Gloeothece sp.-Exploiting a New Source of Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antitumor Agents.

Bioactive lipidic compounds of microalgae, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and carotenoids, can avoid or treat oxidation-associated conditions and diseases like inflammation or cancer. This study aimed to assess the bioactive potential of lipidic extracts obtained from Gloeothece sp.-using Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) solvents like ethanol, acetone, hexane:isopropanol (3:2) (HI) and ethyl lactate. The bioactive potential of extracts was assessed in terms of antioxidant (ABTS•+, DPPH•, •NO and O2•assays), anti-inflammatory (HRBC membrane stabilization and Cox-2 screening assay), and antitumor capacity (death by TUNEL, and anti-proliferative by BrdU incorporation assay in AGS cancer cells); while its composition was characterized in terms of carotenoids and fatty acids, by HPLC-DAD and GC-FID methods, respectively. Results revealed a chemopreventive potential of the HI extract owing to its ability to: (I) scavenge -NO• radical (IC50, 1258 ± 0.353 µg·mL-1); (II) inhibit 50% of COX-2 expression at 130.2 ± 7.4 µg·mL-1; (III) protect 61.6 ± 9.2% of lysosomes from heat damage, and (IV) induce AGS cell death by 4.2-fold and avoid its proliferation up to 40% in a concentration of 23.2 ± 1.9 µg·mL-1. Hence, Gloeothece sp. extracts, namely HI, were revealed to have the potential to be used for nutraceutical purposes.

Factorial Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Phycocyanin from Synechocystis salina: Towards a Biorefinery Approach.

PC is a bioactive and colorant compound widely sought in the food, nutraceutical and cosmetic industries, and one of the most important pigments produced by Synechocystis salina. However, the general extraction process is usually time-consuming and expensive, with low extraction yields-thus compromising a feasible and sustainable bioprocess. Hence, new extraction technologies (e.g., ultrasound assisted-extraction or UAE) emerged in the latest years may serve as a key step to make the overall bioprocess more competitive. Therefore, this study aimed at optimizing the yields of phycocyanin (PC) rich-extracts of S. salina by resorting to UAE; in attempts to explore this process in a more economically feasible way; valorization of the remaining cyanobacterial biomass, via extraction of other bioactive pigments and antioxidants, was tackled within a biorefinery perspective. A two-stage extraction (using ethanol and water) was thus performed (because it favors PC extraction); other bioactive pigments, including chlorophyll a (chl a), carotenoids, and other phycobiliproteins (PBPs), but also antioxidant (AOX) capacity and extraction yields were also evaluated for their optimum UAE yields. A factorial design based on Box-Behnken model was developed; and the influence of such extraction parameters as biomass to solvent ratio (B/S ratio = 1.5-8.5 mg·mL-1), duty cycle (DT = 40-100%), and percentage of amplitude (A = 40-100%) were evaluated. The model predicted higher PC yields with high B/S ratio = 6 mg·mL-1, lower DT = 80% and an A = 100%. Classical extraction was compared with UAE under the optimum conditions found; the latter improved PC yields by 12.5% and 47.8%, when compared to freeze-thawing extraction, and bead beater homogenization-based extraction, respectively. UAE successive extractions allowed to valorize other important bioactive compounds than PC, by reusing biomass, supporting a favorable contribution to the economic feasibility of the S. salina-based process towards a biorefinery approach.

Microalgae as sources of carotenoids.

Marine microalgae constitute a natural source of a variety of drugs for pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic applications-which encompass carotenoids, among others. A growing body of experimental evidence has confirmed that these compounds can play important roles in prevention (and even treatment) of human diseases and health conditions, e.g., cancer, cardiovascular problems, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, cataracts and some neurological disorders. The underlying features that may account for such favorable biological activities are their intrinsic antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumoral features. In this invited review, the most important issues regarding synthesis of carotenoids by microalgae are described and discussed-from both physiological and processing points of view. Current gaps of knowledge, as well as technological opportunities in the near future relating to this growing field of interest, are also put forward in a critical manner.

Carotenoids from Cyanobacteria: Biotechnological Potential and Optimization Strategies.

Carotenoids are tetraterpenoids molecules present in all photosynthetic organisms, responsible for better light-harvesting and energy dissipation in photosynthesis. In cyanobacteria, the biosynthetic pathway of carotenoids is well described, and apart from the more common compounds (e.g., ß-carotene, zeaxanthin, and echinenone), specific carotenoids can also be found, such as myxoxanthophyll. Moreover, cyanobacteria have a protein complex called orange carotenoid protein (OCP) as a mechanism of photoprotection. Although cyanobacteria are not the organism of choice for the industrial production of carotenoids, the optimisation of their production and the evaluation of their bioactive capacity demonstrate that these organisms may indeed be a potential candidate for future pigment production in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable approach of biorefinery. Carotenoids-rich extracts are described as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumoral agents and are proposed for feed and cosmetical industries. Thus, several strategies for the optimisation of a cyanobacteria-based bioprocess for the obtention of pigments were described. This review aims to give an overview of carotenoids from cyanobacteria not only in terms of their chemistry but also in terms of their biotechnological applicability and the advances and the challenges in the production of such compounds.

Burden, coping, physical symptoms and psychological morbidity in caregivers of functionally dependent family members.

OBJECTIVES: this study assessed burden, coping, physical symptoms and psychological morbidity in caregivers of functionally dependent family members. METHODS: fifty family caregivers completed self-reported measures of burden, physical symptoms, psychological morbidity and coping strategies. RESULTS: there was a significant negative correlation between coping strategies and the different clinical variables, as well as a significant positive correlation between coping strategies and duration of care. It appears that the stronger bond between caregiver and family member leads to a poorer use of adaptive coping strategies. It also appears that the deterioration of the relationship between them and the lower perceived self-efficacy are more prominent in caregivers of family members with cognitive impairment, indicating that caregivers with family members without cognitive impairment face fewer difficulties. CONCLUSION: these results emphasize the need for interventions to include coping strategies, since they are important in reducing caregivers' burden, psychological morbidity and physical symptoms.

Burden, Coping, Physical Symptoms and Psychological Morbidity in Caregivers of Functionally Dependent Family Members / Sobrecarga, Enfrentamento, Sintomas Físicos e Morbidade Psicológica em Cuidadores de Familiares Dependentes Funcionais / Sobrecarga, Enfrentamiento, Síntomas Físicos y Morbilidad Psicológica en Cuidadores de Familiares Dependientes Funcionales

OBJECTIVES: this study assessed burden, coping, physical symptoms and psychological morbidity in caregivers of functionally dependent family members. METHODS: fifty family caregivers completed self-reported measures of burden, physical symptoms, psychological morbidity and coping strategies. RESULTS: there was a significant negative correlation between coping strategies and the different clinical variables, as well as a significant positive correlation between coping strategies and duration of care. It appears that the stronger bond between caregiver and family member leads to a poorer use of adaptive coping strategies. It also appears that the deterioration of the relationship between them and the lower perceived self-efficacy are more prominent in caregivers of family members with cognitive impairment, indicating that caregivers with family members without cognitive impairment face fewer difficulties. CONCLUSION: these results emphasize the need for interventions to include coping strategies, since they are important in reducing caregivers' burden, psychological morbidity and physical symptoms. .

OBJETIVOS: investigar a sobrecarga, enfrentamento, sintomas físicos e morbidade psicológica em cuidadores de familiares dependentes funcionais. MÉTODOS: cinquenta cuidadores de membros da família completaram medidas autorrelatadas de sobrecarga, sintomas físicos, morbidade psicológica e estratégias de enfrentamento. RESULTADOS: foi observada correlação negativa significante entre estratégias de enfrentamento e as diversas variáveis clínicas, bem como correlação positiva significante entre estratégias de enfrentamento e tempo de cuidado. Pode-se notar que o vínculo mais forte entre cuidador e familiar leva ao menor uso de estratégias adaptáveis de enfrentamento. Pode-se, também, notar que a deterioração da relação compartilhada entre eles e a mais baixa percepção da autoeficácia são mais proeminentes em cuidadores de familiares com deficiência cognitiva, indicando que cuidadores de familiares que não apresentam deficiências cognitivas enfrentam menos dificuldades. CONCLUSÃO: esses resultados enfatizam a necessidade de intervenções que incluam estratégias de enfrentamento, uma vez que essas são importantes para a redução da sobrecarga, morbidade psicológica e sintomas físicos dos cuidadores. .

OBJETIVOS: en este estudio fueron evaluados la sobrecarga, el enfrentamiento, los síntomas físicos e la morbilidad psicológica en cuidadores de familiares dependientes funcionales. MÉTODOS: cincuenta cuidadores familiares completaron instrumentos auto-aplicados de sobrecarga, síntomas físicos, morbilidad psicológico e estrategias de enfrentamiento. RESULTADOS: fue encontrada una correlación negativa significativa entre estrategias de enfrentamiento e las diferentes variables clínicas, y también una correlación positiva significativa entre estrategias de enfrentamiento y la duración del cuidado. Parece que el vínculo más fuerte entre el cuidador y el familiar lleva al menor uso de estrategias adaptivas de enfrentamiento. También parece que el deterioro del relacionamiento entre ellos y la menor auto-eficacia percibida son más prominentes entre los cuidadores de familiares con déficit cognitivo, indicando que los cuidadores con familiares sin déficit cognitivo enfrentan menos dificultades. CONCLUSIÓN: estos resultados destacan la necesidad de intervenciones para incluir las estrategias de enfrentamiento, considerando su importancia para reducir la sobrecarga, morbilidad psicológica y síntomas físicos de los cuidadores. .