Browsing by Author "Magalhaes, Solange"
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- Cellulose-based edible films for probiotic entrapmentPublication . Singh, Poonam; Magalhaes, Solange; Alves, Luis; Antunes, Filipe; Miguel, Maria; Lindman, Bjorn; Medronho, BrunoEncapsulation with edible films is a promising approach that may solve the disadvantages associated with the use of bioactive compounds as food additives. This is particularly relevant in the case of probiotics, since their stability in food matrices and in the gastrointestinal tract may be rather poor. Therefore, new cellulose-based edible films have been successfully developed and characterized. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) were used for the film preparation and cross-linked with citric acid (CA) under reasonably mild conditions. Model probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) were incorporated in the films either during the film formation and casting or after the film synthesis, via bacteria diffusion and adsorption. The later approach could efficiently entrap and preserve viable bacteria. The mechanical properties and swelling ability could be tuned by varying the HEC/CMC ratio and the amount of CA. Moreover, the surface area and total pore volume of the films considerably decreased after cross-linking. Overall, these novel films are regarded as promising inexpensive and friendly matrices for food protection and packaging applications.
- From a new cellulose solvent to the cyclodextrin induced formation of hydrogelsPublication . Medronho, Bruno; Duarte, Hugo; Magalhaes, Solange; Alves, Luis; Valente, Artur J. M.; Romano, AnabelaA new efficient solvent for cellulose dissolution was developed based on the mixture of aqueous tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, TBAH(aq) and an organic co-solvent, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Clear cellulose solutions were readily obtained at mild conditions in a few minutes. The viscoeleastic properties of the dopes formed are found to be dependent on the cellulose content and TBAH(aq)/DMSO ratio. Additionally, stiff hydrogels are formed when adding beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) to the cellulose dopes. The formation of a host-guest complex between the beta-CD and the tetrabutylammonium cations (TBA(+)), which presumably destabilizes the cellulose solution state triggering the hydrogel formation, is suggested as mechanism. The robust hydrogels formed have been characterized regarding their viscoelasticity, microscopic morphology and release properties. The kinetics and released amount of the TBA(+) from the cellulose gel matrixes are found to be strongly dependent on the balance between average pore diameter, surface area and free volume of the hydrogels. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
- New deep eutectic solvent assisted extraction of highly pure lignin from maritime pine sawdust (Pinus pinaster Ait.)Publication . Fernandes, Catarina; Melro, Elodie; Magalhaes, Solange; Alves, Luis; Craveiro, Rita; Filipe, Alexandra; Valente, Artur J. M.; Martins, Gabriela; Antunes, Filipe E.; Romano, Anabela; Medronho, BrunoLignocellulosic biomass is a renewable and sustainable feedstock, mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Lignin, as the most abundant natural aromatic polymer occurring on Earth, has great potential to produce value-added products. However, the isolation of highly pure lignin from biomass requires the use of efficient methods during lignocellulose fractionation. Therefore, in this work, novel acidic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were prepared, characterized and screened for lignin extraction from maritime pine wood (Pinus pinaster Ait.) sawdust. The use of cosolvents and the development of new DES were also evaluated regarding their extraction and selectivity performance. The results show that an 1 h extraction process at 175 ?C, using a novel DES composed of lactic acid, tartaric acid and choline chloride, named Lact:Tart:ChCl, in a molar ratio of 4:1:1, allows the recovery of 95 wt% of the total lignin present in pine biomass with a purity of 89 wt%. Such superior extraction of lignin with remarkable purity using a ?green? solvent system makes this process highly appealing for future large-scale applications. ? 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.