Water Extract of Cryphaea heteromalla (Hedw.) D. Mohr Bryophyte as a Natural Powerful Source of Biologically Active Compounds

Bryophytes comprise of the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Cryphaea heteromalla, (Hedw.) D. Mohr, is a non-vascular lower plant belonging to mosses group. To the date, the most chemically characterized species belong to the liverworts, while only 3.2% and 8.8% of the species belonging to the mosses and hornworts, respectively, have been investigated. In this work, we present Folin–Ciocalteu and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) data related to crude extracts of C. heteromalla obtained by three di erent extraction solvents: pure water (WT), methanol:water (80:20 v/v) (MET), and ethanol:water (80:20 v/v) (ETH). The water extract proved to be the best solvent showing the highest content of biophenols and the highest ORAC value. The C. heteromalla-WT extract was investigated by HPLC-TOF/MS (High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Time of Flight/Mass Spectrometry) allowing for the detection of 14 compounds, five of which were phenolic compounds, derivatives of benzoic, caffeic, and coumaric acids. Moreover, the C. heteromalla WT extract showed a protective effect against reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH) on the murine NIH-3T3 fibroblast cell line.This work was supported by the European Social Funding (FSE Sicilia 2020 Project ID: 2014.IT.05.SFOP.014/ 3/10.4/9.2.10/0014)

Revalorization of Broccoli By-Products for Cosmetic Uses Using Supercritical Fluid Extraction

The agri-food industry is currently one of themain engines of economic developmentworldwide. The region ofMurcia is a reference area in Europe for the cultivation of fruits and vegetables and produces the bulk of Spanish exports of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica). The processing of fresh produce generates a huge number of by-products that represent an important economic and environmental problem when discarded. In this work, an advanced extraction technique using environmentally friendly solvents was applied to assess the revalorization of broccoli by-products, by performing a comparative analysis with conventional extraction. To achieve this goal, supercritical fluid extraction based on response surface methodology was performed using CO2 and ethanol as solvents. The results obtained showed that the supercritical fluid extracts were rich in -carotene, phenolic compounds, chlorophylls and phytosterols. Moreover, in bioactivity assays, the supercritical fluid extracts exhibited a high antioxidant activity and a cytoprotective effect in a non-tumorigenic keratinocyte cell line exposed to ultraviolet B light. The results indicate that supercritical fluid extracts from broccoli by-products could potentially serve as an ingredient for cosmetic purposes

HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS chemical characterization of comfrey root extract obtained by subcritical water extraction

In this work, a study on phytochemical profiles of comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) root extract obtained by subcritical water extraction (SWE) has been carried out. Chemical composition was assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS) identifying 22 compounds including organic acids, phenolic acids, flavonoids and fatty acids. Great number of phenolic acids and flavonoids were found in the extract obtained by SWE, with citric acid, caffeic acid and derivative, salvianolic acid B, hydroxybenzoic acid, syringetin-3-O-glucoside and quercetin 3-O-malonylglucoside as the most abundant compounds. Moreover, quercitin-3- malonylglucoside isomers, hydroxybenzoic acid glucoside, cirismaritin isomers, p-coumaric acid, hydroxycoumarin and methylcoumarin, among others, were identified for the first time in S. officinale root. Overall, the results indicate the potential of SWE for the production of highquality plant extracts from S. officinale root

Adaptación transcultural de un cuestionario para medir la calidad de vida de los pacientes con anticoagulación oral

ObjetivoAdaptar a la cultura y el idioma españoles un cuestionario desarrollado para evaluar la calidad de vida de los pacientes con tratamiento anticoagulante oral (TAO) y medir su validezDiseñoEstudio observacional, descriptivo, de validación de un instrumento de medida de calidad de vida relacionada con la salud. Emplazamiento. Atención primaria y atención especializadaParticipantesUn total de 225 pacientes que incluía a todos los pacientes de nuestro centro que utilizan TAO y una muestra consecutiva de pacientes con TAO del servicio de hematología del hospital de referenciaMediciones principalesTraducción directa,traducción inversa y prueba de validez. Análisis factorial y agrupación por dimensiones de los ítems, análisis de la consistencia interna y análisis de correlación ítem-total de la versión definitiva del cuestionario en españolResultadosLa edad media de los pacientes fue de 65 ± 13 años, el 51,1% era mujer y el 45,8% era controlado en atención primaria. En el estudio de validez se realizó un análisis factorial con la extracción de 5 factores que explican el 41,62% del valor total de la varianza y la obtención de una agrupación diferente de la original, con unvalor de alfa de Cronbach global de 0,82 y de 0,56–0,74 en las diferentes dimensiones y análisis de correlación ítem-total con valores estadísticamente significativos, excepto en la pregunta número 29ConclusionesTras realizar la adaptación a la cultura y el idioma españoles de un cuestionario desarrollado para evaluar la calidad de vida de los pacientes con TAO, se ha obtenido un instrumento útil y válido para nuestro entornoObjectiveTo adapt to Spanish culture and language a questionnaire developed to evaluate the quality of life of patients taking oral anticoagulation treatment (OAT) and to measure its validityDesignA descriptive observation study to validate an instrument to measure health-related quality of lifeSettingPrimary and specialist careParticipants225 patients, all the patients at our centre who were on OAT and a consecutive sample of patients on OAT from the referral hospital's haemotology serviceMain measurementsDirect translation, back- translation, and pilot study. Factor analysis and item-dimension grouping, internal consistency analysis and analysis of the item- total correlation of the definitive version of the questionnaire in SpanishResultsMean age was 65 (SD=13 years); 51% were women; 45.8% were monitored in PC. Validity study: factor analysis extracted 5 factors that explained 41.62% of total variance value and obtained a grouping different from the original; Cronbach's alpha was .82 overall and ran from .56 to .74 in the various dimensions; and item-total correlation analysis had statistically significant values,except for question 29ConclusionsAfter adaptation to Spanish culture and language of a questionnaire developed to evaluate the quality of life of patients taking OAT, it was found to be a useful instrument, valid for use in our milie

In-Depth Characterization of Bioactive Extracts from Posidonia oceanica Waste Biomass

Posidonia oceanica waste biomass has been valorised to produce extracts by means of different methodologies and their bioactive properties have been evaluated. Water-based extracts were produced using ultrasound-assisted and hot water methods and classified according to their ethanol-affinity (E1: ethanol soluble; E2: non-soluble). Moreover, a conventional protocol with organic solvents was applied, yielding E3 extracts. Compositional and structural characterization confirmed that while E1 and E3 extracts were mainly composed of minerals and lipids, respectively, E2 extracts were a mixture of minerals, proteins and carbohydrates. All the extracts showed remarkably high antioxidant capacity, which was not only related to phenolic compounds but also to the presence of proteins and polysaccharides. All E2 and E3 extracts inhibited the growth of several foodborne fungi, while only E3 extracts decreased substantially the infectivity of feline calicivirus and murine norovirus. These results show the potential of P. oceanica waste biomass for the production of bioactive extracts.This work was financially supported by the project GV/2018//149, the “Agencia Estatal de Investigación” and cofunded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (ERA-Net SUSFOOD2). Marta Martinez-Sanz is recipient of a Juan de la Cierva (IJCI-2015-23389) contract from the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness

Identification of bioactive compounds in comfrey root extracts

In the present study bioactive compounds present in comfrey root extracts obtained by supercritical fluid (SFE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) were identified. Chemical characterization of the extracts was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to DAD and electrospray-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC–ESITOF-MS) yielding in total of 23 identified compounds. PLE as a fast, green and innovative approach, seems to be the best choice for extracting wide variety of compounds with different polarities within the shortest extraction time being the fatty acids and their derivatives the most abundant. The present study also highlights the potential application of comfrey root extracts as constituents of new added-value formulations

Cocoa and Grape Seed Byproducts as a Source of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Proanthocyanidins

Phenolic compounds, which are secondary plant metabolites, are considered an integral part of the human diet. Physiological properties of dietary polyphenols have come to the attention in recent years. Especially, proanthocyanidins (ranging from dimers to decamers) have demonstrated potential interactions with biological systems, such as antiviral, antibacterial, molluscicidal, enzyme-inhibiting, antioxidant, and radical-scavenging properties. Agroindustry produces a considerable amount of phenolic-rich sources, and the ability of polyphenolic structures to interacts with other molecules in living organisms confers their beneficial properties. Cocoa wastes and grape seeds and skin byproducts are a source of several phenolic compounds, particularly mono-, oligo-, and polymeric proanthocyanidins. The aim of this work is to compare the phenolic composition of Theobroma cacao and Vitis vinifera grape seed extracts by high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer and equipped with an electrospray ionization interface (HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS) and its phenolic quantitation in order to evaluate the proanthocyanidin profile. The antioxidant capacity was measured by different methods, including electron transfer and hydrogen atom transfer-based mechanisms, and total phenolic and flavan-3-ol contents were carried out by Folin–Ciocalteu and Vanillin assays. In addition, to assess the anti-inflammatory capacity, the expression of MCP-1 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells was measured.This work was supported by the project AGL2011-29857-C03-02 and BFU2014-52433-C3-2-R (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation), as well as P10-FQM-6563 and P11-CTS-7625 (Andalusian Regional Government Council of Innovation and Science). The author Isabel Borrás Linares acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the European Social Fund (FSE) for the contract PTQ-13-06429. Authors are also grateful to the Universitat Rovira I Virgili for the Martí I Franquès Grant 2016PMF-POST-02 awarded to Salvador Fernández-Arroyo

Permeability Study of Polyphenols Derived from a Phenolic-Enriched Hibiscus sabdariffa Extract by UHPLC-ESI-UHR-Qq-TOF-MS

Previous findings on the capacity of Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) polyphenols to ameliorate metabolic disturbances justify the necessity of studies oriented to find the potential metabolites responsible for such an effect. The present study examined the intestinal epithelial membrane permeability of polyphenols present in a phenolic-enriched Hibiscus sabdariffa extract (PEHS), free and encapsulated, using the Caco-2 cell line. Additionally, selected polyphenols (quercetin, quercetin-3-glucoside, quercetin-3-glucuronide, and N-feruloyltyramine) were also studied in the same absorption model. The powerful analytical platform used ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultra-high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-UHR-Qq-TOF-MS), and enabled the characterization of seven new compounds in PEHS. In the permeation study, only a few compounds were able to cross the cell monolayer and the permeability was lower when the extract was in an encapsulated form. Pure compounds showed a moderate absorption in all cases. Nevertheless, these preliminary results may need further research to understand the complete absorption mechanism of Hibiscus polyphenols.This work was supported by projects AGL2011-29857-C03-02 and AGL2011-29857-C03-03 (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation), in addition to P10-FQM-6563 and P11-CTS-7625 (Andalusian Regional Government Council of Innovation and Science), PROMETEO/2012/007 and ACOMP/2013/093 (Generalitat Valenciana), and CIBER (CB12/03/30038, Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición, CIBERobn, Instituto de Salud Carlos III). The authors are grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for the grant FPI (BES-2009-028128), and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) in association with the European Social Fund (FSE) for the contract PTQ-13-06429. MH is a recipient of a VALi + D fellowship from GV (ACIF/2010/162). The authors are especially grateful to Bruker Daltonik GmbH (Bremen, Germany) for their help and support during this research

Aprendizaje invertido- Aprendizaje colaborativo, Flipped learning-Jigsaw, en el laboratorio y en el aula universitaria.

El aula invertida o “flipped classroom”, y la técnica del puzle o “Jigsaw” son metodologías pedagógicas cuyo principal objetivo consiste en que el alumno/a asuma un rol más activo en su proceso de aprendizaje que el que venía ocupando tradicionalmente. Los objetivos que se pretenden alcanzar son: mejorar los resultados de aprendizaje, fomentar el pensamiento crítico, el trabajo autónomo del estudiante, así como el trabajo colaborativo y la participación activa del estudiante en el proceso de aprendizaje. La metodología didáctica a seguir se explicará previamente a todos los estudiantes implicados. Se dejan algunas sesiones de laboratorio y seminarios teórico-prácticos para desarrollarlos siguiendo la metodología tradicional, considerándolos sesiones de control para poder comparar los resultados finales obtenidos con la metodología propuesta. Hasta la fecha la metodología seguida en las sesiones prácticas de laboratorio se limitaba a leer un guion de prácticas y seguir unas instrucciones, en las sesiones de seminarios numéricos o casos teórico-prácticos, de forma similar, el profesor dedica varias sesiones a poner en contexto a los estudiantes. El problema de esta metodología, es que muchas veces los estudiantes tienen dificultades para asimilar, en una sola sesión de clase, los conceptos teóricos que tienen que poner en práctica, ya que están más preocupados por seguir las instrucciones, que por comprender el porqué de lo que están haciendo. Para solucionar estos inconvenientes se propone esta metodología docente. The "flipped classroom" and the "Jigsaw" techniques are pedagogical methodologies whose main objective is for students to take on a more active role in the learning process than they have traditionally done. The objectives to be achieved are: to improve learning results, encourage critical thinking, autonomous student work, collaborative work, and the active participation of students in the learning process. The didactic methodology will be explained previously to the students. Some laboratory sessions and theoretical and practical seminars are left to be developed following the traditional methodology, considering them as control sessions to compare the final results obtained between both didactic methodologies. Until now, the methodology followed in the practical laboratory sessions was limited to reading a practical script and following instructions, while in the numerical seminar sessions or theoretical-practical cases, the teacher dedicates several sessions to putting the students in context. The problem with this methodology is that students often find it difficult to assimilate, in a single class session, the theoretical concepts they have to put into practice, as they are more concerned with following instructions than with understanding why they are doing what they are doing. This teaching methodology is proposed to solve these problems.Proyecto de Innovación docente y Buenas Prácticas Docentes. Plan Fido. Proyecto 22-9

Blood DNA Methylation Patterns in Older Adults With Evolving Dementia

Dementia and cognitive disorders are major aging-associated pathologies. The prevalence and severity of these conditions are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Reflecting this, epigenetic alterations have been associated with each of these processes, especially at the level of DNA methylation, and such changes may help explain the observed interindividual variability in the development of the 2 pathologies. However, the importance of epigenetic alterations in explaining their etiology is unclear because little is known about the timing of when they appear. Here, using Illumina MethylationEPIC arrays, we have longitudinally analyzed the peripheral blood methylomes of cognitively healthy older adults (>70 year), some of whom went on to develop dementia while others stayed healthy. We have characterized 34 individuals at the prediagnosis stage and at a 4-year follow-up in the postdiagnosis stage (total n = 68). Our results show multiple DNA methylation alterations linked to dementia status, particularly at the level of differentially methylated regions. These loci are associated with several dementia-related genes, including PON1, AP2A2, MAGI2, POT1, ITGAX, PACSIN1, SLC2A8, and EIF4E. We also provide validation of the previously reported epigenetic alteration of HOXB6 and PM20D1. Importantly, we show that most of these regions are already altered in the prediagnosis stage of individuals who go on to develop dementia. In conclusion, our observations suggest that dementia-associated epigenetic patterns that have specific biological features are already present before diagnosis, and thus may be important in the design of epigenetic biomarkers for disease detection based on peripheral tissues.This work was supported by: the Spanish Association Against Cancer (grant number PROYE18061FERN to M.F.F.), the Asturias Government (PCTI) cofunding 2018-2022/FEDER (grant number IDI/2018/146 to M.F.F.), the Fundación General CSIC (grant number 0348_CIE_6_E to M.F.F.) and the Health Institute Carlos III (Plan Nacional de I + D + I) cofunding FEDER (grant numbers PI15/00892, PI18/01527 to M.F.F. and A.F.F.). JRT is supported by a Juan de la Cierva fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant number FJCI-2015-26965). R.F.P. is supported by the Severo Ochoa program (grant number BP17-114). We also acknowledge support from the Institute of Oncology of Asturias (IUOPA, supported by Obra Social Cajastur Liberbank, Spain), the Health Research Institute of Asturias (ISPA-FINBA) and Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBERER-ISCIII).S