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- Chemical composition and omega 3 human health benefits of two sea cucumber species of North AtlanticPublication . Sales, Sabrina; Lourenço, Maria Helena; Pessoa, Maria Fernanda; Pombo, Ana; Félix, Pedro Miguel; Bandarra, Narcisa MariaThe main goal of this study was to investigate the seasonal chemical changes of two sea cucumber species caught from Portugal. The potential contribution to human health of lipids was also evaluated. For this, the chemical composition (protein, ash, and fat) and lipids composition of Holothuria arguinensis and Holothuria forskali was followed in summer and winter. Both species presented adequate levels of protein and ash and low content of total lipids, although their lipid profile showed a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was abundant in all samples, and a favorable and similar n-3/n-6 ratio was found for both species. The atherogenic and thrombogenicity indices and ypocholesterolaemic/hypercholesterolaemic ratio suggests a high-quality for H. arguinensis and H. forskali. In general, significant differences were observed between species but not between summer and winter. Some significant variations were observed between summer and winter in the lipid profile of both species and in the chemical composition of H. forskali. Results indicate that these species have adequate nutritional quality for human consumption and may be suitable for the development of reliable fatty acid guides in sea cucumbers.
- Effect of airflow conditions on growth and simultaneously DHA and squalene production by Aurantiochytrium sp. PRA-276Publication . Paulo, M.C.; Coutinho, J.; Saraiva, J.A.; Pinto, C.A.; Amaral, R.; Melo, M.M.R.; Pinheiro, J.; Lemos, M.F.L.; Cardoso, C.; Sapatinha, M.; Bandarra, N.M.There has been a growing trend worldwide in the use of squalene and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), due in part to their recognized health benefits and their range of applications. However, the growth of the industry exploiting these resources has been extremely limited by the scarcity and limitations of raw material, leading to the need to develop more sustainable sources of production. Aurantiochytrium sp. PRA-276, with the ability to produce high concentrations of DHA and squalene, is a promising candidate for the commercial production of these biomolecules. The aim of this study was to determine the cumulative effect of airflow levels and stirring speed of Aurantiochytrium sp. PRA-276 biomass during DHA and squalene production. Different airflow levels (3, 6 and 9 L min-1) and two stirring speeds (150 and 300 rpm) were investigated. The highest biomass production was achieved after 96 hours with 300 rpm stirring speeds and airflow level of 9 L min-1. The maximum total lipids content reached 61.4% of the dried biomass, and the optimal parameters for DHA and squalene production were stirring speed 150 rpm and airflow level 3 L min-1. The maximum yield of DHA production was 4.3 g L-1 at 96 h of fermentation. The highest yield of squalene production was 762.5 mg L-1 at 48 hours of growth. The results show that Aurantiochytrium sp. PRA-276 is a promising resource for microbial DHA and squalene production due to the high yield of DHA and squalene that it generates. Moreover, the capacity for large-scale fermentation of this organism could be useful for the synthesis of biomass related products with high added value.
- 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.
- Bioaccessibility of target essential elements and contaminants from Fucus spiralisPublication . Francisco, João; Cardoso, Carlos; Bandarra, Narcisa; Brito, Pedro; Horta, André; Pedrosa, Rui; Gil, Maria M.; Delgado, Inês Margarida; Castanheira, Isabel; Afonso, CláudiaFucus spiralis is an edible brown seaweed (SW) found in the Portuguese Coast that is still undervalued and not very well studied. However, SW are known to be nutritious and healthy foods, in part, for their potential to supply mineral nutrients to the body. Nevertheless, with the increasing levels of pollution in the coastal areas, SW can also accumulate some contaminants. Therefore, to expand the knowledge about this marine resource, the contents of Mg, Mn, Co, I, Cd, Pb, As and Hg in fresh and freeze-dried Fucus spiralis were determined before and after in vitro human digestion simulation. Magnesium was the major element with 11.86 mg/g dry weigh (DW), but it must be highlighted that I in this SW presented concentration values of approximately 135 μg/g DW. Concerning contaminants, F. spiralis seems to have low levels of Cd, Pb, and Hg. The elements’ bioaccessibility was always high, ranging between 45.8% (I – Fresh SW) and 88.5% (Hg – FD SW). The freeze-drying process seemed to enhance element bioaccessibility.