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CITAB - Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences
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A Critical Review of Emerging Solutions for Food Packaging: Opportunities and Challenges
Publication . Martins, Joana; Garcia, Juliana; Guimarães, Rafaela; Gouvinhas, Irene; Alves, Maria José; Saavedra, Maria José
The environmental impact of conventional plastics has driven a shift toward biobased food packaging, shaped by consumer expectations, market trends, and regulatory policies within the European Union (EU). Despite extensive research on biopolymers such as starch, cellulose, chitosan, and polylactic acid (PLA), their use in commercial food packaging remains limited. A major challenge identified in the literature is the evaluation of biopolymer performance, in which environmental benefits are often considered independently of mechanical, barrier, and economic factors. This review addresses this gap by critically exploring the functional performance of biopolymers regarding their chemical structure and processing methods, with particular emphasis on the role of bioactive compounds in enhancing these materials’ properties. Although several biopolymers can achieve tensile strength values comparable to conventional petroleum-based plastics, their higher water vapor transmission rates remain an unsolved barrier to scalability. These limitations, together with challenges related to mechanical performance and production costs, are discussed to clarify their impact on industrial feasibility and to identify priorities for future research supporting scalable, cost-effective, and regulatory-compliant food packaging solutions.
Impact of the Highly Invasive Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) on Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Communities
Publication . Nogueira, António Barbosa; Oliveira, Bruno; Padilha, Janeide; Varandas, Simone; Teixeira, Amilcar; Sousa, Ronaldo
Invasive non-native species threaten freshwater ecosystems, disrupting the functioning and structure of the food chain and potentially leading to biodiversity loss. As omnivores, crayfish can modify their environment, directly affecting organisms such as macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrates, intermediate consumers in food chains, are influenced by both top-down and bottom-up forces, playing fundamental functional roles within freshwater ecosystems. The main aim of this study was to assess the effects of the signal crayfish Pacisfatacus leniusculus on the freshwater macroinvertebrate community in a mountainous area with very low human disturbance, while controlling for other measured environmental factors (e.g., T degrees C, pH, TDS). To this end, 34 sites (18 invaded and 16 non-invaded) in the Raba & ccedil;al and Tuela River basins (Portugal) were sampled. Comparisons were made between basins and invaded and uninvaded sites regarding abundance, biomass, richness and indices of macroinvertebrate community diversity and functionality. A total of 38,529 organisms from 133 freshwater macroinvertebrate taxa were identified. Our results showed a decline in the biomass, richness and diversity of macroinvertebrates with increasing crayfish abundance. Few differences in functional diversity were found, probably due to functional redundancy; however, crayfish did affect certain functional groups: drillers and periphyton-associated macroinvertebrates exhibited a negative correlation with crayfish abundance, whereas scrapers and gravel-associated macroinvertebrates demonstrated a positive response. In addition to the abundance of signal crayfish, temperature, total dissolved solids and pH showed some influence on the macroinvertebrate community. Overall, these findings are fundamental for better understanding, predicting and managing crayfish impacts in low disturbance areas of upper catchments. It is important to continue monitoring not only non-native crayfish populations but also macroinvertebrate (and other) communities, as our findings clearly demonstrate the sensitivity of these organisms to crayfish presence. Future research should investigate the main mechanisms of this change in the macroinvertebrate community.
Preserved organ function and redox homeostasis following repeated oral exposure to Quercus suber acorn shell extract in female FVB/n mice
Publication . Correia, Pedro; Mateus, Cristiano; Pinto, João Pedro; Azevedo, Tiago; Finimundy, Tiane C.; Babo, Pedro; Nascimento-Gonçalves, Elisabete; Medeiros, Catarina; Félix, Luís; Seixas, Fernanda; Barros, Lillian; Oliveira, Paula A.
Acorn shells (AS), a by-product of Quercus suber acorn processing, are rich in phenolic compounds with recognized bioactivities. However, their incorporation into food or nutraceutical formulations requires in vivo safety assessment under physiologically relevant exposure conditions. This study evaluated the effects of a hydroethanolic AS extract following repeated oral intake in female FVB/n mice over 25 days. The extract's phenolic profile was characterized by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/ MS. Nineteen animals (8-12 weeks old) were randomly assigned to four groups receiving drinking water containing 0, 100, 200 and 500 mu g/mL of extract. Animal welfare, food and water intake, and body weight were monitored throughout the study. At the end, animals were euthanized via anesthetic overdose, after which blood was collected for biochemical analysis, organs were weighed, and liver and kidney processed for histology and oxidative stress analysis. The extract was dominated by phenolic acids and hydrolysable tannins, primarily gallic/ellagic acid derivatives. No toxicity signs or mortality were recorded, and food and water intake remained similar across groups. Body weight and food and water intakes were unaffected, whereas an increase in liver, spleen, and left kidney relative weight was observed in the 200 mu g/mL dose (p < 0.05). Biochemical parameters were also preserved between groups, though the 200 mu g/mL group showed reduced renal lipid peroxidation (p < 0.05). Histological examination revealed no treatment-related hepatic or renal lesions. Overall, these findings indicate that repeated oral exposure to AS extract does not compromise systemic homeostasis under the tested conditions.
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