Spray Drying of Xoconostle Juice: Interaction of Microstructure, Function, and Drying Operation Conditions

The xoconostle fruit (Opuntia matudae) is rich in polysaccharides, soluble fiber, simple phenols, betalains, and ascorbic acid. However, its consumption is limited due to its high acidity. Spray drying could be a technological option to strengthen the sustainability of xoconostle giving a re-valorization as a possible natural additive for the food industry. The food powders have to be designed considering aspects related to the effect of processing conditions on final quality properties; in this case, the effect of different drying air temperatures was evaluated on moisture content, water activity (Aw), glass transition temperature, microstructure, antioxidant activity, phenolic, and betalain compounds. For all cases, the drying air temperature had a positive effect on physical stability, at low levels of water activity and moisture content, and glass transition temperature (Tg) was increased. The biological functionality (assessed through phenolics, betalain compounds, and antioxidant activity) was also kept constant for all processing conditions investigated. However, the most evident changes were observed at microscopic scale analyzed through morphometric parameters

Crecimiento de Saccharomyces boulardii con agavinas acetiladas como fuente de carbono

Las agavinas son polímeros de fructosa provenientes del agave. Poseen enlaces β (2-1) y β (2-6), característica que no permite su hidrolisis por enzimas digestivas y las clasifica como oligosacáridos no digeribles. Estas moléculas han tomado relevancia debido a sus diferentes aplicaciones como encapsulantes de componentes bioactivos para liberarlos en sitios específicos y su capacidad prebiótica. Las bacterias del intestino grueso y cepas probióticas como Saccharomyces boulardii pueden fermentar las agavinas, generando cambios positivos en la microbiota. En esta investigación se evaluó la fermentabilidad de agavinas nativas, comerciales y acetiladas por la levadura probiótica S. boulardii, con el fin de compararlos como fuentes de carbono. Como resultado se obtuvo que el desarrollo celular en el medio con agavinas acetiladas fue mayor (9,0x10⁶ UFC/mL) respecto a las comerciales (5,7x10⁶ UFC/mL) y nativas (7,5x10⁵ UFC/mL), sin embargo, su crecimiento no fue mayor al medio con glucosa (3,5x10⁷UFC/mL).Agavins are polymers of fructose from agave that have β (2-1) and β (2-6) bonds, a characteristic that makes them resistant to hydrolysis by digestive enzymes and are classified non-digestible oligosaccharides. Currently, agavins have become relevant due to their different applications as an encapsulant of bioactive compounds to release them at specific sites and for their prebiotic characteristics. Bacteria from the large intestine and probiotic strains such as Saccharomyces boulardii can ferment agavins, generating positive changes in the microbiota. In this research, the fermentability of native, commercial and acetylated agavins by the probiotic yeast S. boulardii was evaluated, in order to compare them as carbon sources. As a result, it was obtained that the cell growth in the medium with acetylated agavins was higher (9,0x10⁶ CFU/mL) compared to commercial ones (5,7x10⁶ CFU/mL) and native agavins (7,5x10⁵ CFU/mL), however, its growth was not greater than the medium with glucosa (3,5x10⁷ CFU/mL)

In vitro impact of agavins on the gut microbiota and the levels of antibiotic resistance genes

Resumen del trabajo presentado en el Agriculture and Health Summit - Cultivating gut health at the crossroads of food and medicine, celebrado de forma virtual del 11 al 13 de octubre de 2021Agavins (agave fructans) have been proposed as new prebiotics. Some beneficial effects of these compounds haverecently been shown in the obesity context. However, scientific knowledge of its impact on the microbiota is still limited.Furthermore, there is no information about their effect on gut antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) levels. Therefore, thiswork aimed to evaluate the in vitro effect of agavins on gut microbiota composition and ARGs reduction. In vitro fecalcultures were performed from normal-weight and obese adults for 48 h at 37 oC under anaerobic conditions. Each fecalsample was added with agavins, inulin, or glucose at a final concentration of 0.3% (v/v). A bottle with no carbon sourceadded was used as a control. Also, pH and gas production in fecal cultures were monitored. The production of short-chainfatty acids was analyzed by gas chromatography and the microbial composition of the samples by 16S rRNA genesequencing. The absolute levels of the ARGs blaTEM, blaSHV, cm lA1, mec A, tet O, tet M, and aac (6 ") - leaph (2") wasquantified by qPCR. The results showed a modulating effect of agavins on the composition and activity of the human gutmicrobiota, inducing a decrement in pH and an increment of gas production throughout the fermentation. In addition,changes in the relative abundances of different microbial groups and a reduction in the levels of some ARGs wereobserved. These results suggest that agavins have a modulating effect on the human gut microbiota and reducing ARGs

Efecto de las agavinas en la reducción de genes de resistencia a antibióticos en la microbiota intestinal humana

Resumen trabajo presentado en el XII Workshop Sociedad Española de Microbiota, Probióticos y Prebióticos (SEMiPyP) y I Congreso Sociedad Iberoamericana de Microbiota, Probióticos y Prebióticos (SIAMPYP), celebrado de forma virtual del 15 al 18 de septiembre de 2021Introducción/objetivos. Las agavinas (fructanos de agave) son compuestos con potencial prebiótico relativamente nuevos. Recientemente se han demostrado algunos efectos beneficiosos de estos compuestos en el contexto de la obesidad. Sin embargo, el conocimiento científico de sus efectos sobre la microbiota es aun limitada y no existe información acerca de su efecto sobre los genes de resistencia a antibióticos (GRAs) portados por la misma. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar in vitro el efecto de las agavinas sobre la composición de la microbiota intestinal y la carga de GRAs. Metodología. Se realizaron cultivos fecales in vitro de muestras de adultos normopeso y con obesidad durante 48 horas a 37 oC en condiciones anaerobias. Cada muestra fecal se adicionó con agavinas e inulina, conocido prebiótico a modo de control, a una concentración final del 0.3% (p/v). Se analizó la producción de ácidos grasos de cadena corta (AGCC), pH, gas, la composición microbiana de las muestras mediante secuenciación del gen del ARNr 16S y los niveles absolutos de los GRAs: blaTEM, blaSHV, cmlA1, mecA, tetO, tetM y aac(6”)-leaph(2”) mediante qPCR. Resultados. Los resultados mostraron un efecto modulador de las agavinas en la composición y actividad de la microbiota intestinal humana, induciendo una disminución del pH y la producción de gas a lo largo de la incubación. Además, se pudieron observar cambios en las abundancias relativas de diferentes grupos microbianos y una reducción en los niveles de algunos GRAs. Conclusiones. Estos resultados sugieren que las agavinas tienen un efecto modulador de la microbiota intestinal de humanos, tanto obesos como adultos con normopeso, actuando también sobre la carga de GRAs de la misma

Evaluación de la toxicidad aguda y composición química de aceite refinado de Moringa oleifera cultivada en México

The oil obtained from Moringa oleifera seeds is mainly composed of oleic acid and in less proportion by linoleic and α-linolenic acids. It also contains phospholipids and other minority components, like enzymes, alkaloids, and glycosinolates some of which can generate undesirable characteristics and toxicity; therefore, refining processes are recommended for their removal. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of chemical refining on acute toxicity, fatty acid composition, and physicochemical properties, and of M. oleifera seed oil obtained from a Mexican variety. The oil was extracted by mechanical pressing of the seeds and then submitted to chemical refining. The crude and refined oils were characterized by determining the following parameters: acute toxicity in a murine model, fatty acid profile; iodine, saponification, and peroxide indexes; titratable acidity; and antioxidant capacity. Results showed that the M. oleifera seed oil did not present acute toxicity in the range of 300-2,000 mg/kg; therefore, could be used for human nutrition. The refining process did not have a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the content of oleic (69%), linoleic (0.74%), and α-linolenic (1.97%) acids. After the refining process, the iodine and saponification indexes increased. In contrast, the peroxide index, acidity, β-carotene content, and antioxidant capacity decreased. El aceite de Moringa oleifera está compuesto principalmente de ácido oleico, linoleico y α-linolénico, también contiene fosfolípidos y otros componentes minoritarios, como enzimas, alcaloides y glucosinolatos, compuestos que pueden generar características no deseadas y/o toxicidad, sin embargo, éstos pueden eliminarse mediante un proceso de refinación. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de la refinación química sobre la toxicidad aguda, la composición de ácidos grasos, y las propiedades fisicoquímicas del aceite de semilla de M. oleifera de una variedad mexicana, para ésto, el aceite se extrajo por prensado mecánico de las semillas para someterse a refinación química. Al aceite crudo y refinado se les determinó toxicidad aguda probada en un modelo murino, así como también el perfil de los ácidos grasos, los índices de yodo, saponificación y peróxido, además de la acidez, y capacidad antioxidante. Los resultados mostraron que el aceite de semilla de M. oleifera no presentó toxicidad aguda en el intervalo de 300-2,000 mg/kg; por lo que podría ser utilizado para consumo humano. El proceso de refinación no tuvo efecto significativo (p < 0.05) sobre el contenido del ácido oleico (69%), linoleico (0.74%) y α-linolénico (1.97%). Después del proceso de refinación, aumentó el valor del índice de yodo y de saponificación, mientras que el índice de peróxido, la acidez, el contenido de β-caroteno y la capacidad antioxidante disminuyeron.

Combined dark matter searches towards dwarf spheroidal galaxies with Fermi-LAT, HAWC, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS

Cosmological and astrophysical observations suggest that 85\% of the total matter of the Universe is made of Dark Matter (DM). However, its nature remains one of the most challenging and fundamental open questions of particle physics. Assuming particle DM, this exotic form of matter cannot consist of Standard Model (SM) particles. Many models have been developed to attempt unraveling the nature of DM such as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), the most favored particle candidates. WIMP annihilations and decay could produce SM particles which in turn hadronize and decay to give SM secondaries such as high energy $\gamma$ rays. In the framework of indirect DM search, observations of promising targets are used to search for signatures of DM annihilation. Among these, the dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) are commonly favored owing to their expected high DM content and negligible astrophysical background. In this work, we present the very first combination of 20 dSph observations, performed by the Fermi-LAT, HAWC, H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS collaborations in order to maximize the sensitivity of DM searches and improve the current results. We use a joint maximum likelihood approach combining each experiment's individual analysis to derive more constraining upper limits on the WIMP DM self-annihilation cross-section as a function of DM particle mass. We present new DM constraints over the widest mass range ever reported, extending from 5 GeV to 100 TeV thanks to the combination of these five different $\gamma$-ray instruments

Risk of COVID-19 after natural infection or vaccinationResearch in context

Background: While vaccines have established utility against COVID-19, phase 3 efficacy studies have generally not comprehensively evaluated protection provided by previous infection or hybrid immunity (previous infection plus vaccination). Individual patient data from US government-supported harmonized vaccine trials provide an unprecedented sample population to address this issue. We characterized the protective efficacy of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and hybrid immunity against COVID-19 early in the pandemic over three-to six-month follow-up and compared with vaccine-associated protection. Methods: In this post-hoc cross-protocol analysis of the Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Novavax COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, we allocated participants into four groups based on previous-infection status at enrolment and treatment: no previous infection/placebo; previous infection/placebo; no previous infection/vaccine; and previous infection/vaccine. The main outcome was RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 >7–15 days (per original protocols) after final study injection. We calculated crude and adjusted efficacy measures. Findings: Previous infection/placebo participants had a 92% decreased risk of future COVID-19 compared to no previous infection/placebo participants (overall hazard ratio [HR] ratio: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.05–0.13). Among single-dose Janssen participants, hybrid immunity conferred greater protection than vaccine alone (HR: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01–0.10). Too few infections were observed to draw statistical inferences comparing hybrid immunity to vaccine alone for other trials. Vaccination, previous infection, and hybrid immunity all provided near-complete protection against severe disease. Interpretation: Previous infection, any hybrid immunity, and two-dose vaccination all provided substantial protection against symptomatic and severe COVID-19 through the early Delta period. Thus, as a surrogate for natural infection, vaccination remains the safest approach to protection. Funding: National Institutes of Health

Risk of COVID-19 after natural infection or vaccinationResearch in context

Summary: Background: While vaccines have established utility against COVID-19, phase 3 efficacy studies have generally not comprehensively evaluated protection provided by previous infection or hybrid immunity (previous infection plus vaccination). Individual patient data from US government-supported harmonized vaccine trials provide an unprecedented sample population to address this issue. We characterized the protective efficacy of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and hybrid immunity against COVID-19 early in the pandemic over three-to six-month follow-up and compared with vaccine-associated protection. Methods: In this post-hoc cross-protocol analysis of the Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Novavax COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, we allocated participants into four groups based on previous-infection status at enrolment and treatment: no previous infection/placebo; previous infection/placebo; no previous infection/vaccine; and previous infection/vaccine. The main outcome was RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 >7–15 days (per original protocols) after final study injection. We calculated crude and adjusted efficacy measures. Findings: Previous infection/placebo participants had a 92% decreased risk of future COVID-19 compared to no previous infection/placebo participants (overall hazard ratio [HR] ratio: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.05–0.13). Among single-dose Janssen participants, hybrid immunity conferred greater protection than vaccine alone (HR: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01–0.10). Too few infections were observed to draw statistical inferences comparing hybrid immunity to vaccine alone for other trials. Vaccination, previous infection, and hybrid immunity all provided near-complete protection against severe disease. Interpretation: Previous infection, any hybrid immunity, and two-dose vaccination all provided substantial protection against symptomatic and severe COVID-19 through the early Delta period. Thus, as a surrogate for natural infection, vaccination remains the safest approach to protection. Funding: National Institutes of Health

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licenseBackground: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit