Papers by Marta Henriques
International journal of food science, Jul 18, 2022
The nutraceutical properties of Punica granatum L. are not restricted to the edible portion of th... more The nutraceutical properties of Punica granatum L. are not restricted to the edible portion of the fruit but also to the peels and seeds, flowers, leaves, and tree bark. The recovery and valorization of the peel and seeds (ca. 50% of the whole fruit), besides the positive environmental impact, can be viewed as a source of natural bioactive compounds. Thus, the bioactive properties of extracts of pomegranate peel and seeds from Acco and Wonderful known cultivars, as well as of the novel Big Full cultivar, were evaluated. The dried and ground pomegranate by-products were submitted to a conventional solid/liquid extraction with ethanol/water mixtures (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% of EtOH, v/v). The obtained extracts were characterized in terms of total phenolic compounds (TPC), total flavonoids (TF), and antioxidant activity (AA), determined by the DPPH radical scavenging activity and expressed as IC 50 (half maximum inhibitory concentration). With the exception of the Acco cultivar, the extraction yield (EY) was higher for peels, whose extracts showed higher TPC, TF, and IC 50 (lower AA). The extracts obtained from the by-products of the Big Full cultivar had a statistically higher overall bioactive potential (TPC: 0.36 mg GAE/mg extract; TF: 0.031 mg CATE/mg extract; IC 50 : 0.51 mg/mL) compared to the other two studied cultivars. Furthermore, the EY was enhanced by solvents richer in ethanol (50-75%), allowing obtaining extracts richer in TPC and TF with higher AA. Finally, it was shown that EY combined with bioactive data allowed a satisfactory principal component unsupervised differentiation of the pomegranate extracts according to the type of by-product used.
Molecules
With great cultural significance, spirits and distillate beverages constitute an important niche ... more With great cultural significance, spirits and distillate beverages constitute an important niche market in Europe. The development of new food products, particularly for the functionalization of these beverages, is increasing exponentially. The present work aimed to develop a new wine spirit beverage aged with almond shells and flowers of P. tridentatum for further characterization of bioactive and phenolic compounds, coupled with a sensorial study to evaluate the acceptance of this new product by the market. Twenty-one phenolic compounds were identified, mainly isoflavonoids and O- and C-glycosylated flavonoids, especially in P. tridentatum flowers, indicating that it is a highly aromatizing agent. The developed liqueur and wine spirits (almonds and flowers) showed distinct physicochemical properties, with the last two samples showing greater appreciation and purchase intention by consumers due to their sweetness and smoothness. The most promising results were found for the carquej...
Este trabalho foi financiado por fundos nacionais atraves da FCT – Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Te... more Este trabalho foi financiado por fundos nacionais atraves da FCT – Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, I.P., atraves da bolsa de investigacao (CEB-BI14-2019) do projeto UID/BIO/04469/2019-CEB, do projeto CERNAS (UID/AMB/00681/2013), do projeto BioTecNorte (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) e do MobFood (LISBOA-01-0247-FEDER-024524).
Tese de doutoramento em Engenharia Quimica, na especialidade de Processos Quimicos, apresentada a... more Tese de doutoramento em Engenharia Quimica, na especialidade de Processos Quimicos, apresentada a Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra
Journal of Functional Biomaterials
Tissue engineering using scaffolds is a promising strategy to repair damaged articular cartilage,... more Tissue engineering using scaffolds is a promising strategy to repair damaged articular cartilage, whose self-repair is inefficient. Cellulose properties have been recognized for their application in the biomedical field. The aim of this study was to fabricate and characterize novel scaffolds based on poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) and sustainable cellulose. Thus, the performance of corncob-derived cellulose (CC) in scaffolds as an alternative to wood cellulose (WC) was also investigated to reduce the environmental footprint. Two concentrations of CC in scaffolds were tested, 1% and 2% (w/w), and commercial WC using the same concentrations, as a control. Morphologically, all the developed scaffolds presented pore sizes of ~300 µm, 10 layers, a circular shape and well-dispersed cellulose. Thus, all of these characteristics and properties provide the manufactured scaffolds suitable for use in cartilage-replacement strategies. The use of 2% CC results in higher porosity (54.24%), which prom...
Book Publisher International (a part of SCIENCEDOMAIN International), Jun 14, 2021
The goal of this study was to valorize bovine and ovine cheese whey from small and medium cheese ... more The goal of this study was to valorize bovine and ovine cheese whey from small and medium cheese manufacturing plants by producing liquid and dry whey protein concentrates (LWPC and WPC). The flexibility provided by batch ultrafiltration (UF) and diafiltration (DF) enabled the production of liquid bovine WPC with protein contents ranging from 43 to 66% (dry basis) and ovine WPC with protein contents ranging from 61 to 87% (dry basis). Diafiltration, performed in sequential dilution mode (DFsdm) did not significantly improve the composition of WPC liquid products comparing to the results achieved by conventional UF. In comparison to traditional UF, using DF in volume reduction mode (DFvrm) enhanced protein content by more than 20%. Ovine products have greater protein content (62-84% on a dry basis), which makes them more appealing for manufacturing. Protein profiles varied with the whey origin and with the concentration process. By using batch DFvrm it was possible to obtain richer protein products free of low molecular weight compounds in comparison to the DFsdm mode. Finally, it can be concluded that use of membrane technology allows the recovery and direct valorization of the whey components in medium and small cheese companies, solving their environmental problems and contributing to the circular economy.
Foods, Jan 10, 2023
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Abstract Thymus mastichina L. is an autochthonous Portuguese aromatic plant with well-recognized ... more Abstract Thymus mastichina L. is an autochthonous Portuguese aromatic plant with well-recognized antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which was been used empirically for centuries. This chapter aims to present a case study of the efficiency of T . mastichina L. bioactive extracts in the improvement of safety and quality of ripened cheese during production. The research focused on: (1) the evaluation of ethanolic extract as a potential replacer for natamycin in cheese and as a fumigation agent in ripening chambers; (2) the use of aqueous extract in the cheese curd in order to intensify cheese flavor and to reduce its salt content. The results show that T. mastichina L. extracts are natural resources and potential substitutes of synthetic antibiotics to control spoilage microorganisms in cheese surfaces and ripening chambers and as possible salt replacers in cheese.
Foods
Pomegranate by-products can be an asset to the food industry due to the richness in bioactive and... more Pomegranate by-products can be an asset to the food industry due to the richness in bioactive and antimicrobial compounds. This work studied the influence of conventional solvent and sonication-assisted extraction methods on the bioactive profile, antimicrobial properties, and phytotoxicity effect of the peels and seeds extracts from Acco, Big Full, and Wonderful pomegranate cultivars. The bioactive composition of the extracts was evaluated for the content of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity (expressed as the half-maximal inhibitory concentration—IC50) by spectrophotometric methods, while the tannins were determined by titration and the anthocyanins were estimated by the pH-differential method. For the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity, the disk diffusion method of Kirby-Bauer was adapted through inhibition halos against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Yarrowia lipolytica. The extracts’ phytotoxi...
Brazilian Journal of Food Technology, 2021
Resumo Os medronhos são frutos com um alto teor de açúcares (40%), antioxidantes e vitaminas, tai... more Resumo Os medronhos são frutos com um alto teor de açúcares (40%), antioxidantes e vitaminas, tais como vitamina C, β-caroteno, niacina, tocoferóis e ácidos orgânicos. No entanto, o rendimento de extração da polpa pelos métodos convencionais é baixo, correspondendo aproximadamente a 42%. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o potencial uso de duas carboidrases comerciais, Viscozyme® L e Pectinex® Ultra SP-L, na extração de polpa de medronho e a sua influência nas características físico-químicas e reológicas da polpa extraída. As carboidrases foram testadas sob diferentes temperaturas (20 ºC a 25 ºC e 45 ºC), concentrações (1, 2 e 4 μL/g de fruto macerado) e tempos de reação (30 e 60 min). As mesmas condições foram aplicadas a amostras-controle sem adição de enzima. Foram determinados os rendimentos de extração (g de polpa extraída/ 100 g de fruto macerado), viscosidade aparente (a 20,0 ± 0,1 ºC), cor, acidez titulável, pH, sólidos solúveis (°Brix) e sólidos totais das polpas obtid...
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Nutrition and Food Engineering, 2018
This work is co-financed by: the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the partnersh... more This work is co-financed by: the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the partnership agreement Portugal2020-Regional Operation Program CENTRO2020 and FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., no âmbito do projeto «SoSvalor N.º 023631 | IPC
Materials, 2020
Valorization of food industry waste and plant residues represents an attractive path towards obta... more Valorization of food industry waste and plant residues represents an attractive path towards obtaining biodegradable materials and achieving “zero waste” goals. Here, melanin was isolated from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seeds and used as a modifier for whey protein concentrate and isolate films (WPC and WPI) at two concentrations (0.1% and 0.5%). The modification with melanin enhanced the ultraviolet (UV) blocking, water vapor barrier, swelling, and mechanical properties of the WPC/WPI films, in addition to affecting the apparent color. The modified WPC/WPI films also exhibited high antioxidant activity, but no cytotoxicity. Overall, the effects were melanin concentration-dependent. Thus, melanin from watermelon seeds can be used as a functional modifier to develop bioactive biopolymer films with good potential to be exploited in food packaging and biomedical applications.
Bioresources and Bioprocessing, 2021
Considering the expected increasing demand for cellulose fibers in the near future and that its m... more Considering the expected increasing demand for cellulose fibers in the near future and that its major source is wood pulp, alternative sources such as vegetable wastes from agricultural activities and agro-food industries are currently being sought to prevent deforestation. In the present study, cellulose was successfully isolated from six agroindustrial residues: corncob, corn husk, grape stalk, pomegranate peel, marc of strawberry-tree fruit and fava pod. Cellulose fibers were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Despite the evident morphological differences among the extracted celluloses, results revealed similar compositional and thermal properties with the wood-derived commercial microcrystalline cellulose used as a control. Trace amounts of lignin or hemicellulose were detected in all cellulose samples, with the exception of corncob cellulose, that exhibited the greatest e...
Applied Mechanics and Materials, 2019
The aim of the present review was to highlight some of the available processes for cartilage repa... more The aim of the present review was to highlight some of the available processes for cartilage repair and regeneration. Considering the high impact that cartilage degeneration has in the quality of life, in an aging society, efforts to promote better treatments are crucial. The current available processes have advantages and drawbacks, that should be further investigated, aiming to obtain tailored and successful repair. Finally, some suggestions for tissue engineering strategies are presented, so that the scientific community can debate pros and cons to be investigated.
Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, 2018
The industrial process of freezing chestnuts generates 55-60% of by-products. This study aimed to... more The industrial process of freezing chestnuts generates 55-60% of by-products. This study aimed to valorise these low-value by-products by producing high-value chestnut flour. Two flour production processes were evaluated, using raw (RCF) and cooked (CCF10, CCF30, CCF50) chestnut by-products during 10, 30 and 50 min. The highest production yield was obtained for RCF (43.6 ± 1.0%) followed by CCF10 (38.0 ± 1.0%). Regarding flour composition, CCF50 presented the smaller protein, fat, fibre and ash contents (P < 0.05). For colour, a w , pH and sedimentation index, no significant differences were observed namely between RCF and CCF10 (P > 0.05). The CCF10 flour also presented the smallest particle size. The highest peroxide index was found in CCF50 penalizing its acceptance by consumers due to the evidence of rancidity, emphasizing that long time-periods of cooking must be avoided. Finally, up to 129 days of storage, under no temperature or lighting controlled conditions, all chestnut flours showed to be stable overtime.
Revista Brasileira de Tecnologia Agroindustrial, 2007
Current research topics in applied microbiology and microbial biotechnology, 2009
ABSTRACT Nannochloropsis gaditana is recognized as a source of valuable pigments and polyunsatura... more ABSTRACT Nannochloropsis gaditana is recognized as a source of valuable pigments and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), in particular eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5ω3). The duration of the light period is an important environmental factor that affects the production yield in photosynthetic microorganisms. This factor was found to determine the growth and biochemical composition of this microalga strain. Cell division occurs during the first hours of the light period. Whereas carbohydrates are accumulated in the light period and consumed at night, the cellular concentration of chlorophylls and proteins does not vary significantly. The storage lipids are consumed in the lag phase (after dilution of the culture) and they increase until the final growth period. The structural lipids reach a maximum at the end of the daily exponential phase, when the cells also reach a maximum density, in a semi-continuous culture with a daily replacement of fresh medium.
Modern Multidisciplinary Applied Microbiology. Exploiting Microbes and Their Interactions, 2008
Biomolecular Engineering, 2003
Nannochloropsis is well appreciated in aquaculture due to its nutritional value and the ability t... more Nannochloropsis is well appreciated in aquaculture due to its nutritional value and the ability to produce valuable chemical compounds, such as pigments (zeaxanthin, astaxanthin.. .) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA). Commercial exploitation needs high cell densities but the low growth rate and the small size of cells are practical difficulties. To increase biomass concentration the positive effect of several factors was evident: (i) pH:/8 control (with dilute Tris Á/HCl buffer); (ii) the continuous illumination (no evidence of photo-inhibition was observed); (iii) a quite large temperature range (259/5 8C); (iv) the presence of organic carbon source (with the danger of contamination); (v) the presence of urea as an additional nitrogen source (10 mM); (vi) a small air flow rate with large bubbles can be more efficient for CO 2 mass transfer (associated to reduced shearing).
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Papers by Marta Henriques