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- Glyphosate in portuguese adults – a pilot studyPublication . Nova, Paulo; Calheiros, Cristina S.C.; Silva, MargaridaBackground: Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum biocide and the active ingredient in the most widely used herbicides worldwide. Since 2015, when the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified it as a Class 2A carcinogen, global interest in this chemical spiked particularly as regards exposure of the general population. Objective: An exploratory glyphosate exposure assessment was conducted among Portuguese adults. Methods: Self-selected participants provided first morning urine which was tested for glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) at two distinct periods of time, by two different laboratories using gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography linked to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), respectively. Results: In the first round of testing 28% and 50% presented detectable levels of glyphosate and AMPA respectively, with median values of 0.25 and 0.16 μg/L. Systematically available internal dose values were 8.20E- 06 mg/Kg (glyphosate) and 5.04-05 mg/Kg (AMPA). In the second round 73% and 97% presented detectable levels of glyphosate and AMPA respectively with median values of 0.13 and 0.10 μg/L. Systematically available internal dose values were 4.00E-06 mg/Kg (glyphosate) and 3.00E-06 mg/Kg (AMPA). Conclusions: Glyphosate exposure was detected among Portuguese adults, with percentages of glyphosate and AMPA contaminated urine in both rounds of testing and above values from previous studies in other European countries. Systematically available internal doses values were below EFSA’s risk assessment values (ADI or AOEL), and as such, the concentration values measured in this study are not per se a human health problem. Even though there were study limitations, it is the first assessment in Portugal and contributes to the overall knowledge map of glyphosate exposure in Europe.
- Urban organic community gardening to promote environmental sustainability practices and increase fruit, vegetables and organic food consumptionPublication . Nova, Paulo; Pinto, Elisabete; Chaves, Benedita; Silva, MargaridaObjective: To describe the environmental practices of participants in an urban organic community garden at the beginning of their gardening experience and after a period of six months, and to discover their opinion about how this activity influenced the consumption of vegetables, fruits and organic food. Method: Interviews using structured questionnaires were conducted twice with 115 city dwellers: when they started in the vegetable garden and about 6 months later. The questionnaire included questions related to environmental practices. The second evaluation also included questions related to the consumption of organic food, vegetables and fruit. Results: This research showed significant behavioural transformation, including positive outcomes in environmental practices such as recycling and trying to persuade friends or family to recycle, compost leftovers or choose to walk/bike to save petrol. In the opinion of the participants, activities in the organic community garden helped to increase consumption of fruits, vegetables and organic food. Conclusion: The study results reinforce the hypothesis that an organic community vegetable garden can induce significant, positive behavioural changes among its users. In particular this research suggests horticulture is associated with positive improvements in personal environmental behaviours, awareness of the environment’s high social priority and increased consumption of organic food, fruit and vegetables.
- 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.
- Foods with microalgae and seaweeds fostering consumers health: a review on scientific and market innovationsPublication . Nova, Paulo; Martins, Ana Pimenta; Teixeira, Carla; Abreu, Helena; Silva, Joana Gabriela; Silva, Ana Machado; Freitas, Ana Cristina; Gomes, Ana MariaNutrition plays a crucial role in health promotion and disease prevention, and dietary-related factors are, in many cases, the leading risks for worldwide mortality and morbidity. Nowadays, consumer awareness of this fact has led to an increasing interest in food products that couple both these dimensions to an imperative third overall factor of interest—sustainability. Microalgae and seaweeds have in their composition a wide range of important multifunctional bioactive compounds which may possess cardiovascular protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, antioxidant, anti-coagulant, anti-proliferative, and/or antidiabetic activities. In addition, they can constitute excellent ingredients for the food industry to be used in the development of value-added food products. This review provides an overview on the current scientific and industrial developments regarding food products incorporating microalgae and seaweeds. Furthermore, technological, nutritional, sustainability, and health benefits resulting from their incorporation in different food matrixes are also explored