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Unravelling the Dermatological Potential of the Brown Seaweed Carpomitra costata
Publication . Susano, Patrícia; Silva, Joana; Alves, Celso; Martins, Alice; Gaspar, Helena; Pinteus, Susete; Mouga, Teresa; Goettert, Márcia Ines; Petrovski, Željko; Branco, Luís B.; Pedrosa, Rui; LAQV@REQUIMTE; DQ - Departamento de Química; MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
The ever-increasing interest in keeping a young appearance and healthy skin has leveraged the skincare industry. This, coupled together with the increased concern regarding the safety of synthetic products, has boosted the demand for new and safer natural ingredients. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the dermatological potential of the brown seaweed Carpomitra costata. The antioxidant, anti-enzymatic, antimicrobial, photoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of five C. costata fractions (F1-F5) were evaluated. The ethyl acetate fraction (F3) demonstrated the most promising results, with the best ability to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals (EC50 of 140.1 µg/mL) and the capacity to reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production promoted by UVA and UVB radiation in 3T3 cells, revealing its antioxidant and photoprotective potential. This fraction also exhibited the highest anti-enzymatic capacity, inhibiting the activities of collagenase, elastase and tyrosinase (IC50 of 7.2, 4.8 and 85.9 µg/mL, respectively). Moreover, F3 showed anti-inflammatory potential, reducing TNF-α and IL-6 release induced by LPS treatment in RAW 264.7 cells. These bioactivities may be related to the presence of phenolic compounds, such as phlorotannins, as demonstrated by NMR analysis. The results highlight the potential of C. costata as a source of bioactive ingredients for further dermatological applications.
The Hypocholesterolemic Potential of the Edible Algae Fucus vesiculosus
Publication . André, Rebeca; Pacheco, Rita; Alves, Ana Catarina; Santos, Hugo M.; Bourbon, Mafalda; Serralheiro, Maria Luísa; LAQV@REQUIMTE; DQ - Departamento de Química; MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
A brown seaweed consumed worldwide, Fucus vesiculosus, has been used to prevent atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia, among other uses. However, the mechanisms of action that lead to these effects are not yet fully understood. This work aims to study the in vitro effect of an aqueous extract of F. vesiculosus, previously characterized as rich in phlorotannins and peptides, on the expression of different proteins involved in the synthesis and transport of cholesterol. A proteomic analysis, Western blot, and qRT-PCR analysis were performed to identify protein changes in HepG2 cells exposed to 0.25 mg/mL of the F. vesiculosus extract for 24 h. The proteomic results demonstrated that, in liver cells, the extract decreases the expression of four proteins involved in the cholesterol biosynthesis process (CYP51A1, DHCR24, HMGCS1 and HSD17B7). Additionally, a 12.76% and 18.40% decrease in the expression of two important transporters proteins of cholesterol, NPC1L1 and ABCG5, respectively, was also observed, as well as a 30% decrease in NPC1L1 mRNA levels in the cells exposed to the extract compared to control cells. Our study reveals some of the mechanisms underlying the actions of bioactive compounds from F. vesiculosus that may explain its previously reported hypocholesterolemic effect, future prospecting its use as a functional food.
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Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Programa de financiamento
3599-PPCDT
Número da atribuição
PTDC/BIA-BQM/28355/2017