Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2022-07"
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- Potential nutritional and functional improvement of extruded breakfast cereals based on incorporation of fruit and vegetable by-products: a reviewPublication . Santos, Diva; Pintado, Manuela; Silva, José A. Lopes daBackground: There is a need to improve the nutritional and functional characteristics of breakfast cereal products (BCP) consumed worldwide, namely by increasing the content and diversity of dietary fibre and enrichment in micronutrients and bioactive compounds. Considering the high amounts of fruit and vegetable by-products (FVB) generated by industrial processing, the associated environmental issues but also their richness in nutrients and phytochemicals, FVB show great potential for incorporation in BCP, thus improving the nutritional and functional aspects of these products. Scope and approach: The transformation of FVB into flours/powders results in added-value ingredients rich in fibre and bioactive compounds (e.g., phenolic compounds, carotenoids, prebiotics). The extrusion processing (used to produce BCP) is an affordable technique that uses flours as raw material. This work reviews extrusion processing to produce BCP supplemented with FVB powders and discusses the main effects on the final products associated with composition and processing characteristics. Additionally, advantages and challenges of introducing FVB powders into BCP are also reviewed and discussed. Key Findings and Conclusions: The use of the FVB flours to create richer BCP in several types of fibre and phenolic compounds appears to be a promising strategy to create nutritionally valuable BCP. By simultaneously valorising FVB, this strategy also contributes positively to the food system sustainability from a circular economy point of view. The use of FVB flours may improve fibre, micronutrient, and bioactive compounds content. High fibre content reduces texture quality of products, but extrusion processing allows to adjust production variables to overcome the potential decrease in sensory quality.
- β-glucans derived from mushroom Coriolus versicolor for applications on skin wound healingPublication . Fernandes, A. S.; Rodrigues, P. M.; Pintado, M.; Tavaria, F. K.The beneficial effects of natural compounds in cosmeceutical and biopharmaceutic fields have been extensively studied over the years, and gained popularity because of their distinct advantages, including fewer side effects, better tolerance, and relatively low expenses. Currently, with the growing demand for the use of nature-derived molecules, the research aiming for new biomolecules has increased. Beta-glucans have proved their pluripotent bioactivity (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, regenerative effects, immunomodulation, healing properties) in skin cells. These properties are dependent on several aspects, such as the source, molecular weight, solubility, degree of branching, charge of polymers, and structure in aqueous media. The versatility of these molecules makes them a challenge for the studies of structure–activity relationships, once each different compound (with a unique structure) will show different biological activity. Regarding the high levels of environmental and endogenous stresses that the skin is exposed leading to premature aging and chronic inflammation, this ongoing work aims to explore the ability of b-glucans extracted from C. versicolor to act as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules in the skin and to eventually promote wound healing and tissue cicatrization. Therefore, assays exploring cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities of different b-glucans in keratinocytes (HaCaT) and human fibroblast (HFF) cell lines were performed. The effects of b-glucans on angiogenesis were assessed by the migration (wound healing activity) and the tube formation assay (differentiation and vascular formation) using cell models of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and mouse macrophage cells (RAW 264.7). Lastly, two well-known ECM components, hyaluronic acid, and collagen were evaluated to understand the effects of b-glucans in the production of these components in a human fibroblast cell line (HFF).
- O tropismo dos sentidosPublication . Magno, Sara
- Governança para o mar em Portugal nas últimas quatro décadas: constatações e desafios de evolução no contexto da transformação energética em cursoPublication . Ribeiro, Sónia; Louro, LilianaA discussão sobre a relevância da governança no cumprimento de objetivos estratégicos tem sido permanente nas últimas décadas, e tem tido eco no que se refere à governança do mar, em crescendo face ao desafio da transformação energética. Neste artigo descrevem-se os diferentes modelos de governança do mar em Portugal desde 1983, centrados na organização dos governos e discute-se o modelo definido na Estratégia Nacional para o Mar 2021-30 na articulação com a Estratégia Horizonte 2026 e com o Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência, ao nível da governança do mar para a transformação energética.
- Chlorella vulgaris extracts as modulators of the health status and the inflammatory response of gilthead seabream juveniles (Sparus aurata)Publication . Reis, Bruno; Ramos-Pinto, Lourenço; Cunha, Sara A.; Pintado, Manuela; Silva, Joana Laranjeira da; Dias, Jorge; Conceição, Luís; Matos, Elisabete; Costas, BenjamínThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of short-term supplementation, with 2% Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) biomass and two 0.1% C. vulgaris extracts, on the health status (experiment one) and on the inflammatory response (experiment two) of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). The trial comprised four isoproteic (50% crude protein) and isolipidic (17% crude fat) diets. A fishmeal-based (FM), practical diet was used as a control (CTR), whereas three experimental diets based on CTR were further supplemented with a 2% inclusion of C. vulgaris biomass (Diet D1); 0.1% inclusion of C. vulgaris peptide-enriched extract (Diet D2) and finally a 0.1% inclusion of C. vulgaris insoluble fraction (Diet D3). Diets were randomly assigned to quadruplicate groups of 97 fish/tank (IBW: 33.4 ± 4.1 g), fed to satiation three times a day in a recirculation seawater system. In experiment one, seabream juveniles were fed for 2 weeks and sampled for tissues at 1 week and at the end of the feeding period. Afterwards, randomly selected fish from each group were subjected to an inflammatory insult (experiment two) by intraperitoneal injection of inactivated gram-negative bacteria, following 24 and 48 h fish were sampled for tissues. Blood was withdrawn for haematological pro-cedures, whereas plasma and gut tissue were sampled for immune and oxidative stress parameters. The anterior gut was also collected for gene expression measurements. After 1 and 2 weeks of feed-ing, fish fed D2 showed higher circulating neutrophils than seabream fed CTR. In contrast, dietary treatments induced mild effects on the innate immune and antioxidant functions of gilthead sea-bream juveniles fed for 2 weeks. In the inflammatory response following the inflammatory insult, mild effects could be attributed to C. vulgaris supplementation either in biomass form or extract. However, the C. vulgaris soluble peptide-enriched extract seems to confer a protective, anti-stress effect in the gut at the molecular level, which should be further explored in future studies.
- Proximate composition, in vitro protein digestibility and fatty acid profiles of commercial cereal-based dairy analogsPublication . Barbosa, Joana; Franco, Isabel; Inácio, Joana; Freitas, Ana Cristina; Gomes, AnaPlant-based protein products as alternatives to animal-based protein counterparts are becoming increasingly available given their alignment with the increased environmental, health, and ethical focus of consumers. Among these are plant-based dairy alternatives, which respond to increased lactose intolerance as well as veganism. One of the most important challenges in such product development is the need to select appropriate ingredients, combined with appropriate technologies in order to guarantee the development of environmentally friendly, nutrient-rich foods that maintain their sensory attractiveness in terms of flavor and texture. In this perspective, cereal-based ingredients are positioned as promising ingredients given their technological versatility, richness in protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals, and important phytochemicals that synergistically contribute to important biological activities contributing to alleviating several non-communicable diseases. On the other hand, the important fibre contents may contribute to glycaemic and cholesterolemic control as well as satiety promotion. Different cereal bases will most certainly impact differently these properties in the final products. The aim of this study was to assess the proximate composition, in vitro protein digestibility, and fatty acid profiles of three cereal-based preparations, namely oat-base, spelt-base and sorghum-base that were used in the development of yogurt, ice-cream, and cheese analogs, respectively.Protein, fat, total carbohydrates, sugars, fibre, and ash contents were determined according to AOAC methods. The in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) of the samples was determined by the combination of the methods of Arte et al. (2015) and Elmaki et al. (1999) with some modifications. The fatty acid composition was based on the conversion into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) followed by analysis with GC-Flame ionization detection (FID).Cereal-base type and associated formulation impacted the final proximate composition; protein content varied between average values of 1.5 g/100 g yogurt to 2.5 g/100 g cheese and is below average content of conventional dairy products, one of the main challenges within this product category. On the other hand, fibre content was two-fold higher in the sorghum ice-cream analog and present at values between 1.6 g/100 g yogurt to 2.7 g/100 g cheese. Adaptation of portion sizes and adjustments of formulations may enable fibre nutritional claims. Fat contents were always lower in cereal-based analogs in comparison to conventional animal-based counterparts. Among the three dairy analogs, the cheese alternative revealed the highest content as a consequence of the added coconut oil to improve texture mimetization. Such addition was also reflected in the higher saturated fatty acid fraction. Oleic acid (C18:1n9) and linoleic acid were the most predominant unsaturated fatty acids in the oat-base and spelt-base yogurt and ice cream alternatives, respectively. Protein digestibility differed among the three dairy alternatives as a consequence of the different cereal bases as well as food structures. These results provide important insights on nutritional information and behavior to be used for future product development or improvement contributing to improving consumers’ acceptance.
- Labelled as ‘risky’ in an era of control: how young people experience and respond to the stigma of criminalized identitiesPublication . Deakin, Jo; Fox, Claire; Matos, RaquelThe construction and labelling of groups of young people as ‘risky’ triggers a multifaceted and dynamic social process of stigma that frequently results in reduced life chances and limited opportunities for self-development. Drawing on case-study data from four European countries, this article focuses on the ways in which stigma is reproduced through interactions and interventions that label young people. Our analysis explores how young people experience and understand stigma, and how they respond to it. Framed within a theoretical understanding of stigma as a form of power, we examine its components and cyclical process, its role in shaping policies of social control, and its consequences for groups of ‘risky’ young people. Our analysis builds upon and develops Link and Phelan’s (2001) reconceptualization of stigma to include reference to young people’s reactions and responses: alienation and marginalization; anger and resistance; empathy and generativity. We argue that stigma acts primarily as an inhibitor of young people’s engagement in wider society, serving to further reduce access to beneficial opportunities. However, some young people are able to resist the label, and, for them, resistance can become generative and enabling.
- Inocula size and salinity stress impact PGPR outcomes on maize plantsPublication . Pereira, Sofia I. A.; Vega, Alberto; Sousa, Ana Sofia S.; Castro, Paula M. L.; Moreira, Helena
- O contributo do marketing relacional na satisfação e fidelização dos utilizadores de bibliotecas universitáriasPublication . Ribeiro, Célia; Figueiredo, Elisabeth; Passos, Clotilde; Campos, Sofia; Pereira, Paulo; Couceiro, Ana Paula
- Development, processing, and acceptance of a faba bean (Vicia faba) based porridgePublication . Perez, Jazmín Osorio; Santos, Carla S.; Vasconcelos, Marta W.The development of legume-based food products allows the promotion of healthy and nutritious plant-based alternatives, which are also environmentally sustainable. Porridges are often healthy, simple to prepare and suitable for various segments of the population, constituting a good option for food innovation. In this study a faba bean-based porridge was developed, using freeze-dried faba bean flour. A randomised sensorial analysis was performed. In terms of colour, 43% of panellists indicated that they “like it to some extent”, while the texture was the most appreciated characteristic which was evaluated. Results showed that overall appreciation of the porridge was 40%.