José A Teixeira

University of Minho · Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering - Centre of Biological Engineering

This work innovatively merges engineered food structures with additive manufacturing technology to tailor food for different dysphagia levels using filamentous Fungus Aspergillus oryzae biomass through a co-axial 3D food printing process. In order to 3D print samples with different textures, calcium chloride (CaCl2) and calcium gluconolactate (Gluc...

Cardiovascular diseases, resulting from the deposition of clots in blood vessels, are the leading cause of death worldwide. Fibrinolytic enzymatic activity can catalyze blood clot degradation. Findings show that 36 fungal isolates recovered from Caatinga soils have the potential to produce fibrinolytic protease under submerged conditions. About 58...

Bacillus velezensis P#02 simultaneously produced surfactin and poly–γ–glutamic acid (γ–PGA). Among the different culture media studied, the one containing corn steep liquor (100 mL/L), glucose (10 g/L), and glutamic acid (10 g/L) as sole ingredients (CSL–G–Glut(10)) offered the best results regarding biosurfactant and biopolymer production. Althoug...

Boletus edulis (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...

In this work, a multivariate analysis was carried out, using a Plackett–Burman (PB) design involving seventeen growth parameters, on carotenoids production of Pavlova gyrans (p < 0.10). Each assay was analysed regarding its content (mg g⁻¹) of fucoxanthin (Fx), diatoxanthin, diadinoxanthin, β-carotene (βCar), α-carotene, and the sum of all caroteno...

Several techniques have been applied for prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) purification from complex solutions. FOS synthesis with microbial enzymatic approaches results in mixtures containing a high content of salts and glucose, some fructose, and unreacted sucrose. Here we describe selected experimental methods that have been employed to in...

Production of hydrogen from biomass waste using single-stage gasification is an innovative method, in which gasification, water gas shift conversion and CO2 separation processes are carried out in one reactor so that the product gas leaving the reactor has a partially large composition is hydrogen gas. This process presents several advantages when...

Microbial biosurfactants are considered environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic surfactants in numerous applications. One of the main bottlenecks to their widespread use is the lack of effective processes for their production on an industrial scale. Biosurfactant production using conventional aerated bioreactors results in excessive foam...

(1) Background: Polysaccharide films are promising vehicles for the delivery of bioactive agents such as collagenases, as they provide controlled release at the wound site, facilitating tissue regeneration. This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties of Cassia grandis polysaccharide films with immobilized collagenase from Strepto...

The delivery of therapeutical molecules through the skin, particularly to its deeper layers, is impaired due to the stratum corneum layer, which acts as a barrier to foreign substances. Thus, for the past years, scientists have focused on the development of more efficient methods to deliver molecules to skin distinct layers. Microneedles, as a new...

Polyglutamic acid (PGA), a biopolymer comprising repeating units of glutamic acid, has garnered significant attention owing to its versatile applications. In recent years, microbial production processes have emerged as promising methods for the large-scale synthesis of PGA, offering advantages such as sustainability, efficiency, and tailored molecu...

The increasing demand for healthier food products has prompted the food industry to seek innovative production methods. Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), valued for their prebiotic properties, have been incorporated into various foods. This study explores a novel approach involving the conversion of sucrose from strawberry preparations into FOS in...

The degree to which olive oil is protected against oxidation and rancidity is highly reliant on the presence and quantities of antioxidant polyphenols in the oil. On this account, the principal polyphenols need to be intactly available (withstand oxidation) in large numbers over the shelf-life of the oil, which often comes with a challenge as the o...

The delivery of therapeutical molecules through the skin, particularly to its deeper layers is impaired due to the stratum corneum layer, which acts as barrier to foreign substances. Thus, for the past years, scientists have focused on the development of more efficient methods to deliver molecules to skin distinct layers. Microneedles, as a new cla...

Oleuropein, upon sucessful extraction from olive leaves, is treasured as being one of the major bioactive compounds with great potential for being incorporated into numerous food formulations that are processed under specific surrounding conditions. In this regard, for oleuropein to sustainably exert bio-functional effects, it needs to remain poten...

A significant fraction of the food produced worldwide is currently lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, squandering natural and economic resources. Food waste valorization will be an important necessity in the coming years. This work investigates the ability of food waste to serve as a viable nutritional substrate for the heterotrophic growt...

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of ohmic heating (OH) as a green processing approach on the extraction of principal polar phenols from olive leaves, with special attention on oleuropein content. The concentrations were quantified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). Other target analytes including total f...

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. Cytisus plants are an underexploited bioresource, currently prevalent in the Mediterranean Basin and weste...

Throughout history as well as the present, food microorganisms have been proven to play a significant role in human life [...]

Biosurfactants (surfactants synthesized by microorganisms) are produced by microorganisms and are suitable for use in different areas. Among biosurfactants, rhamnolipids are the most studied and popular, attracting scientists, and industries’ interest. Due to their unique characteristics, the rhamnolipids have been used as synthetic surfactants’ al...

The search for sustainable extraction processes led to the development of innovative technologies with less environmental impact. Subcritical water extraction (SWE) and ohmic heating (OH) emerged as novel extraction technologies with higher selectivity and efficiency. The red algae Gelidium sesquipedale is mainly known for agar, its main hydrocollo...

The impact of prebiotics on human health is associated with their capacity to modulate microbiota, improving beneficial microbiota–host interactions. Herein, the prebiotic potential of microbial-fructo-oligosaccharides (microbial-FOSs) produced by a co-culture of Aspergillus ibericus plus Saccharomyces cerevisiae was evaluated on seven- and nine-st...

In cheese-making, a starter culture composed of adequately chosen lactic acid bacteria (LAB) may be suitable to ensure the rapid acidification of milk, improve textural and sensorial characteristics, and avoid pathogen proliferation. In this work, 232 LAB isolates collected from artisanal goat’s raw milk cheeses produced in Portugal were evaluated...

This work aimed to optimize and characterize the biomass production of Pavlova gyrans through a sequential multivariate approach. Among seventeen cultivation parameters, light intensity, NaNO3, and CuSO4·5H2O were identified as the most significative factors (p < 0.10) for biomass productivity. Together with NaH2PO4·H2O, these variables were furthe...

The addition of olive leaves during processing of olive oil has been studied and reviewed from different perspectives but there is a paucity of information on the roles of particle sizes of the added leaves in phenolic content of the oil. Dry ground olive leaves with a range of particle size fractions (0.07–3.0 mm) were added to crushed olives prio...

The microbial quality of raw milk artisanal cheeses is not always guaranteed due to the possible presence of pathogens in raw milk that can survive during manufacture and maturation. In this work, an overview of the existing information concerning lactic acid bacteria and plant extracts as antimicrobial agents is provided, as well as thermisation a...

According to the International Energy Agency, crude oil demand is expected to increase up to 1 × 108 barrels per day by 2026, mainly due to the delay in the development and implementation of renewable energies. As crude oil is a limited resource, it is necessary to develop technologies that allow its efficient exploitation. It is estimated that 7 ×...

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 develo...

The plantain agro-industry generates different residues in the harvest and post-harvest stages. Therefore, new processes for its valorization are required. The aim of this research was to propose a general methodological framework for the design and analysis of multi-input biorefineries for the valorization of residues with a high content of lignoc...

Grape stems have emerged as a promising natural ingredient in the cosmetics industry due to their abundance of phenolic compounds, known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds have shown great potential in promoting skin health, fighting signs of aging, and shielding against environmental stressors. With high concen...

This study characterises the effect of a customised starter culture (CSC) and plant extracts (lemon balm, sage, and spearmint) on Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) kinetics in goat’s raw milk soft cheeses. Raw milk cheeses were produced with and without the CSC and plant extracts, and analysed for pH, SA, and LAB counts thro...

Obesity, a highly prevalent condition worldwide that leads to the development of multiple metabolic diseases, has been related to gut microbial dysbiosis. to understand this correlation, in vivo models have been extremely useful. However, its use is limited by associated ethical concerns, high costs, low representativeness, and low reproducibility....

Background: After almost 100 years since evidence of biofilm mode of growth and decades of intensive investigation about their formation, regulatory pathways and mechanisms of antimicrobial tolerance, nowadays there are still no therapeutic solutions to eradicate bacterial biofilms and their biomedical related issues. Purpose: This review intend...

This work had as main objective to encapsulate vitamin D3 (VD3) into nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) using rhamnolipids as surfactant. Glycerol monostearate and medium chain triglycerides with 2.625 % of VD3 were used as lipid materials. The three formulations of NLCs with VD3 (NLCs + VD3) were composed by 99 % of aqueous phase, 1 % of lipid p...

The objective of this work was to prepare different concentrations of liposomes based on lecithin containing quercetin, and evaluate their effect on the properties of galactomannan films obtained from Cassia grandis seeds. Quercetin-loaded lecithin liposomes (QT-LL) were obtained by the ethanol injection method by incorporating quercetin in differe...

Currently, one-third of all food produced worldwide is wasted or lost, and bacterial contamination is one of the main reasons. Moreover, foodborne diseases are a severe problem, causing more than 420,000 deaths and nearly 600 million illnesses yearly, demanding more attention to food safety. Thus, new solutions need to be explored to tackle these p...

Pork represents a major fraction of the meat consumed worldwide but only 30% of the blood generated in slaughterhouses is re-used as raw material for food and feed. Innovative technologies and efficient processing strategies capable of generating added-value products from it are now attracting attention. In this study, the hydrolysis of porcine coa...

The aim of the current study was to provide a useful platform to identify characteristic molecular markers related to the authenticity of Italian fortified wines. For this purpose, the volatilomic fingerprint of the most popular Italian fortified wines was established using headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass...

Several studies have supported the positive functional health effects of both prebiotics and probiotics on gut microbiota. Among these, the selective growth of beneficial bacteria due to the use of prebiotics and bioactive compounds as an energy and carbon source is critical to promote the development of healthy microbiota within the human gut. The...

Food is rarely kept in a sterile environment and the composition of microbial associations found in various foodstuffs is widely varied. Microorganisms in food usually originate from the natural microbiota of raw materials and the surrounding environments. Whether a species prevails depends upon its ability to adapt to intrinsic factors associated...

Cheese whey fermented by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was used to develop an edible film with antifungal properties. Five LAB strains isolated from artisanal cheeses were screened for antifungal activity and incorporated into a whey–gelatin film. Of the strains tested, Levilactobacillus brevis SJC120 showed the strongest activity against five filamen...

Xanthan gum (XG) production using three Xanthomonas sp. strains (290, 472, and S6) was evaluated by applying a 23 full factorial central composite design response to study the interactive effects of the fermentation medium component concentrations as parameters to determine the efficiency of the gum production in batch experiments. The experimental...

Volatile compounds play a key role in wine quality due to their importance in wine aroma. The aim of the present study is to investigate the influence of cold pre-fermentative maceration (CPM) treatment on aromatic and sensory properties of white wines from four grape varieties (Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Blanca, Viura and Garnacha Blanca) during...

Brewer’s spent grain (BSG) is a by-product of the beer industry and a potential source of bioactive compounds. In this study two methods of extracting bioactive compounds from brewer’s spent grain were used – solid-to-liquid conventional extraction (SLE) and solid-to-liquid ohmic heating extraction (OHE) coupled with two ratio combinations of solve...

Food industry has been pressed to develop products with reduced sugar and low caloric value, while maintaining unchanged their rheological and physicochemical properties. The development of a strawberry preparation for the dairy industry, with prebiotic functionality, was herein investigated by in situ conversion of its intrinsic sucrose content in...

Plants are rich in bioactive phytochemicals that often display medicinal properties. These can play an important role in the production of health-promoting food additives and the replacement of artificial ones. In this sense, this study aimed to characterise the polyphenolic profile and bioactive properties of the decoctions, infusions and hydroeth...

Microbial production of hyaluronic acid (HA) is an area of research that has been gaining attention in recent years due to the increasing demand for this biopolymer for several industrial applications. Hyaluronic acid is a linear, non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan that is widely distributed in nature and is mainly composed of repeating units of N-acet...

Introduction Pectinolytic enzymes are of great importance for the clarification process of “Vinho Verde” wine must, contributing to the reduction of haze development. During the last decade, a growing body of knowledge has been established about the effects of electric fields on the activation of important food enzymes. However, the influence of el...