Artigos em revistas internacionais
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Browsing Artigos em revistas internacionais by Field of Science and Technology (FOS) "Ciências Médicas::Biotecnologia Médica"
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- Delving into agri-food waste composition for antibacterial phytochemicalsPublication . Pereira, Jorge A. M.; Berenguer, Cristina V.; Câmara, José S.The overuse of antibiotics in the healthcare, veterinary, and agricultural industries has led to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), resulting in significant economic losses worldwide and a growing healthcare problem that urgently needs to be solved. Plants produce a variety of secondary metabolites, making them an area of interest in the search for new phytochemicals to cope with AMR. A great part of agri-food waste is of plant origin, constituting a promising source of valuable compounds with different bioactivities, including those against antimicrobial resistance. Many types of phytochemicals, such as carotenoids, tocopherols, glucosinolates, and phenolic compounds, are widely present in plant by-products, such as citrus peels, tomato waste, and wine pomace. Unveiling these and other bioactive compounds is therefore very relevant and could be an important and sustainable form of agri-food waste valorisation, adding profit for local economies and mitigating the negative impact of these wastes’ decomposition on the environment. This review will focus on the potential of agri-food waste from a plant origin as a source of phytochemicals with antibacterial activity for global health benefits against AMR.
- Differences in the volatilomic urinary biosignature of prostate cancer patients as a feasibility study for the detection of potential biomarkersPublication . Riccio, Giulia; Berenguer, Cristina V.; Perestrelo, Rosa; Pereira, Ferdinando; Berenguer, Pedro; Ornelas, Cristina P.; Sousa, Ana Célia; Vital, João Aragão; Pinto, Maria do Carmo; Pereira, Jorge A. M.; Greco, Viviana; Câmara, José S.; Berenguer, Cristina; Perestrelo, Rosa; Augusto Machado Pereira, Jorge; Câmara, JoséProstate cancer (PCa) continues to be the second most common malignant tumour and the main cause of oncological death in men. Investigating endogenous volatile organic metabolites (VOMs) produced by various metabolic pathways is emerging as a novel, effective, and non-invasive source of information to establish the volatilomic biosignature of PCa. In this study, headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) was used to establish the urine volatilomic profile of PCa and identify VOMs that can discriminate between the two investigated groups. This non-invasive approach was applied to oncological patients (PCa group, n = 26) and cancer-free individuals (control group, n = 30), retrieving a total of 147 VOMs from various chemical families. This included terpenes, norisoprenoid, sesquiterpenes, phenolic, sulphur and furanic compounds, ketones, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, carboxylic acid, benzene and naphthalene derivatives, hydrocarbons, and heterocyclic hydrocarbons. The data matrix was subjected to multivariate analysis, namely partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Accordingly, this analysis showed that the group under study presented different volatomic profiles and suggested potential PCa biomarkers. Nevertheless, a larger cohort of samples is required to boost the predictability and accuracy of the statistical models developed.
- Enhanced alpha-amylase inhibition activity of amine-terminated PAMAM dendrimer stabilized pure copper-doped magnesium oxide nanoparticlesPublication . Jeevanandam, Jaison; Gonçalves, Mara; Castro, Rita; Gallo, Juan; Bañobre-López, Manuel; Rodrigues, João; Gonçalves, Mara; Castro, Rita; Rodrigues, JoãoThe present work aims to prepare copper-doped MgO nanoparticles via a sol-gel approach and study their antidiabetic alpha-amylase inhibition activity with undoped MgO nanoparticles. The ability of G5 amine terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer for the controlled release of copper-doped MgO nano particles to exhibit alpha-amylase inhibition activity was also evaluated. The synthesis of MgO nanoparticles via sol-gel approach and optimization of calcination temperature and time has led to the formation of nanoparticles with different shapes (spherical, hexagonal, and rod-shaped) and a polydispersity in size ranging from 10 to 100 nm with periclase crystalline phase. The presence of copper ions in the MgO nanoparticles has altered their crystallite size, eventually modifying their size, morphology, and surface charge. The efficiency of dendrimer to stabilize spherical copper-doped MgO nanoparticles (ca. 30 %) is higher than in other samples, which was confirmed by UV–Visible, DLS, FTIR, and TEM analysis. The amylase inhibition assay emphasized that the dendrimer nanoparticles stabilization has led to the prolonged enzyme inhibition ability of MgO and copper doped MgO nanoparticles for up to 24 h.
- MALDI-TOF MS: a promising analytical approach to cancer diagnostics and monitoringPublication . Sousa, Patrícia; Silva, Laurentina; Luís, Catarina; Câmara, José S.; Perestrelo, Rosa; Sousa Luís, Catarina Grace; Câmara, José; Perestrelo, RosaCancer remains the second most common cause of death after cardiovascular diseases, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020. Although the incidence of cancer increases considerably with age, the cancer burden can also be reduced and have a high chance of cure through early detection, appropriate treatment, and care of patients. The development of high-throughput analytical approaches, like matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), contributes to identifying a pool of proteins/peptides as putative biomarkers for the early detection, diagnosis, and tumor progression. The purpose of the current review is to present an updated outline of recent proteome/peptidome research to establish putative cancer biomarkers using MALDI-TOF MS and highlight the applicability of statistical analysis in the oncology field. The pros and cons of MALDI-TOF MS application on cancer diagnostics and monitoring will be discussed, as well as compared with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS)-based proteomics (e.g., liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry). In addition, pre-analytical (e.g., sample quality control) and analytical (e.g., sample pre-treatment, instrumental analytical conditions) properties that influence the robustness of MALDI-TOF MS data will be also discussed.
- Metabolomics in breast cancer: from biomarker discovery to personalized medicinePublication . Perestrelo, Rosa; Luís, Catarina; Perestrelo, Rosa; Sousa Luís, Catarina GraceBreast cancer (BC) is a highly heterogeneous disease with distinct molecular subtypes, each exhibiting unique metabolic adaptations that drive tumor progression and therapy resistance. Metabolomics has emerged as a powerful tool for understanding cancer metabolism and identifying clinically relevant biomarkers guiding personalized therapeutic strategies. Advances in analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy have enabled the identification of metabolic alterations associated with BC initiation, progression, and treatment response (dysregulated glycolysis, lipid metabolism, amino acid utilization, and redox homeostasis). This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the role of metabolomics in BC research, focusing on its applications in identifying metabolic biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response. It underscores how metabolomic profiling can unravel the metabolic adaptations of different BC subtypes, offering insights into tumor biology and mechanisms of therapy resistance. Ultimately, it highlights the promise of metabolomics in driving biomarker-guided diagnostics and the development of metabolically informed, personalized therapeutic strategies in the era of precision medicine.
- Microextraction techniques for antibiotics surveillance in the food chain and environmentPublication . Antos, Joanna; García-Cansino, Laura; Ángeles García, María; Ginter-Kramarczyk, Dobrochna; Marina, María Luisa; Zembrzuska, Joanna; Câmara, José Sousa; Pereira, Jorge A. M.; Câmara, José; Augusto Machado Pereira, JorgeAntibiotics are commonly used to prevent and treat infections in human medicine, animal farming, and aqua culture. However, their excessive use can result in the development of antibiotic resistance and the presence of antibiotic residues in the food and environment. Therefore, it is essential to monitor antibiotic use and assess resistance, but the lack of standardisation and long-term quantitative data on antibiotic usage in different animal species is very challenging. Sample preparation techniques, such as solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), have been widely used, but they have limitations, including the need for large sample volumes, organic solvents, and complex and labourious protocols. Microextraction techniques (μExT) that align with the principles of Green Analytical Chemistry have gained attention in recent decades. Depending on the type of μExT used and the target analytes, the amounts of solvents, reagents, and samples used can be reduced by up to ten times or more. Often, the extraction time is also shortened by several orders of magnitude, labware requirements are much lower, and the analytical hardware can be simplified without compromising acceptable analytical performance. Notably, this includes the substitution of expensive LC-MS configurations with LC-UV or FLR cheaper equipment and detection systems. Greener solvents, such as ionic liquids (IL), supramolecular solvents (SUPRAS), and deep eutectic solvents (DES), have also been reported, further contributing to the development of more sustainable and environmentally friendly antibiotic extraction and analytical procedures. The AGREE tool metrics shows that substitution of conventional extraction approaches with μExT enables a greener profile for any methodology developed to analyse antibiotics in different food and environmental samples. This article provides a detailed overview of the advantages of using different μExT to monitor antibiotic usage in the food industry and environment and discusses the challenges and opportunities in this field.
- Underlying features of prostate cancer—Statistics, risk factors, and emerging methods for Its diagnosisPublication . Berenguer, Cristina V.; Pereira, Ferdinando; Câmara, José S.; Pereira, Jorge A. M.; Berenguer, Cristina; Câmara, José; Augusto Machado Pereira, JorgeProstate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently occurring type of malignant tumor and a leading cause of oncological death in men. PCa is very heterogeneous in terms of grade, phenotypes, and genetics, displaying complex features. This tumor often has indolent growth, not compromising the patient’s quality of life, while its more aggressive forms can manifest rapid growth with progression to adjacent organs and spread to lymph nodes and bones. Nevertheless, the overtreatment of PCa patients leads to important physical, mental, and economic burdens, which can be avoided with careful monitoring. Early detection, even in the cases of locally advanced and metastatic tumors, provides a higher chance of cure, and patients can thus go through less aggressive treatments with fewer side effects. Furthermore, it is important to offer knowledge about how modifiable risk factors can be an effective method for reducing cancer risk. Innovations in PCa diagnostics and therapy are still required to overcome some of the limitations of the current screening techniques, in terms of specificity and sensitivity. In this context, this review provides a brief overview of PCa statistics, reporting its incidence and mortality rates worldwide, risk factors, and emerging screening strategies.
- Urinary proteomic/peptidomic biosignature of breast cancer Patients using 1D SDS-PAGE combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometryPublication . Sousa, Patrícia; Camacho, Irene; Câmara, José S.; Perestrelo, Rosa; Camacho, Irene; Câmara, José; Perestrelo, RosaThe potential development of a rapid and highly sensitive breast cancer (BC) diagnostic method has been increasingly investigated by many researchers in order to significantly improve the diagnosis of this disease that affects millions of women worldwide. Thus, this investigation aimed to establish a potential BC urinary peptidomic pattern using one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D SDS-PAGE) coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) as a useful approach for BC diagnosis. The results of Lowry’s assay demonstrated that the total protein concentration increased after precipitation and that the healthy control group (HCs, 160 to 318 µg/mL, 142 ± DD µg/mL, on average) presented higher total protein content than the BC patients (140 to 311 µg/mL, 115 ± DD µg/mL, on average). Related to MALDI-TOF MS analysis, the results revealed that four peptide ion biosignatures (m/z 1046.5, 1062.5, 1237.7 and 1727.9) allowed the discrimination between BC patients and HCs. The distinction efficiency and accuracy of BC urine peptides were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis that enabled the recognition of some features with great sensitivity (88%) and specificity (98%). Therefore, the obtained data revealed MALDI-TOF MS as a powerful tool to explore peptidomic biosignatures due to its speed, sensitivity, and mass accuracy, which allow the establishment of novel disease biomarkers.