CEBIMED - Books and Book Chapters/ Livros e Capítulos de Livros
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- Determination of heavy metals and other indicators in waters, soils and medicinal plants from Ave valley, in Portugal, and its correlation to urban and industrial pollutionPublication . Pinto, D.; Fernandes, A.; Fernandes, R.; Mendes, I.; Pereira, S.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Herdeiro, T.; Santos, E.; Machado, M.The aim of this study was to evaluate pollution indicators on Rio Ave and surrounding environment, namely water, soil and medicinal plants in order to identify areas where contamination could cause ecosystem degradation. Plants, soil, surface water and ground water samples were collected seasonally at five different sampling sites along the Ave valley. Conductivity, pH, ammonium, nitrite and nitrate contents were evaluated. Cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc were measured in the water, soil and plants by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Results showed an increase on conductivity in waters from the origin to the mouth of the river. Nitrite levels were also higher than expected, especially in areas of wide industrialization and agricultural practices, where fertilizers widely used. Moreover, heavy metals in plants presented higher values when compared to those found in soils revealing that increased levels of heavy metals on soils are reflected similarly in plants. Levels of the analyzed parameters were often close or above to those legally acceptable in water and soils.
- Antimicrobial natural productsPublication . Soares, M.O.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Coutinho, F.; Pires, P.C.Our ethnopharmacological studies, in several Angolan regions, showed that Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf., it´s applied in folk medicine to treat several diseases In order to validate antibacterial activity several studies were performed using 12 bacterial strains. The essencial oil samples of Cymbopogon citratus, obtained by hydro-distillation, were analysed by GC and GC-MS. Constituents were identified and tested for their antimicrobial activity by the disc agar diffusion technique and the dilution technique against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 12228) and other bacterial strains. Broad spectrum antibacterial activity was exhibited by the Cymbopogon citratus essential oil against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as for MRSA that exhibited more sensitive towards the test substance compared to the non-MRSA. Our work was the first to show that Cymbopogon citratus essential oil has higher antibacterial activity against MRSA strains, than commercial antibiotics. These discover opens a new hope to fight against nosocomial infection.
- Cymbopogon citratus EO antimicrobial activity against multi-drug resistant Gram-positive strains and non-albicans-Candida speciesPublication . Soares, M.O.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Barreira, Sérgio; Coutinho, F.; Aires-Gonçalves, S.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Pires, P.C.; Castro, A.We studied the antibacterial and antifungal activity of Cymbopogon citratus. These properties were studied on hospital isolated multidrug resistant strains Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and their respective ATCC control strains. Pathogenic Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida tropicalis were also tested. Results of the present investigation provide evidence that the EO of Cymbopogon citratus could have a potential application in the treatment and prevention of diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus methicillin-resistant strains and by vancomicin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis. Cymbopogon citratus EO is also effective against Candida albicans as well as the emerging Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis pointing to its usefulness as an antifungal agent.
- Coffee industrial waste as a natural source of bioactive compounds with antibacterial and antifungal activitiesPublication . Silva, Carla Sousa e; Gabriel, Carla; Cerqueira, Fátima; Manso, M. Conceição; Vinha, A. F.Coffee is one of the most popular and consumed beverages in the world, which leads to a high contents of solid residue known as spent coffee grounds (SCG). As is known, coffee beans contain several classes of health related chemicals, including phenolic compounds, melanoidins, diterpenes, xanthines and carotenoids which are associated with therapeutic and pharmaceutical effects, due to antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-infectious and antitumour activities. Considering that this coffee industrial waste has no commercial value and are currently disposed as a solid waste or employed as fertilizers, we intend to highlight the use of SCG as a raw material with potential interest to the food and pharmaceutical industries. Moreover, this work seems to be valuable to promote the use of SCG as natural and an inexpensive food supplements or pharmaceutical additive. The phytochemical compounds content among the crude aqueous extracts of SCG followed this order: phenolics > flavonoids > carotenoids (mg/ g dry waste), respectively. Caffeine content found in SCG was ~ 0.82 g/100 g dry waste, 70 % lower than coffee roasting beans. Coffee ground extracts showed inhibition to S. aureus and E. coli growth for concentrations of 1.0 mg/ mL and a stronger inhibition was also observed against C. albicans, C. krusei and C. parapsilosis growth using lower concentration (0.5 mg/ mL).
- State of the art in coffee processing by-productsPublication . Alves, Rita C.; Rodrigues, Francisca; Nunes, M. Antónia; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.This chapter describes the steps involved in coffee processing from the field to the cup and the respective generation of by-products along the chain. The chemical composition of coffee husks, pulp, immature, and defective beans, coffee silverskin, and spent coffee grounds is detailed and methods for the sustainable management of these by-products are addressed, as well as legislative frameworks and policy recommendations. Although coffee by-products have a high potential of application in different fields, more integrated strategies with the involvement of coffee producers, industries, academic institutions, governmental and nongovernmental organizations are still needed to convert coffee by-products into really profitable substrates.
- Antibacterial and antimalarial activity of Angolan Cymbopogon citratus essential oilPublication . Pires, P.P. Catarino; Sekhoacha, M.; Matsabisa, M.; Tselanyane, M.; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Soares, M.O.Bacterial infections and malaria remain a major public health problem due to the emergence and spread of drug resistant strains. There is an urgent need to investigate new sources of antibacterial and antimalarial drugs, which are more effective. One of the potential sources of antibacterial and antimalarial drugs is traditional medicinal plants. Our ethnopharmacological studies, in several Angolan regions, showed that Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf., has high bioactivity against bacterial infections and malaria. The constituents of Cymbopogon citratus essential oil (CCEO), obtained by hydro-distillation, were analysed by GC and GC-MS and identified from their retention indices and mass spectra. The antimicrobial activity of CCEO and major natural volatile compounds were tested against several bacterial strains. The antimalarial assays where performed in continuous in vitro cultures of asexual erythrocyte stages of P. falciparum using the parasite lactate dehydrogenase assay. CCEO exhibits broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Our results showed that multi-resistant Stafilococus aureus (MRSA) isolates were more sensitive to CCEO than non-MRSA. When tested against MRSA resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid combination, penicillin G and methicillin, CCEO shows a significant increase in bactericidal activity when compared with the commercial antibiotics. The same results were obtained using vancomycin resistant S. epidermidis and other strains. Regarding the anti-malaria activity, test samples where considered active for in vitro antimalarial activity exhibiting IC50 values of 5.34±1.01 μg/ml and 7.06±0.47 μg/ml. Our work shows that CCEO has higher antibacterial activity than commercial antibiotics against MRSA strains, as well as antimalarial activity. This offers opportunities for clinical treatments since preliminary in vivo studies showed no toxic effects and high antimalarial activity.
- Desperdícios da vinicultura: potenciais aplicações e sustentabilidade - subprodutos da produção vinícolaPublication . Silva, Carla Sousa e; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Nunes, AnaAtualmente, a União Europeia encoraja o uso de subprodutos agroalimentares como forma de diminuir desperdícios alimentares, promovendo simultaneamente o aproveitamento dos recursos biológicos e a inovação. Portugal é um importante produtor de vinho, com as exportações a aumentar, o que demonstra o dinamismo do setor. O vinho e a vinha têm, na sua constituição, compostos fortemente antioxidantes e com um amplo espetro de propriedades biológicas passíveis de serem extraídas. Os polifenóis são um exemplo de compostos bioativos de grande relevância, apresentando diferentes propriedades fisiológicas, tais como antioxidante, cardioprotetora, anticancerígena, anti-inflamatória, antimicrobiana, entre outras. Como tal, os subprodutos e desperdícios da produção vinícola têm potenciais aplicações diversas, de que são exemplo, alimentos funcionais, suplementos dietéticos, produtos farmacêuticos e cosméticos. O benefício do consumo de vinho tinto é já reconhecido, sendo este associado à presença de certos compostos polifenólicos, tais como resveratrol, quercetina e catequina, no entanto, estes não são suficientes para caracterizar o vinho como alimento funcional. Por esse motivo, o interesse por ingredientes funcionais com base em extratos de vinho de uva e de videira tem vindo a aumentar, fomentando o conceito de sustentabilidade.
- CosmeticsPublication . Rodrigues, Francisca; Cádiz-Gurrea, María de la Luz; Nunes, M. Antónia; Pinto, Diana; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Borrás Linares, Isabel; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.; Segura Carretero, AntonioThe cosmetic industry is a prosperous global business. According to the Cosmetics Europe—The Personal Care Association, 450 million of Europeans daily use a wide variety of cosmetic products, such as soap, shampoo, hair conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream, skincare, perfume, or make-up. Innovation is one of the basic principles in this field. Over the past 20 years, the innovation in cosmetic industry is enormous, resulting in a wide range of products to protect and moisturize skin as well as to combat inflammation and age signals. Also, consumers are more concerned about their appearance, trying to accept the new society paradigms. On the other hand, the demand for natural cosmetics is stronger than ever, being now widely considered a serious threat to the worldwide economy and society. These new concepts had improved the use of natural extracts as active ingredients in cosmetics, leading to the reuse of old-style active ingredients obtained from natural sources, as well as to new green compounds obtained considering sustainable principles.
- Nutrigenomics and polyphenolsPublication . Nunes, M. Antónia; Rodrigues, Francisca; Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Alves, Rita C.; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.The human body is continuously exposed throughout life to a complex mixture of foods, composed by thousands of chemicals, many of them unknown. Each nutrient can have different biochemical targets and physiological functions. Moreover, the assessment of individual nutrients effect on health is complex since nutrients are consumed on a dietary mixture and not individually. Thus, food intake is one of the environmental factors that most influences the human biological system.
- Natural pigments and colorants in foods and bevaragesPublication . Ferreira da Vinha, Ana; Rodrigues, Francisca; Nunes, M. Antónia; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.It is common knowledge that humans are strongly influenced by color. The color phenomenon can have several origins, since dispersion to light absorption, occurring different phenomena that originate a range of colors found in nature. As a matter of fact, color is the first notable characteristic of a food or a beverage and often predetermines our expectation of flavor and taste. In general, consumers recognize colors with natural sources, as yellow of “lemon,” pink of “grapefruit,” red of “strawberries,” and blue of “blueberries.” In the case of beverages, the behavior is quite identical. Since oranges are orange, it is expected that orange-colored drinks present orange flavor. Similarly, red drinks should taste like cherries, and purple drinks should taste like grapes. Indeed, it has been recognized that color constitutes one of the most visual predicates concerning sensory properties, as taste and flavor of food and beverage. Coloring food and beverage is not a new subject matter.
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