Loading...
7 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
- Nutritional characteristics and minerals of Lardosa cowpea landraces: a strategic legume species for the futurePublication . Beato, Helena; Resende, Mafalda; Paulo, Luísa; Martins, Catarina; Cristóvão, Mário André Monteiro; Vasconcelos, Vanessa; Brandão, Inês; Pitacas, F.I.; Rodrigues, A.M.; Espírito Santo, ChristopheCowpeas have been cultivated at least since the 8th century BC. [1; 2]. This grain legume (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.), one of Africa's natural food gifts to the world, is characterized by its high nutritional value, ability to fix nitrogen and great tolerance to drought. The tolerance of this legume to low fertility soils, high temperatures and scarce water regimes makes this one of the most resistant crops to adverse edaphoclimatic conditions. It is certainly a very important culture in southern European countries like Portugal.
- Crispy orange: a multi-purpose ready-to-eat snackPublication . Cristóvão, Mário André Monteiro; Camelo, Alexandra; Martins, Ana; Silveira, Ana; Riscado, Ana; Rodrigues, Ana; Baptista, Cátia; Beato, Helena; Vasconcelos, Vanessa; Paulo, Luísa; Pitacas, F.I.; Rodrigues, A.M.; Espírito Santo, Christophe; Brandão, InêsWith the war in Ukraine reshaping world trade, there is now a surplus of orange production in Europe, affecting the price in Portugal. Algarve is no exception, where producers are offering the fruit for lack of buyers. An innovative solution is on the agenda: transforming this Mediterranean diet fruit into a crispy ready-to-eat snack. The crispy orange snack is made exclusively from dehydrated oranges (and no other ingredients) and is not yet available in the market. Not only can this product be made from surplus orange production, but it can also be used in a variety of ways, including as a crunchy, ready-to-eat snack, as an edible cake topper, or even as an ingredient in beverages such as sparkling and tonic water, or gin. Following development, the product was fully characterized regarding nutritional value, water activity (aw), microbiology and sensory analysis with 66 consumers. Interestingly, unlike other orange products such as 100% orange juice, the crispy orange snack has a high fibre content (10% of the recommended daily dose). This is a major point as fibre is essential for regulating blood sugar levels. Furthermore, 95.5% of consumers who tested the product would buy it if it were available.
- α-Linolenic acid-rich diet influences microbiota composition and villus morphology of the mouse small intestinePublication . Todorov, Hristo; Kollar, Bettina; Bayer, Franziska; Brandão, Inês; Mann, Amrit; Mohr, Julia; Pontarollo, Giulia; Formes, Henning; Stauber, Roland; Kittner, Jens M.; Endres, Kristina; Watzer, Bernhard; Nockher, Wolfgang Andreas; Sommer, Felix; Gerber, Susanne; Reinhardt, Christophα-Linolenic acid (ALA) is well-known for its anti-inflammatory activity. In contrast, the influence of an ALA-rich diet on intestinal microbiota composition and its impact on small intestine morphology are not fully understood. In the current study, we kept adult C57BL/6J mice for 4 weeks on an ALA-rich or control diet. Characterization of the microbial composition of the small intestine revealed that the ALA diet was associated with an enrichment in Prevotella and Parabacteroides. In contrast, taxa belonging to the Firmicutes phylum, including Lactobacillus, Clostridium cluster XIVa, Lachnospiraceae and Streptococcus, had significantly lower abundance compared to control diet. Metagenome prediction indicated an enrichment in functional pathways such as bacterial secretion system in the ALA group, whereas the two-component system and ALA metabolism pathways were downregulated. We also observed increased levels of ALA and its metabolites eicosapentanoic and docosahexanoic acid, but reduced levels of arachidonic acid in the intestinal tissue of ALA-fed mice. Furthermore, intestinal morphology in the ALA group was characterized by elongated villus structures with increased counts of epithelial cells and reduced epithelial proliferation rate. Interestingly, the ALA diet reduced relative goblet and Paneth cell counts. Of note, high-fat Western-type diet feeding resulted in a comparable adaptation of the small intestine. Collectively, our study demonstrates the impact of ALA on the gut microbiome and reveals the nutritional regulation of gut morphology.
- Será a laranja-crocante uma solução para a valorização do setor dos citrinos?Publication . Cristóvão, Mário André Monteiro; Camelo, Alexandra; Martins, Ana; Silveira, Ana; Riscado, Ana; Rodrigues, Ana; Baptista, Cátia; Beato, Helena; Vasconcelos, Vanessa; Paulo, Luísa; Pitacas, F.I.; Rodrigues, A.M.; Espírito Santo, Christophe; Brandão, InêsEmbora originária do sudoeste asiático, a laranja é um fruto que está presente na bacia do mediterrâneo há vários séculos. A laranjeira tem sido cultivada na Península Ibérica desde o século IX1 e, embora não nativa, a sua adaptabilidade às condições edafoclimáticas locais, em conjugação com o valor nutricional e os benefícios para a saúde dos seus frutos, fazem da laranja um dos componentes incontornáveis da dieta Mediterrânica2. A Europa (terceira maior produtora mundial) conta com os países mediterrânicos, Portugal inclusive, um dos maiores produtores.
- Metabolically healthy obesity - heterogeneity in definitions and unconventional factorsPublication . Brandão, Inês; Martins, Maria João; Monteiro, RosárioThe concept of heterogeneity among obese individuals in their risk for developing metabolic dysfunction and associated complications has been recognized for decades. At the origin of the heterogeneity idea is the acknowledgement that individuals with central obesity are more prone to developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease than those with peripheral obesity. There have been attempts to categorize subjects according to their metabolic health and degree of obesity giving rise to different obese and non-obese phenotypes that include metabolically unhealthy normal-weight (MUHNW), metabolically healthy obese (MHO), and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO). Individuals belonging to the MHO phenotype are obese according to their body mass index although exhibiting fewer or none metabolic anomalies such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and/or unfavorable inflammatory and fribinolytic profiles. However, some authors claim that MHO is only transient in nature. Additionally, the phenotype categorization is controversial as it lacks standardized definitions possibly blurring the distinction between obesity phenotypes and confounding the associations with health outcomes. To add to the discussion, the factors underlying the origin or protection from metabolic deterioration and cardiometabolic risk for these subclasses are being intensely investigated and several hypotheses have been put forward. In the present review, we compare the different definitions of obesity phenotypes and present several possible factors underlying them (adipose tissue distribution and cellularity, contaminant accumulation on the adipose tissue, dysbiosis and metabolic endotoxemia imposing on to the endocannabinoid tone and inflammasome, and nutrient intake and dietary patterns) having inflammatory activation at the center.
- Novel product using a native breed of sheep (Merino da Beira Baixa): smoked lambPublication . Cristóvão, Mário André Monteiro; Rodrigues, Ana; Silveira, Ana; Baptista, Cátia; Beato, Helena; Vasconcelos, Vanessa; Paulo, Luísa; Pitacas, F.I.; Rodrigues, A.M.; Espírito Santo, Christophe; Brandão, InêsMerino breed emerged, in the textile industry renowned for their high-quality wool. This work aims to develop a novel food product. In Castelo Branco the “Merino da Beira Baixa” is part of 3 PDO cheeses and a PGI meat “Amarelo”, “Picante” e “Castelo Branco” and “Borrego da Beira”.The breed has experienced a decline in influence due to plummeting wool prices and an inability to compete with more productive breeds. This work aims to develop a novel food product using a ancestral breed and technique (smoking).
- Development and characterization of an orange dehydrated crispy snackPublication . Cristóvão, Mário André Monteiro; Camelo, Alexandra; Martins, Ana; Silveira, Ana; Riscado, Ana; Rodrigues, Ana; Batista, Cátia; Beato, Helena; Vasconcelos, Vanessa; Paulo, Luísa; Pitacas, F.I.; Rodrigues, A.M.; Espírito Santo, Christophe; Brandão, InêsOranges are mainly consumed as fresh fruit, processed orange (mostly as juice) are global commodity. As a natural ingredient. As an edible topping. Ready-to-eat snack. Presence of vectors in chestnuts. Dried fruits are used as versatile foods, as snacks or as an ingredient to enrich other foods. One of the most appreciated proprieties of a snack is presenting a crunchy texture. This study aims to create a new product by dehydration of sweet oranges in an innovative format.