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Research Project
Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development
Funder
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Publications
How Individual Variations in the Perception of Basic Tastes and Astringency Relate with Dietary Intake and Preferences for Fruits and Vegetables
Publication . Louro, Teresa; Simões, Carla; Castelo, Paula Midori; Silva, Fernando Capela e; Luis, Henrique; Moreira, Pedro; Lamy, Elsa
Background: Oral food perception plays a major role in food acceptance, although the way
it relates with food preferences and final choices in adults is still debatable. The objective of the
present study was to assess the relationship between gustatory function, dietary habits and fruit
and vegetable preferences. Methods: Recognition thresholds, suprathreshold and hedonics were
accessed for sweet, bitter, sour, salty and astringency in 291 adult participants. A Food Frequency
Questionnaire (FFQ) and a questionnaire for assessment of preferences for individual fruit and
vegetables were filled by the participants. Results: Three clusters were obtained: “most sensitive”,
“less sensitive” and “less sensitive only for sour”. The less sensitive cluster showed lower preferences
for fruit and vegetables and higher intake of sweets and fast foods, whereas higher preferences for
sweet veggies were observed in the “most sensitive” cluster. Basic tastes and astringency hedonics
did not associate with fruit and vegetable preferences, but the sensitivity for these oral sensations
did. Conclusions: Taste and astringency sensitivities are related with the preference for fruit and
vegetables, being also associated with some dietary habits. The effectiveness of the strategies to
promote plant-based healthy food consumption may benefit from the knowledge of individuals’
gustatory function.
The Influence of (Poly)phenol Intake in Saliva Proteome: Short- and Medium-Term Effects of Apple
Publication . Louro, Teresa; Carreira, Laura; Caeiro, Inês; Simões, Carla; Ricardo-Rodrigues, Sara; Rato, Ana Elisa; Silva, Fernando Capela e; Luis, Henrique; Moreira, Pedro; Lamy, Elsa
The relationship between salivary proteome and dietary habits was studied in previous works, where a relationship between salivary proteins like cystatins and polyphenol/tannin levels in diet was observed. However, it remains to be elucidated if this association results from an effect of polyphenol-rich food ingestion on saliva composition. The aim of this work was to test the effects of apple intake on the saliva proteome, both in the short and medium term (after 4 days of continuous intake). By incubating saliva samples with apple phenolic-rich extract, protein bands containing α-amylase, S-type cystatins, and proline-rich proteins (PRPs) appeared in the fraction that precipitated, showing the potential of these (poly)phenols to precipitate salivary proteins. Among these, it was salivary cystatins that presented changes in their levels both in the saliva samples collected immediately after apple intake and in the ones collected after 4 days of intake of an extra amount of apple. These results support the thought that intake is reflected in the salivary proteome. The effect of a polyphenol-rich food, like the apple, on salivary cystatin levels is in line with results observed in animal models and, due to the involvement of these proteins in oral food perception, it would be interesting to explore in future studies the effect of these changes on sensory perception and acceptance of polyphenol-rich food.
Discovering the Dynamics and Impact of Motorcycle Tourism: Insights into Rural Events, Cultural Interaction, and Sustainability
Publication . Monteiro, Anabela; Lopes, Sofia; Carmo, Manuel Do
This study explores the dynamics of motorcycle tourism in rural areas and its potential contribution to sustainable and regenerative development. A bibliometric analysis of management-related publications was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection, focusing on topics such as tourism, motivation, rurality, and motorcycling. VOSviewer software (version 1.6.20) was employed to support this analysis. Based on the literature, a theoretical framework was developed, leading to four research hypotheses that aimed to empirically examine the relationships between cultural motivation, community interaction, type of accommodation, event location, and tourist behaviour. To test these hypotheses, structured questionnaires were distributed in person during rural motorcycling events in Portugal, yielding a valid sample of 233 respondents. The data were analysed using SPSS 28 software via statistical methods to reduce dimensionality and identify latent structures, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. The results confirmed all four hypotheses, highlighting the importance of cultural motivation for return intentions, community interaction for perceived authenticity, accommodation type for destination recommendations, and event location for overall satisfaction. The study also identifies gender-related differences and reinforces the value of immersive, co-created experiences in enhancing the competitiveness of rural destinations. This theoretical contribution supports the advancement of motorcycle tourism as a sustainable niche while offering practical guidance for inclusive and regenerative tourism planning.
Bioproducts from forest biomass II. Bioactive compounds from the steam-distillation by-products of Cupressus lusitanica Mill. and Cistus ladanifer L. wastes
Publication . Tavares, Cláudia S.; Martins, Alice; Miguel, M. Graça; Carvalheiro, Florbela; Duarte, Luís C.; Gameiro, José A.; Figueiredo, A. Cristina; Roseiro, Luísa B.
Obtaining essential oils and hydrolates from underutilized biomass is an economic and sustainable way for production of these high added-value bioproducts. However, this process still generates large amounts of residues as the by-products obtained during distillation, which can be a concern for the environment, but also adequate substrates for other applications. Considering this fact, the waste distilled by-products remaining after steam-distillation of underutilized biomass from Cupressus lusitanica and Cistus ladanifer, were evaluated as a natural source of other high value products with biological activities, namely, phenolic compounds. Thus, the remaining extracted solid residues (ESRs) were characterized and subject to further treatments by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with ethanol and 70 % acetone, in order to prepare phenolic-rich extracts thereof: ESRs(EtOH) and ESRs(70 % Ace). Together with the distiller condensation waters (DCWs), these extracts were characterized for their phenolic content (total phenols, tannins and flavonoids). Their antioxidant activity was also evaluated by different methodologies. The phenolic profile of DCWs, ESRs(EtOH) and ESRs(70 % Ace) from both waste species was obtained by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and phenolic compounds were tentatively identified. Results obtained for C. lusitanica biomass are here disclosed for the first time. Generally, all samples revealed to be rich in phenolic compounds, being C. ladanifer biomass the one with higher phenolic content. DCWs presented values of 140 mgGAE/g for C. lusitanica and 210 mg GAE/g for C. ladanifer, from which ca. 60 % were tannins. Extracts obtained with 70 % acetone were the ones with the highest results, except for the antioxidant activity by xanthine oxidase and superoxide inhibition, which was higher in DCWs. Catechins were the major compounds found for both species, but gallocatechins and gallic acid were only identified in C. ladanifer. Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and salicylic acid were also identified in C. ladanifer, partly justifying the anti-inflammatory effect referred for this species.
Effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions in Mitigating Flood Hazard in a Mediterranean Peri-Urban Catchment
Publication . Ferreira, Carla S.; Mourato, Sandra; Kasanin-Grubin, Milica; Ferreira, António J. D.; Destouni, Georgia; Kalantari, Zahra
Urbanization alters natural hydrological processes and enhances runoff, which affects flood hazard. Interest in nature-based solutions (NBS) for sustainable mitigation and adaptation to urban floods is growing, but the magnitudes of NBS effects are still poorly investigated. This study explores the potential of NBS for flood hazard mitigation in a small peri-urban catchment in central Portugal, prone to flash floods driven by urbanization and short but intense rainfall events typical of the Mediterranean region. Flood extent and flood depth are assessed by manually coupling the hydrologic HEC-HMS and hydraulic HEC-RAS models. The coupled model was run for single rainfall events with recurrence periods of 10−, 20−, 50−, and 100−years, considering four simulation scenarios: current conditions (without NBS), and with an upslope NBS, a downslope NBS, and a combination of both. The model-simulation approach provides good estimates of flood magnitude (NSE = 0.91, RMSE = 0.08, MAE = 0.07, R2 = 0.93), and shows that diverting streamflow into abandoned fields has positive impacts in mitigating downslope flood hazard. The implementation of an upslope NBS can decrease the water depth at the catchment outlet by 0.02 m, whereas a downslope NBS can reduce it from 0.10 m to 0.23 m for increasing return periods. Combined upslope and downslope NBS have a marginal additional impact in reducing water depth, ranging from 0.11 m to 0.24 m for 10− and 100−year floods. Decreases in water depth provided by NBS are useful in flood mitigation and adaptation within the peri-urban catchment. A network of NBS, rather than small isolated strategies, needs to be created for efficient flood-risk management at a larger scale.
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Funders
Funding agency
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Funding programme
6817 - DCRRNI ID
Funding Award Number
UIDB/05183/2020