Chemical characterization, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of winemaking industry by-products

The exploitation of bioactive compounds trom agri-food by-products has been attracting an increasing interest from different industries within a circular economy context since several of compounds may have health properties or be used as natural colorants or preservatives. So far, several studies have been developed on the characterization of red wine grape pomace and its components (seeds, skins, and stems). However, less attention has been paid to other by-products, such as grape pomace from white wine, the residues after distillation, wine lees, and diatomaceous earth, the latter used in the filtration of wine and corresponding to about 250 tons/year of waste in Portugal. In this work, samples of these by-products were evaluated for their chemical composition by HPLC-DAD-ESI-Msn and bioactivities (antioxidant activity by TBARS, DPPH, and reducing power assays, and antimicrobial activity against eight bacteria and two fungi). Fifteen non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds were found, including 5 phenolic acids, 4 flavan-3-0Is, 2 0- glycosylated flavanols, 3 flavanol aglycones, and one unknown. In the red wine byproducts 12 anthocyanins were detected, most being malvidin derivatives. Wine lees and white grape pomace before distillation presented the highest contents of phenolic compounds. Ali samples showed antibacterial and antifunga! activity against most of the tested microorganisms, with red and white grape pomace and diatomaceous earth having the best bacteriostatic activity, while the lees stood out against fungi. Ali samples showed promising antioxidant capacity, with very good results obtained on TBARS for the white pomace after distillation and diatomaceous earth. Overall, the results show that besides grape pomace other wine industry byproducts are also good sources of bioactive compounds with high potential for exploitation.To Campelo for the winemaking residues. To projecl "BacchusTech - Inlegrated Approach for lhe Valorization of Winemaking Residues" (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-069583) and national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). L. Barros, M. Dias, S. Heleno Ihank FCT, P.L, for Iheir scienlific employmenl program-contractinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chemical composition and biological activity of different residues obtained from the wine industry

In recent years, the bioactive compounds present in agri-food sub-products have attracted increased attention due to their health benefits and advantages within a circular economy context. Annually, wine production is responsible for the production of large amounts of phytotoxic waste, which elimination is considered challenging since these residues can be hazardous to the environment when used as fertilizers or just discarded. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites processed by plants that have shown several health benefits, acting as antioxidants, antimicrobials, anticarcinogenic, or antidiabetics, among others. Bioactive phenolic molecules have attracted considerable attention from the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. So far, several studies have been developed on the characterization of grape pomace and its components (seeds, skins, and stems), especially directed to the residues of red varieties.1 However, less attention has been paid to other by-products generated during winemaking, such as waste from the production of white wine, wine lees and diatomaceous earth. The latter is used in the filtration of wine and constitutes about 250 tons/year of waste from the wine sector in Portugal alone, making it a very pertinent residue with still scarce information being found in the literature. In this context, within the framework of the BacchusTech project that seeks to develop new innovative processes, comprising the extraction, purification, and concentration of bioactive compounds present in winemaking residues, different residues including pomace, lees and diatomaceous earth were evaluated for their chemical composition and bioactivities. Residues were extracted using an hydroalcoholic solvent (80%, v/v), total phenolic compounds were estimated using the Folin- Ciocalteu reagent and individual phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrophotometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn). Additionally, the biological activity was assessed through TBARS, DPPH, and reducing power assays to determine the antioxidant activity, and the antimicrobial activity was evaluated by broth microdilution against eight bacteria and two fungi. The phenolic composition was in accordance with the previously reported in red wines.2,3 Fifteen non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds were found, five phenolic acids (gallic acid and derivatives, p-hydroxybenzoic and p-coumaric acid), four flavan-3-ols (procyanidin dimers), two O-glycosylated flavanols (isorhamnetin and quercetin derivatives), three flavanol aglycones (quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin), and one unknown compound. Regarding anthocyanins, five compounds were found, namely malvidin derivatives linked to acyl groups. Wine lees and white grape pomace before distillation presented the highest contents of phenolic compounds; however, only diatomaceous earth sample reveal the presence of O-glycosylated flavonoids. All samples showed antibacterial and antifungal activity against most of the tested microorganisms. The best bacteriostatic activity was evidenced by the red and white grape pomace before distillation and diatomaceous earth, while the wine lees stood out for their fungistatic activity. In general, all samples showed promising antioxidant capacity, with very good results being obtained on TBARS assay, particularly for the white pomace after distillation (EC50 = 0.016±0.002 mg/mL), diatomaceous earth (EC50 = 0.063±0.001 mg/mL) and red pomace before distillation (EC50 = 0.08±0.04 mg/mL). Overall, the results obtained showed that the residues analyzed are good sources of bioactive compounds, namely anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds, which can be used as raw materials for the steps of concentration, purification and/or isolation of compounds of added value.To Campelo for supplying the winemaking residues. To project “BacchusTech - Integrated Approach for the Valorization of Winemaking Residues” (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-069583). L. Barros, M.I. Dias, and S. Heleno (CEECIND/00831/2018) thank the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional and individual scientific employment program-contract for their contract. Funding: This work was financially supported by the Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) through national funds FCT/MCTES to the CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). The GIP-USAL is financially supported by the Spanish “Ministerio de Ciencia and Innovación” (PID2019-106167RB-I00) and “Junta de Castilla y León” (SA093P20 and CLU-2018-04).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

It’s normal unless it turns into physical aggression: a study of Portuguese Journalists’ perceptions of (gendered) online harassment

In January 2021, while the country’s daily Covid-19 numbers were hitting record highs, Portugal headed to the polls to elect its future head of state. The campaign was marked by the actions and words of a new far-right party (Chega), which held a campaign characterised by violent incidents with journalists. Later in the year, local elections provided new opportunities for these political actors to confront journalists and make female journalists their preferential targets. The attacks were not just face-to-face but also on social media, in reiterated hate speech messages and direct threats, particularly against female journalists (CCPJ 2021). What made these events significant is that hate speech and online harassment became more visible for both the public and journalists themselves. Having a presence online is expected if not required from journalists today. While digital networking helps establish connections and reach a wider community, it also exposes media professionals to abuse. The dangers of hate speech in journalism are well known and hate speech presents a major challenge to today's journalists (Holton, 2021), as it became their “new normal” (Waisbord, 2020). Women in particular are preferential targets of trolls (Nadim e Fladmoe, 2019; Edström, 2016; UNESCO, 2021; Chen et al, 2020; Adams, 2018). Under different names, such as cyber gender harassment (Citron, 2011) or gendertrolling (Mantilla, 2013), the consequences of gender-based online hate speech hate are not only to female journalists’ mental health and psychological wellbeing but also on public life, as it may have a “chilling effect” in limiting the types of stories and topics that are covered (Townend, 2017; UNESCO, 2021). With few exceptions (Simões, 2021; Silva, 2021), little is known about online violence against Portuguese journalists. This research examines how online abuse is experienced and tackled by Portuguese journalists by measuring self-reported incidents, effects, and trust in existing safety mechanisms. Further, we specifically address the prevalence of online harassment and violence against women journalists and their perceptions of the issue. Theoretically, the article bridges the research on online harassment, mob censorship and gender in journalism. Empirically, it draws on a nationwide survey of journalists and, to explore in more detail the meanings of its quantitative data and the gender aspects of experience. Findings are combined with data from semi-structured interviews conducted with women journalists from diverse media and fields. Professionals feel an increasing hostility aggravated by the digital environment. Half of the surveyed journalists have experienced online violence to some degree, including sexual harassment. Journalists further evidenced low levels of trust in protection mechanisms or a lack of awareness of them. Findings also suggest feelings of resignation towards online abuse, seen as intrinsic to the job, demonstrating a sense of understatement of the attacks. The paper argues that these sentiments contribute to a normalisation of online violence and highlights the need to discuss online abuse within the profession.N/

Horizontal patterns of water temperature and salinity in an estuarine tidal channel: Ria de Aveiro

This work presents results from two complementary and interconnected approaches to study water temperature and salinity patterns in an estuarine tidal channel. This channel is one of the four main branches of the Ria de Aveiro, a shallow lagoon located in the Northwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Longitudinal and cross-sectional fields of water temperature and salinity were determined by spatial interpolation of field measurements. A numerical model (Mohid) was used in a 2D depth-integrated mode in order to compute water temperature and salinity patterns. The main purpose of this work was to determine the horizontal patterns of water temperature and salinity in the study area, evaluating the effects of the main forcing factors. The field results were depth-integrated and compared to numerical model results. These results obtained using extreme tidal and river runoff forcing, are also presented. The field results reveal that, when the river flow is weak, the tidal intrusion is the main forcing mechanism, generating saline and thermal fronts which migrate with the neap/spring tidal cycle. When the river flow increases, the influence of the freshwater extends almost as far as the mouth of the lagoon and vertical stratification is established. Results of numerical modelling reveal that the implemented model reproduces quite well the observed horizontal patterns. The model was also used to study the hydrology of the study area under extreme forcing conditions. When the model is forced with a low river flow (1 m3 s−1) the results confirm that the hydrology is tidally dominated. When the model is forced with a high river flow (1,000 m3 s−1) the hydrology is dominated by freshwater, as would be expected in such an area

Uncovering the Use of Fucoxanthin and Phycobiliproteins into Solid Matrices to Increase Their Emission Quantum Yield and Photostability

In the search for a better and brighter future, the use of natural luminescent renewable materials as substitutes for synthetic ones in the energy field is of prime importance. The incorporation of natural pigments (e.g., xanthophylls and phycobiliproteins) is a fundamental step in a broad spectrum of applications that are presently marred by their limited stability. The incorporation of bio-based luminescent molecules into solid matrices allows the fabrication of thin films, which may dramatically increase the range of applications, including sustainable photovoltaic systems, such as luminescent solar concentrators or downshifting layers. In this work, we incorporated R-phycoerythrin (R-PE), C-phycocyanin (C-PC), and fucoxanthin (FX) into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and studied their optical properties. It was found that the emission and excitation spectra of the phycobiliproteins and FX were not modified by incorporation into the PVA matrix. Moreover, in the case of FX, the emission quantum yield (η) values also remained unaltered after incorporation, showing the suitability of the PVA as a host matrix. A preliminary photostability study was performed by exposing the solid samples to continuous AM1.5G solar radiation, which evidenced the potential of these materials for future photovoltaics.publishe

Nutritional Composition and Bioactive Properties of Wild Edible Mushrooms from Native Nothofagus Patagonian Forests

Nothofagus forests of the Andean Patagonian region are home to numerous wild edible mushroom (WEM) species with interesting organoleptic characteristics, although many of them have unknown nutritional and nutraceutical profiles. The proximal composition, fatty and organic acids, soluble sugars, phenolic compounds, ergosterol, as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of 17 WEMs were analyzed. Carbohydrates, the most abundant macronutrients, varied between 49.00 g/100 g dw (C. magellanicus) and 89.70 g/100 g dw (F. antarctica). Significantly higher values were found for total fat in G. gargal (5.90 g/100 g dw) followed by A. vitellinus (4.70 g/100 g dw); for crude protein in L. perlatum (36.60 g/100 g dw) followed by L. nuda (30.30 g/100 g dw); and for energy in G. gargal (398 Kcal/100g) and C. hariotii (392 Kcal/100g). The most effective extracts regarding the TBARS antioxidant capacity were those of Ramaria. This is the first time that a study was carried out on the chemical composition of G. sordulenta, C. xiphidipus, F. pumiliae, and L. perlatum. The promotion of sustainable use of WEMs, including their incorporation in functional diets that choose WEMs as nutritious, safe, and healthy foods, and their use in an identity mycogastronomy linked to tourism development, requires the detailed and precise nutritional and nutraceutical information of each species.Fil: Rugolo, Maximiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Mascoloti Spréa, Rafael. Instituto Politécnico de Bragança; PortugalFil: Dias, Maria Inês. Instituto Politecnico de Braganca; PortugalFil: Pires, Tânia C. S. P.. Instituto Politecnico de Braganca; PortugalFil: Añibarro Ortega, Mikel. Instituto Politecnico de Braganca; PortugalFil: Barroetaveña, Carolina. Centro de Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Caleja, Cristina. Instituto Politecnico de Braganca; PortugalFil: Barros, Lillian. Instituto Politecnico de Braganca; Portuga

Block Room: a chave para a eficiência

Introdução: A utilização crescente de anestesia locorregional (ALR) e de um block room (BR) pode ter impacto na eficiência do bloco operatório (BO). O objetivo deste estudo consiste na validação de inquéritos-piloto que avaliem o conhecimento de ortopedistas e de enfermeiros do BO sobre os benefícios da ALR e da utilização de um BR. Metodologia: Elaboraram-se 2 tipos de inquéritos-piloto e aplicaramse em 3 instituições hospitalares independentes. Realizou-se a análise descritiva das variáveis e da consistência interna, nomeadamente pelo cálculo do coeficiente α de Cronbach e análise fatorial, com restruturação consequente do inquérito. Resultados: Foram preenchidos 80 inquéritos: 42 pelos enfermeiros do BO e 38 pelos ortopedistas, com 20-24 anos e 10-14 anos de serviço, em média, respetivamente. Verifica-se que os enfermeiros recomendam frequentemente técnicas anestésicas aos seus doentes (em particular ALR: 76,2%). Já os ortopedistas recomendam ocasionalmente, sendo que quando recomendam 47,4% particulariza a ALR. Ambos os grupos consideram que, em comparação com a anestesia geral (AG), a ALR é mais segura (85,7%/76,3%), está associada a menor sedação (81,0%/73,7%), melhor controlo da dor pós-operatória (90,5%/84,2%) e menos efeitos laterais (76,2%/50%). Quanto à satisfação do doente, o grupo de enfermeiros concorda que é superior com a ALR (73,8%); já para os ortopedistas esta questão é indiferente (47,4%). Ambos os grupos escolheriam a ALR para si (97,6%/75,7%), assim como a recomendariam a um familiar (100%/83,3%). Relativamente à realização de ALR na sala de indução, 44.7% dos ortopedistas concordam que está associado a menor tempo de preparação anestésica, a uma maior produtividade (52,6%) e a maior eficácia (76,4%). Os inquéritos-piloto apresentam um α de Cronbach de 0,533 no grupo dos ortopedistas e 0,417 nos enfermeiros. A análise fatorial confirma a existência de 4 fatores, que explicam 74% da variância dos resultados. Na interpretação da tabela da matriz fatorial, todos os itens têm um valor>0.5, pelo que há uma associação clara a um fator. Discussão: Ambos os inquéritos-piloto apresentam consistência interna inadmissível. Múltiplos fatores podem estar envolvidos, tais como desconhecimento científico, interpretação incorreta ou disparidade de opinião. De modo a aumentar a consistência interna, foi retirada a questão relativamente à ansiedade dos doentes (AG vs. ALR) em ambos os grupos e à avaliação neurológica pós-operatória (AG vs. ALR) no grupo dos ortopedistas (consistência interna final 0,753). Pela análise fatorial, a questão relativamente à alta hospitalar precoce (AG vs. ALR) foi removida no grupo dos enfermeiros (consistência interna final 0,539). Apesar das suas limitações, os inquéritos-piloto encontram-se validados para a população portuguesa. Uma proporção considerável de ortopedistas considera que BR proporciona ganhos de eficiência no BO. O suporte genuíno de toda a equipa do BO poderá ter um papel crítico na mudançainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Breeding Control in Awassi x Sarda ewes

O presente estudo teve com principal objectivo avaliar a eficácia de tratamentos progestagénicos curtos (seis dias) + eCG no controlo da actividade reprodutiva de ovelhas Awassi x Sarda, aplicados no mês de Maio. Simultaneamente procurou-se avaliar os efeitos da administração prévia de melatonina exógena e comparar a eficácia de dois progestagénios - FGA os. MAP - e a via de administração da PGF^ - intramuscular vs. subcutânea. O ensaio foi realizado em Carviçais, Torre de Moncorvo, na exploração comercial "Mateus Lda.", entre os meses de março e agosto de 2013. Nele foram utilizadas 57 ovelhas lactantes e cinco carneiros Awassi x Sarda. Inidalmente, as ovelhas foram divididas em dois grupos: Controlo (n = 28) e Melatonina (n = 29). As ovelhas Melatonina receberam um implante subcutâneo de melatonina (18 mg). Cinquenta dias depois, 31 ovelhas foram tratadas com esponjas vaginais com 20 mg de FGA e 26 ovelhas com esponjas vaginais com 60 mg de MAR Nessa altura, todas as ovelhas foram injectadas por via intramuscular (n = 28) ou subcutânea^ = 29) com 100 ^ig de PGF^. Os tratamentos progestagénicos duraram seis dias. Quando da remoção das esponjas vaginais, todas as ovelhas receberam uma injecção de 500 UI de eCG. Avaliou-se a ciclicidade pré e pós-tratamentos progestagénicos curtos + eCG, a resposta comportamental e a percentagem de ovelhas gestantes 73 dias pós-tratamentos. Conduiu-se que os tratamentos progestagémcos curtos foram eficazes no controlo da actividade reprodutiva das ovelhas Awassi x Sarda. A melatonina exógena foi eficaz na mtermpção do anestro sazonal, mas não melhorou a resposta^reprodutiva das ovelhas aos tratamentos aplicados. Os efeitos de ambos os progestagénios foram muito positivos. O MAF apenas foi superior ao FGA na promoção da resposta ovárica. A administração subcutânea de PGF^ apenas favoreceu a percentagem de ovelhas que formaram, pelo menos, um CL. Palavras-passe: ovinos, Awassi x Sarda, melatonina, FGA, MAP, actividade reprodutiva.The main aim of this paper was to study the effidency of short-term progestogens treatments (six days) plus eCG in the breeding contrai of Awassi x Sarda ewes on May. The effects of previous treatment with exogenous melatonm and PGF^ administration route (intramuscular vs. subcutaneous) were also assessed. The present study took place in a commercial farm (Mateus Lda) at the village of Carviçais, in Torre de Moncorvo (Portugal), between March and August of 2013. Fifty seven adult lactating ewes and five adult rams were usedm this assay. They were ali crossbred Awassi x Sarda sheep. Ewes were first divided in two groups: Control (n = 28) and Melatonin (n = 29). Melatonin ewes received an exogenous melatonin implant (18 mg). Fifty days later ali ewes were divided in two subgroups: 31 ewes were treated with an intravaginal sponge impregnated with 20 mg of FGA and the other 26 ewes with an intravagmal sponge containing 60 mg of MAR Simultaneously ali ewes were injected intramuscularly (i. m. ) (n = 28) or subcutaneously (s. c.) (n = 29) with 100 |^g of PGF^. Intravaginal sponges were removed six days later. At the same time ali ewes were injected i.m. with 500 IU of eCG. Pré and post treatments ovarian cydicity, sexual behaviour and fertility rate were assessed. Short-term progestogens plus eCG treatments were highly effident in controlling the breeding activity of Awassi x Sarda ewes. Melatonin reduced the percentage of ewes in anoestrous before short-term progestogens plus eCG treatments but had no significant effect on the reproduction response to these treatments. FGA and MAP effects were similar. MAP only improved sigrúficantly the ovarian response. PGF administration route had identical effects on the reproduction response. Subcutaneous administration of PGF just increased the percentage of ewes presenting progesterone leveis higher than 0.5 ng/ml.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Echinacea purpurea (L.) moench: chemical characterization and bioactivity of its extracts and fractions

Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench is widely known for its medicinal properties, being one of the most used medicinal plants for its immunostimulant properties. Nevertheless, there is still scarce information on its cytotoxic activity. Thus, this study aims at evaluating the cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity of several aqueous and organic extracts of the aerial parts of this plant and chemically characterizing the obtained extracts. The analysis was performed by HPLC–DAD–ESI/MS. Fifteen compounds were identified; of these, seven were phenolic acids and eight were flavonoids. Non-polar compounds were evaluated by GC/MS, with a total of sixty-four compounds identified, and the most abundant groups were the sterols, fatty acids and long-chain hydrocarbons. The highest antimicrobial activity was exhibited by the dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and acetone extracts. Dichloromethane and n-hexane extracts showed the highest cytotoxic activity. Therefore, they were fractionated, and the obtained fractions were also assessed for their cytotoxicity. Notwithstanding, the cytotoxicity of the extracts was superior to that of the obtained fractions, evidencing a possible synergistic effect of different compounds in the whole extracts.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support by national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020) and CQ-VR (UID/QUI/00616/2013); national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for L. Barros and R. C. Calhelha contracts. FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Role of MurT C-Terminal Domain in the Amidation of Staphylococcus aureus Peptidoglycan

Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) through grants PTDC/FIS-NAN/ 0117/2014 and PTDC/BIA-MIC/31645/2017. project UID/Multi/04378/2019 (Unidade de Ciencias Biomoleculares Aplicadas-UCIBIO), funded by FCT/MCTES; project LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007660 (Microbiologia Molecular, Estrutural e Celular), funded by FEDER through COMPETE2020-Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI); national funds through FCT; by project ONEIDA (LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-016417), cofunded by FEEI (Fundos Europeus Estruturais e de Investimento) from the Programa Operacional Regional Lisboa 2020; and by national funds from FCT. Funding was also provided by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases research grant 2015, awarded to R.G.S. B.V.G., T.A.F., and I.R.G. were supported by fellowships SFRH/BD/131623/2017 respectively. J.S.D. acknowledges the National NMR Network (PTNMR) and Infrastructure Project ROTEIRO/0031/2013-PINFRA/22161/2016 (cofinanced by FEDER through COMPETE 2020, POCI, PORL, and FCT through PIDDAC).Glutamate amidation, a secondary modification of the peptidoglycan, was first identified in Staphylococcus aureus. It is catalyzed by the protein products of the murT and gatD genes, which are conserved and colocalized in the genomes of most sequenced Gram-positive bacterial species. The MurT-GatD complex is required for cell viability, full resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, and resistance to human lysozyme and is recognized as an attractive target for new antimicrobials. Great effort has been invested in the study of this step, culminating recently in three independent reports addressing the structural elucidation of the MurT-GatD complex. In this work, we demonstrate through the use of nonstructural approaches the critical and multiple roles of the C-terminal domain of MurT, annotated as DUF1727, in the MurT-GatD enzymatic complex. This domain provides the physical link between the two enzymatic activities and is essential for the amidation reaction. Copurification of recombinant MurT and GatD proteins and bacterial two-hybrid assays support the observation that the MurT-GatD interaction occurs through this domain. Most importantly, we provide in vivo evidence of the effect of substitutions at specific residues in DUF1727 on cell wall peptidoglycan amidation and on the phenotypes of oxacillin resistance and bacterial growth.publishersversionpublishe