Publications by authors named "Nuno Rainha"

Plants with the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) express high-metabolic plasticity, to adjust to environmental stresses. This article hypothesizes that irradiance and nocturnal temperatures are the major limitations for CAM at higher latitudes such as the Azores (37°45'N). Circadian CAM expression in Ananas comosus L.

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LC-UV and LC-MS analysis were used to study the phenolic composition of water extracts of Hypericum undulatum (HU) shoot cultures and wild-growing (WG) plants. Total phenolic content (TPC), determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and the antioxidant activity measured by two complementary methods were also performed for each sample. Mass spectrometry revealed several phenolics acids with quinic acid moieties, flavonols, mostly quercetin, luteolin and apigenin glycosides, flavan-3-ols (catechin and epicatechin) and the xanthonoid mangiferin.

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This study reports the first quantification study of pseudohypericin (PsHyp) and hypericin (Hyp) in Hypericum undulatum Schousb. ex Willd in vitro cultures developed by a Portuguese company. Both compounds were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography and their levels were compared with those in commercial samples of Hypericum perforatum.

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Acetylcholinesterase inhibition, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Hedychium gardnerianum leaf essential oils from S. Miguel Island were determined. All the oils inhibited acetylcholinesterase, with IC(50) values of approximately 1 mg/mL, showing no statistical differences between collection sites.

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In spite of intense research on both chemical constituency and biological activity of Hypericum species, potential applications of their active components for pest control have been less well investigated. In the present study, Hypericum androsaemum (tutsan), Hypericum foliosum (malfurada), and Hypericum undulatum (wavy St. John's wort) aqueous and hexane extracts were studied for their molluscicidal and ovicidal activities against Radix peregra.

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The molluscicidal activity of essential oils from two endemic (Juniperus brevifolia; Laurus azorica) and three introduced (Hedychium gardnerianum; Pittosporum undulatum; Psidium cattleianum) Azorean plants against the snail Radix peregra was studied under laboratory conditions. Essential oils from leaves of H. gardnerianum, L.

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Water extracts of Hypericum foliosum (HF) from five Azorean Islands were analysed for their antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents. The results were compared with those from medicinal Hypericum species (H. perforatum, H.

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