Percorrer por autor "Bronze, M. R."
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- Analysis of cocaine and nicotine metabolites in wastewater by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Cross abuse index patterns on a major communityPublication . Lopes, Álvaro; Silva, Nuno; Bronze, M. R.; Ferreira, João; Morais, José"A method based on sample preparation by solid phase extraction and analysis by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry was validated and used for simultaneous analysis of cocaine, benzoylecgonine and cotinine in samples collected at the major wastewater treatment plant in the city of Lisbon. The aim was to estimate the consumption of both cocaine and nicotine in this community and establish an index involving both drugs supported by the relevance of nicotine as a significant anthropogenic marker. The study was made on two different weekdays during a month in order to evaluate patterns of consumption outside weekends. Cocaine and nicotine ingestion levels were back-calculated and expressed as mass of pure drugs consumed per day and per 1000 inhabitants (mean: 0.604 g and 5.860 g respectively). Cocaine was also expressed on the basis of local drug purity levels (33.7%) with a corresponding increase on dose assessments, and community drug abuse profiles. The authors sustain that this approach should always be included in drug studies of this kind allowing a better drug abuse assessment. No significant different patterns of consumption were obtained during the working days studied with the exception of one case coincident with a national holiday that showed an increased typical profile found on other non-working day studies, namely weekends. A fairly significant relationship was found between nicotine and cocaine consumption that should be further evaluated in future studies. Pharmacokinetic considerations were made and proposed for cocaine assessment based on the impact on back calculations after common simultaneous consumption of cocaine and ethanol."
- Analytical profiles of "legal highs" containing cathinones available in the area of Lisbon, PortugalPublication . Zancajo, Victor M. R.; Brito, José; Carrasco, Marta P.; Bronze, M. R.; Moreira, Rui; Lopes, Álvaro"Thirteen "legal highs" were purchased in different "smart shops" in the area of Lisbon, Portugal, during the month of February 2013. The samples were analyzed by a battery of analytical methods including Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) and wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF). Active ingredients were found either as single component or in mixtures in the different products. The cathinone derivative methedrone was present in three products; it is suspected to have a particular high toxicity and narrow therapeutic window linked with the methoxy group. A total of seven compounds were identified: 4-fluoromethcathinone, ethcathinone, buphedrone, methedrone, pentedrone, 3,4-dimethylmethcathinone and 4-methylethcathinone. Analytical profiles of all the samples were obtained and compared. Elemental composition of the products was obtained by XRF analysis. The inorganic profiles obtained contain useful information and can be used to distinguish and classify samples according to their origin."
- Evaluation of cardiovascular protective effect of different apple varieties - Correlation of response with compositionPublication . Serra, A. T.; Rocha, J.; Sepodes, B.; Matias, A. A.; Feliciano, R. P.; Carvalho, A. d.; Bronze, M. R.; Duarte, C. M. M.; Figueira, M. E."Epidemiological evidence supports the concept that diets rich in fruits and vegetables promote health and attenuate or delay the onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In particular, a reduced risk of CVD has been associated with apple consumption, probably due to the cholesterol-lowering effect of the main bioactive compounds, namely fiber and polyphenols. In this work, the effect of diet supplementation with 20% of three Portuguese apple cultivars (Bravo de Esmolfe, Malápio Serra and Golden), containing distinct phenolic and fiber concentrations, on serum lipid profile and oxLDL of male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (2%) was evaluated. After 30 days, only Bravo de Esmolfe apple was able to decrease significantly serum levels of triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol concentrations (reductions of 27.2%, 21.0% and 20.4%, respectively, in relation to the cholesterol-enriched diet group, p<0.05) . The levels of oxLDL were also significantly improved with the consumption of this apple variety (reductions of 20.0% and 11.9%, in relation to the cholesterol-enriched diet group and control group, respectively, p>0.05) as well as with Malapio da Serra apple (reductions of 9.8% in relation to the cholesterol-enriched diet group, p<0.05). Correlation of the bioactive response with chemical composition showed that catechin, epicatechin, procyanidin B1 and -carotene are the major phytocompounds responsible for the cholesterol lowering ability of apples. The antioxidant potential may have also contributed to this beneficial effect."