Sugars and Sweeteners: Structure, Properties and In Silico Modeling

Several studies report the effects of excessive use of sugars and sweeteners in the diet. These include obesity, cardiac diseases, diabetes, and even lymphomas, leukemias, cancers of the bladder and brain, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, and systemic lupus. On the other hand, each sugar and sweetener has a distinct metabolic assimilation process, and its chemical structure plays an important role in this process. Several scientific papers present the biological effects of the sugars and sweeteners in relation to their chemical structure. One important issue dealing with the sugars is the degree of similarity in their structures, focusing mostly on optical isomerism. Finding and developing new sugars and sweeteners with desired properties is an emerging research area, in which in silico approaches play an important role.

Episódio Histórico de Louis Pasteur: Uma proposta interdisciplinar para o ensino de Química, Física e Biologia

ResumoA História da Ciência (HC) na interface com o ensino contribui para que a aprendizagem dos conceitos tratados pela ciência aconteça de forma significativa e contextualizada, permitindo a compreensão de sua natureza. Nessa perspectiva, o episódio histórico de Louis Pasteur (LP), tratando de sua vida e obra, foi transformado em uma sequência didática (SD) voltada aos estudantes do Ensino Médio (EM) e licenciandos em Química. A apresentação e a discussão desse episódio histórico favorecem a apropriação dos conceitos científicos inerentes aos conteúdos abordados no EM, envolvendo o estudo da isomeria óptica, da fermentação e dos micro-organismos. A SD proposta constitui-se das seguintes etapas: aplicação de um questionário virtual, apresentação de um vídeo sobre a vida e obra de LP, leitura de livro específico, abordagem de conceitos químicos, físicos e biológicos e demonstração de um experimento. O desenvolvimento desta proposta evidencia o potencial pedagógico interdisciplinar da HC. Palavras-chave: História da Ciência; Proposta de Ensino; Interdisciplinaridade.AbstractThe History of Science (HS) in the interface with teaching contributes for the learning of the concepts treated by science in a significant and contextualized way, allowing the understanding of its nature. In this perspective, the historical episode of Louis Pasteur (LP), related to his life and work, was transformed into a didactic sequence (DS) for high school (HS) students and chemistry graduates. The presentation and discussion of this historical episode helped for the appropriation of the scientific concepts related to the contents addressed in the HS, involving the study of optical isomerism, fermentation and microorganisms. The proposed DS is composed by the following steps: application of a virtual questionnaire, presentation of a video about the life and work of LP, specific book reading, approach to chemical, physical and biological concepts and demonstration of an experiment. The development of this proposal highlights the interdisciplinary pedagogical potential of HS.Keywords: History of Science; Teaching Proposal; Interdisciplinarity.