Estudio de comportamiento del consumidor : Tendencias de consumo y factores determinantes del comportamiento del consumidor

En el presente documento se pretende analizar la manera en que influyen las tendencias de consumo en el comportamiento del consumidor, y los factores que determinan el comportamiento de los mismos. En el primer capítulo se abordan las generalidades del comportamiento de los consumidores, se definen algunos conceptos de consumidores, los tipos de consumidores que existen, los papeles y roles que desempeñan cada uno de estos, y los enfoques que a través de la historia han estudiado a los consumidores. En el segundo capítulo se describen las tendencias de consumo que determinan el comportamiento del consumidor, es decir se especificará que es una tendencia de consumo, las principales tendencias de consumo, las diferencias entre los consumidores hombre, mujer y adolescentes. En el tercer capítulo se definen los factores internos y externos que determinan el comportamiento y la manera que influye cada uno de ellos en la conducta del consumidor. En el cuarto capítulo se pretende conocer la influencia de los factores externos e internos en la decisión de compra de los consumidores, es decir la incidencia de estos en la mente de los consumidores para decidir, si comprar o no un producto o servici

Maximizing saffron apocarotenoid production in varied tomato fruit carotenoid contexts

[EN] Saffron spice owes its commercial appreciation to its specific apocarotenoids: crocins, picrocrocin, and safranal. In Crocus sativus, these compounds are biosynthesized from zeaxanthin through oxidative cleavage by the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 2 (CCD2). Transgenic tomato plants expressing CsCCD2 in the fruit, named Tomaffron, accumulate high levels of saffron apocarotenoids despite the low substrate availability for CsCCD2. In the present study, CsCCD2 has been introduced into Xantomato; this tomato variety accumulates high levels of zeaxanthin and beta-carotene in ripe fruit due to a combination of four mutant alleles. Xantomato and Tomaffron genotypes have been combined to optimize apocarotenoid production. The best transgenic lines accumulated 15 and 14 times more crocins and picrocrocin than Tomaffron, alongside a fourfold increase in beta-carotene compared to Xantomato, albeit at a cost in fruit yield. Segregation of the four mutations has been carried out to find the best combination for obtaining high levels of saffron apocarotenoids without adverse effects on fruit yield. Plants harboring the high-pigmented 3 (hp3) and BETA (BSh) mutations accumulated 6 and 15 times more crocins and picrocrocin than Tomaffron, without observable pleiotropic effects. Additionally, those high levels of saffron apocarotenoids were obtained in fruit accumulating high levels of both lycopene and beta-carotene independently or in combination, suggesting a regulatory role for the apocarotenoids produced and indicating that it is possible to increase the levels of both types of healthy promoting molecules simultaneously.; Our study introduces a method to significantly boost saffron apocarotenoid levels in tomato fruit, while maintaining fruit yield. This innovation not only revolutionizes crocin and picrocrocin production but also highlights the potential for simultaneous accumulation of saffron apocarotenoids and carotenoids, offering promising prospects for agriculture and nutrition. imageThis work was supported by HARNESSTOM (EU H2020 project), contract number 101000716 Innovation Action EC-H2020-SFS-2020-1 and PID2022-141438OB-I00 from the Spanish MCIU. M.L.G. and A.G. are participants of the European COST action CA18210 (ROXY), and this action supported a Short-Term Scientific Mission of M.L.G. at the Royal Holloway, University of London.Lobato-Gómez, M.; Drapal, M.; Fernández-Muñoz, R.; Presa Castro, S.; Espinosa, A.; Fraser, PD.; Gómez-Gómez, L.... (2024). Maximizing saffron apocarotenoid production in varied tomato fruit carotenoid contexts. The Plant Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.1703

Intraspecific variability of growth and ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus carbonarius from different foods and geographical areas

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a nephrotoxic mycotoxin naturally found in a wide range of food commodities throughout the world. Aspergillus carbonarius is the most important source of OTA in food commodities such as wine, grapes and dried vine fruits and is also responsible for the formation of OTA in coffee. The aim of this study was to determine the simultaneous effect of three culture media (Czapek Yeast Extract Broth (CYB); Synthetic Grape Juice Medium (SGM) and White grape juice (WGJ)) at three water activity (aw) levels (0.90; 0.95 and 0.98-0.99), and three incubation temperatures (15ºC, 25ºC and 35ºC) on the growth and OTA production by 16 strains of A. carbonarius. The strains were selected on the basis of the geographical origin of the substrate and included strains from different climatic zones of Spain as well as from other countries with different climatology. All the strains were confirmed for identity by sequencing of the calmodulin gene. The assay was performed in microtiter plates, determining the absorbance at 530 nm and the concentration of OTA after 1, 2, 4 and 10 days of incubation. No significant differences were observed in absorbance values between the strains. The highest absorbance values were recorded in CYB at 0.99 aw and at 0.95 aw after 10 days of incubation at 25ºC and 35ºC. None of the strains were able to grow at 0.90 aw and 15ºC in any culture media after 10 days of incubation. OTA concentration was statistically higher at 15ºC than at 25ºC or 35ºC. The highest significant OTA values were obtained at 0.98-0.99 aw and the best culture media for OTA production was CYB, followed by WGJ and SGM. While strains isolated from Mediterranean climate foods had a similar behavior despite being isolated from different geographical areas, OTA concentration produced by one Robusta coffee strain from Thailand was statistically higher at 25ºC than at 15ºC. This would suggest that the type of food matrices and consequently the adaptation of A. carbonarius strains to different climatic conditions would have a greater influence on the ecophysiology of the strains than only their geographical origin

Antimicrobial activity improvement after fractionating organic extracts from Lasiodiplodia sp. Fermentation / Melhoria da atividade antimicrobiana após fracionamento de extratos orgânicos de Lasiodiplodia sp. fermentação

Endophytes constitute a promising source of bioactive substances with therapeutic potentialities. Thereby, an endophytic fungi was isolated from Handroanthus impetiginosus leaves and classified as Lasiodiplodia sp. by DNA sequence analysis and phylogenetic inference in this study. Chlorophorm (Ld-Chlo) and ethyl acetate extracts (Ld-EAm, Ld-AE and Ld-EA+) obtained from fungus fermentation broth have been fractionated, whose extracts and fractions have been tested for assessing their antimicrobial activity against four Gram-positive, two Gram-negative and three yeast strains. It was observed an antimicrobial profile regarding crude extracts against Gram-positive and yeast pathogens. The major inhibition was achieved by Ld-Chlo (MIC of 12.5-25 µg.mL-1) and Ld-EAm (MIC of 12.5-25 µg.mL-1), both against Candida parapsilosis. The extracts were more efficient against Listeria monocytongenes and C. parapsilosis pathogens. Fractionation increased the antimicrobial activity of fractions if compared to crude extracts, probably due to a higher concentration of bioactive compounds. Gass Chromatography (GC-MS) was performed using fractions from Ld-Chlo, through which it was possible to identify four known compounds with recognized antimicrobial activity: (Z)-docos-13-enamide (1), methyl (Z)-octadec-9-enoate (2), (Z)-octadec-9-enamide (3) and dodecanamide (4).. Thence, it is suggested that the fractionation of crude extracts improve antibacterial and antifungal activities and that the identified bioactive compounds are at the helm of the antimicrobial activity presented by some fractions. 

Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis modulates the apocarotenoid biosynthetic pathway in saffron

[EN] Crocus sativus L. (saffron) has been propagated for millennia to produce the precious spice saffron from the red stigmas. The inebriant organoleptic and bioactive properties mainly depend on the content of crocins (dyeing capacity), picrocrocin (flavor), and safranal (aroma), apocarotenoids deriving from zeaxanthin. In this study, an integrated biochemical and molecular analysis was carried out on fresh saffron stigmas to investigate the in-fluence exerted by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Rhizophagus intraradices on the production of the main saffron apocarotenoids responsible for the properties of the spice. Since mineral enrichment due to AM symbiosis has been related to changes in the secondary metabolism of plants, the mineral content of saffron corms at flowering was also analyzed. Rare arbuscules (AMF trade structures) were found in mycorrhized plants. However, the expression of D27, CCD7, and NCED involved in the synthesis of strigolactones (SLs) and abscisic acid (ABA), which promote AM symbiosis, did not change in the stigmas. The transcription of beta-LYC and CCD4a/ b was not affected by AMF, whereas that of CCD2, which encodes the key enzyme producing major apocar-otenoids, was upregulated. The crocin content was reduced in treated plants even if the expression of ALDH, UGT74AD1, and UGT91P3, involved in crocin synthesis, did not change. Conversely, UGT709G1, implicated in picrocrocin synthesis, was overexpressed in the inoculated plants, thus the safranal content was increased in the spice.This research was funded by the program Interreg V-A Francia Italia Alcotra (Grant No. 1139 "ANTEA - Attivita innovative per lo sviluppo della filiera transfrontaliera del fiore edule"; and grant no. 8336 "ANTES-Fiori eduli e piante aromatiche: attivita capitalizzazione dei progetti ANTEA ed ESSICA").Stelluti, S.; Grasso, G.; Nebauer, SG.; Alonso, GL.; Renau-Morata, B.; Caser, M.; Demasi, S.... (2024). Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis modulates the apocarotenoid biosynthetic pathway in saffron. Scientia Horticulturae. 323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2023.11244132

Bovine macrophages responses to the infection with virulent and attenuated Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis, caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. Although cattle are usually the maintenance hosts of serovar Hardjo, Pomona is the most frequent serovar circulating in Argentina. The understanding of bovine innate immune response and the virulence of this serovar is important for future control measures. This work compares infection of bovine macrophages with the virulent L. interrogans sv Pomona strain AKRFB (P1) and its attenuated counterpart (P19). First, we confirmed attenuation in the hamster model. Mortality and lung hemorrhages occurred after P1 inoculation, while the survival rate was 100% in P19-infected animals. Cells infected with both strains showed statistically upregulated gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα. The level of expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was statistically different between strains. Increased expression of IL-10 was observed only in P1-infected cells. For the first time, we describe macrophages extracellular traps induced by infection of bovine macrophages (bMETs) with both, the virulent and attenuated Leptospira interrogans Pomona strains. P1 was found higher internalized when the phagocytosis was inhibited, suggesting a cell entrance of this strain also by an independent-phagocytosis pathway. Furthermore, P1 was higher colocalized with acidic and late endosomal compartments compared with P19. This data emphasizes the importance to deepen in Leptospira bovine macrophages particular invasion mechanisms and, furthermore, underline the value of studying the main hosts.Fil: Nagel, Ariel Gastón. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Vázquez, Cristina Lourdes. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Etulain, Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Medicina Experimental. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Blanco, Federico Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Gravisaco, Maria José. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Gómez, Ricardo Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Caimi, Karina Cynthia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentin

Ochratoxin A Production by Strains of Aspergillus niger var. niger

In a survey of the occurrence of ochratoxin A (OA)-positive strains isolated from feedstuffs, two of the 19 isolates ofAspergillus niger var. niger that were studied produced OA in 2% yeast extract-15% sucrose broth and in corn cultures. This is the first report of production of OA by this species

Genetic analysis of 17 Y-STRs in a Mestizo population from the Central Valley of Mexico

This study aims to portray the complex diversity of the Mexican Mestizo population, which represents 98.8% of the entire population of Mexico. We compiled extended haplotype data of the Y chromosome from populations in the Central Valley of Mexico (CVM), which were compared to other Mestizo and parental (Amerindian, European and African) populations. A complex ancestral relationship was found in the CVM population, suggesting cosmopolitan origins. Nevertheless, the most preeminent lineages point towards a European ancestry, where the R1b was the most frequent. In addition, important frequencies of Amerindian linages were also found in the Mestizo sample studied. Interestingly, the Amerindian ancestry showed a remarkable substructure, which was represented by the two main founding lineages: QL54 (x M3) and M3. However, even within each lineage a high diversity was found despite the small number of samples bearers of these lineages. Further, we detected important genetic differences between the CVM populations and the Mexican Mestizo populations from the north and south. This result points to the fact that Mestizo populations present different ancestral proportions, which are related to the demographic events that gave origin to each population. Finally, we provide additional forensic statistical parameters that are useful in the interpretation of genetic analysis where autosomal loci are limited. Our findings illustrate the complex genetic background of the Mexican Mestizo population and reinforce the need to encompass more geographic regions to generate more robust data for forensic applications

Glucocorticoids' treatment impairs the medium-term immunogenic response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients

Limited data exists on SARS-CoV-2 sustained-response to vaccine in patients with rheumatic diseases. This study aims to evaluate neutralizing antibodies (nAB) induced by SARS-CoV-2 vaccine after 3 to 6 months from administration in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients, as a surrogate of sustained-immunological response. This cross-sectional study compared nAB titre of 39 SLE patients and 37 Healthy individuals with no previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, who had all received a complete regimen of a mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine within the last 3 to 6 months. We included four lines of SLE treatment including Not-treated, Hydroxychloroquine, immunosuppressive drugs and biological therapy. Glucocorticoids were allowed in all groups. Healthy and Not-treated individuals showed the highest levels of nAB. Treated patients presented lower nAB titres compared to Healthy: a 73% decrease for First-Line patients, 56% for Second-Line treatment and 72% for Third-Line. A multivariate analysis pointed to Glucocorticoids as the most associated factor with declining nAB levels (75% decrease) in treated SLE. Furthermore, a significant reduction in nAB titres was observed for Rituximab-users compared to Healthy subjects (89% decrease). Medium-term response of SLE patients to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines is negatively impacted in Glucocorticoids and Rituximab users. These findings might help to inform recommendations in vaccination protocols for SLE patients