Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Technology: Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / Eremothecium gossypii has the ability to utilize vegetable oils as a carbon source to produce riboflavin. This organism has been known to produce as much as 40 000 times more riboflavin than it requires after genetic modification on simple sugars. Adaptation of this organism to various oil substrates for riboflavin production has been poorly investigated. The aim of this research was thus to investigate the production of riboflavin by Eremothecium gossypii, on various oils and to improve production by mutating the organism and optimising media components using Design of Experiments (DOE). Nine overproducing mutants were obtained after mutating with various concentrations of ethylmethane sulphonate (EMS), n-methyl-n‟-nitro-n-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and Ultraviolet light. Riboflavin overproducing mutants were screened on an itaconate-containing medium; the colonies appeared yellow instead of white in the case of the wild-type. The itaconate screening medium isolated mutants with an isocitrate lyase that was insensitive to feedback inhibition. Mutations performed using EMS increased the ability of E. gossypii to produce riboflavin by 611% (7-fold) compared to the wild-type. This was achieved with soybean oil as a carbon source and was better than the other five oils used. Using DOE, fractional factorial experiments were carried out to optimise media components for riboflavin production on soybean oil. The total riboflavin produced by E. gossypii mutant EMS30/1 increased from 59.30 mg l-1 on a standard O&K medium using soybean oil as a carbon source to 100.03 mg l-1 on a DOE improved O&K medium, a 69% increase. The final optimised growth medium was determined from a central composite design using response surface plots together with a mathematical point-prediction tool and consisted of 5.0 g l-1 peptone, 5.0 g l-1 malt extract, 5.1 g l-1 yeast extract, 0.64 g l-1 K2HPO4, 0.6 g l-1 MgSO4 and 20 g l-1 soybean oil. Fractional factorial and central composite media optimization designs increased riboflavin production by several fold over their iterations. There was an overall increase of 1099% (12-fold) in riboflavin production by the mutant grown in an optimized medium compared to the initial riboflavin produced by the wild-type.

The work presented in this thesis examined the effects of dietary fish oil replacement on fish innate and adaptive immune function, disease resistance tissue histopathology and fatty acid composition of lipids in peripheral blood leukocytes. Dietary trials with Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) were conducted in which fish oil was replaced by rapeseed oil, linseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, echium oil or a mixture of these oils. A significant reduction in respiratory burst activity was most pronounced in salmon and sea bass fed high levels of rapeseed oil-containing diets. In addition, rapeseed and olive oil inclusion in the diets of salmon and sea bass significantly reduced the head kidney macrophage phagocytic capacity to engulf yeast particles. A reduction in prostaglandin E2 levels was found to be related to a reduction in macrophage respiratory burst activity in salmon fed linseed oil diets and sea bass fed a dietary blend of linseed, palm and rapeseed oils. Changes in macrophage function may be a contributing factor causing a reduction in serum lysozyme activity observed in some trials. No significant differences were detected in cumulative mortality of Atlantic salmon fed an equal blend of linseed and rapeseed oils challenged with Aeromonas salmonicida. However, resistance to Vibrio anguillarium was significantly impaired in Atlantic salmon fed a blended oil diet containing linseed, rapeseed and palm oil. The major histological difference of fish fed vegetable oil diets was the accumulation of lipid droplets in their livers. Dietary fatty acid composition significantly affected the fatty acid composition of peripheral blood leukocytes. Generally, fish fed vegetable oil diets had increased levels of oleic acid, linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid and decreased levels of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and a lower n-3/n-6 ratio than fish fed a FO diet. In conclusion, the results from these studies suggest that farmed fish species can be cultured on diets containing vegetable oils as the added oil source. However, feeding high levels of some vegetable oils may significantly alter some immune responses in the fish, especially head kidney macrophage function, disease resistance and, in addition, may cause an increase in tissue histopathology.

Orientador: Alcides Lopes Leão / Banca: Felipe Korbus Sutili / Banca: Derva dos Santos Rosa / Resumo: Os polihidroxialcanoatos (PHAs) são uma família de biopolímeros biodegradáveis, que podem substituir os plásticos petroquímicos em muitas aplicações, principalmente embalagens e utensílios domésticos. Contudo, estes bioplásticos são atualmente mais caros do que os de origem petroquímica. É possível encontrar vários estudos na literatura que investigam o uso de resíduos e substratos mais baratos, com o intuito de permitir a produção em grande escala do PHA. Os óleos vegetais são largamente utilizados na preparação de alimentos, na maioria das vezes no processo de fritura, o que acarreta grandes quantidades de resíduo, muitas vezes descartados incorretamente, trazendo prejuízo ao meio ambiente e à população. Sob esta consideração, os resíduos de óleo de fritura são abundantes e podem ser utilizados na produção de PHA sem qualquer tratamento adicional. Portanto, este trabalho analisou a produção de polihidroxialcanoatos (PHA) a partir de duas linhagens de bactérias, Pseudomonas oleovorans e Bacillus megaterium, utilizando-se óleos residuais de frituras como fonte de carbono (óleo residual de fritura de batata, frango e pastel) e foram utilizados nas concentrações de 10 g.l-1 e 20 g.l-1, separadamente. Os ensaios de produção do biopolímero foram realizados em frascos agitados, em meio de cultura limitante em nitrogênio. A massa seca celular (MSC) foi determinada por gravimetria e a porcentagem de acúmulo e a composição do PHA foram determinados por cromatografia gasosa. A melhor ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a family of biodegradable biopolymers that can replace petrochemical plastics in many applications, especially packaging and household appliances. However, these bioplastics are currently more expensive than those of petrochemical origin. It is possible to find several studies in the literature that investigate the use of residues and cheaper substrates, in order to allow large scale production of the PHA. Vegetable oils are widely used in food preparation, most often in the frying process, which leads to large amounts of waste, often incorrectly discarded, causing damage to the environment and the population. Under this consideration, waste frying oils are abundant and can be used in the production of PHA without any further treatment. Therefore, this work studied the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from two strains of bacteria, Pseudomonas oleovorans and Bacillus megaterium, using waste frying oils as a source of carbon (waste oils from potato, chicken and pastel) and were used at concentrations of 10 g.l-1 and 20 g.l-1, separately. The biopolymer production assays were performed in shaken flasks, in nitrogen-limiting culture medium. The dry cell mass (DCM) was determined by gravimetry and the percentage of accumulation and the PHA composition were determined by gas chromatography. The best reaction condition was observed in the residual frying oil from potato, in which the bacterium Bacillus megaterium reached a PHA accumulation of 13.03 % and 3,93 g.l-1 of dry cell mass. From the results obtained it can be concluded that this alternative is promising, besides not competing with the production based on sources of sugar, that is ... / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2012-08-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:55:00Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 dias_je_me_botfca.pdf: 1286715 bytes, checksum: fc67bb3c42cf3acbffe5e9013f1f879e (MD5) / O óleo dos frutos da gueroba (Syagrus oleracea Becc.), inédito no mercado, é produzido de forma semi-artesanal pela Associação dos Ipês em parceria com a Articulação Pacari, município de Buriti de Goiás (GO). O objetivo da iniciativa é promover a agrobiodiversidade, gerar renda para agricultores familiares e fortalecer o protagonismo de mulheres na gestão de um empreendimento comunitário. A pesquisa abrangeu os procedimentos para a extração do óleo e a realização de entrevistas semi-estruturadas junto a agricultores familiares, fazendeiros e extrativistas, sobre a palmeira gueroba, seus sistemas tradicionais de cultivo e o manejo utilizado para a coleta de cocos. A palmeira é cultivada principalmente em sistemas tradicionais de quintais, pastagens e guerobais, sendo o sistema de quintal o mais produtivo de frutos. A presença de larvas do besouro Pachymerus nucleorum Fabr. nos frutos pode proporcionar em média 48,30 % de perda da produção, sendo necessária a adoção de técnicas de manejo para a sua coleta e armazenagem. O processamento de 1,0 l de óleo demandou aproximadamente 18,3 horas de mão de obra, sendo 66,11 % do tempo gasto com a retirada manual de amêndoas do endocarpo dos frutos, o que demonstra a necessidade de desenvolvimento de tecnologias apropriadas para a atividade. O rendimento do óleo foi de 32,7 % (m/m) em massa e de 36,0 % (m/mL) em volume, extraído com o uso de prensa elétrica. A cadeia produtiva, na safra 2010/201, gerou renda para 93 pessoas, sendo que as famílias agricultoras pesquisadas obtiveram renda média de R$ 300,00/safra, considerada significativa, pelo fato do coco ser um recurso natural que não estava sendo aproveitado, e principalmente, pela atividade ser realizada na época da seca, quando a produção do leite diminui muito e conseqüentemente a renda... / The oil from the gueroba fruit (Syagrus oleracea Becc.), stillnew on the market, is produced in a semi-artisan manner by the Associação dos Ipês (Ipê Association) and Articulação Pacari (Pacari Network), in the municipality of Buriti de Goiás (GO). The goal of the initiative is to promote agrobiodiversity, generate income for small family famers, and strengthen the role of women in managing a community business. The research covered the oil extraction procedure conducted. It included field research with small family farmers, large farmers, and collectors about the gueroba palm tree, its traditional cultivation systems, and the type of management employed in harvesting the fruit. The palm trees are mainly grown in traditional systems of backyards, pastures, and gueroba plantations, with those grown in backyards producing the most fruit. The presence of beetle larvae Pachymerus nucleorum Fabr. in the fruit can cause a production loss of approximately 48,3%, making it necessary to adopt management techniques for harvesting and storage. Processing 1 liter of oil required approximately 18.3 hours of work, and 66.11% of that time was spent manually removing the nut, which demonstrates the need to adopt appropriate technologies. The oil production in mass was 32.7% (m/m) and in volume 36.0% (m/mL) when extracted with an electric press. The production chain involved 93 people and the families participating in the research obtained an average income of R$ 300,00. This income is considered high for the dry season when income from milk is greatly reduced. The oil from the gueroba fruit is rich in lauric acid and presentsgood oxidative stability, which is good for pharmaceutical and cosmetic use. To sell the oil, the strategy ofaggregating value was adopted. The oil was used as the main ingredient of 11 different cosmetics... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Orientador: Lin Chau Ming / Coorientador: Isabel de Carvalho / Banca: Manoel Baltasar Batptista da Costa / Banca: Maristela Simões do Carmo / Resumo: O óleo dos frutos da gueroba (Syagrus oleracea Becc.), inédito no mercado, é produzido de forma semi-artesanal pela Associação dos Ipês em parceria com a Articulação Pacari, município de Buriti de Goiás (GO). O objetivo da iniciativa é promover a agrobiodiversidade, gerar renda para agricultores familiares e fortalecer o protagonismo de mulheres na gestão de um empreendimento comunitário. A pesquisa abrangeu os procedimentos para a extração do óleo e a realização de entrevistas semi-estruturadas junto a agricultores familiares, fazendeiros e extrativistas, sobre a palmeira gueroba, seus sistemas tradicionais de cultivo e o manejo utilizado para a coleta de cocos. A palmeira é cultivada principalmente em sistemas tradicionais de quintais, pastagens e guerobais, sendo o sistema de quintal o mais produtivo de frutos. A presença de larvas do besouro Pachymerus nucleorum Fabr. nos frutos pode proporcionar em média 48,30 % de perda da produção, sendo necessária a adoção de técnicas de manejo para a sua coleta e armazenagem. O processamento de 1,0 l de óleo demandou aproximadamente 18,3 horas de mão de obra, sendo 66,11 % do tempo gasto com a retirada manual de amêndoas do endocarpo dos frutos, o que demonstra a necessidade de desenvolvimento de tecnologias apropriadas para a atividade. O rendimento do óleo foi de 32,7 % (m/m) em massa e de 36,0 % (m/mL) em volume, extraído com o uso de prensa elétrica. A cadeia produtiva, na safra 2010/201, gerou renda para 93 pessoas, sendo que as famílias agricultoras pesquisadas obtiveram renda média de R$ 300,00/safra, considerada significativa, pelo fato do coco ser um recurso natural que não estava sendo aproveitado, e principalmente, pela atividade ser realizada na época da seca, quando a produção do leite diminui muito e conseqüentemente a renda... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The oil from the gueroba fruit (Syagrus oleracea Becc.), stillnew on the market, is produced in a semi-artisan manner by the Associação dos Ipês (Ipê Association) and Articulação Pacari (Pacari Network), in the municipality of Buriti de Goiás (GO). The goal of the initiative is to promote agrobiodiversity, generate income for small family famers, and strengthen the role of women in managing a community business. The research covered the oil extraction procedure conducted. It included field research with small family farmers, large farmers, and collectors about the gueroba palm tree, its traditional cultivation systems, and the type of management employed in harvesting the fruit. The palm trees are mainly grown in traditional systems of backyards, pastures, and gueroba plantations, with those grown in backyards producing the most fruit. The presence of beetle larvae Pachymerus nucleorum Fabr. in the fruit can cause a production loss of approximately 48,3%, making it necessary to adopt management techniques for harvesting and storage. Processing 1 liter of oil required approximately 18.3 hours of work, and 66.11% of that time was spent manually removing the nut, which demonstrates the need to adopt appropriate technologies. The oil production in mass was 32.7% (m/m) and in volume 36.0% (m/mL) when extracted with an electric press. The production chain involved 93 people and the families participating in the research obtained an average income of R$ 300,00. This income is considered high for the dry season when income from milk is greatly reduced. The oil from the gueroba fruit is rich in lauric acid and presentsgood oxidative stability, which is good for pharmaceutical and cosmetic use. To sell the oil, the strategy ofaggregating value was adopted. The oil was used as the main ingredient of 11 different cosmetics... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

No description available.

Frying oil is a heat and mass transfer medium, which affects the quality of food. The reaction mechanisms in deep-frying oils are mainly thermal oxidation, hydrolysis, and polymerization, which result in lipid deterioration. Addition of synthetic or natural antioxidants can effectively slow down lipid deterioration during deep-frying. Total polar components, polymerized triglycerides, p-anisidine value, acid value and iodine value are reliable indicators for assessing oil degradation during frying. Color darkening of deep-frying oils is one of apparent changes during deep-frying and is closely associated with the levels of decomposition compounds in the frying oils. However, the evidence of the relationship between color and deep-frying oil quality indicators are scanty. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a model for rapid assessment of oil quality during 30-hour deep-frying processes using oil color and quality as indicators. Significant color changes (p < 0.05) were observed in soybean oil as compared to canola and sunflower oil during 30-hour deep-frying trials. Canolol-enriched frying oils showed the highest color values before deep-frying, but the final results showed the least color changes (p < 0.05) during the 30-hour deep-frying trials. The highest percentage of total polar components (15.55 %), polymeric triglycerides (9.3 %), and p-Anisidine value (62.34) were found in TBHQ-enriched deep-frying oil samples in soybean oil. The highest acid value (3.06 mg KOH/100g) was found in canolol-enriched frying oil samples in canola oil. Rosemary and canolol-enriched deep-frying oil samples showed significant effect (p < 0.05) on color changes while reducing formation of total polar components, polymeric triglycerides, and aldehydes during the 30-hour deep-frying study. Significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between color and oil quality indicators in all of the deep-frying oil samples; significant regression (p < 0.05) models are expressing the level of oil deterioration from color (light-dark, red-green, yellow-blue) in deep-frying oils. Overall, this study established several models using color as an indicator aiming to rapidly assess deep-frying oil quality. / October 2016

Polímeros com diferentes características foram sintetizados a partir da polimerização por abertura de anel (Ring Opening Metahesis Polymerization-ROMP) de três diferentes monômeros de norborneno (NBE) derivados com triglicerídeos ou monoglicerídeos oriundos de óleos de mamona e de soja: Norbornenyl-functionalized castor oil (NCO), Norbornenyl-functionalized castor oil alcohol (NCA) e o novo Norbornenyl-functionalized epoxized soybean oil (NESBO). Utilizou-se como precursores catalíticos complexos do tipo [RuCl2(PPh3)2(amina)], amina = peridroazepina e piperidina, e catalisadores de Grubbs (1a e 2a geração). Foram investigados os efeitos da estrutura do monômero e do catalisador no processo de polimerização, bem como as propriedades térmicas e mecânicas dos polímeros resultantes. Através da ressonância magnética nuclear de hidrogênio (NMR-1H) foi determinado o número de sítios ativos (unidades de norborneno) por cadeia de ácido graxo em cada monômero: 1,8 em NCO, 2,6 em NCA e 4.5 em NESBO. O número de unidades monoméricas, assim como a viscosidade de cada monômero, desempenha um papel importante no controle da iniciação e propagação do processo de polimerização e nas propriedades finais dos polímeros obtidos. Os complexos do tipo Ru-amina, produziram materiais poliméricos similares aos obtidos com o catalisador de 1° Grubbs. Foram realizados estudos para otimizar as condições experimentais nas reações de ROMP, através da análise das estabilidades térmicas dos polímeros obtidos constatou-se a influência das variáveis tipo de catalisador, concentração de catalisador, tempo de reação, número de NBE por estrutura do monômero e a influência da adição de ácido na atividade catalítica dos complexos. Os valores de transição vítreas foram determinados através de DSC, o monômero de partida mostrou uma influência mais significativa sobre o valor de Tg dos polímeros obtidos do que o tipo de catalisador utilizado. Os estudos mecânicos dos materiais resultantes indicaram que foram obtidos desde materiais borrachosos a rígidos alterando a natureza do monômero e o tipo de catalisador utilizado e não foi possível estabelecer uma correlação entre as densidades de reticulação e a quantidade de anéis NBE da estrutura, nas condições analisadas. A cinética do processo de cura foi acompanhada através da ROMP induzida por temperatura, sob diferentes condições de frequência angular, temperatura e tempo. / Polymers with different characteristics were synthesized from the ring opening polymerization (ROMP) of three different monomers of norbornene (NBE) derived with triglycerides or monoglycerides from castor and soybean oils: Norbornene-functionalized castor oil (NCO), Norbornene-functionalized alcohol castor oil (NCA) and the new Norbornene-functionalized epoxidized soybean oil (NESBO). It was used, as catalyst precursors, complexes of the type [RuCl2(PPh3)2(amine)], amine = perhydroazepine and piperidine and the catalyst Grubbs (1st and 2nd generation). The effects of the structure of the monomer and catalyst in the polymerization process, as well as the thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting polymers, were investigated. Through the nuclear magnetic resonance of proton (1H-NMR), it was determined the number of active sites (norbornene units) per chain of fatty acid in each monomer: 1.8 to NCO, 2.6 to NCA and 4.5 to NESBO. The number of monomeric units (active sites for ROMP), as well as the viscosity of each monomer plays an important role in controlling the initiation and propagation of polymerization and the final properties of the polymers obtained. The Ru-amine complex type, produced polymeric materials similar to those obtained with Grubbs catalyst 1st. Studies were performed to optimize the experimental conditions in ROMP reactions, through analysis of the thermal stabilities of the obtained polymers was found to influence the variables: type of catalyst, catalyst concentration, reaction time, number of NBE in structure of the monomer and influence of acid addition on the catalytic activity of the complex. The glass transition values were determined by DSC, the starting monomer showed a more significant influence over the Tg value of all the obtained polymers compared to the all used catalysts. The mechanical studies of the resulting materials indicated that rubbery and rigid materials were obtained, by changing the nature of the monomer and type of catalyst, although it was not possible to determine a correlation between the crosslinking densities and the quantity of NBE rings of the structure for the analyzed conditions. The kinetic for the cure process was followed through the induced ROMP by temperature under different conditions of angular frequencies, temperature, and time.

Les poly (3-hydroxyalcanoate)s (PHAs) constituent une solution alternative aux plastiques issus des ressources pétrolières en raison de leur biodégradabilité et leur biocompatibilité. Cependant, les coûts de production élevés et les difficultés de mise en œuvre des PHAs ont limité leur développement à plus grande échelle. Il convient donc de modifier les PHAs afin d’accroître leurs propriétés et de développer des stratégies permettant de réduire leurs coûts de production pour permettre leur utilisation en remplacement des plastiques conventionnels. Parmi les matières premières issues des ressources renouvelables, les huiles métropolitaines de colza ou de tournesol sont des candidats intéressants pour la synthèse et la modification chimique des PHAs de par leur coût compétitif, leur biodisponibilité et leurs fonctionnalités intrinsèques. Ainsi, notre travail a porté sur réduction des coûts de production des PHAs en utilisant des substrats tels que l’huile de colza ou le glycérol. La souche sélectionnée, Haloferax mediterranei, a démontré sa capacité à biosynthétiser du PHB92HV8. Par ailleurs, nous avons développé deux approches permettant d’améliorer les performances des PHAs : la plastification par des molécules terpéniques issues des plantes et la synthèse de réseaux semi-interpénétrés (semi-IPNs) par réaction de thiolène entre l’huile de tournesol et un thiol trifonctionnel au sein d’une matrice de PHAs linéaire. L’utilisation de terpènes pour la formulation des PHAs a permis de réduire la température de mise en œuvre du polymère de 7 °C et d’augmenter sa souplesse. La synthèse d’un réseau semi-interpénétré biosourcé a permis d’améliorer la stabilité thermique des PHAs et d’augmenter leur allongement à la rupture de 2400 %. Enfin, de nouveaux matériaux biosourcés ont également été produits à partir de terpènes et d’huiles végétales, en faisant appel à un procédé simple et vert. Les matériaux obtenus, aux propriétés intéressantes en termes de flexibilité et d’élasticité ont la capacité de piéger et de libérer des molécules hydrophobes telle que la molécule d’eugénol aux propriétés antibactériennes et antifongiques. Ainsi, une large gamme de bioplastiques a été synthétisée en valorisant les huiles végétales et les PHAs, dont les propriétés variées pourraient concurrencer les plastiques actuels issus des ressources fossiles / Poly (3-hydroxyalkanoate)s (PHAs) are an alternative to petroleum-based plastics because of their biodegradability and their biocompatibility. However, the high production costs, the limited mechanical performance and the narrow processing window of PHAs have limited their development on a larger scale. It is therefore necessary to modify the PHAs in order to increase their properties and develop strategies to reduce their production costs to allow their use as replacement for conventional plastics. Among the raw materials derived from renewable resources, metropolitan rapeseed or sunflower oils are interesting candidates for the synthesis and chemical modification of PHAs because of their competitive cost, their bioavailability and their built-in functionalities. Thus, we aimed to reduce the cost productions of PHAs by using rapeseed oil and glycerol as cheap substrates. The strain, Haloferax mediterranei, has demonstrated its ability to biosynthesize a PHB92HV8. In addition, we have developed two approaches to improve the performance of PHAs: plasticization of PHAs by terpene molecules from plants and synthesis of semi-interpenetrating networks (semi-IPNs). The use of terpenes for the formulation of PHAs reduced the processing temperature of the polymer and increased its flexibility. The synthesis of a biobased semi-IPN is obtained by crosslinking sunflower oil and a trifunctional thiol, using the thiolene reaction, within a matrix of linear PHAs. The network improved the thermal stability of PHAs and increased their elongation at break of 2400%. Finally, new biobased materials were also produced from terpenes and vegetable oil, using a simple and "green" process. The resulting materials exhibited flexibility and elasticity with the ability to absorb and to release antibacterial and antifungal hydrophobic molecules such as the eugenol. Therefore, a wide range of bioplastics have been synthesized using vegetable oils, PHAs or a combination of both, with wide range of properties to compete with plastics derived from fossil resources

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-08-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:21:43Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 malacrida_cr_dr_sjrp.pdf: 529376 bytes, checksum: 1a845c9d597f31a5f8d5a5630bad8456 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / No Brasil, muitas frutas comestíveis são processadas para fabricação de sucos, doces, geléias, polpas e extratos, gerando uma grande quantidade de resíduos tais como sementes, cascas e bagaços. Este estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar e verificar um melhor aproveitamento dessas sementes, possibilitando agregar valor econômico a estes subprodutos. Para tanto, os objetivos principais deste trabalho foram: caracterizar sementes de frutas comumente cultivadas no Brasil (laranja, limão, tangerina, melão, melancia, mamão, maracujá e goiaba) quanto à composição centesimal, determinar as características físico-químicas, composição em ácidos graxos, tocoferóis, carotenóides, teores de compostos fenólicos totais e matéria insaponificável nos óleos extraídos dessas sementes, e avaliar a estabilidade oxidativa e a atividade antioxidante dos mesmos. As sementes foram separadas das frutas, lavadas, secas à temperatura ambiente, trituradas e o óleo extraído em extrator Soxhlet. Todas as sementes apresentaram teores relativamente elevados de lipídios (14,01-41,66%) e os óleos revelaram um elevado grau de insaturação (67,55- 88,14%), destacando-se como ácidos graxos principais o oléico e o linoléico. Com relação às propriedades físico-químicas, os óleos apresentaram características semelhantes a óleos convencionais e as porcentagens de matéria insaponificável foram de 0,70-1,51%. As concentrações de tocoferóis totais variaram de 74,71 mg.Kg-1, para o óleo de semente de mamão, a 748,11 mg.Kg-1, para o óleo de semente de melancia, sendo o d-tocoferol quantificado em todos os óleos. Os principais carotenóides quantificados nos óleos analisados foram luteína, b-criptoxantina e b-caroteno. O óleo de sementes de mamão apresentou a maior concentração de carotenóides totais (7,05 mg.Kg-1), enquanto no óleo de maracujá nenhum carotenóide foi... / In Brazil, many edible fruits are processed to produce juice, candy, jam, concentrate and puree, originating a vast quantity of waste such as seeds, peels and pulps. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible utilization of fruit seeds, allowing to add economic value to these subproducts. Thus, the main objectives of this work were: to characterize seeds of commonly cultivated species of fruits in Brazil (orange, lemon, tangerine, melon, watermelon, papaya, passion fruit and guava) as for their proximal composition; to determine the physico-chemical characteristics, fatty acid composition, tocopherols, carotenoids, total phenolic compounds and unsaponifiable matter in the oils extracted of these fruit seeds; and to evaluate the oxidative stability and the antioxidant activity of the seed oils. The seeds were removed from the fruits, washed, dried at room temperature, ground and the oils extracted using a Soxhlet extractor. All seeds showed considerable lipid contents (14.01-41.66%) and the oils revealed high unsaturated fatty acids percentage (67.55-88.14%) with oleic and linoleic fatty acids being prominent. Regarding to physico-chemical properties, the seed oils compared favorably to conventional vegetable oils and the unsaponifiable matter percentages were 0.70-1.51%. The total tocopherol concentrations ranged between 74.71 mg.Kg-1 for papaya seed oil to 748.11 mg.Kg-1 for watermelon seed oil, being the d-tocopherol quantified in all oils. The major carotenoids quantified in the analyzed oils were lutein, b-criptoxantin and b-carotene. The papaya seed oil showed the highest total carotenoid concentration (7.05 mg.Kg-1) while no carotenoid was quantified in the passion fruit seed oil. Total phenolic contents obtained in the analyzed oils (922.92-1,428.97 mg gallic acid equivalents per kilogram of oil) were higher than those cited in the literature to soybean... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)