Brazilian Spirit Research Articles

Development of cellulose-based biosorbents from the residue of the peach palm agribusiness and simulation of industrial scale-up for copper removal from Brazilian spirit.

Cachaça (Brazilian spirit) is an alcoholic beverage of cultural and economic importance in Brazil. Its artisanal production is usually conducted in copper alembics, which results in contamination. The development of effective biosorbents from cheap matrices is an alternative to minimize both solid waste generation and copper levels in cachaça. The present work evaluates the obtention of nanocellulose-based materials from the major residue generated during the processing of palm heart from the Brazilian peach palm, through different processing techniques. Materials were characterized by physicochemical composition and their sorbent capacities for copper removal from aqueous solutions, and a simulation was conducted to evaluate potential application in the adequacy of cachaça to meet Brazilian legislation requirements. The different processing methods resulted in different cellulose concentrations, with the highest concentration in the bleached material (B3, 694 g kg-1 of cellulose), and different specific surface areas (1.02-12.4 m2 g-1). Copper adsorption onto nanocellulose obtained from peach palm external sheath is fast, with a predominance of a chemisorption mechanism. Isotherms were best represented by Langmuir's model, suggesting a monolayer adsorption. Simulations indicate that B3 is a suitable material for the removal of copper from cachaça, and small amounts of biosorbent (733.5 g) are required for the reduction of copper concentrations (10 to 3 mg L-1) in 1000 L of cachaça. This study demonstrated that the obtention of biosorbents from peach palm solid residues is promising and this nanocellulose-based material can be used for copper removal from contaminated cachaça. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Kurz, Helmar: Mental Healthcare in Brazilian Spiritism: The Aesthetics of Healing

Kurz, Helmar: Mental Healthcare in Brazilian Spiritism: The Aesthetics of Healing

Spiritism in Germany: A Resource of Integration for Brazilian Migrants?

This account of qualitative anthropological field research in Brazil and Germany explores the importance of translocal Spiritist/Kardecist networks as resources for Brazilian migrants in Germany. It focuses on aspects of integration with the host society and conflicts arising from divergent expectations and habits. It introduces the author’s multi-sited investigation within the DFG-funded research project “Diversification of Mental Health: Therapeutic Spaces of Brazilian Spiritism” (implemented by Prof. Dr. Helene Basu 2015–2018) and elaborates on the approach of “translocal relations” as crucial for the theoretical discussion before introducing relevant literature reviews and original research data. Case studies confirm the supportive functions of Brazilian Spiritist centers in Germany for migrants but also illustrate that they serve integration only to a marginal degree. Brazilians use Spiritist centers as a resource for not having to integrate and instead staying among themselves. Being aware that this habit contradicts adaptation to new environments and serves critical political approaches, a small group of Brazilians and Germans establish contested integrative practices. In conclusion, this contribution discusses conflicts emerging from Brazilian migration to Germany in religious-spiritual contexts and illustrates that integration is a multi-directional task.

Non-Conventional Cuts in Batch Distillation to Brazilian Spirits (cachaça) Production: A Computational Simulation Approach

In this work, an algorithm was developed to determine different possibilities of distillation cuts to support productivity and improve the final quality of cachaça, a Brazilian spirit beverage. The distillation process was simulated using the Aspen Plus® software, considering a wide range of fermented musts compositions available in the literature obtained by fermentation with different yeast strains. Twenty-four simulations were carried out considering eight compounds as follows: water and ethanol (major compounds); acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, 1-propanol, isobutanol, and isoamyl alcohol (minor compounds). The calculations considered a long-time process, i.e., until almost all the ethanol in the fermented must was distilled. The algorithm enabled the identification of countless distilling cuts, resulting in products with different alcoholic grades and process yields. One fermented must became viable to produce cachaça after the suggested non-traditional method of cuts proposed in this work. Furthermore, the non-traditional distilling cut provided a productivity gain of more than 50%. Finally, the ratio of acetaldehyde and ethanol concentration was the key parameter to determine whether the fermented musts could provide products meeting cachaça’s legislation.

Evaluation of cardiovascular risk biomarkers after moderate consumption of red wine and cachaça in a randomized crossover trial: The Wine and Cachaça Study (WICAS).

Moderate daily consumption of alcohol (MDCA) is associated with cardiovascular risk (CVR) reduction in observational studies. Some researches have suggested that this benefit may be associated not only with red wine consumption but also with other beverages. However, there are no clinical trials evaluating the possible CVR benefit of Brazilian spirit (cachaça) in humans. This is a prospective, randomized, crossover study including healthy individuals initially assigned to a MDCA of cachaça or red wine for a period of 4 weeks. After a one-week abstinence period, the type of drink was changed for another 4 weeks of intervention. The MDCA for both beverages was determined as a dose equivalent to 28g of ethanol per day for men and 14g for women. CVR biomarkers analyses were performed before and after each intervention to assess the serologic status of C-reactive protein, lipid profile, platelet aggregation and glycemic profile. This study is registered on the ISRCTN platform under number 15978506. Of the 42 subjects initially randomized, 2 refused to continue in the study. The median age was 44.3±10.3 years and 19 were male (47.5%). Adherence to the protocol was considered ideal with 100% regular use in both interventions and only 3 individuals in each intervention group reported alcohol abuse. There was no significant variation in anthropometric measurements during the study, except for weight gain (0.7kg) in the red wine group (p=0.005). The median of the delta of platelet aggregation for MDCA of cachaça was 1.2% (-1.1 to 5.3) and the median of the delta to the MDCA of wine was-1.6% (-4.5 to 2) (p=0.02). The other biomarkers didn't show any statistically significant variation. Moderate consumption of wine and cachaça was related to variation in laboratory biomarkers of CVR related to atherosclerosis. There was significant weight gain during the period of wine consumption and there was observed a difference between platelet aggregation values after both interventions.

Total nitrogen content and its influence on ethyl carbamate incidence in cachaça

Cachaça is a typical Brazilian spirit of significant economic and social relevance. The spirit may contain organic and inorganic contaminants that impair its quality, such as ethyl carbamate (EC), which is potentially carcinogenic. The study of factors that cause EC incidence is extremely important to produce cachaça with good physicochemical and sensory quality and for public health reasons. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze and quantify nitrogen (N) in sugarcane juice and correlate it with the EC levels, with copper (Cu) as precursor, in cachaça from stills, produced from the sugar of three different sugarcane varieties (RB857515, RB966928 and RB855453). We used the plantation systems without fertilization and with organic and conventional fertilization. The EC and Cu levels were below the legislation threshold and the N levels were correlated with EC formation in different planting systems.

Yeasts from indigenous culture for cachaça production and brewer's spent grain: Biodiversity and phenotypic characterization for biotechnological purposes

In this study, yeasts were isolated from an indigenous starter culture for cachaça production (Brazilian spirit) and brewer’s spent grain and characterized through a series of phenotypic assays: the killer profile, ascospore formation capacity, growth at high temperatures, resistance to natamycin and actidione, and exoenzyme production. One hundred thirty-four (n = 134) yeasts were isolated and identified as belonging to 6 genera and 10 different species. The ascospore formation in potassium acetate agar was observed in 86% of the isolates (73 Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 3 Torulaspora delbrueckii, and 1 Wickerhamomyces anomalus) highlighting their potential for microencapsulation. Only S. cerevisiae LMQA SNR 70 expressed an effective killer factor (ability to destroy sensitive strains), while only 3 S. cerevisiae, 1 Clavispora lusitaniae, and 1 Pichia kudriavzevii isolates were able to grow up at 45 °C. At 50 and 100 mg/L, actidione showed selectivity action for Candida parapsilosis, while natamycin inhibited the growth of all isolates. The non-Saccharomyces isolates stood out in the qualitative and quantitative tests for amylolytic, pectinolytic, cellulolytic, and xylanolytic activities. A predominance of the species W. anomalus and T. delbrueckii was observed. Besides, quantitative tests revealed that 23% of the isolates exhibited exoenzymatic activity in a nutrient-poor environment, and W. anomalus LMQA CSC 5 e LMQA CSC 43 stood out for the multi-enzymatic in agar and liquid medium response. The phenotypic profile showed that 16% of the isolates expressed two or more characteristics studied, with 2/3 represented by the non-Saccharomyces species. These results highlight the importance of studying yeast species for new biotechnological purposes.

Umbanda: Africana or Esoteric?

Umbanda is a dynamic and varied Brazilian spirit-incorporation tradition first recorded in the early twentieth century. This article problematizes the ambiguity of categorizing Umbanda as an ‘Afro-Brazilian’ religion, given the acknowledged centrality of elements of Kardecist Spiritism. It makes a case that Umbanda is best categorized as a hybridizing Brazilian Spiritism. Though most Umbandists belong to groups with strong African influences alongside Kardecist elements, many belong to groups with few or no African elements, reflecting greater Kardecist influence. Kardecist elements are universal in Umbanda; Africana elements are not. Kardecism is a western esoteric tradition and a key factor in the emergence of a wide variety of Latin American Spiritisms, including Umbanda. Labelling Umbanda as ‘Afro-Brazilian’ fails to acknowledge the beliefs and practices of the many Brazilians who practice other forms of the tradition. This case study of the categorization of religions – looking at scholarly ideology, race, historical origins, doctrine and practice – emphasizes the need to look at specific contexts and to avoid broad generalizations.

CIBERESPAÇO EM PANDEMIA: EFICÁCIA DAS “LIVES” ESPIRITUALISTAS NA SAÚDE MENTAL

O espiritismo à brasileira se notabilizou pelo poder discursivo nas palestras, contudo, no cenário de isolamento social, requerido pelo contexto do Novo Coronavírus, esta prática presencial foi cerceada objetivando conter a proliferação viral através do contágio interpessoal ou via fômites. Os conferencistas espíritas ganharam considerável amplitude no ciberespaço, promovendo uma verdadeira pandemia de live’s ou transmissões ao vivo, empenhados em manter a sanidade emocional mediante o alicerce da espiritualidade, considerando que um grande número de pessoas estão sendo impactadas negativamente na saúde mental se comparadas aos infectados pelo microrganismo em evidência. Os esforços cibernéticos têm atraído inúmeros espectadores, o que demonstra a eficiência das iniciativas dos “educadores”, mas nem sempre sua eficácia. Quando se trata da relação entre redes sociais e espiritualidade é substancial observar a importância da emissão dos temas para os públicos, buscando perceber se a informação está adaptada ao propósito, contemplando as expectativas dos envolvidos. As live’s sobre espiritualidade são combustíveis para enfrentamento das fragilidades emocionais do momento global, porém precisam ser otimizadas, as pautas necessitam da diversidade, os horários carecem de alternativas e requerem atenção ao espectador, assim servirão como verdadeira fonte de cuidado para com as dimensões humanas.

Cachaça production from sugarcane infested by Diatrea saccharalis

Abstract Cachaca is a highly consumed Brazilian spirit, which still needs studies on its agroindustrial processing. We can highlight the effects of infestation of pest insects in the sugarcane, and the chemical-physically characteristics of the drink. So, the aim of the study was to evaluate the consequences of the infestation of the sugarcane borer (Diatrea saccharalis) on the quality of the cachaca. The borer infestation results in less stalks productivity per hectare, and higher rates of acidity and phenol in juice and must. However, the borer did not affect the Brix, Purity, Total Reducing Sugars and pH of raw material. The cellular viability of infested stalks is less than of not infested stalks. The chemical-physical characteristics of the cachaca for both treatments meet the Brazilian legislation. However, the acetic acid is higher for infested stalks.

High-affinity transport, cyanide-resistant respiration, and ethanol production under aerobiosis underlying efficient high glycerol consumption by Wickerhamomyces anomalus

Wickerhamomyces anomalus strain LBCM1105 was originally isolated from the wort of cachaça (the Brazilian fermented sugarcane juice-derived Brazilian spirit) and has been shown to grow exceptionally well at high amounts of glycerol. This paramount residue from the biodiesel industry is a promising cheap carbon source for yeast biotechnology. The assessment of the physiological traits underlying the W. anomalus glycerol consumption ability in opposition to Saccharomyces cerevisiae is presented. A new WaStl1 concentrative glycerol-H+ symporter with twice the affinity of S. cerevisiae was identified. As in this yeast, WaSTL1 is repressed by glucose and derepressed/induced by glycerol but much more highly expressed. Moreover, LBCM1105 aerobically growing on glycerol was found to produce ethanol, providing a redox escape to compensate the redox imbalance at the level of cyanide-resistant respiration (CRR) and glycerol 3P shuttle. This work is critical for understanding the utilization of glycerol by non-Saccharomyces yeasts being indispensable to consider their industrial application feeding on biodiesel residue.

Membrane processing of the Brazilian spirit Cachaça

Membrane processing of the Brazilian spirit Cachaça

New Lager Brewery Strains Obtained by Crossing Techniques Using Cachaça (Brazilian Spirit) Yeasts.

The development of hybrids has been an effective approach to generate novel yeast strains with optimal technological profile for use in beer production. This study describes the generation of a new yeast strain for lager beer production by direct mating between two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from cachaça distilleries: one that was strongly flocculent, and the other with higher production of acetate esters. The first step in this procedure was to analyze the sporulation ability and reproductive cycle of strains belonging to a specific collection of yeasts isolated from cachaça fermentation vats. Most strains showed high rates of sporulation, spore viability, and homothallic behavior. In order to obtain new yeast strains with desirable properties useful for lager beer production, we compare haploid-to-haploid and diploid-to-diploid mating procedures. Moreover, an assessment of parental phenotype traits showed that the segregant diploid C2-1d generated from a diploid-to-diploid mating experiment showed good fermentation performance at low temperature, high flocculation capacity, and desirable production of acetate esters that was significantly better than that of one type lager strain. Therefore, strain C2-1d might be an important candidate for the production of lager beer, with distinct fruit traces and originating using a non-genetically modified organism (GMO) approach.IMPORTANCE Recent work has suggested the utilization of hybridization techniques for the generation of novel non-genetically modified brewing yeast strains with combined properties not commonly found in a unique yeast strain. We have observed remarkable traits, especially low temperature tolerance, maltotriose utilization, flocculation ability, and production of volatile aroma compounds, among a collection of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from cachaça distilleries, which allow their utilization in the production of beer. The significance of our research is in the use of breeding/hybridization techniques to generate yeast strains that would be appropriate for producing new lager beers by exploring the capacity of cachaça yeast strains to flocculate and to ferment maltose at low temperature, with the concomitant production of flavoring compounds.

Clothes for spirits

In this article I argue for alternative models to understanding the relationship of spirit cosmologies to their social surround. In my ethnography, I show that fluidity and plasticity are central to a particular urban sector of the Brazilian spirit religion of Umbanda. Some contemporary Umbandists, particularly in the city of Sao Paulo, see that “culture,” read as the Brazilian historical imaginary, becomes the stuff by which the spirits self-reflexively “clothe” themselves. However, using Don Handelman’s division between cosmoses held together “from the inside” or “from the outside,” I also argue that Umbanda practitioners take varying degrees of openness and closure of their cosmology, including the urban sector I focus on, whose plastic cosmos is essentially ruptured, and thus needs to be “believed” in.

How native yeasts may influence the chemical profile of the Brazilian spirit, cachaça?

Cachaça is the typical Brazilian spirit, obtained by distillation of fermented sugarcane must, whose production is closely related to regional heritage and geographical traits. In this work, we investigate the influence of different autochthonous yeast species, in comparison to other commercial strains, on the chemical profile of cachaça. Fermentations were performed with four different wild species, a mixed starter culture with native yeasts, and two commercial strains. Procedures were carried out simulating traditional practices, the distillates analyzed by gas chromatography, and data analyzed by multivariate statistics. Results show that the overgrowth of some non-Saccharomyces during fermentation can lead to higher concentration of contaminant compounds in the distillate. However, those microorganisms do not impress negative traits when working in cluster association, and may indeed contribute to the distinctive chemical quality and flavor of cachaça. Spontaneous fermentation are still the traditional method used for the production of cachaça, and our results indeed suggest that higher diversity, and evened fermentative environments, enable yeasts to act as a complex cluster and imprint a distinctive, quality chemical profile to the distillate. Finally, this study may help to understand the role of the native microbiota and its influence on cachaça's chemical and sensory profiles, besides demonstrating the importance of adopting insightful handling practices and strict control of technical guidelines.

Quality improvement and geographical indication of cachaça (Brazilian spirit) by using locally selected yeast strains.

In order to improve the quality and to create a biological basis for obtainment of the protected denomination of origin (PDO), indigenous yeast were isolated and characterized for use in Salinas city (the Brazilian region of quality cachaça production). Seven thousand and two hundred yeast colonies from 15 Salinas city distilleries were screened based on their fermentative behaviour and the physicochemical composition of cachaça. Molecular polymorphic analyses were performed to characterize these isolates. Two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (nos. 678 and 680) showed appropriate characteristics to use in the cachaça production: low levels of acetaldehyde and methanol, and high ethyl lactate/ethyl acetate ratio respectively. They also presented polymorphic characteristics more closely related between themselves even when compared to other strains from Salinas. The application of selected yeast to cachaça production can contribute for the improvement of the quality product as well as be used as a natural marker for PDO. This study suggests that the use of selected yeast strains could contribute to obtain a cachaça similar to those produced traditionally, while getting wide acceptation in the market, yet presenting more homogeneous organoleptic characteristics, and thus contributing to the PDO implementation.

Evaluation of raw soapstone (steatite) as adsorbent of trace elements present in Brazilian spirits

The impact of soapstone (steatite) upon inorganic element contaminant concentrations in alcoholic beverages was investigated. Concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb levels in 8 Brazilian spirits plus an alcoholic simulant were initially measured, and then measured following each 24h cycle of exposure to raw soapstone cups, for a total of 4cycles/sample. The results were compared to the levels established by Brazilian and German regulations. The contact between the spirits and the soapstone reduced the Cu content by up to 50.4% and increased the Ni content by up to 622.2%, especially in the first contact cycle. The exposure of spirits to the soapstone exhibits a linear reduction in the Pb content (18.3–54.5%) while As and Cd levels remained unaltered throughout the experiments. In conclusion, crude soapstone in contact with alcoholic solutions acts as an adsorbent of trace elements (Cu and Pb) while releasing Ni.

Recursivity and the Self-Reflexive Cosmos: Tricksters in Cuban and Brazilian Spirit Mediumship Practices

Recursivity and the Self-Reflexive Cosmos: Tricksters in Cuban and Brazilian Spirit Mediumship Practices

Determination of the geographical origin and ethanol content of Brazilian sugarcane spirit using near-infrared spectroscopy coupled with discriminant analysis

Aguardente is a typical Brazilian spirit produced by the distillation of sugarcane.

Biografia e Espiritismo: o caso de Fernando do Ó

The article discusses the construction biographical around Fernando do O and its dissemination within the Brazilian Spiritism. In this sense, we mean the biographical genre as a recurring strategy for the dissemination of literacy practices and build memories around members who participated in the organization of spiritism in Brazil.