Côa Valley’s medicinal plants as potential cosmetic ingredients: cytotoxic and antioxidant assessment

Where is located and what is the importance of river Côa Valley? • The river Côa Valley is part of the Guarda District, in the Northeast of Portugal. The Valley comprises an Archeological Park, which is considered “the most important open-air Paleolithic rock art site” in the world, being classified as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. What are the natural resources’ relevance of this region? • The flora of the Archeologic Park in river Côa Valley comprises approximately 500 to 600 different plant species, some Portuguese and/or Iberian endemic species, according to a botanical survey recently carried out by us. Even though, so far, little is known about the natural endogenous resources of this territory, namely concerning medicinal plants. What is the aim of this investigation? • The main aim is to assess the cytotoxicity in skin fibroblasts (NHDF cell line) and the antioxidant activity through cell-free methods, of hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from selected plant species (Figure 1). These extracts are meant to be incorporated into scientific-validated plantbased cosmetic formulations, hence creating an exclusive cosmetic brand for Côa Valley.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Características de carcaça determinadas por ultrassonografia em tempo real e pós-abate de cordeiros terminados em confinamento com diferentes níveis de energia na dieta¹ Carcass traits determined by ultrasonography in real time and after slaughter of lambs finished in fedlot with diferent levels of energy in the diet

Objetivou-se avaliar as características de carcaça por ultrassonografia em tempo real e após o abate e a relação entre essas características e os rendimentos de carcaça de cordeiros de diferentes genótipos terminados em confinamento com diversos níveis de energia na dieta. Foram utilizados 54 cordeiros não-castrados - 18 Santa Inês puros (SI), 18 ½Dorper x ½Santa Inês (Dp x SI) e 18 ½Santa Inês x ½Sem Raça Definida (SI x SRD) - com média de 150 dias de idade e peso médio de 22,60 kg no início do experimento. As dietas continham 17% de proteína bruta e 2,40 Mcal/kg MS e 2,90 Mcal/kg MS. As mensurações realizadas por ultrassonografia e diretamente na carcaça dos cordeiros apresentaram resultados similares. Os cordeiros alimentados com a dieta contendo 2,90 Mcal/kg apresentaram maior área de olho-de-lombo, melhor conformação e acabamento de carcaça e maior quantidade de gordura pélvico-renal. Os cordeiros Dp x SI apresentaram maior área de olho-de-lombo e musculosidade por 100 kg de PV em comparação aos SI x SRD e foram superiores a todos os genótipos quanto à espessura de gordura subcutânea, à conformação e ao acabamento de carcaça. O marmoreio observado nos cordeiros Dp x SI foi superior aos dos Santa Inês. As correlações das medidas tomadas por ultrassonografia e na carcaça foram altas e significativas, exceto o marmoreio. Houve correlação significativa entre conformação da carcaça e acabamento, marmoreio, espessura de gordura subcutânea e gordura pélvico-renal. As gorduras de cobertura avaliadas subjetivamente e objetivamente apresentaram correlações altas e significativas. A dieta e o genótipo influenciam as características de carcaça de cordeiros.<br>The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass traits through ultrasonography in real time and after slaughter and the relationship between these traits and carcass yields of lambs with different genotypes finished in feedlot with several levels of energy in the diet. It was used 54 non-castrated lambs: 18 pure Santa Inês (SI), 18 ½Dorper x ½Santa Inês (Dp x SI) and 18 ½Santa Inês x ½ Without Standard Defined Breed (SI x WSDB), at an average age of 150 days and at an average body weight of 22.6 kg at the beginning of the experiment. Diets contained 17% of crude protein, 2.40 Mcal/kg DM and 2.90 Mcal/kg DM. Measurements made by ultrasonography and directly on carcass of the lambs showed similar results. Lambs fed diets containing 2.90 Mcal/kg showed larger loin eye area, better carcass conformation and finishing and higher amount of pelvic-renal fat. Lambs Dp x SI showed larger loin eye areas and muscularity per 100 kg of body weight in comparison to SI x SRD lambs and they were superior to all genotypes regarded to subcutaneous fat thickness, conformation and finishing carcass. Marbling observed in Dp x SI lambs were superior than in Santa Inês lambs. Correlations of measures taken by ultrasonography and on the carcass were high and significant, except marbling. There was a significant correlation among carcass conformation and finishing, marbling, subcutaneous fat thickness and pelvic-renal thickness. Backfat subjectively and objectively evaluated showed high and significant correlations. Diet and genotype influence characteristics of carcass of lambs