Evaluación de la capacidad antioxidante de nanopartículas de plata obtenidas a partir de extractos vegetales

En las últimas décadas la síntesis de nanopartículas de plata (AgNPs), ha experimentado un gran avance debido al elevado número de aplicaciones de las mismas en campos como la cosmética, la industria y en especial el medioambiente.Los extractos naturales presentan actividades biológicas como antioxidantes, que inhiben o retrasan los procesos oxidativos, a través de un mecanismo que suele conllevar su propia oxidación, en los últimos años el interés por los antioxidantes naturales se ha incrementado

Aspects determining the risk of pesticides to wild bees: risk profiles for focal crops on three continents

In order to conduct a proper risk assessment of pesticides to bees, information is needed in three areas: the toxicity of the pesticide;the probability of bee exposure to that pesticide; andthe population dynamics of the bee species in question.Information was collected on such factors affecting pesticide risk to (primarily wild) bees in several crops in Brazil, Kenya and The Netherlands. These data were used to construct ‘risk profiles’ of pesticide use for bees in the studied cropping systems. Data gaps were identified and potential risks of pesticides to bees were compared between the crops. Initially, risk profiling aims to better identify gaps in our present knowledge. In the longer term, the established risk profiles may provide structured inputs into risk assessment models for wild and managed bees, and lead to recommendations for specific risk mitigation measures. Keywords: pesticide, exposure, risk, wild bees, risk profil

World squid fisheries

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Bovine serum albumin-imprinted magnetic poly(2-pyrrolidone) microparticles for protein recognition

This study reports on the synthesis and adsorption properties of molecularly imprinted porous magnetic microparticles (MIP) based on the biodegradable and sustainable poly(2-pyrrolidone) (PPD or PA4). These new PPD MIP materials were obtained via activated anionic ring-opening polymerization of 2-pyrroldone carried out at 40 °C, in the presence of iron fillers and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a template. Neither solvent, nor additional crosslinking or porogen agents were used in the PPD MIP synthesis. Analogously, PPD particles without BSA imprinting (NIP) were also produced. Depending on the microparticles composition, their yields were in the 55–70 wt% range, the average size varying between 8 and 25 μm. After characterization of the surface topography of all samples, their adsorption capacity toward the BSA target was assessed as a function of the adsorption time, protein concentration and pH of the medium. All three PPD MIP samples displayed adsorption capacity toward BSA being up to one order of magnitude higher as compared to other BSA-imprinted polymer systems. It was found that the rebinding of BSA on MIP is best described by the Langmuir isotherm, whereas for rebinding on NIP the Freundlich isotherm was the more adequate model. On this basis, the nature of the adsorption on MIP and NIP was discussed. The adsorption toward two other proteins, namely Ovalbumin and Cytochrome C was also tested. The newly synthesized BSA-imprinted PPD MIP displayed selective adsorption for the BSA target being dependent on the pH values of the medium. The easy recovery of the Fe-containing MIP and the capacity of all MIP samples for multiple sorption/desorption cycles was demonstrated.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the project TSSiPRO NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000015, supported by the regional operation program NORTE2020, under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund, as well as the support by National Funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), project UID/CTM/50025/2019. N. Dencheva is also grateful for the financial support of FCT in the frames of the strategic project UID/CTM/50025/2013 and the personal pro gram-contract CTTI-51/18-IP

Evaluation of probiotic lactobacillus as adjuvants for nasal immunization with chimeric pneumococcal vaccine

Vaccine protection against photogenic gram-positive bacteria including different species ofstreptococci is an important problem of contemporary molecular biology. Streptococcal infections are mostcommon bacterial infections surpassing by the economic losses all the infections excluding influenza. The gatesof streptococcal infection, oral cavity or vagina, are covered with immune and non-immune mucosal cells thatare the first line of defenses. Subcutaneous immunization not always stimulate the local immunity on mucosalsurfaces. On the other hand, mucosal vaccination can provide an appropriate local immune response togetherwith systemic protection. However, mucosal immunization often requires usage of special and effectiveadjuvants especially in case of vaccines based on recombinant proteins.For protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, two chimeric recombinant proteins (PSPF andPSP) have been tested as vaccines. Recombinant proteins PSPF and PSP carry immunogenic epitopes fromthe respiratory pathogen including PspA, Spr1875 and PsaA. PSPF structure also carries a fraction of flagellin-FliC molecule in comparison with PSP, which does not have this fragment. This portion of PSPF was includedas internal adjuvant intended for the stimulation of Toll-like receptor 5.In this work, the adjuvant capacity of two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505 andL. rhamnosus L32 was evaluated. It was demonstrated that both lactic acid bacteria strains were able to provideadjuvant effects by enhancing the mucosal and systemic immune responses after their co-administration withthe recombinant chimeric protein PSPF. The adjuvant effect of both Lactobacillus strains was significantlydecreased after their thermal inactivation. However, the cell walls of bacteria showed a marked adjuvant activity.An improved protection against several S. pneumoniae serotypes after mucosal immunization of infant micewith PSPF vaccine with probiotic strains or their cell walls was also demonstrated here.The recombinant chimeric protein PSPF administered with immunomodulatory probiotic strains or theirbacterial components would be a promising vaccine for immunization of humans against S. pneumoniae,particularly in children.Одной из наиболее актуальных задач медико-биологической науки является создание вакцинных препаратов против патогенных стрептококков – самых распространенных бактериаль-ных возбудителей заболеваний человека, экономический ущерб от которых уступает лишь потерям от гриппозной инфекции. Входными воротами стрептококковой инфекции являются слизистые обо-лочки респираторного и мочеполового тракта. Парентеральный способ введения вакцин не всегда позволяет добиваться одинаково эффектив-ной стимуляции местного иммунитета на слизистых оболочках, а вакцины, вводимые через слизи-стые оболочки, способны эффективно стимулировать иммунную защиту в области введения, а также обеспечить развитие системного иммунного ответа. Введение через слизистые оболочки вакцинных препаратов белковой природы требует исполь-зования специальных эффективных и безопасных адъювантов, поскольку рекомбинантные белки обычно проявляют недостаточную ммуногенность при таком способе введения. В работе в качестве вакцинных адъювантов при мукозальной иммунизации лабораторных животных пневмококковыми химерными рекомбинантными белками PSPF и PSP были апробированы два штамма пробиотиков – Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505 и L32. Рекомбинантные химерные белки PSPF и PSP несут в своей структуре несколько иммуногенных эпитопов PspA, Spr1875, PsaA и предназначены для вакцинации против инфекции Streptococcus pneumoniae. Белки, отличие которых связано с присутствием в струк-туре PSPF участка молекулы флагеллина – FliC, по-разному стимулировали иммунный ответ при совместном введении с двумя штаммами пробиотиков. Установлено, что оба исследованных штам-ма L. rhamnosus были способны оказывать адъювантный эффект при интраназальном введении вак-цинных белков, проявлявшийся в усилении секреторного и гуморального иммунного ответа на со-вместно введенный рекомбинантный химерный белок PSPF. Выраженной стимуляции продукции специфических IgA носовых смывов и IgG сыворотки крови на PSP под влиянием L. rhamnosus L32 не происходило. Адъювантный эффект от вводимых лактобациллярных препаратов существенно сни-жался после температурной инактивации бактерий, однако препарат клеточных стенок L. rhamnosus CRL1505 проявлял выраженную активность. Стимуляция иммунного ответа адъювантами приводила к усилению протективного эффекта вакцины в экспериментах на лабораторных животных, инфици-рованных S. pneumoniae. Установлено, что некоторые штаммы лактобацилл, в частности Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505 и L32, могут быть использованы в качестве адъювантов в составе мукозальных вакцин, однако эта способность зависит от свойств вакцинного препарата и формы введения пробиотиков.Fil: Leontieva, G. F.. Institute of Experimental Medicine; RusiaFil: Kramskaya, T. A.. Institute of Experimental Medicine; RusiaFil: Grabovskaya, K. B.. Institute of Experimental Medicine; Rusia; RusiaFil: Filimonova, V. Yu.. Institute of Experimental Medicine; Rusia; RusiaFil: Laiño, Jonathan Emiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; ArgentinaFil: Villena, Julio Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Gladis Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; ArgentinaFil: Danilenko, V. N.. Academy of Sciences. Institute of General Genetics. Head, Division of Fundamental Genetic Studies in Biotechnology; RusiaFil: Suvorov, A. N.. St. Peterburg State University; Rusia. Institute of Experimental Medicine. Head, Division of Molecular Microbiology; Rusi

Molecular Tools for Monitoring the Ecological Sustainability of a Stone Bio-Consolidation Treatment at the Royal Chapel, Granada

Background: Biomineralization processes have recently been applied in situ to protect and consolidate decayed ornamental stone of the Royal Chapel in Granada (Spain). While this promising method has demonstrated its efficacy regarding strengthening of the stone, little is known about its ecological sustainability.Methodology/Principal Findings: Here, we report molecular monitoring of the stone-autochthonous microbiota before and at 5, 12 and 30 months after the bio-consolidation treatment (medium/long-term monitoring), employing the well-known molecular strategy of DGGE analyses. Before the bio-consolidation treatment, the bacterial diversity showed the exclusive dominance of Actinobacteria (100%), which decreased in the community (44.2%) after 5 months, and Gamma-proteobacteria (30.24%) and Chloroflexi (25.56%) appeared. After 12 months, Gamma-proteobacteria vanished from the community and Cyanobacteria (22.1%) appeared and remained dominant after thirty months, when the microbiota consisted of Actinobacteria (42.2%) and Cyanobacteria (57.8%) only. Fungal diversity showed that the Ascomycota phylum was dominant before treatment (100%), while, after five months, Basidiomycota (6.38%) appeared on the stone, and vanished again after twelve months. Thirty months after the treatment, the fungal population started to stabilize and Ascomycota dominated on the stone (83.33%) once again. Members of green algae (Chlorophyta, Viridiplantae) appeared on the stone at 5, 12 and 30 months after the treatment and accounted for 4.25%, 84.77% and 16.77%, respectively.Conclusions: The results clearly show that, although a temporary shift in the bacterial and fungal diversity was observed during the first five months, most probably promoted by the application of the bio-consolidation treatment, the microbiota tends to regain its initial stability in a few months. Thus, the treatment does not seem to have any negative side effects on the stone-autochthonous microbiota over that time. The molecular strategy employed here is suggested as an efficient monitoring tool to assess the impact on the stone-autochthonous microbiota of the application of biomineralization processes as a restoration/conservation procedure.This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Junta de Andalucía (Spain) and the “Fortalecimiento de la I+D+i” program from the University of Granada, co-financed by grant RNM-3493 and Research Group BIO-103 from Junta de Andalucía, as well as by the Spanish Government through “José Castillejo” program from the “Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte” (I+D+i 2008-2011), and by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under Grant “Elise-Richter V194-B20”

Characterization of S3Pvac Anti-Cysticercosis Vaccine Components: Implications for the Development of an Anti-Cestodiasis Vaccine

Background: Cysticercosis and hydatidosis seriously affect human health and are responsible for considerable economic loss in animal husbandry in non-developed and developed countries. S3Pvac and EG95 are the only field trial-tested vaccine candidates against cysticercosis and hydatidosis, respectively. S3Pvac is composed of three peptides (KETc1, GK1 and KETc12), originally identified in a Taenia crassiceps cDNA library. S3Pvac synthetically and recombinantly expressed is effective against experimentally and naturally acquired cysticercosis.Methodology/ Principal Findings: In this study, the homologous sequences of two of the S3Pvac peptides, GK1 and KETc1, were identified and further characterized in Taenia crassiceps WFU, Taenia solium, Taenia saginata, Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis. Comparisons of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences coding for KETc1 and GK1 revealed significant homologies in these species. The predicted secondary structure of GK1 is almost identical between the species, while some differences were observed in the C terminal region of KETc1 according to 3D modeling. A KETc1 variant with a deletion of three C-terminal amino acids protected to the same extent against experimental murine cysticercosis as the entire peptide. on the contrary, immunization with the truncated GK1 failed to induce protection. Immunolocalization studies revealed the non stage-specificity of the two S3Pvac epitopes and their persistence in the larval tegument of all species and in Taenia adult tapeworms.Conclusions/ Significance: These results indicate that GK1 and KETc1 may be considered candidates to be included in the formulation of a multivalent and multistage vaccine against these cestodiases because of their enhancing effects on other available vaccine candidates

Aportes al conocimiento del sistema productivo de cultivo de la mora (Rubus glaucus Benth) en Colombia

Varios estudios que examinan el cultivo de la mora en Colombia muestran que esta actividad es realizada por pequeños y medianos agricultores. En muchas regiones constituye una de las principales fuentes de ingresos; generación de empleo rural; oferta de alimento y de agroindustria. En este trabajo se revisaron más de 180 documentos distribuidos entre artículos divulgativos, técnicos y científicos, publicados en boletines, manuales, cartillas, seminarios y cursos; además, resultados de trabajos de investigación, tesis de pregrado y artículos científicos publicados en revistas seriadas e indexadas. Este es resultado de la búsqueda la literatura de la agronomía del sistema productivo de la mora en la red, en la Biblioteca Agropecuaria de Colombia (BAC), en las bibliotecas de de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia y en las bibliotecas de los investigadores del CI La Selva de Corpoica. Para analizar la literatura sobre la agronomía y las prácticas de manejo agronómico de la mora (distribución espacial, trazado y siembra, propagación, tutorado, poda, entre otras). Del manejo agronómico se han escrito diversas publicaciones unas más profundas que otras, estas se caracterizan porque para la mayoría de las practicas agronómicas se carece de un sustento que las valide, para los diferentes ambiente y genotipos y muchas de ellas son el resultado de la observación, del sentido común y de adaptación de otro sistema productivo. Esta literatura surge en la década de 50’s, en la de los 70’ se dan las versiones más integrales del sistema productivo y durante la década de los 90’s, es el periodo dorado cuando se consolida y se presentan los trabajos mas completos, aun todavía faltando, la integralidad entre genotipo, ambiente y la interacción entre estos.Mora-Rubus ulmifoliu