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Gonçalves Oliveira Valente da Cruz-Lopes, Luísa Paula
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- Plastic Food Packaging: Perceptions and Attitudes of Portuguese Consumers about Environmental Impact and RecyclingPublication . Weber Macena, Morgana; Carvalho, Rita; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Guiné, Raquel P. F.The use of plastics for packaging has some advantages, since they are flexible and inexpensive. However, most plastics are of single use, which, combined with low recycling or reuse ratios, contributes substantially to environmental pollution. This work is part of a project studying the habits of Portuguese citizens concerning plastic food packaging and focuses on aspects related to sustainability. The survey was carried out via an online questionnaire about sustainability, recycling, and knowledge of the effects of plastic materials or their residues on the environment. The results were obtained based on a statistical analysis of the data. The participants tend to think about the negative impact of plastic packages on the environment; 39% sometimes do not buy plastic; and 30% try to look for alternatives. A substantial fraction, 81%, support the avoidance of plastic utensils and reduction in the use of plastic bags. Most participants have a good knowledge of recycling and strongly agree with the use of recycled materials, and 87% of respondents practice separation of different types of waste for recycling. Changing plastic consumption habits has not been an easy task. Nevertheless, it is expected that society will increasingly move toward sustainable habits, questioning its actions and considering their impact on the environment.
- Liquefaction optimization of peel of potato Solanum tuberosum L. var Monalisa.Publication . Dulyanska, Y.; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Esteves, Bruno; Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Ferreira, José; Domingos, IdalinaThe potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is native to South America, in the Andes Mountains where it was consumed by native populations 1. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), there has been a large increase in potato production in Latin America and Asia, especially China, that in 2018 was the largest producer followed by India. These two countries represented almost a third of the potatoes consumed in the world 1. In Portugal, the most widely planted potato is Solanum tuberosum L. var Monalisa, that is used by potatoes’ processing industry, generating tons of potato peel waste annually. The waste from the potato industry accounts for approximately 27% of total production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the potentiality of potato industrial residues to be liquefied by polyhydric alcohols and the chemical transformations observed in this process with subsequent use to produce polyurethane foams. Potato peel waste (PPW) was dried in an oven, crushed in the Retsch SMI mill and sifted in a vibratory sieve model Retsh 5657 HAAN 1 for 30 minutes. The fractions obtained were > 35 mesh, 35-40 mesh (0.500-0.425 mm); 40-60 mesh (0.425-0.250 mm); 60-80 mesh (0.250-0.180 mm) and 80 mesh (< 0.180 mm). The liquefactions were made in an oil-heated double-shirt reactor with a mixture of glycerol and ethylene glycol 1:1, catalyzed by 3% sulfuric acid. The effect of particle size (<80 mesh at >35 mesh) temperatures (140 oC - 180 oC), ratio material/solvent (1:5, 1:7, 1:10, 1:12) and times (15-60 min) were studied. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy by Attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) was used to evaluate the functional groups present in the original sample of PPW, in the liquefied sample and in the solid residue obtained. Liquefaction percentage with increased temperature, time, material/solvent ratio and granulometry is presented (Figure 1). Results show that liquefaction performed at 180 oC with a 1:10 material/solvent ratio, increases along time, reaching a maximum at 60 min. Similarly, liquefactions made during 60 min with a 1:10 material/solvent ratio show that there is an increase in liquefaction yield with the increase in temperature until 180 oC. A higher temperature could increase the liquefaction yield but would lead to a higher energy consumption in the process. There seems to be no significative advantage in increasing material/solvent ratio above 1:7, although the liquefaction yield increases for higher ratios. Granulometry testing shows that the smaller the particle the best is the liquefaction percentage. It was concluded that the best liquefaction yield, of approximately 90%, was obtained with a temperature of 180 oC, for 60 min and particle size <80 mesh for PPW. This material has good properties to be converted in a liquid mixture that can be used later, on the production of polyurethane foams (Figure 1). The PPW spectrum exhibits the common bands for agricultural materials (Figure 2). The main differences between the solid material and the liquefied material is the high OH band with a peak at around 3300 cm-1 for both the original material and the liquefied, while the peak for the solid residue is at higher wavenumbers. The liquefied sample has a considerable higher OH peak than the solid samples, which is probably due to the polyalcohols used for the liquefaction. The band at 1740 cm-1 (non-conjugated C=O bonds) is higher in the solid residue spectrum and smaller in the liquefied material. Similarly Jin et al. 2 observed the absence of C=O groups after the liquefaction of enzymatic hydrolysis lignin. The highest peak in the original and in the liquefied material spectra is the peak at 1100 cm-1 which has been attributed to C–O stretching vibrations in carbohydrates. This is in accordance with several chemical compositions reported for PPW 1. In the liquefied material a new peak appears at around 860 cm-1, which can be due to stretching in the pyranose ring as stated before 3.
- Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Cherry Seeds: A Preliminary StudyPublication . Dulyanska, Yuliya; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Esteves, Bruno; Ferreira, José; Domingos, Idalina; Lima, Maria João; Correia, Paula; Ferreira, Manuela; Fragata, Anabela; Barroca, Maria João; Moreira da Silva, Aida; Guiné, Raquel P. F.Agri-food waste has proved to be a valuable bioresource that can be used to obtain a variety of valuable materials, ingredients and chemicals. The optimum conditions for extracting bioactive compounds from sweet cherry seeds (SCS) with different solvents and temperatures were tested in this work. The choice criteria were based on the most efficient extracting capacity while looking for cleaner techniques with lower health or environmental impacts. Some extracting solvents (methanol, ethanol and water) were tested in different combinations and temperatures. The obtained extracts were evaluated for total phenolic compounds and some families of phenolics as well, using spectrophotometric methods. The results obtained showed that the highest extraction of total phenolic compounds was at 70 °C with 60:40 ratio water:ethanol (2.65 mg GAE/g), while maximum flavonoids were obtained at 80 °C and 50% ethanolic aqueous solution (7.26 mg QE/g). The highest value for ortho-diphenols was 21.47 mg GAE/g for 50 °C and water:ethanol 50:50 solution. The highest proanthocyanidins and flavonols were obtained for 50:50 solution at 70 °C (6.43 mg CE/g and 3.88 mg QE/g, respectively), while the same solution at 80 °C allowed obtaining maximum phenolic acids (1.68 mg CAE/g). The extraction of anthocyanins was found to vary significantly with concentration and temperature, being highest in the range 35–40 °C, when using an 80:20 water:ethanol solution. Hierarchical clustering showed three clusters, while factor analysis resulted in two factors and four groups of samples. In conclusion, it was found that extracts obtained from sweet cherry seeds have relevant bioactive compounds with applications in the food, pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries.
- The impact of extraction temperature and solution concentration on the antioxidant activity of sweet cherry seeds’ extractsPublication . Dulyanska, Y.; Cunha, Margarida; Lima, M. J.; Correia, Paula; Ferreira, Manuela; Fragata, Anabela; Cardoso, Ana Paula; Barroca, Maria João; Silva, A.; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Esteves, Bruno; Ferreira, José; Domingos, Idalina; Guiné, Raquel P. F.Sweet cherry seeds, a valuable lignin-cellulose raw material for the production of polyurethane foams 1, are also a significant source of different phenolic compounds 2 and can be a good source of natural antioxidants, which can play an important role in preventing the formation of free radicals and protection against degenerative diseases. Considering sustainability, the main objective of this project was the use of cherry by-products (seeds) to produce extracts rich in antioxidant compounds. In this work, the seed extracts were obtained with the addition of different combinations of ethanolic solution (water:ethanol ratios - 50:50; 60:40; 80:20; 100:0 v:v) and at different temperatures (35, 50, 70 and 80 °C), all under magnetic stirring for 40 minutes. Then, the antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated through spectrophotometric methods, using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonic acid)) radicals, and also the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP). All measurements were replicated at least in triplicates and were expressed as mg Trolox equivalents per gram (mg TE/g). Statistical analysis was performed using the JAVA software. ANOVA tests show that there is a statistically significant effect of temperature, water percentage and temperature on the antioxidant activity evaluated by the three methods used (p> 0.001 in all tests). The percentage of water is the variable that most contributes to this effect. Individual Post Hoc comparisons show, for all tests, that in general the temperatures induce differences in antioxidant activity, except 70 °C and 80 °C in DPPH and FRAP, and 80 °C and 50 °C in ABTS. Regarding the percentage of water, it was found that all samples are different from each other, except the FRAP, in which no significant differences between 50 and 60% of water were found. In conclusion, no major differences between the ABTS, DPPH and FRAP methods were found. Temperature and percentage of water have a significant effect on the concentration of antioxidant activity in all methods. In that way, the cherry pit is a good by-product to produce extracts with high content of antioxidant activity, being that the 70° C with 50:50 and 60:40 water:ethanol solutions are the most favorable conditions to potentiate the antioxidant activity.
- Plastic Food PackagePublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Macena, Morgana; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa
- Consumer Perspectives About the Quality and Safety of Plastic Packaging Used for FoodPublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Weber, M.; Lopes, Luísa P. CruzFood packaging is essential in today's globalized markets to preserve the foods or beverages, guaranteeing their quality and safety along the food supply chain. Plastics have been used extensively for food packaging due to their many advantages, like being light, cheap, and versatile. However, some of the chemical molecules released from plastics may have toxic effects on the human body if ingested, and they are also harmful to the environment. In this way, the present work investigated consumer awareness about food quality and safety when in contact with plastic packaging materials, and also the impact of these plastics on human health. The research was conducted through a questionnaire survey applied after approval by the Ethics Committee to a sample of 487 Portuguese participants. The obtained results revealed that most of the participants consider food safety and quality aspects when buying food products (85% and 93% of respondents, respectively). As recognized by the participants, the most important functions of the plastic package were to protect and preserve the food. It was also found that the general consumer still has very limited knowledge about the possible toxicity of molecules that could migrate from the plastic to the food. Nevertheless, other adverse effects of plastics related to environmental pollution and degradation of marine fauna are well recognised. So, in conclusion, it is necessary to further inform the Portuguese citizens about possible toxicity of some chemical compounds present in plastic packaging which can reach the human body, either by being released from the package into the food or by being absorbed from the environmental micro plastics which are becoming abundant in nature as result of incorrect plastic disposal.
- Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of extracts obtained form cherry seeds.Publication . Dulyanska, Y.; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Esteves, Bruno; Ferreira, José; Domingos, Idalina; Lima, M. J. Reis; Correia, Paula; Ferreira, Manuela; Fragata, Anabela; Barroca, Maria João; Silva, A. M.; Guiné, Raquel P. F.Annual cherry production in Portugal is around 19,000 tonnes, in an area of about 6,450 ha and covering about 11,100 farms, concentrated in some northern and central interior territories. It is also in these regions that in recent decades there has been a significant increase in farms specialized in the production of cherry, using new cultivars and new technologies in a business production model. Apart from being consumed in fresh form, cherries are used for many food preparations, like sweets, jellies or confectionary. In the plants that transform cherries, a significant amount of cherry seeds (also called cherry pits) is generated as residue or waste. The possible usage of these residues as raw material for extraction of compounds with antioxidant properties is beneficial in term of economic value as well as environmental impact. Hence, the objective of this work was to obtain extract rich in compounds with antioxidant activity from cherry seeds. The cherry seeds were obtained from a local waste management company, Nutrofertil, located in Tondela, in the district of Viseu (Portugal). They were grinded and then submitted to extraction procedures testing different operating conditions: magnetic stirrer versus ultrasound, different solvents (methanol, ethanol, water) and temperatures (from 35 ºC to 80 ºC). For the obtained extracts antioxidant activity was evaluated through spectrophotometric methods, using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonic acid)) radicals, and also the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay (FRAP). All measurements were replicated at least trice, and were expressed as mg Trolox equivalents per gram (mg TE/g). The results obtained for the different experimental conditions indicated that least efficient extractions at ambient temperature were obtained with methanol using magnetic stirrer and with water using ultrasounds, for which the antioxidant activities measured by the DPPH method were 0.26 and 0.33 mg TE/g and by the ABTS method were 0.82 and 0.86 mg TE/g, respectively. Most efficient methods were water:ethanol (at 50% concentration) and water (100%), using magnetic stirrer in both cases. Highest antioxidant activity was obtained for water:ethanol by the DPPH method (0.72 mg TE/g) and for water (100%) by the ABTS method (1.25 mg TE/g). Tests with different concentrations for the aqueous solutions of ethanol and at different temperatures revealed that with increasing concentration of water the antioxidant diminished, from 0.62 to 0.27 mg TE/g at 35 ºC using the DPPH method. Additionally, the variation in temperature allowed reaching a maximum extraction of compounds with antioxidant activity at 70 ºC and decreasing thereafter. The maximum values obtained were registered at 70 ºC for all cases and were 0.74 mg TE/g for the water:ethanol 50:50 (v/v) by the DPPH method, 2.16 mg TE/g for the water:ethanol 60:40 (v/v) by the ABTS method and 3.43 mg TE/g for the water:ethanol 60:40 (v/v) by the FRAP method. The results obtained by the different methods were concordant in terms of the observed trends but giving different values of the measured antioxidant activity, which is a common characteristic observed in these types of evaluation techniques. This research allowed establishing some operational conditions that should be selected in order to maximize the extraction of compounds with antioxidant activity from cherry seeds. The use of ultrasounds was not found beneficial and the magnetic stirrer technique revealed to be more useful. Also the use of methanol was not found suitable, which is a good point given that this solvent is more pollutant and has more problems of toxicity. With respect to temperature, it was found that temperatures higher than 70 ºC are not beneficial because they induce the degradation of some bioactive compounds thus reducing the antioxidant activity of thee extracts.
- Chemical composition of Crataegus monogyna – Preliminary StudiesPublication . Dulyanska, Y.; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Esteves, Bruno; Barroca, M. J.; Carvalho, L. B.; Gonçalves, Fernando Jorge; Domingos, Idalina; Ferreira, José; Guiné, Raquel P. F.
- Extraction of Phenolic Compounds with Antioxidant Activity from Cherry Seeds: Preliminary StudyPublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Castelão, D.; Dulyanska, Y.; Ferrão, A. C.; Correia, Paula; Esteves, Bruno; Domingos, Idalina; Ferreira, José; Cruz-Lopes, LuisaThe food processing industry is responsible for the generation of a significant amount of wastes and by-products, resulting from the transformation processes applied to food. These residues are highly rich in bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity, like for example the phenolic compounds [1]. To recover these compounds from the residues, extraction operations usually apply, but their optimization is important to maximize yield, minimize costs and reduce the environmental impacts. One of the main issues is related with the use of organic solvents derived from petroleum [2]. The objective of this study was to test different extraction conditions to obtain phenolic compounds from cherry seeds. For this the seeds used were pre-dried in the sun and grounded, and the powder was then dried in a stove for 24 hours at a temperature of 40 ºC. The extraction was performed using different solutions: water, methanol, ethanol:water (in variable percentages from 50% to 100% water) and ultrasounds. Also, the temperature was varied from 35 to 80 ºC. The total phenolic compounds (TPC), anthocyanins, flavonoids and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS methods) were measured using spectroscopic methods. The results showed that the extraction of total phenolic compounds was higher for extraction with water or mixtures of water and ethanol, rather than with methanol or water plus ultrasounds (Fig.1). Additionally, testing different temperatures and percentages of water, it was verified that maximum extraction of phenolic compounds was obtained for 70 ºC, and using an extraction solution of ethanol:water (40:60, % v:v), which was 2.65 mg/g (galic acid equivalent). Under these conditions, the anthocyanins were 0.65 mg/g, and flavonoids were 1.05 mg/g (malvidin-3-glucoside equivalent). The antioxidant activity was 2.26 mg/g measured by ABTS method and 0.65 mg/g measured by DPPH method, in both cases expressed as Trolox equivalents. In this way it was possible to obtain extracts rich in phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity, using an aqueous solution with 40% ethanol, and by performing the extraction at 70 ºC and using magnetic stirrer.
- Particleboard Production from Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb.) Steud. Grown in PortugalPublication . Esteves, Bruno; Aires, Pedro; Sen, Umut; Gomes, Maria da Glória; Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Domingos, Idalina; Ferreira, José; Viana, Helder Filipe dos Santos; Lopes, Luísa P. CruzPaulownia wood has raised high attention due to its rapid growth and fire resistance. The number of plantations in Portugal has been growing, and new exploitation methods are needed. This study intends to determine the properties of particleboards made with very young Paulownia trees from Portuguese plantations. Single layer particleboards were produced with 3-year-old Paulownia trees using different processing parameters and different board composition in order to determine the best properties for use in dry environments. The standard particleboard was produced at 180 °C and a 36.3 kg/cm2 pressure for 6 min using 40 g of raw material with 10% urea-formaldehyde resin. Higher particle size lead to lower-density particleboards, while higher resin contents lead to higher density of the boards. Density has a major effect on board properties with higher densities improving mechanical properties such as bending strength, modulus of elasticity (MOE) and internal bond, lower water absorption but higher thickness swelling and thermal conductivity. Particleboards meeting the requirements for dry environment according to NP EN 312 standard, could be produced with young Paulownia wood with acceptable mechanical and thermal conductivity properties with density around 0.65 g/cm3 and a thermal conductivity of 0.115 W/mK.