About
39
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Introduction
Bioactive compounds; Natural products; Medicinal plants; Food Chemistry; Algae; Antioxidants; Enzyme inhibition assays; Polyphenols; Carotenoids; Fatty acids; Essential oils.
Current institution
Greencolab
Current position
- Researcher
Additional affiliations
September 2018 - January 2019
June 2019 - April 2024
Madebiotech C R & D SA
Position
- Researcher
Position
- Summer Internship
Education
September 2013 - July 2018
September 2009 - December 2011
September 2006 - July 2009
Publications
Publications (39)
Methanolic leaf extracts of four Lauraceae species endemic to Laurisilva forest (Apollonias barbujana, Laurus novocanariensis, Ocotea foetens and Persea indica) were investigated for the first time for their potential to inhibit key enzymes linked to type-2 diabetes (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, aldose reductase) and obesity (pancreatic lipase), and p...
Fish processing industry has experienced significant growth, playing an important role in the world economy. The increased exploration of marine resources contributes to the generation of considerable amounts of biowaste, which ends up as discards. In the face of the resultant disposal and environmental problems, many efforts have been made to deal...
Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural antioxidant with limited absorption when conjugated with biomolecules but whose free form is readily absorbed in the stomach and, to a lesser extent, in the ileum. The latter suffers from inflammation and oxidative stress, so a novel strategy for the delivery of FA in this compartment of the gastrointestinal tract was...
In this work, we report the in vitro inhibitory potential of Rumex maderensis methanolic extracts (leaves, flowers, and stems) towards key digestive enzymes linked to type-2 diabetes and obesity (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, pancreatic lipase). The inhibitory activity towards aldose reductase and glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) is also reporte...
Okara is a highly perishable by-product remaining after filtration of the smashed soybeans seeds in the production of soymilk. Due to its nutritional value, different approaches have been developed to use it as functional ingredient. Fermentation of okara appears as an interesting strategy to preclude spoilage, providing a more stable matrix to be...
In this work, the phenolic composition of E. umbellata leaves and berries is reported. Berries were rich in flavonols, whereas leaves presented abundant flavonols and ellagitannins. Then, the enzyme-inhibitory properties, anti-glycation and antioxidant activities of E. umbellata and Sambucus lanceolata (its phenolic profile has been already establi...
Myrica faya Aiton (fire tree, faya) is an underused species with a diverse flavonoid composition (anthocyanins, flavonols, ellagitannins) which can promote positive effects on human health. M. faya has been reported to possess high antioxidant activities, but its potential in the prevention of type II diabetes has not been evaluated so far. In the...
Rubus grandifolius Lowe (wild blackberries) is an endemic species from Madeira Archipelago (Portugal) used in folk medicine for alleviating diabetic complications. In this work, R. grandifolius methanolic extracts were analysed for in vitro inhibitory effect on digestive enzymes linked to type-2 diabetes, as well as aldose reductase activity and pr...
Supplementary data related to the article "Madeira moneywort (Sibthorpia peregrina L.) as a new source of verbascoside and its derivatives with potential phyto-pharmaceutical applications", found in the online version at https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2018.1474354
Supplementary data related to the article "Evaluation of Rubus grandifolius L. (wild blackberries) activities targeting management of type-2 diabetes and obesity using in vitro models", found in the online version, at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2018.11.006
Supplementary data related to the article "Polyphenols of Myrica faya inhibit key enzymes linked to type II diabetes and obesity and formation of advanced glycation end-products (in vitro): Potential role in the prevention of diabetic complications", found in the online version, at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2018.10.010
The aim of this work was to study the anti-diabetic potential of different berry-producing plants. Their mineral and phytochemical composition was studied by inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analysis, respectively. A static model to simulate ga...
The qualitative and quantitative characterization of Madeira moneywort (Sibthorpia peregrina L.) compounds was investigated for the first time. The antioxidant activity and the effect of the methanolic extract on digestive enzymes activity linked to type-2 diabetes and obesity were also determined by in vitro assays. A total of 56 components were c...
Supplementary data associated with the article "Antioxidant polyphenols of Madeira sorrel (Rumex maderensis): How do they survive to in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion?" found in the online version, at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.03.112.
In this work, we report the phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of different morphological parts of
Rumex maderensis Lowe (Polygonaceae), a wild leafy-vegetable growing in Madeira Island (Portugal). Methanol extracts from leaves, flowers, and stems were submitted to high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection...
Vaccinium cylindraceaeum (Azores blueberry) and V. padifolium (Madeira blueberry) are two Portuguese endemic species, which phytochemical composition and beneficial properties lack scientific validation. In this work, their potential in vitro inhibitory effects against key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity and glycation of proteins were...
Supplementary data associated with the article "Hypoglycemic, anti-glycation and antioxidant in vitro properties of two Vaccinium species from Macaronesia: A relation to their phenolic composition", found in the
online version at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2017.12.002.
In this work, the phenolic composition of several trees endemic to Madeira archipelago (Portugal) was studied. Specifically, the leaves of the most relevant species of the Lauraceae family (Laurus novocanariensis, Apollonias barbujana, Ocotea foetens, and Persea indica) have been analyzed. The screening of the main phenolic compounds in their metha...
The aims of this study were twofold: a) to provide a detailed report on the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of fresh berries and leaves of Sambucus lanceolata (Madeiran elderberry); b) to study the effects caused by a simulated in vitro digestion on the composition and antioxidant activity of the berries and leaves.
Seventy-seven phy...
Supplementary data related to the article "Evaluation of Asteraceae herbal extracts in the management of diabetes and obesity. Contribution of caffeoylquinic acids on the inhibition of digestive enzymes activity and formation of advanced glycation end-products (in vitro)", found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2017.07.006
Supplementary data related to the article "Evaluation of Asteraceae herbal extracts in the management of diabetes and obesity. Contribution of caffeoylquinic acids on the inhibition of digestive enzymes activity and formation of advanced glycation end-products (in vitro)" can be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2017.07.006
Supplementary data to the article "Polyphenolic profile and antioxidant activities of Madeiran elderberry (Sambucus lanceolata) as affected by simulated in vitro digestion", found online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2017.03.044
The mineral content and levels of trace elements in six wild underused berries (Elaeagnus umbellata, Myrica faya, Rubus grandifolius, Sambucus lanceolata, Vaccinium padifolium and Vaccinium cylindraceum) have been determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after microwave digestion. The inorganic content of these foodstuffs has not...
Inhibition of enzymes involved in carbohydrate and lipids metabolism is an important strategy against type 2 diabetes and obesity, by suppressing dietary sugar and fat absorption. This work reports, for the first time, the in vitro inhibition of α-glucosidase, α-amylase and lipase by watercress juice (WJ). Juice was analyzed for qualitative and qua...
The vascular flora of Madeira archipelago is exuberant and diverse, comprising over 1220 species of which 10% are endemic. In this work, nine endemic Asteraceae plant species were studied for their phenolic profile and anti-hyperglycemic effects. The interest and selection of these species are related to their use in folk medicine. Two main groups...
The screening and quantification ofthe main phenolic compounds in leaves and flowers of Ulex europaeus
(gorse) was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass
spectrometric detection (HPLC-ESI–MSn) after ultrasound-assisted extraction with methanol. About 98%
of compounds corresponded to flavonoids, distr...
Melanoselinum decipiens and Monizia edulis (Apiaceae) are two endemic plants from Madeira archipelago which phytochemical composition remains little explored, despite their use in folk medicine. Using liquid chromatography with diode array and electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn) analysis, their polyphenolic profile was esta...
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. One of the inevitable consequences of hyperglycemia is the enhanced accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), which are implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes.
http://dx.doi.org/10.18143/JISANH_v3i4
The present study concerns the evaluation of the...
The hydrolysis of hemicellulosic oligosaccharides (OS) was investigated using acid-activated clays (prepared from natural Porto Santo montmorillonite clay), as catalysts. Acid activation was performed in HCl solution or with aluminium exchange. The clay catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption isotherms, CEC, FTIR, titration of acid sites...
Plants have been used for medicinal purposes since the origin of human civilization and their uses were described by the great civilizations of the ancient Chinese, Indian and Mediterranean. Nowadays, they continue to be the source of new medicines either by providing lead molecules or as natural herbal products (teas, tinctures, powders, poultices...
This study provides a versatile validated method to determine the total vitamin C content, as the sum of the contents of L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) and dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA), in several fruits and vegetables and its degradability with storage time. Seven horticultural crops from two different origins were analyzed using an ultra-high-performance...
Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for human nutrition, due to its effective antioxidant action and participation in numerous metabolic reactions as enzymatic cofactor. Vitamin C is defined as the generic term for all compounds that have similar biological activity to L-ascorbic acid (L-AA), including its oxidation product, dehydroasco...
Questions
Questions (8)
Dear,
we are trying to determine the total acid proteolytic activity of fish extracts. First, we use pepsin as a reference compound and hemoglobin as substrate. According to the procedure, after the reaction the absorbance should be measured at 280 nm. However, we found that at this wavelenght there is too much noice and there is a maximum peak around 400 nm. Is it correct to use this wavelenght instead of 280 nm? Can anyone please help us with this issue?
We use the procedure described below:
Total acid proteolytic activity was determined (triplicate)
according to the methodology described by Khaled et al.
(2011), with modifcations to substrate concentration,
incubation time, temperature and pH of the buffer. A mixture
(100mL) containing 2% hemoglobin (w/v) pH 2.5, 50 μL of
crude stomach extract, and 350 μL of glycine – HCl 0.1 M
buffer pH 2.5 was incubated for 30 min at 37 °C. 500 μL of
10% trichloroacetic acid (w/v) was added after 30 minutes
and the mixture was incubated for a further 15 min at 25 °C.
The mixture was centrifuged at 10,000 × g for 10 min and
the absorbance of the supernatant was analyzed at 280 nm.
Thank you!
I am searching for a procedure to evaluate the cytotoxicity of berries extracts on Caco-2 cells by resazurin test. In literature, I have found some articles in which authors used around 5000 cells/well, 20 000 cells/well, 40 000 cells/well and even 100 000 cells/well. Is there a ideal/standard value for cellular density in 96-well plates?
Thank you.
I have one doubt about the well plates used for cellular antioxidant assays: this method can only be perfomerd in black opaq well plates with clear bottom or I can use normal black opaq plates for fluorecest measurements? In some articles they mention the use of the first kind of plates and I am not sure if it will work or not in normal black opaq plates (which are cheaper).
Thank you.
I have tried PBS (pH 7.4), tris-glycine buffer (7.4) and I still can't get a full dissolution of LDL.
I need to perform a dialysis in order to remove EDTA from LDL. After the procedure, can I freeze dry the dyalized LDL? Or it can cause structural damage to LDL?
Thank you.
Does anybody know a protocol to determine the inhibition of production of AGEs without a fluorescence method?
Thank you.
Does anyone know a protocol to remove/eliminate/precipitate tannins from aqueous extracts of plant leaves?
Thank you.
