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Microalgae are emerging as sustainable sources of a wide range of high-value compounds. However, the knowledge about microalgae polar lipids is still limited, despite their interest due to their chemical diversity and bioactivity. This study shows, for the first time, the polar lipidome of the haptophyte microalga Chrysotila pseudoroscoffensis unveiled by using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HILIC-HRMS and MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Freeze-dried C. pseudoroscoffensis biomass has a lipid content of 6.4 %, containing higher amounts of ash (45.5 %), proteins (11.6 %), and sugars (11.0 %). Uronic acids (53.8 mol%) are the sugars present in higher content, followed by glucose (13.7 mol%) and galactose (12.7 mol%). The polar lipid species identified by HILIC-MS/MS included betaine lipids, glycolipids, and phospholipids, some of them with recognised bioactive properties. Among the lipid classes found from C. pseudoroscoffensis, some are less reported in algae: betaine lipids diacylglycerylcarboxyhydroxymethylcholine (DGCC) and monoacylglycerylcarboxyhydroxymethylcholine (MGCC) (characteristic of haptophyte microalgae); acid glycolipid class glucuronosyldiacylglycerol (GlcADG) (mainly reported in plants with protective effects in phosphate-deprivation conditions); and phospholipid classes monomethylphosphatidylethanolamine (MMPE) and lysomonomethylphosphatidylethanolamine (MMLPE). As estimated by colorimetric assays, glycolipids and phospholipids accounted for 64 and 3 % of the total lipid extracts, respectively. Fatty acid profiling by GC-MS showed that total esterified fatty acids accounted for about 32 % of the total lipid extracts, of which 23 % were omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Four lipid extract concentrations (12.5, 62.5, 125 and 250 mu g mL-1 in ethanol) were tested and displayed antioxidant capacity toward 2,2 & PRIME;-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. A dose-dependent behaviour was observed with IC50 of 111.9 mu g mL(-1) for ABTS and IC35 of 234.8 mu g mL(-1) for DPPH assay. In conclusion, the lipid extracts of C. pseudoroscoffensis may be a source of high-value lipids for the development of novel microalgae-based products, namely nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Over the last years, foods are being tailored in their compositional profiles and structural properties to promote or enhance human health and well-being over and above simple nutrition. In this context, there is a need for a detailed understanding of the physical, biochemical and sensorial properties of the food categories involved since any modification targeting improved healthiness needs to guarantee their maintenance within acceptable levels to maintain consumer satisfaction. The reduction of sugar content in food to reduce both energy density of food and glycemic response is currently a key focus of the food manufacturing industry that poses several challenges. In this chapter, an overall perspective of sugar and its technological/functional role as well as the negative health implications associated to its excessive consumption is presented upholding the need for reformulation strategies to reduce free sugar intake. In this framework, the different solutions developed over the last years will be discussed including sugar structure modification and encapsulation to enhance sweet perception, food grade alternatives to sugar or in-situ enzymatic sugar conversion into non-digestible saccharides with enhanced (prebiotic) functionality. Examples of commercial products and market challenges will also be detailed.

Mansoa hirsuta is a medicinal plant native to the Brazilian semi-arid region. This approach aimed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo toxicity and anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions of the M. hirsuta fraction (MHF). In vitro cell viability was assessed in 3T3 cells. In vivo, the acute toxicity test, a single dose of the MHF was administered. For the subchronic toxicity test, three doses of were administered for 30 days. Locomotion and motor coordination were assessed using open field and rota-rod. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in carrageenan-induced paw edema and zymosan-induced air-pouch models. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and total proteins were also measured. The antinociceptive activity MHF was determined using acid acetic-induced abdominal writhing and formalin models. In the cytotoxicity assay, MHF showed no significative impairment of cell viability and in the acute toxicity study, did not cause mortality or signs of toxicity. Repeated exposure to MHF did not cause relevant toxicological changes. The evaluation in the open field test showed that the MHF did not alter the locomotor activity and there was no change in motor coordination and balance of animals. MHF significantly reduced edema, MPO production, the migration of leukocytes and protein leakage. In addition, MHF reduced abdominal writhing and significantly inhibited the first and second stage of the formalin test. The results of this study indicated that MHF has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential without causing acute or subchronic toxic effects and it can be a promising natural source to be explored.

Mucilage extracted from chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) (MCHs) has come to prominence in recent studies due to its attractive biological activities, improving the interest in developing Salvia hispanica as an industrial crop for sustainable source of bioactive polysaccharide. In this work, chia mucilage properties were evaluated, including physicochemical, photostability, cytocompatibility, and mucoadhesion characteristics. MCHs exhibited excellent photostability, with a degradation percentage of 6.6 % after 120 min under UV light. MTT assay results showed excellent cytocompatibility of MCHs on the L929 fibroblast cell line and additionally, the biomaterial showed promising mucoadhesive activity. Overall, the knowledge of these new properties of chia mucilage reinforces the multipotential feature of this biopolymer for application in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Agrofood byproducts may be exploited as a source of biomolecules suitable for developing bioplastic materials. In this work, the feasibility of using starch, oil, and waxes recovered from potato chips byproducts for films production was studied. The recovered potato starch-rich fraction (RPS) contained an amylopectin/amylose ratio of 2.3, gelatinization temperatures varying from 59 to 71 °C, and a gelatinization enthalpy of 12.5 J/g, similarly to a commercial potato starch (CPS). Despite of its spherical and oval granules identical to CPS, RPS had a more amorphous structure and gave rise to low viscous suspensions, contradicting the typical B-type polymorph crystal structure and sluggish dispersions of CPS, respectively. When used for films production, RPS originated transparent films with lower roughness and wettability than CPS-based films, but with higher stretchability. In turn, when combined with RPS and CPS, oil or waxes recovered from frying residues and potato peels, respectively, allowed to develop transparent yellowish RPS- and CPS-based films with increased surface hydrophobicity, mechanical traction resistance, elasticity, and/or plasticity. Therefore, potato chips industry byproducts revealed to have thermoplastic and hydrophobic biomolecules that can be used to efficiently develop biobased plastics with improved surface properties and flexibility, opening an opportunity for their valorization. published

Crosslinking with genipin increases the acidic stability of chitosan-based materials, opening an opportunity to explore new applications. In this work, the viability of using chitosan-genipin solutions on cellulose-based materials coating was studied. Non-calendered paper and cardboard were used as raw materials. Different number of chitosan-genipin coating layers (1, 3, 6, 20, and 30) were applied and their influence on the materials mechanical, physicochemical, and barrier properties was studied. The small thickness and basis weight of non-calendered paper resulted in an inefficient adhesion of chitosan-genipin coating to the cellulose fibers. However, in cardboard, chitosan-genipin created a dense layer onto the cellulosic-fibers surface without impairing their mechanical properties. It conferred a greenish color, whose intensity increased with the layers number. The chitosan-genipin coating decreased the cardboard air and water vapor permeability up to 71 % and 52 %, respectively, and acted as a physical barrier for cardboard compounds leaching, being suitable for covering cellulose-based materials. published

The extracellular polysaccharides produced by cyanobacteria have distinctive characteristics that make them promising for applications ranging from bioremediation to biomedicine. In this study, a sulfated polysaccharide produced by a marine cyanobacterial strain and named cyanoflan was characterized in terms of morphology, chemical composition, and rheological and emulsifying properties. Cyanoflan has a 71 % carbohydrate content, with 11 % of sulfated residues, while the protein account for 4 % of dry weight. The glycosidic-substitution analysis revealed a highly branched complex chemical structure with a large number of sugar residues. The cyanoflan high molecular mass fractions (above 1 MDa) and entangled structure is consistent with its high apparent viscosity in aqueous solutions and high emulsifying activity. It showed to be a typical non-Newtonian fluid with pseudoplastic behavior. Altogether, these results confirm that cyanoflan is a versatile carbohydrate polymer that can be used in different biotechnological applications, such as emulsifying/thickening agent in food or cosmetic industries. published

MO245 exopolysaccharide (EPS) was produced in laboratory conditions from Vibrio genus microorganism isolated from bacterial mats found in Moorea Island. Its structure consists of a linear tetrasaccharide repeating unit â 4)-β-D-GlcpA-(1â 4)-α-D-GalpNAc-(1â 3)-β-D-GlcpNAc-(1â 4)-β-D-GlcpA-(1â containing covalently-linked 5% of glucose, galactose, and rhamnose, determined by methylation analyses and NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weight, radius of gyration (Rg) and intrinsic viscosity, [η], determined by gel permeation chromatography with light scattering and viscosity detection, were 513â ±â 4â kDa (PDI, 1.42â ±â 0.01), 6.7â ±â 0.3â dl/g and 56â ±â 0.3â nm respectively. The chelation of the EPS with copper divalent ions leads to the instantaneous formation of gels. The structural similitude proposed, based in an equal ratio of GlcA to N-acetylated sugars and in the same type of glyosidic linkages present in the repeating unit (alternated 1â 3 and 1â 4 linkages), is translated into analogous physicochemical properties: MO245 EPS is a flexible polyelectrolyte, with scaling exponents similar to that described for HA. This similitude opens opportunities in future drug delivery, tissue engineering, and cosmetic applications., RIAIDT, CACTUS at the University of Santiago de Compostela and in the "Manuel Rico" NMR laboratory (LMR) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) were the 750 MHz and 800 MHz NMR spectra were carried out respectively. FCT/MEC for the financial support to CICECO (FCT UID /CTM /50011/2013; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679) and QOPNA research Unit (FCT UID/QUI/00062/2013), through national founds and co-financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. RNC (IF/00373/2014), CN (SFRH/BPD/100627/2014), and ASF (SFRH/BD/102471/2014) thank the FCT foundation for funding.

Marine environments are an enormous source of materials with biological interest, such as sulphated polysaccharides, which have relevant biological activities. In this study the potential of salt pan brine water as an easily accessible source of sulphated polysaccharides was evaluated. This water revealed to have a high quantity of polymeric material, five times more than sea water, mainly composed by highly sulphated polysaccharides. Structural analysis identified a diversity of polysaccharides, namely rhamnans, fucans, mannans, xylomannans, glucuronomannans, galactans, and glucans. All these structures seem to form complexes that are resistant to the salt pan conditions along salt production. These polysaccharides showed in vitro stimulatory activity for B cells, suggesting their potential application in nutraceutical and biomedical fields. Salt pan brine water is a valuable source of environmentally friendly and low-cost available bioactive compounds prone to be exploited.

Electrically conductive materials have been highlighted in the biomedical and food packaging areas. Conventional electrically conductive polymers have limited biodegradability and biocompatibility and should be replaced by suitable biomaterials. Herein, electrically conductive bionanocomposites of chitosan and reduced graphene oxide were produced by a green methodology. The reduced graphene oxide was hydrothermally reduced in the presence of caffeic acid and was dispersed into chitosan. The final bionanocomposites achieved an electrical conductivity of 0.7 S/m in-plane and 2.1 × 10−5 S/m through-plane. The reduced graphene oxide promoted a great enhancement of antioxidant activity and a mechanical reinforcement of chitosan matrix, increasing the tensile strength and decreasing the water solubility. The electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and antioxidant activity of the bionanocomposites can be tuned according to the filler content. These active bionanocomposites, prepared using a green methodology, revealed good electrical and mechanical properties, which make them promising materials for food packaging and biological applications.

We derive an optimal decision rule with regards to making an irreversible switch from oil to gas production. The approach can be used by petroleum field operators to maximize the value creation from a petroleum field with diminishing oil production and remaining gas reserves. Assuming that both the oil and gas prices follow a geometric Brownian motion we derive an analytical solution for the exercise threshold. We also propose an explicit solution for the option value that is new to the literature. Numerical examples are used to demonstrate the threshold and option value for a generic petroleum field. Both the threshold and option value solutions are relevant for application to other real options cases with similar features (e.g. other types of switching options or a perpetual spread option).

During last years, scientific research on high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) as a nonthermal processing technology for preservation or aging of wine has increased substantially. HHP between 200 and 500 MPa is able to inactivate bacteria and yeasts in red and white wines, suggesting that it may be used for wine preservation. However, these treatments have been shown to promote changes on sensorial and physicochemical characteristics in both red and white wines, not immediately in the first month, but along storage. The changes are observed in wine color, aroma, and taste due mainly to reactions of phenolic compounds, sugars, and proteins. These reactions have been associated with those observed during wine aging, leading to aged-like wine characteristics perceived by sensorial analysis. This chapter will present the influence of HHP technology on wine chemical and sensorial characteristics, criticaly discussing its potentialities and drawbacks. The appropriate use of HHP, based on the scientific knowledge of the reactions occuring in wine promoted by HHP, will allow to exploit this technology for wine production achieving distinct characteristics to address particular market and consumer demands.

7 páginas, 3 tablas, 4 figuras, Chondroitin sulfate (CS) was isolated from Scyliorhinus canicula (fin, head and skeleton), Prionace glauca (head), and Raja clavata (skeleton) by-products from fish processing industry using environmentally friendly processes. The molecular weight was determined by gel permeation chromatography and the sugar composition and sulfation position by NMR and SAX-HPLC after enzymatic digestion. The CSs showed a prevalent 6S GalNAc sulfation for the 3 species (4S/6S ratio lower than 1). A higher 6S sulfation was observed for P. glauca head and R. clavata skeleton (4S/6S ratio below 0.20) than for S. canicula (4S/6S ratio ca. 0.6). The existence of CS samples with such low 4S/6S ratio has only been observed before in a rare species of shark (Mitsukutina owatoni, globin shark). The good extraction yields achieved make S. canicula, P. glauca and R. clavata fish industry by-products a useful source of 6-sulfated chondroitin sulfate, Financial support from projects 0687_NOVOMAR_1_P (POCTEP Programme, EU) and iSEAS LIFE13 ENV/ES/000131 (LIFE + Programme, EU) is acknowledged. FCT/MEC for the financial support to CICECO ( FCT UID /CTM /50011/2013; POCI-01-0145- FEDER-007679) and QOPNA research Unit (FCT UID/QUI/00062/2013), through national founds and co-financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. RNC (IF/00373/201) and CN (SFRH/BPD/100627/2014) thank the FCT foundation for funding

Peroxidase from olive fruit ( Olea europaea L., cv Douro) in a black ripening stage was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity, resulting in four cationic and four anionic fractions. The anionic fractions accounted for 92% of recovered activity and showed molecular masses of 18–20 kDa. The anionic fraction PODa4, the predominant fraction that comprised about 70% of total recovered activity, showed an isoelectric point of 4.4 and optimum pH and temperature of, respectively, 7.0 and 34.7 °C, and apparent K m values of 41.0 and 0.53 mM, for phenol and H 2 O 2 , respectively. From the activity-temperature profile, the denaturation temperature and the changes in enthalpy and heat capacity for unfolding of PODa4 were estimated as being, respectively, 36.5 °C, 411.2 and −13.6 kJ mol −1 K −1 . The activation energy for phenol oxidation by PODa4 was 99.1 kJ mol −1 , corresponding to a calculated temperature coefficient ( Q 10 ) of 4. The arabinose (39 mol%) and galacturonic acid (38 mol%) content of the carbohydrate moiety indicated the existence of pectic material in the purified PODa4 fraction. Co-migration of the carbohydrate with the protein band in the isoelectric focusing electrophoresis, points to PODa4 fraction as being a pectin type binding peroxidase.

A simple and solvent-free methodology is proposed for the simultaneous determination of methanol and acetic acid content of any type of plant cell wall polysaccharides. The methanol and acetic acid, released by saponification, are extracted from the headspace of the aqueous solution by solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) using a DVB/Carboxen/PDMS fibre. The analytes are separated by gas chromatography and detected using a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The quantification of methanol and acetic acid is done using external calibration curves. A linear relationship between the concentration of methanol (40–100 mg L −1 ) and acetic acid (25–105 mg L −1 ) and their GC peak area was observed ( r 2 =0.987 and 0.988, respectively) with a reproducibility of 10%. HS-SPME-GC-FID revealed to be a clean, simple, fast and reliable methodology for the determination of the methanol and acetic acid content of cell wall polysaccharide extracts.