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ALTFoodSense Project – Artificial Saliva-Based Technologies to Enhance Sensory and Nutritional Properties of Food

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Title: ALTFoodSense Project – Artificial Saliva-Based Technologies to Enhance Sensory and Nutritional Properties of Food Authors: Lamy, E.; Pérez-Jiménez, M.; Capela e Silva, F.; Lucas, M.R.; Conceição, C.; Sousa, C.; Martins, M.R.; Machado, G. Abstract: The ALTFoodSense project aims to transfer existing scientific knowledge into practical tools that help to predict sensory and nutritional characteristics of food products. This is based on the innovative use of artificial saliva to simulate the food-saliva interactions occurring in the mouth, through objective and reproducible assessments. This approach offers a promising complementary tool to traditional sensory panels and physicochemical analyses, addressing limitations in reproducibility, cost, and applicability to novel food matrices. By combining insights from different fields such as saliva biochemistry and sensory science, ALTFoodSense introduces the “SensePredict” technology, a prototype capable of predicting organoleptic sensations and nutrient bioavailability based on the interactions between food components and saliva. By considering the variability of saliva composition among different consumer groups (e.g. gender, age, ethnicity), this technology not only provides quality control, but also supports the development of targeted food products for specific consumer groups with distinct salivary and nutritional profiles. ALTFoodSense also promotes the transfer of scientific results not only to the food industry sector, but also to students and other professionals. This aligns directly with the goals of the EdU_Saliva, supporting the inclusion of saliva science into higher education through accessible, innovative, and interdisciplinary teaching tools. Funding: Alentejo 2030-Programa Regional do Alentejo; Portugal 2030; European Union.

HealthyW8: Evaluation of health parameters related to obesity prevention through saliva

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Title: HealthyW8: Evaluation of health parameters related to obesity prevention through saliva Authors: Mendes, C.; Silva, R.; Pérez-Jiménez, M.; Madeira, F.; Bengalinha, S.; Capela e Silva, F.; Batalha, N.; Raimundo, A.; Tavares, S.; Lamy, E. Abstract: HealthyW8 (https://www.healthyw8.eu/) is a European initiative focused on promoting sustainable lifestyle changes, with the aim of supporting individuals in the adoption and long-term maintenance of healthy habits in vulnerable stages of life. This multidisciplinary project integrates behavioral science, digital health tools, and the monitoring of biological markers to better understand how lifestyle modifications influence health trajectories in real-world contexts. Within the scope of this project, the use of non-invasive methods for collecting biological samples proves particularly relevance for assessing physiological changes associated with shifts in daily behaviors. Among the available biofluids, saliva stands out as a valuable and still underexplored matrix, offering several advantages: it is easy to collect, non-invasive, and contains numerous analytes that reflect both local and systemic physiological processes. These include inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, enzymatic activity, and proteomic alterations related to metabolic status and general well-being. This preliminary study, in the context of HealthyW8 project, aims to assess the relationship between salivary protein profile and physical activity parameters, as well as to assess the changes in this profile induced by acute practice of exercise, in children. Saliva samples are collected at two distinct time points — before and after 45 minutes exercise. The application of targeted proteomic and enzymatic analyses, allow to identify the main salivary protein components related with physical activity, in children. This is a starting point for the tasks, considered in HealthyW8 projects, where the feasibility of integrating salivary analysis into broader digital strategies for public health promotion is explored. This research is funded by the European Union through the project “Horizon-Europe (HORIZON-HLTH-STAYHLTH-01-05-twostage)”.

Quercus pollen allergy risk in Alentejo, Portugal, in a climate change scenario

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Quercus pollen allergy risk in Alentejo, Portugal, in a climate change scenario Authors: Galveias, A; Raposo, M; Costa, MJ; Costa, AR; Duarte, E; Antunes, CM Abstract: Background: The Quercus genus, representing an important natural resource, is also described as a high sensitizing pollen type. As the most prevalent pollen type in Alentejo, it potentially impacting respiratory health of susceptible individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Quercus pollen on respiratory allergic disease in Alentejo, in a climate change scenario. Method: Data on antihistamines sales (group-1 histamines antagonists – G1); group-2 SOS drugs – G2) were obtained from the National Pharmacy Association (ANF) (2004–2021). The pollen was monitored (2002–2021) using standard Hirst-type traps and identified by optical microscopy, according to the standard methodology (REA.com). The meteorological variables were obtained from ICT/CGE platform (Portugal) and their impact on the Seasonal Pollen Index (SPIn), Pollen Season Duration (PSD) and Daily Pollen Concentrations (DPC) was investigated by statistical methods. Results: The results evidenced an impact on allergic disease, by positive associations of the April's SPIn with April's antihistamines sales, both G1 and G1+G2 (R: 0.656*; p = 0.028 and R: 0.642*; p = 0.033,respectively). Meteorology strongly influenced the SPIn but not the PSD. The meteorological factors on SPIn, a negative correlation with precipitation (P) (R: - 0.549*; p = 0.022), relative humidity (RH) (R:- 0.506*; p = 0.045) was observed, while the wind speed (WS) was positively correlated (R: 0.689**; p = 0.002). Meteorology also influenced the DPC. Positive correlations between the temperature, global solar radiation and wind speed and direction and DPC were observed. On the contrary, P and RH were negatively correlated with DPC. Conclusion: The results suggest that Quercus pollen contributes to the worsening allergy symptoms in Alentejo evidenced by the in-crease in the antihistamines sales. Moreover, it suggests that by influencing the pollen loads, climate affects the risk of exposure to this sensitizing agent thus changing allergic respiratory outcomes over the years.

Multi-thiol assessment upon the Peritoneal Equilibration Test (PET) reveals solute-specific membrane transport profiles

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Title: Multi-thiol assessment upon the Peritoneal Equilibration Test (PET) reveals solute-specific membrane transport profiles Authors: Anão, Sofia; Sequeira, Diogo; Calça, Rita; Gonçalves, Joana; Sousa, Cátia; Branco, Patrícia; Pereira, Sofia A.; Teixeira-Santos, Luísa Abstract: Peritoneal membrane (PM) dysfunction remains a key limitation to the long-term efficacy of peritoneal dialysis (PD) [1]. The Peritoneal Equilibration Test (PET), widely used to clinically assess PM function, primarily evaluates creatinine transport but may overlook distinct membrane response patterns. Aminothiols such as cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (HCys), cysteinylglycine (CysGly), and glutathione (GSH), a thiol profile we refer to as the “thiolome” [2], may offer insights into PM membrane integrity and redox balance. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which carry antioxidant molecules, may also contribute to local protective mechanisms against injury [3]; however, the thiol content of EVs in the context of PET has yet to be investigated. Therefore, we hypothesized that thiol responses to PET vary among patients, and that these molecules are present in the cargo of EVs isolated from PET dialysate. We aimed to characterize patient thiol responses during PET and to investigate the presence of thiols in EVs derived from PET dialysate. Methods: A cross-sectional, single-center study was conducted in 25 PD patients at Unidade Local de Saúde de Lisboa Ocidental (Ethical approval: NMS 120/2023/CEFCM; ULSLO 2024-63). PD effluents samples were collected at 0, 2, and 4 hours during a standard PET. Alongside, plasma samples were collected before PET started. Free total aminothiol fractions were quantified via HPLC with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) [4,5]. Area under the curve (AUC) for dialysate-to-plasma (D/P) ratios of aminothiols were calculated to assess their peritoneal transport characteristics during PET. Furthermore, EVs were isolated from PET dialysate by filtration followed by an ultracentrifugation step. EVs successful isolation was confirmed by the presence of CD63, an EV-specific marker, through western blot analysis, and GSH content was assessed by HPLC-FD [4,5]. Results: Compared to creatinine, the AUC values for Cys and CysGly were significantly lower (p = 0.001 and p < 0.0001, respectively), while the AUC for HCys did not differ. Additionally, GSH was detected in isolated EVs obtained from PET dialysate. Conclusion: This exploratory and preliminary data indicate that transport across the PM varies significantly among different aminothiols, highlighting potential differences in underlying transport mechanisms and membrane selectivity.