Total and sustainable valorisation of olive pomace using a fractionation approach

Olive pomace management represents a great concern to the olive oil industry. This work focused on the development of a “zero waste” strategy for olive pomace based on a fractionation approach resulting in the obtention of different value-added fractions. The physicochemical composition of edible fractions obtained (liquid and pulp) was analysed. The potential use as a solid biofuel of the non-edible fraction (stones) was evaluated. High amounts of hydroxytyrosol (513.61–625.76 mg/100 g dry weight) were present in the liquid fraction. Pulp fraction was demonstrated to be a good source of fibre (53–59% dry weight) with considerable antioxidant activity both from free and bound phenolics. The stones fraction exhibited substantial high heating values (18.65–18.94 megajoule (MJ/kg). All these results support the added value of the olive pomace fractions combining the biofuel potential from the stones fraction and the functional food ingredients’ potential both from liquid and pulp fractions. The present methodology seems to be a feasible whole valorisation approach to achieve the circularity in the olive oil sector, prioritising obtaining high over low added-value products.This research was funded by National Funds from FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, through the project MULTIBIOREFINERY-SAICTPAC/0040/2015 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016403) and the project “Biological tools for adding and defending value in key agro-food chains (bio-n2-value)”, nº NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000030, funded by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), under Programa Operacional Regional do Norte-Norte2020. We would also like to thank the scientific collaboration under the FCT project UID/Multi/50016/2019.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Secondary Metabolites

Plants are the main source for obtaining secondary metabolites that are used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. In nature, the performance of bioactive compounds is affected by biotic and abiotic factors, an alternative to overcome this adversity is in vitro plant cultures and particularly plant cell culture that has multiple advantages, highlighting the possibility of controlling variables to increase the content. of compounds of interest. The objective of this research was to determine and optimize the effect of some elicitors on the production of secondary flavonoid metabolites in suspension cell cultures of Thevetia peruviana on a shake flask scale. The experimental part was performed from cell cultures in suspension cells of T. peruviana maintained by the Bioconversion Laboratory of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellin. Firstly, methyl jasmonate (MeJa) 3 µM and salicylic acid (SA) 300 µM were added to two los of cell cultures, that circumstantially they differed in their time suspension state lot 1 (9 months) and lot 2 (3 months). Secondly, certain were evaluated, in order to be optimized; the operational parameters cosidered were: day of addition, concentration and hours of harvest. Finally, the combined effect of MeJa (0.3 µM) and SA (100 µM) was determined in different proportions, the day of elicitation and the hours of harvest were constant. Flavonoid content was quantified by UV-vis spectrophotometry usinfg the AlCl3 complexation method and was evaluated at extracellular and intracellular level. In the first part, at intracellular level, SA generated 14.6 % and 9.56 % more flavonoid content than MeJa in lots 1 and 2, respectively. In the second part, 4.14 mg EQ/g DW were generated with MeJa 0.3 µM, elicitation day 5 and harvest at 90 h; 3.75 mg EQ/g DW were generated with 100 µM SA, elicitation day 0 and harvests at 96 h. In the third part, 4.62 mg EQ / g DW were generated with the combination of MeJa (0.3 µM) – SA (100 µM) in a ratio of 20-80, elicitation on day 0 and harvest at 96 h. Eliciting cell cultures of Thevetia peruviana with MeJa and SA under optimal conditions of concentration, day of addition and hours of harvest increased the content of flavonoid compounds. The results obtained could serve as a basis for the development of investigations at the bioreactor scale.Las plantas son la principal fuente para la obtención de metabolitos secundarios que se usan en la industria farmacéutica, cosmética y alimentaria. En la naturaleza el rendimiento de compuestos bioactivos se ve afectado por factores bióticos y abióticos, una alternativa para superar esta adversidad son los cultivos vegetales in vitro y particularmente el cultivo de células en suspensión que presenta múltiples ventajas destacándose la posibilidad de controlar variables para aumentar el contenido de compuestos de interés. El objetivo del presente trabajo de investigación fue determinar y optimizar el efecto de algunos elicitores sobre la producción de metabolitos secundarios tipo flavonoides en cultivos de células en suspensión de Thevetia peruviana a escala de matraz agitado. La parte experimental se realizó a partir de cultivos de células en células en suspensión de T. peruviana que mantenía el laboratorio de bioconversiones de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Medellín. Primeramente, metil jasmonato (MeJa) 3 μM y ácido salicílico (AS) 300 μM se adicionaron a dos lotes de cultivos de células; que circunstancialmente diferían en su tiempo en estado de suspensión lote 1 (9 meses) y lote 2 (3 meses). Segundamente, determinadas condiciones fueron evaluadas, con el fin de ser optimizadas; los parámetros operacionales que se consideraron fueron: día de adición, concentración y las horas de cosecha. Por último, el efecto combinado de MeJa (0,3 μM) – AS (100 μM) se determinó en diferentes proporciones, el día de elicitación y las horas de cosecha fueron constantes. El contenido de flavonoides se cuantificó por espectrofotometría UV – vis por el método de complejación de AlCl3 y se evaluaron a nivel extracelular e intracelular. En la primera parte, a nivel intracelular AS generaron 14,6 % y 9,56 % más contenido de flavonoides que MeJa en lotes 1 y 2, respectivamente. En la segunda parte, 4,14 mg EQ/g MS fueron generados con MeJa 0,3 μM, elicitación día 5 y cosecha a 90 h; por otro lado, 3,75 mg EQ/g MS fueron generados con AS 100 μM, elicitación día 0 y cosecha a 96 h. En la tercera parte, 4,62 mg EQ/g MS fueron generados con la combinación de MeJa (0,3 μM) – AS (100 μM) en proporción 20 – 80, elicitación el día 0 y cosecha a las 96 h. Elicitar cultivos celulares de Thevetia peruviana con MeJa y AS en condiciones óptimas de concentración, día de adición y horas de cosecha incrementaron el contenido de compuestos flavonoides. Los resultados obtenidos podrían servir como base para el desarrollo de investigaciones a escala de biorreactor.Maestrí

Portuguese 16th to Early 18th Century tin Glazed Ceramics Found at the Tagus Estuary Saltpans

UID/NAN/50024/2019 M-ERA-MNT/0002/2015 UIDB/04209/2020 UIDP/04209/2020Salt was extracted from saltpans, in the South shore of Tagus River by evaporation of the salted sea water which penetrates into the estuary. The walls and the bottom of those saltpans were made of local clays to retain the sea water, and ceramic sherds have been used to endure those walls and also to allow people to walk on the saltpans’ walls. Those sherds constitute an example of the ceramics production in Lisbon workshops, starting in the mid-16th century and reaching high levels of quality in the 17th and 18th century. A detailed archaeometric study of 14 selected sherds dated from the 16th to the early 18th century has been made and the conjugation of the information provided by the micro-Raman, XRD and XRF experiments for those sherds and clays collected locally, allowed us the characterisation of the Lisbon ceramics in that period. Three main groups could be identified in the ceramic bodies; all made with locally collected clays of Miocene origin. In the first group, the potters used raw materials from the clay sources located at Santa Catarina area in Lisbon, most probably mixed with Lapa clays, which were fired at a high temperatures, ranging from 850ºC to 950ºC. Gehlenite and quartz are the dominant minerals of these ceramic bodies. In the second and third groups of Lisbon ceramic bodies, made with Prazeres clays, diopside was also detected but with variable amounts of gehlenite. Clay formations mineralogy mainly include kaolinite, muscovite/illite, quartz, calcite, and feldspars (albite and microcline).publishersversionpublishe

Enhancement of the intrinsic fluorescence of ZIF-8 via post-synthetic cation exchange with Cd2+ and its incorporation into PDMS films for selective sulfide optical sensing

In this study, ZIF-8 MOF nanocrystals were synthesized and post-synthetically modified by applying different cation exchange strategies. Addition of cadmium nitrate in either methanol or DMF followed by either magnetic stirring or gentle heating led to the incorporation of a small amount of Cd (II) ions into the crystal structure in most cases, as clearly demonstrated by several characterization techniques including PXRD, SEM-EDS and FT-IR. This novel doped material exhibits a high fluorescence with the maximum emission wavelength at 444 nm upon excitation at 380 nm, which allows its use as an effective optical sensor. The sensing capability of the Cd-doped ZIF-8 material was demonstrated by its exposure to sulfide ions in aqueous solution. The fluorescence of the doped material was gradually quenched as the concentration of S2− was increased. Sensing devices based on mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated by using poly (dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) as a hosting matrix for the Cd-doped ZIF-8 crystals, giving rise to fluorescent sensing films with fast and selective responses against a broad number of potential interferents

Changes in bone Pb accumulation: Cause and effect of altered bone turnover

Notice: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Bone. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Bone, [Vol 64 (2014 Jul)] DOI 10.1016/j.bone.2014.04.021"This paper assesses the magnitude of Pb uptake in cortical and trabecular bones in healthy animals and animals with altered balance in bone turnover, and the impact of exposure to Pb on serum markers of bone formation and resorption. The results reported herein provide physiological evidence that Pb distributes differently in central compartments in Pb metabolism, such as cortical and trabecular bone, in healthy animals and animals with altered balance in bone turnover, and that exposure to Pb does have an impact on bone resorption resulting in OC-dependent osteopenia. These findings show that Pb may play a role in the etiology of osteoporosis and that its concentration in bones varies as a result of altered bone turnover characteristic of this disease, a long standing question in the field. In addition, data collected in this study are consistent with previous observations of increased half-life of Pb in bone at higher exposures. This evidence is relevant for the necessary revision of current physiologically based kinetic models for Pb in humans.

Combinatory action of chitosan-based blended films and loaded cajeput oil against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa-mediated infections

Chronic wounds (CW) have numerous entry ways for pathogen invasion and prosperity, damaging host tissue and hindering tissue remodeling. Essential oils exert quick and efficient antimicrobial (AM) action, unlikely to induce bacterial resistance. Cajeput oil (CJO) has strong AM properties, namely against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chitosan (CS) is a natural and biodegradable cationic polysaccharide, also widely known for its AM features. CS and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films were prepared (ratio 30/70; 9 wt%) by solvent casting and phase inversion method. Films’ thermal stability and chemical composition data reinforce polymer blending. Films were supplemented with 1 and 10 wt% of CJO in relation to total polymeric mass. Loaded films were 23 and 57% thicker, respectively, than the unloaded films. Degree of swelling and porosity also increased, particularly with 10 wt% CJO. AM testing revealed that CS films alone were effective against both bacteria, eradicating all P. aeruginosa within the hour (*** p < 0.001). Still, loaded CS/PVA films showed improved AM traits, being significantly more efficient than unloaded films right after 2 h of contact. This study is the first proof of concept that CJO can be dispersed into CS/PVA films and show bactericidal effects, particularly against P. aeruginosa, this way opening new avenues for CW therapeutics.Authors acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), FEDER funds by means of Portugal 2020 Competitive Factors Operational Program (POCI) and the Portuguese Government (OE) for funding the project PEPTEX with reference PTDC/CTMTEX/28074/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028074). Authors also acknowledge project UID/CTM/00264/2020 of Centre for Textile Science and Technology (2C2T), funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES

Protective Properties in Hymenaea martiana Hayne against Multi-drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Antibiotic resistance represents a widespread problem in milk production. The identification of compounds for a topically applied ointment used in mastitis therapy remains elusive. Compounds from the genus Hymenaea can be administered in cases of multi-drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection for ruminant species, but the protective properties are not well known. Wi this research the aim is verify the protective effects of H. martiana against S. aureus infection in bovine mammary epithelial cell line (MAC-T) and to obtain an antioxidant profile evaluation in vitro. The MAC-T cells were challenged with S. aureus after being exposed to the extract of the H. martiana in the protective assay. For the verification of the viability of the MAC-T cells, the MTT assay was performed, and was used dilutions of the plant extract, starting at 2.5%. The extract of H. martiana was evaluated for antioxidant aspect in different dilutions by FRAP, ORAC and DPPH. A variety of flavonoids (quercetin, luteolin, etc.) have been identified as the main components by using mass spectrometry, reinforcing our in vitro findings that flavonoids, especially quercetin, have a medicinal profile capable of killing mastitis-causing bacteria. An excellent antioxidant pattern was observed in the 2.5% solution; however, membrane integrity in MAC-T cells was compromised. Those findings suggest low dilutions of H. martiana extract has a desirable protective effect from S. aureus pathogenesis. Our in vitro studies can be gleaned upon for further in vivo studies

Errors in protein synthesis increase the level of saturated fatty acids and affect the overall lipid profiles of yeast

The occurrence of protein synthesis errors (mistranslation) above the typical mean mistranslation level of 10-4 is mostly deleterious to yeast, zebrafish and mammal cells. Previous yeast studies have shown that mistranslation affects fitness and deregulates genes related to lipid metabolism, but there is no experimental proof that such errors alter yeast lipid profiles. We engineered yeast strains to misincorporate serine at alanine and glycine sites on a global scale and evaluated the putative effects on the lipidome. Lipids from whole cells were extracted and analysed by thin layer chromatography (TLC), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) and gas chromatography (GC). Oxidative damage, fatty acid desaturation and membrane fluidity changes were screened to identify putative alterations in lipid profiles in both logarithmic (fermentative) and post-diauxic shift (respiratory) phases. There were alterations in several lipid classes, namely lyso-phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, and triglyceride, and in the fatty acid profiles, namely C16:1, C16:0, C18:1 and C18:0. Overall, the relative content of lipid species with saturated FA increased in detriment of those with unsaturated fatty acids. The expression of the OLE1 mRNA was deregulated, but phospholipid fluidity changes were not observed. These data expand current knowledge of mistranslation biology and highlight its putative roles in human diseases.publishe

Polar lipids of commercial Ulva spp. of different origins: profiling and relevance for seaweed valorization

Macroalgae of the genus Ulva have long been used as human food. Local environmental conditions, among other factors, can have an impact on their nutrient and phytochemical composition, as well as on the value of the seaweed for food and non-food applications. This study is the first to initiate a comparison between commercial Ulva spp. from different European origins, France (FR, wild-harvested Ulva spp.), and Portugal (PT, farm-raised Ulva rigida), in terms of proximate composition, esterified fatty acids (FA), and polar lipids. The ash content was higher in PT samples, while FR samples had higher levels of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates and other compounds. The profile of esterified FA, as well as FA-containing polar lipids at the class and species levels were also significantly different. The FR samples showed about three-fold higher amount of n-3 polyunsaturated FA, while PT samples showed two-fold higher content of monounsaturated FA. Quantification of glycolipids and phospholipids revealed, respectively, two-fold and three-fold higher levels in PT samples. Despite the differences found, the polar lipids identified in both batches included some lipid species with recognized bioactivity, valuing Ulva biomass with functional properties, increasing their added value, and promoting new applications, namely in nutraceutical and food markets.UIDB/50011/2020+UIDP/50011/2020, UID/QUI/00062/2019, UIDB/50006/2020, UIDB/50017/2020+UIDP/50017/2020, LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-402-022125, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030962, BPD/UI51/5041/2017, BPD/UI51/5042/2018; EC/H2020/727892/EUinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio