Large-scale production of microalgae and their bioactive compounds has steadily increased in response to global demand for natural compounds. Spirulina, in particular, has been used due to its high nutritional value, especially its high protein content. Promising biological functions have been associated with Spirulina extracts, mainly related to its high value added blue pigment, phycocyanin. Phycocyanin is used in several industries such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, which increases its market value. Due to the worldwide interest and the need to replace synthetic compounds with natural ones, efforts have been made to optimize large-scale production processes and maintain phycocyanin stability, which is a highly unstable protein. The aim of this review is to update the scientific knowledge on phycocyanin applications and to describe the reported production, extraction, and purification methods, including the main physical and chemical parameters that may affect the purity, recovery, and stability of phycocyanin. By implementing different techniques such as complete cell disruption, extraction at temperatures below 45 °C and a pH of 5.5–6.0, purification through ammonium sulfate, and filtration and chromatography, both the purity and stability of phycocyanin have been significantly improved. Moreover, the use of saccharides, crosslinkers, or natural polymers as preservatives has contributed to the increased market value of phycocyanin.

A progressive fibrosing phenotype is critical in several lung diseases. It is irreversible and associated with early patient mortality. Growing evidence has revealed pulmonary macrophages’ role as modulators of the fibrotic processes. The proportion, phenotype, and function of alveolar (AM) and interstitial macrophages (IM) at the early stages of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis have not been clearly described. In this way, our study aimed to characterize these macrophage populations and investigate the effect on fibroblast activation. C57BL/6 mice were intratracheally injected with bleomycin and were sacrificed at day 3, 5, and 7 for the performance of flow cytometry and fluorescent-activated cell sorting analysis for protein and gene expression quantification. After bleomycin administration, the proportion of IM was significantly higher than that of AM, which showed a decay during the inflammatory phase, and peaked at day 7. At day 7 of the inflammatory phase, AM started shifting their phenotype from M1-like towards M2, while IM showed a M2-like phenotype. Conditioned medium derived from IM sorted at day 7 induced fibroblast activation and differentiation in myofibroblasts in vitro. Our findings indicate that IM are the largest macrophage population at the early stages of experimental pulmonary fibrosis and are secreted mediators able to activate fibroblasts, pointing to macrophage modulation as a potential therapeutic strategy to restrain progressive fibrosing lung disorders.

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RESUMO Objetivo Contribuir para o conhecimento das perspectivas e práticas de apoio educativo aos alunos com transtornos da linguagem em contextos inclusivos em Portugal. Método Após revisão da bibliografia sobre o tema, foi elaborado um questionário, posteriormente aplicado a 123 professores do ensino regular. Para a análise dos dados recolhidos, foi realizada uma análise estatística descritiva e inferencial das variáveis dependentes, utilizando testes paramétricos. Resultados A análise descritiva revela que a maioria dos professores conhece o conceito de transtornos da linguagem e considera importante compreender o desenvolvimento da linguagem ao lidar com alunos com essa problemática. No entanto, mais da metade dos inquiridos acha que não possui formação nem informações suficientes acerca da aquisição e do desenvolvimento da linguagem e também não concorda que possua competências suficientes para contribuir para a identificação de alunos com transtornos da linguagem. Os resultados relativos à análise inferencial revelam diferenças estatisticamente significativas no que diz respeito ao gênero, ao tempo de serviço e ao distrito. Os resultados obtidos demonstram boas qualidades métricas no que se refere à consistência interna. Conclusão Os resultados evidenciam a necessidade de formação e informação dos professores acerca da aquisição e do desenvolvimento da linguagem e, mais especificamente, dos transtornos da linguagem. Demonstram também que os professores do ensino regular poder-se-ão deparar com dificuldades no apoio educativo aos alunos com transtornos da linguagem e, particularmente, em delinear estratégias adequadas às suas necessidades, nomeadamente na elaboração de programas educativos individualizados.

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