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- Comparative analysis of the chemical composition of different portuguese breadPublication . Pascoalino, Liege; Ayuso, Manuel; Pereira, Eliana; Ferreira, Elisabete; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, LillianBakery products are one of the most widely consumed foods in the world. Among them, bread is daily consumed by all social classes due to its macro (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) and micronutrients (minerals and vitamins). However, the refined wheat used in traditional baking diminishes its nutritional quality by reducing its dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals1. In addition, studies have been showing some health-related problems associated with obesity and diabetes. Compared with others made with different cereals or whole grains, traditional bread tends to be less satiating and increase the postprandial glycaemic index2. Thus, the great challenge of the cereal industry today is to innovate and reinvent a large part of its products, mainly by changing the traditional composition of food products, since it seems to be an effective method to improve the diet. Alternatives such as whole grains, other cereals or the incorporation of protein-rich flours such as legumes may help improve the nutritional quality of bread and have a favourable impact on consumers’ health3. Thus, in this study, a comparative analysis, and chemical parameters among two traditional wheat bread (smoked sausage and cheese, SSCB; and wine, WB) and five non-conventional bread supplemented with different cereals (rye, RB; legumes and cereals, LCB; biological seed, BSeB; biological spelt, BSpB; and chickpea and sprouted seeds, CSSB) was performed. The bread centesimal composition was evaluated by AOAC official procedures; free sugars using HPLC-RI, and fatty acids by GC-FID. Regarding the chemical characterisation of traditional bread, SSCB showed a high protein concentration (9.95±0.02 g 100g-1 FW). However, it was also the bread with the highest amount of fat and a high percentage of saturated fatty acids (6.1±0.1 g 100g-1 FW and 67.1±0.4 %, respectively). WB revealed the highest concentration of free sugars (37.6±1.8 g 100g-1 FW). In general, the non-conventional bread presented lower energy and higher polyunsaturated fatty acids than the traditional. Additionally, RB, BSpB, and CSSB presented the lowest fat concentration, with CSSB showing the highest concentration of dietary fibre (7.2±0.4 g 100g-1 FW). This study demonstrates that incorporating alternative flours produces bread of higher nutritional quality. In general, non-conventional bread is lower in calories, fat and have a higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids and dietary fibre.
- Caracterização da fração lipídica de frutos secos produzidos com diferentes bioestimuladores: potencial atividade hipocolesterolémicaPublication . Pascoalino, Liege; Barreira, João C.M.; Vieira, Admilson Lopes; Reis, Filipa S.O colesterol elevado é o principal responsável pelo desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares (DCV). Atualmente, o controlo dos níveis de colesterol é realizado através de inibição farmacológica da sua síntese endógena e absorção intestinal. Contudo, vários estudos demonstram que a dieta é também um fator essencial na proteção contra o desenvolvimento de DCV. Assim, é aconselhado o consumo de alimentos com potencial hipocolesterolémico. Destes alimentos fazem parte os frutos secos, tais como amêndoas, castanhas do Brasil, avelãs, macadâmias, nozes e pistácios, sendo aconselhada a sua inclusão numa dieta saudável e equilibrada, devido ao seu perfil lipídico, em particular os ácidos gordos poliinsaturados e esteróis. Além do mais, os produtos que derivam de matrizes naturais são considerados menos tóxicos, com reduzidos ou nenhum efeito secundário, quando comparados com os seus análogos sintéticos, constituindo uma potencial fonte de coadjuvantes terapêuticos. Assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar as propriedades nutricionais (metodologias AOAC), compostos bioativos (ácidos gordos: GC-FID; tocoferóis: HPLC-fluorescência; esteróis: GC-MS; açúcares livres: HPLC-RI) e propriedades hipocolesterolémicas (análise espetrofotométrica) de duas matrizes selecionadas: amêndoa e avelã, após diferentes tratamentos biológicos de suplementação do solo. Os perfis de compostos bioativos lipossolúveis demonstraram elevado potencial para a redução das dislipidemias associadas às DCV, em especial pelos níveis de ácidos gordos insaturados (predomínio de ácido oleico e ácido linoleico) e pelo teor em tocoferóis (com destaque para o α-tocoferol) e esteróis. Os diferentes bioestimulantes aplicados como tratamentos de suplementação do solo induziram algumas diferenças nos teores de tocoferóis, embora em todos os casos tenha sido validado o potencial de ambos os frutos como alimento funcional com efeitos de prevenção de dislipidemias, bem como uma fonte alternativa de compostos de interesse com aplicabilidade em diferentes indústrias (e.g., alimentar, nutracêuticos, cosméticos).
- Foliar application of biostimulants improves nutritional and bioactive quality of walnutsPublication . Pascoalino, Liege; Pires, Tânia C.S.P.; Pinela, José; Rodrigues, M.A.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, Lillian; Barreira, João C.M.; Reis, Filipa S.Owing to their health benefits, walnuts are attracting interest as a good option for nutritious meals, thereby promoting their production. Furthermore, the adoption of ecologically and environmentally friendly agriculture strengthens biostimulant use as a sustainable complement to traditional fertilizers. This study evaluated the effects of different foliarapplied biostimulants in walnut tree orchards, in northeastern Portugal, on walnuts' chemical composition and bioactivity. RESULTS: Walnut samples were rich in fat (particularly the polyunsaturated linoleic acid), dietary fiber and protein. Sucrose was the most prevalent soluble sugar, followed by glucose and fructose. Studied samples also showed an antioxidant activity comparable (or superior) to that of Trolox. Some plant biostimulants (e.g. Sprint Plus®) had a positive impact on the nutritional composition of walnuts, more specifically by boosting tocopherol levels, besides improving the bioactivity of walnut extracts against specific bacteria. CONCLUSION: Overall, this research demonstrated that important quality traits of walnuts can be improved using sustainable agricultural bioproducts and practices.
- Effect of plant biostimulants on nutritional and chemical profiles of Corylus avellana L. (hazelnut) and potential application in functional foodsPublication . Pascoalino, Liege; Reis, Filipa S.; Rodrigues, M.A.; Correia, Carlos M.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, Lillian; Barreira, João C.M.The interest in the functional characteristics of nuts has been increasing due to their high content in bioactive constituents. Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is the most important cultivated species in the Corylus genus (Betulaceae), and it is widely spread from the Himalayas to the far north of Canada1. The inclusion of nuts in the human diet can bring benefits that are partially related to the high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), particularly oleic acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), particularly linoleic acid, tocopherols (for example, α-tocopherol), and phytosterols (for instance, β-sitosterol)2–4. With the increase in food production, there is an orientation towards more sustainable agriculture, free of pesticides and fertilizers harmful to the environment. Plant biostimulants, a class of bio-based agriculture products designed to improve crop development, represent a feasible alternative to chemical fertilizers or, at least, an effective way of reducing the applied quantities. In the present work, different types of plant biostimulants compatible with organic farming (NPK, Fitoalgas Green® and Sprint Plus®) were tested in one of the most popular nut products worldwide: hazelnut. Furthermore, the samples were tested for nutritional parameters, fatty acids profiles and tocopherols contents. The nutritional evaluation of hazelnuts showed that this species is mainly composed of fat (around 55% on a fresh weight basis). The highest fat content was detected in the control line (samples grown in soils without any biostimulant), with no significant differences in result of the type of soil supplementation. Protein levels were also high (16.8 g/100 g fw), particularly in hazelnuts treated with NPK (12% higher than the control), but all plant biostimulants (except phytoalgae) induced a positive effect in this macronutrient. Ash and water with the minor components showed minimal variations. The maximal caloric value (675 kcal/100 g fw) was obtained in the control line. Regarding soluble sugars, only sucrose was identified with an average value of 16g /100g fw. Oleic acid (C18:1n9c) was the predominant fatty acid, and a noticeable decrease was observed in hazelnut, independently of the plant biostimulant, compared with the control (76%). Linoleic acid (C18:2n6c), contrarily to oleic acid, showed a significant increase in hazelnut samples grown in soils treated with plant biostimulants, reaching the maximum value when using NPK (15.1%). Palmitic acid, likewise, was affected in hazelnut samples, reaching the highest percentage with Sprint Plus (9.6%). A very similar result was observed for stearic acid (C18:0). Other fatty acids were detected in trace percentages (total sum less than 2%): myristic acid (C14:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), marginal acid (C17:0), α-linolenic (C18:3n3), eicosanoic acid (C20:0) and eicosenoic acid (C20:1). Overall, the concentration of tocopherols was elevated: average values of 25 mg/100 g fw. The most notorious effects were obtained with NPK+phytoalgae, characterized by an increase of almost 18% in tocopherols levels (23 to 28 mg/100 g fw). In comparison, treatment with NPK alone induced a 15.1% higher percentage of linoleic acid. The obtained values were lower than those reported in different hazelnut varieties5, which might be related to genetic factors (different cultivars), climatic variation6,7, soil type8, or analytical methodology9. In general, the tested plant biostimulants induced increased levels of important bioactive compounds, particularly in what concerns linoleic acid (mainly using NPK) and tocopherols levels (with best results using NPK + phytoalgae) in hazelnuts. These results can be important to select the best plant biostimulant to be applied and, thus, enable the increase in the amount of a specific bioactive compound, interesting for a potential application for functional foods.
- Investigating bioactive compounds in apple pomace: Potential to develop high added-value products from an industrial surplusPublication . Pascoalino, Liege; Finimundy, Tiane C.; Pires, Tânia C.S.P.; Pereira, Carla; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Oliveira, Beatriz; Barreira, João C.M.; Reis, Filipa S.This study investigates bioactive compounds in apple pomace (AP) obtained from Malus domestica varieties Granny Smith and Cripps Pink, emphasizing its potential for developing high-added-value products from industrial surplus. Regarding its chemical characterization, AP stood out for its high concentration of dietary fibers (7.1g/100g fw), polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and oleic acids), α-tocopherol (0.64 mg/100g fw), and phenolic compounds. Regarding these last, the profile obtained by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS allowed the identification of 23 phenolic compounds, with higher concentrations of quercetin and flavonoids in pomace than whole apples. Moreover, concerning evaluating AP bioactivity through in vitro methods, the analyzed AP samples, with seeds and stems (APSS) and without (APA), exhibited enhanced antioxidant activity, particularly in the OxHLIA test, preserving erythrocyte integrity. Additionally, the pomace demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against Yersinia enterocolitica, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 5 mg/mL. Finally, no cytotoxic or anti-inflammatory effects were observed, as GI50 values exceeded 400 μg/mL (maximum tested concentration). These findings highlight apple pomace as a rich source of bioactive compounds, promoting its valorization in food safety and preservation while encouraging sustainable practices utilizing industrial bio-residues.
- Nutritional, Chemical, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Screening of Astragalus cicer L. and Astragalus glycyphyllos L. Different Morphological PartsPublication . Shahrivari-Baviloliaei, Saba; Konopacka, Agnieszka; Pascoalino, Liege; Reis, Filipa S.; Kunkowski, Dawid; Petropoulos, Spyridon A.; Konieczynski, Pawel; Orhan, Ilkay Erdogan; Plenis, Alina; Viapiana, AgnieszkaThe chemical composition and biological activity of A. glycyphylos and A. cicer are scarcely investigated. In this study, the nutritional and chemical profiles of A. cicer and A. glycyphyllos, considering their different morphological parts (leaves, fruits and roots), were assessed together with their antioxidant and antibacterial potential. Our results showed that carbohydrates are the major macronutrients in both Astragalus species (above 62 g/100 g dry weight—DW). High amounts of ash (above 4.6 g/100 g DW) and protein (above 13.0 g/100 g DW) were also identified, particularly in leaves and fruits of A. cicer and A. glycyphyllos. Moreover, A. cicer was richer in sugars than A. glycyphyllos, while roots of both Astragalus species were the richest of fatty acids. Ten phenolic compounds were identified, with gallic acid and quercetin being predominant, above 49.84 and 37.27 μg/g DW, respectively. The mineral analysis revealed zinc and iron as the major constituents. Regarding the plants’ antioxidant and antibacterial activity, both Astragalus species had antioxidant potential, and their water extracts showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. Altogether, these results provide insight into the potential of A. glycyphyllos and A. cicer as a source of nutritional benefits and active phytochemicals for many people, and they can be applied in the food sector as foods and as promising sources of natural ingredients.
- Bread freezing as a new alternative to consumptionPublication . Pascoalino, Liege; Ayuso, Manuel; Pereira, Eliana; Ferreira, Elisabete; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, LillianThe growing consumer interest in health and food safety, as well as the increased consumption of fresh food, make frozen bread an increasingly popular alternative. This type of bread has several advantages, such as, large-scale manufacturing, economize manpower and equipment, and lowering production costs. Furthermore, one of the ways to extend shelf-life of ready-to-eat bread is to use deep freezing systems [1– 3]. In the present study, the effect of frozen storage time on the bread quality made from frozen dough, were studied, through the nutritional and chemical composition evaluation. Six equal multicereal breads were frozen, submitted to different storage times under deep freezing (190, 225, 251, 310, 344 and 694 days), and compared to the fresh multicereal bread. The nutritional profile was evaluated through the protein, ash, fat, and carbohydrate content, using official analysis methodologies (AOAC) and the energetic value was also estimated. The chemical composition regarding sugars and fatty were determined by chromatographic techniques, using a HPLC- RI and a GC-FID, respectively. In general, the results revealed that moister content is similar in all frozen breads, with values around 40%, while the fresh bread showed a content of 43.4%. The ash content presented values ranging between 1.51 ± 0.02 and 1.02 ± 0.02 g/100 g fresh weight (fw); and the mean value of the protein content in the samples was approximately 7 g/100 g fw. On the other hand, fiber showed values of 4% of total dietary fiber (TDF) fw for breads with longer frozen time, while the bread frozen for less time (190 days) and fresh bread showed values around 6% TDF fw. The fat content was also variable between fresh and frozen breads, however, the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in all samples was predominant, namely linoleic acid (C18:2n6c). Regarding the sugars profile, fructose, glucose, and maltose were detected in all bread samples, showing a total sugar value between 1.78 and 2.97 g/100g fw; and as expected, the most abundant sugar was maltose, a common sugar found in cereal. Regarding the carbohydrate evaluation, the obtained results ranged between 40.4 and 43 g/100g fw for frozen breads and 38.3 g/100 g fw for fresh bread; and the energetic value presented values greater than 220 kcal/100g in all samples. The results obtained show that freezing may be a promising alternative for bread conservation, contributing to the reduction of the high percentage of disposal that happens in all industrialized countries.
- Effect of plant biostimulants on nutritional and chemical profiles of almond and hazelnutPublication . Pascoalino, Liege; Reis, Filipa S.; Barros, Lillian; Rodrigues, M.A.; Correia, Carlos M.; Vieira, Admilson L.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barreira, João C.M.The increasing interest in natural foods with functional effects demands progressively higher production levels. Nonetheless, there is an orientation towards practicing more sustainable agriculture, free from environmentally harmful pesticides and fertilizers. Plant biostimulants, a class of bio-based agriculture products designed to improve crop development, represent a feasible alternative to chemical fertilizers, or, at least, an effective way of reducing the employed quantities. Herein, different types of plant biostimulants compatible with organic farming (Phytoalgae, Foliar B, Amino Acids, Soil B, Fitoalgas Green® and Sprint Plus®) were tested in two of the most important nut products worldwide: almonds and hazelnuts, which were tested for nutritional parameters, fatty acids profiles and tocopherols contents. Overall, the most notorious effects in almond samples were obtained with phytoalgae (seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum extracts), particularly reflected in the upraising around 10% of -tocopherol and -tocopherol contents. Likewise, hazelnuts treated with NPK + phytoalgae were also characterized by an increase of almost 18% in tocopherols levels, while treatment with NPK alone induced 15.1% higher percentage of linoleic acid.
- Valorization of bio-residues from the processing of main portuguese fruit crops: from discarded waste to health promoting compoundsPublication . Pascoalino, Liege; Reis, Filipa S.; Prieto Lage, Miguel A.; Barreira, João C.M.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, LillianFood processing generates a large amount of bio-residues, which have become the focus of different studies aimed at valorizing this low-cost source of bioactive compounds. High fruit consumption is associated with beneficial health effects and, therefore, bio-waste and its constituents arouse therapeutic interest. The present work focuses on the main Portuguese fruit crops and revises (i) the chemical constituents of apple, orange, and pear pomace as potential sources of functional/bioactive compounds; (ii) the bioactive evidence and potential therapeutic use of biowaste generated in the processing of the main Portuguese fruit crops; and (iii) potential applications in the food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. The current evidence of the effect of these bio-residues as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agents is also summarized. Conclusions of the revised data are that these bio-wastes hold great potential to be employed in specific nutritional and pharmaceutical applications.
- Effect of plant biostimulants on nutritional and chemical profiles of almond [Prunus dulcis (Miller) D. A. Webb] fruit and potential application in functional foodsPublication . Pascoalino, Liege; Reis, Filipa S.; Rodrigues, M.A.; Correia, Carlos M.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Barros, Lillian; Barreira, João C.M.The increasing interest in natural foods with functional effects requires ever-higher levels of production. Dried fruits are an example of this, since they are a relevant source of bioactive constituents. Almond [Prunus dulcis (Miller) D.A. Webb] is one of the most popular nuts in the world, standing out in the first place in what production level concern. 1,2 The benefits of including this nut in the human diet are partly related to its content on monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), particularly oleic acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), namely linoleic acid, tocopherols (e.g., α-tocopherol) and phytosterols (e.g., β-sitosterol). 3,4 Nonetheless, the high production levels generates a global concern towards an agriculture less harmful to the environment, which raises the need for ecological alternatives to the use of conventional fertilizers and pesticides.5,6 Plant biostimulants, a class of bio-based agriculture products designed to improve crop development, might be used in agricultural fields to replace or reduce chemical fertilizers. In the study reported herein, different plant biostimulants compatible with organic farming (Fitoalgas Green®, a seaweed extract of Ascophyllum nodosum, Sprint Plus®, an amino acid-rich foliar spray, and Tradebor®, a boron fertilizer for soil and foliar application) were tested on almond orchards of the NE of Portugal. After field-treatments and collection, the nut samples were analysed for their nutritional value, fatty acids profile and tocopherols content. The nutritional evaluation showed that almond nut is mainly composed of fat (around 55% on a fresh weight basis), which reached maximum values in the untreated control, with slight differences resulting from using different plant biostimulants. For protein levels, values close to 15 g/100 g fw were obtained. Ash and water, the minor components, showed minimal variations, each representing about 3 g/100 g fw. In what concerns energy, the maximal value (669 kcal/100 g fw) was obtained in the control treatment. Sucrose was the only identified soluble sugar, with an average content of approximately 12 g/100 g fw. Tradebor treatments induced a higher sucrose content (13 g/100 g fw). As a general rule, low levels of monosaccharides (fructose and glucose, for example) in nuts serve as an indicator of the good storage conditions of the products.7 Regarding fatty acids, oleic acid (C18: 1n9c) was the predominant one (close to 70%), and its content remained almost unchanged in almond despite using different plant biostimulants. The lack of significant changes in almond was also observed for linoleic acid (C18:2n6c), which was detected up to 16%. The following fatty acids were palmitic acid (C16:0), with percentages close to 8.5%, and stearic acid (C18: 0), with values of approximately 2%. Other fatty acids were detected in trace percentages (total sum was less than 2%): myristic acid (C14:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), marginal acid (C17:0), α- linolenic (C18:3n3), eicosanoic acid (C20:0) and eicosenoic acid (C20:1), but without significant differences between fertilizer treatments. As in most foods with high-fat content, the concentration of tocopherols was elevated: average values of 50 mg/100 g fw, which is in agreement with previous reports. 8,9 Considering the concentration in total tocopherols, Fitoalgas Green® induced an increase of around 10% (50 to 55 mg/100 g fw), mainly due to the rise in α-tocopherol and γ- tocopherol. Nonetheless, all other assayed biostimulants had the opposite effect. Overall, the most notorious effects in almond samples were obtained with Fitoalgas Green®, particularly reflected in the upraising around 10% of γ-tocopherol and β-tocopherol contents. Due to the high levels of α-tocopherol in almonds, consuming these products, besides being enjoyable, may also have important benefits because they can significantly increase the levels of dietary vitamin E.10 These results are important to help selecting the best plant biostimulant to be applied to increase the expression of a specific bioactive compound, adding greater commercial value to these products and enabling a potential application in functional foods.