Research Center in Natural Resources, Environment and Society

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Publications

First Chemical Profile Analysis of Acacia Pods

Publication . Pedro, Soraia; Fernandes, Tiago A.; Luís, Ângelo; Antunes, A M M; Gonçalves, J. C.; Gominho, Jorge; Gallardo, Eugenia; Anjos, Ofélia

This study intended to evaluate the potential industrial applications of various Acacia species (Acacia melanoxylon, Acacia longifolia, Acacia cyclops, Acacia retinodes, Acacia pycnantha, Acacia mearnsii, and Acacia dealbata) by examining their chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, a comprehensive analysis successfully identified targeted compounds, including flavonoids (flavonols/flavones) and phenolic acids, such as 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, and ellagic acid. Additionally, p-coumaric acid was specifically identified and quantified within the hydroxycinnamic aldehydes. This comprehensive characterization provides valuable insights into the chemical profiles of the studied species. Among the studied species, A. pycnantha exhibited a higher concentration of total phenolic compounds, including catechin, myricetin, quercetin, and coniferaldehyde. Furthermore, A. pycnantha displayed notable antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae, E. coli, S. Typhimurium, and B. cereus. The identified compounds in Acacia pods and their shown antibacterial activities exhibit promising potential for future applications. Moreover, vibrational spectroscopy was a reliable method for distinguishing between species. These significant findings enhance our understanding of Acacia species and their potential for various industrial applications.

2023Journal article

Open access

Influence of storage conditions on fruit quality of ‘Royal Time’ and ‘Royal Summer’ peach cultivars

Publication . Veloso, Abel; Ferreira, Dora; Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Andrade, Luís Pinto de; Espirito Santo, Christophe; Silva, Pedro D.; Simões, Maria Paula

Peach is a very perishable climacteric fruit whose firmness may decay rapidly depending on the temperature. Refrigeration is usually used to delay ripening and maintain fruit quality. However, often temperature storage conditions are not optimized. This work aims to characterize the storage conditions (temperature and humidity) of three peach producers of Beira Interior region, Portugal. Additionally, correlate those conditions with peach quality evolution comparing two peach cultivars – Royal Summer and Royal Time – with similar harvest dates but very different acidity content. The three refrigeration chambers monitored have very distinct conditions of average air temperature, namely 8.29±3.53 °C (local C), 5.50±0.88 °C (local G) and 0.80±0.83 °C (local L) but similar high humidity, in an average range of 90%-98%. At harvest time, major differences were in fruit firmness and acidity. ‘Royal Summer’ firmness was 6.61 kgf and ‘Royal Time’ was 5.20 kgf. For all storage conditions, fruit firmness decrease faster for ‘Royal Time’ cultivar than for ‘Royal Summer’. The results suggest that in general farmers use inadequate range temperature for long storage period. For short periods of 7 days, conditions like those of local G allow fruit quality maintenance like firmness and loss of weight without problems of chilling injury, and, simultaneously, save energy that is also not only a desirable international goal but also contributes to decrease of production costs.

2021-03-15Journal article

Open access

Effect of Controlled Atmospheres and Environmental Conditions on the Physicochemical and Sensory Characteristics of Sweet Cherry Cultivar Satin

Publication . Andrade, Luís Pinto de; Veloso, Abel; Espirito Santo, Christophe; Gaspar, Pedro Dinis; Silva, Pedro Dinho da; Resende, Mafalda; Beato, Helena; Baptista, Cátia; Pintado, Cristina; Paulo, Luísa; Simões, Maria Paula

Sweet cherry is a highly appreciated seasonal fruit with a high content of bioactive compounds; however, this highly perishable fruit has a relatively short shelf-life period. Here, we evaluated the evolution of the physicochemical and sensory qualities of sweet cherries (Prunus avium (L.) cv. Satin) under different storage conditions, namely at a Farmers’ Organization (FO) and in a Research Centre (RC) under normal and four different conditions of controlled atmosphere for 49 days. Additional parameters were monitored, such as rotten fruit incidence and stem appearance. Temperature was the factor that most influenced the fruit quality changes over the study time. In fact, fruits stored at higher mean temperatures showed higher weight loss, higher variation in CIE-Lab colour parameters, higher firmness loss, and browner and more dehydrated stems and were less appealing to the consumer. Controlled atmosphere conditions showed a smaller decrease in CIE-Lab colour parameters and lower weight loss. The incidence of rotting was very low and was always equal or lower than 2% for all conditions. Thus, RC chamber conditions were able to sustain fruit quality parameters over 28 days under normal atmosphere conditions and 49 days under controlled atmosphere conditions.

2022-01-13Journal article

Open access

Plant-Based Beverages: Consumption Habits, Perception and Knowledge on a Sample of Portuguese Citizens

Publication . Anjos, Ofélia; Pires, Patrícia C. P.; Gonçalves, Joana; Estevinho, Maria Letícia; Mendonça, António José Geraldes de; Guiné, Raquel P. F.

Plant-based beverages (PBB) consumption has increased significantly worldwide due to an interest in vegetarian/vegan diets, taste preferences, health and ethical and environmental issues. Therefore, this study intends to investigate consumption habits, consumer preferences and consumers’ level of knowledge about PBB. In this study, a voluntary, anonymous questionnaire survey was applied to a sample of participants from Portugal. The sample was recruited by convenience, and therefore, the distribution among the groups was not even. Data analysis involved different statistical techniques: basic statistics, chi-square tests, factor analysis, cluster analysis and tree classification analysis. The results indicated that the most consumed PBB were almond, soy and oat beverages. The majority of consumers chose these beverages for nutritional and health reasons, while a smaller number consumed them as part of a vegetarian or vegan diet. The main motivations for consuming PBB are mainly associated with sustainability and health benefits. The results regarding the respondents’ knowledge about PBB revealed that a health-related profession was the most significant predictor. These results allowed us to conclude that the factors of nutrition, health, ethics and practice of a vegetarian/vegan diet influence the consumption of PBB. It was also concluded that being in a healthcare profession, along with age and professional status within this field, were significant factors influencing the level of knowledge about PBB.

2024-10-11Journal article

Open access

Insights into Acacia spp.: A Comprehensive Phytochemical Analysis for its Potential Industrial Applications

Publication . Pedro, Soraia Inês; Anjos, Ofélia Maria Serralha dos; Alba, Maria Eugénia Gallardo; Gominho, Jorge Manuel Barros D'Almeida

This study explored the bioactive and nutritional potential of various Australian Acacia species, recognized as problematic invasive plants in several regions worldwide. The research aimed to develop analytical methods to identify and quantify bioactive compounds in different biomass fractions of these plants. Initially, flowers of Acacia dealbata, Acacia mearnsii, and Acacia retinodes were harvested and analyzed, focusing on their chemical composition, antioxidant potential, and enzyme inhibition activities. The analysis included the identification of phenolic compounds using High-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC/DAD), as well as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and Fourier Transform Raman Spectroscopy (FT-RAMAN). The results indicated that extracts obtained during the early flowering stage exhibited higher bioactivity, likely due to the presence of chalcones, suggesting potential therapeutic applications, including treatments for dementia, diabetes, and microbial infections. Subsequently, the study evaluated the phenolic profile, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of seed pods from several Acacia species, including A. melanoxylon, A. longifolia, and A. cyclops. Liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-HRMS/MS) successfully identified key flavonoids, with A. pycnantha and A. cyclops displaying the highest concentrations of total phenolic compounds. The seed pod extracts demonstrated significant antibacterial activity, particularly against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus cereus, indicating potential for future industrial applications. The study also explored the potential of Acacia seed pods as a source of nutrients for animal feed and soil fertilization. Notably, A. retinodes seed pods were rich in proteins, fibers, and minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium, suggesting their suitability for mineral supplementation, although further studies are required to assess bioaccessibility and toxicity. Finally, the nutritional composition and mineral content of leaves from eight Acacia species were analyzed to evaluate their potential as ruminant feed and mineral sources for soils. The extracts were found to be non-cytotoxic in Caco-2 cells, indicating their suitability as an alternative food source for animals. The leaves also exhibited high levels of proteins, fibers, and minerals, particularly calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. In conclusion, this research demonstrated that Acacia species contain promising bioactive compounds with significant therapeutic potential, particularly in antioxidant and antimicrobial applications. Additionally, the nutritional and mineral composition of Acacia species suggests promising applications in animal nutrition and soil fertilization. These findings pave the way for the sustainable and multifunctional use of Acacia species, contributing to mitigating their ecological impact while exploring their economic value.

2025-05Doctoral thesis

Embargoed access