Browsing by Author "Borges, Carlos"
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- Bioactivities of decoctions from Plectranthus species related to their traditional use on the treatment of digestive problems and alcohol intoxicationPublication . Brito, Elsa; Gomes, Emma; Fale, Pedro; Borges, Carlos; Pacheco, Rita; Teixeira, Vítor; Machuqueiro, Miguel; Ascensão, Lia; Serralheiro, Maria LuisaEthnopharmacological relevance Decoctions of Plectranthus species are traditionally ingested after large meals for treatment of food digestion and alcohol abuse. Aim of the study This study aims at associating the digestion-related ethno-uses of Plectranthus species decoctions to molecular mechanism that might explain them: easing digestion (AChE inhibition) and treating hangover (ADH inhibition) Material and methods Decoctions from Plectranthus species were analysed for their alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) inhibition and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, related with alcohol metabolism and intestinal motility, respectively. Identification of the active components was carried out by LC-MS/MS and the docking studies were performed with AChE and the bioactive molecules detected. Results All decoctions inhibited ADH activity. This inhibition was correlated with their rosmarinic acid (RA) content, which showed an IC50 value of 19 μg/mL, similar to the reference inhibitor CuCl2. The presence of RA also leads to most decoctions showing AChE inhibiting capacity. P. zuluensis decoction with an IC50 of 80 μg/mL presented also medioresinol, an even better inhibitor of AChE, as indicated by molecular docking studies. Furthermore, all decoctions tested showed no toxicity towards two human cell lines, and a high capacity to quench free radicals (DPPH), which also play a helpful in the digestive process, related with their RA content. Conclusions All activities presented by the RA-rich Plectranthus decoctions support their use in treating digestion disorders and P. barbatus could explain its use also for alleviating hangover symptoms. Medioresinol, which is present in P. zuluensis, exhibited a significant AChE inhibition and may provide, in the future, a new lead for bioactive compounds.
- Cork processing wastewaters components fractioned by ultrafiltration membranes–studies of antioxidant and antitumoral activityPublication . Gomes, Luís; Borges, Carlos; Serralheiro, Maria Luisa; Minhalma, Miguel; Pacheco, RitaBACKGROUND: Cork processing wastewater is an environmental problem due to its high content of organic matter, such as sugars and non-biodegradable compounds such as polyphenols (PPs), namely tannins. Membrane technology aimed at valorisation of the wastewaters components, concentrate stream, and simultaneously offer a pre-treatment of the wastewater, permeate stream. In this work, the identification of bioactive PPs was also envisaged. Several fractions of cork processing wastewaters were generated using two cellulose acetate ultrafiltration membranes of 3 kDa and 74 kDa for PPs isolation according to nature and molecular weights. The membranes were prepared by the phase inversion method and fractionation was made in concentration and diafiltration modes. The wastewater and the fractions were analyzed in terms of total organic carbon, total phenols, tannins and total polysaccharides content and the compounds present were identified by FTIR, LC–MS and quantified by HPLC-DAD. RESULTS: Compounds such as quinic, gallic, protocatechuic, brevifolin carboxylic and ellagic acids were identified as the major compounds in cork wastewater. The wastewater and the fractions were tested for antioxidant activity and for capacity to inhibit the proliferation of the growth of human breast carcinoma cell lines, MCF-7. The fractions revealed high antioxidant activity with EC 50 values ranging from 1.174 ± 0.069 to 1.943 ± 0.179 mg/mgDPPH. The fractions demonstrated to be efficient as cell proliferation inhibitors, with values of IC50 ranging from 0.20 ± 0.003 to 0.46 ± 0.02 mg mL-1. CONCLUSION: The process reported demonstrates that PPs compounds can be recovered from cork effluent and further reused as high-value bioactive compounds.