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Research Project
Forest Research Centre
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Publications
Exploring the Bioactive Properties of Hydroethanolic Cork Extracts of Quercus cerris and Quercus suber
Publication . Sen, Ali Umut; Almeida, Daiana; Silveira, Tayse F. F. da; Pires, Tânia S. P.; Añibarro-Ortega, Mikel; Mandim, Filipa; Barros, Lillian; Ferreira, Isabel C. F. R.; Pereira, Helena; Fernandes, Ângela
The bioactive properties of underutilized corks such as Quercus cerris cork and planted
Quercus suber cork in the Eastern Mediterranean are not well-known but are crucial in developing
lignocellulosic biorefineries. To assess their biological potential, hydroethanolic cork extracts of Quer-
cus cerris and Quercus suber were analyzed for phenolic composition, antioxidant, antiproliferative,
antimicrobial activities, and hepatoxicity, as well as NO-production inhibition. Here, we show that
a mild hydroethanolic extraction of Q. cerris and Q. suber corks yielded 3% phenolic extracts. The
phenolic composition was similar in both cork extracts, with phenolic acids and ellagitannins as the
primary compounds. The bioactivity of hydroethanolic cork extracts from Q. cerris surpassed that of
Q. suber and showed effectiveness against all cancer cell lines tested. This first comprehensive study
on the bioactivities of different corks involves detailed characterizations of phenolic compounds of
cork extracts using UPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn, evaluations of the antioxidant properties with TBARS and
OxHLIA methods, evaluation of antiproliferative activity against gastric (AGS), lung (NCI-H460),
colon (CaCo2), and breast cancer (MCF7) cell lines, as well as evaluations of hepatotoxicity and
NO-production inhibition. The findings from this study will help bolster the potential of using
underutilized cork-rich barks as a valuable resource in bark-based biorefineries.
Foliar Spraying with ZnSO4 or ZnO of Vitis vinifera cv. Syrah Increases the Synthesis of Photoassimilates and Favors Winemaking
Publication . Daccak, Diana; Marques, Ana Coelho; Pessoa, Cláudia Campos; Coelho, Ana Rita F.; Luís, Inês Carmo; Brito, Graça; Kullberg, José Carlos; Ramalho, José C.; Rodrigues, Ana Paula; Scotti-Campos, Paula; Pais, Isabel P.; Semedo, José N.; Silva, Maria Manuela; Legoinha, Paulo; Galhano, Carlos; Simões, Manuela; Reboredo, Fernando H.; Lidon, Fernando C.
Zinc enrichment of edible food products, through the soil and/or foliar application of
fertilizers, is a strategy that can increase the contents of some nutrients, namely Zn. In this context, a
workflow for agronomic enrichment with zinc was carried out on irrigated Vitis vinifera cv. Syrah,
aiming to evaluate the mobilization of photoassimilates to the winegrapes and the consequences of
this for winemaking. During three productive cycles, foliar applications were performed with ZnSO4
or ZnO, at concentrations ranging between 150 and 1350 g.ha−1. The normal vegetation index as
well as some photosynthetic parameters indicated that the threshold of Zn toxicity was not reached;
it is even worth noting that with ZnSO4, a significant increase in several cases was observed in net
photosynthesis (Pn). At harvest, Zn biofortification reached a 1.2 to 2.3-fold increase with ZnSO4 and
ZnO, respectively (being significant relative to the control, in two consecutive years, with ZnO at a
concentration of 1350 g.ha−1). Total soluble sugars revealed higher values with grapes submitted to
ZnSO4 and ZnO foliar applications, which can be advantageous for winemaking. It was concluded
that foliar spraying was efficient with ZnO and ZnSO4, showing potential benefits for wine quality
without evidencing negative impacts.
nvestigation, prospects, and economic scenarios for the use of biochar in small-scale agriculture in tropical
Publication . John, Vinicius; Braga, Ana Rita de Oliveira; Sousa, Heiriane Martins; Danielli, Criscian Kellen Amaro de Oliveira DanielliCriscian Kellen Amaro de Oliveira; Danielli, Filipe Eduardo; Falcão, Newton Paulo de Souza; Guerra, João; Lasmar, Dimas José; Marques-dos-Santos, Cláudia S. C.
This study investigates the production and economic feasibility of biochar for smallholder and family farms in Central Amazonia, with potential implications for other tropical regions. The costs of construction of a prototype mobile kiln and biochar production were evaluated, using small-sized biomass from acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) agro-industrial residues as feedstock. The biochar produced was characterised in terms of its liming capacity (calcium carbonate equivalence, CaCO3eq), nutrient content via organic fertilisation methods, and ash analysis by ICP-OES. Field trials with cowpea assessed economic outcomes, as well scenarios of fractional biochar application and cost comparison between biochar production in the prototype kiln and a traditional earth-brick kiln. The prototype kiln showed production costs of USD 0.87–2.06 kg−1, whereas traditional kiln significantlyreduced costs (USD 0.03–0.08 kg−1). Biochar application alone increased cowpea revenue by 34%, while combining biochar and lime raised cowpea revenues by up to 84.6%. Owingto high input costs and the low value of the crop, the control treatment generated greater net revenue compared to treatments using lime alone. Moreover, biochar produced in traditional kilns provided a 94% increase in net revenue compared to liming. The estimated externalities indicated that carbon credits represented the most significant potential source of income (USD 2217 ha−1). Finally, fractional biochar application in ten years can retainover 97% of soil carbon content, demonstrating potential for sustainable agriculture and carbon sequestration and a potential further motivation for farmers if integrated into carbon markets. Public policies and technological adaptations are essential for facilitating biocharadoption by small-scale tropical farmers.
Forest in Mozambique: actual distribution of tree species and potential threats
Publication . Joaquim-Meque, Eugénia; Lousada, José Lousada; Liberato, Margarida L. R.; Fonseca, Teresa F.
In recent decades, there has been a perception that the Mozambican forests have been
threatened with massive exploitation for commercialization, deforesting vast areas, leading to desertification
and contributing to the extinction of some forest species. The present research summarizes the
official information obtained by monitoring the country’s natural resources over time and identifying
the major types of existing forests in Mozambique. The main objective is to elucidate on the current
state of Mozambican forests, analyze change and trends, and characterize the actual distribution of
forest species in Mozambique to verify the sustainability of forest resources and their composition.
It is a case study of the qualitative descriptive type, with data obtained through a bibliographic
research method focusing on scientific articles on the type of forest species existing in Africa and
Mozambique and data from official sources of the forests. Various types of forests were identified,
such as mopane, mercrusse, semi-deciduous, miombo, and semi-evergreen, including the gallery
forest. Forest species with particular relevance were highlighted, such as Afzelia quanzensis, Swartzia
madagascariensis, Pterocarpaus angolensis, Combretum imberbe, and Millettia stuhalmannii. Major threats
to these natural resources were identified and reported, including anthropogenic activity associated
with traditional practices of illegal logging or due to the valuation of other goods of primary necessity,
lack of protection and conservation measures, and impacts resulting from climate change. The Munza
district is presented as a case study, carrying out a characterization of the forest in this district and
identifying the main threats in the study area from 2015 to 2020.
Performance-based inference of selection on stomatal length and specific leaf area varies with climate-of-origin of the forest tree, Eucalyptus ovata
Publication . Costa e Silva, João; Potts, Brad M.; Prober, Suzanne M.
Understanding how functional traits affect plant performance and fitness is a key step in unravelling the role of
natural selection in shaping the evolutionary trajectory of populations. We examined early-age selection acting
on leaf traits via their effects on growth performance and fitness, measured in Eucalyptus ovata trees planted in a
common-garden field trial embedded in a reforestation planting in Tasmania, Australia. We focused on two
important leaf traits - stomatal length and specific leaf area (SLA) - measured two years after planting, and
compared interplanted E. ovata groups originating from dry and wet home-site climates, with the trial site having
intermediate long-term mean annual rainfall. Two-year height growth was used as the performance attribute,
and the time-averaged tree survival over the subsequent six years as the fitness component. There was evidence
for performance-based selection on the leaf traits, with the strength and form of selection depending on the trait
and climate group being considered. In this sense, selection in the dry group operated mainly on stomatal length
where a combination of directional (favouring longer stomata) and stabilizing selection was detected, whereas
selection in the wet group acted only on SLA and was purely stabilizing. Estimates of performance-based
correlational selection were not statistically significant. For both climate groups, estimates of fitness-based selection
gradients provided evidence for significant directional (but not quadratic) selection on height performance,
favouring individuals with faster growth, but did not indicate statistical support for direct effects of the
leaf traits on tree survival, conditional on measured performance. These results validated qualitative inferences
of selection from the performance-based analysis, and suggested that selection on the leaf traits appeared to be
mediated by their effects on early-age height performance, which in turn directly influenced later-age survival.
We discuss the mechanisms by which the focal traits may have affected height performance, and likely factors
contributing to the different patterns of phenotypic selection observed in the two groups experiencing the same
environment. We also provide expressions of analytical derivatives that were developed for the estimation of
selection gradients based on a logistic regression model relating a binary fitness response to linear and nonlinear
covariate terms for the target regressor variables.
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Funding agency
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Funding programme
6817 - DCRRNI ID
Funding Award Number
UIDB/00239/2020