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- Laboratory Assessment of the Effects of AGA@4life Multidisciplinary Intervention on the Inflammatory Profile, MMPs, and TIMPs in a Geriatric PopulationPublication . Lourenço, Ana Patrícia; Freitas, Catarina; Timóteo, Maria Helena; Soares, Maria; Figueiredo, João; Osório, Nádia; Valado, Ana; Trapali, Maria; Pereira, Telmo; Caseiro, ArmandoAbstract: In recent years, the world’s aging population has increased, contributing to the development of age-related pathologies, which have been aggravated by physical inactivity and excessive fat intake. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing a nutritional program (control group—CG) combined with exercise (intervention group—IG) on the inflammatory profile, MMPs, and TIMPs in a group of 34 elderly participants (IG, n = 18; CG, n = 16). Participants underwent a full multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation (T0), with the gathering of clinical information and biochemical and hematological determinations being re-evaluated eight weeks later (T1). A diet manual was made, which provided a selection of different types of diets resulting from the nutritional needs of the different users at the center. The aerobic exercise consisted of two sessions per week with a total duration of 1 h. The laboratory evaluation was performed by slot blot. Statistical analysis included a paired sample t-test and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. We observed that in the IG, there was a significant increase at T1 of TNF-α (p < 0.05) and MMP-2 (p < 0.05), without changes in IL-6 and MMP-9, showing that the intervention did not cause an exacerbated inflammatory response in exercised elderly people. The intervention program implemented showed potential to contribute to better active aging strategies, taking advantage of the known benefits of exercise without inducing a harmful inflammatory response in elderly participants.
- Effect of carrageenans on vegetable jelly in humans with hypercholesterolemiaPublication . Valado, Ana; Pereira, Maria; Caseiro, Armando; Figueiredo, João; Loureiro, Helena; Almeida, Carla; Cotas, João; Pereira, LeonelChanges in lipid profile constitute the main risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Algae extracted carrageenans are long-chain polysaccharides and their ability to form gels provides for the formation of vegetable jelly. The objective was to evaluate the bioactive potential of carrageenan (E407) in the lipid profile, after ingestion of jelly. A total of 30 volunteers of both sexes, aged 20-64 years and with total cholesterol (TC) values ≥200 mg/dL, who ingested 100 mL/day of jelly for 60 days, were studied. All had two venous blood collections: before starting the jelly intake and after 60 days. At both times, TC, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG), were evaluated using commercial kits and spectrophotometer. The statistics were performed using the SPSS 25.0 software and p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Serum values after 60 days of jelly intake revealed a statistically significant decrease in TC levels (5.3%; p = 0.001) and LDL-C concentration (5.4%; p = 0.048) in females. The daily intake of vegetable jelly for 60 days showed a reduction in serum TC and LDL-C levels in women, allowing us to conclude that carrageenan has bioactive potential in reducing TC concentration.
- Multiple sclerosis: oligoclonal IgG bands, prevalence, prognosis and effect of latitudePublication . Lopes, Margarida; Figueiredo, João Paulo; Valado, Ana
- Bioanalytical approach-ageing, exercise and oxidative stressPublication . Valado, Ana; Lopes, Diana; Osório, Nádia; Caseiro, Armando; Figueiredo, João; Patrício, Cristina; Pacheco, Maria Paula; Oostingh, Gertie Janneke; Gabriel, António José dos SantosAbstract: Exercise interferes with the ageing, causing changes in markers of the antioxidant system, such as nitric oxide (NO) and uric acid. Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate if regular exercise affects the ageing process by causing changes in the antioxidant markers, nitric oxide and uric acid, in individuals aged ≥ 65 years, subjected to an exercise plan. Methods: The study involved 12 participants distributed in an experimental and control group. The experimental group performed exercises guided by a physiotherapist during 12 weeks. Three blood samples were collected from participants: T0, at the start of the study; T1, after 12 weeks of exercise and T2, 12 weeks after finishing the exercise. NO and uric acid were quantified with commercial kits. The statistics were performed using SPSS and the ANOVA and Student t-tests were applied. Result: In the experimental group, the mean values of NO showed an increase between T0 and T1, with a slight decrease between T1 and T2. Similar effects were observed for the uric acid concentration in the experimental group, with statistical significance from T0 to T1. Conclusion: After exercise, there was an increase in blood uric acid and NO levels, highlighting the importance of moderate and controlled exercise practice. Therefore, exercise seems relevant and beneficial in activating antioxidant mechanisms.