Molecular Nutrition and Health Lab

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Portugal
Oeiras
Molecular Nutrition and Health Lab

The MNH research is focused on plant biodiversity, conservation and screening of bioactive metabolit alternata by other fungi are being examined.

Research Interests
The biodiversity and conservation studies are centred on in vitro vegetative propagation of endemic Portuguese plant species, some of which under risk of extinction. The novel bioactive metabolites (including polyphenols) present in these plant species are being scrutinized and chemically characterized. In the biomedical applications, the plant secondary metabolites selected are being evaluated for antioxidant, antiproliferative and/or antimicrobial activities. For that purpose several models, such as human neuroblastoma, colorectal and cancer cells, yeast, human and also plant fungal pathogens are being used. For example, for neurodegeneration cell models, neuroblastoma cells treated with rotenone and yeasts overexpressing alpha-synuclein are used for selection of natural products potentially useful in treatment and/or prevention of Parkinson´s disease. To access the bioavailability of these natural products, particularly of antioxidant compounds from edible plants, like berry fruits, in vitro digestion and human intervention studies are underway. The search and development of novel and non-toxic fungicides active against human and plant pathogens allow the development of new strategies to control and fight pathogenic fungi. For that purpose human and plant cell interactions with pathogenic fungi are being analysed, in particular, host-induced changes in human fungal pathogen exoglycomes. In plants, molecular interactions of grapevine with pathogenic fungi responsible for grapevine powdery mildew and wood diseases are also being studied. Genetically transformed grapevine, rose and other plants, constitutively expressing antifungal proteins (e.g. blad) are being evaluated, and specific bioelectronic methodologies capable of detecting and treating asymptomatic grapevine plants infected with recalcitrant fungal wood diseases are under development. Finally, for an additional understanding of fungal interactions, the challenging of Aspergillus fumigatus and A. Taking advantage of novel and promising natural products, such strategies could provide in a near future, treatments with low toxicity levels. A number of patent applications have been granted, are under examination or are under preparation.

30/03/2018

Enjoy the Easter we extend the deadline to register for FBHC2018!!!!

Abstract submission is now open until April 30th.

30/03/2018

Final Conference of the COST Action POSITIVe will be a satellite symposium of the FBHC2018. Between 25 and 26 September 2018 come to listen about the “Interindividual variation in response to plant food bioactives”.

30/03/2018

INFOGEST network will join us at FBHC2018 as a satellite meeting in 25 and 26 September, Lisbon. Topics related with health properties of food and the digestive process will be discussed.

http://www.itqb.unl.pt/fbhc2018/satellite-meetings/infogest-meeting

Join us Conference on Food Bioactives & Health

23/03/2018

Join us!!!!

Do not forget to register FBHC2018, abstract submission is open until March 30th (http://www.itqb.unl.pt/fbhc2018/registration/registration)

The 2nd International Conference on Food Bioactives & Health (FBHC 2018), which will take place from the 26th to the 28th of September, in Lisbon, Portugal.

The topics addressed by FBHC 2018 will cover the whole palette of interests of the community including the impact of polyphenols, carotenoids, glucosinolates, marine compounds, polysaccharides, peptides and proteins as food bioactives for health.

If you are a postdoc, and you would like to attend take a look in the link bellow for a detailed list of travel funding opportunities:

https://asntech.github.io/postdoc-funding-schemes/travel-grants/

Looking forward to see you in Lisbon!

01/02/2018

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We are delighted to announce the upcoming 2nd International Conference on Food Bioactives & Health (FBHC 2018), which will take place from the 26th to the 28th of September, in Lisbon, Portugal.

The topics addressed by FBHC 2018 will cover the whole palette of interests of the community including the impact of polyphenols, carotenoids, glucosinolates, marine compounds, polysaccharides, peptides and proteins as food bioactives for health.

Join us!!!!!

For more details please visit:

After the great success of the 1st International Conference on Food Bioactives & Health held in Norwich in 2016, it is a great pleasure and an honor to welcome you to the second edition of this premier scientific event. The FBHC 2018 will take place in the amazing city of Lisbon, from the 26th to...

25/01/2018

Congrats Catarina!!! Well done, we are proud of you!

Parabéns à Ana Bastos, que concluiu com sucesso o seu Mestrado em Bioquímica para a Saúde com a tese "Modulation of neuroinflammation by phenolic sulfates metabolites"

06/01/2018

Better understanding how gut microbiota interact and cooperate with dietary polyphenols will allow novel treatments to promote brain resilience against stress life factors and possibly prevent age-related neurodegenerative conditions.

Very interesting!

Better understanding how gut microbes (also known as probiotics) interact and cooperate with dietary polyphenols will allow novel treatments to promote brain...

22/12/2017

Merry Christmas from the MNH team!!!!!

21/12/2017

Last week Inês Figueira presented her phD thesis entitled "Deciphering the potential of berries polyphenol metabolites for Parkinson’s Disease: Digestion, blood-brain barrier transposition and neuroprotective effect".

It was brilliant!!!
We are so proud of you Inês!!! Congrats

04/12/2017

The Bachberry documentary film "Berrymakers" has been in the selection of only 27 films out of a staggering 1300 entries at the 7th Life Science Film Festival in Prague.
See film #3 in the list here

Congrats to Biofaction and all BacHBerry partners!!

A list of competition films at the 7th Life Sciences Film Festival Posted on 29.8.2017 The 7th Life Sciences Film Festival will see twenty-seven films compete for the LSFF Grand Prix. Festival programmers selected the competition films from among more than 1300 entered films. The Czech Republic has?...

24/11/2017

Did you know that bioaccessible (poly)phenol metabolites, at physiological concentrations, may access brain cells and be protective?

By revealing significant gene modulatory effects of diet-derived compounds, we enlarge our understanding of how the food we eat impacts gene expression and ultimately prevent neuronal dysfunction!!!

Take a look on our most recent publication

Epidemiological and intervention studies have attempted to link the health effects of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with the consumption of polyphenols and their impact in neurodegenerative dis

Endereço

ITQB/IBET, Avenida Da República, Apartado 127
Oeiras
2781-901

Website

http://www.itqb.unl.pt/research/technology/molecular-nutrition-and-health/claudia-santos-lab

Notificações

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