Percorrer por autor "Moura, Monica B.M.V."
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- Antimalarial and cytotoxic activity of native plants used in cabo verde traditional medicinePublication . Essoh, Anyse P.; Cassiano, Gustavo Capatti; Mandim, Filipa; Barros, Lillian; Gomes, Isildo; Medeiros, Márcia Melo; Moura, Monica B.M.V.; Cravo, Pedro V.L.; Romeiras, Maria M.Medicinal plants have historically been a source of drugs in multiple applications, including the treatment of malaria infections. The Cabo Verde archipelago harbors a rich diversity of native plants, most of which are used for medicinal purposes. The present study investigated the in vitro antiplasmodial activities of four native plants from Cabo Verde (i.e., Artemisia gorgonum, Lavandula rotundifolia, Sideroxylon marginatum, and Tamarix senegalensis). Traditional preparations of these medicinal plants, namely aqueous extracts (infusions) and ethanolic extracts, were tested against both chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (Dd2) Plasmodium falciparum strains using the SYBR Green detection method. The in vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated in Caco-2 and PLP2 cells using a sulforhodamine B colorimetric assay. An ethanolic extract of A. gorgonum and infusions of T. senegalensis exhibited high antiplasmodial activities (EC50 < 5 g/mL) without cytotoxicity (GI50 > 400 g/mL). Extracts of L. rotundifolia and S. marginatum exhibited moderate activities, with EC50 values ranging from 10–30 g/mL. The A. gorgonum ethanolic extract showed activity toward early ring stages, and parasites treated with the T. senegalensis infusions progressed to the early trophozoite stage, although did not develop further to the late trophozoite or schizont stages. Antimalarial activities and the lack of cytotoxicity of the extracts are reported in the present study and support previous claims by traditional practitioners for the use of these plants against malaria while suggesting their ethnopharmacological usefulness as future antimalarials.
- Authentication of incense (Pittosporum undulatum Vent.) honey from the Azores (Mel dos Acores) by a novel real-time PCR approachPublication . Lopes, Ana; Moura, Monica B.M.V.; Grazina, Liliana; Costa, Joana; Amaral, Joana S.; Pinto, M. Alice; Mafra, Isabel'Mel dos Acores' is a unique nectar honey produced from the exceptional and diverse flora of the Azores archipelago, categorised as incense honey ('mel de incenso') or multifloral honey ('mel multiflora'). Incense honey should contain over 30 % of pollen grains of Pittosporum undulatum Vent. In this work, a real-time PCR method targeting the ITS region was proposed for the first time to detect P. undulatum in the honey from the Azores. The approach exhibited high analytical performance, achieving a quantification limit of 0.01 pg of incense DNA. The method was successfully applied to 22 honey samples, from which incense was detected in all 9 monofloral incense honeys and in 5 out of 10 multifloral samples from the Azores. Generally, the quantitative results for incense DNA were in good agreement with the melissopalynological data. Therefore, a simple, cost-effective and reliable tool was herein proposed to authenticate and valorise the Azores honey.
- Evaluation of the Polyphenolic Composition and Bioactivities of Three Native Cabo Verde Medicinal PlantsPublication . Essoh, Anyse P.; Liberal, Ângela; Fernandes, Ângela; Dias, Maria Inês; Pereira, Carla; Mandim, Filipa; Moldão-Martins, Margarida; Cravo, Pedro V.L.; Duarte, Maria Paula; Moura, Monica B.M.V.; Romeiras, Maria M.; Barros, LillianThe use of medicinal plants in a variety of health conditions remains essential for the discovery of new treatments. The present study aimed to investigate the bioactive properties of three native plants from Cabo Verde Islands, namely Artemisia gorgonum Webb, Sideroxylon marginatum (Decne. ex Webb) Cout., and Tamarix senegalensis DC., contributing to the characterization of less- known medicinal plants and their potential benefits for human health. Known compounds, such as kaempferol, quercetin, caffeyolquinic, and apigenin derivatives, among others, were detected in the plant species under study. Overall, all species demonstrated good antioxidant capacity, especially the ethanolic extracts of A. gorgonum (EC50 = 0.149 mg/mL) in TBARS assay. Moreover, the ethanolic extracts of the studied plants showed cytotoxic properties against tumor cells, and again the A. gorgonum extract proved to be the most effective in inhibiting tumor growth, mainly in the CaCO2 (GI50 = 17.3 μg/mL) and AGS (GI50 = 18.2 μg/mL) cell lines. Only the ethanolic extracts of T. senegalensis and S. marginatum demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity, albeit weak (EC50 = 35 and 43 μg/mL, respectively). The present study contributed to increased knowledge about the bioactive properties of these plants commonly used in traditional medicine, some of which was discussed for the first time, opening new perspectives for their use in a wider range of health conditions, especially in African countries, where access to modern health care is more limited.
- Incense honey (Pittosporum undulatum) in the Azores: Botanical authentication by using real-time PCR approachPublication . Lopes, Ana Rita; Moura, Monica B.M.V.; Grazina, Liliana; Costa, Joana; Amaral, Joana S.; Pinto, M. Alice; Mafra, IsabelHoney is a widely consumed food and much appreciated for its nutritional, organoleptic, and health properties. The honey produced in the Azores archipelago can be categorised as incense honey or multifloral honey. Incense honey classification should account with >30% from Pittosporum undulatum pollen grains and it is generally perceived as a unique and high-quality product and, consequently, susceptible to be adulterated through incorrect labelling or admixing with low-cost and low-quality honeys. Therefore, assessing the authenticity of such highly appreciated honey is a key issue for its valorisation. In this work, a real-time PCR method targeting the ITS region was proposed for the first time to detect P. undulatum species. To that end, the DNA extracted from the leaves of P. undulatum from other endemic species (e.g. Eucaliptus spp., Acacia spp., Trifolium spp., Castanea sativa Mill., Hydrangea macrophylla, Rhododendro indicum, Hedychium gardnerianum, Pericallis malvifolia) of the Azores and mainland Portugal was used to test the cross-reactivity of the ITS primers by qualitative PCR, revealing full specificity for P. undulatum. Posteriorly, a realtime PCR approach was proposed, exhibiting high analytical performance (PCR efficiency= 97.4 ± 6.4%, R͖= 0.991 ± 0.003) and a limit of quantification of 0.01 pg of incense DNA. The method was successfully applied to the 22 honey samples, from which incense was detected in all 9 monofloral incense honeys and in 5 out of 10 multifloral samples from the Azores. Generally, the quantitative results for incense DNA were in good agreement with the melissopalynological data, showing that all samples, except two, were according to their labelled statements. Herein, a new, simple, cost-effective and reliable molecular approach was proposed to authenticate and valorise the Azores honey.