Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Potential of Five Algae Cultivated in Fully Controlled Closed Systems.

In this study, the chemical composition and antioxidant profile of five edible macroalgae, Fucus vesiculosus, Palmaria palmata, Porphyra dioica, Ulva rigida, and Gracilaria gracilis, cultivated in fully controlled closed systems, were determined. Protein, carbohydrates, and fat contents ranged between 12.4% and 41.8%, 27.6% and 42.0%, and 0.1% and 3.4%, respectively. The tested seaweeds presented considerable amounts of Ca, Mg, K, Mn, and Fe, which reinforce their favorable nutritional profile. Regarding their polysaccharide composition, Gracilaria gracilis and Porphyra dioica were rich in sugars common to agar-producing red algae, and Fucus vesiculosus was composed mainly of uronic acids, mannose, and fucose, characteristic of alginate and fucoidans, whereas rhamnose and uronic acid, characteristic of ulvans, predominated in Ulva rigida. Comparatively, the brown F. vesiculosus clearly stood out, presenting a high polysaccharide content rich in fucoidans, and higher total phenolic content and antioxidant scavenging activity, determined by DPPH and ABTS. The remarkable potential of these marine macroalgae makes them excellent ingredients for a wide range of health, food, and industrial applications.

It comes from the sea: macroalgae-derived bioactive compounds with anti-cancer potential.

Nature derived compounds represent a valuable source of bioactive molecules with enormous potential. The sea is one of the richest environments, full of skilled organisms, where algae stand out due to their unique characteristics. Marine macroalgae adapt their phenotypic characteristics, such as chemical composition, depending on the environmental conditions where they live. The compounds produced by these organisms show tremendous potential to be used in the biomedical field, due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer properties.Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, and the lack of effective treatments highlights the urgent need for the development of new therapeutic strategies. This review provides an overview of the current advances regarding the anti-cancer activity of the three major groups of marine macroalgae, i.e., red algae (Rhodophyta), brown algae (Phaeophyceae), and green algae (Chlorophyta) on pancreatic, lung, breast, cervical, colorectal, liver, and gastric cancers as well as leukemia and melanoma. In addition, future perspectives, and limitations regarding this field of work are also discussed.

Bioactive Hydrolysates from Chlorella vulgaris: Optimal Process and Bioactive Properties.

Microalgae have been described as a source of bioactive compounds, such as peptides. Microalgae are easy to produce, making them a sustainable resource for extracting active ingredients for industrial applications. Several microalgae species have interesting protein content, such as Chlorella vulgaris with around 52.2% of protein, making it promising for peptide hydrolysate production. Therefore, this work focused on the production of water-soluble hydrolysates rich in proteins/peptides from the microalgae C. vulgaris and studied bioactive properties. For that, a design of experiments (DOE) was performed to establish the optimal conditions to produce hydrolysates with higher levels of protein, as well as antioxidant and antihypertensive properties. Four experimental factors were considered (cellulase percentage, protease percentage, hydrolysis temperature, and hydrolysis duration) for three responses (protein content, antioxidant activity, and antihypertensive activity). The optimal conditions determined by the DOE allowed producing a scaled-up hydrolysate with 45% protein, with antioxidant activity, measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, of 1035 µmol TE/g protein, IC50 for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition activity of 286 µg protein/mL, and α-glucosidase inhibition of 31% (30 mg hydrolysate/mL). The obtained hydrolysates can be used as functional ingredients for food and nutraceuticals due to their antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic potential. Moreover, the antioxidant potential of the extracts may be relevant for the cosmetic industry, especially in antiaging formulations.

Glyphosate in Portuguese Adults - A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum biocide and the active ingredient in the most widely used herbicides worldwide. Since 2015, when the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified it as a Class 2A carcinogen, global interest in this chemical spiked particularly as regards exposure of the general population. OBJECTIVE: An exploratory glyphosate exposure assessment was conducted among Portuguese adults. METHODS: Self-selected participants provided first morning urine which was tested for glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) at two distinct periods of time, by two different laboratories using gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography linked to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), respectively. RESULTS: In the first round of testing 28% and 50% presented detectable levels of glyphosate and AMPA respectively, with median values of 0.25 and 0.16 µg/L. Systematically available internal dose values were 8.20E-06 mg/Kg (glyphosate) and 5.04-05 mg/Kg (AMPA). In the second round 73% and 97% presented detectable levels of glyphosate and AMPA respectively with median values of 0.13 and 0.10 µg/L. Systematically available internal dose values were 4.00E-06 mg/Kg (glyphosate) and 3.00E-06 mg/Kg (AMPA). CONCLUSIONS: Glyphosate exposure was detected among Portuguese adults, with percentages of glyphosate and AMPA contaminated urine in both rounds of testing and above values from previous studies in other European countries. Systematically available internal doses values were below EFSA's risk assessment values (ADI or AOEL), and as such, the concentration values measured in this study are not per se a human health problem. Even though there were study limitations, it is the first assessment in Portugal and contributes to the overall knowledge map of glyphosate exposure in Europe.

Urban organic community gardening to promote environmental sustainability practices and increase fruit, vegetables and organic food consumption / Prácticas agrícolas ecológicas urbanas para promover la sostenibilidad ambiental y aumentar el consumo de frutas, verduras y alimentos orgánicos

OBJECTIVE: To describe the environmental practices of participants in an urban organic community garden at the beginning of their gardening experience and after a period of six months, and to discover their opinion about how this activity influenced the consumption of vegetables, fruits and organic food. METHOD: Interviews using structured questionnaires were conducted twice with 115 city dwellers: when they started in the vegetable garden and about 6 months later. The questionnaire included questions related to environmental practices. The second evaluation also included questions related to the consumption of organic food, vegetables and fruit. RESULTS: This research showed significant behavioural transformation, including positive outcomes in environmental practices such as recycling and trying to persuade friends or family to recycle, compost leftovers or choose to walk/bike to save petrol. In the opinion of the participants, activities in the organic community garden helped to increase consumption of fruits, vegetables and organic food. CONCLUSIONS: The study results reinforce the hypothesis that an organic community vegetable garden can induce significant, positive behavioural changes among its users. In particular this research suggests horticulture is associated with positive improvements in personal environmental behaviours, awareness of the environment's high social priority and increased consumption of organic food, fruit and vegetables

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar las prácticas ambientales de los participantes de un jardín comunitario orgánico urbano al inicio de su experiencia en prácticas agrícolas y después de 6 meses, así como conocer su opinión sobre cómo esta actividad influyó en el consumo de verduras, frutas y alimentos orgánicos. MÉTODO: Las entrevistas con cuestionarios estructurados se realizaron dos veces a 115 habitantes de la ciudad: cuando comenzaron en la huerta y unos 6 meses después. El cuestionario incluyó preguntas relacionadas con las prácticas ambientales. La segunda evaluación incluyó también preguntas sobre el consumo de alimentos orgánicos, verduras y frutas. RESULTADOS: Se observó una transformación conductual significativa, incluidos resultados positivos en prácticas ambientales como el reciclaje e intentar que amigos o familiares reciclen, la composta de sobras o elegir caminar o ir en bicicleta para ahorrar gasolina. En opinión de los participantes, las prácticas agrícolas de la comunidad orgánica contribuyeron a aumentar el consumo de frutas, verduras y alimentos orgánicos. CONCLUSIÓN: Los resultados del estudio refuerzan la hipótesis de que un huerto comunitario orgánico puede inducir cambios conductuales significativos entre sus usuarios. En particular, esta investigación sugiere que la horticultura se asocia con mejoras positivas en los comportamientos ambientales y la conciencia de la alta prioridad social del medio ambiente y un mayor consumo de alimentos orgánicos, frutas y verduras

Health benefits and bioavailability of marine resources components that contribute to health - what's new?

The strict connection between nutritional intake and health leads to a necessity of understanding the beneficial and protective role of healthy nutrients and foods. The marine environment is a source of a plethora of many organisms with unique properties, extremely rich in bioactive compounds and with remarkable potential for medical, industrial and biotechnological applications. Marine organisms are an extreme valuable source of functional ingredients such as polysaccharides, vitamins, minerals, pigments, enzymes, proteins and peptides, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), phenolic compounds and other secondary metabolites that prevent or have the potential to treat several diseases given their cardiovascular protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-oxidant, anti-coagulant, anti-proliferative and anti-diabetic activities. This review provides an overview on the current advances regarding health benefits of marine bioactive compounds on several diseases and on human gut microbiota. In addition, it is discussed a crucial factor that is related to the effectiveness of these compounds on human organism namely its real bioavailability.

Urban organic community gardening to promote environmental sustainability practices and increase fruit, vegetables and organic food consumption.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the environmental practices of participants in an urban organic community garden at the beginning of their gardening experience and after a period of six months, and to discover their opinion about how this activity influenced the consumption of vegetables, fruits and organic food. METHOD: Interviews using structured questionnaires were conducted twice with 115 city dwellers: when they started in the vegetable garden and about 6 months later. The questionnaire included questions related to environmental practices. The second evaluation also included questions related to the consumption of organic food, vegetables and fruit. RESULTS: This research showed significant behavioural transformation, including positive outcomes in environmental practices such as recycling and trying to persuade friends or family to recycle, compost leftovers or choose to walk/bike to save petrol. In the opinion of the participants, activities in the organic community garden helped to increase consumption of fruits, vegetables and organic food. CONCLUSION: The study results reinforce the hypothesis that an organic community vegetable garden can induce significant, positive behavioural changes among its users. In particular this research suggests horticulture is associated with positive improvements in personal environmental behaviours, awareness of the environment's high social priority and increased consumption of organic food, fruit and vegetables.