Browsing by Author "Santos, F."
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- An overview of Portuguese traditional foods with quality product designationsPublication . Abuquerque, T.G.; Sanches-Silva, A.; Santos, F.; Costa, H.S.Introduction. Traditional foods constitute an important part of the culture, history, identity, heritage and local economy of a region or country and they are key elements of the dietary patterns of each country [1]. These foods are commonly perceived as foods that have been consumed locally or regionally for a long time and the methods of preparation of such foods have been passed from generation to generation [2]. The Portuguese cuisine is characterized by a variety of rich, filling and fully-flavoured dishes. It is a Mediterranean cuisine, with Atlantic characteristics (high consumption of fish and seafood) and influence from different places around the world. The cuisine across Portuguese regions and islands is varied [3]. In 1992, the European Union (EU) created quality product designation systems, including Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), which protect registered traditional foods and enable producers to market distinctive high-quality regional products [4, 5]. In this study a review among Portuguese traditional foods with quality product designation has been carried out. Results. Our results show that up to now 116 traditional foods have been registered in the EU, from which 58 are PDO and 58 are PGI. With respect to TSG until now only 1 traditional food has applied for this denomination. According to the DOOR database (http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door) foods are divided into classes. Conclusions. A great variability of Portuguese traditional foods has been already registered as PDO or PGI. Nevertheless, some of these foods have never been characterized with respect to the nutritional composition and bioactive compounds content. This review aims to compile and up-to-date information of the Portuguese traditional foods with quality product designations and to increase interest among food researchers, manufacturers and consumers on these foods.
- Antioxidant activity of Annona cherimola Mill. (Annonaceae)Publication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Santos, F.; Sanches-Silva, A.; Costa, D.; Costa, H.S.Objectives: In this study, the antioxidant capacity of pulp and seeds of ripe fruits of Annona cherimola Mill. was determined. Moreover, two organic solvents were compared regarding their radical scavenging activity (RSA). The present research intends to carry out a study on the best extraction method for further use in the evaluation of RSA in several cultivars of traditional fruits from Madeira’s island. Method: Annona cherimola Mill. fruits were acquired in local supermarkets. Fruits were selected and peel, seeds and pulp were separated. Then, each part of the fruits was homogenised in a blender for 1 min at 5000 rpm. Samples (pulp or seeds) were extracted with 25 mL of solvent (ethanol 90%, v/v, or methanol) and filtered through cotton wool. Afterwards, DPPH radical was used for antioxidant capacity determination, which in presence of an antioxidant is reduced to DPPH-H decreasing its spectrophotometric absorbance at 517 nm. The scavenging activity of the extracts was expressed as the percentage of inhibition of the DPPH radical. Results: The IC50 value, representing the concentration of the extract that gives rise to 50% reduction in DPPH absorbance was determined by linear regression analysis. IC50 for pulp and seeds was lower for ethanolic extracts than for methanolic extracts. Conclusions: Due to the importance of antioxidant compounds to prevent several diseases such as cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, it is very important to compare the antioxidant capacity of different fruits, fruit components, as well as extract solvents. Ethanol gave higher IC50 in all the tested extracts. These results will support further research on traditional fruits from Madeira’s island. Acknowledgements: Tânia Gonçalves Albuquerque is grateful for research grant (BRJ/DAN-2012) funded by INSA. Ana Sanches Silva is grateful for the postdoctoral contract in the frame of the Program ‘Science 2007’, funded by FCT.
- Antioxidant capacity, phenolic content and total flavonoids of Annona Cherimola Mill. (Annonaceae)Publication . Santos, F.; Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.; Sanches-Silva, A.; Costa, H.S.Nowadays, consumers are much more aware of food composition and have foremost interest in tropical fruits due to their bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, which are very important to prevent some diseases. The antioxidant capacity of ethanolic extract of pulp, seeds and peel of four ripe cultivars of Annona cherimola Mill. (Mateus, Perry Vidal, Madeira and Funchal) were investigated, comparing several methods, such as DPPH, Folin-Ciocalteu method and total flavonoids assay. Total phenols were measured applying the Folin-Ciocalteu method with gallic acid as standard and the total flavonoids content was determined spectrophotometrically using epicatechin as standard. For DPPH assay, the peel showed the highest antioxidant activity, with an EC50 value below 0.3 mg/mL, whereas for the pulp it was higher than 3 mg/mL. The highest value for total phenols and flavonoids was found in the peel (19.9 mg GAE/g and 13.2 mg EC/g respectively). For pulp total phenols content was 3 mg GAE/g and for seeds flavonoids content was 1.3 mg EC/g. Madeira cultivar showed a higher antioxidant activity than all the other cultivars. The three different methods showed that Annona cherimola Mill. have compounds with great antioxidant properties, in particular the peel.
- Atividade antioxidante, fenólicos totais, flavonóides totais e vitaminas em subprodutos de anonaPublication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.; Santos, F.; Costa, H.S.A anona é um fruto muito apreciado pelas suas características organoléticas distintas, nomeadamente textura e sabor. Desde 2000, a anona da Madeira foi registada com Denominação de Origem Protegida. Depois da banana, é o fruto mais exportado na Região Autónoma da Madeira. Hoje em dia, a valorização de resíduos e de subprodutos agroalimentares tornou-se uma necessidade, sobretudo quando é possível utilizar estes subprodutos para o desenvolvimento e conceção de novos produtos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a atividade antioxidante, teor de fenólicos e de flavonóides totais e os teores das vitaminas C e E em subprodutos de três cultivares de anona (Madeira, Mateus II e Perry Vidal). As amostras de Annona cherimola Mill. foram colhidas em diversos locais da Região Autónoma da Madeira. Posteriormente, as amostras foram separadas em polpa, casca e semente e procedeu-se à determinação dos parâmetros analíticos. Os extratos da casca e da semente para avaliação da atividade antioxidante, fenólicos totais e flavonóides totais, foram preparados em etanol (90%, v/v). Para avaliação da atividade antioxidante, utilizou-se o método do DPPH•, e os resultados foram expressos em EC50. O teor de fenólicos totais foi determinado pelo método de Folin-Ciocalteu e os resultados foram expressos em equivalentes de ácido gálhico. Os resultados referentes aos flavonóides totais foram expressos em equivalentes de epicatequina. Para a determinação das vitaminas utilizou-se a cromatografia líquida com deteção por díodos. A maior atividade antioxidante foi determinada na casca da anona do cultivar Madeira e a menor nas sementes da anona do cultivar Perry Vidal. O teor de fenólicos totais e de flavonóides totais também foi superior na casca comparativamente à semente dos diferentes cultivares analisados. O teor de vitamina C total variou entre 1,54 ± 0,1 (semente) e 5,17 ± 0,1 mg/100 g (casca), para o cultivar Perry Vidal. O teor de vitamina E (α-tocoferol) mais elevado foi determinado para a semente do cultivar Mateus II (1,1 ± 0,07 mg/100 g). Os resultados obtidos demonstram o potencial antioxidante dos subprodutos da anona da Madeira, sobretudo a casca, podendo constituir desta forma uma fonte natural de extratos de valor acrescentado com aplicações em inúmeras indústrias, nomeadamente a alimentar, farmacêutica e/ou cosmética.
- Carotenoids and vitamin E content of four cultivars of Annona Cherimola Mill. including its by-productsPublication . Santos, F.; Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.; Sanches-Silva, A.; Costa, H.S.Tropical fruits are known by their bioactive compounds and vitamins, which are essential in a healthy diet. In this study, six carotenoids and vitamin E were quantified in the pulp and by-products (seeds and peel) of four cultivars of Annona cherimola Mill. Fruit parts were separated and homogenised. Carotenoids and vitamin E (α-tocopherol) were extracted from samples with hexane/ethanol (4:3, v/v) and quantified using a validated method by Ultra-high Pressure Liquid Chromatography with diode array detection. Our results showed higher carotenoids content in the peel than in the pulp and seeds. Lutein was the major carotenoid (229 26 μg/100 g) found in the peel of “Mateus” cultivar followed by β-carotene with a content of 174 11 μg/100 g. The mean value found for α-tocopherol content in seeds was higher than 0.90 mg/100 g. This vitamin was quantified in all the fruit parts and the content increased in the following order: pulp
- Evaluation of antioxidant activity of seed, pulp and peel from Annona Cherimola Mill. (Annonaceae)Publication . Santos, F.; Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.; Sanches-Silva, A.; Costa, H.S.Background and Objectives: The antioxidant compounds of fruits are very important when we want to prevent several diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases or even cancer. In this study, the antioxidant capacity of pulp, seeds and peel of ripe fruits of Annona cherimola Mill. was determined with two different methods, DPPH and Folin-Ciocalteu. Methods: Annona cherimola Mill. fruits were acquired in local supermarkets. Each part of the fruits (peel, seeds and pulp) was homogenised. For DPPH assay, three extracts were prepared: ethanolic, methanolic and aqueous. The ethanolic extract was also applied to ascorbic acid, BHT and gallic acid, which were employed as controls. The total phenolic concentration was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and gallic acid as standard. Results: For DPPH assay, from the three solvents tested, aqueous extracts showed the lowest antioxidant activity for pulp and peel. In the case of peel, the EC50 is about half with methanol than with ethanol while the opposite was observed in the case of seeds. EC50 was similar for both organic solvents in the case of pulp. The synthetic antioxidants used as reference were more effective DPPH radical scavengers than all of the studied extracts. Conclusions: The two different methods showed that pulp has a lower antioxidant activity, when compared with peel and seeds. None of the extracts were as effective DPPH radical scavengers as the standard controls, vitamin C, gallic acid and BHT. These results will contribute to preserve biodiversity and promote several cultivars of traditional fruits from Madeira’s island.
- Nutritional and phytochemical composition of Annona cherimola Mill. fruits and by-products: Potential health benefitsPublication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Santos, F.; Sanches-Silva, A.; Oliveira, M.B.; Bento, A.C.; Costa, H.S.Annona cherimola Mill., commonly known as cherimoya, is a tropical fruit well known due to its tasty flavour. In the present study the antioxidant activity of pulp, peel and seeds of four cultivars from A. cherimola Mill. from Madeira Island (Madeira, Funchal, Perry Vidal and Mateus II) was analysed. Moreover, nutritional composition (proximates and vitamins) and bioactive compounds content were determined. The peel of Madeira cultivar showed the highest antioxidant capacity, with an EC50 of 0.97 mg/mL, and total flavonoids (44.7 epicatechin equivalents/100 g). The most abundant carotenoid was lutein, with values ranging from 129 to 232 μg/100 g. The highest l-ascorbic acid content (4.41 mg/100 g) was found in the peel of Perry Vidal cultivar. These results highlight A. cherimola Mill. antioxidant properties, especially in its by-products and encourage their application in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food processing industries, as added value natural extracts.
- Perfil nutricional da polpa de quatro cultivares de Annona cherimola Mill. tradicionais da Região Autónoma da MadeiraPublication . Santos, F.; Albuquerque, T.G.; Bento, A.C.; Sanches-Silva, A.; Oliveira, M.B.; Costa, H.S.A anona da Madeira, depois da banana da Madeira, atualmente é o fruto mais exportado da Região Autónoma da Madeira (RAM). Desde 2000, que a União Europeia concedeu à Anona da Madeira o estatuto de Denominação de Origem Protegida, a primeira fruta a nível regional a receber este grau de proteção internacional. Trata-se de um fruto muito apreciado e com caraterísticas organoléticas e nutricionais distintas, mas ainda muito pouco estudados. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o perfil nutricional de quatro cultivares (Funchal, Madeira, Mateus II e Perry Vidal) de Annona cherimola Mill. cultivados na RAM. Deste modo, determinaram-se os teores de água, cinza, proteína, gordura total e fibra alimentar. Em relação ao teor total de hidratos de carbono disponíveis e valor energético, estes foram calculados. Determinaram-se ainda os teores de vitamina C total (ácido ascórbico + ácido desidroascórbico) e de vitamina E (α-tocoferol). Todos os resultados estão apresentados em g/100 g de parte edível para todos os parâmetros, exceto para as vitaminas que estão expressos em mg/100 g de parte edível. Os resultados deste estudo indicam que o teor mais elevado de água foi observado no cultivar Perry Vidal (78,3 ± 0,1 g/100 g), que também teve o menor teor de proteína (1,36 ± 0,0 g/100 g) e de α-tocoferol (0,071 ± 0,0 mg/100 g). O teor de gordura total variou entre 0,10 ± 0,0 g/100 g (cultivar Madeira) e 0,18 g/100 g (cultivar Funchal). Em relação à vitamina C total, os maiores teores foram registados nos cultivares Funchal e Mateus II com 6,73 ± 0,1 e 4,54 ± 0,2 mg/100 g, respetivamente. O perfil nutricional da anona da Madeira irá contribuir para compreender os benefícios para a saúde, manter a biodiversidade, promover o desenvolvimento sustentável, aumentar a sua exploração e o seu consumo.
- Portuguese fresh meats with quality product designationPublication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Santos, F.; Sanches-Silva, A.; Costa, H.S.Objectives: The main objective of the present research is to update information on the Portuguese traditional foods from fresh meat group with quality product designations. Moreover, this study reviews published data on nutritional composition and bioactive compounds of these foodstuffs. Method: Portuguese fresh meats with quality product designation were identified and categorized in Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), according to the information available in DOOR database (http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door). A literature review from scientific publications with peer-review has been also carried out to compile the information available on nutritional composition and bioactive compounds, namely, total fat content, individual fatty acids, cholesterol, α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol and β-carotene. Results: A total of 29 Portuguese fresh meats with quality designation are registered (16 PDO and 13 PGI). In Portugal, there are 12 bovine meats with protected names, of which 9 PDO (Barrosã, Mirandesa, Maronesa, Arouquesa, Marinhoa, Carnalentejana, Mertolenga, Cachena da Peneda and Charneca) and 3 PGI (Vitela de Lafões, Açores and Cruzado Lameiros do Barroso). Nevertheless, only 44% of all these fresh meats were characterized regarding the nutritional composition and bioactive compounds content. Total fat content varied between 0.5 -2.7 g/100 g for Mertolenga and Arouquesa, respectively while cholesterol ranged from 41 - 64 mg/100 g for Mirandesa and Maronesa, respectively. Conclusions: Fresh meats with protected designation represent 25% of the Portuguese traditional foods with quality product designation. Nevertheless, there is a vast number of traditional fresh meats that have never been characterized with respect to nutritional and bioactive compounds content and this review aims to evaluate the state-of–the art in this research field and to promote investigation and the interest among food researchers, manufacturers and consumers on these foods. Acknowledgements: Tânia Gonçalves Albuquerque is grateful for research grant (BRJ/DAN-2012) funded by Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, I.P. (INSA). The authors are grateful for the postdoctoral contract of Ana Sanches Silva in the frame of the Program ‘Science 2007’, funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal.
- A study protocol to evaluate the relationship between outdoor air pollution and pregnancy outcomesPublication . Ribeiro, M.C.; Pereira, M.J.; Soares, A.; Branquinho, C.; Augusto, S.; Llop, E.; Fonseca, S.; Nave, J.G.; Tavares, A.B.; Dias, Carlos Matias; Silva, A.; Selemane, I.; De Toro, J.; Santos, M.J.; Santos, F.Background - The present study protocol is designed to assess the relationship between outdoor air pollution and low birth weight and preterm births outcomes performing a semi-ecological analysis. Semi-ecological design studies are widely used to assess effects of air pollution in humans. In this type of analysis, health outcomes and covariates are measured in individuals and exposure assignments are usually based on air quality monitor stations. Therefore, estimating individual exposures are one of the major challenges when investigating these relationships with a semi-ecologic design. Methods/Design Semi-ecologic study consisting of a retrospective cohort study with ecologic assignment of exposure is applied. Health outcomes and covariates are collected at Primary Health Care Center. Data from pregnant registry, clinical record and specific questionnaire administered orally to the mothers of children born in period 2007-2010 in Portuguese Alentejo Litoral region, are collected by the research team. Outdoor air pollution data are collected with a lichen diversity biomonitoring program, and individual pregnancy exposures are assessed with spatial geostatistical simulation, which provides the basis for uncertainty analysis of individual exposures. Awareness of outdoor air pollution uncertainty will improve validity of individual exposures assignments for further statistical analysis with multivariate regression models. Discussion Exposure misclassification is an issue of concern in semi-ecological design. In this study, personal exposures are assigned to each pregnant using geocoded addresses data. A stochastic simulation method is applied to lichen diversity values index measured at biomonitoring survey locations, in order to assess spatial uncertainty of lichen diversity value index at each geocoded address. These methods assume a model for spatial autocorrelation of exposure and provide a distribution of exposures in each study location. We believe that variability of simulated exposure values at geocoded addresses will improve knowledge on variability of exposures, improving therefore validity of individual exposures to input in posterior statistical analysis.