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Centre of Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry
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Publication . Costa, Carolina F. F. A.; Amorim, Catarina L.; Duque, Anouk F.; Reis, Maria A. M.; Castro, Paula M. L.; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit; DQ - Departamento de Química; Springer Science Business Media
Following publication of the original article, the authors identified an error in the affiliations of the author.
Organoleptic Chemical Markers of Serpa PDO Cheese Specificity
Publication . Araújo-Rodrigues, Helena; Martins, António P. L.; Tavaria, Freni K.; Santos, Maria Teresa G.; Carvalho, Maria João; Dias, João; Alvarenga, Nuno B.; Pintado, Manuela E.; GeoBioTec - Geobiociências, Geoengenharias e Geotecnologias; MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Serpa is a protected designation of origin cheese produced with a vegetable coagulant (Cynara cardunculus L.) and raw ovine milk. Despite the unique sensory profile of raw milk cheeses, numerous parameters influence their sensory properties and safety. To protect the Serpa cheese quality and contribute to unifying their distinctive features, some rheologic and physicochemical parameters of cheeses from four PDO producers, in distinct seasons and with different sensory scores, were monitored. The results suggested a high chemical diversity and variation according to the dairy, month and season, which corroborates the significant heterogeneity. However, a higher incidence of some compounds was found: a group of free amino acids (Glu, Ala, Leu, Val and Phe), lactic and acetic acids, some volatile fatty acids (e.g., iC4, iC5, C6 and C12) and esters (e.g., ethyl butanoate, decanoate and dodecanoate). Through the successive statistical analysis, 13 variables were selected as chemical markers of Serpa cheese specificity: C3, C4, iC5, C12, Tyr, Trp, Ile, 2-undecanone, ethyl isovalerate, moisture content on a fat-free basis, the nitrogen-fractions (maturation index and non-protein and total nitrogen ratio) and G’1 Hz. These sensory markers’ identification will be essential to guide the selection and development of an autochthonous starter culture to improve cheese quality and safety issues and maintain some of the Serpa authenticity.
Acidogenic Fermentation of Brewers’ Spent Grain Monitored through Two-Dimensional Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Publication . Guarda, Eliana C.; Costa, Eunice; Gil, Cátia; Amorim, Catarina L.; Galinha, Cláudia F.; Duque, Anouk F.; Castro, Paula M. L.; Reis, Maria A. M.; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit; DQ - Departamento de Química; LAQV@REQUIMTE; ACS - American Chemical Society
Biological systems are commonly controlled and monitored through offline and time-consuming tools, which often impairs an effective and real-time response to counteract system disturbances. The feasibility of using two-dimensional (2D) fluorescence spectroscopy as a non-invasive, non-destructive, and real-time procedure to monitor the acidogenic fermentation of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) in a granular sludge reactor was evaluated. For that, the effect of pH fluctuations on the system response was used as a model to ascertain the 2D fluorescence spectroscopy applicability to monitor the process performance, namely, to predict the fermentation products (FP) and the soluble protein (SProt) concentrations in the effluent stream through mathematical analysis. The pH fluctuations over the course of the reactor’s operation altered the granules’ microbiome composition, leading to different effluent FP profiles. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) were used with projection to latent structures (PLS) modeling to predict the FP and SProt concentrations in the effluent with average errors below 0.75 and 0.43 g L-1, respectively. Both models were able to capture the tendency of the data even when the accuracy of prediction was not so high. The combined approach of using 2D fluorescence spectroscopy and mathematical analysis seemed promising for real-time monitoring of the acidogenic fermentation of complex substrates.
Impact of LAB from Serpa PDO Cheese in Cheese Models
Publication . Araújo-Rodrigues, Helena; Martins, António P. L.; Tavaria, Freni K.; Dias, João; Santos, Maria Teresa; Alvarenga, Nuno; Pintado, Manuela E.; GeoBioTec - Geobiociências, Geoengenharias e Geotecnologias; MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Serpa is a protected designation of origin (PDO) cheese produced with raw ewes’ milk and coagulated with Cynara cardunculus. Legislation does not allow for milk pasteurization and starter culture inoculation. Although natural Serpa’s rich microbiota allows for the development of a unique organoleptic profile, it also suggests high heterogeneity. This raises issues in the final sensory and safety properties, leading to several losses in the sector. A possible solution to overcoming these issues is the development of an autochthonous starter culture. In the present work, some Serpa cheese Lactic acid bacteria (LAB)-isolated microorganisms, previously selected based on their safety, technological and protective performance, were tested in laboratory-scale cheeses. Their acidification, proteolysis (protein and peptide profile, nitrogen fractions, free amino acids (FAA)), and volatiles generation (volatile fatty acids (VFA) and esters) potential was investigated. Significant differences were found in all parameters analyzed, showing a considerable strain effect. Successive statistical analyses were performed to compare cheese models and Serpa PDO cheese. The strains L. plantarum PL1 and PL2 and the PL1 and L. paracasei PC mix were selected as the most promising, resulting in a closer lipolytic and proteolytic profile of Serpa PDO cheese. In future work, these inocula will be produced at a pilot scale and tested at the cheese level to validate their application.
Wastewater valorization
Publication . Duque, Anouk F.; Campo, Riccardo; Rio, Angeles Val Del; Amorim, Catarina L.; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit; DQ - Departamento de Química; Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
Over the last few years, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been rebranded as water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs), which recognize the resource recovery potential that exists in wastewater streams. WRRFs contribute to a circular economy by not only producing clean water but by recovering valuable resources such as nutrients, energy, and other bio-based materials. To this aim, huge efforts in technological progress have been made to valorize sewage and sewage sludge, transforming them into valuable resources. This review summarizes some of the widely used and effective strategies applied at pilot-and full-scale settings in order to valorize the wastewater treatment process. An overview of the different technologies applied in the water and sludge line is presented, covering a broad range of resources, i.e., water, biomass, energy, nutrients, volatile fatty acids (VFA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), and exopolymeric substances (EPS). Moreover, guidelines and regulations around the world related to water reuse and resource valorization are reviewed.
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Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
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6817 - DCRRNI ID
Número da atribuição
UIDB/50016/2020