Browsing by Author "Ferreira, Helena"
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- Agenda 21 local e alterações climáticasPublication . Macedo, Pedro; Ferreira, Helena; Macedo, Marta
- Benefits of pulse consumption on metabolism and health: a systematic review of randomized controlled trialsPublication . Ferreira, Helena; Vasconcelos, Marta; Gil, Ana M.; Pinto, ElisabetePulses are nutrient-dense foods that have for a long time been empirically known to have beneficial effects in human health. In the last decade, several studies have gathered evidence of the metabolic benefits of pulse intake. However, it remains unclear at what amounts these effects may be attained. This study aimed to systematically review the scientific outputs of the last two decades regarding health benefits of pulse consumption and the amounts necessary for positive outcomes to be achieved. A PubMed search including keywords [(“dietary pulses”, “pulses”, “legumes”, “grain legumes”, “bean”, “chickpea”, “pea”, “lentil”, “cowpea”, “faba bean”, “lupin”) and (“inflammation”, “inflammatory markers”, “C-reactive protein”, “blood lipids”, “cholesterol”, “cardiometabolic health”, “cardiovascular disease”, “diabetes”, “glycaemia”, “insulin”, “HOMA-IR”, “body weight”, “body fat”, “obesity”, “overweight”, “metabolome”, “metabolic profile”, “metabolomics”, “biomarkers”, “microbiome”, “microbiota”, “gut”)] was performed. Only English written papers referring to human dietary interventions, longer than one day, focusing on whole pulses intake, were included. Most of the twenty eligible publications reported improvements in blood lipid profile, blood pressure, inflammation biomarkers, as well as, in body composition, resulting from pulse daily amounts of 150 g (minimum-maximum: 54-360 g/day; cooked). Concerns regarding methodological approaches are evident and the biochemical mechanisms underlying such effects require further investigation.
- Impact of a daily legume-based meal on blood and anthropometric parameters in a group of omnivorous adults: a pilot studyPublication . Ferreira, Helena; Vasconcelos, Marta; Gil, Ana M.; Silveira, Joana; Alves, Paulo; Martins, Sandra; Assunção, Marco; Guimarães, João Tiago; Pinto, ElisabeteThis pilot study aimed to assess the impact of substituting a traditional lunch for a vegetarian legume-based meal on blood and anthropometric parameters in a group of omnivorous adults. A one-group comparison, quasi-experimental dietary intervention was designed. A vegetarian legume-based meal was offered for 8 consecutive weeks (weekdays) to non-vegetarian individuals (n = 26), (28 years [P25 = 20.0, P75 = 35.5]; 21.9 kg/m2 [P25 = 21.3, P75 = 24.8]). Sociodemographic data, health status and lifestyle-related information were recorded. Three-day food records were used to collect food intake at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Anthropometric parameters were recorded and fasting blood analyses were performed following standard procedures. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for statistical comparisons. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Participants showed a median intake of 79.8 g of cooked legumes per meal, meaning 13 (50.0%) subjects met the Portuguese daily legume intake recommendations during the intervention days. There were no statistically significant differences in anthropometric parameters. Transferrin concentration increased after 8 weeks (+12.5 mg/dL; p = 0.001). Total cholesterol concentration reduced after 8 weeks (−6 mg/dL; p = 0.041), as well as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (−7 mg/dL; p = 0.003). Triglycerides (+9 mg/dL; p = 0.046), fasting glucose (+2 mg/dL; p = 0.037) and HbA1c (+0.1 mg/dL; p = 0.010) concentration increased after the 2-month legume-based trial. Results suggest a cholesterol-lowering potential of legume-rich diets. However, unfavourable results regarding the impact on glucose metabolism-related biomarkers and triglyceride levels were observed. The study's limitations in design and sample size emphasise the importance of conducting further research with larger cohorts to attain more conclusive findings.
- Impact of a legumes diet on the human gut microbiome articulated with fecal and plasma metabolomes: a pilot studyPublication . Ferreira, Helena; Duarte, Daniela; Carneiro, Tatiana J.; Costa, Célia; Barbosa, Joana C.; Rodrigues, João E.; Alves, Paulo; Vasconcelos, Marta; Pinto, Elisabete; Gomes, Ana; Gil, Ana M.Background & aims: Legumes intake is known to be associated with several health benefits the origins of which is still a matter of debate. This paper addresses a pilot small cohort to probe for metabolic aspects of the interplay between legumes intake, human metabolism and gut microbiota. Methods: Untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics of blood plasma and fecal extracts was carried out, in tandem with qPCR analysis of feces, to assess the impact of an 8-week pilot legumes diet intervention on the fecal and plasma metabolomes and gut microbiota of 19 subjects. Results: While the high inter-individual variability hindered the detection of statistically significant changes in the gut microbiome, increased fecal glucose and decreased threonine levels were noted. Correlation analysis between the microbiome and fecal metabolome lead to putative hypotheses regarding the metabolic activities of prevalent bacteria groups (Clostridium leptum subgroup, Roseburia spp., and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii). These included elevated fecal glucose as a preferential energy source, the involvement of valerate/isovalerate and reduced protein degradation in gut microbiota. Plasma metabolomics advanced mannose and betaine as potential markers of legume intake and unveiled a decrease in formate and ketone bodies, the latter suggesting improved energy utilization through legume carbohydrates. Amino acid metabolism was also apparently affected, as suggested by lowered urea, histidine and threonine levels. Conclusions: Despite the high inter-individual gut microbiome variability characterizing the small cohort addressed, combination of microbiological measurements and untargeted metabolomics unveiled several metabolic effects putatively related to legumes intake. If confirmed in larger cohorts, our findings will support the inclusion of legumes in diets and contribute valuable new insight into the origins of associated health benefits.
- Impact of a pulse-based vegetarian lunch meal on the modulation of gut bacterial populationsPublication . Ferreira, Helena; Barbosa, Joana; Costa, Célia; Vasconcelos, Marta W.; Gomes, Ana; Gil, Ana M.; Pinto, ElisabeteIntroduction: The current global trend to adopt more plant-based diets is expected to increase the intake of pulses in the near future, given their potential as eco-friendly nutrient-rich alternatives to animal-based protein food sources. Still, more comprehensive data, as well as higher quality food intervention trials, are needed to fully understand the health benefits of such dietary shift, namely at the gut microbiota level. In this context, the use of molecular biology research tools, such as quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) could be useful to monitor the dietary modulation of gut bacterial populations. Objectives: To investigate the modulation of gut bacterial populations after an 8-week pulse-based food intervention using qPCR optimized for 5 bacterial genera.Methods: Non-vegetarian healthy young adults were asked to replace a typical omnivorous lunch meal with a vegetarian pulse-based meal, 5 times per week, for 8 consecutive weeks. Stool samples were collected at weeks 0 (baseline) and 8 and total DNA was extracted using NZY Tissue gDNA isolation Kit (NZYTech, Lisbon, Portugal). A specific sequence region of the gene 16S rRNA was quantified using qPCR specific for the following bacteria: Akkermansia muciciphilamuciniphila, Roseburia spp., BiffidobacteriumBifidobacterium spp., Clostridium leptum subgroup, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, was quantified using qPCR. Results: A total of 50 stool samples, from a group of 25 individuals, were collected and analyzed using qPCR. Results revealed an evident interindividual variability after the 8-week pulse-based food intervention, apparently with no clear net tendency on the modulation of the analyzed gut bacterial sub-groups analyzed. Conclusion: An 8-week pulse-based food intervention caused different gut bacteria modulation in each individual, masking any potential generalized effects of the diet. This highlights the need for personalized approaches concerning health and nutrition research fields.
- Impact of pulse consumption on metabolism and health: a systematic reviewPublication . Ferreira, Helena; Vasconcelos, Marta; Gil, Ana; Pinto, Elisabete
- Influence of PDLA nanoparticles size on drug release and interaction with cellsPublication . Cartaxo, Ana Luísa; Costa-Pinto, Ana R.; Martins, Albino; Faria, Susana; Gonçalves, Virgínia M. F.; Tiritan, Maria Elizabeth; Ferreira, Helena; Neves, Nuno M.Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) are strong candidates for the development of systemic and targeted drug delivery applications. Their size is a determinant property since it defines the NP–cell interactions, drug loading capacity, and release kinetics. Herein, poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLA) NPs were produced by the nanoprecipitationmethod, in which the influence of type and concentration of surfactant as well as PDLA concentration were assessed. The adjustment of these parameters allowed the successful production of NPs with defined medium sizes, ranging from 80 to 460 nm. The surface charge of the different NPs populations was consistently negative. Prednisolone was effectively entrapped and released from NPs with statistically different medium sizes (i.e., 80 or 120 nm). Release profiles indicate that these systems were able to deliver appropriate amounts of drug with potential applicability in the treatment of inflammatory conditions. Both NPs populations were cytocompatible with human endothelial and fibroblastic cells, in the range of concentrations tested (0.187–0.784 mg/mL). However, confocal microscopy revealed that within the range of sizes tested in our experiments, NPs presenting amedium size of 120 nmwere able to be internalized in endothelial cells. In summary, this study demonstrates the optimization of the processing conditions to obtain PDLA NPs with narrow size ranges, and with promising performance for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
- Legumes as a cornerstone of the transition toward more sustainable agri-food systems and diets in EuropePublication . Ferreira, Helena; Pinto, Elisabete; Vasconcelos, Marta W.Legume grains are important sources of nutrients in human and animal diets and have been so for millennia. Their history as part of traditional diets dates to the origins of agriculture when their benefits for soil health and agricultural productivity started to be realized, mostly empirically, by farmers. In time, legumes have lost their popularity as human food, either because of a negative connotation as “poor man's meat,” occasional gastrointestinal side effects, or habitually longer preparation times when compared to other types of plant foods. Also, the steep rise in the consumption of meat derived foods in the last half of a century has taken a toll on replacing legumes as a major protein source. Alongside this negative trend in consumption, a negative drift in production was also observed, especially in Europe, where legumes currently occupy a minimal fraction of agricultural land. One of the main factors is a loss in competitive edge amongst farmers due to sustained lower public and private investments in breeding programs and legume adapted technology for planting, managing, harvesting, processing, and storing, when compared to cereals. Recently, increased awareness of the need to move to sustainable food systems is revitalizing legume production and consumption in Europe, leading to a compilation of policies and initiatives that aim to put legumes again as foundations for this transition. Legumes have been reinvented in a multitude of products (drinks, cereal bars, bread, meat replacers, snacks, flours, and several others) and included in farming systems of conservation agriculture, organic production, intercropping, and crop rotation, combining ancient traditions of legume production “with a spin,” incorporating new legume technological knowledge in farming systems. However, the transition has been slow and hampered by many cultural, societal, political, and economic impediments. This paper summarizes initiatives that aim to enable the comeback of legumes and their placement in a more prominent position in human diets and agricultural fields and highlights strategies that aim at overcoming the obstacles that impede achieving the development of more sustainable agri-food systems and sustainable diets in Europe.
- Policy brief: pulses on the menuPublication . Balázs, Bálint; Centofanti, Tiziana; Kelemen, Ezster; Vasconcelos, Marta; Santos, Carla; Pinto, Elisabete; Ferreira, Helena; Gomes, Ana; Iannetta, Pietro
- Sardine roe as a source of lipids to produce liposomesPublication . Guedes, Marta; Costa-Pinto, Ana Rita; Gonçalves, Virgínia; Moreira-Silva, Joana; Tiritan, Maria; Reis, Rui L.; Ferreira, Helena; Neves, Nuno M.Sea-derived materials have promising applications in the medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological fields. Fish roe, for example, is a highly nutritional product, presenting diverse beneficial effects on human health. Therefore, this work explored extracts of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) roe, due to the well-known health benefits of this fish, to produce novel and promising delivery systems. After morphological, histological, and histochemical characterizations of sardine roe, their lipids were extracted using two different approaches, namely, Bligh and Dyer (BD) and methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) methods. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses demonstrated that lipid extracts contain several fatty acids, such as ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The lipids, especially phospholipids, were used to produce multilamellar liposomes (MLVs). These delivery systems presented size heterogeneity, a negative surface charge, and the ability to control the release of the encapsulated anti-inflammatory drug, namely, celecoxib. Biological assays indicated that MLVs produced with MTBE lipidic extracts presented a better cytocompatibility than those obtained by the BD method. This can be further improved if the lipid extracts are processed by chemical extraction. Therefore, sardine roe-derived lipids can produce drug-delivery systems with the potential to be applied in the biomedical field.