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"Queijo de Nisa" is a traditional Portuguese cheese, granted with PDO label, produced with raw ewe's milk in which the aqueous extract of cardoon flower Cynara cardunculus L. is the only coagulant allowed. As in similar cheeses with no use of starter cultures or pasteurisation, the quality and food safety are depending on prevention, high hygienic standards and a proper manufacturing process. This study investigated the use of computer vision as novel method for the evaluation of gas holes in Queijo de Nisa in three different ripening dates (0, 15 and 35 days). A total of 48 samples were produced using cardoon flower from three different origins (C1, C2 and C3) and a commercial vegetable coagulant (C4). The results presented a high correlation between image-dependent attributes and physical–chemical properties during ripening time, especially within the first 15 days of ripening time, where major structural changes were observed inside the Queijo de Nisa cheese. Principal component analysis presented a strong correlation (p < 0.05) between image parameters and the physical–chemical evolution until 15 days. From 15 to 35 days, the evolution of cheeses was mainly depending on structural parameters, like G'1 Hz and hardness. No influence was observed due to the geographical origin of cardoon flower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cynara cardunculus health benefits have aroused much interest, leading to the discovery of valuable bioactive compounds with a crucial role in plant defence. Guaianolides and hydroxycinnamic acids, mainly represented by cynaropicrin and chlorogenic acid, constitute the major secondary metabolites in leaves (9.5% and 10.4% dry weight, respectively). These compounds evidence biological activity, namely antioxidant, antitumoral, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial and anti-hyperlipidemic effects. Therefore, numerous efforts have been undertaken in this species to unveil the biosynthetic pathways of such compounds, by means of genomic and biochemical approaches, which could support advances, via breeding programs, in C. cardunculus chemical composition and, consequently, in the improvement of its extracts biological activity. Addressing this challenge, relevant genes in cynaropicrin biosynthesis, as well as in chlorogenic acid biosynthesis have been widely studied. The present review highlights the current knowledge on the biosynthesis and distribution of guaianolides and hydroxycinnamic acids, especially of cynaropicrin and chlorogenic acid in C. cardunculus, as well as their association with plant defence mechanisms and human health-promoting effects, prospecting the valorisation of this Mediterranean species as a potential source of bioactive compounds for food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cynara cardunculus: L. represents a natural source of terpenic compounds, with the predominant molecule being cynaropicrin. Cynaropicrin is gaining interest since it has been correlated to anti-hyperlipidaemia, antispasmodic and cytotoxicity activity against leukocyte cancer cells. The objective of this work was to screen a collection of C. cardunculus, from different origins, for new allelic variants in germacrene A synthase (GAS) gene involved in the cynaropicrin biosynthesis and correlate them with improved cynaropicrin content and biological activities. Using high-resolution melting, nine haplotypes were identified. The putative impact of the identified allelic variants in GAS protein was evaluated by bioinformatic tools and polymorphisms that putatively lead to protein conformational changes were described. Additionally, cynaropicrin and main pentacyclic triterpenes contents, and antithrombin, antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities were also determined in C. cardunculus leaf lipophilic-derived extracts. In this work we identified allelic variants with putative impact on GAS protein, which are significantly associated with cynaropicrin content and antiproliferative activity. The results obtained suggest that the identified polymorphisms should be explored as putative genetic markers correlated with biological properties in Cynara cardunculus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence, correlation, and association of undernutrition and obesity with high blood pressure (HBP). One thousand five hundred seventy (1570) students (808 boys and 762 girls), aged 7–12 years, from João Pessoa, Paraíba (Northeastern Brazil) participated. Measurements of stature, body weight, skinfolds [triceps (TS) and subscapular (SS)], upper-arm circumference (UAC), upper-arm fat area (UAFE), total upper-arm area (TUAA), and BP were taken. Four criteria were adopted to classify undernutrition and obesity. HBP was defined as systolic BP (SBP) and/or diastolic BP (DBP) values ≥90th percentile. Analysis of covariance, Spearman’s correlation, logistic regression, and multiple linear regression were used. In the logistic regression model, undernutrition was not associated with HBP; however, the chances of HBP increased when two or more obesity indicators were present [boys: odds ratio (OR) = 2.08, 95% confidence interval (CI 95%) = 1.26–3.41; girls: OR = 2.26, CI 95% = 1.44–3.55]. In the multiple regression, the BMI, SS, and UAFE explained 15% of the variance of high SBP ( r2 = 0.153) in boys, whereas the body mass index (BMI) and TUAA accounted for 16% of the variance of the SBP ( r2 = 0.166) in girls. The DBP was influenced by the SS in boys ( r2 = 0.022) and the TUAA ( r 2 = 0.054) in girls. There was an association between obesity and HBP. The BMI, SS, and UAFE in boys and the BMI and TUAA in girls explained ~16% of elevated SBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]