Health and Technology Research Center

Funder

Organizational Unit

Publications

Riscos e benefícios de beber chá verde: podemos potenciar os benefícios para a saúde aumentando o seu consumo em Portugal?

Publication . Assunção, Ricardo; Twarużek, Magdalena; Kosicki, Robert; Viegas, Carla; Viegas, Susana

O chá é consumido há anos, tendo o chá verde recebido particular destaque, atendendo principalmente aos potenciais efeitos benéficos para a saúde que o seu consumo regular poderá potenciar. Alguns destes efeitos são atribuídos aos polifenóis, nomeadamente à epigalocatequina- -3-galato (EGCG). Por outro lado, o chá pode também encontrar-se contaminado por micotoxinas, i.e., metabolitos secundários produzidos por fungos que poderão afetar negativamente a saúde. Neste estudo, pretendeu- se integrar os riscos (devidos à exposição a micotoxinas e à ingestão de níveis elevados de EGCG) e benefícios (pela ingestão moderada de EGCG) associados ao consumo de chá verde. Os dados respeitantes à contaminação do chá verde por micotoxinas foram obtidos através da análise de 38 micotoxinas, e seus metabolitos, em 20 amostras de chá verde (10 obtidas em granel e 10 em saquetas) disponíveis nas superfícies comerciais da região de Lisboa, através de metodologias cromatográficas. Oito das vinte amostras apresentaram valores quantificáveis de micotoxinas. Relativamente aos teores em EGCG, bem como aos dados de consumo de chá verde pela população adulta, foram considerados aqueles reportados pela Autoridade Europeia de Segurança Alimentar (EFSA). Concluímos que o consumo atual de chá verde não foi associado a uma preocupação para a saúde, atenta a ingestão de micotoxinas e EGCG nas amostras analisadas. Os cenários hipotéticos considerados, estabelecendo um consumo crescente de chá verde em Portugal, revelaram que o consumo de até sete chávenas por dia deverá maximizar os potenciais efeitos benéficos para a saúde. Este estudo pretende contribuir para o estabelecimento futuro de recomendações de consumo de chá verde em Portugal.

2021-05Journal article

Open access

How Hydroxyurea Alters the Gut Microbiome: A Longitudinal Study Involving Angolan Children with Sickle Cell Anemia

Publication . Delgadinho, Mariana; Ginete, Catarina; Santos, Brígida; Fernandes, Carolina; Silva, Carina; Miranda, Armandina; Vasconcelos, Jocelyne Neto de; Brito, Miguel

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is an inherited hematological disorder and a serious global health problem, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although hydroxyurea (HU) is the leading treatment for patients with SCA, its effects on the gut microbiome have not yet been explored. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate this association by characterizing the gut microbiome of an Angolan SCA pediatric population before and after 6 months of HU treatment. A total of 66 stool samples were obtained and sequenced for the 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 regions). Significant associations were observed in alpha and beta-diversity, with higher values of species richness for the children naïve for HU. We also noticed that children after HU had higher proportions of several beneficial bacteria, mostly short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) producing species, such as Blautia luti, Roseburia inulinivorans, Eubacterium halli, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Lactobacillus rogosae, among others. In addition, before HU there was a higher abundance of Clostridium_g24, which includes C. bolteae and C. clostridioforme, both considered pathogenic. This study provides the first evidence of the HU effect on the gut microbiome and unravels several microorganisms that could be considered candidate biomarkers for disease severity and HU efficacy.

2022-08Journal article

Open access

Microbial gut evaluation in an angolan paediatric population with sickle cell disease

Publication . Delgadinho, Mariana; Ginete, Catarina; Santos, Brígida; Mendes, Joana; Miranda, Armandina; Vasconcelos, Jocelyne; Brito, Miguel

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common genetic conditions worldwide. It can contribute up to 90% of under-5 mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Clinical manifestations are very heterogeneous, and the intestinal microbiome appears to be crucial in the modulation of inflammation, cell adhesion and induction of aged neutrophils, the main interveners of recurrent vaso-occlusive crisis. Enterocyte injury, increased permeability, altered microbial composition and bacterial overgrowth have all been documented as microbial and pathophysiologic changes in the gut microbiome of SCD patients in recent studies. Our aim was to sequence the bacterial 16S rRNA gene in order to characterize the gut microbiome of Angolan children with SCA and healthy siblings as a control. A total of 72 stool samples were obtained from children between 3 and 14 years old. Our data showed that the two groups exhibit some notable differences in microbiota relative abundance at different classification levels. Children with SCA have a higher number of the phylum Actinobacteria. As for the genus level, Clostridium cluster XI bacteria was more prevalent in the SCA children, whereas the siblings had a higher abundance of Blautia, Aestuariispira, Campylobacter, Helicobacter, Polaribacter and Anaerorhabdus. In this study, we have presented the first microbiota analysis in an Angolan paediatric population with SCD and provided a detailed view of the microbial differences between patients and healthy controls. There is still much to learn before fully relying on the therapeutic approaches for gut modulation, which is why more research in this field is crucial to making this a reality.

2022-11Journal article

Open access

Embracing the Nutritional Assessment in Cerebral Palsy: A Toolkit for Healthcare Professionals for Daily Practice

Publication . Pinto, Carolina; Borrego, Rute; Eiró-Gomes, Mafalda; Casimiro, Inês; Raposo, Ana; Folha, Teresa; Virella, Daniel; Moreira, Ana Catarina

Background: Nutritional status assessment (NSA) can be challenging in children with cerebral palsy (CP). There are high omission rates in national surveillance reports of weight and height information. Alternative methods are used to assess nutritional status that may be unknown to the healthcare professionals (HCP) who report these children. Caregivers experience challenges when dealing with feeding problems (FP) common in CP. Our aim was to assess the difficulties in NSA which are causing this underreport and to create solutions for registers and caregivers. Methods: An online questionnaire was created for registers. Three meetings with HCP and caregivers were held to discuss problems and solutions regarding NSA and intervention. Results: HCP mentioned difficulty in NSA due to a lack of time, collaboration with others, equipment, and childrens' motor impairment. Caregivers experienced difficulty in preparing nutritious meals with adapted textures. The creation of educational tools and other strategies were suggested. A toolkit for HCP was created with the weight and height assessment methods described and other for caregivers to deal with common FP. Conclusions: There are several difficulties experienced by HCP that might be overcome with educational tools, such as a toolkit. This will facilitate nutritional assessment and intervention and hopefully reduce underreporting.

2022-03-11Journal article

Open access

Multilocus genotyping of Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from patients diagnosed with COVID Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CAPA)

Publication . Morais, Susana; Toscano, Cristina; Simões, Helena; Carpinteiro, Dina; Viegas, Carla; Verissímo, Cristina; Sabino, Raquel

Aspergillus fumigatus is an environmental fungus responsible for causing severe invasive infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. In 2020, during SARS-CoV-2 pandemics, a high number of cases of pulmonary aspergillosis was detected in COVID-19 patients, leading to the definition of CAPA (COVID-19 associated pulmonary aspergillosis). Patients with CAPA harbor many baseline prognostic factors with negative effects on survival, which might be further compromised by azole-resistant Aspergillus isolates. With the purpose of understanding the diversity of A. fumigatus isolates collected from CAPA patients, we applied a multilocus genotyping methodology (STRAf assay), using three trinucleotide microsatellite markers (99% discriminatory power) to 100 A. fumigatus isolates from different sources. From the isolates analyzed during the study, 85 multilocus genotypes were found. A high diversity of genotypes in CAPA isolates was observed. However, some of those isolates shared genetic similarity since they were collected from patients in the same hospital. Given the ubiquity of A. fumigatus, it is likely that patients may have shared the same contamination source within the hospital environment. In other isolates several multilocus genotypes were shared, reinforcing studies in the One Health Context. In conclusion, CAPA is yet poorly understood due to the lack of studies including isolates collected from COVID patients. Thus, molecular analysis of genetic and epidemiological relationship between those isolates may allow us to assess their potential origin and transmission routes.

2022Conference object

Restricted access