Permeability analysis in bisized porous media: wall effect between particles of different size

The permeability of binary packings of glass beads with different size ratio – 13.3, 20, and 26.7, was investigated. In the Kozeny–Carman equation, the dependence of the tortuosity τ on the mixture porosity ε(xD) was described according to τ = 1/εn for different volume fraction of large particles in the mixture, xD. Obtained data on packing permeability shows that the parameter n is a function of the volume fraction and particle size ratio, with values between 0.5 and 0.4. This can be explained by the wall effect resulting from the arrangement of the small particles occurring near the large particle surface. A model taking in account this effect was suggested that can be useful in the characterization of transport phenomena in granular beds as well as in engineering applications.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - SFRH/BPD/18128/2004; Project POCI_EQU_58337/2004

NEW SEISMIC SOURCE ZONE MODEL FOR PORTUGAL AND AZORES

The development of seismogenic source models is one of the first steps in seismic hazard assessment. In seismic hazard terminology, seismic source zones (SSZ) are polygons (or volumes) that delineate areas with homogeneous characteristics of seismicity. The importance of using knowledge on geology, seismicity and tectonics in the definition of source zones has been recognized for a long time [1]. However, the definition of SSZ tends to be subjective and controversial. Using SSZ based on broad geology, by spreading the seismicity clusters throughout the areal extent of a zone, provides a way to account for possible long-term non-stationary seismicity behavior [2,3]. This approach effectively increases seismicity rates in regions with no significant historical or instrumental seismicity, while decreasing seismicity rates in regions that display higher rates of seismicity. In contrast, the use of SSZ based on concentrations of seismicity or spatial smoothing results in stationary behavior [4]. In the FP7 Project SHARE (Seismic Hazard Harmonization in Europe), seismic hazard will be assessed with a logic tree approach that allows for three types of branches for seismicity models: a) smoothed seismicity, b) SSZ, c) SSZ and faults. In this context, a large-scale zonation model for use in the smoothed seismicity branch, and a new consensus SSZ model for Portugal and Azores have been developed. The new models were achieved with the participation of regional experts by combining and adapting existing models and incorporating new regional knowledge of the earthquake potential. The main criteria used for delineating the SSZ include distribution of seismicity, broad geological architecture, crustal characteristics (oceanic versus continental, tectonically active versus stable, etc.), historical catalogue completeness, and the characteristics of active or potentially-active faults. This model will be integrated into an Iberian model of SSZ to be used in the Project SHARE seismic hazard assessment

Extracts from Vaccinium myrtillus L. fruits as a source of natural colorants: chemical characterization and incorporation in yogurts

The food industry is always seeking innovative approaches to maintain consumers’ interest and increase their awareness towards the healthiness of diets. Therefore, much interest has been given to natural food additives, namely colourants. In this work, a bilberry extract was primarily characterized in terms of anthocyanin compounds by UPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn, and its colouring capacity was further compared with a synthetic anthocyanin colourant (E163) in different yogurt formulations. The prepared samples were evaluated in different periods (0 and 7 days) for nutritional profile, individual fatty acids, soluble sugars and external colour to determine the effects of each additive. Overall, the major anthocyanin compounds in bilberry were malvidin glycoside and delphinidin glycoside derivatives. With regard to the prepared yogurts, all samples maintained the nutritional profile, individual fatty acids and soluble sugars, independent of storage time. Nonetheless, bilberry extracts showed lower colouring capacity when compared to that of E163, despite the higher stability of bilberry extract throughout the storage time, when compared to that of E163. Furthermore, another advantage of this natural extract is that it has potential bioactive properties that can be conferred to foods, due to their high content of bioactive compounds, such as anthocyanins.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020) and T. C.S.P. Pires (SFRH/BD/129551/2017) grant. National funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for M.I. Dias and L. Barros contracts, and through the individual scientific employment program-contract for J. Barreira contract. This work is funded by the European Structural and Investment Funds (FEEI) through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-023289: DeCodE and project Mobilizador ValorNatural®. M. Carocho also thanks the project ValorNatural for his research contract. The authors are also grateful to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E. The GIP-USAL is financially supported by the Spanish Government through the project AGL2015- 64522-C2-2-R.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phenolic compounds profile, nutritional compounds and bioactive properties of Lycium barbarum L.: A comparative study with stems and fruits

The increasing awareness of the possible health benefits of berry fruits (Lycium barbarum L.) has led to a higher consumption of this type of food products. One of the many examples are the fruits from Lycium genus, traditionally used due to their beneficial properties and health benefits associated with liver, kidney, eyesight, immune system, circulation and longevity disorders. In the present study fruits and stems of Lycium barbarum L. (goji) were characterized in terms of nutritional profile, sugars, organic acids, fatty acids and tocopherols. Furthermore, a phenolic characterization of their hydromethanolic extracts was performed and correlated with bioactive properties such as antioxidant, hepatotoxic and antibacterial activities. Stems presented higher values of energy, MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids), tocopherols and flavonols. Stems also showed greater antioxidant and antibacterial (against Gram-negative bacteria) activities. Otherwise, fruits revealed higher contents of sugars, PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and greater activity against Gram-positive bacteria. This is an innovative study that shows the high potential of goji stems and fruits as sources of bioactive compounds, which could be used in nutraceutical formulations, or incorporated into food products with functional properties. Furthermore, the use of stems could bring industrial sustainability as a valuable by-product, which has been scarcely reported.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), T.C.S.P. Pires (SFRH/BD/129551/2017) grant and L. Barros contract. The GIP-USAL is financially supported by the Spanish Government through the project AGL2015-64522-C2-2-R. The authors are grateful to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of new bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) based snacks: Nutritional, chemical and bioactive features

The sustainable exploitation of fruit and cereal processing is being conducted to produce novel food products with promising nutritional properties and high content in added value compounds. Herein, three bilberry fruit-based snacks supplemented with edible petals and fruits were characterized for their nutritional properties and chemical composition. The phenolic profile, antioxidant, antibacterial and hepatotoxic properties were analyzed. Protein (3–4 g/100 g dw) and carbohydrates (94.3–94.8 g/100 g dw) represented the major macronutrients. The combination of bilberry fruits with edible petals, calendula and rose, improved the nutritional and phytochemical input in organic acids and tocopherols content, respectively. Also, the supplementation with apple and goji fruits provided higher content in phenolic acids and anthocyanins (up to a 9-fold higher concentration, 199.7 µg/g of extract), also resulting in a higher antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The results obtained can contribute for the development of novel sustainable and healthier snacks for the food industry.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment programcontract for M.I. Dias, R.C. Calhelha and L. Barros contracts; individual PhD fellowship for Tânia Pires (SFRH/BD/129551/2017); to the European Structural and Investment Funds (FEEI) through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of project Mobilizador ValorNatural®; and to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E and TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P. The GIP-USAL is financially supported by the Spanish Government through the project AGL2015-64522-C2-2-R.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Starch analysis using hydrodynamic chromatography with a mixed-bed particle column

Columns packed with commercial glass beads 5 and 19 lm average size and a mixture of both (0.7 volume fraction of large particles) were used to analyse starch composition by hydrodynamic chromatography (HDC), applying water as mobile phase. To obviate retrogradation, experiments were carried out at column temperatures of 15 and 3 °C and several types of starch were assayed. In what concerns amylopectin and amylose separation, a better resolution and a lower pressure drop were obtained for the mixed binary packing when compared with the packing containing uniform 5 lm glass beads. A more efficient cooling of the mobile phase was also obtained with the mixed packing, which was determinant for improving resolution. For the Hylon VII starch the relative retention times (RRT) were 0.777 and 0.964 for amylopectin and amylose, respectively, while for the Tapioca starch the obtained RRTs were 0.799 and 0.923. Application of unbound glass beads as column packing not only might reduce equipment and running costs in preparative scale separations, but also proved to be useful as a fast and reliable method to monitor the amylose and amylopectin content of starch samples of different sources.FEDERThe authors wish to thank FCT for the grant provided to Dr. Alexander Yelshin (Yelshyn). This work was developed under the framework of the project POCI-EQU-58337/2004, partially funded by FEDER

Bioactive potential of aromatic and medicinal plants traditionally used as condiments

Aromatic and medicinal plants are highly appreciated and used worldwide as condiments, tinctures, and preservatives. Due to their nutritional value and chemical composition, related to beneficial properties to health, their inclusion in the human diet has gained increasing expression[1]. Certain mixtures of plants have greater potential when compared to isolated plants, due to synergistic effects, and these properties make them of great interest in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. They have been consumed directly in prepared dishes, but also by incorporation into foods, making them bioactive and functional[2]. In the present study, two mixtures of aromatic plants used to season meat (Petroselinum crispum L., Salvia officinalis L., Thymus mastichina L., and Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and salads (Allium schoenoprasum L., P. crispum, Origanum vulgare L., and T. mastichina) were characterized in terms of phenolic compounds (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS), organic acids (UFLC-PDA), and tocopherols (HPLC-fluorescence). The antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferation capacities were also evaluated to validate their bioactive properties. Twenty-four phenolic compounds were identified, with concentrations of 101.2±0.6 mg/g and 52.1±0.8 mg/g of total phenolics in meat and salad seasoning mixtures, respectively, being apigenin-O-malonyl-pentoside-hexoside the most abundant compound in both extracts. Oxalic, citric, and malic acids were detected in both samples, as well as the four isoforms of tocopherols, namely, α, β, γ, and δ. In terms of bioactive properties, the meat blend extract revealed the best results for antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. For the antioxidant activity, both extracts showed good results in the TBARS test, while in the OxHLIA assay, the mixture for meat stood out. On the other hand, the salad seasoning mixture had the best anti-proliferation property. In conclusion, these aromatic and medicinal plant mixtures demonstrated valuable bioactive properties, conferred by their chemical composition and cumulative and synergistic effects observed in the mixtures, which corroborates the importance of their inclusion in the Human diet.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for C. Pereira, M.I. Dias, R.C. Calhelha, and L. Barros contracts and A.K. Molina PhD grant (2020.06231.BD). To ERDF through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project GreenHealth - Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Edible flowers as sources of phenolic compounds with bioactive potential

The edible flowers are widely used, but there is still a lot to be done in relation to its bioactive potential and its correlation with the presence of phenolic compounds. The aim of this study was determined the individual phenolic profile in the hydromethanolic extracts and infusion preparations of four different flower samples (Dahlia mignon, Rosa damascena ‘Alexandria’ and R. gallica ‘Francesa’ draft in R. canina, Calendula officinalis L., and Centaurea cyanus L.) and their bioactive potential (antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antibacterial capacity). All the studied flowers presented different profiles regarding their phenolic composition and revealed biological potential. The bioactive potential of the studied flowers was moderate, the hydromethanolic extracts of rose petals showed the best results for antioxidant and antibacterial assays, while the antiproliferative properties were only present in some of the tested cell lines, for the hydromethanolic extracts, in which dahlia and rose showed the best results. These results demonstrate that edible flowers can be used as a source of phenolic compounds with bioactive potential, which can be applied in the food sector, as foods and as sources natural ingredients.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), T.C.S.P. Pires (SFRH/BD/129551/2017) grant, L. Barros contract and to the Interreg España-Portugal for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E. The authors are also grateful to Prof. Carlos Aguiar (CIMO) for systematic identification of the studied species.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chemical composition and bioactive properties of the wild edible plant Raphanus raphanistrum L.

Recently, there has been an interest regarding the consumption of wild edible plants in modern diets. However, there is still scarce information about several wild vegetables traditionally consumed. Therefore, this work aims on documenting the nutritional and chemical composition of wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum L.), as well as its bioactive potential. Results showed that wild radish is a potential source of beneficial compounds, including vitamin E, polyunsaturated fatty acid (particularly α-linolenic acid) and different phenolic compounds, in which fourteen phenolics were identified, with kaempferol-3,7-O-di-rhamnoside being the most abundant. The bioactive potential was exploited using hydroethanolic and decoction extracts. Both proved to inhibit several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and revealed antioxidant activity, while cytotoxicity against nontumor cell was not observed. In general, results evidence the interest in recovering the use of this wild vegetable as part of a varied diet, which can bring several health benefits.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio