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PhD Student in Pharmaceutical Sciences, specialising in Bromatology and Hydrology at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra. Research into nutrients and chemical characterisation of Salicornia ramosissima, and its technological valorisation. Working as a research fellow since May 2019 in the project "Iberphenol - Research cooperation network in polyphenols and its industrial applications”.
The knowledge of the chemical composition of the Salicornia ramosissima halophyte is crucial to ascertain the value of this under-exploited resource. Hence, it is the purpose of this study to analyse the nutrient composition of S. ramosissima collected in the Mondego estuary, Portugal, in July and November of 2019. On a dry weight (dw) basis, S. ramosissima consisted of 47.4 % ash, 10.4 % crude fibre, 4.16 % protein and 0.450 % lipids. Given its importance, particular emphasis was placed on the mineral fraction, which was evaluated through a “green” method based on ultrasound-assisted extraction with water, followed by potentiometric and colorimetric determination using a chemical auto-analyser. The predominant minerals analysed and their respective content were sodium 159, magnesium 9.01, potassium 7.22 and calcium 2.99 mg/g dw. This clean methodology proved to be sound, achieving good results for recovery (80.5–108 %) and repeatability (% RSDr ≤ 4.81 %). Owing to its high fibre content and mineral richness, S. ramosissima showed remarkable potential as a functional ingredient.
Maria Lopes; Mário João Roque; Carlos Cavaleiro; Fernando Ramos. Nutrient value of Salicornia ramosissima—A green extraction process for mineral analysis. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 2021, 104135 .
AMA StyleMaria Lopes, Mário João Roque, Carlos Cavaleiro, Fernando Ramos. Nutrient value of Salicornia ramosissima—A green extraction process for mineral analysis. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2021; ():104135.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Lopes; Mário João Roque; Carlos Cavaleiro; Fernando Ramos. 2021. "Nutrient value of Salicornia ramosissima—A green extraction process for mineral analysis." Journal of Food Composition and Analysis , no. : 104135.
Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants that inhabit environments in which they are exposed to extreme stress, wherefore they exhibit conserved and divergent metabolic responses different from those of conventional plants. Thus, the synthesis and accumulation of metabolites, especially of those oxidative stress-related such as phenolic compounds, should be investigated. The potential of halophytes as a source of phenolics and their prospective industrial applications are evaluated based on a comprehensive review of the scientific literature on the phenolic compounds of more than forty halophytes and their biological activities. Additionally, an overview of the analytical methodologies adopted for phenolics determination in halophytes is provided. Finally, the prospective uses and beneficial effects of the phenolic preparations from these plants are discussed. Halophytes are complex matrices, exhibiting a wide variety of phenolics in their composition, wherefore the results can be greatly affected depending on the organ plant under analysis and the extraction methodology, especially the extraction solvent used. High-performance liquid chromatography, coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) or mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), are the most used technique. Halophytes biosynthesize phenolics in concentrations that justify the remarkable antioxidant and antimicrobial activities shown, making them ideal sources of bioactive molecules to be employed in a multitude of sectors.
Maria Lopes; Ana Sanches-Silva; Maria Castilho; Carlos Cavaleiro; Fernando Ramos. Halophytes as source of bioactive phenolic compounds and their potential applications. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2021, 1 -24.
AMA StyleMaria Lopes, Ana Sanches-Silva, Maria Castilho, Carlos Cavaleiro, Fernando Ramos. Halophytes as source of bioactive phenolic compounds and their potential applications. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2021; ():1-24.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Lopes; Ana Sanches-Silva; Maria Castilho; Carlos Cavaleiro; Fernando Ramos. 2021. "Halophytes as source of bioactive phenolic compounds and their potential applications." Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition , no. : 1-24.
Crepis vesicaria subsp. taraxacifolia (Cv) of Asteraceae family is used as food and in traditional medicine. However there are no studies on its nutritional value, phenolic composition and biological activities. In the present work, a nutritional analysis of Cv leaves was performed and its phenolic content and biological properties evaluated. The nutritional profile was achieved by gas chromatography (GC). A 70% ethanolic extract was prepared and characterized by HLPC-PDA-ESI/MSn. The quantification of chicoric acid was determined by HPLC-PDA. Subsequently, it was evaluated its antioxidant activity by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods. The anti-inflammatory activity and cellular viability was assessed in Raw 264.7 macrophages. On wet weight basis, carbohydrates were the most abundant macronutrients (9.99%), followed by minerals (2.74%) (mainly K, Ca and Na), protein (1.04%) and lipids (0.69%), with a low energetic contribution (175.19 KJ/100 g). The Cv extract is constituted essentially by phenolic acids as caffeic, ferulic and quinic acid derivatives being the major phenolic constituent chicoric acid (130.5 mg/g extract). The extract exhibited antioxidant activity in DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays and inhibited the nitric oxide (NO) production induced by LPS (IC50 = 0.428 ± 0.007 mg/mL) without cytotoxicity at all concentrations tested. Conclusions: Given the nutritional and phenolic profile and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, Cv could be a promising useful source of functional food ingredients.
Sónia Pedreiro; Sandrine Da Ressurreição; Maria Lopes; Maria Teresa Cruz; Teresa Batista; Artur Figueirinha; Fernando Ramos. Crepis vesicaria L. subsp. taraxacifolia Leaves: Nutritional Profile, Phenolic Composition and Biological Properties. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 18, 151 .
AMA StyleSónia Pedreiro, Sandrine Da Ressurreição, Maria Lopes, Maria Teresa Cruz, Teresa Batista, Artur Figueirinha, Fernando Ramos. Crepis vesicaria L. subsp. taraxacifolia Leaves: Nutritional Profile, Phenolic Composition and Biological Properties. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 18 (1):151.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSónia Pedreiro; Sandrine Da Ressurreição; Maria Lopes; Maria Teresa Cruz; Teresa Batista; Artur Figueirinha; Fernando Ramos. 2020. "Crepis vesicaria L. subsp. taraxacifolia Leaves: Nutritional Profile, Phenolic Composition and Biological Properties." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 1: 151.
Salicornia spp. are traditionally used in Asia as food, forage and medicine. In the West, its popularity has been increasing as an alternative to salt. Nevertheless, the potential presence of contaminants needs to be considered. Hence this study, which aimed to investigate the presence of potentially mycotoxigenic fungi and the occurrence of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in Salicornia sampled in Portugal. Fungi isolation was performed by the direct plating technique in selective media. The mycotoxins contamination levels were determined by an Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-ToF-MS). The results suggest that Salicornia is highly susceptible to fungi infestation, e.g. by Aspergillus and Penicillium species. Relevant levels of AFB1 > 5 µg/Kg and total aflatoxins (sum of AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) > 10 µg/Kg were found in various samples.
Maria Lopes; Maria Da Conceição Castilho; Ana Sanches-Silva; Andreia Freitas; Jorge Barbosa; Maria José Gonçalves; Carlos Cavaleiro; Fernando Ramos. Evaluation of the mycotoxins content of Salicornia spp .: a gourmet plant alternative to salt. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part B 2020, 13, 162 -170.
AMA StyleMaria Lopes, Maria Da Conceição Castilho, Ana Sanches-Silva, Andreia Freitas, Jorge Barbosa, Maria José Gonçalves, Carlos Cavaleiro, Fernando Ramos. Evaluation of the mycotoxins content of Salicornia spp .: a gourmet plant alternative to salt. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part B. 2020; 13 (3):162-170.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Lopes; Maria Da Conceição Castilho; Ana Sanches-Silva; Andreia Freitas; Jorge Barbosa; Maria José Gonçalves; Carlos Cavaleiro; Fernando Ramos. 2020. "Evaluation of the mycotoxins content of Salicornia spp .: a gourmet plant alternative to salt." Food Additives & Contaminants: Part B 13, no. 3: 162-170.
Excessive dietary sodium (salt) intake is a primary cause of high blood pressure and, consequently, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The World Health Organization wants to reduce the current sodium mean intake of approximately 4 g/d by half. Bread is commonly consumed and a major source of sodium. Therefore, reducing sodium content in bread would bring important economic and public health benefits. Thus, the goal of this paper is to provide an overview of the role of salt in bread manufacturing, summarize already tested reduction strategies, and explore glasswort (Salicornia ramosissima J. Woods) as a salt substitute. Some alternatives to the sodium additives often used in the bread-making process are also suggested. For this, an extensive literature review was carried out. Overall, salt reduction in bread, while maintaining product quality, is difficult to accomplish due to its multifunctional role in the bread-making process. Several strategies have been tried so far, with only partial success. Consequently, the use of glasswort (S. ramosissima J. Woods) as salt substitute shows great potential. However, other research is still needed to safely implement it in the baking industry. On the other hand, the reduction of salt alone is not the complete answer, and the replacement of sodium-based additives also needs to be considered to effectively lower sodium consumption.
Maria Lopes; Carlos Cavaleiro; Fernando Ramos. Sodium Reduction in Bread: A Role for Glasswort (Salicornia ramosissimaJ. Woods). Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 2017, 16, 1056 -1071.
AMA StyleMaria Lopes, Carlos Cavaleiro, Fernando Ramos. Sodium Reduction in Bread: A Role for Glasswort (Salicornia ramosissimaJ. Woods). Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 2017; 16 (5):1056-1071.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Lopes; Carlos Cavaleiro; Fernando Ramos. 2017. "Sodium Reduction in Bread: A Role for Glasswort (Salicornia ramosissimaJ. Woods)." Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 16, no. 5: 1056-1071.