Browsing by Author "Alves, R.C."
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- Antioxidant activity and antimicrobial properties of lemon grass essential oilPublication . Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Soares, M.O.; Barreira, Sérgio; Castro, A.; Alves, R.C.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.Essential oils have been explored comprehensively as potential sources of compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.
- Carotenoids content of cherry tomato fruits: a comparative studyPublication . Aires, A.B.; Arantes, M.; Costa, A.S.G.; Alves, R.C.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.Consumption of cherry tomato fruits has been increasing due to the rising public demand for convenience and awareness of fruit's health benefits. Carotenoids, natural pigments synthesized by plants and microorganisms but not by animals, contribute to the different colours of tomato fruits and are recognized as playing an important role in several biological functions. In this work, we studied some carotenoid contents (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, lycopene and beta-carotene) of five cherry tomato cultivars (red cherry chucha, red cherry, striped cherry, yellow cherry, and red cherry cacho).
- Chemical characterization of coffee silverskin: in view of health and sustainabilityPublication . Costa, A.S.G.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Santos, J.; Alves, R.C.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.Laurus nobilis L. is an aromatic plant, whose leaves are frequently used as spice. Leaf extracts and essential oil have also been used in folk medicine for the treatment of several dysfunctions and in cosmetic industry.
- Comparison of the nutritional value of fresh and freeze-dried elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson) tuberPublication . Machado, L.; Costa, A.S.G.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Alves, R.C.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.Yams are members of different families, like Dioscoreae, Colocasia, Alocasia and Xanthosoma (Aracea) and are one of the oldest plants known. Elephant foot yam (Aracea) tuber has a great interest in food shortage periods for several populations.
- Dietary supplements for cognitive function improvement: control of amino acid levelsPublication . Pimentel, F.B.; Botelho, J.; Costa, C.G.; Costa, A.S.G.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Alves, R.C.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.Neurodegenerative diseases affect cognitive functions by progressive and irreversible destruction of brain cells. The medical treatment is often complemented with dietary supplementation in order to suppress the lack of nutrients that is common in these situations. Some amino acids are especially important to prevent or delay the progress of such diseases. For example, tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine are biosynthetic precursors of important neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine), and glutamate and aspartate are themselves brain neurotransmitters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the amino acids composition of commercial dietary supplements (n=8) for improvement of memory and cognitive function.
- Effect of conventional heat treatment on phenolic contents and free radical scavenging activity of green leafy vegetablesPublication . Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Castro, A.; Barreira, Sérgio; Alves, R.C.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.Vegetables represent a higly significant source of functional substances, which might benefit physiological functions in the human metabolism.
- Elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson): the effect of processing on the amino acid profilePublication . Costa, A.S.G.; Pimentel, F.B.; Fernandes, T.J.R.; Ruas, A.C.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Alves, R.C.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.The elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson) is a tropical plant from Southeast Asia, where it is cultivated, but it also grows wild in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries in the region, including East Timor. Besides being used as food, it is still used in popular medicine to treat some health problems, such as arthralgia, elephantiasis, inflammation, hemorrhoids, vomiting, asthma, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, constipation, among others. The aim of this study was to characterize the amino acids composition of elephant foot yam from Timor. Fresh and boiled tubers were also compared to evaluate the effect of processing on the amino acids profile.
- Valorization of Arbutus unedo L. berries: a study on their nutritional and phytochemical compositionPublication . Albuquerque, C.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Costa, A.S.G.; Alves, R.C.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.In the Mediterranean region, fruits and leaves of Arbutus unedo L. (Ericaceae) are traditionally used due to their therapeutic benefits (antiseptic, diuretic, laxative, hypotensive). The fruits are also used in the production of jams, or fermented and distilled into liquors, common practices in rural areas of Portugal. As they are still considered an underutilized fruit-tree species, the aim of this study was to study the nutritional and phytochemical composition of fresh A. unedo L. berries harvested in the North of Portugal (Minho), to promote their consumption and valorization. Nutritional composition was evaluated according to AOAC methodologies. Total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids contents were evaluated by spectrophotometric methods.
- Valorization of Laurus sp. leaves as promising source of antioxidants for processed food productsPublication . Pereira, L.C.; Costa, A.S.G.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Alves, R.C.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.Laurus sp. leaves are frequently used in Mediterranean recipes as an aromatic/flavoring ingredient. Three species of Lauris sp. have been identified as authochthonous plants in Portugal (mainland and archipelagos): L. nobilis, L. azorica, and L. novocanariensis. Scarce information exists about autochthonous Laurus sp. collected in Portugal, usually consumed in the Portuguese diet.