Wanessa Almeida Da Costa

By Wanessa Almeida da Costa, Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Marcilene Paiva da Silva, Vânia Maria Borges Cunha, Rafael Henrique Holanda Pinto, Fernanda Wariss Figueiredo Bezerra and Raul Nunes de Carvalho Junior

This chapter reviews two oleaginous fruits that are widely consumed by people in the Amazon region: Bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) and Açaí (Euterpe oleracea). Besides their food and the folk medicinal uses, studies suggest that substances present in both berries have antioxidative effects, antimicrobial, and therapeutic properties such as hypocholesterolemic and neuroprotection effects. These therapeutic effects are related to phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and fatty acids, which can prevent serious problems such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and depression. The use of supercritical fluid technology is described as a technique to obtain the best extracts of bacaba and açaí, as well as their valuable constituents. Indubitably, this technology is a great tool for human health and all with the advantage of presenting nontoxic solvents such as carbon dioxide or water. Açaí and bacaba fruits represent not only food but also a source of compounds that can work in both prevention and treatment of diseases.

Part of the book: Superfood and Functional Food

By Vânia Maria Borges Cunha, Marcilene Paiva da Silva, Wanessa Almeida da Costa, Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Fernanda Wariss Figueiredo Bezerra, Anselmo Castro de Melo, Rafael Henrique Holanda Pinto, Nelio Teixeira Machado, Marilena Emmi Araujo and Raul Nunes de Carvalho Junior

This chapter describes the use of carbon dioxide at high pressures as an alternative for the extraction of bioactive compounds in a more sustainable way, addressing some of its physicochemical properties, such as pressure, temperature, density, solvation, selectivity, and its interaction with the solute when modified by other solvents such as ethanol and water. This extraction process is considered chemically “green,” when compared to conventional extraction processes using toxic organic solvents.

Part of the book: Carbon Dioxide Chemistry, Capture and Oil Recovery

By Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Wanessa Almeida da Costa, Priscila Nascimento Bezerra, Antonio Pedro da Silva Souza Filho and Raul Nunes de Carvalho Junior

The control of invasive plants is still carried out with the use of synthetic chemical agents that may present high toxicity and, consequently, be harmful to humans and animals. In Brazil, especially in the Amazon, small producers use this kind of technique in a rustic way, with brushcutters or fire. In this sense, the search for natural agents with bioherbicide potential becomes necessary. Examples of these agents are the essential oils that over the years have been shown to be a viable alternative to weed control. Thus, this review aims to show the potentially phytotoxic activity of allelochemicals present in essential oils of different aromatic plants.

Part of the book: Biological Approaches for Controlling Weeds

By Ana Paula de Souza e Silva, Wanessa Almeida da Costa, Marielba de Los Angeles Rodriguez Salazar, Priscila do Nascimento Bezerra, Flávia Cristina Seabra Pires, Maria Caroline Rodrigues Ferreira, Eduardo Gama Ortiz Menezes, Glides Rafael Olivo Urbina, Jhonatas Rodrigues Barbosa and de Carvalho Raul Nunes

This chapter reviews plant-based fatty acids as well as their methods of production, applications in the industry, and benefits in treatments of cardiovascular and cerebral diseases, besides being a source of food. The fatty acids obtained from vegetable matrices have been acting as alternatives to the use of lipids of animal origin, due to their limitation in relation to the increase in demand. Thus, plants have been investigated in order to act as sources of fatty acids and assist in the supply of such demands. Vegetable oils represent not only an economical alternative but also a beneficial source of human health.

Part of the book: Biochemistry and Health Benefits of Fatty Acids

By Wanessa Almeida da Costa, Cinthya Elen Pereira de Lima, Sérgio Henrique Brabo de Sousa, Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Fernanda Wariss Figueiredo Bezerra, Jorddy Neves da Cruz, Sebastião Gomes Silva, Renato Macedo Cordeiro, Cintya Cordovil Rodrigues, Antônio Robson Batista de Carvalho, Priscila do Nascimento Bezerra, Pedro Alam de Araújo Sarges, Daniel Santiago Pereira, Antônio Pedro Silva de Souza Filho and Raul Nunes de Carvalho Junior

One of the main reasons for environmental disturbances such as declination in pasture productivity and biodiversity losses is the high infestation of herbaceous weeds, generally referred to as “Juquira” in the Amazon region. If they are not adequately controlled, such infestation might lead to degradation of pasture, resulting in complete loss of productivity and subsequent abandonment of the area. In this sense, this chapter aims to describe the main invasive species present in the Amazon region, as well as to characterize both the old and innovative techniques of use in agriculture, in large and small scale, for the control of agricultural pests.

Part of the book: Diversity and Ecology of Invasive Plants

By Jorddy Neves Cruz, Adriane Gomes da Silva, Wanessa Almeida da Costa, Ely Simone Cajueiro Gurgel, Willison Eduardo Oliveira Campos, Renan Campos e Silva, Marcos Ene Chaves Oliveira, Antônio Pedro da Silva Souza Filho, Daniel Santiago Pereira, Sebastião Gomes Silva, Eloisa Helena de Aguiar Andrade and Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira

Propolis is a wax-like resin collected by bees from tree shoots and/or other botanical sources that is used as glue to seal cracks or open spaces in the hive. Its color varies from green to brown and reddish, depending on its botanical origin. Among the substances that can be found in propolis, low molecular weight compounds, such as monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes are the most common. Several biological activities are attributed to these classes of substances, such as antifungal, antibacterial, and others. The objective of this work was to evaluate the chemical composition of volatile compounds present in propolis samples and to analyze their correlation with biological activities.

Part of the book: Essential Oils