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Ana Cristina Pinheiro

Bio: Ana Cristina Pinheiro is an academic researcher from University of Minho. The author has contributed to research in topics: Controlled release & Locust bean gum. The author has an hindex of 29, co-authored 80 publications receiving 2973 citations.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a polysaccharide was isolated by aqueous extraction at 90C from the red seaweed Gracilaria birdiae (Gb), with a yield of 27.2% of the seaweed dry weight.

332 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a mixture of locust bean gum (LBG) and carrageenan (κ-car) was used to enhance the barrier properties of the films leading to a decrease of water vapor permeability.

260 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Comparisons between various in vitro digestion systems (including the main advantages and disadvantages) currently in use, as well as correlations between the behavior of micro- and nanosystems studied through in vitro and in vivo systems were highlighted and discussed here for the first time.

199 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the most important features of these polysaccharides are discussed, namely: their structure and applications; physical, chemical, thermal and mechanical properties of galactomannan-based films/coatings; transport properties (in particular those related to moisture, oxygen, carbon dioxide exchange through the films/coating); incorporation of active compounds (e.g., natural antimicrobials and/or antioxidants) and applications in food products.
Abstract: Innovations constantly appear in food packaging, always aiming at creating a more efficient quality preservation system while improving foods’ attractiveness and marketability. The utilization of renewable sources for packaging materials, such as hydrocolloids from biological origin, is one the main trends of the industry. Edible films/coatings have been considered as one of the potential technologies that can be used to increase the storability of foods and to improve the existent packaging technology, helping to ensure the microbial safety and the preservation of food from the influence of external factors. In view of these recent developments, the main objective of this review is to provide information concerning the utilization of galactomannans in the production of edible films/coatings. The most important features of these polysaccharides are discussed, namely: their structure and applications; physical, chemical, thermal and mechanical properties of galactomannan-based films/coatings; transport properties (in particular those related to moisture, oxygen, carbon dioxide exchange through the films/coatings); incorporation of active compounds (e.g. natural antimicrobials and/or antioxidants) and applications in food products. It is viewed that in a near future tailored edible packaging based on polysaccharides can be applied to selected foods, partially replacing non-biodegradable/non-edible plastics.

195 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Chitosan/fucoidan nanocapsules showed a good capacity for the encapsulation and loading of PLL, which shows to be influenced by the initial PLL concentration and the method of encapsulation used, and an anomalous behaviour, with one main polymer relaxation.

161 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors classify food waste sources and high-added value ingredients prior to exploring the recovery stages, conventional and emerging technologies applied from the raw material to the final or encapsulated product.
Abstract: Food wastes are today considered as a cheap source of valuable components since the existent technologies allow the recovery of target compounds and their recycling inside food chain as functional additives in different products. The goal of the current article is to classify food waste sources and high-added value ingredients prior to exploring the recovery stages, conventional and emerging technologies applied from the raw material to the final or encapsulated product. Safety and cost aspects were discussed, too, while a survey of patented methodologies leading to real products was listed, with a final purpose of discussing the prevalent problems that restrict the commercialization of similar procedures.

961 citations

17 Jun 2015
TL;DR: A general standardised and practical static digestion method based on physiologically relevant conditions that can be applied for various endpoints, which may be amended to accommodate further specific requirements, is proposed.
Abstract: Simulated gastro-intestinal digestion is widely employed in many fields of food and nutritional sciences, as conducting human trials are often costly, resource intensive, and ethically disputable. As a consequence, in vitro alternatives that determine endpoints such as the bioaccessibility of nutrients and non-nutrients or the digestibility of macronutrients (e.g. lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) are used for screening and building new hypotheses. Various digestion models have been proposed, often impeding the possibility to compare results across research teams. For example, a large variety of enzymes from different sources such as of porcine, rabbit or human origin have been used, differing in their activity and characterization. Differences in pH, mineral type, ionic strength and digestion time, which alter enzyme activity and other phenomena, may also considerably alter results. Other parameters such as the presence of phospholipids, individual enzymes such as gastric lipase and digestive emulsifiers vs. their mixtures (e.g. pancreatin and bile salts), and the ratio of food bolus to digestive fluids, have also been discussed at length. In the present consensus paper, within the COST Infogest network, we propose a general standardised and practical static digestion method based on physiologically relevant conditions that can be applied for various endpoints, which may be amended to accommodate further specific requirements. A frameset of parameters including the oral, gastric and small intestinal digestion are outlined and their relevance discussed in relation to available in vivo data and enzymes. This consensus paper will give a detailed protocol and a line-by-line, guidance, recommendations and justifications but also limitation of the proposed model. This harmonised static, in vitro digestion method for food should aid the production of more comparable data in the future.

806 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: The glycemic index concept is an extension of the fiber hypothesis, suggesting that fiber consumption reduces the rate of nutrient influx from the gut as mentioned in this paper, and has particular relevance to those chronic Western diseases associated with central obesity and insulin resistance.

758 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a review summarizes the current state of knowledge of these crustacean shellfish shellfish wastes and the various ways to use chitin, a polysaccharide that may be extracted after deproteinisation and demineralization of the exoskeletons.
Abstract: Background Food processing produces large quantities of by-products. Disposal of waste can lead to environmental and human health problems, yet often they can be turned into high value, useful products. For example, crustacean shell wastes from shrimp, crab, lobster, and krill contain large amounts of chitin, a polysaccharide that may be extracted after deproteinisation and demineralization of the exoskeletons. Scope and approach This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of these crustacean shellfish wastes and the various ways to use chitin. This biopolymer and its derivatives, such as chitosan, have many biological activities (e.g., anti-cancer, antioxidant, and immune-enhancing) and can be used in various applications (e.g., medical, cosmetic, food, and textile). Key findings and conclusions Due to the huge waste produced each year by the shellfish processing industry and the absence of waste management which represent an environmental hazard, the extraction of chitin from crustaceans’ shells may be a solution to minimize the waste and to produce valuable compound which possess biological properties with application in many fields. As a food waste, it is important to also be aware of the non-food uses of these wastes.

751 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the lastest advances on their composition (polymers to be used in the structural matrix), including nanoparticles addition, and properties have been reviewed, as well as the trends in the research about their different applications, including oil consumption reduction in deep-fat fried products, their use in combination with bioactive compounds that bring foodstuff additional functions and shelf life extension of highly perishable products.
Abstract: Edible films and coatings are thin layers of edible materials applied on food products that play an important role on their conservation, distribution and marketing. Some of their functions are to protect the product from mechanical damage, physical, chemical and microbiological activities. Their use in food applications and especially highly perishable products such as horticultural ones, is based on some particular properties such as cost, availability, functional attributes, mechanical properties (flexibility, tension), optical properties (brightness and opacity), the barrier effect against gases flow, structural resistance to water and microorganisms and sensory acceptability. In this piece of work, the lastest advances on their composition (polymers to be used in the structural matrix), including nanoparticles addition, and properties have been reviewed, as well as the trends in the research about their different applications, including oil consumption reduction in deep-fat fried products, their use in combination with bioactive compounds that bring foodstuff additional functions and shelf life extension of highly perishable products.

708 citations