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- Codium tomentosum and Plocamium cartilagineum: Chemistry and antioxidant potentialPublication . Valentão, Patrícia; Trindade, Pedro; Gomes, Daniela; Pinho, Paula Guedes de; Mouga, Teresa; Andrade, Paula B.The chemical composition of green Codium tomentosum Stackhouse and red Plocamium cartilagineum (Linnaeus) P.S. Dixon seaweeds from the Atlantic Ocean surrounding Portugal was studied. For the first time, the profile of organic acids was analysed in these matrices: seven and four organic acids were detected in green and red species, respectively. In P. cartilagineum these compounds were present in vestigial amounts, whilst C. tomentosum exhibited a higher content, with oxalic acid being the main compound. Phenolics, UV-absorbing compounds, were absent in both species. Volatiles profile was also determined for the first time and a total of 41 compounds were identified, which included alcohols, aldehydes, esters, halogenated compounds, ketones, monoterpenes (namely terrestrial ones), norisoprenoid derivatives, amongst others. Norisoprenoid derivatives and aldehydes were predominant. The main volatiles in green and red seaweeds were limonene and benzophenone, respectively. Additionally, both species revealed considerable antioxidant activity against both reactive oxygen (superoxide radical) and reactive nitrogen (nitric oxide) species, in a concentration-dependent manner.
- Tourism environmental attitudes in Berlengas Biosphere Reserve, PortugalPublication . Santos, Nelson; Vasconcelos, João; Lopes, Maria Sofia; Mouga, TeresaBerlengas archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean, on the Portuguese continental shelf, on the western side of Iberian Peninsula. Berlengas is a marine reserve since 1981, a marine protected area since 1998 and, in 2011, it was included into the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR). As Berlengas is a relatively accessible archipelago from the west coast, it attracts all sorts of visitors during summer period. As a consequence, Berlengas has been facing a stronger demand for tourism activities each year that, in some cases, may conflict with the sustainable tourism principles desired for this kind of natural areas. The afflux of tourists is regulated by the management plan of the protected area, which defines a carrying capacity of 350 people daily but it is believed that this threshold is widely exceeded, by a factor of 2 or 3 during summer months. The delicate balance between the conservancy and human visitation can be obtained if tourism respects the natural values in Berlengas. Therefore, it is expected that the visitors of a biosphere reserve should demonstrate a high level of environmental concern and pro-ecological attitudes, especially those tourists who chose to visit such a location motivated by Berlengas’ worldwide recognized natural resources. In this work, the pro-ecological behavior and attitudes of tourists visiting Berlengas biosphere reserve are studied. A questionnaire was developed, using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) survey, and responded by 309 tourists visiting the islands in July and August 2014. The main results show that only 38% of the visitors are pro-ecological and most have mid-ecological views and 9% of the respondents showed anti-ecological views. These results suggest that a higher level of concern should be considered for the tourism industry in Berlengas, and that increasing the environmental awareness of visitors through education and information programs could contribute to a better environmental experience in this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
- Towards sustainable seaweed production: Optimising the culture of Gracilaria gracilisPublication . Ferreira, Francisco; Freitas, Marta; Cavaco, Mário; Mouga, TeresaGracilaria gracilis is a well-known cultivated seaweed, sought after for its high agar content. For this purpose, it is one of the most cultivated species worldwide. Depending on the biotic and abiotic conditions to which it is exposed, the species also exhibits a very interesting nutritional profile, making it an excellent candidate for use as a food or food supplement. Thus, aiming to improve the productivity and biomass quality, G. gracilis was cultivated under different light conditions and nutrient media, to evaluate the impact of these parameters on the growth rate and the chemical composition of the biomass. Thus, the nutritional profile of the biomass was evaluated. Our results indicate that environmental parameters have a significant impact both on growth and quality of the biomass, affecting the amount of protein, ash, and carbohydrate. The cultivation methods, therefore, significantly affected the quality of the biomass produced. Thus, there is scope to optimise the cultivation of G. gracilis, in order to efficiently produce high quality biomass, enhancing the effective use of resources, particularly nutrients, while producing nutritionally balanced biomass for human consumption.
- Gelidiales are not just agar: Revealing the antimicrobial potential of Gelidium corneum for skin disordersPublication . Matias, Margarida; Pinteus, Susete; Martins, Alice; Silva, Joana; Alves, Celso; Mouga, Teresa; Gaspar, Helena; Pedrosa, RuiIn recent decades, seaweeds have proven to be an excellent source of bioactive molecules. Presently, the seaweed Gelidium corneum is harvested in a small area of the Portuguese coast exclusively for agar extraction. The aim of this work was to fully disclosure Gelidium corneum as a sustainable source of antimicrobial ingredients for new dermatological formulations, highlighting its potential to be explored in a circular economy context. For this purpose, after a green sequential extraction, these seaweed fractions (F1–F5) were chemically characterized (1H NMR) and evaluated for their antimicrobial potential against taphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cutibacterium acnes. The most active fractions were also evaluated for their effects on membrane potential, membrane integrity and DNA damage. Fractions F2 and F3 displayed the best results, with IC50 values of 16.1 (7.27–23.02) g/mL and 51.04 (43.36–59.74) g/mL against C. acnes, respectively, and 53.29 (48.75–57.91) g/mL and 102.80 (87.15–122.30) g/mL against S. epidermidis, respectively. The antimicrobial effects of both fractions seem to be related to membrane hyperpolarization and DNA damage. This dual mechanism of action may provide therapeutic advantages for the treatment of skin dysbiosis-related diseases.
- Protecção ambiental e informação financeira : os impactos, os riscos e a sua divulgação em direcção a um desenvolvimento sustentávelPublication . Santos, Luís Lima; Mouga, Teresa; Viana, Ana SofiaCom a presente comunicação, os autores pretendem sintetizar os principais danos ambientais provocados pela acção do homem, de forma isolada ou através das unidades económicas, evidenciando a responsabilização dos agentes e os programas da União Europeia (UE) quanto às questões ambientais.
- Effect of different drying temperatures on the moisture, content of phytochemical constituents and technological properties of Peniche coast seaweedsPublication . Augusto, Ana; Nunes, Paulo M.; Mendes, Susana; Afonso, Clélia; Mouga, Teresa
- Seasonal nutritional profile of Gelidium corneum (Rhodophyta, Gelidiaceae) from the center of PortugalPublication . Cavaco, Mário; Duarte, Adriana; Freitas, Marta; Afonso, Clélia; Bernardino, Susana M.; Pereira, Leonel; Martins, Mendelson; Mouga, TeresaGelidium corneum is a well-known agarophyte, harvested worldwide for its high agar quality. However, the species also exhibits an interesting nutritional profile, but with seasonal variations. Therefore, to evaluate the nutritional value of G. corneum, ash, crude protein, total lipids, and carbohydrates were analyzed at different times of the year. The heavy metals mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and tin, as well as iodine were also measured. Finally, the seasonal antioxidant capacity of G. corneum extracts was evaluated. Our results indicate that the biomass is rich in protein (up to 16.25 ± 0.33%) and carbohydrates (up to 39.5 ± 3.29%), and low in lipids (up to 2.75 ± 0.28%), and especially in the summer, the AI, TI indexes, n-6/n-3 and h/H ratios (0.93, 0.6, 0.88 and 1.08, respectively) are very interesting. None of the contaminants exceeded the legally established limits, and the iodine values were adequate for a healthy diet. Finally, the antioxidant capacity is fair, with the DPPH ≤ 10.89 ± 1.46%, and ABTS ≤ 13.90 ± 1.54% inhibition, FRAP ≤ 0.91 ± 0.22 AAE.g−1, and TPC ≤ 6.82 ± 0.26 GAE.g−1. The results show that G. corneum is an attractive resource, with potential use as food or as a food supplement.
- Praias rochosas do litoral de Peniche: Livro de CampoPublication . Rodrigues, Inês; Mouga, Teresa; Maranhão, Paulo; Leandro, SérgioPeniche é uma cidade do litoral português, sendo a cidade mais ocidental da Europa continental, conhecida pelas excelentes condições para a prática do surf e do turismo de sol e mar. A cidade encontra-se implantada numa península, que em tempos foi uma ilha, repleta de escarpas rochosas e extensas praias arenosas, tanto a sul como a norte. Exibe um vasto património natural e paisagístico, fruto da grande diversidade geomorfológica que constitui a costa: dunas, arribas e recifes rochosos são alguns habitats marinhos característicos. De entre estes, as estruturas rochosas (falésias, afloramentos rochosos, plataformas, entre outros) exibem uma biodiversidade notável, sendo ideais para a observação de organismos marinhos, próprios das zonas litorais.
- Growth of Arthrospira platensis under laboratory and outdoor conditions: assessment of the effects of light and different nutrient mediaPublication . Carneiro, João; Gomes, Sílvia; Freitas, Marta; Afonso, Clélia; Mouga, Teresa
- The influence of light and culture media on the growth of the red seaweed Gracilaria gracilis (Rhodophyta, Gracilariales) under laboratory conditionsPublication . Freitas, M.V.; Correia, A.; Ribeiro, J.; Pereira, C.; Afonso, C.; Gil, M.M.; Mendes, S.; Baptista, T.; Mouga, T.