Browsing by Author "Dias, Madalena M."
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- Advancements in conventional and supercritical CO2 extraction of Moringa oleifera bioactives for cosmetic applications: A reviewPublication . Kessler, Júlia C.; Martins, Isabel M.; Manrique, Yaidelin A.; Rodrigues, Alírio; Barreiro, M.F.; Dias, Madalena M.Moringa oleifera L. extracts (Mo) have attracted attention as a sustainable and effective alternative to synthetic ingredients for cosmetic formulations. The unique and diverse phytochemical profile of the Mo tree enhances the quality and appeal of commercial products, as evidenced by numerous studies and patents. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SFE-CO2) is particularly advantageous for this purpose, offering enhanced thermostability and selectivity of extracted compounds compared to conventional methods. This review examines the safety and efficacy of Mo seed, leaf, and root extracts as cosmetic ingredients, focusing on their bioavailability and performance by considering the thermodynamics and operational benefits of SFE-CO2. The collected data highlights the method’s efficiency in terms of the total extraction yield and the recovery of target compounds from Mo, providing insights from optimisation studies and linking the solvation power of supercritical CO2 with the significant non-polar and low-polar compounds present in Mo extracts.
- Advancing Pickering emulsions with natural-based solid dispersion particles: Particle screening and design of pectin-based emulsionsPublication . Rezende, Stephany; Santamaria-Echart, Arantzazu; Ribeiro, Andreia; Dias, Madalena M.; Barreiro, FilomenaGiven the evolving trends in consumption, Pickering emulsions are emerging as a promising solution for functional and healthier foods, highlighting the need to diversify particle stabilisers. This study assessed the potential of curcumin-based solid dispersions (SDs) prepared with natural polymers (pectin, maltodextrin, Arabic gum, potato starch, and k-carrageenan) as Pickering stabilisers. Among these, pectin-curcumin SDs (contact angle = 48.0 ± 3.6◦) demonstrated effective emulsion stabilisation, as confirmed by confocal microscopy. The impact of oil volume fraction (φ = 0.20–0.70) and SD concentration (1.0–5.0 % wt.) on emulsion stability was evaluated. An intermediate φ (0.45) consistently minimised creaming index (CI = 0–16.67 %) and droplet size (D[4,3] =2.53–4.12 μm). Complete reduction of creaming (CI = 0 %) was achieved at high SD concentration with low φ or low SD concentration with high φ, leading to improved stability. The three produced optimised formulations exhibited distinct colour properties (L* = 64.06–72.00, a* = 11.09–12.50, b* = 55.10–60.70), with hues ranging from yellow to orange, highlighting their potential for natural colouring applications. Rheological behaviour varied from gel-like (G’ > G”) to viscoelastic (G’ = G”), broadening their potential in food formulations. Higher SD concentrations with lower/intermediate φ produced structured, gel-like emulsions suitable for sauces or spreads. In contrast, lower SD concentrations with higher φ yielded fluid emulsions for dressings or beverages. These findings highlight the feasibility of SD-based Pickering emulsions for designing stable (≥30 days), visually appealing, and texturally versatile food products.
- Antiangiogenic compounds: well-established drugs versus emerging natural moleculesPublication . Ribeiro, Andreia; Abreu, Rui M.V.; Dias, Madalena M.; Barreiro, M.F.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.Angiogenesis is the natural and physiologic process of growing blood vessels from pre-existing ones. Pathological angiogenesis occurs when the precise balance of all the molecular pathways that regulate angiogenesis is disrupted, and this process is a critical step in many diseases, including cancer. A limited number of antiangiogenic synthetic drugs have been developed. However, due to toxicity and side effects issues, the search for alternative to existing drugs is ongoing. In this sense, natural molecules obtained from plants or macrofungi, have demonstrated extraordinary potential in the treatment of angiogenesis-related pathologies, specially taking into consideration its absence or very low toxicity, when compared to synthetic drugs. Using natural compounds as potential angiogenesis modulators is thus a promising field of research, supporting the creation of novel therapies able to reduce the use of drugs and associated side effects. In this review, the current status of antiangiogenic drugs and the wide variety of natural extracts and molecules with antiangiogenic capacities, as well as the angiogenesis molecular pathways and therapeutic targets, are presented. Finally, the challenges that need to be overcome in order to increase the use of natural compounds for clinical purposes are discussed.
- Chemical and organoleptic properties of bread enriched with Rosmarinus officinalis L.: the potential of natural extracts obtained through green extraction methodologies as food ingredientsPublication . Kessler, Júlia C.; Vieira, Vanessa; Martins, Isabel M.; Manrique, Yaidelin A.; Ferreira, Patrícia; Calhelha, Ricardo C.; Afonso, Andreia; Barros, Lillian; Rodrigues, Alírio; Dias, Madalena M.The potential of R. officinalis L. (RO) extracts as a source of aromas was accessed by hydrodistillation (HD) and supercritical fluid extraction using carbon dioxide (SFE-CO2), followed by a series of analysis: quantification by GC-MS, sensory perception and description, and cytotoxicity against Vero cells. The extracts shown abundancy of α-pinene, eucalyptol, S-verbenone and camphor, contributing for the green, fresh, citric, and woody as main sensory notes. The odour threshold (ODT) value (less than 3.0 × 10- 3 μg⋅mL- 1) and the cytotoxic potential (ca. 220 μg∙mL- 1) defined the concentration range for food application. The most promising extract was added to bread doughs and the final volatile profile was characterised by GC-MS through HS-SPME over time. Among the 34 compounds found, furfural showed an evident contribution in the bread crust aroma, which persisted over four hours of storage, contributing to a pleasant bread fragrance according to the evaluators. This study aims to represent a stepping stone for the use of natural aromas as ingredients for the development of innovative food products.
- Continuous production of hydroxyapatite Pickering emulsions using a mesostructured reactorPublication . Ribeiro, Andreia; Manrique, Yaidelin A.; Barreiro, M.F.; Lopes, José Carlos B.; Dias, Madalena M.Emulsions are used in a wide range of applications, including food and cosmetics. Nowadays, the demand for sustainable products has increased with Pickering emulsions emerging as clean alternatives. To achieve the industrial implementation of Pickering emulsions, continuous production and less intensive energy devices are required. In this context, a mesostructured reactor based on an innovative static mixer, NETmix, was tested to produce Pickering emulsions from a previously developed formulation in batch mode. The effect of the number of cycles (2–35) and Reynolds number (200–500), parameters that influence the residence time and the quality of mixing, on the Pickering emulsion properties (average droplet size, droplet morphology, and stability) was studied. The obtained results pointed out the feasibility of using NETmix to produce Pickering emulsions. It is a versatile technique to control in a tailor-made way the droplet size and generate small droplets at short times. Results show a decrease of the droplet size with increasing number of cycles and Reynolds. Under the tested conditions, stable dispersions with droplet size of ∼7 μm were produced using 17 cycles and Re = 400. Microscopy images show an oil core and nano-hydroxyapatite shell morphology.
- Continuous production of melamine-formaldehyde microcapsules using a mesostructured reactorPublication . Dias, Madalena M.; Moreira, Ana C.G.; Manrique, Yaidelin A.; Martins, Isabel M.; Fernandes, Isabel P.; Rodrigues, Alírio; Lopes, José Carlos B.A mesostructured NETmix reactor was adapted to develop a continuous process to produce microcapsules, focusing on the steps commonly used in batch formulation: the emulsion and cure. Microcapsules were formed through a polycondensation process by coating Miglyol, a skin-hydrating emollient, with melamine-formaldehyde, which is a resistant shell material with surface smoothness. Different recirculation times were tested for the cure step. Microcapsules show a spherical shape and smooth membrane. Efficiencies of encapsulation of 75%, core contents of 70%, and diameters around 20 μm, ideal range for textile impregnation, were obtained. Scanning electron microscopy shows the integrity of microcapsules on textiles after impregnation and their flexible behavior. The thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the thermal stability of microcapsules up to 210 °C. With the NETmix reactor, it is possible to reduce the cure time of traditional batch formulation in 80%, producing microcapsules with similar characteristics in a continuous process.
- Corrigendum to “chemical and organoleptic properties of bread enriched with Rosmarinus officinalis L.: the potential of natural extracts obtained through green extraction methodologies as food ingredients”Publication . Kessler, Júlia C.; Vieira, Vanessa; Martins, Isabel M.; Manrique, Yaidelin A.; Ferreira, Patrícia; Calhelha, Ricardo C.; Afonso, Andreia; Barros, Lillian; Rodrigues, Alírio; Dias, Madalena M.The authors regret the inconvenience caused but found an error in the text of section 2.5.3 - “Sensory evaluation of the aroma of bread” of the article. It should read “Four concentrations of R. officinalis extract were used: 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 μL/100 g of bread.” instead of “Four concentrations of R. officinalis extract were used: 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/100 g of bread.” The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
- Developing High-Coloring Natural Systems Using Double Emulsions with Daucus carota L. Extract to Meet High-Performance RequirementsPublication . Teixeira, Liandra Gracher; Silva, Samara Cristina; Colucci, Giovana; Santamaria-Echart, Arantzazu; Peres, António M.; Dias, Madalena M.; Barreiro, M.F.Daucus carota L. extract is attracting interest as a natural colorant alternative. However, the presence of anthocyanins (ACNs), which are sensitive to pH changes, limits its application. To tackle this issue, water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsions are emerging as innovative solutions. Nevertheless, the problem of reaching robust colorant systems for industrial use still needs to be overcome. One important target is to reach a high coloring power, minimizing its impact on the final product. In this context, the effect of colorant concentration and the volume of the primary emulsion, two routes to increase the colorant power, on color attributes and stability, an important feature to reach a marketable product, was studied. The optimal experimental design was conducted to two optimal solutions, whether through heightened colorant concentration or primary emulsion volume: a 41/59 (W1/O)/W2 ratio with 11 wt.% colorant, and a 48/52 (W1/O)/W2 ratio with 6 wt.% colorant, respectively. A subsequent assessment of color and physical emulsion stability over 30 days pointed out the solution with the lower colorant concentration (6 wt.%) as the one with better performance (L*: 44.11 ± 0.03, a*: 25.79 ± 0.01, D4;3: 9.62 ± 0.1 μm, and CI: 14.55 ± 0.99%), also minimizing the permeability of the colorant to the outer aqueous phase. Overall, these optimized emulsions offer versatile coloring solutions suitable for various industrial applications, such as food matrices and functional cosmetics.
- Development of water-in-oil pickering emulsions from sodium oleate surface-modified nano-hydroxyapatitePublication . Ribeiro, Andreia; Manrique, Yaidelin A.; Lopes, José Carlos B.; Dias, Madalena M.; Barreiro, M.F.The stabilisation of water-in-oil (W/O) Pickering emulsions is still a challenge for the scientific community. In this work, sodium oleate (SO) surface modified nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HAp) particles were produced and tested as W/O stabilisers. The modified n-HAp particles presented a wettability dependent on the used SO content, switching from hydrophilic (initial state) to hydrophobic (one SO layer) and back to hydrophilic (two SO layers). The Pickering emulsions produced with the particles holding one SO layer (contact angle ~90 ◦) showed their tight adsorption at the water-oil interface (confocal analysis), and maintained the stability up to 15 days. Overall this work provides new developments in the field of W/O Pickering emulsions, a topic less studied than O/W, opening new avenues for several applications.
- Effect of temperature, pH and ionic strength on hydroxyapatite stabilised Pickering emulsions produced in batch and continuous modePublication . Ribeiro, Andreia; Manrique, Yaidelin A.; Barreiro, M.F.; Lopes, José Carlos B.; Dias, Madalena M.Oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsions are attracting attention as carriers of lipophilic active compounds with clear advantages over traditional systems. Having in view their effective use it is important to study their stability against environmental stresses impacting manufacture, storage, and application conditions. In this work, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (n-HAp) Pickering emulsions produced in continuous mode using a mesostructured reactor (average size ~ 7, 11 and 18 μm) and in batch mode using a rotor–stator device (average size ~ 18 μm) were studied concerning their behaviour at different temperatures (5–90 ºC), pH (2–10) and ionic strength (0–500 mM), conditions with relevance for food applications. Droplet size, morphology, and zeta-potential were analysed after 1 and 7 days under storage. In general, and despite the droplet size, the n-HAp Pickering emulsions were stable within the tested ionic strength range, at relatively high pH environments (6–10), and at temperatures up to 70 ºC. Pickering emulsions undergo complete phase separation at very low pH (2) due to n-HAp particle's disruption. A clear tendency to aggregation and coalescence was observed for high temperatures (70–90 ºC). Results indicate no significant differences related to the used production method. From an industrial perspective, this work also corroborates that the scale-up to a continuous process using a mesostructured reactor, NETmix, from a batch laboratorial process is feasible without impacting stability.