Natália Martins - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Natália Martins

Biofilms, 2016

Antimicrobial potential of Eucalyptus globulus against biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus isolated... more Antimicrobial potential of Eucalyptus globulus against biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis Fernanda Isabel Gomes1, Natália Martins1,2, Isabel Ferreira2, Mariana Henriques1 1 CEB Centre of Biological Engineering, LIBRO Laboratory of Research in Biofilms Rosário Oliveira, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; 2Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Portugal; fernandaisabel@deb.uminho.pt

Food & function, Jan 6, 2017

Naturally-occurring phytochemicals have received pivotal attention in the last few years, due to ... more Naturally-occurring phytochemicals have received pivotal attention in the last few years, due to the increasing evidence of biological activities. Thus, in the present study, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor potentials of hydroethanolic extracts rich in phenolic compounds obtained from Equisetum giganteum L. and Tilia platyphyllos Scop. were assessed and directly correlated with their content of phenolic compounds, by using HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS analysis. T. platyphyllos showed the higher bioactive potential, evaluated in terms of antioxidant (radical scavenging effects - 105 μg mL(-1), reducing power - 123 μg mL(-1), β-carotene bleaching inhibition - 167 μg mL(-1), and lipid peroxidation inhibition - 56 μg mL(-1)), anti-inflammatory (225 μg mL(-1) inhibited 50% of nitric oxide production) and antitumor (breast - 224 μg mL(-1); lung - 247 μg mL(-1); cervical - 195 μg mL(-1) and hepatocellular - 173 μg mL(-1) carcinoma cells) activity, without having cytotoxic effects (>...

Hundreds of botanical preparations have been prepared and used for a wide variety of conditions. ... more Hundreds of botanical preparations have been prepared and used for a wide variety of conditions. Different studies have been carried out towards to confirm the effective multitude of health benefits provided by medicinal plants [1]. In parallel with these studies, in the last years, high rates of opportunistic fungal infections have been observed, namely involving Candida species. Candida albicans is the most common but, currently, other non-Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) species have also been associated [2]. This is linked with increasing rates of antifungal resistant species, in part due to the overuse of antimicrobial agents, making these drugs ineffective, not only at higher doses but also even using an antifungal drug-combination [3]. Thus, alternatives to the current antifungal agents are necessary, namely based on natural matrices. Eucalyptus globulus L. (cider gum) belongs to the Myrtaceae family and is extensively used mainly as expectorant, febrifuge, in respiratory trac...

The use of medicinal plants as prevention or treatment of various conditions has, recently, spark... more The use of medicinal plants as prevention or treatment of various conditions has, recently, sparked an increasing interest for scientific researchers that have been studying their biological properties [1]. Thymus vulgaris L. can provide a wide source of biomolecules, such phenolic compounds that have been referred to as antioxidants [2] and antimicrobials [3]. Several studies report chemical composition and antioxidant properties of thyme, but mostly of essential oils [4,5]. In the present work, the bioactive properties of decoction, infusion and hydroalcoholic extracts of cultivated thyme were evaluated, and further characterized in terms of phenolic composition. The antioxidant activity was assessed by four in vitro assays: reducing power, free radicals scavenging activity, beta-carotene bleaching inhibition and lipid peroxidation inhibition in brain cell homogenates. Antimicrobial activity was assessed against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis) ...

Industrial Crops and Products, 2015

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020

Heart and blood vessels disorders comprise one of the main causes of death worldwide. Pharmacolog... more Heart and blood vessels disorders comprise one of the main causes of death worldwide. Pharmacologically active natural compounds have been used as a complementary therapy in cardiovascular disease around the world in a traditional way. Dietary, natural bioactive compounds, as well as healthy lifestyles, are considered to prevent coronary artery diseases. Pre-clinical and clinical studies reported that consumption of plant-food bioactive derivatives including polyphenolic compounds, peptides, oligosaccharides, vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids possess protective effects on cardiovascular diseases. This review aims to summarize the cardiovascular risk factors, pre-clinical studies and clinical trials related to cardioprotective properties of the plant-food-derived bioactive compounds. Molecular mechanisms by the natural bioactive compounds exert their cardiovascular protective properties have also been highlighted.

Correia, T.1; Martins, N.2; Pedrosa, S.3; Pereira, V.4; Vasques, C.5 & Lopes, V.6 ... Objectivo: ... more Correia, T.1; Martins, N.2; Pedrosa, S.3; Pereira, V.4; Vasques, C.5 & Lopes, V.6 ... Objectivo: Caracterizar o consumo alimentar das crianças com excesso de peso num ... Dietética. Foi solicitado aos pais o consentimento informado por escrito. A informação

Antibiotics, 2020

Pteridophytes have been widely used in several systems of medicine. Several reports have increasi... more Pteridophytes have been widely used in several systems of medicine. Several reports have increasingly assessed their bioactive effects, but for Sphaerostephanos unitus (L.) Holttum, only its antibacterial potential has been assessed. In this sense, the present study was carried out to reveal the phytochemical profile and to determine the toxicity, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory potential of S. unitus. Brine shrimp lethality, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, phosphomolybdenum assay, superoxide radical scavenging activity, 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay (ABTS), and in vitro α-amylase inhibitory and membrane stabilization assays were applied. S. unitus extract toxicity showed variable mortality percentages, with LC50 values ranging from 4 to 30 mg/mL. DPPH radical scavenging effects of S. unitus extracts were as follows: methanol > acetone > petroleum ether > chloroform. S. unitus acetone extract ...

International Immunopharmacology, 2020

Frontiers in Public Health, 2021

Information on how coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality is related to population charact... more Information on how coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality is related to population characteristics in low- and middle-income countries is still limited. We described the deaths from COVID-19 in Sergipe state, Northeast Brazil, from April 2 to June 27, 2020. For this purpose, we conducted a study composed of (i) a case series study of all deaths due to COVID-19 and (ii) a population-based study to verify the behavior of the mortality and case-fatality rates (CFR) related to COVID-19. Data from 605 deaths due to COVID-19 were used to describe the characteristics of individuals with the disease, as well as the differences in gender, age, and comorbidities. Additionally, population data were extracted to estimate the mortality and CFR by population stratum. We also performed an adjusted CFR analysis including a time lag of 14 days between the onset of symptoms and reporting deaths. Of the 605 patients included in this study, 321 (53.1%) were males and the median age was 67.0 year...

Journal of Molecular Structure, 2020

Increasing rates of opportunistic fungal infections and microorganisms with drug-resistance have ... more Increasing rates of opportunistic fungal infections and microorganisms with drug-resistance have been observed. Candida species are the most common pathogens, considered the fourth leading cause of hematogenous infections. Thus, it is crucial to discover alternatives to the current antifungal agents. Healing properties of medicinal plants are widely recognized, but some properties and the related mechanisms of action remain unknown. Therefore, the anti-Candida potential of hydromethanolic extracts obtained from ten folk medicinal plants (Echinacea purpurea L.; Eucalyptus globulus Labill.; Foeniculum vulgare Mill.; Juglans regia L.; Matricaria recutita L.; Melissa officinalis L.; Pterospartum tridentatum L.; Rosa canina L.; Rubus ulmifolius L. and Tabebuia impetiginosa L.) was evaluated, by using Disc Diffusion Assay and determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations by microdilution method. J. regia was the most effective, inhibiting the growth of the tested nineteen Candida str...

Primitive societies often lack resources but have always emphasized the role of nutrition in main... more Primitive societies often lack resources but have always emphasized the role of nutrition in maintaining good health and wellbeing (Balch 2006; Murray & Pizzorno 2005, 2012). So, the idea of a balanced and wholefood‐enriched diet to ensure homeostasis and improve life expectancy is not new. Concomitantly with the intensification of the globalization process and advances in the food industry, a pronounced increase in public health problems has been observed. Health‐related economic and social costs have risen to represent a significant percentage of worldwide expenditure (American Dietetic Association 2009; Arvanitoyannis & Houwelingen‐Koukaliaroglou 2005). Public health problems affect all sectors of society – elderly, adults, children, and adolescents. Therefore, the deployment of prevention strategies seems to be essential, not only to avoid the progression of this worldwide problem but also to try and restore the balanced food patterns and proper lifestyle of individuals. Infecti...

Reference Series in Phytochemistry, 2017

Industrial Crops and Products, 2018

Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, 2017

Botanical preparations present a widespread and secular history of use. In fact, natural matrices... more Botanical preparations present a widespread and secular history of use. In fact, natural matrices possess a rich pool of phytochemicals, with promising biological effects. Among them, phenolic compounds have revealed to confer very important attributes to improve the well-being and longevity of worldwide population. Numerous in vitro studies have been carried out evaluating the wide spectrum of bioactivities of phenolic compounds, including its health effects, but through in vivo experiments some of these previous results cannot be properly confirmed, and considerable variations are observed. Pharmacokinetic parameters, including the assessment of bioavailability and bioefficacy of phenolic compounds, still continue to be largely investigated and considered a great hot topic among the food science and technology researchers. Thus, based on these crucial aspects, this chapter aims to provide an extensive approach about the question of the bioavailability of phenolic compounds, describing its biosynthetic routes and related mechanisms of action; to focus on the current facts and existing controversies, highlighting the importance of in vivo studies and the impact of phenolic compounds on the quality of life and longevity.

Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2016