Browsing by Author "Pereira, Joana Odila"
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- An eco-friendly and up-scalable approach to extract canthaxanthin from yeast cellsPublication . Pereira, Ana M.; Durão, Joana; Pereira, Joana Odila; Ferreira, Carlos; Faustino, Margarida; Oliveira, Ana Sofia; Pereira, Carla F.; Pintado, Manuela E.; Carvalho, Ana P.Canthaxanthin is a naturally occurring ketocarotenoid pigment present in plants, algae, bacteria and some fungi. In addition to its coloring role, canthaxanthin has an excellent antioxidant activity, thus having additional market demands in the feed, food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Canthaxanthin can be directly isolated from its natural source or produced by chemical synthesis, but these strategies either result in low yields, or use hazardous solvents, respectively. Therefore, the biosynthesis of canthaxanthin using microbial cell factories is becoming an advantageous alternative. Furthermore, microbial synthesis represents an economic and sustainable approach as it enables the use of agriculture and industrial wastes as substrates. In this work, the extraction, recovery and purification of canthaxanthin from modified yeasts using food grade solvents and up-scalable methodologies was studied. The resulting canthaxanthin-enriched extract was characterized (UV-Vis, PXRD and SEM) and quantified (HPLC), resulting in a canthaxanthin purity of 43.7 % (w/w).
- Cereal bars functionalized through Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and inulin incorporated in edible coatings of whey protein isolate or alginatePublication . Pereira, Joana Odila; Soares, José; Monteiro, Maria J. P.; Amaro, Ana; Gomes, Ana; Pintado, ManuelaCurrently, cereal bars are gaining interest globally because of their nutritionally balanced and convenient nature. One healthy strategy is to add probiotics to cereal bars, to make them a functional food product. So, in this study a cereal bar functionalized with edible coatings of whey protein isolate (WPI) and alginate (ALG) incorporated with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and inulin was developed and evaluated for its consumer acceptability and physicochemical and microbiological properties, throughout 90 days of storage. WPI-coated cereal bars were shown to be the solution that better maintained the level of the incorporated probiotic strain when compared to the ones coated with ALG, throughout storage and throughout in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The physicochemical properties of the bars, namely aw, moisture content, color and texture, were not altered during the storage period. The sensory evaluation showed that coated bars were accepted as well as control bars. Moreover, the consumers appreciated better the odor and flavor of WPI-coated bars than those of ALG-coated bars.
- Characterization of edible films based on alginate or whey protein incorporated with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and prebioticsPublication . Pereira, Joana Odila; Soares, José; Costa, Eduardo; Silva, Sara; Gomes, Ana; Pintado, ManuelaRecently, edible films were shown to be an effective strategy for the delivery of functional ingredients, such as probiotics and prebiotics. With that in mind, two soluble fibres (inulin and fructooligosaccharides) were selected as prebiotic elements, in whey protein isolate (WPI) and alginate (ALG) matrices plasticized with glycerol and used for the incorporation of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12. The results obtained showed that the viability of the B. animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 probiotic strain was maintained within the minimum threshold (10(6) CFU/g) necessary to act as a probiotic throughout 60 days of storage at 23 degrees C. The incorporation of prebiotic compounds improved B. animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 viability, with inulin showing the best performance, as it maintained the viability at 7.34 log CFU/g. The compositional characteristics (biopolymer type and prebiotics addition) of the film forming solutions had no significant impact upon the viability of the probiotic strain. The incorporation of probiotics and prebiotics did not modify the infrared spectra, revealing that the molecular structure of the films was not modified. The moisture content and water solubility decreased positively in WPI- and ALG-based films with the addition of prebiotics compounds. Overall, the results obtained in this work support the use of WPI films containing inulin as a good strategy to immobilize B. animalis subsp. lactis BB-12, with potential applications in the development of functional foods.
- Comparative analysis of mannans extraction processes from spent yeast saccharomyces cerevisiaePublication . Faustino, Margarida; Durão, Joana; Pereira, Carla F.; Oliveira, Ana Sofia; Pereira, Joana Odila; Pereira, Ana M.; Ferreira, Carlos; Pintado, Manuela E.; Carvalho, Ana P.Mannans are outstanding polysaccharides that have gained exponential interest over the years. These polysaccharides may be extracted from the cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and recovered from the brewing or synthetic biology industries, among others. In this work, several extraction processes—physical, chemical and enzymatic—were studied, all aiming to obtain mannans from spent yeast S. cerevisiae. Their performance was evaluated in terms of yield, mannose content and cost. The resultant extracts were characterized in terms of their structure (FT-IR, PXRD and SEM), physicochemical properties (color, molecular weight distribution, sugars, protein, ash and water content) and thermal stability (DSC). The biological properties were assessed through the screening of prebiotic activity in Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium animalis. The highest yield (58.82%) was achieved by using an alkaline thermal process, though the correspondent mannose content was low. The extract obtained by autolysis followed by a hydrothermal step resulted in the highest mannose content (59.19%). On the other hand, the extract obtained through the enzymatic hydrolysis displayed the highest prebiotic activity. This comparative study is expected to lay the scientific foundation for the obtention of well-characterized mannans from yeast, which will pave the way for their application in various fields.
- Development of a cashew nut coated with bioactive whey peptide extract with antihipertensivePublication . Pereira, Joana Odila; Amorim, Manuela; Silva, L. B.; Ormenese, R.C.S.C.; Pacheco, M.T.B.; Pintado, ManuelaThere is a growing concern in the consumer’s habits seeking healthy foods, which has opened new markets for functional foods. This global demand led to the development of functional foods, searching new ingredients to incorporate into conventional foods. Whey proteins are studied not only from the nutritional and functional properties, but also as a source of peptides that may exert biological functions, particularly antihypertensive activity. These bioactive peptides are released by enzymatic hydrolysis and according the final composition they may exert biological activities. Cashew nut was used as matrix for incorporation functional ingredients due to its nutritional properties conveyed by the high content of folic acid and essential fatty acids. The aim of this study was to develop a cashew nut coated with peptide fraction obtained from whey and to evaluate the antihypertensive activity and consumer acceptance of the new functional cashew nuts. The fraction with MW < 3000 Da was obtained by hydrolysis of whey with Cynara cardunculus followed by nanofiltration to obtain low MW fraction, exhibited very high ACE-inhibitory activity, IC50 12.8 μg /mL protein. The incorporation of peptides (2 %) in cashew nut led to a reduction to values of ACEinhibitory activity, 532.2 μg/mL. However, this is close the values reported by other products in the market claiming antihypertensive activity. In the formulation there is space to increase concentration and biological activity. Nevertheless, it is important to highlight that the antihypertensive activity was not lost even when high temperatures during coating and processing of the product were used. The sensory analysis of the functional cashew nut showed high acceptability by the consumers. Our results suggest that the application of these bioactive peptide extracts with antihypertensive activity in the development of a new snacks with reduce salt content is promising in the improvement of new value-added food products.
- Edible films as carrier for lactic acid bacteriaPublication . Pereira, Joana Odila; Soares, José; Sousa, Sérgio; Madureira, Ana Raquel; Gomes, Ana M. P.; Pintado, M. E.The use of edible coatings and films formulated with bioactive compounds in food products in order to convey new functionalities or extend shelf-life opens new possibilities as a carrier for functional lactic acid bacteria. In this work the main objective was to study the stability of probiotic microorganisms, viz. Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12® and Lactobacillus casei-01, in edible film formulations based on whey protein isolate (WPI). The results demonstrated a loss of bacterial cell viability of ca. 3 log cycles (reaching 106 CFU/g film) until 60 d at both 23 and 4 C, noting that the most marked decrease was at 23 C for both strains. Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12® remained viable for a longer period of time and with less decrease in its cell numbers (108 CFU/g film). Physical properties, namely color, water activity, thickness, young’s modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break and the molecular structure of WPI films were maintained stable throughout the storage period at both temperatures tested. Edible films incorporated with probiotics can be good carriers for these to be ingested together with food products.
- Effect of drying technology in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mannans: structural, physicochemical, and functional propertiesPublication . Faustino, Margarida; Pereira, Carla F.; Durão, Joana; Oliveira, Ana Sofia; Pereira, Joana Odila; Ferreira, Carlos; Pintado, Manuela E.; Carvalho, Ana P.Mannans are polysaccharides whose physicochemical and biological properties render them commercialization in several products. Since these properties are strongly dependent on production conditions, the present study aims to assess the impact of different drying technologies – freeze (FDM) and spray drying (SDM) – on the structural, physicochemical, and biological properties of mannans from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Structural analysis was assessed by FT-IR, PXRD and SEM, whereas physicochemical properties were evaluated based on sugars, protein, ash and water contents, solubility, and molecular weight distribution. Thermal behaviour was analysed by DSC, and antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS assays. The parameters which revealed major differences, in terms of structural and physicochemical properties regarded morphology (SEM), physical appearance (colour), moisture (3.6 ± 0.1 % and 11.9 ± 0.6% for FDM and SDM, respectively) and solubility (1 mg/mL for FDM and 25 mg/mL for SDM). Nevertheless, these differences were not translated into the antioxidant capacity.
- Effect of mannan oligosaccharides extracts in uropathogenic escherichia coli adhesion in human bladder cellsPublication . Faustino, Margarida; Silva, Sara; Costa, Eduardo; Pereira, Joana Odila; Pereira, Ana Margarida; Pereira, Carla F.; Durão, Joana; Pintado, Manuela E.; Carvalho, Ana P.
- Effect of mannan oligosaccharides extracts in uropathogenic escherichia coli adhesion in human bladder cellsPublication . Faustino, Margarida; Silva, Sara; Costa, Eduardo M.; Pereira, Ana Margarida; Pereira, Joana Odila; Oliveira, Ana Sofia; Ferreira, Carlos M. H.; Pereira, Carla F.; Durão, Joana; Pintado, Manuela E.; Carvalho, Ana P.Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common public health problem, mainly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Patients with chronic UTIs are usually treated with long-acting prophylactic antibiotics, which promotes the development of antibiotic-resistant UPEC strains and may complicate their long-term management. D-mannose and extracts rich in D-mannose such as mannan oligosaccharides (MOS; D-mannose oligomers) are promising alternatives to antibiotic prophylaxis due to their ability to inhibit bacterial adhesion to urothelial cells and, therefore, infection. This highlights the therapeutic potential and commercial value of using them as health supplements. Studies on the effect of MOS in UTIs are, however, scarce. Aiming to evaluate the potential benefits of using MOS extracts in UTIs prophylaxis, their ability to inhibit the adhesion of UPEC to urothelial cells and its mechanism of action were assessed. Additionally, the expression levels of the pro-inflammatory marker interleukin 6 (IL-6) were also evaluated. After characterizing their cytotoxic profiles, the preliminary results indicated that MOS extracts have potential to be used for the handling of UTIs and demonstrated that the mechanism through which they inhibit bacterial adhesion is through the competitive inhibition of FimH adhesins through the action of mannose, validated by a bacterial growth impact assessment.
- Impact of whey protein coating incorporated with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus on sliced ham propertiesPublication . Pereira, Joana Odila; Soares, José; Monteiro, Maria João P.; Gomes, Ana; Pintado, ManuelaEdible coatings/films with functional ingredients may be a solution to consumers' demands for high-quality food products and an extended shelf-life. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficiency of edible coatings incorporated with probiotics on sliced ham preservation. Coatings was developed based on whey protein isolates with incorporation of Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12® or Lactobacillus casei-01. The physicochemical analyses showed that coating decreased water and weight loss on the ham. Furthermore, color analysis showed that coated sliced ham, exhibited no color change, comparatively to uncoated slices. The edible coatings incorporating the probiotic strains inhibited detectable growth of Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae and yeasts/molds, at least, for 45 days of storage at 4 °C. The sensory evaluation demonstrated that there was a preference for the sliced coated ham. Probiotic bacteria viable cell numbers were maintained at ca. 108 CFU/g throughout storage time, enabling the slice of ham to act as a suitable carrier for the beneficial bacteria.
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