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- Insect-based biopolymers from Orthoptera: An emerging resource for sustainable and active food packagingPublication . Zannou, Oscar; Conti, Barbara; Abenaim, Linda; Lopes, João Krauspenhar; Barciela, Paula; Roriz, Custódio Lobo; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Heleno, Sandrina A.; Carocho, Márcio; Goksen, Gulden; Lopes, João KrauspenharThe challenges of the current era in food packaging have led to a continuous diversification of sources of biopolymers. Edible Orthopterans have garnered significant interest worldwide as potential sources of biopolymers for the production of biodegradable and active packaging. These insect species have emerged as a potential and sustainable substitute for conventional protein and chitosan sources due to their high nutritional content and eco-friendly cultivation methods. Scope and approach: This review explores the recent development of sustainable sources of biopolymers, focusing on the edible Orthopterans. We elucidated the main edible Orthoptera species used as the sources of biopolymers for food packaging, extraction methods of biopolymers from Orthopterans, fabrication of packaging materials and their characteristics. Moreover, we analyzed the current applications of these packaging materials for food preservation. Furthermore, we proposed a critical analysis of the health issues, consumer acceptance, legislation and commercialization, along with the future directions. Key findings and conclusions: Acheta domesticus, Gryllodes sigillatus and Locusta migratoria are the Orthopterans used as sources of biopolymers for the production of packaging materials. Chitosan and proteins are the major Orthopteran-derived biopolymers used for the production of sustainable, edible and bioactive food packaging materials. Emerging technologies have shown potential to enhance extraction efficiency while preserving the functionality of the biopolymers. These biopolymers exhibit remarkable potential for the development of food packaging materials, due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and functional properties. More research initiatives and awareness are needed to facilitate the implementation of Orthopteran-derived biopolymers as active packaging materials.
- Development of a sustainable mediterranean-inspired snack: green extraction of bioactive compounds and biopolymer packagingPublication . Lopes, João Krauspenhar; Heleno, Sandrina A.; Roriz, Custódio Lobo; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Carocho, MárcioThe Mediterranean diet, well known for its health benefits, is characterized by high consumption of plant-based foods, along with low to moderate amount of seafood and animal products. In contrast, life in the 21st century is marked by a fast-pace, making the consumption of nutritious foods challenging, as ultra-processed foods have become the default option for their convenience, despite their negative impact on health. The MedSnack project appears as an alternative, by developing a minimally processed and sustainable ready-to-eat snack, incorporating the nutritional value of the Mediterranean diet by using olives and dates, sweetened with honey, and enhanced with natural colorants and bioactives. The wrapper of the snack will be produced from algae-based polymers, infused with volatile protective compounds obtained from the bioresidues of olive and date trees, through innovative and sustainable processes like ultrasound and microwave assisted extractions. A key innovation of MedSnack is its sustainable and circular solution by using Mediterranean products and their residue to create a ready to eat, healthy, and sustainable product. This project is included in a wider funded PRIMA project, FoWRSaP – Agro Food Waste Recovery: New Processing Technologies for Food Safety and Packaging, aimed at adding value to residues to develop new packaging and improve food safety in several food products.
- Nutritional and Bioactive Characterization of Unconventional Food Plants for Sustainable Functional ApplicationsPublication . Oliveira, Izamara; Salgado, José Miguel R.T.; Lopes, João Krauspenhar; Carocho, Márcio; Silveira, Tayse F. F. da; Garcia, Vitor Augusto dos Santos; Calhelha, Ricardo C.; Santos-Buelga, Celestino; Barros, Lillian; Heleno, Sandrina A.Unconventional food plants (UFPs) are increasingly valued for their nutritional composition and bioactive potential. This study proposes a comprehensive characterization of the chemical and bioactive properties of Pereskia aculeata Miller (Cactaceae) (PA); Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott (Araceae) (XS); Stachys byzantina K. Koch (Lamiaceae) (SB); and inflorescences from three cultivars of Musa acuminata (Musaceae) var. Dwarf Cavendish, var. BRS Platina, and var. BRS Conquista (MAD, MAP, and MAC), including the assessment of physical, nutritional, phytochemical, and biological parameters. Notably, detailed phenolic profiles were established for these species, many of which are poorly documented in the literature. XS was characterized by a unique abundance of C-glycosylated flavones, especially apigenin and luteolin derivatives, rarely described for this species. SB exhibited high levels of phenylethanoid glycosides, particularly verbascoside and its isomers (up to 21.32 mg/g extract), while PA was rich in O-glycosylated flavonols such as quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin derivatives. Nutritionally, XS had the highest protein content (16.3 g/100 g dw), while SB showed remarkable dietary fiber content (59.8 g/100 g). Banana inflorescences presented high fiber (up to 66.5 g/100 g) and lipid levels (up to 7.35 g/100 g). Regarding bioactivity, PA showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (95.21%) and SB the highest reducing power in the FRAP assay (4085.90 mu M TE/g). Cellular antioxidant activity exceeded 2000% in most samples, except for SB. Cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities were generally low, with only SB showing moderate effects against Caco-2 and AGS cell lines. SB and PA demonstrated the strongest antimicrobial activity, particularly against Yersinia enterocolitica, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Enterococcus faecalis, with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.156 to 0.625 mg/mL. Linear discriminant analysis revealed distinctive chemical patterns among the species, with organic acids (e.g., oxalic up to 7.53 g/100 g) and fatty acids (e.g., linolenic acid up to 52.38%) as key discriminant variables. Overall, the study underscores the nutritional and functional relevance of these underutilized plants and contributes rare quantitative data to the scientific literature regarding their phenolic signatures.
- Desenvolvimento de um revestimento comestível incorporado com extrato de Geranium robertianum L.Publication . Lopes, João Krauspenhar; Pires, Tânia C.S.P.; Carocho, Márcio; Giovanetti, Maria Helene CanteriCom os diversos problemas ambientais enfrentados atualmente, a redução do uso de materiais de fontes não renováveis é uma estratégia para minimizar os danos causados à natureza. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho visa a redução do uso de plásticos através da formação de um revestimento comestível partindo de uma formulação já patenteada (patente portuguesa nº 110859), incorporado com extrato de Geranium robertianum L. obtido a partir da técnica de micro-ondas. A extração foi otimizada a fim de obter o melhor resultado para a atividade antioxidante através do método do efeito captador de radicais livres DPPH (2,2-difenil-1-picrilhidrazil), utilizando um design experimental com variações de tempo (5-40 min), potência (150-600 W) e concentração etanólica (0-100 %), onde os parâmetros ótimos obtidos foram de 15 minutos, 545 Watts e 9% de etanol. O extrato otimizado obteve destaque nos ensaios de DPPH (EC50 de 5,35 μg mL-1) e no método da inibição da peroxidação lipídica por espécies reativas do ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS) (8,76 μg mL-1). Foi também realizada a caracterização química do extrato optimo, sendo identificados 21 compostos fenólicos através de HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, com os derivados do galoil e kaempferol como os mais abundantes. O mesmo extrato foi testado para bactérias gram-positivas, gram-negativas e fungos, com destaque nas ações contra Listeria monocytogenes com concentração mínima inibitória (CMI) de 1,25 mg mL-1. Este revestimento comestível, formado com iota-carragenina como composto polimérico estruturante, incorporado com extrato de G. robertianum L., apresentou menores atividades antioxidantes (DPPH e TBARS com EC50 de 30,26 e 20,84 μg mL-1, respetivamente), porém maiores potenciais antimicrobianos que o extrato, com CMIs iguais ou próximas a 3,6 mg mL-1. As avaliações físicas do revestimento mostraram eficácia na manutenção de cor e uma pequena variância nos sete diferentes parâmetros de textura avaliados (dureza, adesividade, coesividade, elasticidade, gomosidade, mastigabilidade e resiliência) durante quatro dias, quando aplicado sobre uma maçã.