Browsing by Author "Duarte, Maria Paula"
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- Bioguided Identification of Active Antimicrobial Compounds from Asphodelus bento-rainhae and Asphodelus macrocarpus Root TubersPublication . Malmir, Maryam; Lima, Katelene; Camões, Sérgio Póvoas; Manageiro, Vera; Duarte, Maria Paula; Miranda, Joana Paiva; Serrano, Rita; da Silva, Isabel Moreira; Lima, Beatriz Silva; Caniça, Manuela; Silva, OlgaRoot tubers of Asphodelus bento-rainhae subsp. bento-rainhae (AbR), a vulnerable endemic species, and Asphodelus macrocarpus subsp. macrocarpus (AmR) have traditionally been used in Portugal to treat inflammatory and infectious skin disorders. The present study aims to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of crude 70% and 96% hydroethanolic extracts of both medicinal plants, specifically against multidrug-resistant skin-related pathogens, to identify the involved marker secondary metabolites and also to assess the pre-clinical toxicity of these medicinal plant extracts. Bioguided fractionation of the 70% hydroethanolic extracts of both species using solvents of increasing polarity, namely diethyl ether (DEE: AbR-1, AmR-1), ethyl acetate (AbR-2, AmR-2) and aqueous (AbR-3, AmR-3) fractions, enabled the identification of the DEE fractions as the most active against all the tested Gram-positive microorganisms (MIC: 16 to 1000 µg/mL). Furthermore, phytochemical analyses using TLC and LC-UV/DAD-ESI/MS techniques revealed the presence of anthracene derivatives as the main constituents of DEE fractions, and five known compounds, namely 7'-(chrysophanol-4-yl)-chrysophanol-10'-C-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-anthrone (p), 10,7'-bichrysophanol (q), chrysophanol (r), 10-(chrysophanol-7'-yl)-10-hydroxychrysophanol-9-anthrone (s) and asphodelin (t), were identified as the main marker compounds. All these compounds showed high antimicrobial activity, particularly against Staphylococcus epidermidis (MIC: 3.2 to 100 µg/mL). Importantly, no cytotoxicity against HepG2 and HaCaT cells (up to 125 µg/mL) for crude extracts of both species and genotoxicity (up to 5000 µg/mL, with and without metabolic activation) for AbR 96% hydroethanolic extract was detected using the MTT and Ames tests, respectively. Overall, the obtained results contribute to the concrete validation of the use of these medicinal plants as potential sources of antimicrobial agents in the treatment of skin diseases.
- Chemical Composition, Nutritional Value, and Safety of Cooked Female Chaceon Maritae from Namibe (Angola)Publication . Mandume, Celso Manuel Cristovão; Bandarra, Narcisa M.; Raimundo, Joana; Lourenço, Helena Maria; Gonçalves, Susana; Ventura, Marta; Delgado, Inês; Rego, Andreia; Motta, Carla; Castanheira, Isabel; Nunes, Maria Leonor; Duarte, Maria PaulaDespite being highly appreciated and consumed, the nutritional value of Chaceon maritae from Namibe (Angola) had never been studied. In the present work, edible tissues (muscle, ovaries, and hepatopancreas) of boiled female C. maritae caught o Namibe coast in two distinct seasons were analyzed in terms of proximate chemical composition (fat, ash, protein, and moisture), fatty acid and amino acid profiles, cholesterol, essential minerals (macro and trace) and toxic elements. Results showed that, in both seasons, C. maritae muscle was a valuable source of protein, essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and essential elements, especially zinc, selenium, iodine, and copper. Ovaries and hepatopancreas are also good sources of protein, but were richer in fat, particularly when caught in October. Ovarian fat is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and that of hepatopancreas has higher values of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Hepatopancreas and ovaries are also good sources of copper and, especially ovaries, of zinc. Moreover, in both seasons, all the edible tissues of C. maritae analyzed presented very low contents of heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic).
- Effects of industrial boiling on the nutritional profile of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris)Publication . Oliveira, Helena; Muniz, José António; Bandarra, Narcisa Maria; Castanheira, Isabel; Coelho, Inês Ribeiro; Delgado, Inês; Gonçalves, Susana; Lourenço, Helena Maria; Motta, Carla; Duarte, Maria Paula; Nunes, Maria Leonor; Gonçalves, AmparoIndustrial cooking of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) under well-established procedures is advantageous for current consumers, which demand healthy and convenient food. This work aimed to evaluate the e ect of industrial water boiling, without the addition of salt, on the nutritional profile of common octopus. True retentions (TRs) were calculated for essential nutrients and toxic elements. After boiling, the moisture content decreased, resulting in a concentration of other constituents (protein, fat, fatty acids, majority of amino acids, phosphorus, zinc, and iodine). High TRs were obtained for some essential nutrients: 90.2% (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA), 89.1% (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA), 74.6% (indispensable amino acids, IAA), and 86.8% (iodine). In both raw and boiled octopus, polyunsaturated fatty acids (252.2 and 425.1 mg/100 g), leucine (940.1 and 1613.4 mg/100 g), glutamate (1971.5 and 3257.1 mg/100 g), sodium (393.3 and 332.5 mg/100 g), and zinc (12.6 and 16.6 mg/kg) were, respectively, the most abundant fatty acids, IAA, dispensable amino acids, macro, and micro elements. Cadmium, lead, and mercury levels found in boiled octopus were 0.02, 0.10, and 0.08 mg/kg, respectively. The consumption of 150 g (usual portion) of boiled octopus is advisable because it contributes to significant daily intakes of EPA+DHA (>100%), selenium (75.6%), and iodine (12.4%), and 25% of the daily adequate intake of sodium for adults.
- Exploring Cynara cardunculus L. by-products potential: Antioxidant and antimicrobial propertiesPublication . Barbosa, Cássia H.; Duarte, Maria Paula; Andrade, Mariana A.; Mateus, Ana Rita; Vilarinho, Fernanda; Fernando, Ana Luisa; Silva, Ana SanchesCynara cardunculus L. (cardoon), a perennial crop indigenous to the Mediterranean region, has gained recognition for its remarkable resilience to diverse weather conditions and its multifaceted applications across various industries, which includes the use of the flower as a vegetable rennet to produce some cheeses, as a source of biomass for energy, or its seed oil for human consumption, biodiesel, and animal feed. In some applications (e.g. biomass or seed production), when crop is harvested at the end of the growth cycle, the leaves remain as the main by-products, along with the flowers. In the context of a circular economy, the aim of this work was to undergone studies to determinate their biological properties (antioxidant and antimicrobial). Methanolic and ethanolic extracts of C. cardunculus L. (globe artichoke var. scolymus (L.) Fiori) and cultivated cardoon (var. altilis DC.)) leaves and flowers were characterised in terms of their polyphenol profile (total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid compounds (TFC), and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ToF-MS)), antioxidant capacity (free radical DPPH inhibition system, β-carotene bleaching assay), and antimicrobial capacity (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), antifungal). In addition, the cultivated cardoon leaves extracts were assessed before and after they were dried in an oven with forced air circulation to evaluate if this treatment affected their bioactive profile. Chlorogenic acid, apigenin, and luteolin were the most quantified of a total of sixteen compounds identified by UHPLC-ToF-MS. Cultivated cardoon dry leaf extract presented the best antioxidant capacity for both methanolic (EC50 = 0.8 mg/mL, antioxidant activity coefficient (AAC) = 279.67) and ethanolic (EC50 =2.1 mg/mL, AAC = 448.06) extracts, compared to the cardoon flower extracts and the globe artichoke leaf ex tracts. Dried cultivated cardoon leaf extracts presented higher antioxidant capacity than fresh cultivated cardoon leaf extracts, but a greater number of polyphenolic compounds were identified in fresh cultivated cardoon leaf extract. The Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to the activity of both ethanolic and methanolic extracts than the Gram-negative and cultivated cardoon dry leaf ethanolic extract presented lower MIC and MBC values (125–2000 µg/mL) for most of the tested microorganisms, thus showing higher antimicrobial activity. As for the cultivated cardoon leaf extracts, the dried leaf extracts exhibited better antimicrobial activity, with lower MIC values, than the fresh leaf extracts. The extracts only demonstrated a slight inhibition against the fungi Aspergillus fumigatus. In conclusion, studies performed indicate that dried leaves maintain their biological activities compared to fresh leaves, and that flowers present significant biological activity which suggests the great.
- Identification of Marker Compounds and In Vitro Toxicity Evaluation of Two Portuguese Asphodelus Leaf ExtractsPublication . Malmir, Maryam; Lima, Katelene; Póvoas Camões, Sérgio; Manageiro, Vera; Duarte, Maria Paula; Paiva Miranda, Joana; Serrano, Rita; Moreira da Silva, Isabel; Silva Lima, Beatriz; Caniça, Manuela; Silva, OlgaThe leaves of Asphodelus bento-rainhae subsp. bento-rainhae, an endemic Portuguese species, and Asphodelus macrocarpus subsp. macrocarpus have been used as food, and traditionally as medicine, for treating ulcers, urinary tract, and inflammatory disorders. The present study aims to establish the phytochemical profile of the main secondary metabolites, together with the antimicrobial, antioxidant and toxicity assessments of both Asphodelus leaf 70% ethanol extracts. Phytochemical screenings were conducted by the TLC and LC-UV/DAD-ESI/MS chromatographic technique, and quantification of the leading chemical classes was performed by spectrophotometric methods. Liquid-liquid partitions of crude extracts were obtained using ethyl ether, ethyl acetate, and water. For in vitro evaluations of antimicrobial activity, the broth microdilution method, and for the antioxidant activity, the FRAP and DPPH methods were used. Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity were assessed by Ames and MTT tests, respectively. Twelve known compounds including neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, isoorientin, p-coumaric acid, isovitexin, ferulic acid, luteolin, aloe-emodin, diosmetin, chrysophanol, and β-sitosterol were identified as the main marker compounds, and terpenoids and condensed tannins were found to be the major class of secondary metabolites of both medicinal plants. The ethyl ether fractions demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against all the Gram-positive microorganisms, (MIC value of 62 to 1000 µg/mL), with aloe-emodin as one of the main marker compounds highly active against Staphylococcus epidermidis (MIC value of 0.8 to 1.6 µg/mL). Ethyl acetate fractions exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 of 800 to 1200 µg/mL, respectively). No cytotoxicity (up to 1000 µg/mL) or genotoxicity/mutagenicity (up to 5 mg/plate, with/without metabolic activation) were detected. The obtained results contribute to the knowledge of the value and safety of the studied species as herbal medicines.
- Monographic Quality Parameters and Genotoxicity Assessment of Asphodelus bento-rainhae and Asphodelus macrocarpus Root Tubers as Herbal MedicinesPublication . Malmir, Maryam; Serrano, Rita; Lima, Katelene; Duarte, Maria Paula; Moreira da Silva, Isabel; Silva Lima, Beatriz; Caniça, Manuela; Silva, OlgaRoot tubers of Asphodelus bento-rainhae subsp. bento-rainhae (AbR), an endemic species with relevant interest due to conservation concerns, and Asphodelus macrocarpus subsp. macrocarpus (AmR) have been traditionally used for culinary and medicinal purposes, mainly associated with skin infection and inflammation. The present study aims to establish the quality control criteria for the proper characterization of dried root tubers of both species as herbal substances, together with their preclinical safety assessments. Botanical identification using macroscopic and microscopic techniques and phytochemical evaluation/quantification of the main classes of marker secondary metabolites, including phenolic compounds (flavonoid, anthraquinone, condensed and hydrolysable tannin) and terpenoids were performed. Additionally, in vitro genotoxicity/mutagenicity was evaluated by Ames test. Evident morphological differences in the development of tubercles (3.5 × 1 cm in AbR and 8.7 × 1.4 cm in AmR) and microscopicly in the arrangements and characteristics of the vascular cylinder (metaxylem and protoxylems) were found. Anatomical similarities such as multiple-layered epidermis (velamen) and the cortex area with thin-walled idioblasts (134 ± 2.9 µm and 150 ± 27.6 µm) containing raphide crystals (37.2 ± 14.2 µm and 87.7 ± 15.3 µm) were observed between AbR and AmR, respectively. Terpenoids (173.88 ± 29.82 and 180.55 ± 10.57 mg OAE/g dried weight) and condensed tannins (128.64 ± 14.05 and 108.35 ± 20.37 mg CAE/g dried weight) were found to be the main class of marker secondary metabolites of AbR and AmR extracts, respectively. No genotoxicity (up to 5 mg/plate, without metabolic activation) was detected in these medicinal plants' tested extracts. The obtained results will contribute to the knowledge of the value of the Portuguese flora and their future commercial cultivation utilization as raw materials for industrial and pharmaceutical use.