Publications by authors named "Tania D Tavares"

Aims: Fungal infections are a major threat to crop productivity and quality. Synthetic antifungals have been used ensuring high production; however, the environmental negative effects and the induction of resistant strains have been rising concerns about their use. Thus, this work aims to valorize Medicago sp.

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Microbial colonization and development of infections in wounds is a sign of chronicity. The prevailing approach to manage and treat these wounds involves dressings. However, these often fail in effectively addressing infections, as they struggle to both absorb exudates and maintain optimal local moisture.

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Nisin Z, an amphipathic peptide, with a significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and low toxicity in humans, has been studied for food preservation applications. Thus far, very little research has been done to explore its potential in biomedicine. Here, we report the modification of sodium alginate (SA) and gelatin (GN) blended microfibers, produced via the wet-spinning technique, with Nisin Z, with the purpose of eradicating -induced infections.

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Chronic wounds (CW) create numerous entryways for pathogen invasion and prosperity, further damaging host tissue and hindering its remodeling and repair. Essential oils (EOs) exert quick and efficient antimicrobial (AM) action, unlikely to induce bacterial resistance. Cinnamon leaf and clove oils (CLO and CO) display strong AM activity, namely against and .

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The increased resistance of bacteria against conventional pharmaceutical solutions, the antibiotics, has raised serious health concerns. This has stimulated interest in the development of bio-based therapeutics with limited resistance, namely, essential oils (EOs) or antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). This study envisaged the evaluation of the antimicrobial efficacy of selected biomolecules, namely LL37, pexiganan, tea tree oil (TTO), cinnamon leaf oil (CLO) and niaouli oil (NO), against four bacteria commonly associated to nosocomial infections: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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In the last ten years, environmental consciousness has increased worldwide, leading to the development of eco-friendly materials to replace synthetic ones. Natural fibers are extracted from renewable resources at low cost. Their combination with synthetic polymers as reinforcement materials has been an important step forward in that direction.

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