration of aging process in MDD. There are evidence of the association between MDD and changes in molecular mechanisms involved in aging. There is a significant association between telomere length, enzymatic antioxidant activities (SOD, CAT, GPx), glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation (MDA), nuclear factor κB, inflammatory cytokines with MDD. Major depression also is characterized by significantly lower concentration of antioxidants (zinc, coenzyme Q10, PON1). Since, aging and MDD share a common biological base in their pathophysiology, the potential therapeutic use of antioxidants and anti-aging molecules in MDD could be promising.

Filmes de amido: produção, propriedades e potencial de utilização

Abstract: O interesse no emprego de materias-primas provenientes de recursos renovaveis para a producao de embalagens de alimentos vem crescendo. Dentre os biopolimeros mais promissores para este fim estao os amidos de diversas fontes botânicas, que sao biodegradaveis, tem custo baixo e estao disponiveis em todo o mundo. Diante disto, este trabalho apresenta uma revisao bibliografica sobre a caracterizacao e o potencial de utilizacao de filmes biodegradaveis a base de amido. Discute as propriedades mecânicas, de barreira e a cristalinidade dos filmes de amido e o efeito do uso de plastificantes sobre estas propriedades. As informacoes disponibilizadas mostram que existem grandes possibilidades de utilizacao destes materiais como embalagens de alimentos que, no entanto, dependem da producao de materiais mais estaveis as condicoes de armazenamento e do desenvolvimento de tecnologia de producao em escala industrial.