Agostinho Almeida

University of Porto | UP · Faculty of Pharmacy

Firefighters’ occupational activity causes cancer, and the characterization of exposure during firefighting activities remains limited. This work characterizes, for the first time, firefighters’ exposure to (coarse/fine/ultrafine) particulate matter (PM) bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metal(loid)s during prescribed fires, Fire 1...

The delimitation of fish stocks and how species use habitats are essential keys to develop and to implement fishery resources management and rational sustainable programs. Otolith shape and microchemistry analyses can provide helpful information for defining population units and solving ecological connectivity issues. The black drum, Pogonias courb...

Background: Food waste is a global and growing problem that is gaining traction due to its environmental, ethical, social, and economic repercussions. Between 2022 and 2027, the worldwide papaya market is expected to have a huge increase, meaning a growth in organic waste, including peels and seeds. Thus, this study evaluated the potential use of p...

Objectives In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the global consumption of honey, driven by the high demand for natural products that offer health benefits. Consequently, consumers show a preference for honey, recognised for its superior quality, namely honey with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or honey produced in prot...

The identification of crops that simultaneously contribute to the global protein supply and mitigate the effects of climate change is an urgent matter. Lupins are well adapted to nutrient-poor or contaminated soils, tolerate various abiotic stresses, and present relevant traits for acting as ecosystem engineers. Lupins are best studied for their se...

Background Normal brain functioning depends on metals homeostasis, as imbalances may increase oxidative stress and cause other detrimental intracellular events that lead to cell loss. Furthermore, environmental exposure to toxic metals is hypothesized to induce neuroinflammation and neuropathology, paving the way to neurodegeneration. The aim of th...

Exposure to chemical pollutants, such as metals, can cause adverse health effects on human health. Firefighters are occupationally exposed to metals during firefighting activities as well as at fire stations. The aim of this study is to characterize the levels of metals in the saliva of firefighters during regular activities performed at fire stati...

Simple Summary Cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn) are essential trace elements (ETEs) important in cellular chemical reactions and antioxidant defense. Ingestion of ETEs during pregnancy is crucial but their role in specific pregnancy outcomes is largely unknown. This study aimed to quantify urinary levels of t...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has a significant impact on human, animal, and environmental health, being spread in diverse settings. Antibiotic misuse and overuse in the food chain are widely recognized as primary drivers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, other antimicrobials, such as metals and organic acids, commonly present in agri-foo...

Exposure to environmental chemicals during developmental stages can result in several adverse outcomes. In this study, the exposure of Portuguese children to Cu, Co, I, Mo, Mn, Ni, As, Sb, Cd, Pb, Sn and Tl was evaluated through the analysis of first morning urine through ICP-MS. Furthermore, we attempted to determine possible exposure predictors....

Cork harvesting process is considered sustainable, however, the potential of the waste that is generated in the cork transformation process, in the context of bio-circular economy, still needs more investigation. This work investigated three cork by-products, coarse powder (P0) and fine powder (P1), as well as cork boiling wastewater (CBW), as sust...

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are among the most widely commercialized nanomaterials globally, with applications in medicine and the food industry. Consequently, the increased use of AgNP in the food industry has led to an unavoidable rise in human exposure to these nanoparticles. Their widespread use raises concerns about potential hazards to human...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has a significant global impact on human, animal, and environmental health. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics in clinical and animal production settings are the main drivers behind the emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. However, other compounds with antimicrobial activity may also contribute to this global...

The Brazilian mojarra, Eugerres brasilianus, is an economically important species for the artisanal fisheries usually found in the estuarine waters along the southwest Atlantic Ocean. Despite this, knowledge about its population structure is scarce, and no management strategies have been applied to ensure the fisheries sustainability in Brazil. Thu...

Intersex gonads have been observed in thicklip grey mullet Chelon labrosus, inhabiting estuaries with high burdens of xenoestrogens in the Southeast Bay of Biscay, but knowledge of population connectivity among estuaries is lacking for this euryhaline fish species. This study investigates the population structure of C. labrosus using otolith shape...

The use of antibiotics in animal production is linked to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a threat to animal, environmental and human health. Copper (Cu) is an essential element in poultry diets and an alternative to antibiotics, supplementing inorganic or organic trace mineral feeds (ITMF/OTMF). However, its contribution...

Brain manganese (Mn) accumulation is a key feature in patients with acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD). The role of trace elements other than Mn in AHD needs to be clarified. In this study, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we aimed to evaluate blood levels of trace elements in patients with AHD before and after liver tran...

The thread herring Opisthonema oglinum (Lesueur, 1818) is a small pelagic fish distributed in the western margin of the Atlantic Ocean from the United States to Argentina. It is a target species of diverse commercial fisheries, including of the Brazilian industrial purse seine fleets that operate in the Southeastern Brazilian Bight. To investigate...

Algae can leverage aquaculture sustainability and improve the nutritional and functional value of fish for human consumption, but may pose challenges to carnivorous fish. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of a commercial blend of macroalgae (Ulva sp. and Gracilaria gracilis) and microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis oceanica)...

Previous studies have shown that haemodialysis patients have an increased risk of trace element imbalances. Most studies have determined the concentration of trace elements in serum only, but most trace elements are not uniformly distributed between plasma and blood cells, which justifies separate analysis of the different compartments. In this stu...

Gums and carrageenans are food additives widely used in food preparations to improve texture and as viscosifiers. Although they are typically added in small amounts, nowadays people tend to use more and more pre-prepared food. In this work, the content of a wide panel of trace elements in commercial products were analyzed. Carrageenans and gums (n...

Adequate gestational progression depends to a great extent on placental development, which can modify maternal and neonatal outcomes. Any environmental toxicant, including metals, with the capacity to affect the placenta can alter the development of the pregnancy and its outcome. The objective of this study was to correlate the placenta levels of 1...

Quercus suber L. bark (cork) is a sustainable material due to its ability to regenerate. The aim of this work was to explore cork powders, by-products of the cork industry, as sustainable sources of value-added compounds. Two types of cork powder were studied: coarse (P0) and fine (P1). A broad physicochemical characterization was carried out, rega...

Background: Patients on chronic hemodialysis therapy are at high risk of disturbances in trace element status due to both the underlying disease and the hemodialysis process itself. Data on iodine and bromine levels in these patients are scarce. Methods: Using an ICP-MS analytical procedure, serum iodine and bromine levels were determined in a coho...

Trace elements such as Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn are essential minerals in fish diets, especially important at early larval stages. The chemical speciation of these elements directly influences their uptake efficiency and metabolic utilization. In order to optimize the form of trace elements incorporated into larval feed, two experiments were conducted usi...

Commercial fruit flours were evaluated concerning: (i) the nutritional composition (proximate composition, total phenolic content, and minerals content), (ii) their contribution to estimated mineral daily intake, (iii) the bioaccessibility of essential minerals using the in vitro INFOGEST digestion method and (iv) the influence of their chemical co...

The goal of this work was to examine whether elevated iodine intake was associated with adverse effects on IQ among school-age children in Portugal. In a representative sample of children from the north of the country, IQ percentiles by age (assessed with Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices) were dichotomized to <50 (“below-average” IQs) and ≥50....

The growing pet population is questioning the sustainability of the pet food system. Although microalgae may constitute a more sustainable food resource, the assessment of their potential for canine diets is almost non-existent. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of three microalgae species (Tetradesmus obliquus, Chlorella vulgaris a...

Caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) evolves with clinical symptoms that vary widely in severity, from mild symptoms to critical conditions, which can even result in the patient's death. A critical aspect related to an individual response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is the competence of the immune system, and it...

In this study, otolith geochemical signatures (Element:Ca ratios) were used to investigate the long-term spatial shifts of the population structure of Isopisthus parvipinnis, Bigtooth corvina, an economically and ecologically important Brazilian fish species. Two-hundred and ninety-seven juvenile individuals from historical (1975) and contemporary...

The most consumed fish species in Portugal do not correspond to the most caught fish species on the Portuguese coast. From the point of view of ocean sustainability and economics, it is important to study unexploited or underexploited fish species that have the potential to be introduced into the food market. This potential can be reflected by thei...

Purpose: After a recommendation for iodine supplementation in pregnancy has been issued in 2013 in Portugal, there were no studies covering iodine status in pregnancy in the country. The aim of this study was to assess iodine status in pregnant women in Porto region and its association with iodine supplementation. Methods: A cross-sectional stud...

Knowledge about trace elements has evolved remarkably in recent decades, both in terms of their metabolism and their functions [...]

Two shrimp species were sampled in different seasons and locations on Portuguese coast. Their fatty acid content and 28 essential, probably essential and potentially toxic/non-essential elements were quantified. A 100 g serving of shrimp muscle from the Portuguese coast provides 78% of the recommended daily intake. Both species presented low ω-6/ω-...

The influence of drying (sun-drying and shade-drying) on the elemental composition of two brown seaweeds (Treptacantha abies-marina, Cystoseira humilis) and two red seaweed species (Asparagopsis armata and Asparagopsis taxiformis) harvested in the Faial Island (Azores Islands, Portugal) was assessed. The contents of sixteen nutritionally and toxico...

Large amounts of Prunus avium L. by-products result from sweet cherry production and processing. This work aimed to evaluate the mineral content and volatile profiling of the cherry stems, leaves, and flowers of the Saco cultivar collected from the Fundão region (Portugal). A total of 18 minerals were determined by ICP-MS, namely 8 essential and 10...

Background: Medicinal plants are often used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, although knowledge about their mode of action and the substances responsible for their antidiabetic potential is limited. It is well known that some trace elements play a role in glucose metabolism and insulin action. Thus, a particular trace elements profile could...

The indigenous fruit Strychnos madagascariensis is usually processed to flour, called nfuma, being highly consumed during staple food shortage. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition of nfuma and its nutrient adequacy. Flours from four districts of Mozambique were analyzed using AOAC methods for proximate composition, HPLC for sug...

Nanomaterials, and in particular metallic nanoparticles (MNPs), have significantly contributed to the production of healthier, safer, and higher-quality foods and food packaging with special properties, such as greater mechanical strength, improved gas barrier capacity, increased water repellency and ability to inhibit microbial contamination, ensu...

During infections, the host redistributes iron in order to starve pathogens from this nutrient. Several proteins are involved in iron absorption, transport, and storage. Ferritin is the most important iron storage protein. It is composed of variable proportions of two peptides, the L- and H-ferritins (FTL and FTH). We previously showed that macroph...

Arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), and copper (Cu) are among the major historical and contemporary metal pollutants linked to global anthropogenic activities. Enterococcus have been considered indicators of fecal pollution and antibiotic resistance for years, but its largely underexplored metallome precludes understanding their role as metal pollution bio...

The mineral contents and volatile profiles of 23 sweet cherry cultivars were determined. A total of 27 minerals were determined by ICP-MS and flame atomic absorption spectrometry, including 12 essential and 15 non-essential elements. K was the most abundant in all cultivars, while Tl was the one found in the smallest amounts. A total of 66 volatile...

The integration of foodomics data to explain the impact of diet on health requires a precise knowledge of nutrients composition of complex meals. This work assesses the adequacy of two food composition databases (FCDBs) for calculation of nutritional composition of whole meals, compared to the golden standard “lab chemical analyses” and search for...

Considering the importance of seaweeds for the development of sustainable and innovative food products, this study aimed to characterize the impact of hydrothermal processing on iodine, sodium, potassium, selenium, and arsenic concentrations of four seaweed species (S. latissima, L. digitata, U. pinnatifida, and C. crispus) and on the associated he...

Citation: Gajewska, K.; Laskowska, M.; Almeida, A.; Pinto, E.; Skórzyńska-Dziduszko, K.; Błażewicz, A. Lead Levels in Non-Occupationally Exposed Women with Preeclampsia. Molecules 2021, 26(10), 3051. There are many controversies regarding the relationship between lead exposure andcomplications in pregnancy. Preeclampsia (PE) is a maternal hypertens...

Mental health and active aging are two of the main concerns in the 21st century. To search for new neuroprotective compounds, extracts of Codium tomentosum Stackhouse and Fucus vesiculosus L. were obtained through multi-step (four step) subcritical water extraction using a temperature gradient. The safety assessment of the extracts was performed by...

Essential dietary trace elements, such as zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn), critically influence a wide range of physiological, metabolic, and hormonal processes in fish larvae and post-larvae. Despite their importance for normal fish growth and skeletal development, trace mineral nutrition has not been extensively studied in the early stages of develo...

The capacity of skimmed milk to neutralise increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and to attenuate nitric oxide (NO) production, as well as to present cytoprotective effect at the intestinal level was assessed after in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion. The impact on ROS modulation was evaluated at a non-cytotoxic concentration of hydrogen peroxid...

Some trace elements (TE) are eminently toxic for humans (e.g., Al, Pb, Hg, Cd) and its presence in the central nervous system has been linked to the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases (ND). More recently, the focus has shifted to the potential role of the imbalances on essential TE levels (e.g., Fe, Cu, Zn, Se) within the brain tissue, and they...

Palladium-based compounds are regarded as potential analogs to platinum anticancer drugs with improved properties. The present study assessed the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of a dinuclear palladium(II)-spermine chelate (Pd2Spm), which has previously been shown to possess promising in vitro activity against several therapy-resistant cancer...

Selenium is an essential trace element for puppies and adult dogs and dietary supplementation is a common practice to ensure animal requirements. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of two selenium sources for supplementation of complete dry dog foods, offered to puppies from 12 to 52 weeks of age. The study followed a complete randomized bloc...

Lack of knowledge about iodine has been suggested as a risk factor for iodine deficiency in pregnant women but no studies have addressed this issue in Portugal. So, the aim of this study was to investigate iodine knowledge among Portuguese pregnant women and its association with iodine status. IoMum, a prospective observational study, included 485...

The role of milk and dairy products in supplying iodine to pregnant women is unknown in Portugal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between milk and dairy consumption and the iodine status of pregnant women in the IoMum cohort of the Oporto region. Pregnant women were recruited between 10 and 13 weeks of gestation, when they pro...

The present work integrates concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTE) (i.e. As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) from (i) environmental media (i.e. soil, crops) and (ii) human hair. The aim was to assess whether agricultural soil and vegetable quality are related to risks to human health from different exposures pathways and if there are any...

In vitro methods have gained rising importance in ecotoxicology due to ethical concerns. The aim of this study was to assess the single and combined in vitro effects of gold, as nanoparticle (AuNPs) and ionic (Au⁺) form, and the pharmaceutical gemfibrozil (GEM). Sparus aurata liver organ culture was exposed to gold (4 to 7200 μg·L⁻¹), GEM (1.5 to 1...

Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) is one of the main small pelagic fish resources in the North-East (NE) Atlantic. At present, for fisheries management purposes, a single stock of this species in the NE Atlantic is considered. Over the last years, fishing pressure has greatly increased in this species, but the information regarding its popula...

Spent fluid cracking catalyst (FCC) is an abundant waste material derived from oil refining processes and notably characterized by its content in rare earth metals, such as cerium (Ce) and lanthanum (La). In this work, it was our main aim to develop a simple but effective flowsheet, based on a single acid assisted leaching step followed by two cons...

The goal of this study was to examine how IQ changes (the Flynn effect) among school-aged children in Portugal behaved over a period of 25 years (1991, 2008 and 2016) that registered major economic transformations in the country. The country's initial move to prosperity was followed by a recent move into recession, which might affect IQ gains. Chan...

Palladium-(Pd)-based drugs are emerging as alternatives to platinum (Pt) anticancer chemotherapeutics, which increases the need for efficient and suitable procedures of Pd analysis in reduced amounts of pre-clinical animal samples. Herein, ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) method was developed and validated for simple and fast a...

Trace elements (TE) homeostasis is crucial in normal brain functioning. Although imbalances have the potential to exacerbate events leading neurodegenerative diseases, few studies have directly addressed the eventual relationships between TE levels in the human body and future cognitive status. The present study aimed to assess how different TE bod...

Background Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD) and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are neurological complications of chronic liver disease (CLD) with portosystemic shunt. While HE is common, AHD is a rare entity and the clinical‐imaging relationships observed in small series, lack validation in large patient cohorts. Objectives To characterize...

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are known to threat human health due to exposure to contaminated groundwater. Some of these PTEs can lead to long-term carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks. The Estarreja Chemical Complex (ECC), NW Portugal, has had an intense industrial activity since the early 1950s, which lead to high levels of soil an...

Background Iodine is a key component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which are crucial for proper growth and development of the human body. In particular, a great body of literature has been published on the link between thyroid hormones and brain development and functioning. However, there is a lack of knowledge o...

Introduction Patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis therapy are at risk of developing deficiencies of essential trace elements and/or overload of toxic trace elements, both of which may significantly affect their clinical status of. Those imbalances may result from the disease itself but also from the quality of the therapeut...

The Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus, is an economically important and widely distributed fish species in the North Atlantic, currently considered to comprise two stocks: the North-West Atlantic (NWA) and the North-East Atlantic (NEA). Each stock is composed of different spawning components which involve temporal and spatial movements driven by...

The present work aimed at studying Saccorhiza polyschides extracts obtained by subcritical water extraction as a potential source of essential macro and trace elements, aiming for its potential application as a biofertilizer. The mineral composition, as well as sulfate, chlorine and iodine, total organic matter, and total nitrogen content, were det...

This work proposes a simple and easy-to-use flow-through system for the implementation of dynamic extractions, aiming at the evaluation of bioaccessible zinc and the characterization of leaching kinetics in dry dog food samples. The kinetic profile of Zn extraction was determined by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy and the results were fitted i...

Zinc is an essential element, a cofactor of many enzymes, and performs catalytic, structural and regulatory functions. Once in the gastrointestinal tract, zinc can interact with food constituents. Phytic acid, the major phosphorus storage in plants, limits zinc availability from animal feeds due to the formation of insoluble complexes with phytates...

Macrophages are central cells both in the immune response and in iron homeostasis. Iron is both essential and potentially toxic. Therefore, iron acquisition, transport, storage, and release are tightly regulated, by several important proteins. Cytosolic ferritin is an iron storage protein composed of 24 subunits of either the L- or the H-type chain...

Despite the widespread use of nanoparticles (NPs), there are still major gaps of knowledge regarding the impact of nanomaterials in the environment and aquatic animals. The present work aimed to study the effects of 7 and 40 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) - citrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated - on the liver proteome of the estuarine/marine...

The question of whether gold (Au) is more toxic as nanoparticles or in its ionic form remains unclear and controversial. The present work aimed to clarify the effects of 96 h exposure to 4, 80 and 1600 μg·L-1 of 7 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) - (citrate coated (cAuNPs) or polyvinylpyrrolidone coated (PVP-AuNPs)) - and ionic Au (iAu) on gilthead se...

Resumo: Elementos potencialmente perigosos (EPP) como o As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb e Zn foram analisados em solos, produtos hortícolas (couve, tomate e batata) e no cabelo humano de adultos (> 55 anos) e de crianças (4 a 8 anos). O objetivo foi avaliar riscos para a saúde humana por diferentes vias de exposição aos EPP e verificar relações entre da...

In the present study, trace elements (TE) levels were evaluated in scalp hair along the continuum from healthy subjects (HS) to patients suffering from subjective memory concerns (SMC), and/or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and those with already installed dementia (DEM) in order to: (i) assess the effects of environmental and lifestyle factors o...

Twenty-six (26) trace elements (essential and non-essential/toxic) were determined in 49 whey protein (WP) supplements available for sale in the Portuguese market by inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry. The most abundant essential trace element was Fe (13.7 ± 16.7 μg/g) and the least abundant was Co (0.040 ± 0.028 μg/g). The estimated da...

Cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins constitute a serious environmental and human health problem. Moreover, concerns are raised with the use of contaminated water in agriculture and vegetable production as this can lead to food contamination and human exposure to toxins as well as impairment in crop development and productivity. The objective of this work...

Anemia is a frequent and challenging complication of mycobacterial infections. We used a model of disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection in mice to investigate the mechanisms of mycobacteria-induced anemia. We found increased formation of RBC in the bone marrow and spleen of infected mice. Infection induced reticulocytosis and the premature egr...

.... In this study, a continuation of previous studies from our group, we revisit the subject and evaluate thecurrent status regarding the trace elements levels in a cohort of Portuguese patients under hemodialysis ......

The aim of this study was to identify links between potential long-term environmental exposure to mixed contamination and the neuropsychological performance of a group of adults (> 55 years old) living near an industrial facility. Fifty-eight permanent residents were evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating scal...

Highlights • Ethanol allowed the greatest lipid extraction on cricket species. • A CATA ballot was built yielding a good description of insect protein bars. • Defatting improved liking and acceptance of cereal bars incorporating crickets. • Sensory profile of insect protein bars was improved by defatting of crickets. • Lipid fraction may be respo...

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring phytoalexin produced by the Vitis vinifera L. plant. It exists as two isomers (cis and trans), both present in wines. This work describes the development and validation of a GC-MS/MS analytical procedure for their determination in wines, which include five steps for sample preparation: pre-treatment, SPE extract...