Antimicrobial activity of potential essential oils to replace potassium sorbate in fruit preparations

Introduction: In recent years, the food industry has faced the challenge of producing high-quality products using natural preservative alternatives instead of synthetic ones. Essential oils (EO), naturally present in various plants, have potential as alternatives due to their antimicrobial activity and high food safety (Generally Recognized as Safe, GRAS). This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of EO against common spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in fruit preparations, to use as a substitute for potassium sorbate (PS). Methodology: The antimicrobial activity of lemongrass and lemon EO was tested using the microdilution method in 96-well plates against Lactobacillus plantarum, Escherichia coli; Candida intermedia, Pichia fermentans, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium glabrum.EO were tested at concentrations ranging from 1.56 to 50% and PS at 0.03 to 4%. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. Results: The MICs of lemongrass and lemon EO for E. coli were 3.12 and 12.5%, respectively, while for L. plantarum, they were 1,56 and 6.25% respectively. Regarding the yeasts, the MIC of lemongrass and lemon EO for C. intermedia were 1.56 and 3.12%, respectively, and for P. fermentans, they were 1.56 and 1.56%, respectively. Lemongrass EO showed the same MICs value of 6.25% against A. niger, and P. glabrum. Lemon EO also displayed the same MICs values of 25% for A. niger, and P. glabrum representing the highest MICs values observed. The MBCs values was similar the MICs values to all microorganisms except to L. plantarum that were 6.25 and 25% to lemongrass and lemon EO, respectively. PS showed MICs values of 1 and 2% for E. coli and L. plantarum, respectively, with MBCs values of 2% for both. For yeasts, the MIC was 0.06% for both with MBC values of 0.06% for E. coli and 0.5% for L. plantarum. The MIC and MBC values were the same of 0.06% for both fungi. Conclusion: The EO tested showed significant antimicrobial potential at low concentrations, particularly lemongrass EO. Future studies will incorporate this oil as substitutes for PS to verify their ability to maintain antimicrobial effectiveness over time when incorporated in fruit preparations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

REASE – Rede regional de sensibilização dos serviços prestados pelos ecossistemas das pradarias de ervas marinhas e sapais na região do Algarve.

Projeto financiado pelo Fundo Ambiental da República PortuguesaA Rede de Educação Ambiental para os Serviços Ambientais (REASE) é uma iniciativa recentemente criada no Algarve, por instituições de pesquisa científica, educação, divulgação científica e uma ONG ambiental. O REASE tem como objetivo desenvolver projetos de educação ambiental na área dos Serviços Ecossistémicos (SE), especialmente aqueles gerados pela vegetação costeira, incluindo sapais e pradarias marítimas. Atualmente, a rede está trabalhando em: 1) capacitação de professores e gestores ambientais, a fim de promover o conhecimento científico sobre os serviços prestados pelos ecossistemas costeiros; 2) a criação de uma “incubadora de projetos” para poder desenvolver em escolas locais projetos SE inovadores de educação formal; 3) sensibilização dos estudantes e do público em geral sobre o papel dos ecossistemas para o bem-estar humano através de exposições e palestras em centros de divulgação científica; 4) publicação de um livro para crianças sobre SE de ervas marinhas, num processo participativo de base comunitária (ilustrações feitas por crianças nas escolas); 5) o lançamento de um projeto de Ciência Cidadã, para avaliar a produção de Carbono Azul no Algarve, envolvendo escolas que recebem kits de campo e de laboratório e respetivo apoio científico; 6) o desenvolvimento de uma aplicação móvel para fazer upload diretamente das medições de campo e dados do carbono azul no site do projeto, onde os dados são cientificamente validados e analisados.SFRH/BGCT/52704/2014 - REFORÇO DA INTERAÇÃO COM ENTIDADES EXTERNAS E RENOVAÇÃO DE ACTIVIDADES E DE CONTEÚDOS (SFRH/BGCT/52704/2014)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

REASE: A regional network to raise awareness on ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows in the Algarve (South Portugal)

The Environmental Education Network for Ecosystem Services (REASE) is a recently founded initiative in the Algarve (south Portugal) by institutions of scientific research, education, science outreach and a local environmental NGO. The REASE aims to develop environmental education projects in the area of ecosystem services (ES), especially those provided by coastal vegetated ecosystems, including saltmarshes seagrasses. The network is currently working on: 1) capacity building for school teachers and environmental managers in order to promote scientific knowledge on the services provided by coastal ecosystems; 2) the creation of an “incubator of projects” to design innovative, formal education ES projects to be developed in local schools; 3) raising awareness of students and general public on the role of vegetated ecosystems for human well-being thorough expositions and talks at science outreach centres; 4) publication of a booklet for children on the ES of seagrasses, with a community-based participatory design (illustrations made by schoolchildren); 5) the launch of a Citizen Science project for schools to evaluate the Blue Carbon stock in the Algarve, for which schools have been provided with field and laboratory kits, and scientific support; 6) the development of an app to directly upload field measurements and blue carbon data into the website of the project, where data will be scientifically validated and analysed. The actions and events are being successfully welcome by the local community and having a high media impacts and participation rates

Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of the Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) Germ Flour Extracts

This work aimed to evaluate the phytochemical content and to determine the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of methanol extracts of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) germ flour. The extracts were rich in phenolic compounds, had considerable antioxidant activity, and reduced the viability of cervical (HeLa) cancer cells. The chemical content and the biological activities of the extracts were significantly affected by gender and cultivar. Female cultivar Galhosa had the highest levels of phenolic compounds, and the highest antioxidant activity. Extracts from the hermaphrodite trees and from the female cultivars Galhosa and Costela/Canela exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity. The most abundant compound was theophylline. The phenolic content was correlated to both antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. Our findings provide new knowledge about the health implications of consuming food supplemented with carob germ flour

Carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua L.) regenerated in vitro can acclimatize successfully to match the field performance of seed-derived plants

The use of in vitro regenerated plants in forestry and orchard depends ultimately on the development of efficient transplantation protocols, ensuring high survival rates and successful establishment under field conditions. We tested the performance of micropropagated carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua L.) throughout the acclimatization process in terms of survival, growth and physiological traits, including field comparisons with seed-derived and mother plants. The field trial was 100 %successful, i.e. we found no major differences between micropropagated, seed-derived and mother plants in terms of growth rate, height, number of leaves, photosynthetic efficiency, chlorophyll fluorescence, chlorophyll content and soluble protein content, although these parameters changed significantly during acclimatization. Stomatal conductance (gs) was reduced by fourfold when plants were transferred from in vitro culture to the growth chamber, thus preventing uncontrolled wilting. The photosynthetic rate (PN) was relatively low in vitro, in the growth chamber and the greenhouse, but increased to match seed-derived and mother plants in the field. The chlorophyll a/b ratio in leaves from in vitro and growth chamber plants was typical of shade plants (2.1) but became more characteristic of sun plants in the subsequent acclimatization stages (3.1–3.5). The maximum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) remained mostly constant at ~0.80 throughout acclimatization, as is typical for healthy, non-stressed plants. We conclude that our micropropagation and acclimatization protocols provide a suitable alternative to traditional mass propagation techniques for the carob tree.M.L. Osório and S. Gonçalves acknowledge a grant from the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT, Grant SFRH/BPD/35410/2007 and SFRH/BPD/31534/2006