Publications by authors named "Pedro Ferreira Santos"

pectinase was immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles coated with calcium alginate for pectin hydrolysis in guava juice by a stirred electromagnetic reactor (SER). The average crystallite size estimated by the Scherrer formula was 33.7 nm.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The fruit of the date tree ( L.) is increasingly recognized for its nutritional and functional value. This exotic fruit shows variable composition, influenced by factors such as variety, ripening stage, and climatic conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study evaluates bitter apricot kernels (BAK) for their phytochemical content, antioxidant activity, and pharmacological effects using hydro-ethanolic extract.
  • HPLC-ESI-MS analysis identified 17 phenolic compounds, including important acids and flavonoids, contributing to the extract's antioxidant properties.
  • The research demonstrated significant analgesic (63.46% pain relief) and anti-inflammatory effects (77.4% after 6 hours), along with effective wound healing in rats from a 10% BAK ointment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

(BE) is a mushroom well known for its taste, nutritional value, and medicinal properties. The objective of this work was to study the biological effects of BE extracts on human colon carcinoma cells (Caco-2), evaluating parameters related to oxidative stress and inflammation. In this study, a hydroethanolic extract of BE was obtained by ohmic heating green technology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study aimed to produce, characterize and purify a protease from Aspergillus heteromorphus URM0269. After production by solid fermentation of wheat bran performed according to a central composite design, protease was characterized in terms of biochemical, kinetic, and thermodynamic parameters for further purification by chromatography. Proteolytic activity achieved a maximum value of 57.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The increasing world population means an increased demand for sustainable processes and products related to foods, particularly those with added health benefits. Plants can be an alternative source of nutritional and biofunctional ingredients. plants are an underexploited bioresource, currently prevalent in the Mediterranean Basin and western Asia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Biosynthesis based on natural compounds has emerged as a sustainable approach for the production of metallic nanoparticles (MNP). The main objective of this study was to biosynthesize stable and multifunctional silver nanoparticles (AgNP) using different plant by-products as reducers and capping agents. Extracts obtained from Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus pinaster, Citrus sinensis, Cedrus atlantica and Camellia sinensis by-products, were evaluated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Considering the urgent need for alternative biorefinery schemes based on sustainable development, this review aims to summarize the state-of-the-art in the use of deep eutectic solvent pretreatment to fractionate lignocellulose, with a focus on lignin recovery. For that, the key parameters influencing the process are discussed, as well as various strategies to enhance this pretreatment efficiency are explored. Moreover, this review describes the challenges and opportunities associated with the valorization of extraction-derived streams and highlights recent advancements in solvent recovery techniques.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Skin indicates a person's state of health and is so important that it influences a person's emotional and psychological behavior. In this context, the effective treatment of wounds is a major concern, since several conventional wound healing materials have not been able to provide adequate healing, often leading to scar formation. Hence, the development of innovative biomaterials for wound healing is essential.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study describes the valorization of avocado seed (AS) within a green biorefinery concept using microwave-assisted autohydrolysis. After the treatment at temperatures of 150-230 °C for 5 min, the resulting solid and liquor were characterized. The temperature of 220 °C led to the simultaneous optimal values of antioxidant phenolics/flavonoids (42.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sulfur dioxide (SO), the main preservative in wine, may affect the sensory properties of the wines, as well as cause allergic reactions and headaches in sensitive people. The aim of this work was to evaluate the replacement of SO in Tempranillo wines with Mazuelo grape stem products. Five Tempranillo red wines were elaborated: positive control (60 mg/L SO); negative control with no preservatives; Mazuelo extract (200 mg/L); Mazuelo extract combined with SO (100 mg/L + 20 mg/L); and Mazuelo stem (400 mg/L).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Plant-based beverages are enriched by the fermentation process. However, their biocompounds are transformed during gastrointestinal digestion, improving their bioaccessibility, which is of primary importance when considering the associated health benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on phenolic compound bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of novel juices fermented by probiotic and .

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bee pollen is an imperative product for human use. Seven bee pollens were harvested from Morocco, and their chemical, biological and techno-functional properties were studied. All samples showed acceptable physicochemical and nutritional quality with a mean energy value of 239 kcal/100 g.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Avocado peels are the main agro-industrial residue generated during the avocado processing, being a rich source of bioactive compounds like phenolic compounds. The growing demand for more sustainable processes requires the development of new and effective methods for extracting bioactive compounds from industrial waste. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a new sustainable alternative to toxic organic solvents due to their non-toxicity and biocompatibility.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bee products are known for their beneficial properties widely used in complementary medicine. This study aims to unveil the physicochemical, nutritional value, and phenolic profile of bee pollen and honey collected from Boulemane-Morocco, and to evaluate their antioxidant and antihyperglycemic activity. The results indicate that pollen grains were the majority pollen in both samples.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The impact of nanotechnology on the exponential growth of several research areas, particularly nanomedicine, is undeniable. The ability to deliver active molecules to the desired site could significantly improve the efficiency of medical treatments. One of the nanocarriers developed which has drawn researchers' attention are cubosomes, which are nanosized dispersions of lipid bicontinuous cubic phases in water, consisting of a lipidic interior and aqueous domains folded in a cubic lattice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The bioavailability of natural compounds should be assessed through different perspectives. Studying the behaviour of the extracts after digestion is often overlooked but is crucial for success in the development of active food ingredients. Thus, the bioaccessibility of (flower and berry) extracts after gastrointestinal digestion and their effect on toxicity and bioactive potential were studied.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Olive pomace (OP), a byproduct of olive oil production, is rich in bioactive compounds like polyphenols, which may help treat diseases such as cancer.
  • The study focused on evaluating the biological properties of OP extracts using two different heating methods, finding that the Ohmic-hydroethanolic (OH-EtOH) extract showed the strongest antiproliferative effects against colorectal cancer cells.
  • The OH-EtOH extract caused changes in cell metabolism that led to programmed cell death while also offering protection against oxidative stress, highlighting the potential use of OP in food and medicinal applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

has been medicinally used for centuries. Its bioactive compounds have been shown to be very effective in the treatment of numerous diseases. In this work, a novel functional beverage was developed and characterized to combine the health benefits of probiotic bacteria with the plant itself.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

"Flawless skin is the most universally desired human feature" is an iconic statement by Desmond Morris. Skin indicates one´s health and is so important that it affects a person's emotional and psychological behavior, these facts having propelled the development of the cosmetics industry. It is estimated that in 2023, this industry will achieve more than 800 billion dollars.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Natural bioactive compounds from food waste have fomented interest in food and pharmaceutical industries for the past decade. In this work, it purposed the recovery of bioactive avocado peel extract using an environmentally friendly technique: the ultrasound assisted extraction. The response surface methodology was applied in order to optimize the conditions of the extraction, ethanol-water mixtures and time.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bee products are a promising source of phenolic compounds with strong antioxidant activity. The present study was designed to explore the protective effect of honey, propolis, and their combination on gentamicin-induced oxidative stress and hepatorenal dysfunction. This study was conducted on male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injections of gentamicin (120 mg/kg BW/day, i.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The main goal of this study was to chemically characterize an aqueous flower extract and validate it as a bioactive agent. The elderflower aqueous extraction was performed at different temperatures (50, 70 and 90 °C). The extract obtained at 90 °C exhibited the highest phenolic content and antiradical activity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF