Egas Moniz Interdisciplinary Research Center

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Impact of the use of cryoprotectants in the production of freeze-dried soluble coffee from cold brew arabica coffee

Publication . Barroso, Livia Alves; Viegas, Cláudia; Stančiauskaitė, Monika; Macedo, Ana S.; Lemos, Iara Lopes; da Costa, Joyce Maria Gomes; Schmiele, Marcio; da Silveira, João Vinícios Wirbitzki; Brandão, Pedro; Amaral, Tatiana Nunes; Fonte, Pedro

Cold brew is a method of coffee extraction that uses low temperature, preserving the volatile compounds of coffee. Freeze-drying allows the preservation of coffee features and nutritional value. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different cryoprotectants in cold brew extracts as a basis for freeze-dried coffee production. Thus, the Coffea arabica extracts and the soluble coffee were characterized concerning caffeine content, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic compounds, and antimicrobial activity to verify the potential of this method. The extracts did not show antimicrobial activity with a high soluble solid content. It was observed that the cold extraction methods were efficient regarding the caffeine content, antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic compounds. Freeze-dried coffees also did not show antimicrobial activity, and they maintained the water and humidity activity standards. In general, cryoprotectants displayed an unfavorable influence on the extract and freeze-dried coffee in the analyses performed. The coffee extract without cryoprotectants had a higher antioxidant capacity (88.12%) and content of phenolic compounds (7.74 mg AG/mL of the coffee extract). Only for the analyses of soluble solids, the cryoprotectants mannitol and fructose showed promising results (14.03 degrees Brix, 14.40 degrees Brix, 11.33 degrees Brix, respectively). Thus, for the analyses conducted, the cryoprotectants did not lead to significant advantages for this process.

2024Journal article

Open access

Nanocarriers in Tuberculosis treatment: Challenges and delivery strategies

Publication . Kumar, Mahesh; Virmani, Tarun; Kumar, Girish; Deshmukh, Rohitas; Sharma, Ashwani; Duarte, Sofia; Brandão, Pedro; Fonte, Pedro

The World Health Organization identifies tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as a leading infectious killer. Although conventional treatments for TB exist, they come with challenges such as a heavy pill regimen, prolonged treatment duration, and a strict schedule, leading to multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains. The rise of MDR strains endangers future TB control. Despite these concerns, the hunt for an efficient treatment continues. One breakthrough has been the use of nanotechnology in medicines, presenting a novel approach for TB treatment. Nanocarriers, such as lipid nanoparticles, nanosuspensions, liposomes, and polymeric micelles, facilitate targeted delivery of anti-TB drugs. The benefits of nanocarriers include reduced drug doses, fewer side effects, improved drug solubility, better bioavailability, and improved patient compliance, speeding up recovery. Additionally, nanocarriers can be made even more targeted by linking them with ligands such as mannose or hyaluronic acid. This review explores these innovative TB treatments, including studies on nanocarriers containing anti-TB drugs and related patents.

2023-09-26Journal article

Open access

Lipid-based nanoformulations for drug delivery: an ongoing perspective

Publication . Rehman, Mubashar; Tahir, Nayab; Sohail, Muhammad Farhan; Qadri, Muhammad Usman; Duarte, Sofia O. D.; Brandão, Pedro; Esteves, Teresa; Javed, Ibrahim; Fonte, Pedro

Oils and lipids help make water-insoluble drugs soluble by dispersing them in an aqueous medium with the help of a surfactant and enabling their absorption across the gut barrier. The emergence of microemulsions (thermodynamically stable), nanoemulsions (kinetically stable), and self-emulsifying drug delivery systems added unique characteristics that make them suitable for prolonged storage and controlled release. In the 1990s, solid-phase lipids were introduced to reduce drug leakage from nanoparticles and prolong drug release. Manipulating the structure of emulsions and solid lipid nanoparticles has enabled multifunctional nanoparticles and the loading of therapeutic macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acid, vaccines, etc. Phospholipids and surfactants with a well-defined polar head and carbon chain have been used to prepare bilayer vesicles known as liposomes and niosomes, respectively. The increasing knowledge of targeting ligands and external factors to gain control over pharmacokinetics and the ever-increasing number of synthetic lipids are expected to make lipid nanoparticles and vesicular systems a preferred choice for the encapsulation and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents. This review discusses different lipids and oil-based nanoparticulate systems for the delivery of water-insoluble drugs. The salient features of each system are highlighted, and special emphasis is given to studies that compare them.

2024-10-26Journal article

Open access