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Abstract Tomato pomace (TP) is an underutilized source of bioactive compounds with potential application in the food sector. A factorial experiment was designed to compare three culinary techniques, Thermomix®, Roner®, and traditional pan-frying, for the preparation of tomato sauces, enriched or not with TP, applying two temperatures and two cooking times. A multivariate analysis was performed on all the results obtained for the metabolites. The addition of TP significantly increased the content of bioactive compounds, especially phenolic compounds. OPLS-DA models were generated using cooking technique, temperature, and time as discriminant factors. The cooking technique had a greater effect on the phenolic content than cooking temperature or time. Thermomix® released bioactive compounds from the tomato into the sauce to a similar extent as pan-frying. Roner® proved to be effective in preserving the volatile fraction of the sauce. The Thermomix® significantly increased the amount of bioactive compounds, while the Roner® increased the volatile compounds.

Introducción: En el departamento de Sucre, Norte de Colombia los agroecosistemas han sufrido pérdidas a lo largo del tiempo, ya que el cambio climático ha derivado en desastres naturales que han cobrado miles de hectáreas de siembra, vidas animales e incluso perdías humanas. El concepto de resiliencia ha sido debatido principalmente en el ámbito científico. Sin embargo, la aplicación del concepto de resiliencia agrícola es escaso y se requiere una mejor consideración de las perspectivas de los agricultores. Objetivo: El propósito de este artículo consistió en evaluar las percepciones de los agricultores sobre resiliencia agrícola e indagar sobre el apoyo gubernamental que han recibido los agricultores frente a eventos climáticos adversos. Metodología: Se seleccionaron cinco municipios dentro del departamento de Sucre. Por cada municipio se seleccionaron 40 Unidades Productivas Agrícolas (UPAs). A los propietarios o encargados de las UPAs se les aplicó una encuesta de caracterización participativa. La información se analizó utilizando una metodología descriptiva y exploratoria, empleando técnicas de análisis cualitativos y cuantitativos. Resultados: La encuesta de caracterización participativa indicó la percepción de la comunidad sobre resiliencia. El término resiliencia suele ser indiferente para los productores agrícolas porque no es común el uso del término. Sin embargo, en la práctica utilizan técnicas para mejorar la productividad de los cultivos. Conocen el término riesgo, pero no cuentan con planes de acción para la prevención de riesgos. También informaron que el clima ha cambiado en las últimas décadas y que la mayor necesidad para mejorar sus cultivos era el capital de trabajo económico. Conclusiones: Entender el nivel de conocimiento de los agricultores es importante para formular estrategias que aumenten significativamente la resiliencia en las comunidades campesinas. En cuanto al nivel de conocimiento de resiliencia y su aplicación en la agricultura, se hace necesario generar conocimiento sobre el tema.

Objectives Anxiety and depression are relevant comorbidities in asthma, but, in Portugal and Spain, data on this topic are scarce. We assessed, in patients with asthma, the frequency of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the European Quality of Life Five Dimension Questionnaire (EQ-5D); the level of agreement between these questionnaires, and the factors associated with these symptoms.Methods This is a secondary analysis of the INSPIRERS studies. A total of 614 adolescents and adults with persistent asthma (32.6±16.9 years, 64.7% female) were recruited from 30 primary care centres and 32 allergy, pulmonology and paediatric clinics. Demographic and clinical characteristics, HADS and EQ-5D were collected. A score ≥8 on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety/Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression or a positive answer to EQ-5D item 5 indicated the presence of these symptoms. Agreement was determined by Cohen’s kappa. Two multivariable logistic regressions were built.Results According to HADS, 36% of the participants had symptoms of anxiety and 12% of depression. According to EQ-5D, 36% of the participants had anxiety/depression. The agreement between questionnaires in identifying anxiety/depression was moderate (k=0.55, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.62). Late asthma diagnosis, comorbidities and female gender were predictors of anxiety/depression, while better asthma control, health-related quality of life and perception of health were associated with lower odds for anxiety/depression.Conclusion At least 1/3 of the patients with persistent asthma experience symptoms of anxiety/depression, showing the relevance of screening these disorders in patients with asthma. EQ-5D and HADS questionnaires showed a moderate agreement in the identification of anxiety/depression symptoms. The identified associated factors need to be further investigated in long-term studies.

Chestnut shells (CS), the principal by-product of the chestnut processing industry, contain high concentrations of flavonoids and other polyphenols with huge interest for the nutraceuticals field. Nonetheless, the bioaccessibility and bioactivity of phytochemicals can be influenced by their digestibility, making it imperative to evaluate these activities prior to application of CS as a nutraceutical ingredient. This work aims to appraise the effects of in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the bioaccessibility, bioactivity, and metabolic profiling of CS. An increase in the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant/antiradical properties, radical scavenging capacity, and inhibition on acetylcholinesterase activity was evidenced during in vitro simulated digestion. Metabolomic profiling by LC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS revealed changes during the simulated digestion, particularly in phenolic compounds (46% of total compounds annotated), lipids (22%), phenylpropanoids (9%), organic acids (7%), carbohydrates (5%), nucleosides (5%), amino acids (4%), and alcohols (1%). Phenolic acids (gallic acid, syringic acid, and hydroxyphenylacetic acid) and flavonoids (epicatechin) were the major polyphenolic classes identified. The heatmap-positive correlations highlighted that the bioactivity of CS is closely related to the phenolic compounds and their bioaccessibility. These findings suggest the reuse of CS as a potential nutraceutical ingredient with antioxidant and neuroprotective effects, encouraging the use of appropriate extraction and/or encapsulation techniques to enhance the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds.

Chestnut shells (CSs) are an appealing source of bioactive molecules, and constitute a popular research topic. This study explores the effects of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and intestinal permeability on the bioaccessibility and bioactivity of polyphenols from CS extract prepared by subcritical water extraction (SWE). The results unveiled higher phenolic concentrations retained after gastric and intestinal digestion. The bioaccessibility and antioxidant/antiradical properties were enhanced in the following order: oral < gastric ≤ intestinal digests, attaining 40% of the maximum bioaccessibility. Ellagic acid was the main polyphenol in the digested and undigested extract, while pyrogallol–protocatechuic acid derivative was only quantified in the digests. The CS extract revealed potential mild hypoglycemic (

(1) Background: In recent years, numerous studies have highlighted the beneficial effects of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) as an active ingredient against chronic diseases. The properties of EVOO are due to its peculiar composition, mainly to its rich content of polyphenols. In fact, polyphenols may contribute to counteract oxidative stress, which often accompanies chronic diseases. In this work, the antioxidant effects of high-value polyphenol oleocanthal (OC) and its main metabolites, tyrosol (Tyr) and oleocanthalic acid (OA), respectively, have been investigated along with their impact on cell viability. (2) Methods: OC, Tyr, and OA have been evaluated regarding antiradical properties in term of scavenging capacity towards biologically relevant reactive species, including O2●−, HOCl, and ROO●, as well as their antioxidant/antiradical capacity (FRAP, DPPH●, ABTS●+). Moreover, the ability to permeate the intestinal membrane was assessed by an intestinal co-culture model composed by Caco-2 and HT29-MTX cell lines. (3) Results: The capacity of OC and Tyr as radical oxygen species (ROS) scavengers, particularly regarding HOCl and O2●−, was clearly demonstrated. Furthermore, the ability to permeate the intestinal co-culture model was plainly proved by the good permeations (>50%) achieved by all compounds. (4) Conclusions: OC, OA, and Tyr revealed promising properties against oxidative diseases.

Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention efficacy trials with psychiatric patients have been conducted in research settings in high-resourced countries, establishing short-term efficacy for reducing sexual risk behavior. None has been implemented within systems of care. In the last decade, overcoming this research-to-practice gap has become a focus of implementation science. This paper describes the first and only HIV Prevention intervention trial for psychiatric patients conducted in real-world outpatient psychiatric settings facilitated by trained clinic-based providers. Methods: The HIV Prevention intervention, which uses the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model to achieve sexual risk-reduction, was rigorously adapted to the local context and clinic services’ needs. Participants from eight clinics were randomized to HIV Prevention or Health Promotion conditions. Results: HIV Prevention participants showed significant improvement in Information-Motivation-Behavioral domains; in this group, behavioral intentions were associated with significantly fewer unprotected sex occasions, but reduction of unprotected sex occasions was similar in both conditions. Conclusion: Our trial was conducted before implementation studies became widely funded. Transporting an intervention to a new culture or into real-world practice settings may require adaptations. Our results demonstrate that clear guidelines are needed regarding whether to conduct efficacy, effectiveness, and/or implementation research as the most appropriate next step. Clinical trial registration: NCT00881699

Chestnut (Castanea sativa) shells (CSs), an undervalued agro-industrial biowaste, have arisen as a source of bioactive compounds with promising health-promoting effects. This study attempted, for the first time, to develop a functional food, namely cookies, using a CS extract obtained by an eco-friendly technology (subcritical water extraction). The cookies were characterized regarding their nutritional composition, total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC, respectively), antioxidant/antiradical activities, phenolic profile, and sensory evaluation. The results demonstrated that the CS-extract-enriched cookies were mainly composed of carbohydrates (53.92% on dry weight (dw)), fat (32.62% dw), and fiber (5.15% dw). The phenolic profile outlined by HPLC-PDA revealed the presence of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and hydrolysable tannins, attesting to the high TPC and TFC. The in vitro antioxidant/antiradical effects proved the bioactivity of the functional cookies, while the sensory evaluation unveiled excellent scores on all attributes (≥6.25). The heatmap diagram corroborated strong correlations between the TPC and antioxidant/antiradical properties, predicting that the appreciated sensory attributes were closely correlated with high carbohydrates and phenolic compounds. This study encourages the sustainable recovery of antioxidants from CSs and their further employment as an active nutraceutical ingredient in functional cookies.

This work focused on developing an active bilayer film based on natural extract. Thus, the jaboticaba peel extract (JPE) was produced and characterized and showed promising application as a natural additive in biopolymeric materials. The zein fiber and bilayer films were produced using a chitosan film (casting) and zein fiber (electrospinning), with and without JPE. All samples were evaluated according to thickness, solubility in water, water vapor permeability, and main diameter, and for these, zein fiber, chitosan/zein fiber, and chitosan/zein fiber + 3% JPE showed values of 0.19, 0.51, and 0.50 mm, 36.50, 12.96, and 27.38%, 4.48 × 10−9, 1.6 × 10−10, and 1.58 × 10−10 (g m−1 Pa−1 s−1), and 6.094, 4.685, and 3.620 μm, respectively. These results showed that the addition of a second layer improved the barrier properties of the material when compared to the monolayer zein fiber. The thermal stability analysis proved that the addition of JPE also improved this parameter and the interactions between the components of the zein fiber and bilayer films; additionally, the effective presence of JPE was shown through FTIR spectra. In the end, the active potential of the material was confirmed by antimicrobial analysis since the bilayer film with JPE showed inhibition halos against E. coli and S. aureus.

Oral mucositis (OM), a common side effect of oncological treatment, is an oral mucosal disorder characterized by painful ulcerations and increased risk of infection. The use of natural antioxidants to suppress the redox imbalance responsible for the OM condition has emerged as an interesting approach to prevent/treat OM. This study aims to explore the chestnut (Castana sativa) shells as potential active ingredient against OM. Therefore, chestnut shells were extracted at different temperatures (110–180 °C) by Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE), aiming to recover antioxidants. The extracts were also evaluated against microorganisms present in the oral cavity as well as on human oral cell lines (TR146 and HSC3). The highest phenolic content was obtained with the extraction temperature of 110 °C, exhibiting the best antioxidant/antiradical activities and scavenging efficiencies against HOCl (IC50 = 4.47 μg/mL) and ROO• (0.73 μmol TE/mg DW). High concentrations of phenolic acids (e.g., gallic and protocatechuic acids) and flavanoids (catechin, epicatechin and rutin) characterized the phenolic profile. The antimicrobial activity against several oral microorganisms present in the oral cavity during OM, such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, and Escherichia, was demonstrated. Finally, the effects on HSC3 and TR146 cell lines revealed that the extract prepared at 110 °C had the lowest IC50 (1325.03 and 468.15 µg/mL, respectively). This study highlights the potential effects of chestnut shells on OM.

The production and consumption of cassava (Manihot esculenta) occur in several places worldwide, producing large volumes of waste, mostly in the form of bark. This study sought to bring a new purpose to this biomass through producing activated carbon to use as an adsorbent to remove the herbicide Diuron from water. It was observed that the carbon contains the functional groups of methyl, carbonyl, and hydroxyl in a strongly amorphous structure. The activated carbon had a surface area of 613.7 m2 g−1, a pore volume of 0.337 cm3 g−1, and a pore diameter of 1.18 nm. The Freundlich model was found to best describe the experimental data. It was observed that an increase in temperature favored adsorption, reaching a maximum experimental capacity of 222 mg g−1 at 328 K. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption was spontaneous, favorable, and endothermic. The enthalpy of adsorption magnitude was consistent with physical adsorption. Equilibrium was attained within 120 min. The linear driving force (LDF) model provided a strong statistical match to the kinetic curves. Diffusivity (Ds) and the model coefficient (KLDF) both increased with a rise in herbicide concentration. The adsorbent removed up to 68% of pollutants in a simulated effluent containing different herbicides. Activated carbon with zinc chloride (ZnCl2), produced from leftover cassava husks, was shown to be a viable alternative as an adsorbent for the treatment of effluents containing not only the herbicide Diuron but also a mixture of other herbicides.

Rare earth elements such as neodymium (Nd) are important elements used mainly in developing new technologies. Although they are found in low concentrations in nature, they can be obtained by extracting solid samples such as phosphogypsum. Among the techniques, adsorption has been used successfully with several adsorbent materials. In this work, two strains of Spirulina platensis (LEB-18 and LEB-52) were employed as biosorbents for efficiently removing the Nd element from the aqueous media. Biosorption tests were carried out in a batch system, and the results of the biosorption kinetics showed that for both materials, the biosorption of Nd was better described by the Avrami model. Moreover, it could be considered that 80 min would be necessary to attain the equilibrium of Nd(III) using both biosorbents. The result of the biosorption isotherms showed that for both strains, the best-fitted model was the Liu model, having a maximum biosorption capacity of 72.5 mg g−1 for LEB-18 and 48.2 mg g−1 for LEB-52 at a temperature of 298 K. Thermodynamics of adsorption showed that for both LEB-18 and LEB-52 the process was favorable (∆G° < 0) and exothermic (∆H° −23.2 for LEB-18 and ∆H° −19.9 for LEB-52). Finally, both strains were suitable to uptake Nd, and the better result of LEB-18 could be attributed to the high amount of P and S groups in this biomass. Based on the results, a mechanism of electrostatic attraction of Nd3+ and phosphate and sulfate groups of both strains of Spirulina platensis was proposed.

Abstract Background The study aimed to assess the performance of a multidisciplinary-team diabetes care program called DIABETIMSS on glycemic control of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, by using available observational patient data and machine-learning-based targeted learning methods. Methods We analyzed electronic health records and laboratory databases from the year 2012 to 2016 of T2D patients from six family medicine clinics (FMCs) delivering the DIABETIMSS program, and five FMCs providing routine care. All FMCs belong to the Mexican Institute of Social Security and are in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. The primary outcome was glycemic control. The study covariates included: patient sex, age, anthropometric data, history of glycemic control, diabetic complications and comorbidity. We measured the effects of DIABETIMSS program through 1) simple unadjusted mean differences; 2) adjusted via standard logistic regression and 3) adjusted via targeted machine learning. We treated the data as a serial cross-sectional study, conducted a standard principal components analysis to explore the distribution of covariates among clinics, and performed regression tree on data transformed to use the prediction model to identify patient sub-groups in whom the program was most successful. To explore the robustness of the machine learning approaches, we conducted a set of simulations and the sensitivity analysis with process-of-care indicators as possible confounders. Results The study included 78,894 T2D patients, from which 37,767patients received care through DIABETIMSS. The impact of DIABETIMSS ranged, among clinics, from 2 to 8% improvement in glycemic control, with an overall (pooled) estimate of 5% improvement. T2D patients with fewer complications have more significant benefit from DIABETIMSS than those with more complications. At the FMC’s delivering the conventional model the predicted impacts were like what was observed empirically in the DIABETIMSS clinics. The sensitivity analysis did not change the overall estimate average across clinics. Conclusions DIABETIMSS program had a small, but significant increase in glycemic control. The use of machine learning methods yields both population-level effects and pinpoints the sub-groups of patients the program benefits the most. These methods exploit the potential of routine observational patient data within complex healthcare systems to inform decision-makers.

This study aims to evaluate the optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions of antioxidants polyphenols from Actinidia arguta (Siebold & Zucc.) Planch. Ex Miq. (kiwiberry) leaves using a response surface methodology (RSM). The effects of solid:liquid ratio (2.5–10.0% w/v), time (20–60 min), and intensity (30–70 W/m2) on the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant/antiradical activities were investigated. The optimal UAE conditions were achieved using a solid:liquid ratio of 10% (w/v) and an ultrasonic intensity of 30 W/m2 for 31.11 min. The results demonstrated that the optimal extract showed a high TPC (97.50 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dw) and antioxidant/antiradical activity (IC50 = 249.46 µg/mL for ABTS assay; IC50 = 547.34 µg/mL for DPPH assay; 1440.13 µmol of ferrous sulfate equivalents (FSE)/g dw for ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) as well as a good capacity to scavenge superoxide and hypochlorous acid (respectively, IC50 = 220.13 μg/mL and IC50 =10.26 μg/mL), which may be related with the 28 phenolic compounds quantified. The in vitro cell assay demonstrated that the optimal extract did not decrease the keratinocytes’ (HaCaT) viability, while the fibroblasts’ (HFF-1) viability was greater than 70.63% (1000 µg/mL). This study emphasizes the great potential of kiwiberry leaves extracted by UAE for skin application.

Introdução: A Fibrilhação Auricular (FA) é uma importante causa de morbimortalidade na população idosa. Os anticoagulantes orais assumem-se como eficazes na prevenção do Acidente Vascular Cerebral cardioembólico. Não existe evidência científica que suporte a decisão de escolha entre antagonistas da vitamina K (AVK) e novos anticoagulantes orais (NOAC), baseado no critério qualidade de vida. Objetivo: Avaliar a qualidade de vida dos utentes com idade igual ou superior a 65 anos diagnosticados com FA não valvular e anticoagulados, seguidos nos Cuidados de Saúde Primários. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo observacional, transversal e analítico que envolveu uma amostra de utentes de sete Unidades de Saúde Familiar. A qualidade de vida foi avaliada usando a escala Duke Anticoagulation Satisfaction Scale. Foram realizadas análises descritivas e inferenciais. Resultados: Aceitaram participar no estudo 292 utentes. A idade média dos participantes foi de 75,6 anos, sendo 52,1% do género feminino, 92,1% reformados e com baixo nível de escolaridade (81.8% com escolaridade igual ou menor que quatro anos). Observou-se diferença estatisticamente significativa do valor mediano na qualidade de vida, quando comparado o grupo de utentes a realizar terapêutica com NOAC versus grupo de utentes a realizar terapêutica com AVK (p

The purpose of this study was to recover antioxidants from chestnut shells (CS) through Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE), aiming for their reuse as new cosmetic principles. The antioxidant/antiradical properties and inhibitory activities on hyaluronidase and elastase reinforced the potential use of CS extract as an effective source of anti-aging ingredients. The in vitro assays confirmed the safety of the CS extract on HaCaT and HFF-1 cells up to 100 µg/mL. Regarding ex vivo permeation studies, two polyphenols, namely ellagic acid and epicatechin permeated the skin after 8 h of testing. This study emphasizes the skin health effects and safety of CS extract as an anti-aging cosmetic ingredient.

The cosmetic industry is a field on rise where the search for novel antioxidant ingredients, preferably from natural matrixes, became a new challenge. The reuse of Castanea sativa shells as a source of phytochemicals with pro-healthy effects in skin care products may be a valuable alternative to valorize this underexploited agro-industrial by-product. A previous study of our research group demonstrated the antioxidant properties of chestnut shells extract obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), as well as its safeness on skin cell lines, namely keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Based on the extract richness in antioxidants, a formulation containing C. sativa shells extract obtained by this environmentally friendly technology was successfully developed in the present study. The oil-in-water (O/W) cream incorporating the chestnut shells extract was further characterized regarding organoleptic and technological properties, namely color, pH, droplets size, and viscosity. A stability study over time was also accomplished. The results demonstrate that the formulation not only displayed pleasant organoleptic characteristics attractive to consumers but also a pH compatible with skin and a suitable viscosity for topical application. The stability study revealed minor changes to droplet size and color, without affecting the general stability of the formulation. In conclusion, this study emphasized the prominent benefits of chestnut shells extract as a novel ingredient for skin care formulations.

Salicornia ramosissima J.Woods is an edible halophyte, widely distributed in the Portuguese salt marsh that has been under valorized. The aim of this study is to expand the knowledge regarding S. ramosissima bioactive composition and safety, highlighting its potential use as nutraceutical ingredient. Therefore, extracts obtained by conventional (CE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were characterized regarding phenolic profile, antioxidant activity, radical scavenging capacity and intestinal cell effects. Moreover, organic pesticides were screened to guarantee the consumers safety. The highest phenolic and flavonoid contents were observed for the CE, as well as the scavenging capacity of O2•− (IC50 = 979.36 µg/mL) and HOCl (IC50 = 90.28 µg/mL). In contrast, the best antioxidant and antiradical activities were achieved by MAE (65.56 µmol FSE/g dw and 17.74 µg AAE/g dw for FRAP and ABTS assays, respectively). The phenolic composition was similar for both extracts, being characterized by the presence of phenolic acids, flavonols, flavanols, flavones and flavanones. The predominant compound for both extracts was myricetin. None of the extracts were cytotoxic in intestinal cell lines. Vestigial levels of β-endosulfan and p,p’-DDE were identified in MAE. These results support that S. ramosissima could be a source of bioactive compounds for nutraceutic industry.

During kiwiberry production, different by-products are generated, including leaves that are removed to increase the fruit’s solar exposure. The aim of this work was to extract bioactive compounds from kiwiberry leaf by employing microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). Compatible food solvents (water and ethanol) were employed. The alcoholic extract contained the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents (629.48 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per gram of plant material on dry weight (dw) (GAE/g dw) and 136.81 mg of catechin equivalents per gram of plant material on dw (CAE/g dw), respectively). Oppositely, the hydroalcoholic extract achieved the highest antioxidant activity and scavenging activity against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (IC50 = 29.10 μg/mL for O2•−, IC50 = 1.87 μg/mL for HOCl and IC50 = 1.18 μg/mL for •NO). The phenolic profile showed the presence of caffeoylquinic acids, proanthocyanidin, and quercetin in all samples. However, caffeoylquinic acids and quercetin were detected in higher amounts in the alcoholic extract, while proanthocyanidins were prevalent in the hydroalcoholic extract. No adverse effects were observed on Caco-2 viability, while the highest concentration (1000 µg/mL) of hydroalcoholic and alcoholic extracts conducted to a decrease of HT29-MTX viability. These results highlight the MAE potentialities to extract bioactive compounds from kiwiberry leaf.

Olea europaea cultivar, native in the Mediterranean basin, has expanded worldwide, mainly due to the olive oil industry. This expansion is attributed to the benefits of olive oil consumption, since this product is rich in nutritional and bioactive compounds. However, the olive industry generates high amounts of wastes, which could be related to polluting effects on soil and water. To minimize the environmental impact, different strategies of revalorization have been proposed. In this sense, the aim of this work was to develop high cosmetic value added oleuropein-enriched extracts (O20 and O30), a bioactive compound from olive byproducts, performing a comprehensive characterization using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and evaluate their bioactivity by in vitro assays. A total of 49 compounds were detected, with oleuropein and its derivatives widely found in O30 extract, whereas iridoids were mainly detected in O20 extract. Moreover, 10 compounds were detected for the first time in olive leaves. Both extracts demonstrated strong antioxidant and antiradical activities, although O30 showed higher values. In addition, radical oxygen and nitrogen species scavenging and enzyme inhibition values were higher in O30, with the exception of HOCl and hyaluronidase inhibition assays. Regarding cell viability, olive byproduct extracts did not lead to a decrease in keratinocytes viability until 100 µg/mL. All data reported by the present study reflect the potential of industrial byproducts as cosmetic ingredients.

This work focused on evaluating the possibility of using vineyard pruning wastes from two Portuguese Vitis vinifera varieties; Touriga Nacional (TN) and Tinta Roriz (TR), as new potential ingredients for the nutraceutical industry. An environmentally friendly extraction technique; namely subcritical-water extraction (SWE), was employed. The overall results indicate that phenolic acids were the major class of compounds quantified; being gallic acid the principal one. The highest value for total phenolic content (TPC) was obtained for the TR extract at 250 °C (181 ± 12 mg GAE/g dw). In terms of antioxidant activity; the DPPH values for the extracts obtained at 250 °C were approximately 4-fold higher than the ones obtained at 125 °C; with TR extract presenting the highest value (203 ± 22 mg TE/g dw). Thus, the TR extract obtained through SWE at 250 °C was selected to evaluate the scavenging activity and the in vitro effects on cells due to the best results achieved in the previous assays. This extract presented the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (O2●-, HOCl and ROO●). No adverse effects were observed in HFF-1 viability after exposure to extract concentrations below 100 μg/mL. This work demonstrated that vine-canes extracts could be a potential ingredient to nutraceutical industry

The majority of works about vine-canes are focused on the evaluation of their chemical composition and antioxidant potential. To the best of our knowledge, the possible applications of produced extracts in cosmetic formulations have never been explored. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of vine-canes subcritical water extracts for use as active ingredients in the cosmetic industry. For that, the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of six vine-cane varieties, namely Alvarinho and Loureiro from the Minho region and Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (TR) from both the Douro and Dão regions, were evaluated through spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods. All extracts presented similar antioxidant activity and the highest phenolic content was reported for TR variety from the Douro region (33.7 ± 1.9 mg GAE/g dw). The capacity of vine-cane extracts to capture reactive oxygen species superoxide (O2∙−) was also studied, with the highest IC50 value being obtained for Loureiro variety (56.68 ± 2.60 µg/mL). Furthermore, no adverse effects on HaCaT and HFF-1 dermal cell lines in concentrations below 100 and 1000 μg/mL, respectively, were determined. Finally, Loureiro vine-cane extract was incorporated into a topical formulation, and physical and microbiological properties were within expected values, demonstrating that vine-canes extracts can be successfully incorporated in cosmetic products.

Chestnut processing industry generates large amounts of by-products, including leaves, burs and shells that are a source of bioactive compounds. The purpose of this study was to establish an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of phenolic and antioxidant compounds from industrial chestnut shells. A central composite design (CCD) was conducted to analyze the effects of time (4−46 min) and temperature (34−76 °C) in the antioxidant activity (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) and total phenolic compounds (TPC) of chestnut shells extracts. The optimal extraction conditions were obtained at 70 °C for 40 min. The optimal extract was characterized regarding phenolic profile, radical scavenging capacity, and effects on intestinal and dermal cell lines. The optimal extract revealed high amounts of ellagic acid (40.4 µg/mg dw), followed by caffeic acid derivative (15.4 µg/mg dw) and epigallocatechin (15.3 µg/mg dw). Indeed, the extract exhibited the highest scavenging efficiencies against NO● (IC50 = 0.1 µg/mL) and HOCl (IC50 = 0.7 µg/mL) and did not conducted to a decrease on HaCaT and HFF-1 viability up to 100 μg/mL. Oppositely, a decrease on Caco-2 and HT29-MTX viability was observed. This study suggests that UAE could be a sustainable option to valorize chestnut shells as raw material for different industries.

A fibrodisplasia óssea é uma patologia congénita rara com predileção pelos ossos craniofaciais, envolvendo frequentemente os seios perinasais, órbita e base do crânio. Os autores apresentam 2 casos de fibrodisplasia óssea monostótica craniofacial e realizam uma breve revisão da literatura sobre o tema. O primeiro trata-se de um caso de fibrodisplasia óssea do frontal, num homem de 20 anos, e o segundo de um caso de fibrodisplasia óssea do esfenoide, num homem de 65 anos. O primeiro caso, dada a idade jovem, crescimento e repercussão estética da lesão, foi submetido a cirurgia, não evidenciando sinais de recidiva após um ano de seguimento. O segundo caso, tratou-se de um achado imagiológico sem sinais de crescimento, num homem mais velho e assintomático, pelo que se optou pelo tratamento conservador e vigilância. Ambos foram orientados de forma multidisciplinar e ilustram a diversidade de apresentação, orientação e evolução que a mesma patologia pode assumir.

INTRODUÇÃO: As complicações intracranianas de otite média representam uma situação relacionada com alta taxa de mortalidade, manifestando-se de forma aguda e constituindo urgências médicas e cirúrgicas. São definidas como disseminação do processo inflamatório/infecioso para além dos espaços pneumatizados do ouvido médio, tendo variadas formas de apresentação. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Consulta dos processos clínicos dos doentes com patologia otológica e patologia intracraniana entre 2008 e 2014 admitidos no Hospital de Braga. Características dos pacientes, diagnósticos otológicos e neurológicos, resultados microbiológicos, abordagem terapêutica e evolução clínica foram os parâmetros analisados. RESULTADOS: Obteve-se um total de 19 doentes, com uma idade média de 40,4 anos. Febre persistente e cefaleias foram os principais sintomas encontrados. Otite média aguda foi o diagnóstico otológico mais associado a complicação intracraniana. Seis pacientes apresentavam mais do que uma complicação, resultando num total de 28, quase metade das quais correspondendo a meningite. DISCUSSÃO: Após comparação com estudos semelhantes da literatura, verificamos que os nossos resultados são semelhantes aos já encontrados, exceto no que diz respeito à principal etiologia das complicações intracranianas. CONCLUSÃO: As complicações intracranianas de otite média devem ser consideradas situações de alto risco que requerem intervenção médica imediata.

Castanea sativa fruit processing generates high amounts of by-products, mostly bur. Currently, the cosmetic industry has a great interest in natural extracts as antioxidant sources. In the present study, C. sativa bur extract was used as the active ingredient, in different amounts, in topical hydrogels. The formulations were characterized regarding total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC, respectively), antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) and technological and microbiological properties. The same parameters were evaluated after 30 days of storage at 4 °C (T30/4 °C) and 20 °C (T30/20 °C). At time 0 (T0), the TPC ranged between 0.79 and 9.65 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g gel, while TFC varied from 0.05 to 1.23 mg of catechin equivalents (CAE)/g gel. Antioxidant activity was high for both assays, with values at T0 ranging between 98.41 and 1013.43 µmol of ferrous sulphate equivalents (FSE)/g gel and varying between 431.96 and 990.84 µg of Trolox equivalents (TE)/g gel for FRAP and DPPH assays, respectively. No formulation exceeded the defined criteria in microbiological counts. All formulations showed similar technological profiles but particular attention should be given to pH. The gel with 50% of extract (F3) was selected as the best one for potential cosmetic applications.

Portuguese honeys (n = 15) from different botanical and geographical origins were analysed regarding their quality parameters (diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural content, moisture and pH), colour (L*, a*, b*) and antioxidant profile (total phenolics content, total flavonoids content, DPPH• scavenging activity, and ferric reducing power). The samples were analysed fresh and after 4-years of storage (at 25 °C and protected from light). The hydroxymethylfurfural content and diastase activity of the fresh samples were in accordance with the recommended values described in the legislation. In general, the antioxidant activity of the samples correlated more with the bioactive compounds content than with colour. The storage affected differently each individual sample, especially regarding the antioxidant profile. Nevertheless, although in general the lightness of the samples decreased (and the redness increased), after 4 years, 11 samples still presented acceptable diastase activity and hydroxymethylfurfural values.