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- 1st Natural products application: health, cosmetic and food: book of abstractsPublication . Barros, Lillian (Ed.); Melgar CastaƱeda, Bruno (Ed.); Shiraishi, Carlos Seiti Hurtado (Ed.)The Mountain Research Center is one of the research groups working within the Polytechnic Institute of Braganza, in Braganza Portugal. Since the foundation of this center in 2003, more than a thousand research items have been published throughout more than 40 international public fundingās, allowing the center to interact internationally with many research groups from the academy and also with the private sector. In all these years, we have had the commitment of disseminating science around the world, creating solid and robust bonds and partnerships with both, academia and industrial innovator, and we are always looking for more challenging collaborations. In this sense, the mountain research center gathers di erent ways to keep evolving our main mission of Science dissemination. In the present moment, where we all are involved in ghting against the current problem the world is facing, we have decided to join the scienti c community adopting the available resources in order to keep the owing communication of our works. Therefore, one of our responses was the creation of the rst edition of the Natural Product Applications Online Congress, which focuses on the dissemination of works involved in the cosmetic, food, and health industries. Thanks to all of you in less than a month the congress reached more than 450 registration from universities and important companies from di erent parts of the world. The NPA congress received and processed more than 200 communications, from which the scienti c committee has selected and referred each of them to their appropriate type for communication considering the limited time we will have ahead. All the submitted works were divided into three main categories, Oral, Pitch, and Poster communications which add them up to our 9 Keynote lectures, and one special oral communication. We could not thank you more for your participations, and we hope to see you next year on the second edition of the Natural Product Applications Congress.
- Bioactive characterization of Persea americana Mill. by-products: A rich source of inherent antioxidantsPublication . Melgar CastaƱeda, Bruno; Dias, Maria InĆŖs; ÄiriÄ, Ana; SokoviÄ, Marina; Garcia-Castello, Esperanza M.; Rodriguez-Lopez, Antonio D.; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a worldwide consumed fruit, with great interest for cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries; however, 30% of avocado fruits are bio-wastes (peels and kernels), converting them into a potential source of bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds. Therefore, the hydroethanolic extracts of peels and kernels of Persea america Mill. var. Hass were analysed regarding their individual phenolic profile by HPLC-DAD/ESIāMS and correlated with their antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Avocado by-products presented a very distinct phenolic profile, presenting higher concentration in peels (227.9 mg/g of extract for total phenolic content), mainly in (epi)catechin derivatives (175 mg/g of extract), followed by chlorogenic derivatives (42.9 mg/g of extract). In this study hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant assays were performed together for the first time in P. americana by-products, and although kernels showed a great antioxidant potential (EC 50 values ranging from 18.1 to 276 Āµg/mL), peels presented the highest potential (EC 50 ranging from 11.7 to 152 Āµg/mL), mainly due to the presence of phenolic compounds, and an overall better performance in the antibacterial assays. Further studies needs to be conducted to better understand the correlation between the presence of phenolic compounds and bioactivities, however, the main objective is to implement these biocompounds in different products and industries, due to results obtained, P. americana peels could be a great alternative in the substitution of synthetic antioxidants.
- TRANSCOLAB SUMMIT: Trends in grain-based foods: book of abstractsPublication . Barros, Lillian (Ed.); Melgar CastaƱeda, Bruno (Ed.); Shiraishi, Carlos Seiti Hurtado (Ed.)TRANSCOLAB is a European project that brings together universities, research centres, foundations, and companies from Castilla y LeĆ³n and Northern Portugal. This project intends to strengthen the connection between research institutions and companies, identifying the challenges and needs of the cereal industry and the existing scientific-technological capacities of the participating entities. It also aims to generate novel products, promote knowledge and innovation transfer, and develop a series of actions to promote innovative products and processes in the cereal sector, particularly in bakery and pastry. Therefore, and because the project is coming to an end, the TRANSCOLAB partners organised an international congress, bringing together researchers and professionals to share innovative ideas in this field. The congress is divided into four different topics: 1. Past as key to the future (ancient grains, wholemeal products, and sourdoughs) 2. New Ingredients in grain-based products (Pseudocereals, pulses, and new flour sources) 3. Novel technologies, processes, and products 4. Sustainability and Circular economy. The TRANSCOLAB SUMMIT team would like to thank you for your application to the congress, contributing to its success, with more than 170 registrations. The submitted works were received, processed, divided into two main categories (Oral Communications and Posters), and later distributed according to the aforementioned topics. In total, 34 Oral and 42 Panel Communications will be presented, joined by three Technical Communications and six plenary lectures. Moreover, the TRANSCOLAB SUMMIT will start with a Traditional and Innovative Bakery workshop, with 45 participants. On the SUMMITās last day, we will have a discussion panel regarding āMyths and truths regarding cereal consumptionā. Once again, we would like to thank you all for attending our congress, and we hope to see you again at future research events.
- Sequential steps of the incorporation of bioactive plant extracts from wild Italian Plantago coronopus L. and Cichorium intybus L. leaves in fresh egg pastaPublication . Ceccanti, Costanza; Finimundy, Tiane C.; Melgar CastaƱeda, Bruno; Pereira, Carla; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, LillianThe application of bioactive extracts from Cichorium intybus L. and Plantago coronopus L. species were incorporated as a functional ingredient in fresh egg pasta (Fettuccine). In that sense, a pasta making procedure was accessed using different concentrations of the plant extracts (0.25ā0.63 mg/g), drying times (20ā420 min) and drying temperatures (40ā90 ā¦C; only for P. coronopus enriched pasta), to screen an optimal factor selection in the pasta making procedure and to enhance the bioactive properties of the final product. In the chemical characterisation of the plant extracts, twenty-five phenolic compounds were tentatively identified (twenty compounds belonging to phenolic acid and phenylpropanoid classes and five belonging to the flavonoid sub-class) and a strong synergy between the plant extract concentration and the drying time was showed. The analysed antioxidant properties were enhanced by the phenolic compounds of the extracts and a new functional food with higher bioactive quality was developed.
- Effect of olive pomace extract application and packaging material on the preservation of fresh-cut royal gala applesPublication . Madureira, Joana; Melgar CastaƱeda, Bruno; Alves, Vitor D.; MoldĆ£o-Martins, Margarida; MargaƧa, Fernanda M.A.; Santos-Buelga, Celestino; Barros, Lillian; Verde, Sandra CaboThe efficiency of natural olive pomace extracts for enhancing the quality of fresh-cut apples was compared with commercial ascorbic acid and two different packaging films (biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) and oriented polypropylene (OPP)) were tested. The composition of atmosphere inside the packages, the physicochemical parameters (firmness, weight loss and color), the microbial load, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of fresh-cut apples were evaluated throughout 12 days of storage at 4 degrees C. After 12 days of refrigerated storage, a significant decrease in O-2 was promoted in PLA films, and the weight loss of the whole packaging was higher in PLA films (5.4%) than in OPP films (0.2%). Natural olive pomace extracts reduced the load of mesophilic bacteria (3.4 +/- 0.1 log CFU/g and 2.4 +/- 0.1 log CFU/g for OPP and PLA films, respectively) and filamentous fungi (3.3 +/- 0.1 log CFU/g and 2.44 +/- 0.05 log CFU/g for OPP and PLA films, respectively) growth in fresh-cut apples after five days of storage at 4 degrees C, and no detection of coliforms was verified throughout the 12 days of storage. In general, the olive pomace extract preserved or improved the total phenolic index and antioxidant potential of the fruit, without significant changes in their firmness. Moreover, this extract seemed to be more effective when combined with the biodegradable PLA film packaging. This work can contribute to the availability of effective natural food additives, the sustainability of the olive oil industries and the reduction of environmental impact. It can also be useful in meeting the food industries requirements to develop new functional food products.
- Extensive profiling of three varieties of Opuntia spp. fruit for innovative food ingredientsPublication . Melgar CastaƱeda, Bruno; Pereira, Eliana; Oliveira, Beatriz; Garcia-Castello, Esperanza M.; Rodriguez-Lopez, Antonio D.; SokoviÄ, Marina; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.Consumer interest in the use of natural ingredients is creating a growing trend in the food industry, leading to research into the development of natural products such as colorants, antimicrobials and antioxidant compounds. This work involves an extensive morphological (using physico-chemical assays), chemical (antioxidant activity assays) and microbiological (Gram-positive and negative strains) characterization of prickly peras (Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) var. sanguigna, gialla and Opuntia engelmannii) fruits. Through chromatographic assays, these species have shown interesting contents of hydrophilic (sugars, organic acids and betalains) and lipophilic (tocopherols and fatty acids) compounds. While Opuntia engelmannii exhibited higher content of betacyanins and mucilage, OFI varieties sanguigna and gialla displayed greater organic acid content. The sanguigna variety also showed the highest a-tocopherol content. All this compounds could be the responsible of enhancing the bioactivity of this variety, which can be observed in its antimicrobial potential, tested in the studied strains too. Results revealed that Opuntia spp. could be used as a nutraceutical and/or food additive, maintaining and promoting health and life quality.
- Extraction of Phenolic compounds from Artemisia absinthium L.: otimization through ultrassound assisted extraction using the Response surface methodologyPublication . Terisotto, MarĆa Sol; Melgar CastaƱeda, Bruno; Dias, Maria InĆŖs; Sabre, Ema; Heleno, Sandrina A.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, LillianPlants throughout history have been a human resource available to be used for food and feeding and treatment of diseases, thus being considered as natural medicine agents. Plants are a huge source of secondary metabolites which have been described as strong health promoters and can be divided in primary metabolites, responsible for the processes of photosynthesis, respiration, solute transport, translocation, nutrient assimilation and differentiation; and secondary metabolites (terpenes, phenolic compounds, organic acids, among others), which are important for plant protection and pollination [1]. Recent studies have shown the relevant biological activities of phenolic compounds, consisting in their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and also cytotoxic effects activity. Among the medicinal plants it is possible to find the Artemisia absinthium L., an aromatic plant [2], that grows in temperate regions of Europe, Asia and North Africa. In addition to the renowned wormwood application in preparation of absinth and related beverages, āA. absinthium has been used since ancient times for medical purposes. From the ethnopharmacological point of view, this plant has been used for its antihelmintic, stomachic, antibacterial, antifeedant, antifertility, antipyretic, cytostatic, antitumor, and antimalarial actions [3]. This work intended to optimize the extraction parameters of the ultrasound assisted extraction to obtain highly enriched extracts in phenolic compounds. This was possible using the response surface methodology (RSM) that is able to model data within certain parameters chosen by the researcher, but prior to start running multiple experiments without knowing the behaviors of certain factors involved, this technique would be only able to visualize certain magnitudes and not all the optimum point, therefore, strong complex and random screening analysis have to be performed in order to work the RSM in the optimal conditions and be able to properly model datasets. Thus, 4 different screening analyses (Fractional Factorial design, 2 factors multilevel, and 1 factorial design) were developed using a 12-run array mixture which was randomized and codify using statistical software (Design Expert). Three factors were tested in this experiment (Power [50-100%], Solvent percentage [0-50%] and Time [20-600s]) and for the interpretation of the fractional factorial design factors were aliases and estimated as Intercept= Intercept + ABC; A= A + BC; B= B + AC; and C= C + AB. Data was processed through an ANOVA analysis employing Pareto plots and the least significant difference (LSD) test. The response analysis was achieved through the phenolic compounds content, analyzed by HPLC-DAD-Ms. According to the obtained results, the UAE ideal conditions for the screening analysis were 100% power, 20% ethanol and 240 s allowing a total phenolic content in the concentrations of 13.79 mg of TPC/g of extract, being chlorogenic acid derivatives, the main compounds. These results highlight the richness of āA. absinthium in phenolic compounds and validate the UAE as an efficient extraction technology.
- Response surface methodology and artificial neural network modeling as predictive tools for phenolic compounds recovery from olive pomacePublication . Silva, Ana Rita; Ayuso, Manuel; Oludemi, Taofiq; GonƧalves, Alexandre; Melgar CastaƱeda, Bruno; Barros, LillianThis study optimized the extraction of three major phenolic compounds (oleuropein, tyrosol, and verbascoside) from olive pomace using microwave- and ultrasonic-assisted methods. Screening factorial design (SFD) and central composite design (CCD) were employed, and response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN) were used for data modeling. The microwave-assisted method in the SFD yielded higher compound amounts, with verbascoside showing a four-fold increase compared to the ultrasonic-assisted method. Factors like vessel diameter, ultrasonic power using UAE, and solvent acidity in both techniques had minimally impacted extractability. CCD-RSM revealed temperatureĢs significantly affect on oleuropein, but improved tyrosol recovery, with the effect on verbascoside being influenced by the temperature range. RSM and ANN integration enhanced understanding and prediction of factor behavior. Microwave-assisted extraction at 113 ā¦C for 26 min, with minimum ramp time of 7.7 min, yielded 67.4, 57, and 5.1 mg of oleuropein, tyrosol, and verbascoside per gram of extract, respectively, with a prediction error ranging from 0.83 to 15.19.
- Food industry by-products valorization and new ingredients: cases of studyPublication . Rodriguez-Lopez, Antonio D.; Melgar CastaƱeda, Bruno; Conidi, Carmela; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Cassano, Alfredo; Garcia-Castello, Esperanza M.The concern about food and beverages is gaining importance for the general public in terms of health and more environmentally sustainable food products. Healthy foods imply the awareness on their safety, nutritional characteristics, and the potential inclusion of nutritive complements such as antioxidants, vitamins, and proteins, which promote a benefit to the consumer's health. Also, organic foods, with less added chemicals such as pesticides, are more demanded recently. The environmentally sustainable food production has to reconsider the wastes as by-products that can be transformed to provide valuable compounds (antioxidants, fiber, fuels, etc.) that could be used as new products or raw materials in the food industry or even applied in other sectors such as pharmaceutical, polymer, and energy industries. In this chapter, selected successful case studies in which food wastes are transformed into new products by using different separation and purification technologies will be shown. Furthermore, the use of different wild vegetables from natural environments as a source of valuable compounds and new ingredients will be described.
- Development of natural hypocholesterolemic agents: application in cottage cheesePublication . Fernandes, Filipa Alexandra; Khouja, Dora; Carocho, MƔrcio; Calhelha, Ricardo C.; Melgar CastaƱeda, Bruno; Rodrigues, Paula; Reis, Filipa S.; Heleno, Sandrina A.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, LillianThis work aimed at exploiting mushroom bioresidues, namely Agaricus bisporus L. to obtain mycosterols and develop hypocholesterolemic functional foods. Mycosterols enriched extracts were obtained by ultrasound assisted extraction, characterized in terms of mycosterols through HPLC-UV, evaluated for their toxicity in non-tumor cells (PLP2) and hypocholesterolemic capacity using a CaCo2 cell line. After incorporation of the active dose in cottage cheeses, and to evaluate the incorporation effects and the bioactivity maintenance, the nutritional value of the developed cheeses was evaluated, as also the physical parameters, and the microbial load over a shelf life of 9 days. The color of the cheeses incorporated with the extract was the brownest compared to the other two samples (cottage cheese with ergosterol and control cottage cheese). Palmitic was the prevalent fatty acid, followed by oleic and capric acid, being the saturated fatty acids the major ones. Lactose and glucose were the two found soluble sugars; being glucose observed only in cheese incorporated with A. bisporus. Also, the incorporations did not cause any significant alterations to the normal flora found in the cottage cheese.The cheese with pure ergosterol and the cheese incorporated with A. bisporus extract reduced cholesterol absorption by 21.1%, and 30.24%, respectively, thus validating thehypocholesterolemic potential of mycosterols while promotin sustainability through the use of food waste/by-products.