Produção de biodiesel a partir de matéria-prima do sector oleíco

Dada a crescente procura de matérias-primas alternativas para a produção de biodiesel testou-se, neste trabalho, a viabilidade de utilização de produtos ligados ao sector oleícola, nomeadamente azeite lampante e óleo de bagaço de azeitona. Numa primeira fase, este material glicerídico foi caracterizado em termos de parâmetros que têm influência no processo de transformação em biodiesel e na qualidade deste produto. Observou-se, por exemplo, que ambas as matérias-primas possuem um indíce de iodo bastante mais favorável (78-85) do que óleos vegetais como a soja ou o girassol, que apresentam valores para este parâmetro superiores aos permitidos pela norma europeia de qualidade do biodiesel. Por outro lado, os valores determinados para o indíce de acidez quer no azeite lampante (7 mg KOH/g) quer no óleo de bagaço de azeitona (22 mg KOH/g) foram bastante elevados e mostraram que a produção de biodiesel não devia ser realizada pelo processo tecnológico mais tradicional. Por este facto, um primeiro passo de catálise ácida foi optimizado, através da metodologia do desenho factorial, em termos de concentração de catalisador, tempo de reacção e razão molar metanol/ácidos gordos livres, de modo a determinar quais as condições que conduziam a uma diminuição do teor em ácidos gordos livres, para valores que permitissem prosseguir com a reacção de transesterificação por catálise básica (< 2 mg KOH/g). Esta última foi depois realizada em condições previamente definidas para outros óleos (razão molar metanol:óleo de 6:1, 1 % catalisador, 55ºC e 500 rpm), e o biocombustível obtido foi caracterizado de acordo com as especificações da norma EN 14214. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que estas matérias-primas podem constituir uma alternativa para o fabrico de biodiesel, o que corresponderá também a apresentar alternativas de utilização para o sector oleícola, fomentando o consumo de produtos de melhor qualidade para fins alimentares

Antiproliferative activity of neem leaf extracts obtained by a sequential pressurized liquid extraction

Azadirachta indica A. Juss (neem) extracts have been used in pharmaceutical applications as antitumor agents, due to their terpenes and phenolic compounds. To obtain extracts from neem leaves with potential antiproliferative effect, a sequential process of pressurized liquid extraction was carried out in a fixed bed extractor at 25◦C and 100 bar, using hexane (SH), ethyl acetate (SEA), and ethanol (SE)assolvents. Extractions using only ethanol(EE) was also conducted to compare the characteristics of the fractionated extracts. The results obtained by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry suggested a higher concentration of terpenes in the SEA extract in comparison to SH, SE, and EE extracts. Therefore, antiproliferative activity showed that SEA extracts were the most efficient inhibitor to human tumor cells MCF-7, NCI-H460, HeLa, and HepG2. Hepatocellular cells were more resistant to SH, SEA, SE, and EE compared to breast, lung, hepatocellular, and cervical malignant cells. Neem fractioned extracts obtained in the present study seem to be more selective for malignant cells compared to the non-tumor cells.Klebson Silva Santos thanks CAPES (Process: PDSE 99999.003409/15-5) for the financial support during his Ph.D. studies in Portugal. Authors are grateful to CAPES, and FAPITEC (EDITAL CAPES/FAPITEC Nº 11/2016–PROEF/Processo de AUXPE 88881.157437/2017-01) for the financial support. The study was also carried out with financial support from FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antiproliferative activity of neem leaf extracts obtained by a sequential pressurized liquid extraction

Azadirachta indica A. Juss (neem) extracts have been used in pharmaceutical applications as antitumor agents, due to their terpenes and phenolic compounds. To obtain extracts from neem leaves with potential antiproliferative effect, a sequential process of pressurized liquid extraction was carried out in a fixed bed extractor at 25◦C and 100 bar, using hexane (SH), ethyl acetate (SEA), and ethanol (SE)assolvents. Extractions using only ethanol(EE) was also conducted to compare the characteristics of the fractionated extracts. The results obtained by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry suggested a higher concentration of terpenes in the SEA extract in comparison to SH, SE, and EE extracts. Therefore, antiproliferative activity showed that SEA extracts were the most efficient inhibitor to human tumor cells MCF-7, NCI-H460, HeLa, and HepG2. Hepatocellular cells were more resistant to SH, SEA, SE, and EE compared to breast, lung, hepatocellular, and cervical malignant cells. Neem fractioned extracts obtained in the present study seem to be more selective for malignant cells compared to the non-tumor cells.Klebson Silva Santos thanks CAPES (Process: PDSE 99999.003409/15-5) for the financial support during his Ph.D. studies in Portugal. Authors are grateful to CAPES, and FAPITEC (EDITAL CAPES/FAPITEC Nº 11/2016–PROEF/Processo de AUXPE 88881.157437/2017-01) for the financial support. The study was also carried out with financial support from FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dietary carotenoid-rich oil supplementation improves exercise-induced anisocytosis in runners: influences of haptoglobin, MnSOD (Val9Ala), CAT (21A/T) and GPX1 (Pro198Leu) gene polymorphisms in dilutional pseudoanemia (sports anemia)

Physical training induces beneficial adaptation, whereas exhaustive exercises increase reactive oxygen-species generation, thereby causing oxidative damage in plasma and erythrocytes, fractions susceptible to lipid peroxidation. Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) is a Brazilian Cerrado fruit containing a carotenoid-rich oil. The aim was to investigate the effects of pequi-oil on exercise-induced oxidative damage in plasma and erythrocytes, after running in the same environment and undergoing weekly training under the same conditions as to type, intensity and length. Evaluations were accomplished after outdoor running on flat land before and after ingestion of 400 mg pequi-oil capsules for 14 days. Blood samples were taken after running and submitted to TBARS assay and erythrogram analysis. Haptoglobin, MnSOD (Val9Ala), CAT (21A/T) and GPX1 (Pro198Leu) gene polymorphisms were priorly investigated, so as to estimate genetic influence The reduction in erythrocytes, hemoglobin and hematocrit after pequi-oil treatment was notably associated with higher plasma expansion. Except for MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) and RDW (red cell distribution width), the results were influenced by the polymorphisms studied. The best response to pequi-oil was presented by MnSOD Val/Val, CAT AA or AT genotypes and the GPX1 Pro allele. The significantly lower RDW and higher MHCH values were related to pequi-oil protective effects. Pequi oil, besides possessing other nutritional properties, showed protective blood effects