Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E.Br. (Hottentot-fig) is a problematic invasive species found in coastal areas worldwide. Mechanical removal is a common control method, leaving the removed biomass ...available as a possible source of natural phytochemicals with prospective commercial applications. While the Hottentot-fig’s vegetative organs have been studied previously, this work establishes for the first time a seasonal and spatial comparative analysis of its nutritional, chemical, and bioactivity profiles (in three locations over four seasons). Proximate and mineral contents were assessed, along with its phenolic composition and in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Hottentot-fig’s biomass offered a good supply of nutrients, mainly carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals, with a tendency for higher concentrations of the most relevant minerals and proteins in autumn and winter, and in plants from sites A (Ria de Alvor lagoon) and B (Ancão beach). The extracts were rich in polyphenolics, with higher levels in spring and summer, especially for luteolin-7-O-glucoside and salicylic and coumaric acids. The extracts were also effective antioxidants, with stronger radical scavenging activities in spring and summer, along with anti-inflammatory properties. Our results suggest that the usually discarded plant material of this invasive halophyte could be valuable as a source of natural products with potential biotechnological applications in the food and nutraceutical industries.
► 17 essential oils were tested for chemical composition and antibacterial and antioxidant activities. ► All essential oils inhibited the growth of at least four bacteria tested. ► For the evaluation ...of antibacterial activity, bacterial counts should be done. ► Clove and origanum essential oils showed the highest antioxidant properties.
The aim of this work was to determine the effectiveness of 17 essential oils to inhibit the growth of seven food-borne spoilage and pathogenic bacterial strains (Brochothrix thermosphacta, Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas putida, Salmonella typhimurium and Shewanella putrefaciens). Additionally, the antioxidant activity (by free radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing power) and the chemical composition of these essential oils were evaluated. All essential oils inhibited the growth of at least four bacteria tested, and lower values of minimum inhibitory concentration (<3.0mgmL−1) were needed to inhibit P. putida. The highest reductions (8.0logCFUmL−1) were achieved with coriander, origanum and rosemary essential oils for L. innocua, as well as with thyme essential oil for both Listeria strains. The results showed that for the evaluation of antibacterial activity of plant essential oils, bacterial counts should be performed instead of absorbance readings when using microdilution methods. Regarding the antioxidant activity, clove and origanum essential oils showed the strongest antioxidant properties. Essential oils showed a great variety of compounds in their chemical compositions, some of those with known antibacterial and antioxidant properties. In conclusion, all tested essential oils have very strong potential applicability as antibacterial and antioxidant agents for food and pharmaceutical industries.
•Wild and cultivated halophytes showed favourable nutritional properties.•Studied halophytes are a good source of minerals and proteins, and poor in fat.•Cultivated halophytes are more succulent and ...have less fibres.•Cultivated halophytes have less antioxidants than wild plants.•S. maritima is a source of antioxidant compounds, vitamins and carotenoid pigments.
Some halophyte plants are currently used in gourmet cuisine due to their unique organoleptic properties. Moreover, they exhibit excellent nutritional and functional properties, being rich in polyphenolics and vitamins. These compounds are associated to strong antioxidant activity and enhanced health benefits. This work compared the nutritional properties and antioxidant potential of three species (Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum, Suaeda maritima and Sarcocornia fruticosa) collected in saltmarshes from Portugal and Spain with those of cultivated plants. The latter were generally more succulent and had higher contents of minerals than plants obtained from the wild and contained less fibre. All species assayed are a good source of proteins, fibres and minerals. Additionally, they are good sources of carotenoids and vitamins A, C and B6 and showed good antioxidant potential particularly S. maritima. Chromatographic analysis of the phenolic profile revealed that ferulic and caffeic acids as the most relevant phenolic compounds detected in the halophytes tested.
Large forest fires have repeatedly affected Europe, in particular the Mediterranean countries. It is now crucial to continue the effort to feed the several layers of prediction models and understand ...how wildfire spreads in order to develop modern preventative and mitigation methods. The present study evaluates the performance of Sentinel 5-P TROPOMI for the monitoring of carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) during extreme fire events in Portugal, focusing on the Monchique (2018) and Vila de Rei/Mação (2019) wildfires, which devastated 27,154 ha and 9249 ha, respectively. The spatial distribution and trend of CO and CH4 prior to, during, and following the fire event were accessed and linked with in situ data in a qualitative and quantitative exploration. Large CO plumes were observed with CO columns exceeding 4.5 × 1018 and 6 × 1018 molecules/cm2 on 21 July 2019, and 7 August 2018, respectively. CO distribution profiles after consecutive digital processing steps showed the ability to follow CO fluctuations according to the fire spread. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were found between CO emissions inside and outside the burning area in both fire events. Finally, the CO2 estimated through CO column data presented an emission of 7.6 × 1019 molecules/cm2 for the uppermost emission day on 7 August 2018. Although CH4 monitoring is still unwavering to draw exact conclusions, the CO patterns during extreme fire events show promising and consistent data when compared with in situ data.
•Limonium algarvense flowers and green tea had similar antioxidant properties.•L. algarvense had higher iron chelating potential than green tea.•L. algarvense had higher anti-inflammatory potential ...than green tea.•L. algarvense infusion had higher amounts of salicylic, gallic and coumaric acids.•L. algarvense samples were not toxic.
This work reports the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and toxicity of infusions and decoctions of Limonium algarvense flowers, and green tea. The total contents in different phenolic groups and the quantification of individual phenolics by HPLC are also reported. L. algarvense and green tea had similar antioxidant properties, except for hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity, higher on green tea, and iron chelating potential, higher on L. algarvense. The later species also had the uppermost anti-inflammatory potential. Green tea decoction had the highest content of phenolic groups, but the infusion of L. algarvense had higher amounts of salicylic, gallic and coumaric acids. L. algarvense was not toxic, whereas green tea was toxic for S17 cells. Under our experimental conditions, infusions and decoctions of L. algarvense flowers had similar or higher antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties than green tea, and thus, may be useful for alleviating symptoms associated with oxidative and inflammatory-related diseases.
Aromatic halophyte plants are an outstanding source of bioactive compounds and natural products with potential use in the food industry. This work reports the in vitro antioxidant activity, toxicity, ...polyphenolic profile and mineral contents of infusions and decoctions from stems, leaves and flowers of Crithmum maritimum L., an aromatic and edible maritime halophyte (sea fennel). Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) Dahlg. (rooibos) herbal tea was used as a reference. Sea fennel's tisanes, particularly from leaves, were rich in phenolic compounds and five of them (p-hydroxybenzoic and ferulic acids, epicatechin, pyrocatechol and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde) were here described in C. maritimum for the first time. Chlorogenic acid was the dominant phenolic determined. Na was the most abundant mineral in all tisanes followed by Ca and Mg in leaves' tisanes and K in flowers. Sea fennel's samples had a similar antioxidant activity than those from A. linearis, and had no significant toxicity towards four different mammalian cell lines. Altogether, our results suggest that sea fennel can be a source of products and/or molecules for the food industry with antioxidant properties and minerals in the form, for example, of innovative health-promoting herbal beverages.
The analysis of controlled drugs in forensic matrices, i.e., urine, blood, plasma, saliva, and hair, is one of the current hot topics in the clinical and toxicological context. The use of ...microextraction-based approaches has gained considerable notoriety, mainly due to the great simplicity, cost-benefit, and environmental sustainability. For this reason, the application of these innovative techniques has become more relevant than ever in programs for monitoring priority substances such as the main illicit drugs, e.g., opioids, stimulants, cannabinoids, hallucinogens, dissociative drugs, and related compounds. The present contribution aims to make a comprehensive review on the state-of-the art advantages and future trends on the application of microextraction-based techniques for screening-controlled drugs in the forensic context.
Bar adsorptive microextraction combined with liquid desorption followed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (BAµE-LD/HPLC-DAD) is proposed for the determination of ...trace levels of five phenol compounds (3-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol, bisphenol-A, 4-n-octylphenol and 4-n-nonylphenol) in surface water matrices. By using a polystyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer (PS-DVB) sorbent phase, high selectivity and efficiency is achieved even against polydimethylsiloxane through stir bar sorptive extraction. Assays performed by BAµE(PS-DVB)-LD/HPLC-DAD on 25 mL water samples spiked at the 10.0 µg/L levels yielded recoveries over 88.0%±5.7% for all five analytes, under optimized experimental conditions. The analytical performance showed good precision (RSD<15%), detection limits of 0.25 µg/L and linear dynamic ranges (1.0-25.0 μg/L) with determination coefficient higher than 0.9904. By using the standard addition method, the application of the present method to surface water matrices allowed very good performances at the trace level. The proposed methodology proved to be a suitable alternative to monitor phenol compounds in surface water matrices, showing to be easy to implement, reliable, sensitive and requiring a low sample volume.
Bidens tripartita L. is a traditional phyto-remedy used in several countries, yet there is still a paucity of data on its biological potential. We aimed to provide new insights on the pharmacological ...potential of extracts prepared from B. tripartita via highlighting its antioxidant, key enzymes inhibitory potency, and DNA protecting effects. Phytochemical profile was established using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode-Array Detection (HPLC-DAD) and bioactive compound(s) docked against target enzymes using in silico methods. Cytotoxicity against three cancer cell lines was assessed using the methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell viability test. The main compounds were luteolin-7-glucoside (cynaroside), chlorogenic acid, and epicatechin in the extracts. The methanol extract exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity. Ethyl acetate extract showed strongest α-amylase inhibitory activity, while the best α-glucosidase inhibitory effect recorded for the methanol extract. Molecular docking showed that cynaroside strongly interact to α-glucosidase cavity by establishing six hydrogen bonds. B. tripartita extracts were found to protect supercoiled form of pUC19 plasmid (>70%) and also showed anti-proliferative properties. Results amassed in the present study add on to a growing body of literature on the multi-pharmacological potency of B. tripartita which can be applied to bio-products development geared towards management of common diseases.
PDF
