CBQF - Contribuições em Revistas Científicas / Contribution to Journals
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- Towards one health action for addressing antimicrobial resistance in the age of polycrisisPublication . Keenum, Ishi; Berendonk, Thomas U.; Bonnedahl, Jonas; Cytryn, Eddie; Dagot, Christophe; Karkman, Antti; Fatta-Kassinos, Despo; Hayes, April; Kirschner, Alexander; Kreft, Jan Ulrich; Manaia, Célia M.; Merlin, Christophe; Rahman, Naziza; Tipper, Holly; Vass, Máté; Zastepa, Arthur; Virta, Marko; Topp, Ed; Schwermer, Carsten Ulrich; Rozman, Svjetlana Dekić; Puljko, Ana; Payne, Sarah Jane; Morrison, Donald; Moniruzzaman, M.; Macedo, Gonçalo; Lawal, Opeyemi U.; Korzeniewska, Ewa; Cooper-Beknazarova, Mira; de França, Paulo Henrique Condeixa; Guo, Jianhua; Gracia, María Rincón; Glaeser, Stefanie; Donner, Erica; Crotti, Elena Sara; Clarke, Leah Marie; Christou, Stella; Amoako, Daniel Gyamfi; Aga, Diana; Adeoye, Israel AdedayoAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a major One Health issue, driven by a myriad of potential accelerators that include emerging climate and social challenges. There is little doubt about the need for interventions at critical control points to reduce AMR, but addressing AMR within a single realm of One Health (for example, human, animal or environmental) is not sufficient to reduce it. Building on the past decade of research, this Perspective highlights comprehensive, systemic and integrative strategies that address the effects of anthropogenic activities and the complex relationship between humans and the environment as key targets for intersectoral and global action.
- Silk sericin/chitosan supramolecular multilayered thin films as sustainable cytocompatible nanobiomaterialsPublication . Rosas, Miguel; Sousa, Cristiana F. V.; Pereira, Ana; Amaral, Adérito J. R.; Pesqueira, Tamagno; Patrício, Sónia G.; Fateixa, Sara; Nogueira, Helena I. S.; Mano, João F.; Oliveira, Ana L.; Borges, JoãoSilk sericin (SS) has been widely discarded as a waste by the silk textile industry during the degumming process to obtain fibroin. However, in the past decade, an in-depth understanding of its properties and functions turned it into a high added-value biomaterial for biomedical applications. Herein, we report the molecular design and development of sustainable supramolecular multilayered nanobiomaterials encompassing SS and oppositely charged chitosan (CHT) through a combination of self-assembly and electrostatically driven layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technology. The successful buildup of SS/CHT multilayered nanobiomaterials was demonstrated by the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the nanofilms’ wettable properties and nanofibrillar-like topography were shown by water contact angle, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In vitro assays demonstrated the cytocompatibility of the LbL nanofilms toward human primary dermal fibroblasts, holding great promise as biofunctional nanocoatings for drug/therapeutics/cell delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.
- β-Glucan extracts as high-value multifunctional ingredients for skin health: a reviewPublication . Sousa, Pedro; Tavares-Valente, Diana; Amorim, Manuela; Azevedo-Silva, João; Pintado, Manuela; Fernandes, Joãoβ-Glucans, which are naturally present in cereals, yeast, and mushrooms, have gained attention as a potential natural source for functional foods and pharmaceuticals. Due to the availability of β-glucans from several sources, different extraction methods can be employed to obtain high purity extracts that can be further modified to enhance their solubility or other biological properties. Apart from their known ability to interact with the immune system, β-glucans possess specific properties that could benefit overall skin health and prevent age-related signs, including soothing and antioxidant activities. As a result, the use of β-glucans to mitigate damage caused by environmental stressors or skin-related issues that accelerate skin aging or trigger chronic inflammation may represent a promising, natural, eco-friendly, and cost-effective approach to maintaining skin homeostasis balance. This review outlines β-glucan extraction methodologies, molecular structure, functionalization approaches, and explores skin-related benefits of β-glucans, along with an overview of related products in the market.
- Gut microbiota modulation by carboxymethyl cellulose and carrageenan: current evidence and health implicationsPublication . Fernandes, Ana; Campos, Débora A.; Coscueta, Ezequiel R.; Pintado, Maria ManuelaThe gut microbiota plays a central role in digestion, metabolism, immune regulation, and inflammatory processes, and is highly responsive to dietary factors, including food additives. With the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods, growing attention has been directed toward the long-term effects of commonly used additives on gut health. This review examines the interactions between food additives and the gut microbiota, with a specific focus on the emulsifiers carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and carrageenan (CGN), which are widely used in processed foods. Evidence from in vitro, animal, and limited human studies indicates that both CMC and CGN can alter gut microbiota composition, disrupt intestinal barrier integrity, and promote pro-inflammatory responses, although their mechanisms of action differ. CGN has been more consistently associated with direct activation of inflammatory signalling pathways and epithelial stress, whereas CMC primarily induces microbiota-mediated effects, including altered microbial spatial organisation and mucus barrier disruption, leading to low-grade inflammation. The magnitude of these effects appears to depend on dosage, duration of exposure, and the experimental model employed. Overall, the findings summarised in this review suggest that chronic exposure to CMC and CGN may contribute to gut dysbiosis and increased inflammatory susceptibility, particularly within dietary patterns rich in ultra-processed foods. These observations highlight the need for harmonised research methodologies, more human-relevant long-term studies, and reconsideration of current food safety assessment frameworks to better account for microbiota-related outcomes.
- Ethyl oleate synthesized from fermentation waste and its stability evaluation as a food additivePublication . Fontes, Ana Luiza; Soares, Ana Maria S.; Teixeira, Francisca S.; Costa, Paula T.; Pimentel, Lígia L.; Rodríguez-Alcalá, Luís MiguelEthyl oleate (EO) is an emerging compound used in the food industry as a pre-treatment additive in preservation processes, such as drying, allowing the shelf-life to be extended while preserving the nutritional value of the treated food without compromising consumer safety. Currently, EO is mostly synthesised from edible oils, which raises concerns about competition with the food chain. As an alternative, we previously developed an EO product from a High-Oleic Waste (HOW) obtained from industrial distillation pipelines. Due to the potential application of EO as a food additive, the present study aimed to evaluate its stability throughout its shelf-life in comparison with two commercial benchmarks under accelerated conditions (40 °C, 75% relative humidity, 6 months). Colour parameters (Total Colour Difference and Yellow Index), structural properties by FTIR-ATR, thermal properties by DSC, compositional stability by GC-MS, formation of lipid oxidation products by UV-Vis and cytotoxicity in keratinocytes were evaluated at the beginning (T0) and at the end (T6) of the assay. In general, the synthesised EO showed no considerable changes in the parameters studied after storage, being comparable to the assayed benchmarks. In conclusion, the developed EO was found to be stable during the assayed shelf-life, confirming its potential suitability as an additive for the food industry. Future studies should perform validation in food matrices.
- Impact of thermal processing associated with essential oil recovery on the phenolic metabolome and bioactivity of lemon, mandarin, and orange peel wastesPublication . Ibrahim, Faten Mohamed; Marzouk, Mona M.; Abdelsalam, Eman; Magalhaes, Daniela; Ashour, Wedian El-Sayed; Pintado, Manuela; Habbasha, S. F. El; Mohammed, Reda SayedCitrus peel wastes are valuable sources of phenolic compounds (PCs); however, the industrial essential oil extraction exposes the peels to heat, which may significantly affect their concentration, stability, composition, and biological activities. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of thermal processing associated with prior essential oil recovery on the phenolic metabolome and bioactivity of lemon, mandarin, and orange peels. Aqueous-ethanol extracts were prepared from crude peels (CPEs) and heattreated residues remaining after the essential oil extraction (HPEs) of citrus peel wastes. The molecular-network-assisted LC-MS/ MS analysis identified a total of 120 annotated metabolites, predominantly 98 phenolics, and showed a marked reduction in phenolic diversity after heat treatment. In CPEs 59, 55, and 44, phenolics were detected in lemon, mandarin, and orange, whereas phenolics in 43, 49, and 43 were noticed in their corresponding HPEs, respectively. CPEs showed stronger antioxidant activity, with lower IC50 values in the DPPH assay (38.72, 60.38, and 70.77 μg/mL) and NO inhibition assay (61.54, 90.32, and 117.50 μg/mL) compared with HPEs. The extracts also exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity through selective inhibitory effects against the COX-2 enzymes. Overall, thermal treatment during essential oil extraction markedly altered the phenolic composition and reduced the biological activity of citrus peel extracts. These findings demonstrate that processing conditions critically influence the functional value of citrus peel wastes.
- Enhancing the quality and shelf life of strawberries: study of pectin-based films and application of coatings with natural deep eutectic solvents and Moringa oleifera leaf extractPublication . Braham, Fazia; Souza, Hiléia K. S.; Magalhães, Júlia M. C. S.; Zaidi, Farid; Gonçalves, Maria P.This study investigates the dual application of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES), composed of choline chloride and maltose (4:1 M ratio), as an eco-friendly medium for extracting bioactive compounds from Moringa oleifera leaf flour and as a plasticizer in pectin films. The NADES extract (MNE) showed high efficiency in extracting phenolic compounds (36.25 ± 0.14 mg GAE/g), with antioxidant capacities of 0.97 ± 0.03 mmol TE/g (ORAC) and 0.96 ± 0.21 PI (ABTS). Pectin-based films were prepared with and without NADES or MNE and evaluated for thickness, optical properties, water vapor permeability (WVP), and microstructure. Films containing NADES or MNE exhibited higher WVP (2.327 ± 0.075 and 2.180 ± 0.032 g⋅m−1⋅s-1⋅Pa−1 × 10−10, respectively) compared to control films without plasticizer (1.269 ± 0.051 × 10−1⁰ g m−1 s−1 Pa−1), and demonstrated improved structural homogeneity. To assess practical use, the films were applied as edible coatings on strawberries. Coated fruits showed reduced weight loss and decay, and better retention of firmness, acidity, soluble solids, and anthocyanins over 11 days at 4 °C. These results highlight NADES-based coatings as a sustainable approach to enhance food preservation. Future research should aim to optimize these formulations for broader food applications and industrial scalability.
- Engineered bioaerogel particles: a core–shell approach to adenosine delivery for wound healingPublication . Bernardes, Beatriz G.; Sousa, Clara; Sellitto, Maria Rosaria; Iglesias-Mejuto, Ana; Gaudio, Pasquale Del; Costa, Raquel; García-González, Carlos A.; Oliveira, Ana LeiteChronic wounds require advanced biomaterials that combine structural integrity with controlled drug delivery. This study reports the development of novel core–shell aerogel particle systems based on silk fibroin (SF), silk sericin (SS), and alginate (ALG) designed for the controlled delivery of adenosine (ADO), a molecule known for anti-inflammatory and angiogenic properties, which can play a role in the process of wound healing. Leveraging the biocompatibility, porosity, and tunable properties of these natural polymers, a core–shell architecture was engineered by combining prilling and supercritical CO₂ drying technologies. The particles were composed of a SF/ALG core and an ALG or an ALG combined with a SS shell. All particle compositions exhibited high porosity (94–97%) and a pH-responsive swelling behavior. FTIR and PCA confirmed structural integrity and composition. ADO encapsulation achieved moderate loading and controlled-release profiles, influenced by shell composition. Biological evaluation confirmed biocompatibility in human dermal fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and endothelial cells. Although no significant differences were observed, the reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokines and angiogenesis by ADO-loaded particles in CAM assays support their potential as multifunctional wound-healing platforms.
- Growth, appetite regulation, intestine health, and functionality of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fed different oilseed-based dietsPublication . Guttuso, Paolo; Santos, Rafaela A.; Magalhães, Rui; Moutinho, Sara; Couto, Ana; Gamboa, Margarida; Pousão-Ferreira, Pedro; Carvalho, Nelson Mota de; Madureira, Ana Raquel; Serra, Cláudia R.; Oliva-Teles, Aires; Guerreiro, InêsThe growing inclusion of plant feedstuffs (PF) in aquafeeds has driven the partial replacement of fishmeal, with oilseed meals such as soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower among the most widely used, although they differ markedly in nutritional composition, particularly in their carbohydrate fractions. Within this context, this study investigated the effects of different oilseed-based diets on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) growth performance, feed utilization, liver composition and index, diets' apparent digestibility, plasma metabolites, gut morphology and immune-related gene expression, digesta short-chain fatty acids, and appetite-related gene expression. For that purpose, fish were fed diets containing either 30% soybean, rapeseed, sunflower, a mix of the three, or a control diet without oilseed ingredients (fish meal, corn gluten, wheat meal and gluten) for 65 days. The experimental diets did not affect growth, feed efficiency and body composition. Fish fed the Sunflower diet exhibited the lowest hepatosomatic index, liver lipid and glycogen levels, plasma glucose, and apparent digestibility coefficients for energy and lipids. Plasma triglycerides were higher in fish fed the Soybean and Rapeseed diets, while plasma cholesterol was increased in fish fed the Soybean and Sunflower diets. Digestive enzyme activity (amylase and lipase) was higher in fish fed the Rapeseed diet. While immune-related gene expression was not affected by dietary treatment, intestine morphology presented minimal changes, namely decreased goblet cell number and increased supranuclear vacuolization in fish fed the Soybean diet. Acetate concentration was higher in the gut of fish fed Sunflower and Soybean than in other diets. Intestine peptide YY and hypothalamus cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (cart) expression were increased in fish fed Soybean, Sunflower, and Mix diets (except for cart in Soybean diet). In conclusion, diets with up to 30% oilseed inclusion supported normal growth of gilthead seabream juveniles and did not induce gut health disruption. However, the dietary carbohydrate profile influenced hepatic energy storage, nutrient utilization, and selected appetite-related molecular responses. These findings provide insight into potential diet–host interactions associated with oilseed-based formulations.
- Natural bioactives: a promising avenue for metabolic syndrome therapyPublication . Machado, Manuela; Gouvinhas, Irene; Silva, Sara; Costa, Eduardo M.