Publicação
Valorization of the nutraceutical potential by Salicornia ramisissima by-product - Impact of gastrointestinal digestion on in vitro bioactivity
| dc.contributor.advisor | Rodrigues, Francisca | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Pinto, Diana | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Vieira, Mónica | |
| dc.contributor.author | Santos, Inês Maria Manso | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-02-25T12:20:09Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-02-25T12:20:09Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-07-28 | |
| dc.description.abstract | This work focused on the valorization of the halophyte Salicornia ramosíssima, already known for its bioactive compounds, by evaluating the Effect of in vitro gastrointetinal digestion on its phenolic contente, bioacessibility, and bioactivity. The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the phytochemical profile of this halophyte by-product, as well as to evaluate their antioxidante and antiradical properties and intestinal premeability of the bioactive compounds. For that, various assays were performed to evaluate the total phenolic and flavonoid contentes, antioxidant/antiradical activities by FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH assays, the scavening capacity of reactive oxygen species (ROS), neuroprotective properties by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, intestinal cell viability, and the extracts Effect and their digested fractions in the antioxidante enzymes activities and lipid peroxidation. The intestinal permeability was assessed in a Caco-2/HT29-MTX co-culture model by identifying and quantifying the bioactive compounds that permeated the intestinal barrier by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectometry. The results revealed the richness of this by-product in phenolic compounds and flavonoids, confirming the effects of the in vitro digestion on its bioactivity. The antioxidante and antiradical properties increased throughout the different stagies of digestion, particularly after the intestinal phase, with the S. ramosissima by-product extract (SE) showing higher activity when compared to the by-product (SP). Additionally, the enzymatic assays – AchE (Acetylcholinesterase), SOD (Superoxide dismutase), CAT (Catalase), GSH-Px (Glutathione peroxidase), and LPO (Lipid peroxidation) demosntrated significant health benefits, highlighting the neuroprotective properties, prevention of lipid peroxidation, and capacity to stimulate the activity of the various antioxidant enzymes studied. Cell viability assays indicated that SE extracts were safe at the highest concentrations studied (1000µg/mL), demonstrating greater cell viability in the HT29-MTX cell line. The intestinal permeability assays demonstrated that 4-caffeoylquinic acid exhibited the highest permiability (34,84%). This study highlights the potential health benefits of S. ramosíssima phenolic compounds after the digestion process. The results obtained provide a solid Foundation for future research on the development of nutraceuticals and functional foods using the bioactive componentes of this plant. From a future perspective, subsequente studies will focus on in vivo assays to confirm the bioactivity of the digested compounds and invetigate their long-term effects on health. Furthermore, exploring other bioactive compounds available in S. ramosíssima could enhance its applications in therapeutic contexts. | eng |
| dc.identifier.tid | 204180015 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/31908 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.rights.uri | N/A | |
| dc.subject | Phenolic compounds | |
| dc.subject | Salicornia ramosíssima | |
| dc.subject | Antioxidant activity | |
| dc.subject | Gastrointestinal digestion | |
| dc.subject | Intestinal permeability | |
| dc.subject | Bioaccessibility | |
| dc.subject | Flavonoids | |
| dc.subject | Enzymatic assays | |
| dc.subject | Reactive oxygen species | |
| dc.title | Valorization of the nutraceutical potential by Salicornia ramisissima by-product - Impact of gastrointestinal digestion on in vitro bioactivity | eng |
| dc.type | master thesis | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| thesis.degree.name | Mestre em Bioquímica em Saúde-Bioquímica Clínica e Metabólica |