Victor Castro Alves
Title: Researcher School/office: School of Science and TechnologyEmail: victor.castro-alves@oru.se
Phone: +46 19 303819
Room: B3118
About Victor Castro Alves
Victor Castro-Alves started at Örebro University as a postdoc in 2019 within the multidisciplinary Food and Health strategic research initiative and since 2021 is a researcher at the Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, ORU.
Research interests
My research is focused mainly on the development, application and optimization of mass spectrometry-based pipelines to explore the interplay between food composition, nutrition and human health.
Below you will find more information about some of our projects:
1. ImprUVing the quality of greenhouse of greenhouse crops
In ImprUV - Increasing sensory quality and content of health-promoting components in vegetables and herbs, we are applying the cutting-edge concept of sensomics, which integrates metabolomics, the comprehensive analysis of all metabolites in a studied biological system, with highly innovative testing for culinary quality and plant production parameters in collaboration with national and international research groups as well with commercial producers. We are also exploring how changes in plant production impact the synthesis of health-promoting compounds in plants and how these metabolites are biotransformed by the human gut microbiota and induce biological effects by using in vitro colonic fermentation studies and reporter cell assays. Our approach aims not only the production of healthier and tastier foods in a climate-smart way but also to contribute to the basic understanding of the relationship between plant metabolism and potential effects on human health. That will lead to practical applications that will benefit primary producers, retailers, and, first and foremost, consumers.
You are welcome to check out our most recent preprint "From Farm to Fork… and Beyond: UV Enhances Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Mediated Activity of Cruciferous Vegetables in Human Intestinal Cells Upon Colonic Fermentation"
2. Unpuzzling the structure and health effects of dietary fibers
Victor coordinates the project Unpuzzle - Unravelling molecular motifs of dietary fibers responsible for interaction with receptors in human cells, funded both by a Starting Grant from the Swedish Research Council (VR) and by the Lantmännen Research Foundation.
Dietary fibres (DF) from foods can induce beneficial health effects by interacting with receptors at the surface of intestinal epithelial cells and immune system cells. Although the knowledge of the structure-function relationship between DF and their biological effects in human cells is highly desirable for successful translational applications, the molecular motifs within (the often complex) DF structure responsible for interaction with human cells remain poorly understood. In Unpuzzle, we propose a new methodological framework to explore the interaction between DF and human cell receptors. We will reduce the structural complexity of selected DF by generating oligomers (structural motifs) that will be further fractionated, characterized through mass-spectrometry approaches and evaluated both for interaction with receptors in human cells and for biological effects in human intestinal and immune cells through metabolomics-based approaches and cytokine array. In addition, to provide novel information about the effects of DF on gut health, we will also produce information for identifying and tailoring DF with desired biological effects.
Teaching and supervision
Victor is the course coordinator of Instrumental Analytical Methods in the Chemistry program and is involved in the Analytical chemistry course. He is also a lecturer in the Biology program and has been involved in the international master's programs of Environmental Forensics (School of Science and Technology) and Translational Medicine (School of Medical Sciences). He supervise students in the Chemistry program and incoming exchange students from bachelor, master and PhD level. Financial support for the incoming students was obtained mainly through Erasmus+ program, São Paulo Research Foundation and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Other activities
Victor is a member of the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Nutrition and Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. In addition, he has been actively participating in internationalization efforts on different levels, planning student exchange with partners within the NEOLAiA program, participating in research exchange within MIRAI 2.0, as well as being part of the EIRENE PPP work group at ORU.
For more information about published papers please refer to my ResearcherID and Google Scholar. You can also find me on ResearchGate and Twitter.
Research projects
Active projects
- ImprUV+ - An analytical framework to explore the effects of UV during plant growth on human health
- Interaction between dietary protein and fibre fermentation - its functional consequences
- Nature versus Machine - Using novel robotics platforms for mechanical stress induction, and their effects on plant morphology, metabolism, and sensory preference
- PanProtein - plant-based proteins contributing to a healthy and sustainable diet
- POPgut - The impact of persistent organic pollutants exposure on gut health
- Exploring the probiotic and postbiotic effect of Akkermansia muciniphila on intestinal barrier function in patients with Parkinson's disease - applying Ussing chambers and electron microscopy techniques
- Unpuzzle - Unravelling molecular motifs from dietary fibers responsible for interaction with recognition receptors in human cells
Completed projects
Research teams
Publications
Articles in journals
- Seeburger, P. , Herdenstam, A. P. F. , Kurtser, P. , Arunachalam, A. , Castro Alves, V. , Hyötyläinen, T. & Andreasson, H. (2022). Controlled mechanical stimuli reveal novel associations between basil metabolism and sensory quality. Food Chemistry, 404 (Pt A).
- Palma, C. F. F. , Castro Alves, V. , Morales, L. O. , Rosenqvist, E. , Ottosen, C. , Hyötyläinen, T. & Strid, Å. (2022). Metabolic changes in cucumber leaves are enhanced by blue light and differentially affected by UV interactions with light signalling pathways in the visible spectrum. Plant Science, 321.
- Kurtser, P. , Castro Alves, V. , Arunachalam, A. , Sjöberg, V. , Hanell, U. , Hyötyläinen, T. & Andreasson, H. (2021). Development of novel robotic platforms for mechanical stress induction, and their effects on plant morphology, elements, and metabolism. Scientific Reports, 11 (1).
- Palma, C. F. F. , Castro Alves, V. , Rosenqvist, E. , Ottosen, C. , Strid, Å. & Morales, L. O. (2021). Effects of UV radiation on transcript and metabolite accumulation are dependent on monochromatic light background in cucumber. Physiologia Plantarum, 173 (3), 750-761.
- Castro Alves, V. , Kalbina, I. , Nilsen, A. , Mats, A. , Rosenqvist, E. , Jansen, M. A. K. , Qian, M. , Öström, Å. & et al. (2021). Integration of non-target metabolomics and sensory analysis unravels vegetable plant metabolite signatures associated with sensory quality: A case study using dill (Anethum graveolens). Food Chemistry, 344.
- Lanzon, B. , Martin-Taboada, M. , Castro Alves, V. , Vila-Bedmar, R. , González de Pablos, I. , Duberg, D. , Gomez, P. , Rodriguez, E. & et al. (2021). Lipidomic and Metabolomic Signature of Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Severe Obesity. Metabolites, 11 (12).
- Castro Alves, V. & Oliveira do Nascimento, J. R. (2021). Size matters: TLR4-mediated effects of α-(1,5)-linear arabino-oligosaccharides in macrophage-like cells depend on their degree of polymerization. Food Research International, 141.
- Palma, C. F. F. , Castro Alves, V. , Morales, L. O. , Rosenqvist, E. , Ottosen, C. & Strid, Å. (2021). Spectral composition of light affects plant sensitivity to UV-B and photoinhibition in cucumber. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11.
- Castro Alves, V. , Kalbina, I. , Öström, Å. , Hyötyläinen, T. & Strid, Å. (2020). The taste of UV light: Using sensomics to improve horticultural quality. UV4Plants Bulletin (1), 39-43.
- Nascimento, T. P. , Castro-Alves, V. C. , Castelan, F. P. , Calhua, M. F. N. , Saraiva, L. A. , Agopian, R. G. & Cordenunsi-Lysenko, B. R. (2019). Metabolomic profiling reveals that natural biodiversity surrounding a banana crop may positively influence the nutritional/sensorial profile of ripe fruits. Food Research International, 124, 165-174.
- Castro Alves, V. , Misuzu Shiga, T. & Oliveira do Nascimento, J. R. (2019). Polysaccharides from chayote enhance lipid efflux and regulate NLRP3 inflammasome priming in macrophage-like THP-1 cells exposed to cholesterol crystals. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 127, 502-510.
- Castelan, F. P. , Castro Alves, V. , Saraiva, L. A. , Nacsimento, T. P. , Cálhau, M. F. N. S. , Dias, C. T. S. & Cordenunsi-Lysenko, B. R. (2018). Natural Ecosystem Surrounding a Conventional Banana Crop Improves Plant Health and Fruit Quality. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9.
- Castro Alves, V. & Oliveira do Nascimento, J. R. (2018). α-and β-D-Glucans from the edible mushroom Pleurotus albidus differentially regulate lipid-induced inflammation and foam cell formation in human macrophage-like THP-1 cells. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 111, 1222-1228.
- Castro Alves, V. , Gomes, D. , Menolli Jr., N. , Sforça, M. L. & Oliveira do Nascimento, J. R. (2017). Characterization and immunomodulatory effects of glucans from Pleurotus albidus, a promising species of mushroom for farming and biomass production. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 95, 215-223.
- Ramos Do Prado, S. B. , Melfi, P. R. , Castro Alves, V. , Broetto, S. G. , Araújo, E. S. , do Nascimento, J. R. & Fabi, J. P. (2016). Physiological Degradation of Pectin in Papaya Cell Walls: Release of Long Chains Galacturonans Derived from Insoluble Fractions during Postharvest Fruit Ripening. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7.
- Castro Alves, V. & Oliveira do Nascimento, J. R. (2016). Polysaccharides from raw and cooked chayote modulate macrophage function. Food Research International, 81, 171-179.
- Castro Alves, V. C. & Oliveira do Nascimento, J. R. (2016). Speeding up the extraction of mushroom polysaccharides. Food Analytical Methods, 9 (9), 2429-2433.
- Castro Alves, V. & Cordenunsi, B. R. (2015). Total Soluble Phenolic Compounds Quantification Is Not As Simple As It Seems. Food Analytical Methods, 8 (4), 873-884.
- Todisco, K. M. , Castro Alves, V. , dos Santos Garruti, D. , Corriea da Costa, J. M. & Clemente, E. (2014). The Use of Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) to Assess the Quality and Stability of Fruit Products: An Example Using Red Mombin Pulp (Spondias purpurea L.). Molecules, 19 (10), 16851-16860.
- dos Santos Garruti, D. , de Oliveira Frederico Pinto, N. , Castro Alves, V. , Azevedo da Penha, M. F. , de Castro Tobaruela, E. & da Silva Araújo, Í. M. (2013). Volatile profile and sensory quality of new varieties of Capsicum chinense pepper. Ciência e tecnologia de alimentos, 33, 102-108.
- Castro Alves, V. , da Silva Pereira, G. , de Oliveira Frederico Pinto, N. , Azevedo da Penha, M. F. & dos Santos Garruti, D. (2012). Sensory and Volatile Compounds Profile of Thap Maeo Banana: an Option for the Replacement of Pest-susceptible Cultivars. The Natural Products Journal, 2 (3), 205-211.
- Castro Alves, V. , Azevedo da Penha, M. F. , de Oliveira Frederico Pinto, N. & dos Santos Garruti, D. (2012). Volatile Compounds Profile of Musa FHIA 02: An Option to Counter Losses by Black Sigatoka. The Natural Products Journal, 2 (1), 55-60.
- Leite, L. M. , Carvalho, A. G. G. , Tavares Ferreira, P. L. F. , Xavier Pessoa, I. , Gonçalves, D. O. , de Araújo Lopes, A. , dos Santos Góes, J. G. , Castro Alves, V. C. & et al. (2011). Anti-inflammatory Properties of Doxycycline and Minocycline in Experimental Models: An in Vivo and in Vitro Comparative Study. InflammoPharmacology, 19 (2), 99-110.
- Lucetti, D. L. , Lucetti, E. C. , Bandeira, M. A. M. , Veras, H. N. , Silva, A. H. , Am Leal, L. K. , Lopes, A. A. , Castro Alves, V. & et al. (2010). Anti-inflammatory Effects and Possible Mechanism of Action of Lupeol Acetate Isolated From Himatanthus Drasticus (Mart.) Plumel. Journal of Inflammation, 7.
Articles, reviews/surveys
- Castro Alves, V. , Oresic, M. & Hyötyläinen, T. (2022). Lipidomics in nutrition research. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care, 25 (5), 311-318.
- Ramos Do Prado, S. B. , Castro Alves, V. , Ferreira, G. F. & Fabi, J. P. (2019). Ingestion of non-digestible carbohydrates from plant-source foods and decreased risk of colorectal cancer: A review on the biological effects and the mechanisms of action. Frontiers in Nutrition, 6.
- Cordenunsi-Lysenko, B. R. , Nascimento, J. R. O. , Castro-Alves, V. , Purgatto, E. , Fabi, J. P. & Peroni-Okyta, F. H. G. (2019). The Starch Is (Not) Just Another Brick in the Wall: The Primary Metabolism of Sugars During Banana Ripening. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10.
Chapters in books
- Castro Alves, V. , de Oliveira Frederico Pinto, N. , Penha, M. F. A. , Gomes, B. L. , Reifschneider, F. J. & Garruti, D. S. (2014). Aroma-Active Compounds of Capsicum Chinense Var. Biquinho. In: Vicente Ferreira; Ricardo Lopez, Flavour Science: Proceedings From XIII Weurman Flavour Research Symposium (pp. 567-571). Salt Lake City: Academic Press.
- Penha, M. F. A. , Castro Alves, V. , de Oliveira Frederico Pinto, N. , Magalhães, H. C. R. , Reifschneider, F. J. & Garrut, D. S. (2014). Varietal Differences in the Volatile Profile of Bananas with Resistance to Black Leaf Streak Disease. In: Vicente Ferreira; Ricardo Lopez, Flavour Science: Proceedings From XIII Weurman Flavour Research Symposium (pp. 597-600). Salt Lake City: Academic Press.
- Pinto, N. O. , Castro Alves, V. , Penha, M. F. A. , Gomes, B. L. , Reifschneider, F. J. & Garruti, D. S. (2014). Volatile Profile of New Improved Brazilian Capsicum chinense Peppers. In: Vicente Ferreira; Ricardo Lopez, Flavour Science: Proceedings From XIII Weurman Flavour Research Symposium (pp. 643-647). Salt Lake City: Academic Press.