Celia Fortuna R.

TOXRUN @ CESPU and LEPABE @ FEUP

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a vascular disease characterised by restricted flow and high pressure through the pulmonary arteries, leading to progressive right heart failure and death. This study reports the global burden of PAH, leveraging all available data and using methodology of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, a...

Background : Smoking is the leading behavioural risk factor for mortality globally, accounting for more than 175 million deaths and nearly 4·30 billion years of life lost (YLLs) from 1990 to 2021. The pace of decline in smoking prevalence has slowed in recent years for many countries, and although strategies have recently been proposed to achieve t...

Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses an important global health challenge in the 21st century. A previous study has quantified the global and regional burden of AMR for 2019, followed with additional publications that provided more detailed estimates for several WHO regions by country. To date, there have been no studies that produce com...

Background: Dental caries is the most common oral disease in the world. When treatable, the drilling method continues to be used. This technique has its disadvantages because it is invasive and nonspecific. Chemomechanical carious tissue removal agents (CCRAs) such as Carisolv™ or Papacarie® are non-invasive products that allow for the specific eli...

Oral candidiasis is an opportunistic infection caused by fungi of the genus Candida. Nystatin, fluconazole, and miconazole are the most widely used antifungal drugs in dentistry, but in recent years, they have been shown to be less effective due to the increase in the resistance to antifungal drugs. The growing challenge of antifungal resistance em...

Candida species, typically part of the human skin and mucous membrane flora, can cause opportunistic fungal infections, notably urinary tract infections (UTIs), which are on the rise among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The lack of understanding of UTIs in this population, coupled with the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, poses significan...

Background Accurate assessments of current and future fertility-including overall trends and changing population age structures across countries and regions-are essential to help plan for the profound social, economic, environmental, and geopolitical challenges that these changes will bring. Estimates and projections of fertility are necessary to i...

Background Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensiv...

Background: In corpses, yeasts grow in the dead skin, and with the help of bacteria and other microorganisms they work together to dissolve the dead into the soil. The fungi of the necromycobiome change as the human body decays. For example, the bloat phase has the greatest diversity of fungi found in the body [1]. There is a need to better underst...

Background: Oral candidiasis is one of the most present fungal infections, with Candida albicans being the foremost responsible for this infection, but in recent years the non-Candida albicans Candida species play a significant role in the rise of cases of oral candidiasis [1]. Phenomena of resistance to regular antifungals are rising, which makes...

Background Detailed, comprehensive, and timely reporting on population health by underlying causes of disability and premature death is crucial to understanding and responding to complex patterns of disease and injury burden over time and across age groups, sexes, and locations. The availability of disease burden estimates can promote evidence-base...

Background Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important follow...

Background Accurate assessments of current and future fertility-including overall trends and changing population age structures across countries and regions-are essential to help plan for the profound social, economic, environmental, and geopolitical challenges that these changes will bring. Estimates and projections of fertility are necessary to i...

Introduction In 2022, the World Health Organization published a report encouraging researchers to focus on Candida spp. to strengthen the global response to fungal oral infections and antifungal resistance. In the context of innovative research, it seems pertinent to investigate the antifungal potential of natural extracts of plants and the methodo...

The aim of the present study was to characterize biofilms formed by Candida spp. clinical isolates (n = 19), isolated from the oral mucosa of HIV-positive patients. For characterizing the biofilms formed by several Candida sp. strains, isolated from HIV-positive patients, in terms of formed biomass, matrix composition and antifungal susceptibility...

Oral fungal infections pose a threat to human health and increase the economic burden of oral diseases by prolonging and complicating treatment. A cost-effective strategy is to try to prevent these infections from happening in the first place. With this purpose, biomaterials with antifungal properties are a crucial element to overcome fungal infect...

Aims: This study aimed to identify Candida species recovered from the oral cavity of patients with kidney transplantation. Materials & methods: Two swabs were taken from the oral cavity of 40 patients before and after transplantation, cultured on SDA, and yeasts identified .Antifungal drug susceptibility testing was performed against fluconazole (F...

Abstract: The diarylheptanoid curcumin [(1E,6E)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione] is one of the phenolic pigments responsible for the yellow colour of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). This phytochemical has gained much attention in recent years due to its therapeutic potential in cancer. A range of drug delivery approaches ha...

Background: Candida albicans and non-Candida albicans Candida species (NCACs) are known to colonize and invade various tissues, including the oral mucosa. In this work, we aimed to characterize mature biofilms of several Candida spp. clinical isolates (n = 33) obtained from the oral mucosa of children, adults, and elders of Eastern Europe and Sout...

The number of Candida spp. infections and drug resistance are dramatically increasing worldwide, particularly among immunosuppressed patients, and it is urgent to find novel compounds with antifungal activity. In this work, the antifungal and antibiofilm activity of thymoquinone (TQ), a key bioactive constituent of black cumin seed Nigella sativa L...

Abstract: Background and Objectives: Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a mucous membrane infection, with an increased rate of antifungal resistance of Candida species. In this study, the in vitro efficacy of farnesol alone or in combination with traditional antifungals was assessed against resistant Candida strains recovered from women with VVC. Ma...

Clinically we have been aware of the concept of Candida biofilms for many decades, though perhaps without the formal designation. Just over twenty years ago the subject emerged on the back of progress made from the bacterial biofilms, and academic progress pace has continued to mirror the bacterial biofilm community, albeit at a decreased volume. I...

The ingestion of contaminated food or water is a great threat to public health. In fact, food and water contamination can result in serious infections, and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. The food and water supply chain need to guarantee the safety and quality of all food products; however, this can be laborious, since it depends...

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a mucous membrane infection, with an increased rate of antifungal resistance of Candida species. The in vitro efficacy of farnesol alone or in combination with traditional antifungals, against resistant Candida strains recovered from women with VVC was assessed. In this study, 80 Candida isolats were identified by...

Biofilms are the most common form of microbial life, representing a large community of microorganisms (single or multispecies). These microbial complex organizations are known to rouse several problems in both health and industrial environments. One of the major medical issues is the increased drug resistance of biofilms, which frequently leads to...

Biofilms are a reservoir of potentially infectious microorganisms, highly resistant to antimicrobial agents, and their importance in medical devices, chronic inflammatory conditions, industry, and environment is increasingly recognized. Advanced imaging approaches such as optical coherence tomography, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy,...

Biofilm‐producing Staphylococcus aureus (SA) strains are frequently found in medical environments, from surgical/ wound sites, medical devices. These biofilms reduce the efficacy of applied antibiotics during the treatment of several infections, such as cystic fibrosis, endocarditis, or urinary tract infections. Thus, the development of potential t...

One of the most prevalent healthcare-associated infection is the urinary tract infection (UTI), caused by opportunistic pathogens such as Candida albicans or non-albicans Candida species (NACS). Urine culture methods are routinely used for UTI diagnostics due to their specificity, sensitivity and low-cost. However, these methods are also laborious,...

Atypical Candida spp. infections are rising, mostly due to the increasing numbers of im-munocompromised patients. The most common Candida spp. is still Candida albicans; however, in the last decades, there has been an increase in non-Candida albicans Candida species infections (e.g., Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida tropicalis)....

Candida albicans is still the major yeast causing human fungal infections. Nevertheless, in the last decades, non-Candida albicans Candida species (NCACs) (e.g., Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, and Candida parapsilosis) have been increasingly linked to Candida sp. infections, mainly in immunocompromised and hospitalized patients. The escalade...

Urinary tract infections (UTI) represent one of the most common healthcare- associated infections across EU countries, accounting for 18.9% of all cases [1]. These infections are caused by microbial pathogens, either bacteria or fungi, such as Candida species. Candiduria – is defined as presence of Candida species in urine, which diagnostics relies...

Oral fungal infections are a worldwide healthcare problem. Although Candida albicans is still the most common yeast involved in the infections of oral cavity, non-Candida albicans Candida species (NCACs) have been highly related to these infections, particularly in older, immunosuppressed or patients with long exposure to antimicrobial drugs. The g...

Introduction: Oral candidiasis (OC) is a fungal infection and the most common infectious disease of the oral mucosa [1]. It is a worldwide problem that mainly affects immunologically weak individuals, and immunocompetent individuals may also be affected [2]. In recent years, there has been an increasing need for new treatment strategies due to the...

Citation: Abedini, F.; Mohammadi, S.R.; Dahmardehei, M.; Ajami, M.; Salimi, M.; Khalandi, H.; Mohsenzadegan, M.; Seif, F.; Shirvan, B.N.; Yaalimadad, S.; et al. Enhancing of Wound Healing in Burn Patients through Candida albicans β-Glucan.

Candida tropicalis is the second most prevalent Candida species in urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, urine cultures take from 18 to 48 h to completely identify the microorganism, which may be sufficient for the progression of the UTI. New developments in molecular biology, automation, and micro-electro-mechanical systems, could be transferr...

Patients with severe COVID-19, such as individuals in intensive care units (ICU), are exceptionally susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections. The most prevalent fungal infections are aspergillosis and candidemia. Nonetheless, other fungal species (for instance, Histoplasma spp., Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., Cryptococcus spp.) have recently been...

Resveratrol is a polyphenolic stilbene derivative widely present in grapes and red wine. Broadly known for its antioxidant effects, numerous studies have also indicated that it exerts anti-inflammatory and antiaging abilities and a great potential in cancer therapy. Regrettably, the oral administration of resveratrol has pharmacokinetic and physico...

Fungal infections are an important and increasing global threat, carrying not only high morbidity and mortality rates, but also extraordinary healthcare costs. Without an effective response, it is predicted that 10 million people will die per year because of multidrug-resistant pathogens. A high percentage of the mortalities caused by fungi are kno...

The current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is a significant threat to human health and the worldwide economy. Coronaviruses cause a variety of diseases, such as pneumonia-like upper respiratory tract illnesses, gastroenteritis, encephalitis, multiple organ failure involving lungs and kidneys which might cause death. Since the pandemic star...

Biofilms are highly-organized microbial communities attached to a biotic or an abiotic surface, surrounded by an extracellular matrix secreted by the biofilm cells. The majority of fungal pathogens contribute to biofilm formation within tissues or biomedical devices, leading to serious and persistent infections. The clinical significance of biofilm...

Mint and ginger are rich sources of phenolic compounds, and thus the present study aimed to assess the impact of different extraction techniques on their polyphenolic yield and antioxidant activity, and to develop a ginger-mint drink. Conventional, ultrasonic and supercritical fluid extraction techniques were used, and ethanol, methanol and distill...

Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition causing a severe infection in the gum, leading to tooth loss and related serious health hazards. Severe periodontitis is the sixth most prevalent medical condition, globally affecting about 743 million individuals. Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene) is a plant polyphenol, extensively popularized durin...

Candidiasis (e.g., oral, gastrointestinal, vaginal, urinary tract, systemic) is a worldwide growing problem, since antifungal resistance and immunosuppression states are rising. To address this problem, very few drugs are available for the treatment of Candida spp. infections. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies are urgently required. Probiotic...

Candida auris is a novel and major fungal pathogen that has triggered several outbreaks in the last decade. The few drugs available to treat fungal diseases, the fact that this yeast has a high rate of multidrug resistance and the occurrence of misleading identifications, and the ability of forming biofilms (naturally more resistant to drugs) has m...

Biofilms are the major way of life for both bacteria and fungi [...]

The development and spread of resistance to antimicrobial drugs is hampering the management of microbial infectious and wound healing processes. Curcumin is the most active and effective constituent of Curcuma longa L., also known as turmeric, and has a very long and strong history of medicinal value for human health and skincare. Curcumin has been...

Suitable molecular methods for a faster microbial identification in food and clinical samples have been explored and optimized during the last decades. However, most molecular methods still rely on time-consuming enrichment steps prior to detection, so that the microbial load can be increased and reach the detection limit of the techniques.In this...

Patients with severe COVID-19, such as individuals in intensive care units (ICU), are exceptionally susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections. The most prevalent fungal infections are aspergillosis and candidemia. Nonetheless, other fungal species (for instance, Histoplasma spp., Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., Cryptococcus spp.) have recently been...

Oral candidiasis are among the most common noncommunicable diseases, related with serious local and systemic illnesses. Although these infections can occur in all kinds of patients, they are more recurrent in immunosuppressed ones such as patients with HIV, hepatitis, cancer or under long antimicrobial treatments. Candida albicans continues to be t...

A crucial factor in the pathogenesis of orthopedics associated infections is that bacteria do not only colonize the implant surface but also the surrounding tissues. This study aimed to engineer an antimicrobial release coating for stainless steel (SS) surfaces, to impart them with the ability to prevent Staphylococci colonization. Chlorhexidine (C...

Anthocyanins (ACNs) have a widespread spectrum of biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or chemopreventive features, which support human health, although their low bioavailability and extensive biotransformation interfere with these advantages. This chapter underlines the various ACN bioactivities, their bioavailability and...

Natural products interest is gradually increasing worldwide. Plant-food-derived bioactives have a long history of use as a good source of ingredients for valuable medical usages. Plant-based foods consist of micro and macronutrients, and bioactive components, with health-promoting benefits. The handling of complex mixtures of plants has been method...

Natural products interest is gradually increasing worldwide. Plant-food-derived bioactives have a long history of use as a good source of ingredients for valuable medical usages. Plant-based foods consist of micro and macronutrients, and bioactive components, with health-promoting benefits. The handling of complex mixtures of plants has been method...

When living in biological and interactive communities, microorganisms use quorum-sensing mechanisms for their communication. According to cell density, bacteria and fungi can produce signaling molecules (e.g., secondary metabolites), which participate, for example, in the regulation of gene expression and coordination of collective behavior in thei...

Heart and blood vessels disorders comprise one of the main causes of death worldwide. Pharmacologically active natural compounds have been used as a complementary therapy in cardiovascular disease around the world in a traditional way. Dietary, natural bioactive compounds, as well as healthy lifestyles, are considered to prevent coronary artery dis...

Medical devices are a typical and important part of health care for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Nonetheless, these devices (e.g., catheters, implants, dentures, or prostheses) recurrently lead to the appearance of several types of infections. In fact, there is a high rate of colonization of abiotic surfaces (such as biomaterials from...

Oral diseases are considered the most common noncommunicable diseases and are related to serious local and systemic disorders. Oral pathogens can grow and spread in the oral mucosae and frequently in biomaterials (e.g., dentures or prostheses) under polymicrobial biofilms, leading to several disorders such as dental caries and periodontal disease....

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) can be triggered by a various types of gynecological, gastrointestinal, urological, and musculoskeletal disorders. Recently, the role of the central nervous system has proven to be an integral part on the development of any chronic pain syndrome, including CPPS. However, owing to the complex and heterogeneous eti...

Candida glabrata is an important human fungal pathogen known to trigger serious infections in immune-compromised individuals. Its ability to form biofilms, which exhibit high tolerance to antifungal treatments, has been considered as an important virulence factor. However, the mechanisms involving antifungal resistance in biofilms and the impact of...

Isolation of metallo-lactamase-producing, carbapenem-resistant, Pseu-domonas aeruginosa strains is increasingly being documented worldwide; their presence constitutes a public health threat. Here, we report draft genome sequences of two New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1-producing, multidrug-resistant, P. aeruginosa strains of sequence type 235 that wer...

The ability to form biofilms is a common feature of microorganisms, such as bacteria or fungi. These consortiums can colonize a variety of surfaces, such as host tissues, dentures, and catheters, resulting in infections highly resistant to drugs, when compared with their planktonic counterparts. This refractory effect is particularly critical in po...

Silymarin is a complex extract isolated from the plant Silybum marianum, widely known for its prominent antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects, although increasing evidences have reported extraordinary antiproliferative and apoptotic abilities. As a result, several signaling pathways involved in cell cycle control, cell proliferation, and cell de...

Here, we explore the use of microfluidic devices for on-chip magnetic capture of Escherichia coli O157:H7 based on Immiscible Filtration Assisted by Surface Tension (IFAST), followed by detection, visualization and characterization of the isolated E. coli with a Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) assay in the same chip. Preliminary experimen...

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a plant from South America and indigenous of Paraguay, has shown several biological effects and healthy properties, although it is especially used in South America and some Asiatic regions. In addition, it is a natural sweetener, almost 300 times sweeter than sucrose, being attributed to its phytoconstituents prominent an...

Candida species belong to the normal human microbiota and are commonly responsible for several clinical manifestations from mucocutaneous overgrowth to severe bloodstream infections. Candida albicans is the predominant species involved in disease conditions. Nevertheless, in the last decade, the number of infections due to nonalbicans Candida (NAC)...