105 documents found, page 1 of 11
Cellulosic fabrics bio-finishing with natural products
Fernandes, Rui Daniel Vilaça; Magalhães, Renata Sofia Vieira; Rodrigues, Soraia Cristina Vieira; Vieira, Bárbara Marques; Alves, Cátia Sofia Pereira[Excerpt] Results: Propolis (a byproduct of beehives), Kraft lignin (extracted from trees or plants), and olive pomace (a byproduct of olive oil production) were used to confer antimicrobial properties to cotton (CO), linen (CL), and hemp (CH) fabrics. Fabrics functionalized with propolis can be classified as weak disinfectants, and olive pomace fabrics are considered strong decontaminants, both against Staphyl...
Killer yeasts as sustainable solutions for foodborne pathogens control
Serra, Patrícia; Araújo, Daniela Eira; Gomes, Fernanda Isabel Antunes; Almeida Aguiar, Cristina; Silva, Sónia Carina[Excerpt] lntroduction Killer yeasts produce toxins that inhibit other microorganisms, providing a competitive advantage in a wide range of environments, from natural ecosystems to industrial applications. Their potential as natural biocontrol agents has been explored, particularly in food systems, where the control of spoilage organisms and foodborne pathogens is essential to guarantee safety and quality.[...]
Antimicrobial agents based on metal-ion zeolite materials: a multivariate appro...
Guedes, Joana; Gonçalves, Diogo B.; Rodrigues, Catarina F.; Parpot, Pier; Fonseca, A. M.; Almeida Aguiar, Cristina; Neves, Isabel C.Bacteria are susceptible to zeolites doped with metal ions. Although the complete mode of action remains unclear, it is widely accepted that metal ions kill bacteria by inducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are detrimental to microbial life processes. In this study, two zeolite structures, MFI and LTA, were selected as hosts for the preparation of various metal-ion zeolite materials, w...
In vitro investigation of the antimicrobial properties of Gerês propolis in bac...
Rodrigues, Rafael; Almeida, Rui; Rodrigues, Soraia C. V.; Castro, Joana Isabel Reis; Oliveira, Ricardo; Mendes, Nuno; Almeida, CarinaPropolis, also known as bee glue, is a natural resinous mixture produced by Western honeybees and has long been recognized for its potential therapeutic properties. Recent research has focused on its diverse bioactivities, particularly its antimicrobial effects against a broad spectrum of microorganisms, including human but also animal pathogens. However, further investigation is required to fully elucidate the...
Preliminary evaluation of zeolite-based platforms as potential dual drug delive...
Bertão, Ana Raquel; Ivasiv, Viktoriya; Almeida Aguiar, Cristina; Correia, Patrícia R.; Fonseca, António M.; Bañobre-López, Manuel; Baltazar, FátimaSeveral zeolite-based delivery systems (ZDS) built with faujasite structure were prepared containing silver (Ag+) and 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) as antimicrobial and antineoplastic agents, respectively. The idea behind this drug combination is an answer to the increasing evidence of colonization of tumor microenvironments by pathogenic microorganisms and their active role in tumor growth. Two ZDS with a fixed load o...
Machine learning-assisted optimization of drug combinations in zeolite-based de...
Bertão, Ana Raquel; Teixeira, Filipe; Ivasiv, Viktoriya; Parpot, Pier; Almeida Aguiar, Cristina; Fonseca, A. M.; Bañobre-López, Manuel; Baltazar, FátimaTwo independent artificial neural network (ANN) models were used to determine the optimal drug combination of zeolite-based delivery systems (ZDS) for cancer therapy. The systems were based on the NaY zeolite using silver (Ag+) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as antimicrobial and antineoplastic agents. Different ZDS samples were prepared, and their characterization indicates the successful incorporation of both pharm...
Examination of raw samples and ethanol extracts of Gerês Propolis collected in ...
Caetano, Ana Rita; Oliveira, Rafaela Dias; Pereira, Rui Filipe Cerqueira; Cardoso, Tiago Vidal; Cardoso, Andreia; Almeida Aguiar, CristinaPropolis, a natural resin created by bees, has garnered significant attention from both the scientific community and industry due to an impressive range of bioactivities. Nonetheless, the intrinsic variability in its chemical composition and bioactive profiles has been hindering propolis' full potential use. We previously showed that ethanol extracts (EEs) of a Portuguese propolis sample (Gerês) collected over ...
Phenolic compounds contribution to portuguese propolis anti-melanoma activity
Caetano, Ana Rita; Oliveira, Rafaela Dias; Celeiro, Sónia Pires; Freitas, Ana Sofia; Cardoso, Susana M.; Gonçalves, M. Sameiro T.; Baltazar, FátimaMelanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, with about 61,000 deaths annually worldwide. Late diagnosis increases mortality rates due to melanoma’s capacity to metastasise rapidly and patients’ resistance to the available conventional therapies. Consequently, the interest in natural products as a strategy for drug discovery has been emerging. Propolis, a natural product produced by bees, has several biologic...
Modelling the In vitro growth of phytopathogenic filamentous fungi and Oomycete...
Passão, Catarina; Almeida Aguiar, Cristina; Cunha, AnaPropolis is a resinous mixture produced by honeybees, mainly from plant exudates. With a rich chemical composition including many phenolic compounds, mostly responsible for its biological properties, namely antimicrobial ones, propolis may be a promising alternative to synthetic pesticides. The study of propolis from the south of Portugal and of its potential against phytopathogenic agents are still very recent...
Biology undergraduate students’ views of assessment: Methods, purposes and effects
Pereira, Diana; Santos, Patrícia; Almeida Aguiar, Cristina; Flores, Maria AssunçãoThis paper draws on data from research focusing on assessment methods, its purposes and effects, effectiveness and fairness, as well as student participation and feedback. In total, 124 biology undergraduate students participated in the study. Data were collected through questionnaires and focus groups. Findings reveal written testing as the most used method. Students associate assessment mainly with a summativ...