Obtaining Aromatic Extracts from Portuguese Thymus mastichina L. by Hydrodistillation and Supercritical Fluid Extraction with CO2 as Potential Flavouring Additives for Food Applications.

Humans often respond to sensory impulses provided by aromas, and current trends have generated interest in natural sources of fragrances rather than the commonly used synthetic additives. For the first time, the resulting aroma of a selected culture of Thymus mastichina L. was studied as a potential food ingredient. In this context, dried (DR) and fresh (FR) samples were submitted to carbon dioxide (CO2) supercritical extraction (SFE) and hydrodistillation (HD) methods. The extracts were characterised according to their volatile composition by GC-MS, cytotoxicity against a non-tumour cell culture, and sensory attributes (odour threshold and olfactive descriptors). The most abundant aromas were quantified, and the analysis performed by GC-MS revealed an abundance of terpenoids such as thymol chemotype, followed by the precursors α-terpinene and p-cymene. DR and FR extracts (EX) obtained from SFE-CO2 show the highest content of thymol, achieving 52.7% and 72.5% of the isolated volatile fraction. The DR essential oil (EO) contained the highest amount of terpenoids, but it was also the most cytotoxic extract. In contrast, SFE-CO2 products showed the lowest cytotoxic potential. Regarding FR-OE, it had the lowest extraction yield and composition in aroma volatiles. Additionally, all samples were described as having green, fresh and floral sensory notes, with no significant statistical differences regarding the odour detection threshold (ODT) values. Finally, FR-EX of T. mastichina obtained by SFE-CO2 presented the most promising results regarding food application.

Atitudes dos estudantes de enfermagem em relação à pessoa idosa / Nursing students' attitudes toward older people

OBJETIVO: Identificar as atitudes dos estudantes de enfermagem em relação à pessoa idosa. MÉTODO: Os estudantes de enfermagem inscritos no segundo ano da licenciatura foram convidados a preencher um questionário no início da unidade curricular de enfermagem geriátrica. Recorreu-se a um estudo quantitativo através da administração da Escala de Atitudes Face aos Idosos de Kogan (KAOP), validada para a população Portuguesa. RESULTADOS: A amostra foi constituída por 39 estudantes que responderam ao instrumento de coleta de dados. A atitude dos participantes em relação aos idosos apresentou um valor médio de 135,56; ligeiramente superior ao valor médio da escala (ponto médio = 119). Não foram evidenciadas relações estatisticamente significativas com nenhuma das variáveis em análise, nomeadamente o gênero, a idade, a experiência e a coabitação. CONCLUSÕES: O estudo permitiu evidenciar que a atitude dos estudantes de enfermagem em relação à pessoa idosa apresenta valores médios ligeiramente positivos, o que poderá constituir um ponto de partida para o desenvolvimento de uma intervenção para modificar a atitude dos estudantes de enfermagem em relação ao envelhecimento.

OBJECTIVE: To identify nursing students' attitudes toward older people. METHOD: Second-year undergraduate nursing students were invited to complete a questionnaire at the beginning of the geriatric nursing curricular unit. A quantitative study was conducted by administering the validated Portuguese version of Kogan's attitudes toward old people scale (KOAP). RESULTS: The sample included 39 students who answered the data collection instrument. The mean KOAP score was 135.56, which was slightly above the median value (119). No statistically significant relationships were found between any of the variables: gender, age, experience with older people, and living with older people. CONCLUSIONS: The nursing students' mean score for attitude toward older people was slightly positive, which could serve as a starting point for the development of an intervention to modify their attitudes with respect to aging.