Relationship Between Antioxidant Capacity, Proanthocyanidin and Anthocyanin Content During Grape Maturation of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz Grape Varieties

To investigate antioxidant capacity in seeds and skins during grape maturation and its relationship withanthocyanin and proanthocyanidin content, two Portuguese red grape varieties, Touriga Nacional and TintaRoriz (Vitis vinifera L.) were studied. Two analytical methods were used for antioxidant capacity analysis:the DPPH and ABTS methods. Proanthocyanidins from seeds and skins were separated into monomers,oligomers and polymers, while 13 individual anthocyanins from the skins were also evaluated by HPLC.For both grape varieties studied, antioxidant capacity from the skins and seeds was characterised duringgrape maturation by a general decrease, mainly in the first weeks after véraison, followed by stabilisationand a slight increase in the values in the last three weeks of ripening. A similar tendency was observedfor the amount of all the different proanthocyanidin fractions quantified. Our results also showed thatseeds are an important source of proanthocyanidins with respect to the grape berry skins. Seeds werealso the grape berry fraction with the highest antioxidant capacity when compared to the antioxidantcapacity content of the skins. For the 13 individual monomeric anthocyanins quantified during grapematuration, evolution was generally characterised by a continuous increase in the values. However, forsome of the individual anthocyanins, the continuous increase was followed by stabilisation or a decreasein the values in the last weeks of ripening. Finally, there was a positive relationship between the differentproanthocyanidin fractions and antioxidant capacity of both grape varieties studied; while a negativerelationship during grape maturation was obtained for individual anthocyanins

Caracterização Reológica e Óptica de Margarinas

As margarinas são sistemas multifásicos complexos, constituídos por uma fase líquida aquosa dispersa numa fase líquida lipídica contínua, e cristais de gordura para estabilizar a fase dispersa. O mimetismo lipídico nestas emulsões advém da estabilização através do controlo da cinética da cristalização das gorduras. A natureza e morfologia das fases formadas estão correlacionadas com as propriedades mecânicas e reológicas destes sistemas. Conclusões Microscopia óptica: a emulsão B apresenta microestrutura muito diferente das outras emulsões e a emulsão C apresenta tamanho de gota de água maior do que as outras emulsões. O escoamento altera a microstrutura da emulsão, em função das condições de escoamento consideradas. Ensaios dinâmicos: para qualquer das emulsões, a componente elástica G, predomina sobre a componente dissipativa G”, naquela gama de w (gel like). Para todas as emulsões a viscosidade h* depende da frequência w, sob a forma de uma lei de potência, o que indicia comportamento não-newtoniano (reofluidificante). Ensaios transitórios: G(t) exibe um patamar para tempos curtos (gel-like); a viscosidade dependente do tempo h(t) varia com o tempo segundo uma lei de potência. É possível comparar os resultados obtidos com as previsões dos modelos de Palierne e de Pal

Plantas medicinais da Península de Setúbal. Contribuição para o conhecimento da sua relevância Etnobotânica

A Península de Setúbal engloba ambientes muito distintos, na medida em que, por um lado, alberga cidades de grande/média e pequena dimensão, intimamente relacionadas com a capital, e por outro, áreas bem preservadas que integram parques naturais ou reservas/zonas protegidas. Assim sendo, os principais objectivos deste estudo prenderam-se com: 1) a caracterização dos remédios vegetais usados por populações distintas (as de áreas urbanas e as de áreas rurais); 2) a comparação e compreensão destas práticas (modo de aquisição e transmissão) e 3) a avaliação da influência da flora envolvente e da disponibilidade das plantas na sua persistência nestas populações. Os dados foram obtidos através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas a 121 pessoas, maioritariamente idosos, e permitiram recolher informações relativas ao nome vernáculo das plantas, à sua utilização terapêutica, ao seu modo de obtenção, aos procedimentos de colheita, à parte utilizada, ao seu modo de utilização, conservação e administração, a precauções/contraindicações do tratamento e ao modo de avaliação da sua eficácia, à fonte deste conhecimento e a outras utilizações das plantas. Foram referidos 186 usos medicinais distintos para os 253 taxa tentativamente catalogados, correspondendo a [Lavatera cretica L., Malva spp. (M. nicaeensis All.; M. sylvestris L.; M. tournefortiana L.); Pelargonium graveolens L' Her.] (“malvas”) o maior número de usos (31), enquanto que o taxon mais citado foi Aloysia triphylla (L'Hérit.) Britt. (“doce-lima”) (60 entrevistas). O grupo terapêutico com maior número de usos atribuído foi “Sistema digestivo” e o uso mais citado foi “Estômago” (45 taxa). Para averiguar de que modo as plantas eram caracterizadas pelos usos e os informantes pelas características identitárias (idade, sexo, local de nascimento, local de residência, escolaridade e actividade profissional) e plantas usadas (espécies, modo de aquisição, objectivo e regularidade do uso), recorreu-se à Análise das Correspondências seguida de Classificação Automática. Verificou-se que apesar de muitas das plantas terem várias aplicações terapêuticas, eram frequentemente utilizadas em afecções fisiologicamente relacionáveis. Constatou-se também que os informantes residentes em áreas mais urbanas apresentavam características distintas daqueles que residiam em áreas mais rurais, sendo que a sua área de residência tinha influência nas plantas que usavam. Para muitos dos parâmetros analisados a percentagem de esquecimento/desconhecimento foi importante, revelando que muitos dos informantes já não têm bem presentes os conhecimentos da medicina tradicional, o que confere urgência a uma recolha mais exaustiva destes conhecimentos, antes que desapareçam por completo

Complex phenotype of hypercholesterolaemia in a family with both ABCG8 and APOB mutations

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common of all genetic hypercholesterolaemias with defects in LDLR, APOB and PCSK9 accounting for the majority of cases. However, there are other rare disorders like sitosterolaemia that can present the same phenotype. Both can cause premature atherosclerosis but have distinctive dietetic and therapeutic intervention.N/

The use of herbal remedies in urban and rural areas of the Setúbal Peninsula (Portugal): A study among elders

The Setúbal Peninsula is a highly diverse area where some large-medium and small cities are concentrated and where well preserved areas integrating a natural park or reserved and protected zones can also be found. The main goals of this study were the characterization of the herbal remedies used by different populations, namely that of urban and rural areas, to compare and understand these practices, namely how they were acquired and transmitted, and to evaluate the influence of the involving flora and plant availability on its persistence. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews to 121 persons, mainly elders. Information concerning plant’s common name, therapeutic utility, form of acquisition, harvesting procedures, parts used, way of utilization, conservation and administration, precautions or side-effects if any, evaluation of treatments efficiency, source of knowledge and other uses of the plants were recorded. Multivariate analysis of correspondences was used to characterize plants by their uses and informants by age, sex, birth-place, residence, education level, professional activity, form of plant acquisition, usage aim and regularity, and by the plants they use. Discriminant analysis was used to assess the influence of urban and rural (mountain or coastal) residence area on plants used by the informants. 186 different medicinal uses were indicated for the 253 taxa tentatively catalogued. Although many plants had various therapeutic applications, they were frequently used in physiologically related problems. Informants living in rural areas had different characteristics of those living in urban areas, their residence areas influencing the plants used

Evaluation of olive oil quality during frying

Olive oil is the main lipid source in the Mediterranean diet. Due to its richness in monounsaturated fatty acids and in natural antioxidants, the olive oil is highly resistant to oxidation and, therefore, it is an excellent oil to be used in deep frying processes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the quality evolution of two commercial olive oils (extra virgin olive oil and olive oil) during heating at 180ºC (±2ºC) along 63 h, and frying processes of pre-fried frozen French fries in a domestic frying pan. Viscosity, acidity, peroxide index, p-anisidine index, UV absorbance values (232 and 270 nm), polar compounds and fatty acid composition were determined in the different olive oil samples Along heating and frying cycles, an increase of the physico-chemical parameters, as a consequence of several factors, namely high temperature and the presence of oxygen that contribute for lipid oxidation. However, in frying experiments lower increase in physico-chemical parameters were observed as a consequence of a temperature decrease in frying medium when the frozen food was immerge

Biomass allometry and carbon factors for a Mediterranean pine (Pinus pinea L.) in Portugal

Forests play an important role in the global carbon balance because they offset a large portion of the carbon dioxide emitted through human activities. Accurate estimates are necessary for national reporting of greenhouse gas inventories, carbon credit trading and forest carbon management but in Portugal reliable and accessible forest carbon measurement methodologies are still lacking for some species. The objective of this study was to provide forest managers with a comprehensive database of carbon factors and equations that allows estimating stand-level carbon stocks in Pinus pinea L. (P. pinea), regardless of the tree inventory information available. We produced aboveground biomass and stem volume equations, biomass expansion factors (BEF) by component as well as wood basic density (WBD) and component carbon fraction in biomass. A root-to-shoot ratio is also presented using data from trees in which the root system was completely excavated. We harvested 53 trees in centre and south Portugal covering different sizes (6.5 to 56.3 cm), ages (10 to 45 years) and stand densities (20 to 580 trees ha–1). The results indicate that aboveground allometry in P. pinea is not comparable with other pines and varies considerably with stand characteristics, highlighting the need to develop stand-dependent factors and equations for local or regional carbon calculations. BEFaboveground decreases from open (1.33 ± 0.03 Mg m–3) to closed stands (1.07 ± 0.01 Mg m–3) due to a change in biomass allocation pattern from stem to branches. Average WBD was 0.50 ± 0.01 Mg m–3 but varies with tree dimensions and the root-to-shoot ratio found was 0.30 ± 0.03. The carbon fraction was statistically different from the commonly used 0.5 factor for some biomass components. The equations and factors produced allow evaluating carbon stocks in P. pinea stands in Portugal, contributing to a more accurate estimation of carbon sequestered by this forest type

Local topographic and edaphic factors largely predict shrub encroachment in Mediterranean drylands

Shrub encroachment influences several ecosystem services in drylands worldwide. Yet, commonly used strategies to reduce encroachment show a low medium-term success, calling for a better understanding of its causes. Previous works identified multiple drivers responsible for this phenomenon, including anthropogenic and environmental causes. However, the relative effect of climate, topography and edaphic factors on shrub encroachment is not fully understood nor has been properly quantified in Mediterranean Basin drylands. Also, understanding how these drivers lead to changes in plant communities' functional traits associated to shrub encroachment is crucial, considering traits influence ecosystem processes and associated ecosystem services. Here, we studied the understory of a Mediterranean dryland ecosystem composed of savanna-like Holm-oak woodlands, along a regional climatic gradient. We specifically assessed (i) how climatic, topographic and edaphic factors influence understory relative shrub cover (RSC) and (ii) their direct and indirect effects (via RSC) on plant functional traits. We studied the mean and diversity of 12 functional traits related to plant regeneration, establishment, and dispersal, at the community-level. We found that, under similar low-intensity land use, topographic and edaphic factors, namely slope variations and soil C:N ratio, were the most important predictors of shrub encroachment, determining communities' functional characteristics. Climate, namely summer precipitation, had a much lesser influence. Our model explained 52% of the variation in relative shrub cover. Climate had a stronger effect on a set of functional traits weakly involved in shrub encroachment, related to flowering and dispersal strategies. We show that shrub encroachment is largely predicted by topo-edaphic factors in Mediterranean drylands subject to conventional low-intensity land use. Hence, management strategies to reduce encroachment need to take these drivers into account for efficient forecasting and higher cost-effectiveness. Our results suggest that climate change might not greatly impact shrub encroachment in the Mediterranean Basin, but may affect functional structure and reduce functional diversity of plant communities, thus affecting ecosystem functioning.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio