Percorrer por autor "Milho, Catarina"
A mostrar 1 - 4 de 4
Resultados por página
Opções de ordenação
- Antibiofilm potential of medicinal plants against Candida spp. oral biofilms: a reviewPublication . Guimarães, Rafaela; Milho, Catarina; Liberal, Ângela; Silva, Jani; Fonseca, Carmélia; Barbosa, Ana Carolina; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Alves, Maria José; Barros, LillianThe use of natural products to promote health is as old as human civilization. In recent years, the perception of natural products derived from plants as abundant sources of biologically active compounds has driven their exploitation towards the search for new chemical products that can lead to further pharmaceutical formulations. Candida fungi, being opportunistic pathogens, increase their virulence by acquiring resistance to conventional antimicrobials, triggering diseases, especially in immunosuppressed hosts. They are also pointed to as the main pathogens responsible for most fungal infections of the oral cavity. This increased resistance to conventional synthetic antimicrobials has driven the search for new molecules present in plant extracts, which have been widely explored as alternative agents in the prevention and treatment of infections. This review aims to provide a critical view and scope of the in vitro antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of several medicinal plants, revealing species with inhibition/reduction effects on the biofilm formed by Candida spp. in the oral cavity. The most promising plant extracts in fighting oral biofilm, given their high capacity to reduce it to low concentrations were the essential oils extracted from Allium sativum L., Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume. and Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf.
- Antimicrobials from medicinal plants: an emergent strategy to control oral biofilmsPublication . Milho, Catarina; Silva, Jani; Guimarães, Rafaela; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, Lillian; Alves, Maria JoséOral microbial biofilms, directly related to oral diseases, particularly caries and periodontitis, exhibit virulence factors that include acidification of the oral microenvironment and the formation of biofilm enriched with exopolysaccharides, characteristics and common mechanisms that, ultimately, justify the increase in antibiotics resistance. In this line, the search for natural products, mainly obtained through plants, and derived compounds with bioactive potential, endorse unique biological properties in the prevention of colonization, adhesion, and growth of oral bacteria. The present review aims to provide a critical and comprehensive view of the in vitro antibiofilm activity of various medicinal plants, revealing numerous species with antimicrobial properties, among which, twenty-four with biofilm inhibition/reduction percentages greater than 95%. In particular, the essential oils of Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf and Lippia alba (Mill.) seem to be the most promising in fighting microbial biofilm in Streptococcus mutans, given their high capacity to reduce biofilm at low concentrations.
- Avaliação da qualidade de vida e de sono dos termalistas do balneário termal de chavesPublication . Pereira, Sandra Cristina Soares; Silva, Jani; Gonçalves, C.; Guimarães, Rafaela; Milho, Catarina; Galvão, Ana Maria; Alves, Maria JoséAtualmente, cada vez mais as pessoas recorrem ao termalismo para melhorar a saúde na sua ampla dimensão, com destaque para o bemestar, incluindo o relaxamento, alívio de stress, depressão, e mesmo recuperação e reservatório de energias. Os tratamentos termais proporcionam uma harmonia corporal integral e condições para prevenir possíveis patologias, inclusive de cariz mental e social, visando uma melhor qualidade de vida e do sono. Objetivo: Este estudo teve com objetivo aprofundar os conhecimentos sobre termalismo, avaliar a qualidade de vida e de sono em dois momentos distintos, antes e após os 14 dias de tratamentos termais. Metodologia: Para responder ao objetivo traçado, realizou-se um estudo exploratório, quantitativo, descritivo, inferencial e longitudinal. Aplicou-se um questionário presencial, aleatoriamente, a 90 termalistas que frequentaram o termalismo clássico nas termas de Chaves entre junho e outubro de 2020. O questionário incluiu variáveis socioprofissionais, um instrumento genérico de avaliação da qualidade de vida (SF-36v2) e o instrumento de avaliação da qualidade de sono, (Índice de Qualidade de Sono de Pittsburgh). Resultados: Os dados recolhidos foram submetidos a tratamentos de análise estatística, recorrendo a uma análise descritiva e inferencial
- Harnessing the Power of Natural Mineral Waters in Bread Formulations: Effects on Chemical, Physical, and Physicochemical PropertiesPublication . Ferreira, Fernanda; Guimarães, Rafaela; Lemos, André; Milho, Catarina; Silveira, Tayse F. F. da; Ueda, Jonata Massao; Carocho, Márcio; Heleno, Sandrina A.; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Pintado, Manuela; Alves, Maria JoséThis study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating natural mineral waters (NMW), including thermal water (TW) and bottled mineral water (BMW), into bread (‘biju’ type) to enhance its mineral content and explore their impacts on physicochemical, technological, biochemical, and chemical composition. NMW, rich in sodium, potassium, and magnesium, resulted in bread formulations with higher contents of these minerals and greater total mineral levels, thus potentially enriching food products. Proximate composition analysis showed no significant differences in moisture, proteins, carbohydrates, and energy, except for lipids and soluble sugars. Texture analysis revealed that water type influenced textural properties, with salt content affecting hardness, springiness, and cohesiveness. Viability analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed consistent results across formulations, suggesting water pH and mineral content did not significantly affect fermentation. In addition, bread formulations without added salt were developed to assess the potential of sodium-rich NMW as a natural source of salt. For these samples, and considering the parameters assessed, except for salt and sodium content, the differences observed were slight compared to salt-added formulations, highlighting NMW’s potential to produce low-salt bread. These findings not only enhance the value of local resources but also offer an innovative and sustainable strategy for utilizing NMW springs across Europe.