Antioxidants of natural plant origins: from sources to food industry applications

ReviewIn recent years, great interest has been focused on using natural antioxidants in food products, due to studies indicating possible adverse effects that may be related to the consumption of synthetic antioxidants. A variety of plant materials are known to be natural sources of antioxidants, such as herbs, spices, seeds, fruits and vegetables. The interest in these natural components is not only due to their biological value, but also to their economic impact, as most of them may be extracted from food by-products and under-exploited plant species. This article provides an overview of current knowledge on natural antioxidants: their sources, extraction methods and stabilization processes. In addition, recent studies on their applications in the food industry are also addressed; namely, as preservatives in different food products and in active films for packaging purposes and edible coatingsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Racial and ethnic discrimination in Portugal in times of pandemic crisis

During the last two years, the pandemic has dominated the public attention and debate around the world, centering on socio-economic aspects and having camouflaged other social, cultural and even environmental issues. This study sought to analyze ethno-racial discrimination processes, identifying significant events in Portugal during the period of the current global crisis. We utilized document analysis of national and international reports produced in the last five years, complementing with secondary statistical data and the analysis of online news and users’ comments published in national media during the last two years. The results show that, although there has been a development in Portuguese legislation and in anti-discrimination measures, there has been an increase in racist and xenophobic phenomena in Portugal. Citizens’ perceptions, indicators and reports from official bodies show evidence of discriminatory behavior. Additionally, within this framework, we see a greater political presence of extreme right-wing movements, as well as an increase in hate speech in online news comments. Thus, although there is an awareness of the seriousness of these phenomena, there is an urgent need for actions against racial and ethnic intolerance and greater effective measures for ideological crimes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Data on metabolic profile of insulin-degrading enzyme knockout mice

Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) degrades and inactivates bioactive peptides such as insulin. As insulin is a master regulator of glucose homeostasis, lack of IDE is expected to have a profound impact on both insulin and glucose levels. This article shares data on glucose and insulin homeostasis of control, heterozygous and knockout mice for Ide after 18 weeks of a normal chow diet. This data article is related to a research article entitled “Knockout of insulin-degrading enzyme leads to mice testicular morphological changes and impaired sperm quality” (Meneses et al., 2019).This work was supported by FEDER funds POCI - COMPETE 2020 , Portugal: Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007491 ; and by “ Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia ” – FCT to MJM ( PD/BD/114256/2016 ); TRD ( SFRH/BD/109284/2015 ); PFO ( PTDC/BBB-BQB/1368/2014 ; IFCT2015); MPM ( PTDC/DTP-EPI/0207/2012 ; PTDC/BIM-MET/2115/2014 ); MGA ( PTDC/BIM-MET/4712/2014 ; IFCT2015); iNOVA4Health ( UID/Multi/04462/2013 ); and UMIB ( PEst-OE/SAU/UI0215/2014 )

Seletividade de herbicidas aplicados em pré-emergência sobre gramíneas forrageiras tropicais.

Quatro estudos foram conduzidos em 1999/2000, na UNESP/FCA-Botucatu (SP), com o objetivo de avaliar a seletividade de onze herbicidas, aplicados em pré-emergência, sobre as gramíneas forrageiras tropicais Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk; Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu e Panicum maximum cultivares Tanzânia e Mombaça. Cada cultivar constituiu um estudo independente

Seletividade de herbicidas aplicados em pós-emergência sobre gramíneas forrageiras tropicais.

Quatro estudos foram conduzidos em casa-de-vegetação, no Núcleo de Pesquisas Avançadas em Matologia (NUPAM), FCA/UNESP-Botucatu/SP, em 1999/2000

Nutrition, quality and performance in marine fish larvae

O cultivo de larvas de peixes marinhos é caracterizado por altas mortalidades e por problemas de qualidade, nomeadamente malformações esqueléticas. A solução de parte destes problemas passa por uma melhor compreensão dos requisitos nutricionais. Este trabalho pretende fazer uma revisão de trabalhos recentes que demonstram como os aminoácidos, os ácidos gordos e a vitamina K, mas também o regime alimentar, podem influenciar a qualidade e a performance das larvas de peixes marinhos

Molecular mechanisms beyond glucose transport in diabetes-related male infertility

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the greatest public health threats in modern societies. Although during a few years it was suggested that DM had no significant effect in male reproductive function, this view has been challenged in recent years. The increasing incidence of DM worldwide will inevitably result in a higher prevalence of this pathology in men of reproductive age and subfertility or infertility associated with DM is expected to dramatically rise in upcoming years. From a clinical perspective, the evaluation of semen parameters, as well as spermatozoa deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) integrity, are often studied due to their direct implications in natural and assisted conception. Nevertheless, recent studies based on the molecular mechanisms beyond glucose transport in testicular cells provide new insights in DM-induced alterations in male reproductive health. Testicular cells have their own glucose sensing machinery that react to hormonal fluctuations and have several mechanisms to counteract hyper- and hypoglycemic events. Moreover, the metabolic cooperation between testicular cells is crucial for normal spermatogenesis. Sertoli cells (SCs), which are the main components of blood–testis barrier, are not only responsible for the physical support of germ cells but also for lactate production that is then metabolized by the developing germ cells. Any alteration in this tied metabolic cooperation may have a dramatic consequence in male fertility potential. Therefore, we present an overview of the clinical significance of DM in the male reproductive health with emphasis on the molecular mechanisms beyond glucose fluctuation and transport in testicular cells