0000000000235192
AUTHOR
Luciana Azevedo
Stepping on invisible land: on the importance of communicating the value of soils.
Soils play fundamental roles in the functioning of the Earth's ecosystems. Despite numerous initiatives to protect soils, it continues to be generally perceived as dirt or, at best, the surface we walk on. To better understand soil perception by the public, we conducted a survey with 99 participants from Poland and Brazil. We applied opportunity sampling and conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 respondents from Poland and 30 from Brazil, and 29 unstructured interviews in Brazil. Most of the respondents (53%) of the semi-structured interviews associated soil with the surface where plants grow, while 27% said that it is the ground we step on. When asked about pro-environmental campaig…
Enzyme-assisted extraction of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds from blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) press cake: From processing to bioactivities
The effects of commercial enzymes (pectinases, cellulases, beta-1-3-glucanases, and pectin lyases) on the recovery of anthocyanins and polyphenols from blackcurrant press cake were studied considering two solid:solvent ratios (1:10 and 1:4 w/v). β-glucanase enabled the recovery of the highest total phenolic content – 1142 mg/100 g, and the extraction of anthocyanins was similar using all enzymes (∼400 mg/100 g). The use of cellulases and pectinases enhanced the extraction of antioxidants (DPPH − 1080 mg/100 g; CUPRAC – 3697 mg/100 g). The freeze-dried extracts presented antioxidant potential (CUPRAC, DPPH), which was associated with their biological effects in different systems: antiviral a…
Toxicological and bioactivity evaluation of blackcurrant press cake, sea buckthorn leaves and bark from Scots pine and Norway spruce extracts under a green integrated approach
Aqueous extracts from blackcurrant press cake (BC), Norway spruce bark (NS), Scots pine bark (SP), and sea buckthorn leaves (SB) were obtained using maceration and pressurized hot water and tested for their bioactivities. Maceration provided the extraction of higher dry matter contents, including total phenolics (TPC), anthocyanins, and condensed tannins, which also impacted higher antioxidant activity. NS and SB extracts presented the highest mean values of TPC and antioxidant activity. Individually, NS extract presented high contents of proanthocyanidins, resveratrol, and some phenolic acids. In contrast, SB contained a high concentration of ellagitannins, ellagic acid, and quercetin, exp…
Current perspectives in cell-based approaches towards the definition of the antioxidant activity in food
Abstract Background Foods are natural sources of antioxidant compounds, that are known for their role in preventing many human diseases. Although several methods to assess the antioxidant activity/capacity of foods and their bioactive components have been developed, a simple universal method has not been proposed. Since both in vitro and in vivo assays have limitations, cell-based assays are gaining plenty of attention as a more suitable middle ground between in vitro chemical assays and in vivo studies. Scope and approach This review highlights the need for a transition to more biologically relevant cellular assays, and explores the latest developments and applications in the field. Lastly…
From the forest to the plate – Hemicelluloses, galactoglucomannan, glucuronoxylan, and phenolic-rich extracts from unconventional sources as functional food ingredients
This study aimed to characterise pressurised hot water (PHW) extracts from nonconventional sources of functional carbohydrates and phenolic compounds in terms of antioxidant capacity, antiviral activity, toxicity, and human erythrocytes’ protection antidiabetic potential. PHW extracts of Norway spruce bark (E1 + E2) and Birch sawdust (E3 + E4) contained mostly galactoglucomannan and glucuronoxylan. In contrast, samples E5 to E9 PHW extracted from Norway spruce, and Scots pine bark are rich sources of phenolic compounds. Overall, phenolic-rich extracts presented the highest inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase and protection against stable non-enveloped enteroviruses. Additionally, all …