National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge
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Identification of Marker Compounds and In Vitro Toxicity Evaluation of Two Portuguese Asphodelus Leaf Extracts
Get PDFThis article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of Bioactive Ingredients from Natural Products III.The leaves of Asphodelus bento-rainhae subsp. bento-rainhae, an endemic Portuguese species, and Asphodelus macrocarpus subsp. macrocarpus have been used as food, and traditionally as medicine, for treating ulcers, urinary tract, and inflammatory disorders. The present study aims to establish the phytochemical profile of the main secondary metabolites, together with the antimicrobial, antioxidant and toxicity assessments of both Asphodelus leaf 70% ethanol extracts. Phytochemical screenings were conducted by the TLC and LC-UV/DAD-ESI/MS chromatographic technique, and quantification of the leading chemical classes was performed by spectrophotometric methods. Liquid-liquid partitions of crude extracts were obtained using ethyl ether, ethyl acetate, and water. For in vitro evaluations of antimicrobial activity, the broth microdilution method, and for the antioxidant activity, the FRAP and DPPH methods were used. Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity were assessed by Ames and MTT tests, respectively. Twelve known compounds including neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, isoorientin, p-coumaric acid, isovitexin, ferulic acid, luteolin, aloe-emodin, diosmetin, chrysophanol, and β-sitosterol were identified as the main marker compounds, and terpenoids and condensed tannins were found to be the major class of secondary metabolites of both medicinal plants. The ethyl ether fractions demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against all the Gram-positive microorganisms, (MIC value of 62 to 1000 µg/mL), with aloe-emodin as one of the main marker compounds highly active against Staphylococcus epidermidis (MIC value of 0.8 to 1.6 µg/mL). Ethyl acetate fractions exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 of 800 to 1200 µg/mL, respectively). No cytotoxicity (up to 1000 µg/mL) or genotoxicity/mutagenicity (up to 5 mg/plate, with/without metabolic activation) were detected. The obtained results contribute to the knowledge of the value and safety of the studied species as herbal medicines.This research was funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) through national funds FCT/MCTES to iMed.ULisboa (UIDP/04138/2020, UIDB/04138/2020) and MEtRICs (UIDP/04077/2020, UIDB/04077/2020) research projects, as well as doctoral scholarship (SFRH/BD/125310/2016) granted to the first author.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Plano de Atividades 2023
No full textConselho Diretivo do INSA: Fernando de Almeida (Presidente), Cristina Abreu Santos (Vogal).Plano de atividades de 2023 homologado.Plano de atividades do Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA) para o ano de 2023. O INSA é um organismo público integrado na administração indireta do Estado, sob a tutela do Ministério da Saúde. Enquanto Laboratório do Estado, o Instituto tem por missão contribuir para ganhos em saúde pública através de atividades de investigação e desenvolvimento tecnológico, atividade laboratorial de referência, observação da saúde e vigilância epidemiológica, bem como coordenar a avaliação externa da qualidade laboratorial, difundir a cultura científica, fomentar a capacitação e formação e ainda assegurar a prestação de serviços diferenciados, nos referidos domínios. Este instrumento constitui um referencial para a atividade a desenvolver pelo Instituto durante este ano, baseado nas estratégias, objetivos e metas institucionalmente consensualizados.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Interactive effects of ambient fine particulate matter and ozone on daily mortality in 372 cities: two stage time series analysis
No full textObjective: To investigate potential interactive effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) on daily mortality at global level.
Design: Two stage time series analysis.
Setting: 372 cities across 19 countries and regions.
Population: Daily counts of deaths from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease.
Main outcome measure: Daily mortality data during 1994-2020. Stratified analyses by co-pollutant exposures and synergy index (>1 denotes the combined effect of pollutants is greater than individual effects) were applied to explore the interaction between PM2.5 and O3 in association with mortality.
Results: During the study period across the 372 cities, 19.3 million deaths were attributable to all causes, 5.3 million to cardiovascular disease, and 1.9 million to respiratory disease. The risk of total mortality for a 10 μg/m3 increment in PM2.5 (lag 0-1 days) ranged from 0.47% (95% confidence interval 0.26% to 0.67%) to 1.25% (1.02% to 1.48%) from the lowest to highest fourths of O3 concentration; and for a 10 μg/m3 increase in O3 ranged from 0.04% (-0.09% to 0.16%) to 0.29% (0.18% to 0.39%) from the lowest to highest fourths of PM2.5 concentration, with significant differences between strata (P for interaction <0.001). A significant synergistic interaction was also identified between PM2.5 and O3 for total mortality, with a synergy index of 1.93 (95% confidence interval 1.47 to 3.34). Subgroup analyses showed that interactions between PM2.5 and O3 on all three mortality endpoints were more prominent in high latitude regions and during cold seasons.
Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest a synergistic effect of PM2.5 and O3 on total, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality, indicating the benefit of coordinated control strategies for both pollutants.HK, RC, and CL were supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (92043301, 82030103, and 82103790). FS was supported by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, Department of Excellence project 2023-2027 ReDS “Rethinking Data Science” - Department of Statistics, Computer Science and Applications - University of Florence.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
APOB Variants Spectrum and Functional Characterization in Portuguese Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Phenotype
No full textTrabalho com orientação de Ana Catarina Alves (INSA) e Maria Teresa Rebelo (FCUL)Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is an autosomal semi dominant disorder of lipid metabolism clinically characterized by increased levels of circulating LDL cholesterol and associated with elevated cardiovascular risk. The genetic diagnosis is usually based on the analysis of LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9 genes. APOB variants are responsible for 5-10% of FH cases, and the variant spectrum of APOB has increased due to sequencing of the whole gene through Next Generation Sequencing, consequently increasing the number of variants that need to be functionally assessed. This dissertation aimed to verify the correlation between phenotype and genotype in individuals from the Portuguese FH Study, as well as create a database including all APOB variants found up to date in this study. Moreover, it was intended to characterize two APOB variants identified in subjects from this cohort. Graphics regarding LDL cholesterol levels were designed for index cases FH positive and negative and relatives FH positive. The variants previously detected by NGS were confirmed by PCR and Sanger sequencing, and cascade screening was carried out in families. All APOB variants with MAF C/p.(Ile3374Thr) alterations from exon 26 were functionally assessed. In vitro studies showed a neutral effect on the apoB function for these variants. Furthermore, 143 different variants were discovered located throughout the whole gene, of which more than 90% were variants of uncertain significance. Functional studies, combined with the association between phenotype and genotype, allow a better and more personalized treatment according to the needs of each individual.N/
HBM4EU e-waste study: Occupational exposure of electronic waste workers to phthalates and DINCH in Europe
No full textWorkers involved in the processing of electronic waste (e-waste) are potentially exposed to toxic chemicals, including phthalates and alternative plasticizers (APs). Dismantling and shredding of e-waste may lead to the production of dust that contains these plasticizers. The aim of this study, which was part of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU), was to assess the exposure to phthalates (e.g. di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-butyl phthalate (DBP), butyl-benzyl phthalate (BBzP), di-isononyl phthalate (DiNP), di-isodecyl phthalate (DiDP) and cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic di-isononyl ester (DINCH) in e-waste workers from ten European companies. This was achieved by (i) analysing urine samples from 106 e-waste workers collected at the beginning and at the end of the work week, (ii) comparing these with urine samples from 63 non-occupationally exposed controls, and (iii) analysing settled floor dust collected in e-waste premises. Significantly higher urinary concentrations of seven out of thirteen phthalates and DINCH metabolites were found in the e-waste workers compared to the control population. However, no significant differences were found between pre- and post-shift concentrations in the e-waste workers. Concentrations of DBP, DEHP and DiDP in dust were weakly to moderately positively correlated with their corresponding urinary metabolite concentrations in the e-waste workers (Spearman's ρ = 0.4, 0.3 and 0.2, respectively). Additionally, significantly lower urinary concentrations of nine phthalates and DINCH metabolites were found in e-waste workers using respiratory protective equipment (RPE) during their work activities, reflecting the potential benefits of RPE to prevent occupational exposure to phthalates and DINCH. The estimated daily intake (EDI) values obtained in this study were lower than the corresponding tolerable daily intake (TDI) adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for the general population, suggesting that the risk for negative health consequences in this population of e-waste workers from exposure to phthalates and DINCH is expected to be low. This was confirmed by the urinary metabolite concentrations of all workers being lower than the HBM4EU guidance values derived for the occupational exposed and general population. This study is one of the first to address the occupational exposure to phthalates and DINCH in Europe in e-waste dismantling workers, combining a human biomonitoring approach with analysis of settled indoor dust.This work was supported by the Research Foundation – Flanders- Belgium (FWO) under Grant number 1S70820N, providing Paulien Cleys a PhD fellowship at the University of Antwerp. Adam Cseresznye acknowledges the Flemish Exposome Project (Flexigut - FFB200392), Yu Ait Bamai acknowledges a fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) through the Fund for the Promotion of Joint
International Research (Fostering Joint International Research (A), grant number 19KK0288). Giulia Poma was supported by the Exposome Centre of Excellence of the University of Antwerp (BOF grant, Antigoon
database number 41222). This work has received external funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 733032 (HBM4EU) and received co-funding
from the author’s organizations and/or ministries. In addition, the Finnish Work Environment fund provided co-funding (grant number 200345).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
15.ª Reunião Anual PortFIR - Alimentação de base vegetal: Balanço entre nutrição, produção, processamento e custo: Resumo da reunião
No full textResumo da 15.ª Reunião Anual PortFIR subordinada ao tema “Alimentação de base vegetal | Balanço entre nutrição, produção, processamento e custo”. A publicação apresenta as comunicações e abstracts/posters submetidos, bem como os resultados da avaliação ao grau de satisfação dos participantes no evento.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Programa Nacional de Rastreio Neonatal: relatório 2022
Get PDFPresidente do PNRN: Fernando de Almeida, Presidente do Conselho Diretivo do INSA.Relatório anual do Programa Nacional de Rastreio Neonatal (PNRN) referente às atividades desenvolvidas em 2022. O documento refere todos os casos detetados, bem como os Centros de Tratamento de apoio aos doentes e a incidência das doenças rastreadas, entre outra informação estatística.
Criado em 1979, este programa de saúde pública, conhecido como “teste do pezinho”, tem como objetivo primário o rastreio neonatal de doenças raras, de forma a evitar a evolução da patologia rastreada, através do diagnóstico pré-sintomático e da orientação para implementação precoce de terapia adequada.
A Unidade de Rastreio Neonatal, Metabolismo e Genética do Departamento de Genética Humana, que funciona no Centro de Saúde Pública Doutor Gonçalves Ferreira no Porto, é o braço laboratorial do Programa, sendo composta pelo Laboratório Nacional de Rastreios, Laboratório de Metabolismo e Laboratório de Genética Molecular.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Determinação de Imunossupressores por LC-MS/MS
Get PDFFolheto técnico sobre a determinação de imunossupressores por LC-MS/MS. A Ciclosporina A, o Tacrolimus, o Sirolimus e o Everolimus são fármacos imunossupressores administrados a
doentes transplantados. Dada a elevada variabilidade farmacocinética, os índices terapêuticos muito estreitos e as
possíveis interações medicamentosas, a monitorização dos níveis destes fármacos no sangue é essencial, não só
para prevenir a sua toxicidade, mas também para evitar a rejeição de órgãos devido a uma dosagem inadequada.
O Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Prevenção de Doenças Não Transmissíveis (DPSPDNT) desenvolveu um
método de LC-MS/MS que permite determinar, em simultâneo, os quatro imunossupressores, com um tempo de
resposta entre 24 e 48 horasN/
Estudo Molecular da Sensibilidade à Varfarina
Get PDFFolheto técnico sobre o estudo molecular da sensibilidade à varfarina. A varfarina é o anticoagulante oral mais utilizado na terapêutica das doenças cardiovasculares. No entanto, dado
apresentar um intervalo terapêutico muito estreito e uma elevada variabilidade inter-individual na resposta, este
fármaco está associado a episódios hemorrágicos ou trombóticos por inadequação da dosagem administrada.
O Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Prevenção de Doenças Não Transmissíveis (DPSPDNT) implementou um
ensaio farmacogenético que permite identificar portadores de determinadas variantes genéticas que conferem
uma maior sensibilidade à varfarina e, por isso, um risco hemorrágico aumentado.N/
A importância da Avaliação Externa da Qualidade em Microbiologia do Ar (2010-2022)
Get PDFA legislação nacional veio impor regras de eficiência dos sistemas de climatização de edifícios que permitem melhorar o desempenho energético e garantir uma boa qualidade do ar interior, estabelecendo, entre outros, requisitos de qualidade do ar através da adoção de concentrações máximas de referência para poluentes químicos e microbiológicos (bactérias e fungos) e obrigando à realização de auditorias periódicas à qualidade de ar interior (QAI) em edifícios.
Face ao aumento significativo das auditorias à QAI surgiu a necessidade de harmonizar procedimentos de amostragem/análise e encontrar soluções para a obtenção de resultados comparáveis.
A Unidade de Ar e Saúde Ocupacional (UASO) implementou os procedimentos necessários à acreditação dos ensaios de acordo com o referencial da norma ISO/IEC 17025, indicador inequívoco de competência técnica. Face à inexistência de programas de avaliação externa da qualidade (AEQ), a UASO, em colaboração com o Programa Nacional de Avaliação Externa da Qualidade (PNAEQ), organizou em 2010 o programa piloto de AEQ – Microbiologia do Ar- contagem de bactérias e fungos, e em 2012 o programa de Microbiologia do Ar – Identificação de fungos, que se mantêm atualmente em funcionamento. Objetivo: Harmonização dos procedimentos e avaliação do desempenho dos Laboratórios no Programa
Nacional de Avaliação externa da Qualidade em Microbiologia do Ar, entre 2010 e 2022info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio