Browsing by Author "Reis, Catarina Pinto"
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- Combination of hyaluronic acid and PLGA particles as hybrid systems for viscosupplementation in osteoarthritisPublication . Mota, Ana Henriques; Direito, Rosa; Carrasco, Marta P.; Rijo, Patricia; Ascensao, Lia; Viana, Ana Silveira; Rocha, Joao; Eduardo-Figueira, Maria; Rodrigues, Maria Joao; Custódio, Luísa; Kuplennik, Nataliya; Sosnik, Alejandro; Almeida, Antonio Jose; Gaspar, Maria Manuela; Reis, Catarina PintoHyaluronic acid (HA) is commonly used through intra-articular administration for viscosupplementation in osteoarthritis and other disorders. HA is generally supplied as an injection commonly reported as painful, with strong limitations after treatment. In this study, an alternative delivery system was constructed based on HA hydrogel and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) particles with oleic acid. Development studies included the determination of particle toxicity, hemolytic activity, in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity using macrophages and a murine model, respectively. This study showed that empty PLGA particles presented a mean size of 373 nm, while particles containing HA and oleic acid showed a marked particle size increase. The HA association efficiency was of 73.6% and 86.2% for PLGA particles without and with oleic acid, respectively. The in vitro HA release from PLGA particles revealed a sustained profile. Particles showed a good in vitro cell compatibility and the risk of hemolysis was less < 1%, ensuring their safety. The in vivo anti-inflammatory study showed a higher inhibition for HA-loaded PLGA particles when compared to HA solution (78% versus 60%) and they were not different from the positive control, clearly suggesting that this formulation may be a promising alternative to the current HA commercial dosage form.
- Exploring the potential of using Marine-Derived Ingredients: From the extraction to Cutting-Edge CosmeticsPublication . Costa, João Pedro; L, Custódio; Reis, Catarina PintoThe growing understanding and knowledge of the potential of marine species, as well as the application of “blue biotechnology” have been motivating new innovative solutions in cosmetics. It is widely noted that that marine species are important sources of compounds with several biological activities that are yet to be discovered. This review explores various biological properties of marine-derived molecules and briefly outlines the main extraction methods. Alongside these, it is well known the legislative and normative framework of cosmetics is increasingly being developed. In this research segment, there is a growing concern with sustainability. In this sense, “blue biotechnology”, together with the use of invasive species or marine waste products to obtain new active ingredients, haven been emerging as innovative and sustainable solutions for the future’s cosmetics industry. This review also examines the regulatory framework and focus on the recent advancements in “blue biotechnology” and its relevance to the sustainable development of innovative cosmetics.
- If you cannot beat them, join them: exploring the fruits of the invasive species Carpobrotus edulis (L.) NE Br as a source of bioactive productsPublication . Castañeda-Loaiza, Viana; Placines, Chloé; Rodrigues, Maria João; Pereira, Catarina; Zengin, Gokhan; Uysal, Ahmet; Jeko, Jozsef; Cziaky, Zoltan; Reis, Catarina Pinto; Gaspar, Maria Manuela; Custódio, LuísaThe halophyte species Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E. Br, also known as Hottentot-fig, is one of the 20 most aggressive invasive species of coastal areas worldwide. It is native to South Africa, where it is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases, including tuberculosis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Aiming at a sustainable use of its biomass as a value-added product, this work reports for the first time the in vitro antioxidant, anti-microbial, enzymatic inhibitory properties and toxicity of peel and flesh extracts of Hottentot-fig mature fruits. The extracts' chemical composition was also determined by spectrophotometric methods (total contents of phenolics: TPC; flavonoids: TFC and tannins: TTC), and by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The peels' extracts had generally the highest TPC, TFC and TTC, especially the ethanol ones (TPC: 272.82 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight (DW), TFC: 1.58 mg quercetin equivalents (QE)/g DW and TTC: 20.3 mg catechin equivalents (CE)/g DW). The peels' extracts also had the highest diversity of compounds, mostly phenolic acids, flavonoids, and coumarins, as identified by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Some molecules were specific to a particular fruit part, for example, coumaric acid and uvaol in the peel, and vanillin and kaempferol-O-(rhamnosyl)hexosylhexoside in the flesh. Some compounds are here described for the first time in Hottentot-fig, such as azelaic acid and emodin. The peel's extracts had the highest anti radical activity, especially the ethanol and acetone towards 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 0.59 and 0.88 mg/mL, respectively), and the acetone extract against 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) (IC50 = 0.56 mg/mL). Samples had nil capacity to chelate iron, a low copper chelation potential, but a significant capacity to reduce iron, especially the ethanol (IC50 = 0.09 mg/mL) and the acetone extracts of peels (IC50 = 0.10 mg/mL) and flesh (IC50 = 0.11 mg/mL) and also the water peel's extracts (IC50 = 0.18 mg/mL). Samples had nil to low activity towards the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, but displayed a strong inhibition of tyrosinase, especially the ethanol peel's extracts (29.55 mg kojic acid equivalents (KAE)/g). Samples had nil to low in vitro toxicity towards human keratinocytes. All together our results suggests possible novel biotechnological applications of Hottentot-fig fruits as sources of innovative bioactive ingredients for the food, cosmetic, agriculture and/or pharmaceutical industries.
- Marine natural products as innovative cosmetic ingredientsPublication . Fonseca, Sara; Amaral, Mariana Neves; Reis, Catarina Pinto; L, CustódioOver the course of the last 20 years, numerous studies have identified the benefits of an array of marine natural ingredients for cosmetic purposes, as they present unique characteristics not found in terrestrial organisms. Consequently, several marine-based ingredients and bioactive compounds are under development, used or considered for skin care and cosmetics. Despite the multitude of cosmetics based on marine sources, only a small proportion of their full potential has been exploited. Many cosmetic industries have turned their attention to the sea to obtain innovative marine-derived compounds for cosmetics, but further research is needed to determine and elucidate the benefits. This review gathers information on the main biological targets for cosmetic ingredients, different classes of marine natural products of interest for cosmetic applications, and the organisms from which such products can be sourced. Although organisms from different phyla present different and varied bioactivities, the algae phylum seems to be the most promising for cosmetic applications, presenting compounds of many classes. In fact, some of these compounds present higher bioactivities than their commercialized counterparts, demonstrating the potential presented by marine-derived compounds for cosmetic applications (i.e., Mycosporine-like amino acids and terpenoids’ antioxidant activity). This review also summarizes the major challenges and opportunities faced by marine-derived cosmetic ingredients to successfully reach the market. As a future perspective, we consider that fruitful cooperation among academics and cosmetic industries could lead to a more sustainable market through responsible sourcing of ingredients, implementing ecological manufacturing processes, and experimenting with inventive recycling and reuse programs.
- A newfangled collagenase inhibitor topical formulation based on Ethosomes with Sambucus nigra L. ExtractPublication . Mota, Ana Henriques; Prazeres, Inês; Mestre, Henrique; Bento-Silva, Andreia; Rodrigues, Maria Joao; Duarte, Noélia; Serra, Ana Teresa; Bronze, Maria Rosário; Rijo, Patrícia; Gaspar, Maria Manuela; Viana, Ana Silveira; Ascensão, Lia; Pinto, Pedro; Kumar, Pradeep; Almeida, António José; Reis, Catarina PintoSambucus nigra L. (S. nigra) is a shrub widespread in Europe and western Asia, traditionally used in medicine, that has become popular in recent years as a potential source of a wide range of interesting bioactive compounds. The aim of the present work was to develop a topical S. nigra extract formulation based on ethosomes and thus to support its health claims with scientific evidence. S. nigra extract was prepared by an ultrasound-assisted method and then included in ethosomes. The ethosomes were analyzed in terms of their size, stability over time, morphology, entrapment capacity (EC), extract release profile, stability over time and several biological activities. The prepared ethosomes were indicated to be well defined, presenting sizes around 600 nm. The extract entrapment capacity in ethosomes was 73.9 ± 24.8%, with an interesting slow extract release profile over 24 h. The extract-loaded ethosomes presented collagenase inhibition activity and a very good skin compatibility after human application. This study demonstrates the potential use of S. nigra extract incorporated in ethosomes as a potential cosmeceutical ingredient and on further studies should be performed to better understand the impact of S. nigra compounds on skin care over the time.
- Synchronous insight of in vitro and in vivo biological activities of Sambucus nigra L. extracts for industrial usesPublication . Mota, Ana Henriques; Andrade, Joana M.; Rodrigues, Maria Joao; Custódio, Luísa; Bronze, Maria Rosario; Duarte, Noelia; Baby, Andre; Rocha, Joao; Gaspar, Maria Manuela; Simoes, Sandra; Carvalheiro, Manuela; Fattal, Elias; Almeida, Antonio Jose; Reis, Catarina PintoThere is a re-emerging interest in natural products as reputable sources of new active pharmaceutical ingredients. This study synchronously reports in vitro, with more than one cell line, and in vivo biological activities of extracts obtained from Sambucus nigra. Using several solvents and techniques, eighteen extracts were obtained from fresh and dried berries, and fresh flowers. The flavonoid content and identification were determined using HPLC-MS/MS. The extracts were then screened for antioxidant activity, total polyphenol content, collagenase, elastase, tyrosinase and acetylcholinesterase inhibition as well as photoprotection. In vitro and in vivo (murine model) anti-inflammatory activity and cytotoxicity (skin and monocytic cells) were also studied. The most promising extracts were those obtained from fresh flowers using either ultrasounds or methanol. These extracts showed similar results to positive controls, particularly the antioxidant activity (74.5 +/- 1.6 %), collagenase inhibition (93.6 +/- 0.6 %), photoprotection (Sun Protection Factor > 50), in vitro anti-inflammatory activity (96.9 +/- 2.9 %), as well as oral/topical anti-inflammatory activity. The ultrasounds/ethanol extract of fresh flowers presented higher collagenase inhibition (88.3 +/- 2.8 %) and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity (101.8 +/- 1.5 %). Cytotoxicity testing confirmed the safety. Chemical characterization allowed the deduction of a correlation between extract composition and biological activities, suggesting a straightforward application in the development of novel products subject to further investigation.