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Composition and in vitro antioxidants activity of Chamaerops Humilis L.

Publication . Coelho, Jose P.; Veiga, Jerson G.; Elvas-Leitao, Ruben; Brigas, Amadeu; Dias, Ana M.; Oliveira, Maria C.; Morgado, M.; Bernardes, R.; Amador, M.; Afonso, P. M.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the polyphenols composition and the antioxidant activity of methanol extracts of Chamaerops humilis L. Methanol extracts from dried leaves of Chamaerops humilis were prepared using Soxhlet extraction and examined as potential sources of phenolic compounds. Different methods were used to evaluate antioxidant activity of the extracts, including colored (ABTS*+), DPPH radical scavenging assay and reducing power. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extracts were evaluated by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride (AlCl3) methods, respectively. Phenolic compositions of the methanol extracts were elucidated by high performance liquid chromatography coupled on-line with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The extract was mainly composed of C-and O-flavones and its O-methylated derivatives. The results suggest that methanol extracts have good potential as sources of bioactive compounds and presents an important antioxidants capacity, which can ensures its potential recommendation for application in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors.

2017Conference object

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Influence of preparation procedures on the phenolic content, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of green and black teas

Publication . Almeida, Tânia Santos de; Araújo, Maria Eduarda Machado; Rodríguez, Lucía González; Júlio, Ana; Mendes, Beatriz Garcia; Borges dos Santos, R. M.; Simões, José Artur Martinho

The influence of common tea preparation procedures (temperature, infusion time, consumption time interval and tea bag/loose-leaf) and the type of water used, on the total phenolic content (TPC), the radical scavenging activity and the alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity were assessed. Higher TPC and antioxidant activity were obtained when using lower mineralized waters. Tea bags also evidenced higher antioxidant activity than loose-leaf samples. Under the same conditions (90 degrees C and five minutes of infusion time) green tea contains almost twice the quantity of polyphenols and the free radical scavenging ability of black tea. In the alpha-glucosidase assay all infusions were active (97-100 %). Furthermore, HPLC allowed to identify some of the polyphenols present in both teas and to monitor their composition change with time. After twenty-four hours, the antioxidant activity was maintained without significant changes, but a small decrease in enzyme inhibition was observed, although this activity was still very high.

2019Journal article

Open Access

Zooming in with QSPR on Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions over modified BEA zeolites

Publication . Aleixo, Odrigo; Elvas-Leitao, Ruben; Martins, Filomena; Carvalho, Ana P.; Brigas, Amadeu; Nunes, Ricardo; Fernandes, Auguste; Rocha, Joao; Martins, Angela; Nunes, Nelson

The catalytic behaviour of hierarchical BEA zeolites with Si/Al ratio of 12.5 and 32 was studied in Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions using furan, anisole and pyrrole as substrates and acetic anhydride as acylating agent. Hierarchical BEA samples were submitted to alkaline and alkaline + acid treatments. Kinetic modelling using nonlinear regressions applied to a simplified Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation showed that the Si/Al ratio of the parent materials strongly influenced the catalytic behaviour. Catalytic results were correlated with physicochemical properties using a Quantitative Structure-Property Relationship (QSPR) methodology. This approach provided detailed information about the role of key properties on the catalytic behaviour, and pointed out which properties should be modified through direct synthesis and/or post-synthesis treatments to obtain materials with optimized catalytic performance.

2019-10Journal article

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Separation and recovery of Pd and Fe as nanosized metal sulphides by combining solvent extraction with biological strategies based on the use of sulphate-reducing bacteria

Publication . Nanusha, Mulatu Yohannes; Carlier, Jorge; Carvalho, Goncalo Ivo; Clara Costa, Maria; Paiva, A. P.

Platinum group metals (PGMs) are highly demanding metals in current high-techs. However, their supply is limited due to their scarcity in natural resources and expensive mining. Solvent extraction in combination with microbial communities were employed for the recovery of palladium from aqueous media. Accordingly, extraction of Pd(II) by N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-dicyclohexylthiodiglycolamide (DMDCHTDGA) in toluene and subsequent stripping by acidic thiourea were carried out, followed by bio-recovery employing biogenic sulphide generated from sulphate-reducing bacteria. The results revealed an excellent extraction performance of DMD-CHTDGA towards Pd(II) from metal complex mixtures in 2,4 and 6 M HCl. However, Fe(III) was co-extracted from 4 and 6 M HCl, being completely removed with deionized water during scrubbing. 94-99% of extracted Pd (II) were stripped using acidic thiourea. Over 99% of stripped Pd(II) were recovered using two solutions containing biogenic sulphide: an effluent from a bioremediation process of acid mine drainage treatment, and a supernatant solution from Postgate B nutrient medium. 78-99% of scrubbed Fe(III) were bio-recovered. Analysis of all the precipitates collected during palladium bio-recovery showed that they were composed by Pd and S, which is consistent with the synthesis of nanosized PdS. The elemental analysis of the iron precipitate also suggests the presence of iron sulphide. Henceforth, the method engaged is environmentally sustainable, safe and cheap, thus attractive to be employed, to separate and recover both Pd and Fe from waste materials.

2019-04Journal article

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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