Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2023-03-21"
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- Screening of enzymatic hydrolysis of mixed fish by-productsPublication . Ribeiro, Tânia Bragança; Soares, José; Coscueta, Ezequiel; Pintado, Manuela
- Modification of carob powder (Ceratonia siliqua L.) for by-product valorisation in the food industriesPublication . Vilas-Boas, Ana M.; Brassesco, María Emilia; Brandão, Teresa R. S.; Azevedo, Miguel; Silva, Cristina L. M.; Pintado, Manuela E.Carob fruit originates from the carob tree, is a leguminous evergreen tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) cultivated in the Mediterranean area, namely in Portugal [1]. Its production is highly relevant, extensive, and sustainable. Carob pods contain various relevant nutrients, which include proteins, carbohydrates, and fibers [2]. In this study, after applying an innovative milling process to obtain an integral carob flour [3], carob powder with granulometry >100 µm, which is composed principally of insoluble fiber, was modified by a two-step acidic/thermal and enzymatic hydrolysis to improve its functional properties as a result of the cleavage and degradation of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin compounds [4],[5]. The optimal time and solvent concentration were considered as experimental factors for the acidic/thermal hydrolysis, as well as the ratio of enzyme-substrate for the enzymatic hydrolysis. The selected response variable was the solubility. The assessed solvents were sulfuric, lactic, and acetic acids, deionized water at 100 °C, and the enzymes were cellulase and xylanase. Furthermore, it was assessed how the industrial steps at industrial level could be minimized in order to decrease process’s costs and runtime.The acidic/thermal hydrolysis results show that the lower solvent concentration and the higher hydrolysis time were optimal conditions for increasing the solubility. However, using an acidic solvent did not differ significantly from using deionized water, a greener and more environmentally solvent for industrial scales. As for the enzymatic hydrolysis, results suggest that when applied as an individual step, it could improve the solubility by 30%, but when applied uninterruptedly after the thermal hydrolysis, no significant improvement in solubility was detected. In conclusion, the optimal modification process for carob powder encompasses a single thermal hydrolysis using water to obtain 50% solubility of the initial carob powder. The resulting liquid by-product can be used to produce sweeteners, fillings, creams, etc., highlighting the importance of food-chain valorization in food industries.
- A figura jurídica do suspeito no Processo Penal PortuguêsPublication . Lima, Nuno Miguel Monteiro Pinheiro de; Monteiro, Henrique João Martins Gomes Salinas
- Red grape pomace extract: bioactive potential against bacteria, fungi and SARS-CoV-2Publication . Melo, Adma; Afonso, Tiago B.; Carvalho, Marta; Rodrigues, Cláudia; Ribeiro, Tânia; Carocho, Márcio; Pinto, Miguel Marques; Tavaria, Freni; Teixeira, Paula; Simas, J. Pedro; Barros, Lillian; Pintado, ManuelaThe outbreak of COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 forced the scientific world to search for new alternatives to help control the virus. Grape pomace, which is an industrial residue obtained from the winemaking process, has bioactive compounds derived from the grape [1], which can be a starting point for research on the use this residue as a source of new antiviral agents. Thus, the objective of this study was to obtain an extract from the by-product of red grapes discarded by the wine industry in Portugal to be used as an antiviral agent with possible application in disinfectants, fabrics or other materials. The red grape pomace extract was obtained by maceration in a hydroethanolic solution (ethanol:H2O 50:50 v/v) under optimized conditions and submitted to freeze drying. The extract was tested against pathogenic bacteria and a variety of fungi, and the antiviral activity was evaluated for SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cells. The extract showed antimicrobial activity against a large number of bacteria tested, e.g., B. cereus (1.56 mg/mL), L. monocytogenes and S. aureus (3.125 mg/mL), and E. coli and S. Typhimurium (50 mg/mL). Regarding its antifungal potential, this extract did not show inhibition against the environmental fungi tested, however, it inhibited two of the tested dermatophytes. T. mentagrophytes and the yeast M. furfur at a concentration of 6.25 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL, respectively. Regarding the antiviral activity, the results achieved for the viral titer was 6000 PFU/mL, the antiviral activity for SARS-CoV-2 was 1.36 ± 0.15 Mv and the percentage of reduction was of 95.38 ± 1.54%. The results showed that the obtained extract revealed consistent results of antiviral activity, presenting a potential for applications against SARS-CoV-2. In addition, it showed potential against some bacterial pathogens and fungal dermatophytes. Further studies are required for the validation and application of this extract.
- A criminalização do enriquecimento ilícito no exercício de cargos políticos e altos cargos públicosPublication . Tomásio, Mariana Duarte dos Santos; Marques, Pedro Maia Garcia
- The impact of daylight‐saving time (DST) on patients with delayed sleep‐wake phase disorder (DSWPD)Publication . Reis, Cátia; Pilz, Luísa K.; Kramer, Achim; Lopes, Luísa V.; Paiva, Teresa; Roenneberg, TillDue to time zones, sun time and local time rarely match. The difference between local and sun time, which we designate by Solar Jet Lag (SoJL), depends on location within a time zone and can range from zero to several hours. Daylight Saving Time (DST) simply adds one hour to SoJL, independent of location. We hypothesized that the impact of DST, is particularly problematic in patients with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD), worsening their sleep debt. DSWPD is characterized by a chronic misalignment between the internal and social timing, reflected by an inability to fall asleep and wakeup at conventional or socially acceptable times. We analysed the clinical records of 162 DSWPD patients from a sleep medicine centre in Lisbon, Portugal (GMTzone), and separated them into two groups: the ones diagnosed across DST or Standard Time (ST). We included 82 patients (54.9% male; age: median [Q1, Q3] 34.5 [25.0, 45.3]; range 16-92; 54 in DST and 28 in ST) who had Dim Light Melatonin Onset (DLMO) measured as a marker for the circadian phase and sleep timing (onset, SO, mid-point, MS and end, SE) self-reported separately for work- and work-free days. Differences between ST and DST were compared using Mann-Whitney or Student's t tests. On a weekly average, patients in DST slept an hour less (62 min. p
- Diversidade enquanto potencial. Crescimento no todo: do pessoal ao laboralPublication . Barros, Carlos
- Elaboration of films from plant residues: a more sustainable alternative to the environmentPublication . Melo, Adma; Lopes, Ana Isabel; Ribeiro, Tânia; Pereira, Eliana; Caleja, Cristina; Barros, Lillian; Tavaria, Freni; Pintado, Manuela
- Família igualitária : da subalternização paternal ao declínio da natalidadePublication . Silva, Daniela Sofia Gomes da; Alves, André Azevedo; Moreira, José ManuelA transição demográfica nos países desenvolvidos, pelos grandes desafios que apresenta à sustentabilidade da ordem social e política, tem ganho crescente relevância na área das políticas públicas. A par da preocupação com as tendências demográficas em curso, as políticas públicas têm seguido a uma preferência programática em favor da autonomização dos indivíduos em relação a laços e dependências familiares, com o especial objectivo de incentivar a emancipação feminina. Nesse sentido, as políticas públicas têm relegado o modelo de “male breadwinner” a um passado superado e indesejável. Utilizando um conceito essencial desta temática, podemos dizer que as políticas públicas têm seguido o rumo da denominada “desfamiliarização” (defamilisation). Considerando que a eficácia das actuais políticas da família de orientação natalista continua por comprovar, comprometendo a renovação demográfica nos países europeus, este estudo pretende questionar e ajudar a clarificar – contando com contributos das políticas públicas, da demografia, da economia da família, da sociologia e da sociobiologia – se taxas de natalidade mais altas poderão estar dependentes da existência de reciprocidade e de diferenciação funcional intrafamiliar.
- 16S-rRNA-Based metagenomic profiling of the bacterial communities in traditional Bulgarian sourdoughsPublication . Baev, Vesselin; Apostolova, Elena; Gotcheva, Velitchka; Koprinarova, Miglena; Papageorgiou, Maria; Rocha, João Miguel; Yahubyan, Galina; Angelov, AngelSourdoughs (SDs) are spontaneously formed microbial ecosystems composed of various species of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and acid-tolerant yeasts in food matrices of cereal flours mixed with water. To date, more than 90 LAB species have been isolated, significantly impacting the organoleptic characteristics, shelf life, and health properties of bakery products. To learn more about the unique bacterial communities involved in creating regional Bulgarian sourdoughs, we examined the metacommunities of five sourdoughs produced by spontaneous fermentation and maintained by backslopping in bakeries from three geographic locations. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed that the former genus Lactobacillus was predominant in the studied sourdoughs (51.0–78.9%). Weissella (0.9–42.8%), Herbaspirillum (1.6–3.8%), Serratia (0.1–11.7%), Pediococcus (0.2–7.5%), Bacteroides (0.1–1.3%), and Sphingomonas (0.1–0.5%) were also found in all 5 samples. Genera Leuconostoc, Enterococcus, Bacillus, and Asaia were sample-specific. It is interesting to note that the genus Weissella was more abundant in wholegrain samples. The greatest diversity at the species level was found in the former genus Lactobacillus, presented in the sourdough samples with 13 species. The UPGMA cluster analysis clearly demonstrated similarity in species’ relative abundance between samples from the same location. In addition, we can conclude that the presence of two main clusters—one including samples from mountainous places (the cities of Smolyan and Bansko) and the other including samples from the city of Ruse (the banks of the Danube River)—may indicate the impact of climate and geographic location (e.g., terrain, elevation, land use, and nearby water bodies and their streams) on the abundance of microbiome taxa. As the bacterial population is crucial for bread standardization, we expect the local bakery sector to be interested in the relationship between process variables and their effect on bacterial dynamics described in this research study.