Browsing by Author "Pimenta-Martins, Ana"
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- Características associadas ao desperdício de hortícolas na população idosaPublication . Moreira, Bárbara; Alfredo, Ana; Pimenta-Martins, Ana; Gomes, Ana Maria; Pinto, Elisabete
- Chemical composition and antioxidant potential of five algae cultivated in fully controlled closed systemsPublication . Nova, Paulo; Pimenta-Martins, Ana; Maricato, Élia; Nunes, Cláudia; Abreu, Helena; Coimbra, Manuel A.; Freitas, Ana Cristina; Gomes, Ana MariaIn this study, the chemical composition and antioxidant profile of five edible macroalgae, Fucus vesiculosus, Palmaria palmata, Porphyra dioica, Ulva rigida, and Gracilaria gracilis, cultivated in fully controlled closed systems, were determined. Protein, carbohydrates, and fat contents ranged between 12.4% and 41.8%, 27.6% and 42.0%, and 0.1% and 3.4%, respectively. The tested seaweeds presented considerable amounts of Ca, Mg, K, Mn, and Fe, which reinforce their favorable nutritional profile. Regarding their polysaccharide composition, Gracilaria gracilis and Porphyra dioica were rich in sugars common to agar-producing red algae, and Fucus vesiculosus was composed mainly of uronic acids, mannose, and fucose, characteristic of alginate and fucoidans, whereas rhamnose and uronic acid, characteristic of ulvans, predominated in Ulva rigida. Comparatively, the brown F. vesiculosus clearly stood out, presenting a high polysaccharide content rich in fucoidans, and higher total phenolic content and antioxidant scavenging activity, determined by DPPH and ABTS. The remarkable potential of these marine macroalgae makes them excellent ingredients for a wide range of health, food, and industrial applications.
- Co-culture fermentation of african native sorghum and millets whole grains - technological and biochemical potential of probiotic and indigenous strain combinationPublication . Vila Real, Catarina; Pimenta-Martins, Ana; Freitas, Ana Cristina; Mbugua, Samuel; Sawadogo-Lingani, Hagrétou; Maina, Ndegwa; Pinto, Elisabete; Gomes, Ana M. P.
- A culture-sensitive semi-quantitative FFQ for use among the adult population in Nairobi, Kenya: development, validity and reproducibilityPublication . Vila-Real, Catarina; Pimenta-Martins, Ana; Magu, Jack-Susan; Kunyanga, Catherine; Mbugua, Samuel; Katina, Kati; Pinto, ElisabeteObjective: To develop a semi-quantitative FFQ and to evaluate its validity and reproducibility for the assessment of total dietary intake of Kenyan urban adult population, given its non-existence in Kenya. Design: The current study adopted a cross-sectional design. A culture-sensitive semi-quantitative FFQ was developed and its validity was tested relative to thre non-consecutive 24-h recalls (24hR). Reproducibility was tested by the test–retest method, with a 3-week interval. Spearman’s correlation coefficients and intra-class correlation coefficients were calculated for several macro- and micronutrients. Cross-classification into quartiles and Bland and Altman plots were analysed. Setting: Nairobi county (Dagoreti South and Starehe constituencies). Participants: A convenient sample was recruited in three different clusters in Nairobi. Results: A culture-sensitive 123-food-item semi-quantitative FFQ showed higher nutrient intakes compared with the 24hR (total energy median 12543·632 v. 8501·888 kJ, P < 0·001). Energy-adjusted and deattenuated Spearman’s correlations for macronutrients ranged between 0·21 (total fat) and 0·47 (protein). The agreement in the same quartile varied from 28 % (protein) to 41 % (carbohydrates). Including adjacent quartiles, the range increased: 76 % (protein and fat) to 81 % (carbohydrates). The extreme disagreement was low. The first FFQ application resulted in higher mean values for all nutrients compared with the second FFQ (total energy median 12459·952 v. 10485·104 kJ, P < 0·001). Energy-adjusted correlations for macronutrients ranged from 0·28 (carbohydrates) to 0·61 (protein). Intra-class correlation coefficients for macronutrients were moderate, between 0·6 and 0·7. Conclusions: The developed semi-quantitative FFQ was shown to be a valid and reproducible tool for ranking urban adult Kenyans according to their dietary intake.
- Factors associated with the consumption of voluntarily fortified foods with micronutrients by the Portuguese populationPublication . Pimenta-Martins, Ana; Correia, Daniela; Carvalho, Catarina; Lopes, Carla; Gomes, Ana Maria; Torres, DuarteThis study aimed to identify the sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with the consumption of voluntarily fortified foods with micronutrients (Mn-FF) by the Portuguese population, using data from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF 2015–2016). Food consumption, sociodemographic and other health-related factors, and physical activity data were computerised using the You Eat & Move e-platform. Foods consumed by participants and labelled foods reported as consumed were included in the database. Mn-FF were considered all foods containing added micronutrients legally authorised, and MN-FF users were those who consumed at least one Mn-FF on at least one of the dietary recall days. Approximately 57% of the population consumed at least one Mn-FF. Children and adolescents consumed significantly more Mn-FF than older age groups. The primary contributors to Mn-FF consumption were breakfast cereals and fat spreads. Being a child (female OR 2.07 [95% CI: 1.52, 2.83]; male OR 4.80 [95% CI: 3.23, 7.14]) or adolescent (female OR 1.62 [95% CI: 1.78, 2.22]; male OR 4.59 [95% CI: 3.26, 6.47]), having a higher level of education (female OR 1.52 [95% CI: 1.17, 1.99]; male OR 1.85 [95% CI: 1.42, 2.42]) and engaging in regular physical activity (female OR 1.31 [95% CI: 1.09, 1.58]; male OR 1.36 [95% CI: 1.11, 1.68]) were factors positively associated with Mn-FF consumption. Conversely, obesity (female OR 0.76 [95% CI: 0.60, 0.96]), living in predominantly rural areas (male OR 0.70 [95% CI: 0.49, 0.91]) and eating fewer mid-meals per day (female OR 0.60 [95% CI: 0.48, 0.76]; male OR 0.64 [95% CI: 0.49, 0.84]) were associated with lower Mn-FF consumption. Younger age, higher education and physical activity practice were positively associated with Mn-FF consumption. These findings provide important insights on priority factors to be considered when deciding on nutrient fortification policies from both public health and food industry perspectives.
- Health benefits and bioavailability of marine resources components that contribute to health – what’s new?Publication . Nova, Paulo; Pimenta-Martins, Ana; Silva, Joana Laranjeira; Silva, Ana Machado; Gomes, Ana Maria; Freitas, Ana CristinaThe strict connection between nutritional intake and health leads to a necessity of understanding the beneficial and protective role of healthy nutrients and foods. The marine environment is a source of a plethora of many organisms with unique properties, extremely rich in bioactive compounds and with remarkable potential for medical, industrial and biotechnological applications. Marine organisms are an extreme valuable source of functional ingredients such as polysaccharides, vitamins, minerals, pigments, enzymes, proteins and peptides, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), phenolic compounds and other secondary metabolites that prevent or have the potential to treat several diseases given their cardiovascular protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-oxidant, anti-coagulant, anti-proliferative and anti-diabetic activities. This review provides an overview on the current advances regarding health benefits of marine bioactive compounds on several diseases and on human gut microbiota. In addition, it is discussed a crucial factor that is related to the effectiveness of these compounds on human organism namely its real bioavailability.
- Novel fermented plant-based functional beverage: biological potential and impact on the human gut microbiotaPublication . Vila-Real, Catarina; Costa, Célia; Pimenta-Martins, Ana; Mbugua, Samuel; Hagrétou, Sawadogo Lingani; Katina, Kati; Maina, Ndegwa H.; Pinto, Elisabete; Gomes, Ana M. P.Controlled fermentation carried out by selected starters might enhance the safety, nutritional, and biological profiles of non-dairy fermented products. This research aims to study the biological potential and impact on the human gut microbiota of a novel fermented finger millet-based product. Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), suspended in an aqueous sucrose-based solution, was fermented by Weissella confusa 2LABPT05 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v (1%, 1:1 ratio (v/v)), at 30 °C/200 rpm in an orbital incubator until pH ≈ 4.5–5.0. Microbial growth, phenolic compounds, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities were evaluated. In vitro digestion followed by in vitro faecal fermentation were used to study the impact of the fermented plant-based functional beverage (PBFB) on the human gut microbiota. Antidiabetic activity (21% vs. 14%) and total phenolics (244 vs. 181 mg of gallic acid equivalents/kg PBFB) increased with fermentation. The digested fermented PBFB contributed to the increase, over the first 6 h, of the Bifidobacterium’s 16S rRNA gene copy numbers, concomitant with significant release of the acetic, propionic, and butyric short chain fatty acids, and also lactic acid. The novel PBFB has been shown to have antidiabetic potential and bifidogenic effects, and consequently its consumption might positively impact blood glucose levels and the human gut microbiota
- Novel synbiotic fermented finger millet-based yoghurt-like beverage: nutritional, physicochemical, and sensory characterizationPublication . Vila-Real, Catarina; Pimenta-Martins, Ana; Mbugua, Samuel; Hagrétou, Sawadogo-Lingani; Katina, Kati; Maina, Ndegwa H.; Pinto, Elisabete; Gomes, Ana M. P.This study presents the nutritional, physicochemical, and sensory characterization of a functional fermented African finger millet-based beverage, using a co-culture containing an exopolysaccharide-producer strain and a probiotic strain. First, the fermentation factors affecting the beverage were studied to ascertain required starter culture and cereal matrix which would support its production. Co-culturing Weissella confusa 2LABPT05 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v in finger millet showed the best fermentative performance. The fermented yoghurt-like beverage contained both strains above 108 CFU/mL and showed improved nutritional and physicochemical profiles, compared to the unfermented control: higher content in threonine, arginine, GABA and glutamine, increased protein digestibility, 25 % vs 64 %, a significant production of dextran, 0 % vs 16 %, and increased apparent viscosity, 12 mPa.s vs 35 mPa.s. The developed functional prototype is innovative, organoleptically acceptable, with high nutritional quality, and promising potential for targeting international markets and different population groups from children to the elderly.
- Nutritional value of indigenous whole grain cereals millet and sorghumPublication . Vila-Real, Catarina; Pimenta-Martins, Ana; Maina, Ndegwa; Gomes, Ana; Pinto, ElisabeteWorldwide population growth expectations increase the pressure to find ways to increase agro-food production in a sustainable manner, be it by increasing production capacity, cultivating currently natural areas or changing crop consumption patterns. Cereals are staple foods and the most frequently consumed are maize, wheat and rice. However, the production of these cereals may become insufficient for the growing needs. Millet and sorghum are traditional cereal crops, able to growth in adverse drought conditions, and do not need many resources to be harvested Furthermore, they reveal very interesting nutritional profiles, including macro and micronutrients and bioactive compounds. We would like to highlight their fiber content, since fiber inadequacy is a worldwide condition and its adverse effects on health are well described. Over time, these indigenous cultures have become less popular than other cereals, due to their organoleptic and technological proprieties. However, techniques like bio-fortification, fortification, genetic improvement, fermentation, malting, and germination among others can be used to improve their technological properties and enhance their nutritional profile.
- Perceção do estado de saúde e da qualidade de vida numa amostra de celíacos portuguesesPublication . Pimenta-Martins, Ana; Pinto, Elisabete; Gomes, Ana M. P.The treatment of celiac disease is a gluten-free diet (GFD). The compliance witha GFD is dependent on multiple factors, which include, possibly, the quality of life (QoL).Objective: To evaluate the perception of health status and QoL in a sample of Portuguese celiacpatients, relating it to the compliance of the GFD.Material and methods: Transversal study which data collection was based on a structured ques-tionnaire prepared to be self-applied and filled in online. The QoL was evaluated throughShort-Form health survey 36 (SF-36). Categorical variables were described through proporti-ons and continuous variables were described through mean and standard deviation or medianand interquartile range.Results: The study included 195 Portuguese individuals, with a median age of 32 years. About67% of respondents believed to enjoy very good or good health. The highest mean scores wereobtained for the domains ‘‘physical functioning’’ and ‘‘role-physical’’ and the lowest scoresfor the domains ‘‘vitality’’ and ‘‘general health’’. Women had significantly lower scores forthe domains ‘‘bodily pain’’, vitality’’ and ‘‘mental health’’. There was no association foundbetween the perception of QoL and compliance with the GFD. Participants with more recentdiagnosis had lower scores in all domains of the SF-36.Conclusions: The celiac respondents rated their general health status and QoL in better levelsthan the Portuguese population in general. The QoL was not associated with compliance of theGFD.