Loading...
7 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
- Iodine levels in different regions of the human brainPublication . Pinto, Edgar; Ramos, Patrícia; Vital, Cristiana; Santos, Agostinho; Almeida, AgostinhoIodine is a key component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which are crucial for proper growth and development of the human body. In particular, a great body of literature has been published on the link between thyroid hormones and brain development and functioning. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the iodine levels in the human brain. The aim of this work was to determine the brain iodine levels and to contribute to the establishment of “reference” levels for iodine in the different anatomical and functional regions of normal (i.e., subjects without neurological or psychiatric diseases) human brain.
- Essential and non-essential elements, and volatile organic compounds for the discrimination of twenty-three sweet cherry cultivars from Fundão, PortugalPublication . C.Gonçalves, Ana; Campos, Gonçalo; Pinto, Edgar; Oliveira, Ana Sofia; Almeida, Agostinho; Guedes de Pinho, Paula; Alves, Gilberto; R. Silva, LuísThe mineral contents and volatile profiles of 23 sweet cherry cultivars were determined. A total of 27 minerals were determined by ICP-MS and flame atomic absorption spectrometry, including 12 essential and 15 non- essential elements. K was the most abundant in all cultivars, while Tl was the one found in the smallest amounts. A total of 66 volatiles were identified using SPME/GC–MS, including 16 aldehydes, 23 alcohols, 6 ketones, 6 esters, 8 monoterpenes, 3 norisoprenoids, 2 hydrocarbons and 2 acids. Benzaldehyde, hexanal, nonanal, benzyl alcohol, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, 1-hexanol, (Z)-2-hexen-1-ol, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, linalool, α-terpineol and α-ionone were the major ones. Qualitative and quantitative differences were observed among the cultivars, which influenced nutritional potential and aroma. Cherries from Fund ̃ao region contain high concentrations of phytochemicals and nutritional components. 4-84, Burlat and Celeste might be considered some of the most interesting cultivars, since they are rich in essential minerals and present high diversity in volatiles.
- Fast and reliable ICP-MS quantification of palladium and platinum-based drugs in animal pharmacokinetic and biodistribution studiesPublication . Vojtek, Martin; Pinto, Edgar; Gonçalves-Monteiro, Salomé; Almeida, Agostinho; Marques, M. P. M.; Mota-File, Hélder; Ferreira, Isabel M. P. L. V. O.; Diniz, CarmenPalladium-(Pd)-based drugs are emerging as alternatives to platinum (Pt) anticancer chemotherapeutics, which increases the need for efficient and suitable procedures of Pd analysis in reduced amounts of pre-clinical animal samples. Herein, an ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) method was developed and validated for simple and fast analysis of Pd/Pt-based drugs in 11 distinct biological matrices (adipose tissue, muscle, liver, kidney, spleen, testis, heart, lungs, brain, blood and serum).
- Preclinical pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of Anticancer Dinuclear Palladium(II)-Spermine Complex (Pd2Spm) in micePublication . Vojtek, Martin; Gonçalves-Monteiro, Salomé; Pinto, Edgar; Kalivodová, Sára; Almeida, Agostinho; Marques, Maria P. M.; Carvalho, Ana L. M. Batista de; Martins, Clara B.; Mota-Filipe, Hélder; Ferreira, Isabel M. P. L. V. O.; Diniz, CarmenPalladium-based compounds are regarded as potential analogs to platinum anticancer drugs with improved properties. The present study assessed the pharmacokinetics and biodistri bution of a dinuclear palladium(II)-spermine chelate (Pd2Spm), which has previously been shown to possess promising in vitro activity against several therapy-resistant cancers. Using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, the kinetic profiles of palladium/platinum in serum, serum ultrafiltrate and tissues (kidney, liver, brain, heart, lungs, ovaries, adipose tissue and mammary glands) were studied in healthy female Balb/c mice after a single intraperitoneal bolus injection of Pd2Spm (3 mg/kg bw) or cisplatin (3.5 mg/kg bw) between 0.5 and 48 h post-injection. Palladium in serum exhibited biphasic kinetics with a terminal half-life of 20.7 h, while the free palladium in serum ultrafiltrate showed a higher terminal half-life than platinum (35.5 versus 31.5 h). Palladium was distributed throughout most of the tissues except for the brain, with the highest values in the kidney, followed by the liver, lungs, ovaries, adipose tissue and mammary glands. The in vitro cellular accu mulation was also evaluated in breast cancer cells, evidencing a passive diffusion as a mechanism of Pd2Spm’s cellular entry. This study reports, for the first time, the favorable pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of Pd2Spm, which may become a promising pharmacological agent for cancer treatment.
- Further evidence on trace element imbalances in haemodialysis patients—paired analysis of blood and serum samplesPublication . Azevedo, Rui; Gennaro, Davide; Duro, Mary; Pinto, Edgar; Almeida, AgostinhoPrevious studies have shown that haemodialysis patients have an increased risk of trace element imbalances. Most studies have determined the concentration of trace elements in serum only, but most trace elements are not uniformly distributed between plasma and blood cells, which justifies separate analysis of the different compartments. In this study, we determined both the serum and whole blood concentration of a wide panel of trace elements (Li, B, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Pb) in haemodialysis patients and compared them with those of a control group. Whole blood and serum samples were collected during routine laboratory testing of patients undergoing chronic haemodialysis. For comparison purposes, samples from individuals with normal renal function were also analysed. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between the two groups for whole blood concentrations of all analysed elements except Zn (p = 0.347). For serum, the difference between groups was statistically significant for all elements (p < 0.05). This study confirms that patients on haemodialysis tend to present significant trace element imbalances. By determining the concentration of trace elements in both whole blood and serum, it was shown that chronic haemodialysis may affect intra- and extracellular blood compartments differently.
- Mineral content and volatile profiling of Prunus avium L. (sweet cherry) y-Products from Fundão Region (Portugal)Publication . Nunes, Ana R.; Gonçalves, Ana C.; Pinto, Edgar; Amaro, Filipa; Flores-Félix, José D.; Almeida, Agostinho; Pinho, Paula Guedes de; Falcão, Amílcar; Alves, Gilberto; Silva, Luís R.Large amounts of Prunus avium L. by-products result from sweet cherry production and processing. This work aimed to evaluate the mineral content and volatile profiling of the cherry stems, leaves, and flowers of the Saco cultivar collected from the Fundão region (Portugal). A total of 18 min erals were determined by ICP-MS, namely 8 essential and 10 non-essential elements. Phosphorus (P) was the most abundant mineral, while lithium (Li) was detected in trace amounts. Three different preparations were used in this work to determine volatiles: hydroethanolic extracts, crude extracts, and aqueous infusions. A total of 117 volatile compounds were identified using HS-SPME/GC MS, distributed among different chemical classes: 31 aldehydes, 14 alcohols, 16 ketones, 30 esters, 4 acids, 4 monoterpenes, 3 norisoprenoids, 4 hydrocarbons, 7 heterocyclics, 1 lactone, 1 phenol, and 2 phenylpropenes. Benzaldehyde, 4-methyl-benzaldehyde, hexanal, lilac aldehyde, and 6-methyl 5-hepten-2-one were the major volatile compounds. Differences in the types of volatiles and their respective amounts in the different extracts were found. This is the first study that describes the mineral and volatile composition of Portuguese sweet cherry by-products, demonstrating that they could have great potential as nutraceutical ingredients and natural flavoring agents to be used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.
- Essential and non-essential/toxic trace elements in whey protein supplementsPublication . Pinto, Edgar; Ferreira, Isabel M. P. L. V. O.; Almeida, AgostinhoTwenty-six (26) trace elements (essential and non-essential/toxic) were determined in 49 whey protein (WP) supplements available for sale in the Portuguese market by inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry. The most abundant essential trace element was Fe (13.7 ± 16.7 μg/g) and the least abundant was Co (0.040 ± 0.028 μg/g).