Browsing by Author "García-Oliveira, Paula"
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- Algae as a source of bioactive compounds to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes mellitusPublication . Popović-Djordjević, Jelena; Katanić Stanković, Jelena S.; Mihailović, Vladimir; González Pereira, Antía; García-Oliveira, Paula; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Simal-Gandara, JesusType 2 diabetes mellitus is a complicated metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance. It is considered a new pandemic and its control involves numerous challenges. Although many of the measures are based on improving life habits, diet is also of vital importance due to bioactive compounds present in food. In this regard, several raw materials have been investigated whose bioactivities seem to slow the progression of this disease. Within these matrices, there are algae of importance, such as brown algae, showing to have beneficial effects on glycemic control. These pieces of evidence are increasing every day due to the development of cell or animal models, which lead to the conclusion that bioactive compounds may have direct effects on decreasing hyperglycemia, enhancing insulin secretion and preventing the formation of amyloid plaques.
- Benefits and drawbacks of ultrasound-assisted extraction for the recovery of bioactive compounds from marine algaePublication . Carreira Casais, Anxo; Otero, Paz; Garcia-Perez, Pascual; García-Oliveira, Paula; González Pereira, Antía; Carpena Rodríguez, María; Soria-Lopez, Anton; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.The increase in life expectancy has led to the appearance of chronic diseases and interest in healthy aging, in turn promoting a growing interest in bioactive compounds (BCs) and functional ingredients. There are certain foods or products rich in functional ingredients, and algae are one of them. Algae consumption has been nominal in Europe until now. However, in recent years, it has grown significantly, partly due to globalization and the adoption of new food trends. With the aim of obtaining BCs from foods, multiple methods have been proposed, ranging from conventional ones, such as maceration or Soxhlet extraction, to more innovative methods, e.g., ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). UAE constitutes a novel method, belonging to so-called green chemistry, that enables the extraction of BCs requiring lower amounts of solvent and energy costs, preserving the integrity of such molecules. In recent years, this method has been often used for the extraction of different BCs from a wide range of algae, especially polysaccharides, such as carrageenans and alginate; pigments, including fucoxanthin, chlorophylls, or -carotene; and phenolic compounds, among others. In this way, the application of UAE to marine algae is an efficient and sustainable strategy to pursue their deep characterization as a new source of BCs, especially suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.
- Biological action mechanisms of fucoxanthin extracted from algae for application in food and cosmetic industriesPublication . Lourenço-Lopes, Catarina; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Jiménez López, Cecília; Carpena Rodríguez, María; González Pereira, Antía; García-Oliveira, Paula; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Simal-Gandara, JesusBackground: Fucoxanthin is a pigment present in diverse marine organisms such as micro and macro-algae. The most relevant source of fucoxanthin has been described to be the group of the brown macroalgae, also known as Phaeophyceae. The presence of the fucoxanthin, a xanthophyll, found as an accessory pigment in the chloroplasts of the brown algae is responsible for providing them their characteristic color. The market size of this carotenoid, expected to reach US$ 120 million by 2022, reflects its industrial importance, especially remarkable as a food or cosmetic ingredient. Scope and approach: Therefore, it is critical to recognize the main sources of fucoxanthin as well as the most efficient extraction and purification methods that allow obtaining the best production ratio for such a valuable molecule. Throughout this review very different preventive properties of the fucoxanthin have been included, such as antioxidant, anticancer, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective, antiobesity, neuroprotective and its skin protective effects. The stability, bioavailability and toxicity of the fucoxanthin have also been reviewed through diverse biological, in vitro and in vivo assays. Key findings and conclusions: Thus, the main aim of this work is to provide a wide and global vision of the fucoxanthin in terms of productive species, efficient recovery techniques and multiple industrial applications.
- Biological activities of selected plants of Rosaceae family employed in traditional remediesPublication . Barral Martínez, Marta; García-Oliveira, Paula; Núñez Estévez, Bernabé; Jarboui, Amira; Taofiq, Oludemi; Otero, Paz; Pinela, José; Calhelha, Ricardo C.; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Barros, LillianDuring human history, people have searched plant species to heal their diseases, elaborating different traditional remedies. Nowadays, numerous scientific studies have demonstrated the beneficial biological properties of several plants including species of Rosaceae familywhich appears in various ethnobotanical studies as one of the most used plants in traditional medicine Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Geum urbanum (L.) and Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch. are some plants of this family that have been employed in several traditional remedies, but their use is still limited nowadays [1]. The objective of this study was to different biological properties of these species, to potentiate their possible use in several biobased industrial applications. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by different in vitro assays: DPPH radical scavenging assay, TBARS, OXHLIA and reducing power. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by the inhibition of inflammation on RAW264.7 murine macrophages. Finally, antitumor activity was tested against four tumour cell lines: MCF-7, CaCo, AGS and NCI-H460. The results showed that all plant extracts had antioxidant effects in the selected assays, especially G. urbanum and P. erecta. Aditionally, P. erecta presented the best anti-inflammatory effect, with EC50 of 50 μg/mL extract. Finally, all the species presented cytotoxic effect against the cell lines, being P. erecta the most effective, with GI50 ranging from 13 to 61 μg/mL of extract. Considering these results, the three species showed promising potential as therapeutic alternatives based on the observed bioactive properties and can be utilised in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations.
- Biological properties and potential of compounds extracted from red seaweedsPublication . Carpena Rodríguez, María; García-Pérez, Pascual; García-Oliveira, Paula; Chamorro Rivo, Franklin Noel; Otero, Paz; Lourenço-Lopes, Catarina; Cao, Hui; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.Macroalgae have been recently used for different applications in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry since they do not compete for land and freshwater against other resources. Moreover, they have been highlighted as a potential source of bioactive compounds. Red algae (Rhodo- phyta) are the largest group of seaweeds, including around 6000 different species, thus it can be hypoth- esized that they are a potential source of bioactive compounds. Sulfated polysaccharides, mainly agar and carrageenans, are the most relevant and exploited compounds of red algae. Other potential molecules are essential fatty acids, phycobiliproteins, vitamins, minerals, and other secondary metabolites. All these compounds have been demonstrated to exert several biological activities, among which antioxidant, anti- inflammatory, antitumor, and antimicrobial properties can be highlighted. Nevertheless, these properties need to be further tested on in vivo experiments and go in-depth in the study of the mechanism of action of the specific molecules and the understanding of the structure–activity relation. At last, the extraction technologies are essential for the correct isolation of the molecules, in a cost-effective way, to facilitate the scale-up of the processes and their further application by the industry. This manuscript is aimed at describing the fundamental composition of red algae and their most studied biological properties to pave the way to the utilization of this underused resource.
- By-products of agri-food industry as tannin-rich sources: a review of tannins’ biological activities and their potential for valorizationPublication . Fraga-Corral, Maria; Otero, Paz; Echave Álvarez, Javier; García-Oliveira, Paula; Carpena Rodríguez, María; Jarboui, Amira; Núñez Estévez, Bernabé; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.During recent decades, consumers have been continuously moving towards the substitution of synthetic ingredients of the food industry by natural products, obtained from vegetal, animal or microbial sources. Additionally, a circular economy has been proposed as the most efficient production system since it allows for reducing and reutilizing different wastes. Current agriculture is responsible for producing high quantities of organic agricultural waste (e.g., discarded fruits and vegetables, peels, leaves, seeds or forestall residues), that usually ends up underutilized and accumulated, causing environmental problems. Interestingly, these agri-food by-products are potential sources of valuable bioactive molecules such as tannins. Tannins are phenolic compounds, secondary metabolites of plants widespread in terrestrial and aquatic natural environments. As they can be found in plenty of plants and herbs, they have been traditionally used for medicinal and other purposes, such as the leather industry. This fact is explained by the fact that they exert plenty of different biological activities and, thus, they entail a great potential to be used in the food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry. Consequently, this review article is directed towards the description of the biological activities exerted by tannins as they could be further extracted from by-products of the agri-food industry to produce high-added-value products.
- Challenges for future food systems: from the Green Revolution to food supply chains with a special focus on sustainabilityPublication . Soria‐Lopez, Antón; García-Pérez, Pascual; Carpena, María; García-Oliveira, Paula; Otero, Paz; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Cao, Hui; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Simal‐Gandara, JesusFinding a food system to feed the growing worldwide population remains a challenge, especially in the current era, where natural resources are being dramatically depleted. From a historical point of view, the Green Revolution, together with biofortification and sustainable intensification, was established as a possible solution to counter hunger and malnutrition during the second half of the 20th century. As a solution, to overcome the limitations attributed to the Green Revolution, food supply chains were developed. The current food system, based on the long food supply chain (LFSC), is characterized by globalization, promoting several advantages for both producers and consumers. However, LFSC has been demonstrated to be unable to feed the global population and, furthermore, it generates negative ecological, environmental, logistical, and nutritional pressures. Thus, novel efficient food systems are required to respond to current environmental and consumers’ demands, as is the case of short food supply chain (SFSC). As a recently emerging food system, the evaluation of SFSC sustainability in terms of environmental, economic, and social assessment is yet to be determined. This review is focused on the evolution of food supply systems, starting from the Green Revolution to food supply chains, providing a significant perspective on sustainability.
- Evaluación del perfil fenólico individual de Calluna vulgaris (L.) y de su potencial bioactivoPublication . Carreira Casais, Anxo; García-Oliveira, Paula; Caleja, Cristina; Pereira, Eliana; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Perez-Juste, Jorge; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.En la actualidad, existe una tendencia en el consumo de alimentos más nutritivos y que aporten beneficios para la salud [1]. En este contexto, el consumo de plantas ha demostrado ser beneficioso, debido a la presencia de diversos nutrientes y moléculas bioactivas con propiedades funcionales. Los polifenoles son un grupo de compuestos que, según diversos estudios, han demostrado propiedades antioxidantes, anti-inflamatorias, antimicrobianas y antitumorales, entre otros, ejerciendo efectos terapéuticos sobre diversas enfermedades [1,2]. Así en el presente trabajo se determinó el perfil individual de compuestos fenólicos en los extractos hidroetanólicos e infusiones obtenidas a partir de las flores de Calluna vulgaris (L.); así como las propiedades bioactivas a través de ensayos in vitro de actividad antioxidante y antimicrobiana. Los compuestos fenólicos individuales se analizaron mediante HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS. La actividad antioxidante se evaluó a través de las metodologías de TBARS y OxHLIA; la actividad antimicrobiana se determinó usando el método de microdilución en bacterias Gram-positivas y Gram-negativas, y en hongos; y finalmente, la hepatotoxicidad se estimó usando un cultivo de células primarias no tumorales (PLP2) y aplicando el ensayo de sulforhodamina B. En la evaluación del perfil fenólico individual, en ambos extractos evaluados (hidroetanólico e infusión) fue evidente la presencia de 20 compuestos fenólicos, de los cuales siete fueron identificados como ácidos fenólicos y trece como flavonoides. La quercetina-3-O-ramnosida se destacó como el compuesto principal. Con respecto a la actividad antioxidante, ambos ensayos testados mostraron valores promisorios de EC50, que tradujeron el excelente potencial antioxidante de la especie. Lo mismo sucedió con la actividad antimicrobiana, donde se demostró el potencial bacteriostático, bactericida y fungicida contra las cepas de bacterias y hongos analizados. También fue probado la ausencia de toxicidad del estrato hidroetanólico y la infusión de C. vulgaris. Este estudio concluyó que C. vulgaris es una flor rica en moléculas bioactivas, especialmente flavonoides y ácidos fenólicos, que pueden generar un gran interés en la industria alimentaria y farmacéutica.
- Evaluation of macroalgae as a source of nutrients for nutraceutical foodsPublication . García-Oliveira, Paula; Carreira Casais, Anxo; Pereira, Eliana; Caleja, Cristina; Barral Martínez, Marta; Garcia Perez, Pascual; Barros, Lillian; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.Macroalgae are responsible for most of the production in aquatic ecosystems, playing an important role in the biosphere [1]. Although the consumption of macroalgae as foods is typical of Asian countries, these products are gaining popularity in Europe and North America [2]. Macroalgae are known for their excellent nutritional value, specially due to their high levels of protein and low lipid and caloric content. Furthermore, they are rich in numerous bioactive compounds, such as vitamins, essential fatty acids and phenolic compounds, which have been demonstrated to provide important health benefits to consumers [3]. This work aims to determine proteins, fat ash, carbohydrates and energy contents, and also the composition in organic acids and fatty acids of some seaweeds species, namely Himanthalia elongata L., S.F. Gray; Laminaria ochroleuca Bach.Pyl.; Saccharina latissima L.; Porphyra sp. C.Agardh; and Palmaria palmata (L.) Kuntze. The nutritional aspects were determined using official methodologies for food analysis, while organic acids by UPFLC-PDA and fatty acids by GC-FID. Proteins where the main macronutrients present with values ranging between 6 and 30 g/100 g of dry weight (dw) for S. latissima and Porphyra sp., respectively. On the other hand, a low lipid content was evident in all the studied seaweed species with values below 1 g/100 g dw. The energy values ranged from 218 and 370 kcal/100 g dw for L. ochrouleuca and Porphyra sp, respectively. Furthermore, several compounds of interest were identified. Among organic acids, oxalic acid was the only molecule present in all species. Regarding fatty acid content, saturated, unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids were also determined, showing a clear heterogeneity of concentrations depending on the species. To conclude, the present study demonstrates the great potential of the selected macroalgae as source of non-animal protein and also some molecules with interesting properties. Thus, the incorporation of this macroalgae in the daily diet will have several benefits for consumers.
- Evolution of flavors in extra virgin olive oil shelf-lifePublication . García-Oliveira, Paula; Jiménez López, Cecília; Lourenço-Lopes, Catarina; Chamorro Rivo, Franklin Noel; González Pereira, Antía; Carreira Casais, Anxo; Fraga-Corral, Maria; Carpena Rodríguez, María; Simal-Gandara, Jesus; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is one of the most distinctive ingredients of the Mediterranean diet. There are many properties related to this golden ingredient, from supreme organoleptic characteristics to benefits for human health. EVOO contains in its composition molecules capable of exerting bioactivities such as cardio protection, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer activity, among others, mainly caused by unsaturated fatty acids and certain minor compounds such as tocopherols or phenolic compounds. EVOO is considered the highest quality vegetable oil, which also implies a high sensory quality. The organoleptic properties related to the flavor of this valued product are also due to the presence of a series of compounds in its composition, mainly some carbonyl compounds found in the volatile fraction, although some minor compounds such as phenolic compounds also contribute. However, these properties are greatly affected by the incidence of certain factors, both intrinsic, such as the olive variety, and extrinsic, such as the growing conditions, so that each EVOO has a particular flavor. Furthermore, these flavors are susceptible to change under the influence of other factors throughout the oil's shelf-life, such as oxidation or temperature. This work offers a description of some of the most remarkable compounds responsible for EVOO’s unique flavor and aroma, the factors affecting them, the mechanism that lead to the degradation of EVOO, and how flavors can be altered during the shelf-life of the oil, as well as several strategies suggested for the preservation of this flavor, on which the quality of the product also depends.
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