Browsing by Author "Moreira, Manuela"
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- Chemical Characterization and In Vitro Bioactivity of Apple Bark Extracts Obtained by Subcritical WaterPublication . Švarc-Gajić, Jaroslava; Cerdà, Víctor; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Mašković, Pavle; Clavijo, Sabrina; Suarez, Ruth; Cvetanović, Aleksandra; Ramalhosa, Maria João; Barroso, M. Fátima; Moreira, Manuela; Morais, Simone; Withouck, Hannes; Boeykens, AnnickRecently, the value of wood residues has received increasing attention due to the presence of pharmacologically active compounds. In the present study, apple bark was treated with subcritical water (SWE) with the aim of bioactivity determination and chemical analysis by GC–MS applying two different sample preparation protocols and by HPLC. Extracts were screened for their total antioxidant capacity by means of total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and DPPH-radical scavenging activity (DPPH-RSA). Anti-microbial and anti-proliferative activities of the apple bark subcritical water extracts were also examined. Different lignin and cellulose degradation products were identified by GC–MS, as well as naturally present compounds. Identified compounds encompassed organic and fatty acids, alcohols, sugars, phenol, benzaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde and azulene derivatives, as well as other organic compounds. Phenolic profiles of apple bark extracts defined by HPLC–PDA analysis revealed that the main contributors were gallic acid (9.4 ± 0.5 mg/g DW) and catechin (8.3 ± 0.4 mg/g DW). The diversity of the extracts composition supports the fact that this medium is able to extract compounds of different polarities, simultaneously acting as catalyst and reactant. The characterized apple bark extracts demonstrated good antioxidant (TPC = 31.47 ± 1.86 mg GAE/g; TFC = 17.40 ± 1.89 mg EE/g; FRAP = 22.45 ± 2.22 mg AAE/g; DPPH-RSA = 22.57 ± 2.24 mg Trolox E/g DW), antimicrobial (MIC = 19.53–156.25 μg/mL) and anti-proliferative activity (IC50 = 19.88–47.44 μg/mL). The findings of this study showed that SWE can be used as an environmentally friendly and safe technique for the valorization of apple tree wood residues, applicable in food and pharmaceutical industries.
- Efeito agudo de uma sessão de exercício físico no perfil lipídicoPublication . Noites, Andreia; Couto, Miriam; Vilarinho, Rui; Melo, Cristina; Monteiro, Pedro; Carvalho, Paulo; Moreira, Anabela; Moreira, Manuela; Santos, RubimO exercício físico regular pode promover benefícios no perfil lipídico, reduzindo os fatores de risco para obesidade. Os efeitos imediatos do exercício físico no perfil lipídico são ainda alvo de estudo. Desta forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o impacto de uma sessão de exercício físico no perfil lipídico imediato.
- Response surface evaluation of microwave-assisted extraction conditions for Lycium barbarum bioactive compoundsPublication . Mendes, Marta; Carvalho, Ana P.; Magalhães, Júlia M. C. S.; Moreira, Manuela; Guido, Luís; Gomes, Ana M.; Delerue-Matos, CristinaThe effects of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) on the qualitative and quantitative composition of extracted bioactive phytochemicals are strongly dependent on specific operational conditions. The impact of temperature, extraction time, and solvent dielectric properties on the MAE of antioxidant compounds from goji berry is hereby reported and discussed. Results were evaluated in terms of antioxidant capacity (ascertained by ABTS and ORAC assays), complemented with quantification of total phenolics content (TPC), and characterization of extracts through HPLC. Furthermore, the effect of storage temperature was also studied. Results revealed that temperature and solvent properties exert a significant effect on TPC and ORAC assays, whereas irradiation time plays a key role in the preparation of extracts to be evaluated through ABTS. The effect of solvent properties is tentatively explained considering the dielectric properties of methanol and water, whereas the observed effect of temperature could be explained by its influence on the solubility of phenolic compounds.