Browsing by Author "Bandarra, Narcisa M."
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- Bioaccessibility of antioxidants and fatty acids from Fucus spiralisPublication . Francisco, João; Horta, André; Pedrosa, Rui; Afonso, Cláudia; Cardoso, Carlos; Bandarra, Narcisa M.; Gil, Maria MFucus spiralis is an edible brown seaweed (SW) found in the Portuguese Coast. It has been reported to have high antioxidant activity, which may elicit a potential use for the food industry. However, little information is available on how the SW behaves during the digestive process and how the freeze-drying process might affect the bioaccessibility of the di erent compounds. Therefore, antioxidant activity, total polyphenols, lipid, and fatty acid contents were measured before and after in vitro simulation of the human digestive process, both in fresh and freeze-dry SW. F. spiralis had a lipid content of 3.49 +- 0.3% of dry weight (DW), which is a usual amount described for this SW genus. The total lipid bioaccessibility was 12.1 +- 0.1%. The major omega-3 fatty acid detected was eicosapentaenoic acid, 7.5 +- 0.1%, with a bioaccessibility percentage of 13.0 +- 1.0%. Four different methods—total phenolic content (TPC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH)—were used to assess the antioxidant activity of F. spiralis. The bioaccessibility of the antioxidants studied, ranged between 42.7% and 59.5%, except the bioaccessibility of polyphenols in freeze-dried SW (23.0% +- 1.0%), suggesting that the freeze-drying process reduces the bioaccessibility of these compounds.
- Uncovering the bioactivity of Aurantiochytrium sp.: a comparison of extraction methodologiesPublication . Reboleira, João; Félix, Rafael; Vicente, Tânia F. L.; Januário, Adriana P.; Félix, Carina; Melo, Marcelo M.R. de; Silva, Carlos M.; Ribeiro, Ana C.; Saraiva, Jorge A.; Bandarra, Narcisa M.; Sapatinha, Maria; Paulo, Maria C.; Coutinho, Joana; Lemos, Marco F.L.Aurantiochytrium sp. is an emerging alternative source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and squalene, playing an important role in the phasing out of traditional fish sources for these compounds. Novel lipid extraction techniques with a focus on sustainability and low environmental footprint are being developed for this organism, but the exploration of other added-value compounds within it is still very limited. In this work, a combination of novel green extraction techniques (high hydrostatic pressure extraction (HPE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE)) and traditional techniques (organic solvent Soxhlet extraction and hydrodistillation (HD)) was used to obtain lipophilic extracts of Aurantiochytrium sp., which were then screened for antioxidant (DPPH radical reduction capacity and ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) assays), lipid oxidation protection, antimicrobial, anti-aging enzyme inhibition (collagenase, elastase and hyaluronidase), and anti-inflammatory (inhibition of NO production) activities. The screening revealed promising extracts in nearly all categories of biological activity tested, with only the enzymatic inhibition being low in all extracts. Powerful lipid oxidation protection and anti-inflammatory activity were observed in most SFE samples. Ethanolic HPEs inhibited both lipid oxidation reactions and microbial growth. The HD extract demonstrated high antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiinflammatory activities making, it a major contender for further studies aiming at the valorization of Aurantiochytrium sp. Taken together, this study presents compelling evidence of the bioactive potential of Aurantiochytrium sp. and encourages further exploration of its composition and application.