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New insights of phytochemical profile and in vitro antioxidant and neuroprotective activities from optimized extract of Horned Melon fruit

Publication . Vieira, Elsa F.; Podlasiak, Martyna; Moreira, Manuela M.; Grosso, Clara; Rodrigues, Francisca; Fernandes, Virgínia Cruz; Delerue-Matos, Cristina

This study aimed the optimization of antioxidant activity, total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total carotenoids of Horned Melon fruit submitted to maceration extraction, using ethanol as solvent. Optimization was performed by Box–Behnken design on three levels and three variables: extraction temperature (25 °C, 55 °C, and 85 °C), extraction time (0.5, 2.0, and 3.5 h) and ethanol concentration (10%, 50%, and 90%). The optimal conditions to improve the carotenoids extraction was 55 °C, 1.5 h and 86% ethanol, whereas the antiradical/antioxidant activity (ABTS and FRAP assays) and TPC were enhanced at 45 °C for 2.0 h and 40% ethanol. The optimal antioxidant extract was characterized regarding the phenolic composition and in vitro neuroprotective activities. The phenolic composition revealed the presence of high amounts of gallic acid (11.7 ± 0.6 mg/100 g dw) and protocatechuic acid (7.69 ± 0.38 mg/100 g dw). However, this extract presented a weak activity against Monoamine oxidase A (11.8 ± 2.3% inhibition at 2.7 mg/mL) and did not display anti-cholinesterase activity at the maximum concentration tested (1.3 mg/mL). Maceration was an efficient extraction technique to recover polyphenols and carotenoids from Horned Melon fruit. The optimized model can be very useful for food and pharmaceutical industries

2022Journal article

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Influence of temperature on the subcritical water extraction of Actinidia arguta leaves: A screening of pro-healthy compounds

Publication . Silva, Ana Margarida; Luís, Ana Sofia; Moreira, Manuela M.; Ferraz, Ricardo; Brezo-Borjan, Tanja; Švarc-Gajić, Jaroslava; Costa, Paulo C.; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Rodrigues, Francisca

Actinidia arguta is a species disseminated in Europe and classified by the Chinese Herbal Medicine as a medicinal plant. The fruit (kiwiberry) has been extensively exploited for multiple purposes, while leaves where discarded. The objective of this study was to evaluate the optimal Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE) temperature (110 °C - 160 °C) of antioxidants and polyphenols from A. arguta leaves. The optimal temperature of extraction was 123 °C, revealing the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents and good scavenging efficiencies against HOCl (IC50 = 17.06 μg/mL) and O2●- (IC50 = 335.2 μg/mL), without toxicity on intestinal cells. The phenolic profile was characterized by high amounts of phenolic acids (e.g., gallic acids), flavanols (catechin) and flavonols (e.g., quercetin-3-O-galactoside). This work allows to conclude that SWE can be a useful extraction technique for the recovery of polyphenolics from A. arguta leaves

2022-04Journal article

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Valorization of Phenolic and Carotenoid Compounds of Sechium edule (Jacq. Swartz) Leaves: Comparison between Conventional, Ultrasound- and Microwave-Assisted Extraction Approaches

Publication . Vieira, Elsa F.; Souza, Suene; Moreira, Manuela M.; Cruz, Rebeca; Silva, Aline Boatto da; Casal, Susana; Delerue-Matos, Cristina

Chayote leaves are known for culinary and traditional medicine applications. This work intended to recover carotenoids and phenolic compounds from chayote leaves using the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). A Box–Behnken design was employed to investigate the impact of extraction time, temperature, and ultrasonic power on the recovery of total carotenoids, total phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activities. For comparative purposes, chayote leaf extracts were prepared by maceration (ME) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), using the same time and temperature conditions optimized by UAE. Extraction at 50 °C and 170 Watts for 30 min provided the optimal UAE conditions. UAE showed better extraction efficacy than ME and MAE. The HPLC analysis of the extracts showed that the xanthophyll class was the main class of carotenoids, which constituted 42–85% of the total carotenoid content, followed by β-carotene and tocopherol. Moreover, 26 compounds, classified as phenolic acids, flavonols, flavonoids and other polar compounds, were identified in the chayote leaf extracts. Flavonols accounted for 55% of the total compounds quantified (the major compound was myricetin) and phenolic acids represented around 35%, mostly represented by ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid and (+)-catechin. This study revealed the potential of UAE as an effective green extraction technique to recover bioactive compounds from chayote leaves, for food, and for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications

2022-10-24Journal article

Open access

New Perspectives on the Sustainable Employment of Chestnut Shells as Active Ingredient against Oral Mucositis: A First Screening

Publication . Ferreira, Ana Sofia; Silva, Ana Margarida; Pinto, Diana; Moreira, Manuela M.; Ferraz, Ricardo; Švarc-Gajić, Jaroslava; Costa, Paulo C.; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Rodrigues, Francisca

Oral mucositis (OM), a common side effect of oncological treatment, is an oral mucosal disorder characterized by painful ulcerations and increased risk of infection. The use of natural antioxidants to suppress the redox imbalance responsible for the OM condition has emerged as an interesting approach to prevent/treat OM. This study aims to explore the chestnut (Castana sativa) shells as potential active ingredient against OM. Therefore, chestnut shells were extracted at different temperatures (110–180 °C) by Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE), aiming to recover antioxidants. The extracts were also evaluated against microorganisms present in the oral cavity as well as on human oral cell lines (TR146 and HSC3). The highest phenolic content was obtained with the extraction temperature of 110 °C, exhibiting the best antioxidant/antiradical activities and scavenging efficiencies against HOCl (IC50 = 4.47 μg/mL) and ROO• (0.73 μmol TE/mg DW). High concentrations of phenolic acids (e.g., gallic and protocatechuic acids) and flavanoids (catechin, epicatechin and rutin) characterized the phenolic profile. The antimicrobial activity against several oral microorganisms present in the oral cavity during OM, such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, and Escherichia, was demonstrated. Finally, the effects on HSC3 and TR146 cell lines revealed that the extract prepared at 110 °C had the lowest IC50 (1325.03 and 468.15 µg/mL, respectively). This study highlights the potential effects of chestnut shells on OM

2022-11-29Journal article

Open access

Increasing the added value of vine-canes as a sustainable source of phenolic compounds: A review

Publication . Dorosh, Olena; Rodrigues, Francisca; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Moreira, Manuela M.

Grapes represent one of the most produced fruit crops around the world leading to the generation of large amounts of vine-canes as a side product, with no current economically profitable application. However, vine-canes have been demonstrated to be natural sources of phenolic compounds with numerous health benefits associated, with several potential applications. Therefore, new ambitious applications focused on their re-use are needed, targeting a sustainable process that simultaneous produces functional products and mitigates the waste generation. This review gives to the readers a complete summary about the state of the art regarding the vine-canes extracts research. Vine-canes phenolic composition is addressed and related to the health benefits exhibited. This review comprises studies from the past two decades reporting the extraction processes to recover vine-cane phenolic compounds, including conventional and environmentally friendly technologies and discussing their advantages and disadvantages. The conditions that favour the extraction process for vine-cane polyphenols for each technique were also deeply explored for the first time, enabling to the reader apply only the best parameters to achieve the highest yields without huge investment in optimizations procedures. Furthermore, a correlation between the bioactive properties of the vine-cane extracts and their applications in multiple fields is also critically presented

2022-07-15Journal article

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