Determinação de vitamina C, fenóis totais, betalaínas e actividade antioxidante em figo da índia.

Comunicação da qual só está disponível o resumo.Os benefícios para a saúde do figo da índia estão relacionados com as suas propriedades antioxidantes, por sua vez associadas à presença nos frutos de ácido ascórbico, polifenóis, nomeadamente flavonoides e a uma mistura de pigmentos amarelos (betaxantinas) e vermelhos (betacianinas). A presença destes compostos nos frutos é muito variável e as metodologias aplicadas na sua análise também não são consensuais. No presente trabalho apresentam-se resultados obtidos no Laboratório de Química da ESACB, utilizando metodologias desenvolvidas para outros frutos, nomeadamente fenóis totais (método de Folin-Ciocalteu) e actividade antioxidante (método DPPH) e que foram adaptadas para frutos de Opuntia spp. No caso da avaliação de vitamina C não foi possível utilizar o método volumétrico da AOAC, já de aplicação corrente neste laboratório, que usa o reagente 2,6-diclorofenol-indofenol, pelas dificuldades associadas a amostras com intensa coloração. Assim, testou-se e adaptou-se um método por espectroscopia de absorção molecular para o qual se avaliaram alguns parâmetros de validação, nomeadamente linearidade, repetibilidade, limite de detecção e de quantificação. A quantificação de betacianinas e betaxantinas, por seu turno, foi realizada por espectroscopia de absorção molecular utilizando os coeficientes de extinção molar da betanina e da indicaxantina.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bioactive compounds and morphology in Opuntia spp. fruits from Portuguese ecotypes.

The Opuntia spp. has minimal soil and water requirements, and the O. ficus-indica, in particular is sought to be an alternative for the Mediterranean region agricultural economy. The morphology, bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties of fruits were studied in twenty Portuguese ecotypes belonging to four Opuntia species (O. ficus-indica, O. robusta, O. dillenii and O. elata). The ecotypes were compared with the O. ficus-indica cultivars ‘Bianca’, ‘Gialla’ and ‘Rossa’. The fruits from Opuntia spp. ecotypes displayed variability in morphological and bioactive characteristics. Among O. ficus-indica ecotypes, the orange pulp fruits were larger, heavier and had a higher percentage of pulp as well as a lower percentage of seeds compared to the white pulp fruits. However, the weight of 100 seeds was lower in the white pulp ecotypes. The OFI-04 ecotype contrasted the other OFI ecotypes due to its pale yellow pulp, ovoid shape, and low seed weight per fruit as well as the amount of seeds as a percentage of pulp weight. The O. dillenii ecotypes had the highest betalain content, total phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity, while O. elata had the highest ascorbic acid content. Both O. dillenii and O. elata had the highest acidity values. The red pulp cv. Rossa had the highest betalain content among the O. ficus-indica populations, followed by the orange and white pulp ecotypes. The highest amount of total phenolic compounds was found in the white pulp O. ficus-indica ecotypes. The hierarchical clustering analysis revealed that the ecotypes could be grouped into four major groups, and geographical origin was unrelated to the clustering pattern. This study provides original data on the morphology and bioactive compounds of Opuntia spp. fruits from Portuguese ecotypes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ácido ascórbico, betalaínas, e fenóis totais em ecótipos de Opuntia spp.

O género Opuntia spp. pertence à família Cactaceae, sendo a espécie Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) a que tem maior importância económica. Em frutos de vinte populações provenientes de quatro espécies do género Opuntia spp. (OFI, O. robusta, O. dillenii and O. elata), com origem em Portugal, foram estudadas as características cromáticas, a acidez, o pH, o teor em sólidos solúveis totais (SST) e ainda os teores em ácido ascórbico (AA), betalaínas e fenóis totais (FT). As cultivares Italianas de OFI ‘Bianca’, ‘Gialla’ e ‘Rossa’ foram incluídas como termo de comparação. Os valores mais elevados de acidez foram registados nos frutos de O. dillenii e O. elata e os menores em OFI. Os frutos de O. dillenii apresentaram os teores mais elevados de betalaínas e FT, ao passo que as concentrações mais elevadas de AA foram registadas nos frutos de O. elata. Os ecótipos de OFI mostraram variação na concentração de compostos bioativos. Em OFI, a cv. de polpa vermelha ‘Rossa’ é a que apresenta maior concentração de betalaínas, seguida pelos ecótipos de polpa laranja e, finalmente, os ecótipos de polpa branca. Os valores mais elevados de FT foram encontrados nos ecótipos de polpa branca. O género Opuntia spp. é uma fonte de compostos bioativos, pelo que o consumo dos seus frutos representa uma boa forma de ingestão de compostos de elevado valor nutricional.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Training evaluation in male age-group swimmers

Monitoring the training process represents an important task during sports preparation. However, not always the applied protocols help to address the coaches’ concerns, namely regarding its complexity and difficulty to be used in large samples. Therefore, the aim of this study was to apply a simple protocol to control the training process in a group of male age-group swimmer

Anatomical Features Of The Urethra And Urinary Bladder Catheterization In Female Mice And Rats. An Essential Translational Tool [características Anatômicas Da Cateterização Da Uretra E Bexiga De Camundongos E Ratos Fêmeas. Instrumento Essencial Na Pesquisa Pré Clínica]

PURPOSE: To present fundamental anatomical aspects and technical skills necessary to urethra and urinary bladder catheterization in female mice and rats. METHODS: Urethral and bladder catheterization has been widely utilized for carcinogenesis and cancer research and still remains very useful in several applications: from toxicological purposes as well as inflammatory and infectious conditions to functional aspects as bladder dynamics and vesicoureteral reflux, among many others. RESULTS: Animal models are in the center of translational research and those involving rodents are the most important nowadays due to several advantages including human reproducibility, easy handling and low cost. CONCLUSIONS: Although technical and anatomical pearls for rodent urethral and bladder access are presented as tackles to the advancement of lower urinary tract preclinical investigation in a broaden sight, restriction to female animals hampers the male microenvironment, demanding future advances.26SUPPL. 2106110Reis, L.O., Fávaro, W.J., Ferreira, U., Billis, A., Fazuoli, M.G., Cagnon, V.H., Evolution on experimental animal model for upper urothelium carcinogenesis (2010) World J Urol, 28, pp. 499-505Mulder, G.J., Scholtens, E., Meijer, D.K., Collection of metabolites in bile and urine from the rat (1981) Methods Enzymol, 77, pp. 21-30Krinke, G.J., (2000) The Laboratory Rat, , San Diego, CA: Academic PressPhillips, J.I., Davies, I., The comparative morphology of the bladder and urethra in young and old female C57BL/Icrfat mice (1980) Exp Geront, 15, pp. 551-562Andersson, K.E., Arner, A., Urinary bladder contraction and relaxation: Physiology and pathophysiology (2004) Physiol Rev, 84, pp. 935-986Reis, L.O., Pereira, T.C., Favaro, W.J., Cagnon, V.H., Lopes-Cendes, I., Ferreira, U., Experimental animal model and RNA interference: A promising association for bladder cancer research (2009) World J Urol, 27, pp. 353-361Marini, R.P., Esteves, M.I., Fox, J.G., A technique for catheterization of the urinary bladder in the ferret (1994) Lab Anim, 28, pp. 155-15

Can 8 weeks of training in female swimmers affect active drag?

Hydrodynamic drag is the force that a swimmer has to overcome in order to maintain his movement through water and is influenced by velocity, shape, size and the frontal surface area Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of 8 weeks of training on active drag in young female swimmers. 8 female age group swimmers belonging to the same swimming club participated in this study. Active drag measurements were conducted in two different trials: at the beginning of the season and after 8 weeks of training. The velocity perturbation method was used to determine active drag in front crawl swimming. After 8 weeks of training, mean active drag decreased, although no significant differences were found between the two trials. No significant differences were observed in swimming velocity between the two trials. It seems that 8 weeks of swimming training were not enough to allow significant improvements on swimming technique. One can recommend that specific training sets concerning technique correction and improvement in young swimmers should be a main aim during training planning

Late Holocene evolution of the Lower Tagus alluvial plain and heavy metals content: preliminary results

This paper aims to contribute to the fluvial dynamic knowledge of the Lower Tagus during the late Holocene. Two cores were done in selected geomorphological positions at the alluvial plain. Each ten centimeters of sediments were submitted to sedimentological and geochemical analyses in order to identify human contamination by heavy metals, sedimentation rates and environmental changes in the main channel position. The main conclusions are: (1) The witness of the lateral migration of the fluvial channel; (2) The very irregular sedimentation rate, from 3mm per year to 0.1mm per year; (3) The diversified contamination of fluvial sediments and fluvial channels by heavy metals, namely Cu due to cooper sulphate vineyards and Pb due to petrol and Cr from the tanning industries.Este trabajo pretende contribuir al conocimiento de la dinámica fluvial del curso inferior del río Tajo durante el Holoceno final. Se han realizado dos sondeos en lugares seleccionados de la llanura aluvial. Muestras del sedimento obtenidas cada diez centímetros se han analizado con el fin de identificar la contaminación humana con metales pesados, las tasas de sedimentación y posibles cambios en la posición del cauce principal. Las conclusiones más importantes son: (1) La prueba de la existencia de migración lateral del cauce fluvial; (2) La gran irregularidad de la tasa de sedimentación, que varia entre 0,1 y 3mm por año; (3) La variada contaminación de los sedimentos fluviales y de los cauces por metales pesados, especialmente Cu debido a la aplicación de sulfato de cobre en viñedos, Pb debido al petróleo y Cr por las industrias de curtidos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Idosos institucionalizados no concelho de Viseu: Hábitos alimentares

O envelhecimento da população, bem como a alteração da dinâmica da família, têm contribuído diretamente para o aumento do número de idosos institucionalizados. A incidência da desnutrição alcança níveis elevados nestes idosos, sendo essencial o seu diagnóstico precoce para a melhoria da sua qualidade de vida. Constitui objetivo primordial do estudo a avaliação do estado nutricional de idosos institucionalizados no concelho de Viseu, Portugal. A amostra (n=120) é constituída por idosos de ambos os sexos, institucionalizados, com idade igual ou superior a 65 anos, com capacidade para se colocar de pé, sem demência e que não sejam portadores de patologia passível de afetar a digestão, absorção ou utilização dos nutrientes. A avaliação do estado nutricional é determinada tendo em conta parâmetros antropométricos e dietéticos, através da avaliação da ingestão alimentar (registo de 3 dias) e Mini Nutricional Assessment (MNA). Os questionários aplicados estão validados para a população portuguesa idosa e foram aplicados após consentimento informado. Considerou-se um nível de confiança de 95%. A amostra estudada é maioritariamente feminina (70,0%), com uma idade média de 82,4±6,4 anos. A determinação do IMC mostrou que 12,5% dos idosos avaliados têm baixo peso (IMC 17,7±1,3); 46,7% são eutróficos (IMC 19,9±0,5); 11,7% apresentam excesso de peso (IMC 22,1±0,7), sendo 29,1% classificados como obesos (IMC 28,8±4,2). O MNA mostra que 65% dos idosos apresenta estado nutricional normal, estando sob risco de desnutrição 33,3%, verificando-se, este risco de desnutrição ser superior nos idosos ≥ 75 anos e na população feminina (3:1). A ingestão energética média por dia é significativamente inferior à recomendada (p≤0,05), sendo a ingesta de proteína e hidratos de carbono superior aos valores recomendados para a população (p≤0,05). O consumo lipídico é maioritariamente normolipídico (54,1%), devendo-se a um consumo reduzido de ácidos gordos monosaturados vs. polinsaturados.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tracking the performance of world-ranked swimmers

Tracking the swimming performance is important to analyze its progression and stability between competitions and help coaches to define realistic goals and to select appropriate training methods. The aim of this study was to track world-ranked male swimmer’s performance during five consecutive seasons (from 2003/2004 to 2007/2008) in Olympic freestyle events. An overall of 477 swimmers and 2385 season best performances were analyzed. FINA’s male top-150 rankings for long course in the 2007-2008 season were consulted in each event to identify the swimmers included. Best performances were collected from ranking tables provided by the National Swimming Federations or, when appropriate, through an internet database (www.swimranking.net). Longitudinal assessment was performed based on two approaches: (i) mean stability (descriptive statistics and ANOVA repeated measures, followed by a Bonferroni post-hoc test) and; (ii) normative stability (Pearson Correlation Coefficient and the Cohen’s Kappa tracking index). Significant variations in the mean swimming performance were observed in all events between all seasons. Performance enhancement was approximately 0.6 to 1 % between seasons leading up to the Olympics and approximately 3 to 4 % for the overall time-frame analyzed. The performance stability based on overall time-frame was moderate for all freestyle events, except in the 50-m (K = 0.39 ± 0.05) where it was low. Selfcorrelations ranged between a moderate (0.30 ≤ r < 0.60) and a high (r ≥ 0.60) stability. There was also a performance enhancement during all five seasons analyzed. When more strict time frames were used, the analysis of swimming performance stability revealed an increase in the third season. So, coaches should have a long term view in what concerns training design and periodization of world-ranked swimmers, setting the third season of the Olympic Cycle as a determinant time frame, due to performance stability until Olympic Games season

The relationship of anthropometrical characteristics and front crawl performance in male age-group swimmers

Swimming performance is affected by several factors including the swimming technique, the swimmer’s functional and metabolic characteristics and the level of training accomplishment. However, performance is also depending on the swimmer’s anthropometrical characteristics. The body shape, body size and body composition can play an important role to achieve higher performances