Browsing by Author "Tavares, Wilson R."
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- Aqueous and Ethanolic Plant Extracts as Bio-Insecticides : Establishing a Bridge between Raw Scientific Data and Practical RealityPublication . Tavares, Wilson R.; Barreto, Maria do Carmo; Seca, Ana M. L.Global demand for food production is causing pressure to produce faster and bigger crop yields, leading to a rampant use of synthetical pesticides. To combat the nefarious consequences of its uses, a search for effective alternatives began in the last decades and is currently ongoing. Nature is seen as the main source of answers to crop protection problems, supported by several examples of plants/extracts used for this purpose in traditional agriculture. The literature reviewed allowed the identification of 95 plants whose extracts exhibit insecticide activity and can be used as bio-pesticides contributing to sustainable agriculture. The option for ethanol and/or water extracts is more environmentally friendly and resorts to easily accessible solvents, which can be reproduced by farmers themselves. This enables a bridge to be established between raw scientific data and a more practical reality. Azadirachta indica, Capsicum annuum, Nicotiana tabacum and Tagetes erecta are the most researched plants and have the potential to be viable options in the pest management approach. Azadirachta indica showed the most promising results and Brevicoryne brassicae was the most targeted pest species, being tested against the aqueous and/or ethanolic extracts of 23 different plants. Maceration using dried material (usually leaves) is the extraction method preferred by the majority of authors.
- A Gigante Invasora e a sua Inesperada Dádiva AtioxidantePublication . Tavares, Wilson R.A procura por novos produtos de origem natural com benefícios para a sociedade é um tema cada vez mais interessante, não só para a comunidade científica, mas também para a população em geral e para algumas indústrias. Por exemplo, na agricultura o uso excessivo ao longo dos anos de pesticidas sintéticos tem levantado muitas preocupações devido aos seus efeitos nocivos e ao impacto negativo no meio ambiente, pelo que são altamente desejadas alternativas a estes pesticidas que sejam mais ecológicas, seguras, práticas e acessíveis. Em relação à medicina, a busca por compostos bioativos com potenciais aplicações em saúde não cessa, surgindo todos os anos vários novos medicamentos com os mais variados tipos de ação: antibacteriano, anti-inflamatório, antioxidante, anti tumoral, antiviral, etc.
- Kaempferol Derivatives from Hedychium gardnerianum : Unveiling the Potential of an Invasive PlantPublication . Tavares, Wilson R.; Barreto, Maria do Carmo; Seca, Ana M. L.The therapeutic properties of plants and of their secondary metabolites are a current research topic of great interest. Considering that Hedychium species are used in folk medicine around the globe, Hedychium gardnerianum Sheppard ex Ker Gawl., an extremely aggressive invasive plant in Hawaii and in Azores, was selected and phytochemically studied in order to search for natural compounds with interesting biological activities. […].
- MACBIOPEST : biopesticidas botânicos da Macaronésia : investigação e saber popularPublication . Tavares, Wilson R.[…]. De forma a evitar os pontos negativos inerentes ao uso destes inseticidas sintéticos, é necessário encontrar alternativas mais eficientes e com menor impacto ambiental. É aqui que entra o projeto MACBIOPEST (“Biopesticidas Botânicos da Macaronésia: Investigação e Saber Popular”) que tem como finalidade a obtenção de extratos e/ou compostos naturais puros, a partir de plantas da Macaronésia que exibam ação pesticida, mas com menor toxicidade e, pelo menos, igualmente eficazes aos existentes no mercado. Desta forma, também se estará a contribuir para valorizar as espécies da Macaronésia, associando-lhe uma aplicação nova e valorizada. Este projeto Europeu teve início em outubro de 2019 e conta com a participação conjunta de equipas de investigação de Cabo Verde, das Canárias, da Madeira e dos Açores. […].
- Seaweed Secondary Metabolites with Beneficial Health Effects : An Overview of Successes in In Vivo Studies and Clinical TrialsPublication . Rosa, Gonçalo P.; Tavares, Wilson R.; Sousa, Pedro M. C.; Pagès, Aida K.; Seca, Ana M. L.; Pinto, Diana C. G. A.Macroalgae are increasingly viewed as a source of secondary metabolites with great potential for the development of new drugs. In this development, in vitro studies are only the first step in a long process, while in vivo studies and clinical trials are the most revealing stages of the true potential and limitations that a given metabolite may have as a new drug. This literature review aims to give a critical overview of the secondary metabolites that reveal the most interesting results in these two steps. Phlorotannins show great pharmaceutical potential in in vivo models and, among the several examples, the anti-dyslipidemia activity of dieckol must be highlighted because it was more effective than lovastatin in an in vivo model. The IRLIIVLMPILMA tridecapeptide that exhibits an in vivo level of activity similar to the hypotensive clinical drug captopril should still be stressed, as well as griffithsin which showed such stunning results over a variety of animal models and which will probably move onto clinical trials soon. Regarding clinical trials, studies with pure algal metabolites are scarce, limited to those carried out with kahalalide F and fucoxanthin. The majority of clinical trials currently aim to ascertain the effect of algae consumption, as extracts or fractions, on obesity and diabetes.
- Uncharted Source of Medicinal Products : The Case of the Hedychium GenusPublication . Tavares, Wilson R.; Barreto, Maria do Carmo; Seca, Ana M. L.A current research topic of great interest is the study of the therapeutic properties of plants and of their bioactive secondary metabolites. Plants have been used to treat all types of health problems from allergies to cancer, in addition to their use in the perfumery industry and as food. Hedychium species are among those plants used in folk medicine in several countries and several works have been reported to verify if and how effectively these plants exert the effects reported in folk medicine, studying their essential oils, extracts and pure secondary metabolites. Hedychium coronarium and Hedychium spicatum are the most studied species. Interesting compounds have been identified like coronarin D, which possesses antibacterial, antifungal and antitumor activities, as well as isocoronarin D, linalool and villosin that exhibit better cytotoxicity towards tumor cell lines than the reference compounds used, with villosin not affecting the non-tumor cell line. Linalool and α-pinene are the most active compounds found in Hedychium essential oils, while β-pinene is identified as the most widespread compound, being reported in 12 different Hedychium species. Since only some Hedychium species have been investigated, this review hopes to shed some light on the uncharted territory that is the Hedychium genus.