Browsing by Author "Costa, Anabela S.G."
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- Baobab fruit: assessment of seed kernel lipid fractionPublication . Passos, Fábio; Nunes, M. Antónia; Pimentel, Filipa; Costa, Anabela S.G.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.Fruit seeds are important sources of oils for nutritional, pharmaceutical and industrial purposes, despite their differences in fatty acids composition. To study the viability of baobab seed kernel valorization as a new alternative edible oil source, it is essential to characterize its lipid fraction. Oil was obtained by Soxhlet extraction with petroleum ether (2.5 h). Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were then analyzed by GC, in a Shimadzu GC-2010 gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector (Shimadzu, Columbia). Vitamin E profile (α, β, γ and δ-tocopherols and α, β, γ and δ-tocotrienols) was determined by NP-HPLC/DAD/FLD, in an HPLC integrated system (Jasco, Japan).
- Bioactive compounds and scavenging capacity of Adansonia digitata L. (Baobab fruit) pulp extracts against ROS and RNS of physiological relevancePublication . Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Costa, Anabela S.G.; Pimentel, Filipa B.; Santo, Liliana Espírito; Silva, Carla Sousa e; Freitas, Marisa; Fernandes, Eduarda; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.Background: Baobab fruit is valued for its nutritional and medicinal benefits. Although it is acknowledged that baobab pulp is beneficial for health, studies that link its nutraceutical properties to the ability to eliminate reactive species (ROS and RNS) are scarce. Methods: The nutritional profile and the antioxidant properties of baobab pulp extracts from Angola were evaluated. Thus, for the first time, the evaluation of in vitro scavenging capacity against the most physiologically relevant reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) were the focus of inves tigation. Results: Angolan fruit pulp presented high contents of ash (8.0%) and total dietary fiber (52%). Vitamin E content was reported for the first time in fruit pulp. Green solvents were used to quantify bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. Hydroalcoholic extracts exhibited the high est contents of phenolics (1573.0 mg/100 g) and flavonoids (768.7 mg/100 g). Thus, hydroalcoholic extracts showed higher antioxidant activity, and higher scavenging capacity for ROS (O2•−, H2O2, HOCl, ROO•) and RNS (•NO, ONOO−), being most active for •NO and ONOO−. Conclusion: For the first time, Angolan baobab fruit was described in respect to its nutritional contribution as well as its positive antioxidant effects, both as a functional food and as a nutraceutical ingredient.
- Frutos da Opuntia: o fruto do futuroPublication . Gomes, Alan; Espírito Santo, Liliana; Costa, Anabela S.G.; Nunes, M. Antónia; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.Segundo a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a produção de Opuntias (catos), para além de ser bastante rentável, é uma estratégia promissora no combate à desertificação e às mudanças climáticas globais, uma vez que esta planta tem a capacidade de se adaptar a condições climáticas extremas e consegue crescer em solos severamente degradados. A procura de plantas que estejam na base de uma agricultura sustentável é hoje um desafio. Opuntias, outrora espécies invasora, fazem agora parte da paisagem natural e dos sistemas agrícolas de muitas regiões. Os produtos da Opuntia (palmas, flores e frutos) são utilizados na alimentação, forragem, energia, medicina popular, cosmética e produtos agrícolas, contribuindo para a disponibilidade de alimentos.
- How functional foods endure throughout the shelf storage? Effects of packing materials and formulation on the quality parameters and bioactivity of smoothiesPublication . Nunes, M. Antónia; Costa, Anabela S.G.; Barreira, João C.M.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Alves, Rita C.; Rocha, Ada; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.Smoothies are blended beverages that could contain fruit pulp, fruit juice, vegetables, yoghurt, milk, or honey. These beverages are typical examples of the food industry reply to the increase awareness of consumers for healthier foods with simple ingredients and clean labels. As emerging products, different profiling studies are needed to ensure their claimed properties. Accordingly, different physicochemical parameters, bioactive compounds, as well as the antioxidant activity, were assessed in commercial smoothies along different shelf storage periods. ANOVA, HCA and LDA statistical tools were used to allow a suitable comprehension of the obtained results. Some significant differences were found at initial time, which might be associated to smoothies’ composition. On the other hand, the physicochemical and chromatic parameters were stable during the shelf storage, while the content in bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity indicators were significantly affected (independently of the applied thermal treatment). Nevertheless, none of the assayed formulations or packing types showed to be more susceptible to undergone specifically relevant changes during shelf storage. Overall, the results advice in favor of an earlier consumption of these products (far from the expiring date) in order to obtain the desired health effects.
- Impact of boiling on phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of green vegetables consumed in the Mediterranean dietPublication . Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Alves, Rita C.; Barreira, Sérgio; Costa, Anabela S.G.; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.The effect of boiling (10 minutes) on eleven green vegetables frequently consumed in the Mediterranean diet was evaluated. For that, some physicochemical parameters and the contents of vitamin C, phenolics and carotenoids, as well as the antioxidant activity, were determined in raw and boiled samples. The raw vegetables analysed in this study were good sources of vitamin C, carotenoids and phenolic compounds, with contents ranging from 10.6 to 255.1 mg/100 g, 0.03 to 3.29 mg/100 g and 202.9 to 1010.7 mg/100 g, respectively. Boiling promoted losses in different extensions considering both the different bioactive compounds and the distinct vegetables analysed. Contrary to phenolics (more resistant), vitamin C was the most affected compound. Boiling also originated significant losses in the antioxidant activity of the vegetables. Considering all the parameters analysed, the vegetables most affected by boiling were broccoli and lettuce. The least affected ones were collard and tronchuda cabbage.
- Improving bioactive compounds extractability of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) NicolsonPublication . Costa, Anabela S.G.; Barreira, João C.M.; Ruas, Adilson; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Pimentel, Filipa B.; Alves, Rita C.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.Elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson) is an underground, unbranched deciduous plant that produces a large tubercle (rhizome) with recognized health effects. In this study, the influence of solvent nature (water, water/etanol (1:1) and absolute ethanol) and processing type (fresh, lyophilized and boiled) on the antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds extractability of elephant foot yam was evaluated. Extracts were compared for their contents in total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins. Moreover, their antioxidant capacity was assessed by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•) scavenging capacity assays. Phenolics (154 mg GAE/L) and tannins (109 mg GAE/L) were maximized in lyophilized samples extracted with the hydroalcoholic solvent, which attained also the highest FRAP value (711 mg FSE/L). In turn, flavonoids reached the highest yields in lyophilized samples (95 mg ECE/L) extracted with pure ethanol, as well as the highest DPPH• scavenging activity. These findings might have practical applications to define the best processing methodology regarding the enhancement of elephant foot yam, either for prompt consumption, as well as to develop food supplements or pharmaceutical related products.
- Monomeric and oligomeric flavan-3-ols and antioxidant activity of leaves from different Laurus sp.Publication . Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Guido, Luís F.; Costa, Anabela S.G.; Alves, Rita C.; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P. P.The phenolic profile and antioxidant activity of three endemic Laurus sp. from Portugal were analysed. Dried leaves of L. nobilis L., L. azorica (Seub.) Franco, and L. novocanariensis Rivas Mart., Lousã, Fern. Prieto, E. Días, J. C. Costa & C. Aguiar, collected in the mainland and in the Azores and Madeira archipelagos, respectively, were used to prepare different extracts (aqueous, ethanolic and hydroalcoholic). They were studied regarding their DPPH˙ scavenging activity, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and the main phenolic compounds were identified by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS. Total flavonoid contents were 30.1, 46.3, and 36.7 mg of epicatechin equivalents per g of sample (dry weight) for L. nobilis, L. azorica and L. novocanariensis, respectively. Epicatechin was the major compound, representing ∼12.1% of total flavan-3-ols in L. nobilis, ∼25.6% in L. azorica, and ∼19.9% in L. novocanariensis. Although all samples presented a similar phenolic profile, significant differences were observed in their total contents and antioxidant activity.
- A new age for Quercus spp. fruits: review on nutritional and phytochemical composition and related biological activities of acornsPublication . Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Barreira, João C. M.; Costa, Anabela S.G.; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P. P.The current global food system must adapt to the expected growth of world population (about 9 billion individuals by 2050). This adaptation will probably include an increased consumption of edible wild foods, due to their richness in micronutrients and bioactive compounds, besides providing a cost-effective and sustainable way of improving caloric food security. A striking example of such natural matrices is the Quercus genus, which has the additional advantage of being widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In a traditional sense, Quercus fruits (acorns) were mainly used in animal feeding, despite their potentially important role on the rural economy. But this preconception is changing. In fact, their nutritional value, high contents in phytochemical compounds, biological activity (such as antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and cardioprotective properties) and use in the treatment of specific diseases (such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, or Alzheimer's disease) have raised the interest in integrating acorns into the human diet. Accordingly, this comprehensive overview was designed to provide an evidence-based review of the literature, with the objective to achieve useful conclusions regarding the nutritional properties, methodologies of extraction, identification, and characterization of a wide variety of bioactive compounds and scientifically validated bioactivities in Quercus species worldwide. The industrial by-products from acorn oil extraction or flour production are also included. Data regarding the analytical techniques, individual compounds, and their bioactivities, are organized in tables. The reported data are discussed and directions for further investigations are suggested, highlighting the use of acorns in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications.
- Uma nova era para Quercus spp.: sustentabilidade de recursos naturais subvalorizadosPublication . Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Barreira, João C.M.; Costa, Anabela S.G.; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.The genus Quercus spp. belongs to the family Fagaceae, being widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Quercus fruits (acorns) play an important role on the rural economy for animal feeding. However, their nutri!onal value and high phytochemical contents have raised the interest of many researchers looking for underu!lized foods to integrate the human diet. Previous studies highlighted acorns as a rich natural source of essen!al nutrients and individual phytochemicals with an!oxidant, an! tumoral and cardioprotec!ve proper!es. Other reports inclusively described their use in folk medicine for the treatment of atherosclerosis, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. At the industrial level, some Quercus spp. fruits are already used as edible oil and flour, but a wide diversity of other specialty products could be developed. Accordingly, the comprehensive characteriza!on of these fruits may lead to an increase in their added value for further applica!ons in several industries, such as food, pharmaceu!cal, or cosme!cs, genera!ng addi!onal profits and, essen!ally, improving social, economic and environmental sustainability.
- Nutritional, chemical and antioxidant/pro-oxidant profiles of silverskin, a coffee roasting by-productPublication . Costa, Anabela S.G.; Alves, Rita C.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Costa, Elísio; Nunes, M. Antónia; Almeida, Agostinho A.; Santos-Silva, Alice; Oliveira, M. Beatriz .P.P.Coffee silverskin (a coffee roasting by-product) contains high amounts of dietary fibre (49% insoluble and 7% soluble) and protein (19%). Potassium (∼5 g/100 g), magnesium (2 g/100 g) and calcium (0.6 g/100 g) are the major macrominerals. The vitamin E profile of silverskin comprises α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, ɣ-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, β-tocotrienol, ɣ-tocotrienol, and δ-tocotrienol. The fatty acid profile is mainly saturated (C16:0 and C22:0), but the total amount of fat is low (2.4%). Caffeine (1.25 g/100 g), chlorogenic acid (246 mg/100 g), and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5.68 mg/100 g) are also present in silverskin. Total phenolics and flavonoids are partially responsible for the in vitro antioxidant activity. Silverskin extracts protected erythrocytes from oxidative AAPH- and H2O2-induced hemolysis, but at high concentrations a pro-oxidant effect on erythrocyte morphology was observed.