Percorrer por autor "Rey, Felisa"
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- Fatty acid profiles of cultured hippocampus hippocampus trunk muscles and potential nutritional valuePublication . Cabral, Ana Elisa; Rey, Felisa; Domingues, M. Rosário; Cabral, Miguel; Planas, Miquel; Palma, Jorge; Calado, RicardoSyngnathids (seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons) are an attractive resource for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Despite few scientific studies supporting seahorse nutritional benefits, they are believed to possess medicinal properties that enhance human health. The European short-snout seahorse Hippocampus hippocampus is classified as Data Deficient by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Nevertheless, there are increasing records of this species being illegally captured and traded to supply TCM. This study investigated the fatty acid (FA) profiles of the trunk muscles of cultured female and male H. hippocampus, to assess sex and intraspecific variation, as well as their potential nutritional value. The contents of crude lipid (4.05 +/- 2.15% dry weight, DW in females and 2.82 +/- 1.48% DW in males) and phospholipid (8.23 +/- 3.34 mu g mg(-1) DW in females and 7.91 +/- 2.36 mu g mg(-1) DW in males) were not significantly different between the two sexes. The absolute FA compositions of H. hippocampus trunk muscles revealed higher mean values for FA 16:0, 18:0, 18:1 n-9 and 22:6 n-3 (DHA), in both female (2.82 +/- 1.11, 1.81 +/- 0.89, 0.90 +/- 0.41 and 0.93 +/- 0.35 mu g mg(-1) DW, respectively) and male specimens (1.99 +/- 0.95, 1.52 +/- 0.78, 0.74 +/- 0.44 and 0.80 +/- 0.41 mu g mg(-1) DW, respectively). In terms of FA classes, saturated fatty acids (SFA) showed the highest absolute value of the total pool of FA, for both sexes (4.73 +/- 1.94 mu g mg(-1) DW in females and 3.58 +/- 1.76 mu g mg(-1) DW in males). Males tended to exhibit a more suitable profile for human nutrition, displaying a lower atherogenic index (AI) and thrombogenic index (TI). The relative composition of H. hippocampus trunk muscles followed the patterns of seahorse species valued in TCM, with DHA ranking amongst the PUFA with higher mean relative abundances (12.0% of total FA). While seahorse FA profiles may be of interest in terms of their nutritional value for humans, only specimens originating from sustainable production practices should be traded and the conservation of their populations in the wild should continue to be a global priority.
- Light modulates the lipidome of the photosynthetic sea slug Elysia timidaPublication . Rey, Felisa; Cartaxana, Paulo; Aveiro, Susana; Greenacre, Michael; Melo, Tânia; Domingues, Pedro; Domingues, M. Rosário; Cruz, SóniaLong-term kleptoplasty, the capability to retain functional stolen chloroplasts (kleptoplasts) for several weeks to months, has been shown in a handful of Sacoglossa sea slugs. One of these sea slugs is Elysia timida, endemic to the Mediterranean, which retains functional chloroplasts of the macroalga Acetabularia acetabulum. To understand how light modulates the lipidome of E. timida, sea slug specimens were subjected to two different 4-week light treatments: regular light and quasi-dark conditions. Lipidomic analyses were performed by HILIC-HR-ESIMS and MS/MS. Quasi-dark conditions caused a reduction in the amount of essential lipids for photosynthetic membranes, such as glycolipids, indicating high level of kleptoplast degradation under sub-optimal light conditions. However, maximum photosynthetic capacities (Fv/Fm) were identical in both light treatments (≈0.75), showing similar kleptoplast functionality and suggesting that older kleptoplasts were targeted for degradation. Although more stable, the phospholipidome showed differences between light treatments: the amount of certain lipid species of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) decreased under quasi-dark conditions, while other lipid species of phosphatidylcholine (PC), PE and lyso-PE (LPE) increased. Quasi-dark conditions promoted a decrease in the relative abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These results suggest a light-driven remodelling of the lipidome according to the functions of the different lipids and highlight the plasticity of polar lipids in the photosynthetic sea slug E. timida.
- Lipidomic fingerprinting of the red seaweed Asparagopsis spp. evidencing specific profiling in gametophyte and tetrasporophyte life stagesPublication . Lopes, Diana; Rey, Felisa; Melo, Tânia; Pinho, Marisa; Moreira, Ana S.P.; Pes, Katia; Mata, Leonardo; Domingues, M. RosárioIn recent years, there has been a growing interest in seaweed biomass for multiple industrial applications due to their broad spectrum of high-value nutrients and bioactive metabolites. Seaweed lipids, and particularly the polar lipids, are a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which have been reported to possess various biological activities, and are a sustainable alternative to fish oils. However, the profile of polar lipids in seaweeds is still understudied and therefore it is crucial to expand the knowledge of the lipidome of seaweeds, particularly of those with commercial potential, including the invasive species such as Asparagopsis sp. These invasive species produce a large biomass, making it a sustainable strategy for reducing its abundance, which would result in both environmental and economic benefits. This study aimed to comprehensively characterize the fatty acids and polar lipid profile of the two Asparagopsis species (A. armata and A. taxiformis), across two life stages (gametophyte and tetrasporophyte) and two different origins (wild and cultivated), using highly sensitive mass spectrometry-based approaches. Our study provides the first detailed characterization of the polar lipidome of Asparagopsis species and revealed that the gametophyte stage exhibited a greater number of polar lipid species than the tetrasporophyte stage. The phosphatidylcholine and the sulfoquinovosyl-diacylglycerol classes are the most abundant in all the samples studied. Although the lipidome of A. armata and A. taxiformis from the gametophyte stage showed similar distributions, variations in the relative abundance of lipid molecular species were observed. The statistical analysis of all A. armata specimens revealed that the lipid profile of samples from the same life stage were similar, regardless of their distinct origin (i.e., wild and cultivated). Furthermore, several polar lipid species with reported bioactivity were identified in Asparagopsis spp., providing insights into the lipid composition of these invasive species and their potential for further biotechnological applications. However, given the low absolute content of lipids in Asparagopsis species, it is unlikely to be viable to use nuisance or farmed biomass as a source of lipids alone.
- Supply and larval traits at metamorphosis of a coastal marine invertebrate with a bi-phasic life cycle under contrasting oceanographic conditionsPublication . Rey, Felisa; Silva Neto, Gina M.; Bueno-Pardo, Juan; Bispo, Regina; Calado, RicardoPatterns of larval supply and larval condition at metamorphosis play key roles in the structure and dynamics of marine populations. Hence, biological and environmental conditions driving the dispersion of larval individuals, shape early life phenotypes, and influence their survival and post-settlement success. We performed a study over two consecutive years at Ria de Aveiro (Portugal), a coastal lagoon influenced by upwelling regimens in the North-eastern Atlantic. This study assessed the effect of contrasting oceanographic conditions on larval supply and larval traits at metamorphosis of the green crab Carcinus maenas. Crab megalopae were daily sampled and monitored in the laboratory until metamorphosis. Environmental conditions experienced by larvae in the field were estimated considering their expected planktonic larval duration, which was calculated for each individual using the size at metamorphosis and the average water temperature during larval development. Presence/absence, megalopa supply, and larval size were posteriorly modelled using generalized linear mixed models. The analysis of the two consecutive years showed haphazard patterns, revealing that both larval supply and phenotypic traits changed during and between supply seasons. The lunar cycle and environmental conditions were identified as drivers of the presence and supply of megalopae. Settlement events with weak upwelling index were influenced by sea temperature, while intense and constant upwelling events conditioned megalopa supply and performance at metamorphosis. In 2013, megalopae invaded the coastal lagoon in a more advanced physiological stage than in 2012 and/or under better nutritional conditions, probably due to stronger and more constant upwelling events during their pelagic larval life. Our results show that oceanographic processes stimulating upwelling and secondary production are sources of phenotypic variation at settlement, influencing both early benthic performance and adult population dynamics of marine organisms with bi-phasic life cycles.