Nutritional parameters of infusions and decoctions obtained from Fragaria vesca L. roots and vegetative parts

Fragaria vesca L. (wild strawberry) roots and vegetative parts are commonly used in infusions and decoctions for different medicinal purposes. The composition in non-nutrients (mainly phenolic compounds) has previously been reported, but the contribution in nutritional compounds has not been researched. Therefore, chemical parameters with nutritional role, namely macronutrients, mineral components, some vitamins (ascorbic acid, folate and tocopherols), as well as, fatty acids, soluble sugars and organic acids, present in F. vesca roots and vegetative parts were evaluated using commercial and wild samples. Furthermore, their infusions and decoctions were also fully characterized; as well as the percentages of vitamins and minerals released for the aqueous preparations. The processing steps, the collection region and also the physiological state in which the samples were collected could influence the differences found between commercial and wild samples. The infusion and decoction preparations showed significantly high released percentages of folate and minerals, and also allowed the detection of xylose, proving to be more effective for soluble sugars extraction. Roots and vegetative parts of F. vesca, normally consumed as infusions and decoctions, can be sources of macro and micronutrients.The authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011), REQIMTE (PEst-C/EQB/LA0006/2011) and ALIMNOVA research group (UCM-GR35/10A). M.I. Dias thanks to FCT for the grant (SFRH/BD/84485/2012) and L. Barros contract under “Programa Compromisso com a Ciência-2008”

Análise de vitamina 69 e minerais em plantas silvestres: estudos de Biodisponibilidade com milefólio, louro e dente-de-leão

As plantas silvestres usadas tradicionalmente têm suscitado um interesse cada vez maior, por serem consideradas uma fonte valiosa de compostos naturais com reconhecidos efeitos benéficos para a saúde do consumidor. Entre estes compostos estão as vitaminas e os elementos minerais, com um reconhecido papel na manutenção da saúde humana. A vitamina B9 (ácido fólico) é um importante cofactor de muitas reações que ocorrem nas células, enquanto que os macro e microelementos desempenham um papel fundamental na produção de energia e na manutenção da integridade estrutural da membrana celular. Os macroelementos funcionam também como modeladores do metabolismo e do equilíbrio ácido-base. Apesar destes componentes terem sido já estudados em diferentes espécies de plantas, a sua análise em espécies silvestres e, sobretudo, em aspetos relacionados com biodisponibitidade, é ainda escassa. No presente trabalho, foi realizado um processo de diálise por membrana com o objetivo de simular condições gastrointestinais para a avaliação da biodisponibilidade dos elementos minerais presentes em diferentes formulações (planta seca e infusão) de Achillea millefollium L. (milefólio), Laurus nobilis L. (louro) e Taraxacum sec. Ruderalia (dente-de-leão). A dinâmica de retenção/passagem foi avaliada utilizando uma membrana de celulose com 34 mm de porosidade. Os teores em vitamina B9 foram também analisados, por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência acoplada a detecção por fluorescência, nas diferentes preparações de cada amostra. O dente de leão apresentou os níveis mais elevados de elementos minerais (exceto zinco) independentemente da formulação utilizada (planta seca ou infusão). Por outro lado, o milefólio mostrou um conteúdo mais elevado de vitamina B9. As plantas secas, como era expectável, mostraram maiores quantidades de todos os elementos estudados, em relação às respetivas infusões; no entanto, os rendimentos de extração dos elementos minerais variaram muito, sendo mais elevados para os macroelementos. Os níveis de vitamina 89 foram muito mais baixos nas infusões, possivelmente devicto à degradação induzida pela água fervente aquando da sua preparação. Relativamente à biodisponibilidade, o cálcio e o potássio demonstraram maior capacidade para atravessar a membrana de diálise. As espécies de plantas estudadas, especialmente se usadas diretamente na forma seca, podem ser consideradas para o desenvolvimento de formulações que atuem como fontes de vitamina B9 e minerais

Minerals and vitamin B9 in dried plants vs. infusions: assessing absorption dynamics of minerals by membrane dialysis tandem in vitro digestion

Vitamins and mineral elements are among the most important phytochemicals due to their important role in the maintenance of human health. Despite these components had already been studied in different plant species, their full characterization in several wild species is still scarce. In addition, the knowledge regarding the in vivo effects of phytochemicals, particularly their bioaccessibility, is still scarce. Accordingly, a membrane dialysis process was used to simulate gastrointestinal conditions in order to assess the potential bioaccessibility of mineral elements in different preparations of Achillea millefolium (yarrow), Laurus nobilis (laurel) and Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia (dandelion). The retention/passage dynamics was evaluated using a cellulose membrane with 34 mm pore. Dandelion showed the highest levels of all studied mineral elements (except zinc) independently of the used formulations (dried plant or infusion), but yarrow was the only species yielding minerals after the dialysis step, either in dried form, or as infusion. In fact, the ability of each evaluated element to cross the dialysis membrane showed significant differences, being also highly dependent on the plant species. Regarding the potential use of these plants as complementary vitamin B9 sources, the detected values were much lower in the infusions, most likely due to the thermolability effect.The authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011), REQIMTE (PEst-C/EQB/LA0006/2011) and ALIMNOVA research group (UCM-GR35/10A), João C.M. Barreira and M.I. Dias grants (SFRH/BPD/72802/2010 and SFRH/BD/84485/2012, respectively). The authors thank Prof. Ana Maria Carvalho from the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (CIMO), for the taxonomic identification of the yarrow, laurel and dandelion species

Fragaria vesca L. fruits as sources of high valuable bioactive molecules

Introduction Fragaria vesca L. (Rosaceae), wild strawberry, belongs to Rosaceae family and is commonly found in roadsides and slopes [1]. Its small sweet fruits can be consumed as sources of vitamin C, either in fresh or in infusions used for the treatment of intestinal disorders [2]. Objectives, Material and Methods Herein, the fruits of wild F. vesca were characterized in terms of nutritional value (carbohydrates, proteins, fat, ash, and energy value), dietary fiber content and fatty acids profile. Furthermore, both the fruits and corresponding infusions were characterized by their content in soluble sugars, organic acids, folates and tocopherols by HLPC coupled to RI, DAD and FL detectors, respectively, and also for their mineral elements composition, evaluated by EAA. Results Carbohydrates were the main macronutrient found in F. vesca fruits, followed by fat, ash and proteins. They also contain high levels of dietary fiber, mainly as soluble dietary fiber. Linolenic (C18:3n3) and γ-linolenic acids (C18:3n6) were the main fatty acids found in the fruits, highlighting a prevalence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The fruits and corresponding infusion showed sucrose, followed by fructose as main sugars. Citric acid was the most abundant organic acid in both samples; while oxalic and ascorbic acids were only detected in traces in the infusion. In terms of microelements, manganese was the most abundant in both forms. Potassium and calcium were the main macroelements found in the fruits and their infusion, respectively. In terms of vitamins, both samples presented folates (vitamin B9) and tocopherols (vitamin E), being γ-tocopherol the main isoform found, followed by α-tocopherol. By the way, in the infusion only α-tocopherol was detected. Conclusions Although fruits of wild F. vesca are mainly consumed in fresh, this study also proves the potentiality of their infusions as a source of bioactive molecules

Caracterização nutricional de raízes e partes vegetativas de Fragaria vesca L. (morangueiro silvestre)

As raízes e partes vegetativas de Fragaria vesca L. (morango silvestre) são vulgarmente usadas em infusões e decocções para diferentes fins medicinais [ 1 ,2]. A sua composição em compostos bioativos (principalmente compostos fen6licos) tem vindo a ser descrita por vários autores [por exemplo, 3], no entanto, o seu contributo em termos de compostos nutricionais permanece desconhecido. Assim, este trabalho teve como principal objetivo a determinação da composição centesimal, valor energético, ácidos gordos, açúcares solúveis, ácidos orgânicos, elementos minerais e vitaminas (acido asc6rbico, tocofer6is e folatos) em raízes e partes vegetativas de amostras comerciais e silvestres de F. vesca. Para além disso, as infusões e decocções correspondentes foram também caracterizadas em termos de minerais e vitaminas, tendo-se calculado a percentagem libertada para as preparações aquosas. As etapas de processamento, a região de colheita e também o estado fisiológico em que as amostras foram obtidas são, certamente, determinantes nas diferenças encontradas entre as amostras comerciais e silvestres. As infusões e decocções apresentaram percentagens significativamente elevadas de retenção de vitamina B9 (folatos) e minerais, tendo sido também detetada a xilose (ao contrario da planta seca), parecendo assim ser um método mais eficaz para a extração de açucares solúveis. A vitamina E, devido a sua instabilidade térmica e propriedades lipofilicas, foi detetada em quantidades muito baixas. Os resultados obtidos mostram que as raízes e partes vegetativas de F. vesca, normalmente consumidas em infusões e decocções, podem ser fontes de macro e micronutrientes

SARS-CoV-2 introductions and early dynamics of the epidemic in Portugal

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal was rapidly implemented by the National Institute of Health in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, in collaboration with more than 50 laboratories distributed nationwide. Methods By applying recent phylodynamic models that allow integration of individual-based travel history, we reconstructed and characterized the spatio-temporal dynamics of SARSCoV-2 introductions and early dissemination in Portugal. Results We detected at least 277 independent SARS-CoV-2 introductions, mostly from European countries (namely the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, and Switzerland), which were consistent with the countries with the highest connectivity with Portugal. Although most introductions were estimated to have occurred during early March 2020, it is likely that SARS-CoV-2 was silently circulating in Portugal throughout February, before the first cases were confirmed. Conclusions Here we conclude that the earlier implementation of measures could have minimized the number of introductions and subsequent virus expansion in Portugal. This study lays the foundation for genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal, and highlights the need for systematic and geographically-representative genomic surveillance.We gratefully acknowledge to Sara Hill and Nuno Faria (University of Oxford) and Joshua Quick and Nick Loman (University of Birmingham) for kindly providing us with the initial sets of Artic Network primers for NGS; Rafael Mamede (MRamirez team, IMM, Lisbon) for developing and sharing a bioinformatics script for sequence curation (https://github.com/rfm-targa/BioinfUtils); Philippe Lemey (KU Leuven) for providing guidance on the implementation of the phylodynamic models; Joshua L. Cherry (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health) for providing guidance with the subsampling strategies; and all authors, originating and submitting laboratories who have contributed genome data on GISAID (https://www.gisaid.org/) on which part of this research is based. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government. This study is co-funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica (234_596874175) on behalf of the Research 4 COVID-19 call. Some infrastructural resources used in this study come from the GenomePT project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022184), supported by COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Lisboa Portugal Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa2020), Algarve Portugal Regional Operational Programme (CRESC Algarve2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Caracterização cromatográfica de moléculas bioativas em frutos silvestres de Fragaria vesca L.

Fragaria vesca L., morango silvestre, pertence à família das Rosaceae e é comumente encontrada nas bermas e taludes [1]. Os seus frutos pequenos e de sabor doce podem ser consumidos em fresco como uma fonte de vitamina C, ou em infusões muito utilizadas no tratamento de vários transtornos intestinais [2]. No presente trabalho, os frutos de F. vesca silvestre foram caracterizados em termos de valor nutricional (hidratos de carbono, proteínas, gordura, cinzas e valor energético), teor em fibra alimentar e perfil em ácidos gordos. Para além disso, os frutos e respetivas infusões foram também caracterizados pelo seu conteúdo em açúcares solúveis, ácidos orgânicos, folatos e tocoferóis por técnicas de HPLC acoplada a detectores de índice de refração, fotodíodos e fluorescência, respetivamente, e também pela sua composição mineral avaliada por espectroscopia de absorção atómica. Os hidratos de carbono foram os macronutrientes maioritários nos frutos, seguidos pela gordura total, cinzas e proteínas. Também demonstraram teores elevados em fibra alimentar, maioritariamente fibra solúvel. Os ácidos linolénico (C18:3n3) e γ-linolénico (C18:3n6) foram os ácidos gordos maioritários, havendo uma prevalência de ácidos gordos polinsaturados. Os frutos e as respetivas infusões apresentaram sacarose, seguida da frutose, como sendo os açúcares maioritários. O ácido cítrico foi o ácido orgânico mais abundante em ambas as amostras, enquanto os ácidos oxálico e ascórbico foram detetados nas infusões em concentrações vestigiais. Em termos de microelementos, o manganês foi o mais abundante em ambas as amostras; o potássio e o cálcio foram os macroelementos maioritários encontrados nos frutos e nas suas infusões, respetivamente. Em termos de vitaminas, ambas as amostras apresentaram folatos (vitamina B9) e tocoferóis (vitamina E), sendo o γ-tocoferol a isoforma mais abundante, seguido de α-tocoferol. É de referir que nas infusões foi somente encontrada a isoforma de α-tocoferol. Apesar dos frutos de F. vesca silvestre serem normalmente consumidos em fresco, este estudo prova a potencialidade das suas infusões como uma fonte de moléculas bioativas

Profiling minerals and vitamin B9 in a membrane dialysis process after a simulated-gastrointestinal model

Traditionally used wild plants have sparked a growing interest as they are considered a valuable source of natural compounds with recognized health effects on consumer’s health. Among these compounds are vitamins and mineral elements with a well-known role in maintaining human health [1]. Vitamin B9 (folic acid) is an important cofactor of many reactions that occurs on human cells [2], while macro and micro elements play a fundamental role on energy production and maintaining the structural integrity of the cell membrane [3]. Macroelements also function as modulators of metabolism and acid-base equilibrium [4,5]. The analysis of these elements in wild plants and, mainly, in bioavailability related aspects, is still very scarce. Herein, a membrane dialysis process was performed with the main goal of simulating gastrointestinal conditions to evaluate the bioavailability of the mineral elements present in different formulations (dry plant and infusion) of Achillea millefollium L. (yarrow), Laurus nobilis L. (laurel) and Taraxacum sec. Ruderalia (dandelion). The retention/passage dynamics was evaluated using a cellulose membrane with 34 mm of porosity. The vitamin B9 contents were also analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a fluorescence detector in the different preparations of each sample. Dandelion showed the highest levels of mineral elements (except for zinc) regardless of the formulation used (dry plant or infusion). On the other hand, yarrow showed the highest content of vitamin B9. Dry plants, as expected, presented higher quantities of the studied elements, in relation to the corresponding infusions; however, the extraction yield of mineral elements vary considerably, being higher for macroelements; Mg>Ca>K>>Fe>Cu>Zn>Mn. Vitamin B9 levels were also very low for infusions, possible due to the degradation induced by the boiling water at the time of preparation. Regarding the bioavailability, calcium and potassium showed higher capacity to cross the dialysis membrane. The studied plant species, especially if used directly in dry form, can be considered for the development of new formulations that act as sources of vitamin B9 and minerals.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The use of wild fruits of Fragaria vesca L. in preparations with bioactive properties: chemical characterization, antioxidant, antibacterial and antibiofilm activities

Wild strawberry, Fragaria vesca L., belongs to Rosaceae family and is commonly found in roadsides and slopes [1]. The most consumed parts of this plant are its sweet small fruits, which constitute a source of vitamins and phenolic compounds, being also used in infusions due to their organoleptic properties and for the treatment of some intestinal disorders [2, 3]. In the present work, F. vesca fruits were evaluated for their nutritional value and further used in the preparation of infusions. The chemical composition of the fruits and corresponding infusions was determined in terms of soluble sugars, organic acids, tocopherols, folates (by HPLC coupled to different detectors), phenolic compounds (by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS) and mineral elements (atomic absorption spectroscopy). Some of these bioactive compounds were correlated with antioxidant and antibacterial properties evaluated either in infusions as also in hydromethanolic extracts. Carbohydrates were the main macronutrients in the fruits, followed by fat and proteins. Regarding the fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids showed higher prevalence, mainly due to the presence of D-linolenic (Cl8:3n3) and y-linolenic (Cl8:3n6) acids. Sucrose and citric acid were, respectively, the main sugar and organic acid found in the fruits and in its infusions. The microelement found in higher amounts in both samples was manganese, while potassium and calcium were the macroelements present in higher levels in the fruits and infusions, respectively. Both samples presented folates and tocopherols, being ytocopherol the main isoform detected in the fruits, while a-tocopherol was the only isoform quantified in the infusion. The hydromethanolic extract prepared from the fruits gave higher antioxidant and antibacterial activities, namely against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, than the infusion; it also showed capacity to inhibit the formation of bacterial biofilm. Both bioactivities are highly correlated with the presence of phenolic compounds, in which the major are ellagic acid derivatives (sanguiin hlO) followed by tlavan 3-ols ((+)catechin) and anthocyanin compounds (pelargonidin-3-glucoside). Although fruits of wild F. vesca are mainly consumed in fresh, this study also proves the potentiality of their infusions as a source of bioactive molecules and properties