Publications by authors named "Maria-Filomena Barreiro"

This study focuses on the extraction of phenolic compounds from the fermentation of and . The main goal was to synthesize phenol/chitosan microspheres and PVA films and characterized using FTIR, TGA, DSC, SEM, and mechanical tests to evaluate their physical, chemical, and mechanical properties for antimicrobial packaging applications. Homogeneous chitosan microspheres loaded with lignin-derived phenols were obtained, showing controlled release of antimicrobial compounds.

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Synthetic packaging materials offer cost efficiency and performance but pose environmental risks. This study explores sustainable alternatives by developing k-carrageenan (KC) films functionalized with curcumin, using solid dispersions (SDs) to improve curcumin's compatibility, addressing the challenge of incorporating hydrophobic functionalities into hydrophilic film matrices. Films with varying curcumin content (1-20 wt%; KC1-KC20) were compared to a base film without curcumin (KC0) regarding water solubility, vapor permeability, water contact angle, and tensile properties.

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The global demand for sustainable and non-toxic alternatives across various industries is driving the exploration of naturally derived solutions. Hydrosols, also known as hydrolates, represent a promising yet underutilised byproduct of the extraction process of essential oils (EOs). These aqueous solutions contain a complex mixture of EO traces and water-soluble compounds and exhibit significant biological activity.

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Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health concern, threatening the effective prevention and treatment of infections caused by microorganisms. These factors boosted the study of safe and green alternatives, with hydrosols, the by-products of essential oils extraction, emerging as promising natural antimicrobial agents. In this context, four hydrosols obtained from Cupressus leylandii A.

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Pickering emulsions (PEs) have attracted attention in different fields, such as food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, mainly due to their good physical stability. PEs are a promising strategy to develop functional products since the particles' oil and water phases can act as carriers of active compounds, providing multiple combinations potentiating synergistic effects. Moreover, they can answer the sustainable and green chemistry issues arising from using conventional emulsifier-based systems.

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Innovative methodologies, such as microwave-assisted reaction, can help to valorize lignin with higher productivity and better energy efficiency. In this work, microwave heating was tested in the wet peroxide oxidation of three lignins (Indulin AT, Lignol, and lignins) as a novel methodology to obtain C dicarboxylic acids. The effect of temperature, time, and catalyst type (TS-1 or Fe-TS1) was evaluated in the production of these acids.

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The awareness of sustainability approaches has focused attention on replacing synthetic emulsifiers with natural alternatives when formulating nanoemulsions. In this context, a comprehensive review of the different types of saponins being successfully used to form and stabilize nanoemulsions is presented, highlighting the most common natural sources and biosynthetic routes. Processes for their extraction and purification are also reviewed altogether with the recent advances for their characterization.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pickering emulsions are being explored as innovative alternatives for food products, specifically for creating mayonnaise-like sauces using natural, curcumin-loaded particles.
  • Two formulations (KC1 and KC2) were developed with k-carrageenan and tested in various emulsion mixtures, demonstrating good stability over 28 days.
  • The final products exhibited appealing color, acidic pH similar to traditional mayo, improved oxidative stability, and a texture comparable to light mayonnaise, suggesting potential health benefits due to their unique ingredients.
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The use of natural colorants is needed to overcome consumer concerns regarding synthetic food colorants' safety. However, natural pigments have, in general, poor stability against environmental stresses such as temperature, ionic strength, moisture, light, and pH, among others. In this work, water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsions were used as protective carriers to improve color stability of a hydrophilic L.

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Given the importance of colour in the general acceptance or rejection of a product, the use of colorants is a widespread practice, particularly in the food industry. At the same time, with the increasing consumers' awareness of the health effects that some artificial colorants can exert, there is a growing tendency to prioritize foodstuffs containing natural additives. In this work, L.

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Microencapsulation procedures have recently focused attention on designing novel microspheres via green synthesis strategies. The use of chitosan (CS) as an encapsulating material has increased interest due to its unique bioactive properties and the various crosslinking possibilities offered by their functional groups. The consolidation of the microspheres by physical crosslinking using sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) combined with chemical crosslinking using vanillin (VA) open new opportunities in the framework of green dual crosslinking strategies.

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Pickering emulsions, which are emulsions stabilized by solid particles, have gained increased research interest owing to their eco-friendliness and high stability. Among a wide range of solid particles, chitosan particles and chitosan-based particles have become attractive candidates as Pickering stabilizers due to their biodegradable, biocompatible and nontoxic properties. This review aims to provide an insight into the recent advances in the production and physicochemical properties of these systems.

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The present work describes the evaluation of fig peels and blackthorn fruit extracts as natural purple colorants in doughnuts (icing) and in a typical Brazilian pastry called "beijinho". The extracts were screened for their antioxidant activity as well as their antibacterial capacity. Nutritionally, the employed extracts did not induce significant changes, contrarily to the observed for the rheological features, mainly the darker purple tone observed when blackthorn extract was used in the icing solution.

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A betacyanin rich extract was obtained from the flowers of Gomphrena globosa L. by ultrasound-assisted extraction and dried either by lyophilization or spray-drying, was tested as a natural colourant in cookies and compared to a commercial colourant. The extracts were characterized in terms of betacyanin content and antioxidant potential.

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Bioactive compounds derived from mushrooms have been shown to present promising potential as cosmeceutical or nutricosmetic ingredients. Scientific data reviewed herein showed that extracts prepared from medicinal and edible mushrooms and their individual metabolites presented antiinflammatory, antioxidant, photoprotective, antimicrobial, anti-tyrosinase, anti-elastase, and anticollagenase activities. These metabolites can be utilised as ingredients to suppress the severity of Inflammatory Skin Diseases, offer photoprotection to the skin, and correct Hyperpigmentation.

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Replacing synthetic surfactants by natural alternatives when formulating nanoemulsions has gained attention as a sustainable approach. In this context, nanoemulsions based on sweet almond oil and stabilized by saponin from bark with glycerol as cosurfactant were prepared by the high-pressure homogenization method. The effects of oil/water (O/W) ratio, total surfactant amount, and saponin/glycerol ratio on their stability were analyzed.

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The surfactant-free nature and higher stability of Pickering emulsions make them preferable solutions over conventional emulsions for skin applications. In this work, Pickering emulsions stabilized by chitosan/gum Arabic (CH/GA) nanoparticles were tested as vehicles for trans-resveratrol topical delivery. Skin absorption was examined ex vivo using Franz diffusion cells and porcine skin.

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There is growing interest in the development of biodegradable packaging materials containing natural antioxidant extracts. In this sense, the use of extracts obtained from agro-industrial byproducts has proved to be a sustainable alternative. In this study, Pinhão extract, a byproduct of Pinhão (Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.

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L. (haskap) berries are widely known for their richness in anthocyanins. In this study, such fruits were assessed for their nutritional and chemical composition, but also as sources of anthocyanins with great colouring properties to be applied in foodstuff.

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Recently, there has been a renewed interest in Pickering emulsions owing to their surfactant-free nature, and the use of natural-based particles as stabilizers became a priority due to the applications they can enable. In this work, chitosan/gum Arabic (CH/GA) nanoparticles were synthesized and tested as novel stabilizers. Among the tested CH/GA weight ratios, the particles prepared using 1:1 ratio exhibited near-neutral wettability, an average size of 108.

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Alginate-based hydrogels can find uses in a wide range of applications, including in the encapsulation field. This type of hydrogels is usually ionically crosslinked using calcium sources giving rise to products with limited internal crosslinking. In this work, it is hypothesized that the combination of alginate crosslinked by calcium chloride (external crosslinking; ionic mechanism) with gelatin crosslinked by transglutaminase (internal crosslinking; enzymatic induced mechanism) can be used to tailor the swelling behavior of alginate-based hydrogel microspheres.

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An ultrasound rapid and low-cost procedure for anthocyanin-based colorants from L. fruit epicarp was developed, and the advantages were compared with conventional heat-based extraction. To obtain the conditions that maximize anthocyanins' extraction, a response surface methodology was applied using the variables of time, temperature, and ethanol content, in the case of heat extraction, whereas for ultrasound assisted extraction, temperature was replaced by ultrasound power.

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Heat- and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods were applied to recover anthocyanins from Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces. The extraction variables, time (t), ethanol proportion (S), and temperature (T) or ultrasonic power (P), were combined in a 5-level experimental design and analysed by response surface methodology for process optimization. The delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside (C1) and cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside (C2) levels were monitored by LC-DAD-ESI/MS and used as response criteria.

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Curcumin, the main bioactive polyphenolic compound in Curcuma longa L. rhizomes has a wide range of bioactive properties. Curcumin presents low solubility in water and thus limited bioavailability, which decreases its applicability.

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There is an increasing demand for healthier foodstuff containing specific compounds such as Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs). In the case of PUFAs, protection against oxidative degradation is challengeable and microencapsulation emerges as an alternative. Mayonnaises containing microencapsulated oils could be a source of PUFAs.

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