CBQF - Contribuições em Revistas Científicas / Contribution to Journals
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- Lemon co-products as functional ingredients for mortadella reformulation: impact on shelf life, nutritional quality and sensory propertiesPublication . Magalhães, Daniela; Bas, Clara Muñoz; Viuda-Martos, M.; Pérez-Álvarez, J. A.; Teixeira, Paula; Pintado, ManuelaHigh consumption of processed meats is associated with higher intakes of refined sugars, sodium, and fats, and lower intakes of phytochemicals and dietary fibres, prompting a search for healthier processed foods. Lemon by-products, which account for up to 50?% of lemon production, are rich in bioactive compounds and represent a promising functional ingredient. This study examined the effects of incorporating lemon dietary fibre (LDF) and/or lemon phenolic compound-rich extract (LPC) recovered from lemon by-products into mortadella. Four formulations were developed: Control (CS), LDF (3?%), LPC (1?%), and LDF (3?%)?+?LPC (1?%). The nutritional, technological, microbiological, phenolic content, and sensory properties of the reformulated mortadellas were assessed through shelf-life analysis during 28?days, with sampling at days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Inclusion of LDF significantly (p?
- Therapeutic potential of Latin American medicinal plants in oral diseases: from dental pain to periodontal inflammation-a systematic reviewPublication . Ramírez-Torres, Valentina; Torres-León, Cristian; Londoño-Hernandez, Liliana; Gómez-García, Ricardo; Ramírez-Guzmán, NathielyOral diseases pose a major public health challenge, especially in low-income countries where dental care is limited due to high costs. In this context, phytotherapy has gained attention as a complementary approach due to its bacteriostatic, anti-inflammatory, healing, and analgesic properties. These therapeutic effects are mainly attributed to plant-derived bioactive metabolites, which interact with cellular structures, especially the plasma membrane, to modulate inflammation, stimulate tissue regeneration, and support antimicrobial defense. This review systematically examined the scientific literature to identify Latin American medicinal plants with therapeutic potential in dentistry. Based on their clinical and ethnobotanical applications, the analysis focused on species with anti-inflammatory, healing, analgesic, and relaxing effects, particularly in conditions such as dental pain, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Given the close relationship between pain, inflammation, and periodontal disease, these conditions cannot be studied in isolation. Gingivitis and periodontitis often present with painful symptoms and inflammatory responses that overlap with mechanisms of tissue damage and repair. Therefore, broadening the scope of this review allows for a more comprehensive understanding of how Latin American medicinal plants can contribute not only to pain relief but also to periodontal health, inflammation control, and wound healing. Fifty plant species were identified. Among these, 35 exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, 28 had healing properties, 20 showed analgesic effects, and 12 were associated with relaxing properties. Mexico accounted for the highest proportion of species (60%), followed by Colombia and Peru (54%) and then Brazil (32%). These percentages represent the proportion of plant species reported in studies originating from each country, relative to the total number of species identified in the review. The most studied species were Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. (Lamiaceae), Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae), Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. (Asphodelaceae), and Ocimum basilicum L. (Lamiaceae). Latin American medicinal plants demonstrate strong potential not only in dental therapy but also in the management of periodontal inflammation and oral diseases. However, further research and clinical validation are needed to ensure their safe integration into conventional treatments.
- Quality and chemical safety of wheat bread enriched with untreated, milled, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum fermented red lentils (Lens culinaris L.)Publication . Starkute, Vytaute; Bartkiene, Elena; Mockus, Ernestas; Radvila, Emilis; Matuzeviciute, Daiva; Balynaite, Kamile; Bredikis, Arvydas; Ilgunaite, Gabriele; Juskaite, Akvile; Cho, Vaneck; Rocha, João Miguel; Cernauskas, Darius; Ruibys, Romas; Mozuriene, Erika; Akin, Meleksen; Curtis, Tanya; Klupsaite, DovileThis study investigated the effects of untreated, milled, and fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum No. 122 red lentils (Lens culinaris L.) on the quality and safety parameters of wheat bread (WB). The quantity (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 %) and type of lentils added significantly influenced WB specific volume. Bread with 10 % of fermented non-milled (FNM) and 15 % of fermented milled (FM) lentils exhibited lower porosity (average, 52.4 %), while the highest total titratable acidity (1.12°N) was observed in bread enriched with 25 % of (FM) lentils. Enrichment with red lentils increased acrylamide levels in most breads to 14–44 ?g/kg. A moderate correlation (?0.415–0.449) was found between acrylamide levels and certain VOCs of WB. Breads containing 10 and 15 % (FM) and (FNM) lentils showed overall acceptability scores (average, 4.1) similar to control bread. In conclusion, adding 5 % of non-fermented/fermented lentils to WB allowed for high acceptability without increasing acrylamide concentrations.
- Impact of fertilization with cattle slurry in a poplar short rotation coppice on mass balance of nutrients and biomass productivityPublication . Rodrigues, Abel; Pereira, Sofia; Gomes, Alberto Azevedo; Louzada, José; Goncalves, Alexandre B.; Fonseca, Teresa; Castelo-Branco, Amélia; Castro, Paula; Moreira, Helena; Menino, ReginaThe incorporation of cattle slurry in soil in short-rotation-cycle poplar cultivations can be a win–win strategy, insofar as a main feedstock derived from local intensive dairy cattle breeding can be used as a natural fertilizer and in bioenergy produced in the same region. The circularity of this process can contribute to boosting local socio-economic value. In this context, this work involved the installation of a poplar SRC plantation with a density of 5330 trees ha?1 in a 4000 m2 moderately fertile flat site, which was formerly used as a vineyard. Mechanical dosages of slurry of 0, 26.6, 53.2, and 106.5 Mg ha?1, designated as treatments T0, T1, T2, and T3, were applied three times per year during 2019, 2020, and 2021. The variables quantified were related to plant growth, biomass productivity and mass balances of K, P, Cu, Zn, Mg, and N, and organic matter in the whole soil, plant, and slurry system during the first rotation cycle. For treatments T0 and T1, all these seven chemical components showed positive balances in the system, with cumulative demand by soil and biomass being higher than cumulative supply by slurry. Negative balances occurred for P with T2 and T3 and for Zn with T3, so that an overall condition of nutrient saturation of the whole system was not achieved. A no-slurry application, or at most a moderate application equivalent to T1, in the second rotation cycle should therefore be prescribed to allow a nutrient equilibrium status to be achieved through internal seasonal recycling mechanisms. The biomass average productivities ranged from 6.1 to 11.8 Mg ha?1 y?1, peaking under treatment T2, and are within the typical values for a first rotation cycle for poplar SRCs. The biomass fuel quality was not affected by the slurry treatments. A good performance of plant total height and growth in diameter at breast height suggested that poplar trees were not stressed by the applied slurry. Only treatment T1 could assure that cattle CO2-eq methane emissions were overall equilibrated by the carbon sequestration from poplar cultivation, with an absence of climatic-warming impacts. Treatments T2 and T3 could only partially minimize that impact, which would always exist. Globally, this site-specific analysis showed that, under moderately fertile conditions, controlled cattle slurry fertilization of poplar SRC cultivations, which would assure a long-term steady-state equilibrium, can be a viable option to contribute to decentralized production of bioenergy in rural communities.
- Unveiling the global urban virome through wastewater metagenomicsPublication . Global Sewage Surveillance Consortium; Rocha, Jaqueline; Manaia, CéliaUnderstanding global viral dynamics is critical for public health. Traditional surveillance focuses on individual pathogens and symptomatic cases, which may miss asymptomatic infections or newly emerging viruses, delaying detection and response. Wastewater-based epidemiology has been used to track pathogens through targeted molecular assays, but its reliance on predefined targets limits detection of the full viral spectrum. Here, we analyse longitudinal wastewater samples from 62 cities across six continents (2017–2019) using metagenomics and capture-based sequencing with probes targeting viruses associated with gastrointestinal disease. We detect over 2500 viral species spanning 122 families, many with human, animal, or plant health relevance. The bacteriophage family Microviridae and plant virus family Virgaviridae dominate the metagenomic dataset, while Astroviridae and Picornaviridae prevail in the capture-based sequence dataset. Virus distributions are broadly similar across continents at the family and genus levels, yet distinct city-level fingerprints reveal geographical and temporal variation, enabling spatiotemporal surveillance of viruses such as astroviruses and enteroviruses. Global wastewater-based epidemiology enables early detection of emerging viruses, including Echovirus 30 in Europe and Tomato brown rugose fruit virus. These findings highlight the potential of wastewater sequencing for the early detection of emerging viruses and population-wide virome monitoring across diverse hosts.
- Editorial: plant-based solutions for sustainable agriculture and environmental remediationPublication . Santos, Carla S.; Zarafshar, Mehrdad; Silva, Marta Nunes da
- Comparative studies of different signal acquisition systems in microfluidic paper-based analytical devices developed for accurate point-of-care analysisPublication . Pereira, Mafalda G.; Brandão, Teresa R. S.; Rangel, António O. S. S.; Mesquita, Raquel B. R.; Cerdà, VíctorThe exponential growth of small, on-hand devices/sensors has been aligned with the increasing use of smartphones as detectors. However, smartphone detection may result in high variability of signal acquisition, due to differences in lighting conditions, consequently compromising accurate and reliable quantification. The use of smartphones for qualitative assessment (“yes/no” response) has been widely employed; however, their use in quantitative assessment has been less reported. For point of care (POC) analysis, the use of smartphones as detectors can be an exceptional advantage; however, it is crucial to ensure that the accuracy of the analysis is not compromised. A critical and structured evaluation of image acquisition systems was performed to evaluate the impact on POC biomarkers quantification with microfluidic paper-based devices (?PADs). Different image acquisition systems were tested for a ?PAD to properly evaluate the impact of lighting conditions when using a smartphone in a specially designed box. The decrease in intensity counts was about 30% from the scanner to the smartphone, but it did not affect the calculated absorbance. We proved that smartphones can be used as reliable detection systems, providing accurate and precise quantification when appropriate attention is given to exterior lighting conditions. When quantifying iodide and nitrite in a sample, a relative error of 5% was observed for both image-acquiring systems, a scanner and a smartphone.
- Artificial intelligence in patient blood management: a systematic review of predictive, diagnostic, and decision support applicationsPublication . Coelho, Henrique; Silva, Fernando; Correia, Marta; Rodrigues, Pedro MiguelBackground: Patient blood management (PBM) is a patient-centered, evidence-based approach for optimizing anemia management, minimizing blood loss, and ensuring appropriate transfusion. Artificial intelligence (AI) provides powerful tools for prediction, diagnosis, and decision support across PBM, but current evidence remains emerging and not yet consolidated. Objectives: This review synthesizes AI applications in PBM, summarizing predictive, diagnostic, and decision support models; highlighting methodological trends; and discussing challenges for clinical translation. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception to 31 March 2025. Eligible studies reported AI models addressing the three established PBM pillars. Studies on transfusion safety and blood bank operations relevant to PBM were also included. Extracted data covered study characteristics, predictors, models, validation strategies, and performance. The findings were narratively synthesized given study heterogeneity. Results: A total of 338 studies were included, spanning anemia detection, bleeding risk stratification, transfusion prediction, transfusion safety, and inventory management. Deep learning (DL) predominated in image-based anemia detection, while ensemble and gradient boosting methods frequently outperformed baselines in bleeding and transfusion risk prediction. Recurrent and hybrid architectures proved effective for blood supply forecasting. Across domains, machine learning and DL models generally surpassed logistic regression, clinical scores, and expert judgment. Despite strong internal performance, external validation and clinical deployment remain limited. Conclusions: AI is advancing PBM by enabling earlier anemia detection, more accurate bleeding and transfusion prediction, and smarter resource allocation. Translation into practice requires standardized reporting, robust external validation, explainability, and workflow integration. Future work should emphasize multimodal learning, prospective evaluation, and cost-effectiveness.
- Integrating ecosystem services provided by legumes in agricultural life cycle assessment (LCA): a review of methodologiesPublication . Cimarelli, Stefano; Goglio, Pietro; Serpa, Dalila; Quagliolo, Carlotta; Dorca-Preda, Teodora; Sadhu, Abbigel; Rai, Kamala; Roebeling, Peter; Nemecek, Thomas; Cipolla, Anna Maria; Schneider, Anne; Smetana, Sergiy; Vasconcelos, Marta; Kartal, Umut; Joensuu, Katri; Petrusan, Janos Istvan; Dauguet, Sylvie; Falchetti-Cartier, Axel; Wilkinson, Thomas; Iannetta, PietroAgricultural production is endangering agroecosystems health and functioning, compromising the delivery of many ecosystem services (ES) to prioritize provisioning. Legumes’ inclusion in cropping systems appears as a promising solution towards the ecological intensification of agriculture in Europe, providing a multiplicity of ES. Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) does not explicitly assess ES; however, the potential benefits offered by an improved representation of agroecosystem processes reveal an urgent need for ES integration into LCA. Through a systematic review of scientific literature, we collected a list of methods applied to assess legumes ES in European conditions. Methods were grouped following the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) and through general ES definitions. At the end of the process, 148 methods were found, of which: 81.8% were associated with Regulation & Maintenance services; 8.1% to Provisioning services; and 10.1% described methods related to the combination of different CICES sections. No methods for Cultural services were found. Most of the methods were based on direct measurements, except for those ES already part of the current LCA frameworks. The Regulation & Maintenance section is the area with the most fragmented knowledge, with some ES presenting well-established methodologies (e.g. climate change buffering and leaching regulation) and others which are currently not fully integrated into LCA, such as biodiversity maintenance, pest control, and pollination. Future research should focus on LCA methodologies for the integration of emerging agriculture-related ES. Achieving more comprehensive LCA is necessary to improve the understanding of legumes’ role in maintaining agroecosystems functionality.
- Mechanistic insights into bio-based fertilisers, biostimulants, and novel delivery systems in plant physiologyPublication . Santos, Jacinta; Silva, Marta Nunes da; Santos, Carla S.The transition toward sustainable agriculture requires fertilisation strategies that improve nutrient use efficiency, enhance resilience to abiotic and biotic stress, and minimise environmental impacts. Bio-based fertilisers, biostimulants, and novel delivery systems have emerged as promising alternatives or complements to conventional agrochemicals, yet their physiological bases remain only partially understood. This review examines current knowledge on the mechanistic pathways through which these products act and identifies research gaps to enable predictive use in diverse cropping systems. Evidence indicates that bio-based inputs influence plant performance by modulating nutrient uptake and assimilation, hormonal and redox signalling, stress perception and defence priming, and biomass allocation. Protein hydrolysates, humic substances, and seaweed extracts alter root morphology, ion transport, and stress signalling, while microbial inoculants such as rhizobia, phosphate-solubilising bacteria, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi provide nutrient mobilisation and immune priming. Novel delivery systems, including clays and encapsulation systems, extend these effects by improving the stability and targeted release of bioactive compounds. Despite these advances, the lack of standardised protocols, incomplete dose-response characterisation, and strong context dependence of plant responses remain major obstacles to reproducibility and scalability. Progress in this field requires a mechanistically anchored approach that links molecular events (such as transporter activation, hormone dynamics, and antioxidant activity) to agronomic outcomes under variable environments. Embedding mechanistic descriptors into both experimental design and regulatory frameworks could accelerate the translation of bio-based inputs into reliable tools for sustainable crop production, supported by environmental impact assessments.