Percorrer por autor "Mendes, Susana"
A mostrar 1 - 10 de 60
Resultados por página
Opções de ordenação
- Adding value to bycatch fish species captured in the Portuguese coast—development of new food productsPublication . Silva, Frederica; Duarte, Ana M.; Mendes, Susana; Borges, Patrícia; Magalhães, Elisabete; Pinto, Filipa R.; Barroso, Sonia; Neves, Ana; Sequeira, Vera; Vieira, Ana Rita; Magalhães, Maria Filomena; Rebelo, Rui; Assis, Carlos; Gordo, Leonel SerranoWe live in a world of limited biological resources and ecosystems, which are essential to feed people. Consequently, diversifying target species and considering full exploitation are essential for fishery sustainability. The present study focuses on the valorization of three low commercial value fish species (blue jack mackerel, Trachurus picturatus; black seabream, Spondyliosoma cantharus; and piper gurnard, Trigla lyra) and of two unexploited species (comber, Serranus cabrilla and boarfish, Capros aper) through the development of marine-based food products with added value. A preliminary inquiry with 155 consumers from Região de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo (Center of Portugal) was conducted to assess fish consumption, the applicability of fish product innovation, and the importance of valorizing discarded fish. Five products (black seabream ceviche, smoked blue jack mackerel pâté, dehydrated piper gurnard, fried boarfish, and comber pastries) were developed and investigated for their sensory characteristics and consumer liking by hedonic tests to 90 consumers. The most important descriptors were identified for each product (texture, flavor, color, and appearance). Comber pastries had the highest purchase intention (88%), followed by black seabream ceviche (85%) and blue jack mackerel pâté (76%). Sensory evaluations showed a clear tendency of consumers to accept reformulated products, with the introduction of the low-value and unexploited species under study.
- Algas edíveis de PenichePublication . Mouga, Teresa; Freitas, Marta; Borges, Patrícia; Mendes, Susana
- Annual variations in the mineral element content of five fish species from the Portuguese coastPublication . Pinto, Filipa R.; Duarte, Ana M.; Silva, Frederica; Barroso, Sonia; Mendes, Susana; Pinto, Edgar; Almeida, Agostinho; Sequeira, Vera; Vieira, Ana Rita; Gordo, Leonel Serrano; Gil, Maria MThe most consumed fish species in Portugal do not correspond to the most caught fish species on the Portuguese coast. From the point of view of ocean sustainability and economics, it is important to study unexploited or underexploited fish species that have the potential to be introduced into the food market. This potential can be reflected by their nutritional value, where mineral elements are often overlooked despite their importance in human health. Therefore, it is important to study the elemental concentration of those fish species, which should also include seasonal variations of essential mineral elements such as Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, and I, and non-essential elements such as As, Ni, Cd, and Pb. This work is part of a project that studied five fish species with the potential to be brought to the market: three species with low commercial value (Trachurus picturatus, Spondyliosoma cantharus and Trigla lyra) and two species with no commercial value (Serranus cabrilla and Capros aper), caught over a year in the coast of Portugal. Mineral elements were quantified by ICP-OES (ICP-MS for I). The results showed that the studied fish species present significant elemental concentrations, similar to those found in the most caught fish species in Portugal. Trachurus picturatus was found to be a source of Fe, and all species are sources of I. Overall, Spondyliosoma cantharus proved to be the most element-rich species. Sensorially, Cu was related to “metallic odour” and Fe to “metallic flavour”, and I was related to “seaweed odour” and “seawater flavour”. Additionally, toxic elements such as Cd, Pb, Ni and As were not detected. The corresponding Hazard Quotients (HQ) show the safety of the consumption of these fish species concerning the content of potentially toxic elements.
- Blue sharks (Prionace glauca) as bioindicators of pollution and health in the Atlantic Ocean: Contamination levels and biochemical stress responsesPublication . Alves, Luís M.; Nunes, Margarida; Marchand, Phillippe; Le Bizec, Bruno; Mendes, Susana; Correia, João P. S.; Lemos, Marco F.L.; Novais, Sara C.Marine ecosystems are constantly being threatened by contaminants produced by human activities. There is an urge to better understand their impacts on marine organisms and develop reliable tools for biomonitoring studies, while also assessing their potential impacts on human health.Given their position on top of food webs, sharks are particularly susceptible to bioaccumulation, making thempotential sentinel species ofmarine contamination. Themain objective of this studywas to find suitable biomarkers for futuremarine pollution biomonitoring studies by correlating biochemical responses with tissue contaminant body burden in blue sharks (Prionace glauca), a species heavily caught and consumed by humans, while also addressing their general health. The chemical contaminants analysed comprised different persistent organic pollutants (POPs) families from polychlorinated compounds to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and different trace and heavymetals. Concentrations of some contaminants in sharks' tissueswere found to be above the legally allowed limits for human consumption. A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was performed and some strong associations were found between biochemical responses and contaminants' accumulation levels. DNA damage and lipid peroxidation levels, as well as the inhibition of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase, were the main effects and consequences of contamination. The impact of contamination on these vital macromolecules underlines the suboptimal conditions of the sampled P. glauca, which can ultimately lead to the degradation of core ecological aspects, such as swimming, feeding, and reproduction. It can be concluded that P. glauca demonstrates great potential to be used as environmental sentinel and suitable biomarker candidates were identified in this work.Moreover, this study also highlights the risks that the consumption of blue shark derived products can pose to human health, which is of upmost interest as the sampled organismswere still juveniles and already presented values above regulatory limits.
- Broodstock conditioning of the Portuguese oyster (Crassostrea angulata, Lamarck, 1819): influence of different dietsPublication . Anjos, Catarina; Baptista, Teresa; Joaquim, Sandra; Mendes, Susana; Matias, Ana Margarete; Moura, Paula; Simões, Tiago; Matias, DomitíliaThe Portuguese oyster Crassostrea angulata shows great potential in oyster farming. The conservation of pure populations of this species is important for production diversification and biodiversity preservation. In this way, the zootechnological development for seed hatchery production is extremely important. Broodstock conditioning is a key step in the process of rearing bivalves in a hatchery. Many factors regulate the reproductive cycle, being food one of the most important ones. To evaluate the effect of different diets on C. angulata reproductive performance, broodstock were conditioned with different food regimes formulated fundamentally by flagellates (Diet 1 – Pavlova lutheri and Isochrysis galbana clone T-ISO; Diet 2 – P. lutheri, T-ISO and Skeletonema costatum) and constituted fundamentally by diatoms (Diet 3 – S. costatum and Chaetoceros calcitrans; Diet 4 – P. lutheri, S. costatum and C. calcitrans). During conditioning, samples of oysters were collected to evaluate condition index, gonadal development and biochemical composition. At the end of the conditioning period, oysters were induced to spawn to evaluate reproductive output (fecundity, fertilization rate and D-larvae development). The diets had an impact on the gametogenesis process, energy storage and reproductive output performance, being the best results those obtained in broodstock fed with the diatoms-predominant diets. However, those fed with diets majority flagellates had an unsuccessful performance. Holistic approaches incorporating all results in this study reveal and reinforce the idea that the diatom species used presented the nutritional requirements to C. angulata broodstock, being essential in the conditioning phase.
- Capturing the complexity of COVID-19 research: Trend analysis in the first two years of the pandemic using a bayesian probabilistic model and machine learning toolsPublication . De la Hoz-M, Javier; Mendes, Susana; Fernández-Gó, María Joséez; González Silva, YolandaPublications about COVID-19 have occurred practically since the first outbreak. Therefore, studying the evolution of the scientific publications on COVID-19 can provide us with information on current research trends and can help researchers and policymakers to form a structured view of the existing evidence base of COVID-19 and provide new research directions. This growth rate was so impressive that the need for updated information and research tools become essential to mitigate the spread of the virus. Therefore, traditional bibliographic research procedures, such as systematic reviews and meta-analyses, become time-consuming and limited in focus. This study aims to study the scientific literature on COVID-19 that has been published since its inception and to map the evolution of research in the time range between February 2020 and January 2022. The search was carried out in PubMed extracting topics using text mining and latent Dirichlet allocation modeling and a trend analysis was performed to analyze the temporal variations in research for each topic. We also study the distribution of these topics between countries and journals. 126,334 peerreviewed articles and 16 research topics were identified. The countries with the highest number of scientific publications were the United States of America, China, Italy, United Kingdom, and India, respectively. Regarding the distribution of the number of publications by journal, we found that of the 7040 sources Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, PLoS ONE, and Sci. Rep., were the ones that led the publications on COVID-19. We discovered a growing tendency for eight topics (Prevention, Telemedicine, Vaccine immunity, Machine learning, Academic parameters, Risk factors and morbidity and mortality, Information synthesis methods, and Mental health), a falling trend for five of them (Epidemiology, COVID-19 pathology complications, Diagnostic test, Etiopathogenesis, and Political and health factors), and the rest varied throughout time with no discernible patterns (Therapeutics, Pharmacological and therapeutic target, and Repercussion health services).
- CATA vs. FCP for a rapid descriptive analysis in sensory characterization of fishPublication . Silva, Frederica; Duarte, Ana M.; Mendes, Susana; Pinto, Filipa R.; Barroso, Sonia; Ganhão, Rui; Gil, Maria M.Storing non-marketable fish aboard fishing vessels takes up valuable storage space and, consequently, it is usually discarded. Therefore, the strategy to minimize the amount of discarded fish and boost the fishing economy should entail measures to turn unexploited species into marketable fish. The use of sensory descriptive analysis is usually the first step in the characterization of foods and assess their baseline appeal to the final consumer. In this study, the sensory characterization of five unexploited fish species was conducted, using a semi-trained panel, with the objective of establishing the appeal and marketability of these species. Check-all-that-apply (CATA) and Free Choice Profiling (FCP) were used to obtain descriptive attributes. Correspondence Analysis (CA) was used to examine CATA data and to compare both sensory methods, while Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used for FCP data analysis. The results obtained with CATA method allowed to differentiate species by appearance, odor and flavor, while appearance and odor were statistically significant descriptors in FCP. CATA method was found to be more suitable to discriminate fish species, presenting a higher discriminatory power than FCP.
- O contributo das redes sociais para o desenvolvimento das Casas de Fado em AlfamaPublication . Simões, Sofia; Mendes, Susana; Carvalho, MárioOs turistas atualmente preferem o uso da internet e das redes sociais para pesquisar informações. O dinamismo dessas redes é uma ferramenta atrativa e de fácil utilização para os turistas. As redes sociais podem ser por isso um fator decisivo para influenciar as escolhas de acordo com a motivação dos turistas. O Fado, para além de ser uma marca de elevada notoriedade, assune-se também como o embaixador de excelência para o reforço da marca Portugal além-fronteiras. Este trabalho de investigação procura entender o contributo das redes sociais para o desenvolvimento das Casas do Fado em Alfama (Lisboa). Foi ainda estudada a intenção dos turistas em compartilhar as suas experiências nas redes sociais. Este trabalho foi estruturado em duas partes: revisão da literatura (1) e a aplicação de uma pesquisa (2) em várias Casas do Fado em Alfama. Assim, a pesquisa (n = 532) procurou perceber se os turistas quando frequentam as Casas de Fado utilizam as redes sociais para compartilhar as suas experiências. Os resultados expuseram algumas lacunas, nomeadamente evidenciaram a importância dos clientes partilharem as suas experiencias contribuindo assim para o aumento da promoção das Casas de Fado. Foi ainda possível observar o potencial das redes sociais para a criação de estratégias potenciando o desenvolvimento das Casas de Fado em Alfama.
- Cytoprotective effect of seaweeds with high antioxidant activity from the Peniche coast (Portugal)Publication . Pinteus, Susete; Silva, Joana; Alves, Celso; Horta, André; Fino, Nádia; Rodrigues, Ana Inês; Mendes, Susana; Pedrosa, RuiScreening of antioxidant potential of dichloromethane and methanolic extracts of twenty-seven seaweeds from the Peniche coast was performed by: total phenolic contents (TPC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Seaweeds revealing the highest antioxidant activity were screened for cytoprotective potential in MCF-7 cells, including the mitochondrial membrane potential analysis and the caspase-9 activity. High correlation was found between TPC of seaweed extracts and their scavenging capacity on DPPH and peroxyl radicals. The highest antioxidant activity was displayed by the methanolic fraction of brown seaweeds belonging to Fucales, however Ulva compressa presented the highest cytoprotective effect by blunting the apoptosis process. These results suggest that high antioxidant activity may not be directly related with high cytoprotective potential. Thus, seaweeds reveal to be a promising source of compounds with potential against oxidative stress.
- Ecotourism based on the observation of sea turtles: a sustainable solution for the touristic promotion of São Tomé and PríncipePublication . Mendes, Susana; Martins, Joana; Mouga, TeresaWildlife-based ecotourism has been stated as an efficient tool to promote the conservation of endangered species and habitats. These activities also aim to create economic revenue for local communities. Likewise, ecotourism, intends to involve these communities in the management of the conservation programs and develop educational activities, either for children, locals, or tourists, in order to increase awareness about target species and habitats. This study addressed the recent ecotourism activities in the observation of sea turtles which are being developed in São Tomé and Príncipe. These charismatic marine reptiles are vulnerable or endangered due to human activities, such as meat and egg consumption, illegal trade, habitat loss, climatic change, pollution and fisheries bycatch. Therefore, ecotourism using flagship species, like sea turtle, establishes a sustainable alternative to destructive activities, promoting the country’s environmental, economic and social development, the three pillars of sustainability. In this context, the objective of this study is to know the potential of São Tomé and Príncipe as a turtle watching-based ecotourism destination. An exploratory analysis was carried out through two questionnaires (one focused to the Morro Peixe’s local community and another to the tourists that were engaged in turtle watching activities), in order to know the perception of the inhabitants and tourists regarding the programs and initiatives for the conservation of sea turtles. Despite the awareness that already exists among inhabitants regarding the conservation of sea turtles, the results showed that they do not straightforwardly accept the prohibition for the capture of sea turtles, but most of the population of Morro de Peixe is receptive to changes in the community regarding their protection. In fact, the population is beginning to recognize that tourism, due to the protection given to these endangered species, may become (in the medium term) a sustainable source of income. Regarding tourists’ profile, these are mostly Portuguese, with a high level of education and income. They are well informed about the need for sea turtle conservation and seek to carry out tourism activities that pursue this protection. In fact, this also demonstrates the potential the country has as a turtle watching-based ecotourism destination.