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The phenolic profile and antioxidant activity of Cape Verde's Artemisia gorgonum Webb and Hyptis pectinata (L.) Poit. infusions before and after in vitro simulation of the gastrointestinal digestion were determined. The LC-UV/DAD fingerprinting analysis allowed the identification of 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid, 3,5 dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and other caffeoylquinic acids derivatives on A. gorgonum infusion, and of caffeoylquinic acid and quercetin derivatives on H. pectinata infusion. Despite some decrease in the chromatographic area of several peaks, no relevant qualitative alterations on the chromatographic profile were observed between the digested and undigested herbal infusions. Results obtained showed a decrease on the antioxidant capacity of both tested herbal infusions after the in vitro digestion. This decrease was more pronounced for H. pectinata than for A. gorgonum and was also more pronounced regarding the radical scavenging capacity than regarding the reducing capacity. After complete digestion the superoxide anion and the DPPH-radical scavenging capacities decreased ≈ 43 and 75% for H. pectinata and ≈ 31 and 70% for A. gorgonum. Despite the observed differences before and after simulated gastrointestinal digestion, both infusions still had antioxidant activity at the end of this process. Thus, the antioxidant potential of A. gorgonum and H. pectinata infusions from Cape Verde, prepared as traditionally used, seems to be kept in some extend throughout the digestive system.

Funding Information: Funding: We thank the financial support by the PROTEOMASS Scientific Society (Portugal) (General Funding Grant 2019–2020), as well as the Associate Laboratory Research Unit for Green Chemistry— Clean Processes and Technologies—LAQV-REQUIMTE financed by national funds from FCT/MEC (UIDB/04077/2020) and co-financed by the ERDF under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER—007265). J.D.; A.F.-L.; C.L.; J.F.-L. and J.L.C.-M. thanks to the FCT-MEC the research grant SiSi4Bacter (PTDC/QUI-COL/1517/2020). J.F.-L. thank FCT/MEC (Portugal) the junior researcher contract under DL57 pro-gramme. J.D. thanks the Project PTDC/QEQ-MED/2118/2014 for her researcher contract. A.F.-L. thanks the FCT-MEC Portugal for his doctoral grant associated with the Green Chemistry PhD. Program (SFRH/BD/52528/2014) and the PROTEOMASS Scientific Society Postdoctoral grant during August 2019–March 2021. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Made available in DSpace on 2021-12-20T23:17:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-05-19 publishersversion published

Stemphylium vesicarium (Wallr.) E. G. Simmons is the pathogen responsible of brown spot disease in pear and has become one of the main concerns for European pear producers. In Portugal, S. vesicarium is responsible for significant yield reduction and economic losses in &ldquo, Rocha&rdquo, pear (Pyrus communis L. cv Rocha) production. Considering the antimicrobial potential of propolis, the high incidence of brown spot in pears and the emergence of fungicides resistance in S. vesicarium, this study aimed to evaluate the potential of Portuguese propolis as an alternative strategy to control brown spot disease in &ldquo, pear. In vitro assays showed that propolis extracts were able to inhibit up to 90% the S. vesicarium mycelial growth. In vivo assays in artificially wounded and inoculated &ldquo, pears showed that, compared to the control, the disease incidence decreased up to 25% and the lesions diameter up to 57%, in fruits treated with propolis. Moreover, propolis seems to be more efficient in reducing the disease incidence when applied after pathogen inoculation (curative assay) than when applied before pathogen inoculation (prophylactic assay). Thus, the results suggest that propolis extracts have potential to be applied as part of an integrated approach for the control of brown spot of pear.

There has been a growing interest in the recovery and valorization of chemical products from biomass wastes. In the present study pomace from sour cherry liquor was analyzed in order to evaluate its potential for valorization. Two different samples of liquor pomace and two different extraction methods were screened through determination of their phenolic content (HPLC/PDA) and antioxidant activity (FRAP and DPPH assay). Results obtained showed that skins (pomace without kernel) presented a higher extraction yield, polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity than pomace with kernel (skin+kernel). Decoction at 100 °C allowed a higher recovery of phenolic compounds, but, maceration with water at 25 °C was considered a more sustainable process. HPLC analyses allowed the identification and quantification of phenolic compounds such as cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, (+)catechin and (−)epicatechin and some phenolic acids. The analyzed by-products might be a promising source of natural polyphenolic compounds, which can act as a new eco-friendly antioxidant ingredient, with potential to be incorporated in nutraceutical formulations or applied in food or cosmetic industries. The residues remaining after extraction have a high calorific value and fat content, suggesting its valorization as a source of energy or through the extraction of value-added oil. proof published

CBiOS Science Sessions Proceedings - 2012 - Study of the potential applicability of the by-products of the Prunus cerasus in promoting health and skin care; Contribution to a biologic and legal framework of the M. sylvestris in skin repair; Nanotechnology and drug delivery systems; Bacterial cellulose membranes applied in topical and transdermal delivery; New treatment strategies with plant extract teas for Alzheimer´s disease

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) have received considerable attention as an antibacterial agent particularly in the textile industry. In the present work a successful procedure for in situ growth of ZnONPs in textiles was developed. The results obtained showed that a combination of in situ synthesis and the sol–gel method promoted a uniform and dense adsorption of the nanoparticles both inside and on the surface of fabric fibres. The fabrics finished with ZnONPs have been investigated for antibacterial properties by the agar diffusion method and by the absorption method according to the ISO 20743:2013 standard and exhibited an antibacterial effect against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC33591, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC1228, Staphylococcus aureus RN4220 and Propionibacterium acnes ATCC6919. Moreover, tests conducted with hydrogen peroxide suggested the involvement of reactive oxygen species, namely the involvement of hydrogen peroxide, in the antibacterial activity of the zinc oxide nanoparticles. Therefore, the synthesised nanoparticles showed great potential to be used as coatings for medical, cosmetic or sports fabrics.

The excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main cause of skin cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world. In this context, the development of innovative and more effective sunscreens, with bioactive compounds like caffeine, displaying antioxidant and anticancer potential, is required. This research work assessed in vitro and in vivo the efficacy and safety of topical sunscreen formulations containing caffeine as an adjuvant of the UV filters. Sunscreens were prepared with 2.5% w/w caffeine or in the absence of this compound. In order to evaluate the safety of these formulations, stratum corneum hydration, skin barrier and colorimetry were assessed in vivo in healthy subjects before and after skin treatment with the samples. The efficacy of the sunscreens was assessed in vitro, using PMMA plates and a spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere; and in vivo by the determination of the sun protection factor (SPF). None of the formulations caused erythema or impaired the skin barrier function. The in vitro functional characterization showed higher SPF values for the caffeine formulation. The in vivo studies also confirmed the higher SPF value of the formulation combining caffeine with the filters, compared to the caffeine-free sample. This improvement contributed to an increase of, approximately, 25% in the in vivo anti-UVB protection. In conclusion, caffeine was well tolerated by the skin and increased the photoprotective activity, being a new alternative adjuvant in sunscreens formulation.

Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) was used to obtain myrtle leaf extracts, and to study the antioxidant capacity (AOC) and in vitro antimicrobial activity of those extracts. To optimize the SFE operational conditions, the response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted. The parameters studied were: pressure ( P ), within the range 10 to 30 MPa; temperature ( T ), between 35 °C and 60 °C and supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO 2 ) flow rate ( Q ) within the range 0.15 to 0.45 kg h −1 . The results show a good fit to the proposed model and the optimal conditions obtained (23 MPa, 45 °C, and SCCO 2 flow rate of 0.3 kg h −1 ) were within the experimental range. The predicted values agreed with experimental ones, thus indicating the suitability of the RSM model for the optimization of the extraction conditions being investigated. With those values remaining constant, ethanol as a co-solvent was then studied. There was an observed rise in AOC as the amount of ethanol increased, within the range studied (0–30 wt% ethanol). The extract with the highest AOC was tested for its antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values obtained showed significant inhibitory effect against gram-positive bacteria.

CBiOS Science Sessions - 2013 - Nutrition: pregnancy counselling website (http://nutricao.ulusofona.pt) Nutrição: website de aconselhamento durante a gravidez, Nelson Alexandre Rodrigues Tavares; Relationship between daily water intake and skin physiology, Impacto Cutâneo do consumo dietário de água, Maria Lídia Laginha Mestre Guerreiro da Palma; Development of different types of nanosystems: polymeric, lipid-based and metallic nanoparticles. Desenvolvimento de diferentes tipos de nanosistemas: poliméricos, lipid-based e de nanoparticulas metálicas, Catarina Silva, Patrícia Rijo, Catarina Reis; Interaction between propofol and HES 130/0.4: Chemical, physiological and toxicological. Interação entre Propofol e HES 130/0.4: Química, Fisiológica e Toxicológica, Aura Silva, Ana Ortiz, Carlos Venâncio, Rui Silva, Joaquim Mendes, Paula Guedes, Helena Vala, David Ferreira; Study the potential applicability of the by-products of the Prunus cerasus in promoting health and skin care. Estudo da aplicabilidade dos sub-produtos de Prunus cerasus na promoção de saúde cutânea, Elisabete Maurício, Catarina Rosado, Diaz Diaz Lanza; Cell migration and adhesion - impact of ROS in tumour metastasis Migração celular e adesão - impacto de ROS na metástase tumural, Nuno Saraiva; Bioactive and Non-Conventional Photoprotection Fotoproteção Bioactiva e Não-Convencional, André Rolim Baby.

In recent years many studies on cherries have revealed that they are rich sources of bioactive compounds, mainly due to their polyphenolic phytochemicals. In this work, by-products of the sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) used in the Óbidos liquor from Portugal, were evaluated by determination of their total phenolic and anthocyanins contents. The mix samples (leaves and stems) and pomace (skins with and without kernels) were extracted by maceration using two different extraction methods with different solvents: ethanol and methanol. Overall, significant differences were observed between all the extracts in relation to the solvent used and anthocyanin and phenol contents. Stem and leaf extracts showed a polyphenol concentration higher than those from pomace. For all samples the total phenolic and anthocyanin contents were higher in methanol extracts than in ethanol extracts showing that methanol was the best solvent. For the pomace extracts the samples without kernels (skin samples) gave the highest values for both parameters. The tested cherry stems and pomace could be regarded as a promising agro-industrial by-product, being a low-cost polyphenols source, with potential to be added in functional cosmetics formulations. Further studies will be conducted to address their potential use as an antioxidant ingredient.