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Citrus production produces about 15 million tons of by-products/waste worldwide every year. Due to their high content of bioactive compounds, several extraction techniques can be applied to obtain extracts rich in valuable compounds and... more
Citrus production produces about 15 million tons of by-products/waste worldwide every year. Due to their high content of bioactive compounds, several extraction techniques can be applied to obtain extracts rich in valuable compounds and further application into food applications. Distillation and solvent extraction continues to be the most used and applied extraction techniques, followed by newer techniques such as microwave-assisted extraction and pulsed electric field extraction. Although the composition of these extracts and essential oils directly depends on the edaphoclimatic conditions to which the fruit/plant was exposed, the main active compounds are D-limonene, carotenoids, and carbohydrates. Pectin, one of the most abundant carbohydrates present in Citrus peels, can be used as a biodegradable polymer to develop new food packaging, and the extracted bioactive compounds can be easily added directly or indirectly to foods to increase their shelf-life. One of the applications ...
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Food Packaging: Main functions (Protection; Increase shelf-life; Maintain organoleptic properties); Non-biodegradable materials.N/
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Among the most important agro-industrial activities in the Mediterranean basin, olive oil production has a high impact on the economy of many Mediterranean countries. However, olive oil extraction generates huge quantities of byproducts,... more
Among the most important agro-industrial activities in the Mediterranean basin, olive oil production has a high impact on the economy of many Mediterranean countries. However, olive oil extraction generates huge quantities of byproducts, including leaves, pomace residues, stones and wastewater, which have severe environmental impacts mainly because of their phytotoxicity and great organic content. Olive oil byproducts are regarded as inexpensive and abundant raw materials rich in bioactive compounds with high and varied health-related activities. Several phenolic compounds and terpenoids were recovered from olive byproducts using different conventional and advanced extraction methods due to their potential to be used in food, packaging, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Recently, the use of olive byproducts and their functional compounds to enhance the functional properties of packaging systems was investigated as a sustainable strategy for food preservation, fostering the sustainability of the olive-oil chain, and promoting circular economy. In this framework, the main goals of this review are to summarize the main bioactive compounds in olive byproducts, to review the main advancements in their extraction, purification, and characterization, and finally to discuss their applications in food packaging systems as well as safety-related aspects.
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Este trabalho foi financiado pelo projeto de investigacao “i.FILM- Multifunctional Films for Intelligent and Active Applications” (no 17921), cofinanciado pelo Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) atraves do Programa... more
Este trabalho foi financiado pelo projeto de investigacao “i.FILM- Multifunctional Films for Intelligent and Active Applications” (no 17921), cofinanciado pelo Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) atraves do Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao no âmbito do Programa “Portugal 2020” (Sistema de Incentivos a Investigacao e Desenvolvimento Tecnologico (SI I&DT), Aviso no 33/SI/2015, Projetos em CoPromocao). Mariana Andrade e Joao Reboleira agradecem a bolsa de investigacao (2016/iFILM/BM) no âmbito do projeto iFILM. Adicionalmente, os investigadores MARE-IPLeiria agradecem o financiamento da Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), atraves do programa estrategico UID/MAR/04292/2013 concedido ao MARE.
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Novel sodium caseinate films incorporating furfural and date seed oil (DSO) were produced. The effects of furfural and DSO contents on the functional and physical properties of the composite films were assessed using response surface... more
Novel sodium caseinate films incorporating furfural and date seed oil (DSO) were produced. The effects of furfural and DSO contents on the functional and physical properties of the composite films were assessed using response surface methodology.
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This study assessed the ability of two bio-based films, obtained from sodium alginate (NaAlg) and locust bean gum (LBG), to protect the viability of Wickerhamomyces anomalus cells and control the growth of Penicillium digitatum. The... more
This study assessed the ability of two bio-based films, obtained from sodium alginate (NaAlg) and locust bean gum (LBG), to protect the viability of Wickerhamomyces anomalus cells and control the growth of Penicillium digitatum. The effect of microbial cell incorporation on physical properties of the developed films was evaluated in terms of barrier, mechanical and optical properties. Furthermore, the application of these two matrices as bioactive coatings was investigated in order to evaluate their efficacy in preserving the postharvest quality of 'Valencia' oranges and inhibiting the growth of P. digitatum on artificially inoculated fruits. Results showed that NaAlg and LBG films were able to maintain more than 85% of the initial W. anomalus yeast population and that the developed films incorporating the killer yeast completely inhibited the growth of P. digitatum in synthetic medium. Likewise, NaAlg and LBG coatings enriched with W. anomalus yeast were effective at reduci...
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This work was carried out in the frame of the VIPACFood project, funded by ARIMNet2 (Coordination of Agricultural Research in the Mediterranean; 2014-2017), an ERA-NET Action financed by the European Union under the Seventh Framework... more
This work was carried out in the frame of the VIPACFood project, funded by ARIMNet2 (Coordination of Agricultural Research in the Mediterranean; 2014-2017), an ERA-NET Action financed by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme. Mariana Andrade is grateful for her research grant (SFRH/BD/138730/2018) funded by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT).
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Chondroitin sulfate (CS) and glucosamine (G), belonging to glycosaminoglycans, are essential extracellular components of the cartilage and provide stimulation for biosynthesis of proteoglycans, which play a vital role in maintaining... more
Chondroitin sulfate (CS) and glucosamine (G), belonging to glycosaminoglycans, are essential extracellular components of the cartilage and provide stimulation for biosynthesis of proteoglycans, which play a vital role in maintaining cartilage integrity and function. The chemical structure and source characteristics of CS and G, as well as their extraction and purification processes, lead to a broad range of biological activities, and consequently various nutraceutical, therapeutic, and pharmacological applications. CS and G have been extensively marketed as prescription drugs or nutraceuticals for the management of osteoarthritis (OA). Despite variability among trials, clinical studies reported the safety and favorable role of CS and G in improving the quality of life determinants in OA patients as well as their structure-modifying effects. This chapter reviews the sources, biochemical properties, role, and safety of CS and G and discusses the main findings of clinical trials.
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O presente trabalho insere-se no projeto VIPACFood. Este projeto e financiado pelo ARIMNet2 (Coordination of Agricultural Research in the Mediterranean; 2014-2017), uma acao ERA-NET financiada pela Uniao Europeia (7o Programa Quadro).
In the present study, the effect of Ecbalium elaterium seed oil on adhesion, migration and proliferation of human brain cancer cell line (U87) was determined. Treatment of U87 cell line with the seed oil resulted in strong inhibition of... more
In the present study, the effect of Ecbalium elaterium seed oil on adhesion, migration and proliferation of human brain cancer cell line (U87) was determined. Treatment of U87 cell line with the seed oil resulted in strong inhibition of their adhesion to fibrinogen (Fg), fibronectin (Fn). It also reduced their migration and proliferation in a dose-dependent manner without being cytotoxic. Concomitantly, by using Matrigel assays, the oil significantly inhibited angiogenesis. The antitumor effect of the oil is specifically mediated by avb3 and a5b1 integrins. The presence of integrin antagonists in seed oil from E. elaterium could be used for the development of anticancer drugs with targeted “multi-modal” therapies combining anti-adhesif, antiproliferative, antimetastasic and anti-angiogenic, approaches. ã 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. Available online at
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Fruit by-products have a low economic value and have proven biological activities, such as antioxidant capacity due to the presence of active compounds. The main objective of this study was to obtain and determine the antioxidant... more
Fruit by-products have a low economic value and have proven biological activities, such as antioxidant capacity due to the presence of active compounds. The main objective of this study was to obtain and determine the antioxidant capacity, through DPPH radical assay and β-carotene bleaching assay, of three food grade extracts from apple, lemon, and orange industrial by-products. Furthermore, the extracts were characterized by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). LC with diode array detector (LC-DAD) was used for the quantification of the main polyphenols. Lemon extract presented the highest inhibition percentage of DPPH radical (51.7%) and the highest total phenolics content (43.4 mg GAE/g) from the by-products studied. Orange by-product was that with the higher number of polyphenols while lemon extract was that with the highest content of individual phenolics. The by-product obtained from the lemon was that with higher amounts of ...
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Natural polymers have been widely investigated for the development of eco-friendly materials. Among these bio-polymers, cactus mucilage is attracting increasing interest regardless of the plant species or the plant organ used for... more
Natural polymers have been widely investigated for the development of eco-friendly materials. Among these bio-polymers, cactus mucilage is attracting increasing interest regardless of the plant species or the plant organ used for extraction. Mucilage, which is a highly branched heteropolysaccharide, has been previously studied for its chemical composition, structural features, and biotechnological applications. This review highlights the mucilage application in the food packaging industry, by developing films and coatings. These cactus-based biomaterials will be discussed for their functional properties and their potential in preserving food quality and extending shelf life.
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... is still needed to verify the antimicrobial properties of the blend chitosan-whey protein ... Combined use of casein-whey protein based coatings and irradiation may have a synergistic ... of the food by dipping, dusting or spraying... more
... is still needed to verify the antimicrobial properties of the blend chitosan-whey protein ... Combined use of casein-whey protein based coatings and irradiation may have a synergistic ... of the food by dipping, dusting or spraying may result in rapidly lost antimicrobial activity due to ...
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In recent years, considerable attention has been directed toward natural essential oils (EOs), as a promising approach for controlling postharvest decay in perishable fruits and reducing chemical-based treatments. However, the use of... more
In recent years, considerable attention has been directed toward natural essential oils (EOs), as a promising approach for controlling postharvest decay in perishable fruits and reducing chemical-based treatments. However, the use of these compounds is often limited due to their intense aroma and their potential toxicity. The incorporation of EOs into edible coating formulations has been investigated as an effective approach to solve some of these problems, by lowering the diffusion processes and maintaining high concentrations of active molecules on the surface of the fruit. Biodegradable coatings based on chitosan incorporating either bergamot or bitter orange EOs at different concentrations were evaluated against Aspergillus flavus, under in vitro conditions, in terms of mycelium growth and spore germination inhibition, and under in vivo condition on inoculated cherry tomatoes, stored at 20°C. A mixture based on chitosan-2% bergamot essential oil proved to be the most affective c...
The flow properties of sodium caseinate (NaCAS) film-forming dispersions were studied as a function of protein and glycerol concentration. Apparent viscosity vs. concentration profiles showed a disruption at about 10% (wt/wt) NaCAS. This... more
The flow properties of sodium caseinate (NaCAS) film-forming dispersions were studied as a function of protein and glycerol concentration. Apparent viscosity vs. concentration profiles showed a disruption at about 10% (wt/wt) NaCAS. This was interpreted in terms of protein-water and protein-protein interactions. The presence of glycerol in the NaCAS film-forming suspensions reduced the viscosity of aqueous NaCAS as a consequence of decreasing protein-protein and protein-solvent interactions through the hydrogen bonding formation between the glycerol, the polypeptide chain of NaCAS, and water molecules. For higher concentration of glycerol, viscosity of NaCAS dispersions increased as a result of increasing total solid content. The glass transition temperature for solid films of 10% (wt/wt) NaCAS decreased with the glycerol content. The glycerol-protein interactions reduced the protein-protein interaction and, thus, increased the intermolecular spacing, leading to higher protein chain...