DESENVOLVIMENTO E APLICAÇÃO DE METODOLOGIAS ANALÍTICAS INOVADORAS COMO TÉCNICAS NÃO INVASIVAS PARA RASTREIO CLÍNICO E TOXICOLOGIA FORENSE

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Biochemical profile and in vitro neuroprotective properties of Carpobrotus edulis L., a medicinal and edible halophyte native to the coast of South Africa

Publication . Rocha, M. I.; J, Nogueira-Rodrigues; Pereira, C.; Pereira, H.; Silva, Manuela F. G. M.; da Rosa Neng, N.; Nogueira, J. M. F.; Varela, J.; Barreira, Luísa; Custódio,

This work reports the nutritional profile and in vitro neuroprotective properties of leaves of Carpobrotus edulis L, a medicinal and edible succulent species native to the coast of South Africa. Biomass was evaluated for proximate composition and for contents in carotenoids, liposoluble pigments and minerals. Hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were prepared by Soxhlet extraction from dried biomass and evaluated for in vitro inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), capacity to attenuate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced injury in the human dopaminergic cell line SH-SY5Y and for anti-neuroinflammatory potential on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglia cells. Extracts were evaluated for antioxidant activity by four complementary methods, total content of phenolics, tannins and flavonoids. Finally the profile of the main phenolic compounds was determined by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). C edulis has a high moisture content, high levels of crude protein, fibre, ash, carotenoids, calcium and iron and a low fat level. The extracts were able to efficiently scavenge the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reduce iron and chelate copper and iron ions, and exhibited different levels of phenolic compounds in the order ethyl acetate > methanol > dichloromethane > hexane. The main compounds detected were gallic and salicylic acids and quercetin, all in the ethyl acetate extract. The extracts allowed a dual and potent inhibition of AChE and BuChE. The dichloromethane and methanol extracts had the strongest capacity to prevent cell death induced by H2O2, and the methanol extract had anti-neuronflammatory properties. All together our results suggest that consumption of leaves of C edulis can contribute for a balanced diet, and that they may add to the improvement of cognitive functions. It also suggests possible novel biotechnological applications of C. edulis such as source of molecules and/or products for the food and/or pharmaceutical industries. Studies aiming to the isolation and identification of the bioactive compounds are already in progress. (C) 2017 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

2017-07Journal article

Open Access

Searching for new sources of innovative products for the food industry within halophyte aromatic plants: In vitro antioxidant activity and phenolic and mineral contents of infusions and decoctions of Crithmum maritimum L.

Publication . Pereira, Catarina Guerreiro; Barreira, Luísa; Neng, Nuno da Rosa; Florencio Nogueira, Jose Manuel; Marques, Catia; Santos, Tamara; Varela, J.; Custódio, Luísa

Aromatic halophyte plants are an outstanding source of bioactive compounds and natural products with potential use in the food industry. This work reports the in vitro antioxidant activity, toxicity, poly phenolic profile and mineral contents of infusions and decoctions from stems, leaves and flowers of Crithmum maritimum L, an aromatic and edible maritime halophyte (sea fennel). Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) Dahlg. (rooibos) herbal tea was used as a reference. Sea fennel's tisanes, particularly from leaves, were rich in phenolic compounds and five of them (p-hydroxybenzoic and ferulic acids, epicatechin, pyrocatechol and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde) were here described in C maritimum for the first time. Chlorogenic acid was the dominant phenolic determined. Na was the most abundant mineral in all tisanes followed by Ca and Mg in leaves' tisanes and K in flowers. Sea fennel's samples had a similar antioxidant activity than those from A. linearis, and had no significant toxicity towards four different mammalian cell lines. Altogether, our results suggest that sea fennel can be a source of products and/or molecules for the food industry with antioxidant properties and minerals in the form, for example, of innovative health-promoting herbal beverages.

2017-09Journal article

Open Access

Biological activities and chemical composition of methanolic extracts of selected Autochthonous microalgae strains from the Red Sea

Publication . Pereira, Hugo; Custodio, Luisa; Rodrigues, Maria Joao; Bruno De Sousa, Carolina; Oliveira, Marta; Barreira, Luísa; Neng, Nuno da Rosa; Florencio Nogueira, Jose Manuel; Alrokayan, Salman A.; Mouffouk, Fouzi; Abu-Salah, Khalid M.; Ben-Hamadou, Radhouan; Varela, João

Four lipid-rich microalgal species from the Red Sea belonging to three different genera (Nannochloris, Picochlorum and Desmochloris), previously isolated as novel biodiesel feedstocks, were bioprospected for high-value, bioactive molecules. Methanol extracts were thus prepared from freeze-dried biomass and screened for different biological activities. Nannochloris sp. SBL1 and Desmochloris sp. SBL3 had the highest radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, and the best copper and iron chelating activities. All species had potent butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (>50%) and mildly inhibited tyrosinase. Picochlorum sp. SBL2 and Nannochloris sp. SBL4 extracts significantly reduced the viability of tumoral (HepG2 and HeLa) cells with lower toxicity against the non-tumoral murine stromal (S17) cells. Nannochloris sp. SBL1 significantly reduced the viability of Leishmania infantum down to 62% (250 mu g/mL). Picochlorum sp. SBL2 had the highest total phenolic content, the major phenolic compounds identified being salicylic, coumaric and gallic acids. Neoxanthin, violaxanthin, zeaxanthin, lutein and -carotene were identified in the extracts of all strains, while canthaxanthin was only identified in Picochlorum sp. SBL2. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that the microalgae included in this work could be used as sources of added-value products that could be used to upgrade the final biomass value.

2015-06Journal article

Open Access

Coupling sea lavender (Limonium algarvense Erben) and green tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) to produce an innovative herbal beverage with enhanced enzymatic inhibitory properties

Publication . Rodrigues, Maria João; Oliveira, M.; Neves, V.; Ovelheiro, Andreia; Pereira, C. A.; Neng, N. R.; Nogueira, J. M. F.; Varela, J.; Barreira, Luísa; Custódio, Luísa

Herbal beverages containing mixtures of L. algarvense (LA) flowers and C. sinensis (CS) were prepared and their inhibitory properties towards enzymes related with Alzheimer's (acetyl-and butyrylcholinesterase) and Type-2 diabetes mellitus (alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase) were evaluated for the first time. Samples were also appraised for antioxidant capacity and phenolic contents by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). Both synergistic and antagonistic interactions were observed: LA samples (infusion: IC50 = 0.22 mg/mL; decoction: 0.39 mg/mL) had higher acetylcholinesterase inhibition than CS and mixtures resulted in stronger enzymatic inhibition. CS had the highest rat alpha-glucosidase inhibition (infusion: IC50 = 3.91 mg/mL; decoction: IC50 = 2.50 mg/mL), which decreased when combined with LA. LA and CS samples had strong antioxidant activity, whereas LA and CS mixtures exhibited higher OH center dot radical-scavenging (0.56 <= SE <= 1.07) and anti-lipid peroxidation capacity (0.39 <= SE <= 0.81). CS had higher phenolic contents (infusion: 209 mg/g DW; decoction: 169 mg/g DW) and its combination with LA increased the phenolic diversity of the mixtures. Our results indicate that LA and CS infusions and decoctions and their combinations have relevant in vitro neuroprotective, antidiabetic and antioxidant properties and could be further explored as potential innovative functional beverages able to reduce the progression of neurodegenerative diseases and diabetic complications, and to prevent oxidative stress and lipid oxidation related diseases. (c) 2017 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

2019-01Journal article

Restricted

Profiling of antioxidant potential and phytoconstituents of Plantago coronopus

Publication . Pereira, C. G.; Custódio, Luísa; Rodrigues, Maria João; Neng, N. R.; Nogueira, J. M. F.; Carlier, Jorge; Costa, Maria Clara; Varela, J.; Barreira, Luísa

The halophyte species Plantago coronopus has several described ethnomedicinal uses, but few reported biological activities. This work carried out for the first time a comparative analysis of P. coronopus organs in terms of phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of organic and water extracts from roots, leaves and flowers. The leaves contents in selected nutrients, namely amino acids and minerals, are also described. Roots (ethyl acetate and methanol extracts) had the highest radical scavenging activity (RSA) towards 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radicals, while leaves (hexane extract) had higher RSA on nitric oxide radical and iron chelating ability. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis identified eighteen phenolics from which salicylic acid and epicatechin are here firstly described in Plantago species. Leaves had mineral levels similar to those of most vegetables, proving to be a good source for elements like calcium, sodium, iron and magnesium, and also for several of the essential amino acids justifying it use as food. Our results, especially those regarding the phenolics composition, can explain the main traditional uses given to this plantain and, altogether, emphasize the potential of P. coronopus as a source of bioactive molecules particularly useful for the prevention of oxidative stress-related diseases.

2016-11Journal article

Open Access