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CIMO - Mountain Research Center
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Lignin–Quercetin Hybrid Colloidal Particles as Sustainable Pickering Emulsifiers: A Bio-Based and Functional Approach
Publication . Oliveira, Barbara Miqueletti de; Colucci, Giovana; Schreiner, Tatiana B.; Preegel, Gert; Silva, Lucimara Lopes da; Santamaria-Echart, Arantzazu; Barreiro, Filomena
Lignin, the second-most-abundant polymer on Earth, has attracted attention for its value-added applications. Colloidal lignin particles can overcome handling and compatibility issues, offer antioxidant, antimicrobial, and UV-protective properties, and serve as Pickering stabilizers. Plant extracts rich in bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols and flavonoids (e.g., quercetin), can further enhance lignin-based formulations. In this context, colloidal lignin–quercetin particles (CLQPs) were produced for the first time via antisolvent precipitation and used as Pickering emulsion stabilizers. CLQP dispersions (30 g/L) were prepared by solubilizing lignin and quercetin in 80% (v/v) aqueous acetone solution, followed by precipitation with a pH 8 buffer. A quercetin content of 50% (w/w) (CLQP-50) resulted in predominantly round-shaped lignin–quercetin particles (<1 µm) with a small fraction of quercetin crystals. Both structures contributed to emulsion stabilization, as evidenced by confocal microscopy, a three-phase contact angle of 91.6 ± 0.1°, and a zeta potential of −52.8 ± 2.7 mV. CLQP-50 successfully stabilized Pickering emulsions at a 60/40 oil/water ratio, showing high physical stability (stability index 0.01) and shear-thinning behavior with gel-like consistency. These findings demonstrate the pioneering development of lignin–quercetin hybrid colloidal particles as sustainable and functional Pickering stabilizers, opening new opportunities for advanced cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations.
Perceptions of higher education students on bioeconomy: a comparative study between Portugal and Brazil
Publication . Ribeiro, Maria Isabel; Tomazini, Cecilia; Perondi, Miguel; Fernandes, António Pedro Ribeiro; Fernandes, Ana Isabel Ribeiro; Fernandes, António
Currently, sustainability is a pressing issue, driven by environmental disasters caused by human activities that threaten the planet's life. Thus, the aim is to harmonize conflicts between economic, environmental, and social spheres by harnessing the ancestral knowledge of traditional communities and developing clean, innovative technologies that can mitigate the impacts of human actions, generate financial returns, and enhance social well-being. In this context, bioeconomy is considered by numerous scientists, politicians, and managers as a means to achieve sustainability or a bioeconomic state, as it conceives of the economy as dependent on nature; that is, the environment and the economy must be in balance in the same equation, which does not reduce economic activity to a mere mechanism nor nature to a source of raw materials. In this way, the bioeconomy encompasses biotechnology and bioresources, with the development of clean technologies using renewable raw materials to create new bio-based products, as well as bioecology, which involves valuing ecosystem services and promoting environmental protection. However, for the bioeconomy to be widely incorporated into concrete actions,
it needs broad social acceptance, since it will be people, especially young people of current and future generations, who will implement it. In this sense, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the perceptions and level of knowledge of young higher education students in Brazil and Portugal regarding the term 'Bioeconomy', and verify whether factors such as nationality, place of residence, and scientific field of study of the course attended influence their knowledge about the topic. A crosssectional, quantitative, analytical survey was conducted using an online questionnaire. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 28, and the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare knowledge levels between the two nationalities, controlling for place of residence and field of study. The survey received 878 responses, with 74.9% of respondents being of Portuguese nationality and 25.1% being Brazilian. It was found that Brazilian students are more familiar with the term Bioeconomy (53.2%) than Portuguese respondents (37.1%). Furthermore, Brazilians also have a higher level of knowledge, with 47.2% of students classified as having a very good or good level, compared to 22.6% for the Portuguese. Regarding sociodemographic data, for the Brazilian group, an association was observed between place of residence and the level of knowledge in Bioeconomy, with a higher level of knowledge among residents of urban areas. For the Portuguese, the difference was observed in the field of study, with a greater inclination towards Biological Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, and Engineering. Thus, public and private initiatives in countries related to sustainable development and the bioeconomy directly influence students' knowledge and support for the bioeconomy since Brazil makes significant investments in higher education, science, and technology linked to the bioeconomy, which can be evidenced by the higher level of knowledge about the bioeconomy among Brazilians.
The effect of environmental and social concerns on sustainable consumption among Portuguese higher education students
Publication . Ribeiro, Maria Isabel; Fernandes, António Pedro; Fernandes, Ana Isabel; Fernandes, António
Serious environmental and social problems, notably global warming, pollution, biodiversity loss, natural disasters, and the increase in poverty, among others, have encouraged the consumption of environmentally friendly products and amplified actions in favor of the most vulnerable population. This is why sustainable purchasing behavior has received increasing attention from academia, companies, and other professionals in the field. According to the literature, environmental and social concerns significantly increase consumer loyalty to more sustainable products. This article aimed to analyze the relationship between environmental and social concerns and sustainable consumption from the perspective of students attending higher education in Portugal and to determine whether the effect differs by nationality. Participants were selected using a non-random sampling technique. The empirical study was conducted in Portugal between October 2024 and January 2025. The questionnaire, distributed online, contained, in addition to sociodemographic variables, the dimensions of social concerns, environmental concerns, and sustainable onsumption from Hamza et al (2023). For all dimensions, a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) was used. The sample consisted of students attending Portuguese higher education institutions who voluntarily participated in this study. A total of 675 valid responses were considered, of which 493 responses were from students of Portuguese nationality, and 182 were responses from students of other nationalities. The data were edited and processed using Jamovi version 2.7.12.0. First, descriptive statistics were calculated. Subsequently, exploratory factor analysis was employed, and a multiple regression model was subsequently estimated for Portuguese and other nationalities. The results showed that, regardless of nationality, environmental and social concerns were positively associated with sustainable consumption. For students of Portuguese nationality, these variables explained 61.6% of sustainable consumption, whereas for students of other nationalities, the recorded value was 70.2%. Furthermore, social concerns took precedence over environmental concerns, with a greater impact on international students than on domestic students. Sustainable consumption has been a growing concern since the 1990s. Minimizing environmental pollution and waste, while reducing social inequality, are concerns for everyone, including the productive sector, whose focus should be on meeting consumer needs, who can be important drivers of sustainability by opting for more responsible business practices.
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Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia