Browsing by Author "Liberti, Davide"
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- Beyond bioremediation: the untapped potential of microalgae in wastewater treatmentPublication . Liberti, Davide; Pinheiro, Filipa; Simões, Beatriz; Varela, João; Barreira, LuísaMicroalgae-based wastewater bioremediation has emerged as a promising and sustainable solution for water purification by harnessing the natural ability of microalgae to absorb and transform pollutants. In the literature, it is possible to find diverse microalgae applications in wastewater treatment, highlighting their efficiency in nutrient removal, heavy metal sequestration, and overall water quality enhancement. Although microalgae demonstrate remarkable potential for wastewater treatment, there is a critical gap in research concerning the utilization of biomass produced during the treatment process, including large-scale biomass harvesting methods, economic viability assessments, and the exploration of innovative downstream applications. By shedding light on these deficiencies, the aim of this review is to encourage further research and development to maximize the potential of microalgae in removing wastewater pollution and the application of biomass derived from the treatment. In conclusion, this review not only underscores the overall efficiency of microalgae in wastewater bioremediation but also emphasizes the necessity of a more comprehensive approach that considers the full lifecycle of microalgae, from wastewater treatment to innovative applications of biomass, addressing both environmental and economic concerns.
- Microalgae flocculation: assessment of extraction yields and biological activityPublication . Imbimbo, Paola; Ferrara, Alfonso; Giustino, Enrica; Liberti, Davide; Monti, Daria MariaDownstream costs represent one of the main obstacles to enabling microalgae to become widespread. The development of an economical, easily scaled-up strategy could reduce the overall process costs. Here, different flocculants were tested on different microalgae strains and a cyanobacterium. The results indicate that flocculation could be an alternative to centrifugation, as CaCl2 induced a complete flocculation of green and red marine strains (96 +/- 4% and 87.0 +/- 0.5%, respectively), whereas Chitosan was the only agent able to induce flocculation on the cyanobacterium (46 +/- 1%). As for the thermoacidophilic red microalga, 100% flocculation was achieved only by increasing the pH. Carotenoids were extracted from the flocculated biomass, and the strategy improved with the use of the wet biomass. The results indicate that flocculation does not affect carotenoid yield, which is at least the same than that obtained upon centrifugation and extraction from the wet biomass. Then, for the first time, the biological activity of the extracts obtained from the flocculated biomasses was evaluated. The results indicate that only the green microalga extract shows increased antioxidant activity. In conclusion, this work highlights that a general downstream procedure cannot be developed for microalgae strains but should be rationally tailored.
- Pulmonaria mollis: rediscovering a forgotten edible plant through phytochemical profiling and bioactivity assessmentPublication . Srećković, Nikola; Monti, Daria Maria; Liberti, Davide; Mišić, Danijela; Gašić, Uroš; Matić, Sanja Lj; Mihailović, VladimirPulmonaria species were historically valued as traditional remedies for respiratory ailments and as wild food, yet their culinary and medicinal applications have largely been forgotten. Among them, Pulmonaria mollis remains underinvestigated, with scarce phytochemical and pharmacological data. This study aimed to fill this gap by investigating the phenolic composition and biological activities of methanol extracts from the aerial parts (PMA) and roots (PMR) of P. mollis. UHPLC–MS4 Orbitrap analysis identified 59 compounds, mostly phenolic acids. Quantitative profiling by UHPLC/DAD/(− )HESI-MS/MS showed PMA was rich in rosmarinic acid (4508.27 μg/ g), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (605.70 μg/g), and caffeic acid (325.42 μg/g), whereas PMR contained higher levels of salvianolic acids A (2311.09 μg/g) and B (4697.98 μg/g). Along with significant antioxidant activity confirmed by standard spectrophotometric assays, where PMR showed slightly stronger radical scavenging capacity, both extracts effectively protected DNA from hydroxyl- and peroxyl-induced oxidative damage. In enzyme inhibition assays, both extracts demonstrated α-amylase inhibitory effects, while PMR showed particularly potent α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 = 14.00 μg/mL), outperforming acarbose. Moderate antibacterial and antifungal activities were also observed, with PMR generally more effective, whereas cytotoxicity testing indicated selective activity against A431 (IC50 values of 178 ± 11 μg/mL and 64 ± 3 μg/mL for PMA and PMR, respectively) cells without affecting normal cells. Overall, the findings highlight P. mollis as a promising candidate for development into functional foods and nutraceuticals aimed at chronic disease prevention, providing valuable phenolic compounds and biological properties that support its potential use as an alternative to the commonly used Pulmonaria officinalis.
- Shedding light on the hidden benefit of Porphyridium cruentum culturePublication . Liberti, Davide; Imbimbo, Paola; Giustino, Enrica; D’Elia, Luigi; Silva, Mélanie; Barreira, Luísa; Monti, Daria MariaMicroalgae can represent a reliable source of natural compounds with different activities. Here, we evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of sulfated exopolysaccharides (s-EPSs) and phycoerythrin (PE), two molecules naturally produced by the red marine microalga Porphyridium cruentum (CCALA415). In vitro and cell-based assays were performed to assess the biological activities of these compounds. The s-EPSs, owing to the presence of sulfate groups, showed biocompatibility on immortalized eukaryotic cell lines and a high antioxidant activity on cell-based systems. PE showed powerful antioxidant activity both in vitro and on cell-based systems, but purification is mandatory for its safe use. Finally, both molecules showed anti-inflammatory activity comparable to that of ibuprofen and helped tissue regeneration. Thus, the isolated molecules from microalgae represent an excellent source of antioxidants to be used in different fields.