100 research outputs found
Desarrollo de una experiencia de aula invertida a través de la creación de material audiovisual para la docencia de "Seguridad Alimentaria"
Memoria ID-019. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2021-202
The Role of Gut Microbiota in the Etiopathogenesis of Multiple Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases (CD) may result from a combination of genetic factors, lifestyle and social behaviours, healthcare system influences, community factors, and environmental determinants of health. These risk factors frequently coexist and interact with one another. Ongoing research and a focus on personalized interventions are pivotal strategies for preventing and managing chronic disease outcomes. A wealth of literature suggests the potential involvement of gut microbiota in influencing host metabolism, thereby impacting various risk factors associated with chronic diseases. Dysbiosis, the perturbation of the composition and activity of the gut microbiota, is crucial in the etiopathogenesis of multiple CD. Recent studies indicate that specific microorganism-derived metabolites, including trimethylamine N-oxide, lipopolysaccharide and uremic toxins, contribute to subclinical inflammatory processes implicated in CD. Various factors, including diet, lifestyle, and medications, can alter the taxonomic species or abundance of gut microbiota. Researchers are currently dedicating efforts to understanding how the natural progression of microbiome development in humans affects health outcomes. Simultaneously, there is a focus on enhancing the understanding of microbiome-host molecular interactions. These endeavours ultimately aim to devise practical approaches for rehabilitating dysregulated human microbial ecosystems, intending to restore health and prevent diseases. This review investigates how the gut microbiome contributes to CD and explains ways to modulate it for managing or preventing chronic conditions.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for
financial support by national funds FCT/MCTES CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020)
and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2020); national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific
employment program-contract for S.Heleno and R. Calhelha contracts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Mushrooms extracts and compounds in cosmetics, cosmeceuticals and nutricosmetics—a review
The cosmetic industry is constantly in search of ingredients from natural sources because of their competitive effectiveness and lower toxicity effects. Mushrooms have been an important part of our diet for years and are now finding their way as cosmetic ingredients, either as cosmeceutical or as nutricosmetics. The present review focuses on the most relevant activities of mushroom extracts, as well as on their bioactive compounds, which make them interesting ingredients for cosmetic formulations. Mushroom extracts, as well as their bioactive metabolites, revealed anti-tyrosinase, anti-hyaluronidase, anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activity. Emphasis was also given to their important anti-oxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory potential, topics largely studied by numerous authors, making them very versatile and multi-functional cosmetic ingredients. Some of the bioactive compounds and the mechanism responsible for the activities ascribed to mushrooms were highlighted. Other activities were identified as needing to be further studied in order to identify the major compounds contributing to the target activity, as well as their mechanisms of action. Based on the above findings, mushroom extracts, as well as their bioactive metabolites, constitute important ingredients that can help to combat aging, reduce the severity of inflammatory skin disease and correct hyperpigmentation disorders. These findings and claims must be correctly supported by clinical trials and in vivo studies.The authors acknowledge FCT (Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (PEst-OE/AGUI0690/2015) and to FCT/MEC and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to LSRE (Project UID/EQU/50020/2013), and to QREN, ON2 and FEDER (Projects NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000014 and NORTE-07-0162-FEDER-000050)
Caffeic and dihydrocaffeic acids promote longevity and increase stress resistance in caenorhabditis elegans by modulating expression of stress-related genes
[EN] Caffeic and dihydrocaffeic acid are relevant microbial catabolites, being described as
products from the degradation of different phenolic compounds i.e., hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives,
anthocyanins or flavonols. Furthermore, caffeic acid is found both in free and esterified forms in
many fruits and in high concentrations in coffee. These phenolic acids may be responsible for a part of
the bioactivity associated with the intake of phenolic compounds. With the aim of progressing in the
knowledge of the health effects and mechanisms of action of dietary phenolics, the model nematode
Caenorhabditis elegans has been used to evaluate the influence of caffeic and dihydrocaffeic acids on
lifespan and the oxidative stress resistance. The involvement of different genes and transcription
factors related to longevity and stress resistance in the response to these phenolic acids has also been
explored. Caffeic acid (CA, 200 M) and dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA, 300 M) induced an increase in
the survival rate of C. elegans under thermal stress. Both compounds also increased the mean and
maximum lifespan of the nematode, compared to untreated worms. In general, treatment with these
acids led to a reduction in intracellular ROS concentrations, although not always significant. Results
of gene expression studies conducted by RT-qPCR showed that the favorable effects of CA and DHCA
on oxidative stress and longevity involve the activation of several genes related to insulin/IGF-1
pathway, such as daf-16, daf-18, hsf-1 and sod-3, as well as a sirtuin gene (sir-2.1)[ES] Los ácidos cafeico y dihidrocaféico son catabolitos microbianos relevantes, que se describen como
productos de la degradación de diferentes compuestos fenólicos, es decir, derivados hidroxicinámicos antocianinas o flavonoles. Además, el ácido cafeico se encuentra tanto en forma libre como esterificada en muchas frutas y en altas concentraciones en el café. Estos ácidos fenólicos pueden ser responsables de una parte de la bioactividad asociada a la ingesta de compuestos fenólicos. Con el objetivo de avanzar en el conocimiento de los efectos sobre la salud y los mecanismos de acción de los fenoles de la dieta, el nematodo modelo Caenorhabditis elegans se ha utilizado para evaluar la influencia de los ácidos cafeico y dihidrocaféico en la vida útil y la resistencia al estrés oxidativo. La participación de diferentes genes y factores de transcripción relacionados con la longevidad y la resistencia al estrés en la respuesta a estos ácidos fenólicos también han sido explorados. El ácido cafeico (CA, 200 M) y el ácido dihidrocaféico (DHCA, 300 M) indujeron un aumento en la tasa de supervivencia de C. elegans bajo estrés térmico. Ambos compuestos también aumentaron la vida media y vida media y máxima del nematodo, en comparación con los gusanos no tratados. En general, el tratamiento con estos ácidos condujo a una reducción de las concentraciones intracelulares de ROS, aunque no siempre significativa. Resultados de los estudios de expresión génica realizados por RT-qPCR mostraron que los efectos favorables de CA y DHCA
sobre el estrés oxidativo y la longevidad implican la activación de varios genes relacionados con la vÃa insulina/IGF-1 como daf-16, daf-18, hsf-1 y sod-3, asà como un gen de sirtuina (sir-2.1
Characterisation of polyphenols by HPLC-PAD-ESI/MS and antioxidant activity in Equisetum telmateia
The antioxidant activity of an aqueous extract (infusion) and respective ethyl acetate fraction of Equisetum telmateia Ehrh. (Equisetaceae), a plant used in traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties, has been evaluated by DPPH, TEAC and TBARS assays. A high and significant antioxidant activity was detected in the ethyl acetate fraction. Analysis of the aqueous extract and the ethyl acetate fraction by HPLC-PAD-ESI/MS allowed the identification of the major phenolic compounds as flavan-3-ol, kaempferol and phenolic acid derivatives. Among the flavan-3-ols, A-type proanthocyanidins and afzelechin derivatives were detected as well as the more common B-type procyanidins, B2 and C1, whose identification was further confirmed by HPLC using detection involving chemical reaction with p-dimethylamino-cinnamaldehyde. The results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of E. telmateia could be due, at least in part, to the presence of compounds with antioxidant activity. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
The potential of Ganoderma lucidum extracts as bioactive ingredients in topical formulations, beyond its nutritional benefits
Ganoderma lucidum was characterized in terms of nutritional value and chemical composition. Thereafter, ethanolic Soxhlet extracts were evaluated for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antityrosinase, antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects, and further characterized in terms of phenolic acids, polysaccharides and triterpenoids. Finally, the obtained extracts were tested as cosmeceutical ingredients. G. lucidum proved to be a source of macronutrients and important bioactive compounds such as terpenoids, specially triterpenoids, and polysaccharides. In the extracts, ganoderic acids C2, A and H were the most abundant triterpenic acids and protocatechuic, p-hydroxibenzoic and syringic acids the identified phenolics. The developed cosmeceutical formulation preserved the extract bioactivities, presented a light-yellow colour and a pH of 4.6, which is considered appropriate for cosmeceutical's design. Behind the important nutritional/bioactive composition of G. lucidum, a potential towards its valorisation in the field of cosmeceuticals is foreseeable, as deduced from the bioactivities of its ethanolic extract and preservation in the tested formulation.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology and FEDER for CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013) and to POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984 (LA LSRE-LCM) funded by ERDF through POCI-COMPETE2020 and FCT. To NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000006, funded by NORTE 2020, under PT2020 through FERDF. Also for financial support to S.A.H. (SFRH/BPD/101413/2014) grant and L.B and R.M.C. contracts. A.M.G.-P. is also thankful to the Spanish MINECO/FEDER for financial support through the project AGL2015-64522-C2-2-R.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Influence of calcium silicate on the chemical properties of pleurotus ostreatus var. Florida (Jacq.) P. Kumm
Supplementation of mushroom substrates has been linked to a higher resistance against insect pests, although few studies show the impact of this supplementation on the different agronomical parameters of mushrooms or even their chemical composition. In this work, the variation in the biological and chemical composition of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida (Jacq.) P. Kumm) was analysed after varying the substrate supplementation of calcium silicate (0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4% (w/w%)) during two harvest flushes. Overall, supplementation did not change the weight, the number of fruiting bodies, biological efficiency, yield ratio, and productivity rate of the mushrooms, although the harvest flushes did show significant differences. Furthermore, slight changes were found in the chemical composition with an increase in vitamin D2 and tocopherols for the mushrooms with higher amounts of calcium silicate. Overall, the substrate supplementation did not seem to induce expressive changes or decrease production yields, and can, therefore, continue to be researched as a potential application to fight agronomical pests.This work is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional
Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project Mobilizador Norte-01-0247-FEDER-024479: ValorNatural®; and to European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), through the Rural
Development Program (PDR2020), within the scope of Project MicoCoating (PDR2020-101-031472).
Acknowledgments: 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 R.V.C. Cardoso’s PhD grant (SFRH/BD/137436/2018). L. Barros and A. Fernandes also thank the national funding by FCT, P.I. through
the institutional scientific employment program-contract, and M. Carocho thanks FCT, P.I. through the individual
scientific employment program-contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Development of mushroom-based cosmeceutical formulations with anti-inflammatory, anti-tyrosinase, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties
The cosmetic industry is in a constant search for natural compounds or extracts with relevant bioactive properties, which became valuable ingredients to design cosmeceutical formulations. Mushrooms have been markedly studied in terms of nutritional value and medicinal properties. However, there is still slow progress in the biotechnological application of mushroom extracts in cosmetic formulations, either as antioxidants, anti-aging, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory agents or as hyperpigmentation correctors. In the present work, the cosmeceutical potential of ethanolic extracts prepared from Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Lentinula edodes was analyzed in terms of anti-inflammatory, anti-tyrosinase, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. The extracts were characterized in terms of phenolic acids and ergosterol composition, and further incorporated in a base cosmetic cream to achieve the same bioactive purposes. From the results obtained, the final cosmeceutical formulations presented 85%-100% of the phenolic acids and ergosterol levels found in the mushroom extracts, suggesting that there was no significant loss of bioactive compounds. The final cosmeceutical formulation also displayed all the ascribed bioactivities and as such, mushrooms can further be exploited as natural cosmeceutical ingredients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Antioxidant Characterization and Biological Effects of Grape Pomace Extracts Supplementation in Caenorhabditis elegans
[EN]The aim of this work was to evaluate the biological activity of four grape pomace (GP)
extracts that are rich in polyphenols using C. elegans as an in vivo model. Different concentrations of
the GP extracts were assessed for their effects on the resistance of C. elegans against thermally induced
oxidative stress, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and lifespan. The cultivation of
C. elegans with relatively low concentrations of GP extracts increased their resistance against thermal
stress and prolonged their lifespan, while high levels displayed detrimental effects. In the studied
extracts, maximum protection was observed for levels of polyphenols around 7 to 9 µg gallic acid
equivalents per cultivation plate. The obtained results suggested that small changes in the ROS levels
could have beneficial effects, although further studies are required to fully understand the impact
of the extracts and assayed doses on ROS levels to explain the mechanism that is involved in the
observed effects
Mushroom-based cosmeceutical ingredients: Microencapsulation and in vitro release profile
Mushrooms can be used as a source of cosmeceutical ingredients. Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus ostreatus ethanolic extracts present important bioactive properties, but withsome compounds showingeasy oxidation and degradation. In the present work, microencapsulation by atomization/coagulation technique was used toprotect the extracts. The obtained microspheres were characterised in terms of morphology, particle size distribution and encapsulation efficiency. Microencapsulated extracts were incorporated into a semi-solid base cream and their performance compared with the use of the free forms in terms of bioactivity, and in vitro release using the cosmetic matrix and real time conditions (up to 6 months). The physico-chemical properties (colour and pH) of the developed formulations were also monitored over the same time period. The cosmeceutical formulations containing free extracts displayed bioactivity. For the formulations prepared with the encapsulated forms, the release of the extracts was achieved and anti-tyrosinase and antimicrobial activities were observed, while for the antioxidant activity, the extract release over the time was not sufficient to exert an effect. Overall, the use of mushroom extracts in free or encapsulated forms can be an option in cosmeceutical formulations, and the encapsulated forms can allow a controlled release leading to bioactivity control.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) and S.A. Heleno
(SFRH/BPD/101413/2014). This work was also financially supported
by Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984 – Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM funded by FEDER through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional
Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) – and by national funds
through FCT and project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000006, supported
by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020),
under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The authors are grateful to
FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support
through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E. This work was also funded by
the European Structural and Investment Funds (FEEI) through the
Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of
Mobilizing Project ValorNatural®. This work is funded by the European
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), through the Rural
Development Program (PDR2020), within the scope of Project
MicoCoating (PDR2020-101-031472).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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