Browsing by Author "Cunha, Sara"
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- Antimicrobial resistance profile of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from foodPublication . Castro, Ana; Palhau, Carla; Cunha, Sara; Camarinha, Sofia; Silva, Joana; Teixeira, Paula
- Bioactive peptides produced from the mussel mytilus galloprovincialis by enzymatic hydrolysis with corolasePublication . Cunha, Sara; Castro, Rita de; Coscueta, Ezequiel; Pintado, Manuela
- Enhancing storage stability of smoke-flavored horse mackerel filets using natural extracts as preservativesPublication . Barros, Diana; Nova, Paulo; Cunha, Sara; Monteiro, Vitor; Fernandes, Élia; Pereira-Pinto, Ricardo; Barbosa, Carla; Pintado, Maria; Gomes, Ana; Vaz-Velho, ManuelaThe Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) is a globally favored fish due to its abundance, nutritional value, and affordability, but it faces quality preservation challenges. To address this, this study aimed to enhance its value by creating low-salt smoked products with natural bioactive compounds from seafood and forest sources. The fish filets were divided into four groups: one as a control, and the others were treated with various bioactive extract solutions, specifically pine bark, mussels, and microalgae. After 15 days of storage at 4°C, significant differences in properties were observed. Moisture and salt had an inverse relationship, with decreasing moisture and pH over time. Oxidation levels remained acceptable, although sensory quality was affected by storage. Microbiological analysis uncovered high contamination levels in certain samples at specific points in time, although no pathogens such as Salmonella spp. or Listeria monocytogenes were detected. While microalgae extract was the most powerful antioxidant, its performance was hampered by the poor sensory scores. On the other hand, pine bark extract was the most acceptable from a sensory point of view and revealed some antimicrobial inhibition. Using natural antioxidants provides an appealing solution for consumers seeking products with clean labels.
- Hydrolysates of mytilus galloprovincialis as a source of bioactive compoundsPublication . Cunha, Sara; Coscueta, Ezequiel; Nova, Paulo; Costa-Pinto, Ana Rita; Sarmento, Bruno; Pintado, Manuela
- Impact of gastrointestinal digestion on the bioactivity and bioaccessibility of carotenoids and phenolic compounds from algaePublication . Coelho, Marta; Rocha, Helena; Cunha, Sara; Morais, Rui; Gomes, Ana Maria; Pintado, Manuela
- Impacto das algas nas doenças cerebrais: estudos exploratóriosPublication . Cunha, Sara; Batista, PatríciaO ambiente marinho é conhecido pela enorme diversidade de organismos vivos, entre as quais as algas. As algas marinhas foram identificadas como um recurso vegetal subexplorado, embora tenham sido reconhecidas há muito tempo como fontes valiosas de compostos bioativos. Nos últimos anos, as atividades biológicas, o valor nutricional e os potenciais benefícios para a saúde das algas têm sido intensamente investigados. Atualmente, várias linhas de investigação exploram as atividades biológicas e os efeitos neuroprotetores destes recursos naturais, incluindo atividade antioxidante, anti-inflamatória, inibidora da colinesterase e inibição da morte neuronal, fundamentais na prevenção de doenças cerebrais. As algas são há muito reconhecidas pelas suas propriedades benéficas para a saúde, mas apenas recentemente o seu potencial neuroprotector tem sido extensivamente investigado. O desenvolvimento de novos produtos farmacêuticos, nutracêuticos e alimentos funcionais está a crescer, assim como, a necessidade de aumentar a investigação na área das neurociências para uma melhor compreensão dos mecanismos de actuação das algas no cérebro e nas patologias associadas. Esta revisão, centra-se na apresentação do impacto de alguns tipos de algas na prevenção de doenças cerebrais, permitindo o aumento da literacia em saúde e sensibilização para o desenvolvimento de investigação nesta área.
- Microalgae, a potential source of protein and bioactive peptidesPublication . Cunha, Sara; Coscueta, Ezequiel; Castro, Rita de; Silva, Joana Laranjeira; Pintado, Manuela
- Nannochloropsis oceanica: a source of bioactive peptidesPublication . Cunha, Sara; Coscueta, Ezequiel; Silva, Joana Laranjeira; Pintado, Manuela
- Optimization of bioactive peptides extraction from chlorella vulgarisPublication . Cunha, Sara; Coscueta, Ezequiel; Silva, Joana Laranjeira; Pintado, Manuela
- Optimization of bioactive peptides extraction from chlorella vulgarisPublication . Cunha, Sara; Coscueta, Ezequiel; Silva, Joana Laranjeira; Pintado, ManuelaChlorella vulgaris may be a source of several interesting compounds, as bioactive peptides with anticancer, antioxidant, anti-hypertensive activities. Furthermore, microalgae peptides may also be of great interest due to their functional properties as solubility, emulsifying and foaming properties, which could be beneficial for industrial application. The microalgae cell wall is rich in polysaccharides making it rigid and difficult to digest and, consequently, limiting the extraction of proteins and generation of peptides. Whereby it is important to break cell wall to achieve a more efficient peptide extraction. Therefore, this work aimed to obtain an optimized microalgae extract rich in bioactive peptides, through the combination of acid and enzymatic hydrolysis. Chlorella vulgaris was submitted to several extraction conditions, with variable factors including temperature, pH values, enzymes type, enzymes concentration, incubation time, use of salts and acids. The best factors were chosen after the determination of protein concentration (Bicinchoninic acid assay) and hydrolysis degree (2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene-l -Sulfonic Acid Method). A combination of an acid and an enzymatic hydrolysis, with a cellulase and a protease, appeared to be the best method to achieve protein and peptide extraction. The antioxidant and anti-hypertensive activities of peptides were tested by Oxygen-radical absorbance-capacity assay and ACE-inhibitory activity assay, respectively. To confirm the optimal extraction conditions, an experimental design was performed using statgraphic centurion software. Factorial design allowed an evaluation of the effect of three factors (protease concentration, temperature and hydrolysis time) on protein release and extracts bioactivities. The best extracts showed high antioxidant (34 μmol Trolox Equivalent/mg sample) and anti-hypertensive (IC50 of 12,75 μg protein/mL) activities. Thus, the factorial design allowed to confirm the combination of experimental factors that leads to the most efficient extraction of antioxidant and anti-hypertensive peptides, validating the studied extraction method. The obtained peptide extract may be further tested toward the development of functional foods.