Untangling the vicious cycle around water and poverty

Despite the recent improvements, there is still a problem of access to WASH services. This problem access is linked to poverty and inequality, which in turn cause difficulties in accessing water, thus creating a vicious cycle. This article analyses this vicious cycle using data from international organisations related to these issues. These data show how the lack of water access leads to limitations for households, which are deprived of employment or/and education due to the difficulty in obtaining water. This opportunity cost is the main mechanism through which the feedback between lack of access to water and economic poverty occurs. Not being able to obtain employment or/and education makes it impossible to get out of a precarious situation, which prevents the wider society to benefit from any economic gain, which in turn slows down the achievement of the goal of guaranteeing access to water for all. The responsibility lies with national and international institutions, which should not only focus on obtaining the necessary financial resources for infrastructure improvements, but also on having adequate governance to ensure water sustainability and equity.This work was financed by the Office of the Vice President of Research and Knowledge Transfer of the University of Alicante, Spain (Marcos García-López has a scholarship for The Training of University Teachers from the University of Alicante [UAFPU2019-16])

El Problema contextualizado para el científico de datos desde un enfoque socioformativo

Se propuso conjuntar la labor de la ciencia de datos con el enfoque socioformativo para ofrecer mayor certeza al trabajar con escenarios reales y actuales, así como permitir adaptar y optimizar soluciones ya empleadas para generar réplicas exitosas en ambientes similares. Para ello se llevó a cabo un análisis documental con enfoque cualitativo e integral mediante un registro estructurado. Para una investigación futura, se revisarán las estrategias de planeación de la ciencia de datos y del enfoque socioformativo para establecer el punto de convergencia y garantizar mejores logros

Un examen actualizado de la percepción de las barreras para la implementación de la farmacogenómica y la utilidad de los pares fármaco/gen en América Latina y el Caribe

La farmacogenómica (PGx) se considera un campo emergente en los países en desarrollo. La investigación sobre PGx en la región de América Latina y el Caribe (ALC) sigue siendo escasa, con información limitada en algunas poblaciones. Por lo tanto, las extrapolaciones son complicadas, especialmente en poblaciones mixtas. En este trabajo, revisamos y analizamos el conocimiento farmacogenómico entre la comunidad científica y clínica de ALC y examinamos las barreras para la aplicación clínica. Realizamos una búsqueda de publicaciones y ensayos clínicos en este campo en todo el mundo y evaluamos la contribución de ALC. A continuación, realizamos una encuesta regional estructurada que evaluó una lista de 14 barreras potenciales para la aplicación clínica de biomarcadores en función de su importancia. Además, se analizó una lista emparejada de 54 genes/fármacos para determinar una asociación entre los biomarcadores y la respuesta a la medicina genómica. Esta encuesta se comparó con una encuesta anterior realizada en 2014 para evaluar el progreso en la región. Los resultados de la búsqueda indicaron que los países de América Latina y el Caribe han contribuido con el 3,44% del total de publicaciones y el 2,45% de los ensayos clínicos relacionados con PGx en todo el mundo hasta el momento. Un total de 106 profesionales de 17 países respondieron a la encuesta. Se identificaron seis grandes grupos de obstáculos. A pesar de los continuos esfuerzos de la región en la última década, la principal barrera para la implementación de PGx en ALC sigue siendo la misma, la "necesidad de directrices, procesos y protocolos para la aplicación clínica de la farmacogenética/farmacogenómica". Las cuestiones de coste-eficacia se consideran factores críticos en la región. Los puntos relacionados con la reticencia de los clínicos son actualmente menos relevantes. Según los resultados de la encuesta, los pares gen/fármaco mejor clasificados (96%-99%) y percibidos como importantes fueron CYP2D6/tamoxifeno, CYP3A5/tacrolimus, CYP2D6/opioides, DPYD/fluoropirimidinas, TMPT/tiopurinas, CYP2D6/antidepresivos tricíclicos, CYP2C19/antidepresivos tricíclicos, NUDT15/tiopurinas, CYP2B6/efavirenz y CYP2C19/clopidogrel. En conclusión, aunque la contribución global de los países de ALC sigue siendo baja en el campo del PGx, se ha observado una mejora relevante en la región. La percepción de la utilidad de las pruebas PGx en la comunidad biomédica ha cambiado drásticamente, aumentando la concienciación entre los médicos, lo que sugiere un futuro prometedor en las aplicaciones clínicas de PGx en ALC.Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is considered an emergent field in developing countries. Research on PGx in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region remains scarce, with limited information in some populations. Thus, extrapolations are complicated, especially in mixed populations. In this paper, we reviewed and analyzed pharmacogenomic knowledge among the LAC scientific and clinical community and examined barriers to clinical application. We performed a search for publications and clinical trials in the field worldwide and evaluated the contribution of LAC. Next, we conducted a regional structured survey that evaluated a list of 14 potential barriers to the clinical implementation of biomarkers based on their importance. In addition, a paired list of 54 genes/drugs was analyzed to determine an association between biomarkers and response to genomic medicine. This survey was compared to a previous survey performed in 2014 to assess progress in the region. The search results indicated that Latin American and Caribbean countries have contributed 3.44% of the total publications and 2.45% of the PGx-related clinical trials worldwide thus far. A total of 106 professionals from 17 countries answered the survey. Six major groups of barriers were identified. Despite the region’s continuous efforts in the last decade, the primary barrier to PGx implementation in LAC remains the same, the “need for guidelines, processes, and protocols for the clinical application of pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics”. Cost-effectiveness issues are considered critical factors in the region. Items related to the reluctance of clinicians are currently less relevant. Based on the survey results, the highest ranked (96%–99%) gene/drug pairs perceived as important were CYP2D6/tamoxifen, CYP3A5/tacrolimus, CYP2D6/opioids, DPYD/fluoropyrimidines, TMPT/thiopurines, CYP2D6/tricyclic antidepressants, CYP2C19/tricyclic antidepressants, NUDT15/thiopurines, CYP2B6/efavirenz, and CYP2C19/clopidogrel. In conclusion, although the global contribution of LAC countries remains low in the PGx field, a relevant improvement has been observed in the region. The perception of the usefulness of PGx tests in biomedical community has drastically changed, raising awareness among physicians, which suggests a promising future in the clinical applications of PGx in LAC

An Updated Examination of the Perception of Barriers for Pharmacogenomics Implementation and the Usefulness of Drug/Gene Pairs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is considered an emergent field in developing countries. Research on PGx in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region remains scarce, with limited information in some populations. Thus, extrapolations are complicated, especially in mixed populations. In this paper, we reviewed and analyzed pharmacogenomic knowledge among the LAC scientific and clinical community and examined barriers to clinical application. We performed a search for publications and clinical trials in the field worldwide and evaluated the contribution of LAC. Next, we conducted a regional structured survey that evaluated a list of 14 potential barriers to the clinical implementation of biomarkers based on their importance. In addition, a paired list of 54 genes/drugs was analyzed to determine an association between biomarkers and response to genomic medicine. This survey was compared to a previous survey performed in 2014 to assess progress in the region. The search results indicated that Latin American and Caribbean countries have contributed 3.44% of the total publications and 2.45% of the PGx-related clinical trials worldwide thus far. A total of 106 professionals from 17 countries answered the survey. Six major groups of barriers were identified. Despite the region’s continuous efforts in the last decade, the primary barrier to PGx implementation in LAC remains the same, the “need for guidelines, processes, and protocols for the clinical application of pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics”. Cost-effectiveness issues are considered critical factors in the region. Items related to the reluctance of clinicians are currently less relevant. Based on the survey results, the highest ranked (96%–99%) gene/drug pairs perceived as important were CYP2D6/tamoxifen, CYP3A5/tacrolimus, CYP2D6/opioids, DPYD/fluoropyrimidines, TMPT/thiopurines, CYP2D6/tricyclic antidepressants, CYP2C19/tricyclic antidepressants, NUDT15/thiopurines, CYP2B6/efavirenz, and CYP2C19/clopidogrel. In conclusion, although the global contribution of LAC countries remains low in the PGx field, a relevant improvement has been observed in the region. The perception of the usefulness of PGx tests in biomedical community has drastically changed, raising awareness among physicians, which suggests a promising future in the clinical applications of PGx in LAC

Diseño de infografías científicas en el aula a través de herramientas web 3.0 y recursos en abierto

El proyecto que se presenta pretende instruir a estudiantes y profesores en las competencias necesarias para el diseño y elaboración de infografías científicas de contenidos académicos, utilizando para ello herramientas de la web 3.0 disponibles en abierto. Exponer ideas científicas mediante la elaboración de infografías es una realidad que ha llegado ya a todos los hogares gracias a los medios de comunicación: al exponer noticias en papel o en web, los redactores ya no recurren únicamente al texto con imágenes, sino que se valen de elementos infográficos explicativos que ayudan a que el público comprenda mejor la noticia en su dimensión más técnica. Aplicar la metodología de realización de infografías científicas a la práctica docente en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (Historia del Arte, Historia Moderna, Educación, Psicología, Bellas Artes y Documentación) se presenta no solo como una estrategia útil para que los estudiantes sinteticen las claves de determinados temas, sino también como una herramienta interesante para dotar de competencias de difusión científica a los alumnos, facilitando así su inserción laboral. Asimismo, esta proyecto ha facilitado la conformación de un equipo innovador profundamente interdisciplinar (Historia, Historia del Arte, Psicología, Tecnologías y Bellas Artes) e interinstitucional (UCM, UNED y URJC) con un enorme potencial de cara a futuras propuestas de innovación docente

Phylogenetic diversity of Amazonian tree communities

Aim: To examine variation in the phylogenetic diversity (PD) of tree communities across geographical and environmental gradients in Amazonia. Location: Two hundred and eighty-three c. 1 ha forest inventory plots from across Amazonia. Methods: We evaluated PD as the total phylogenetic branch length across species in each plot (PDss), the mean pairwise phylogenetic distance between species (MPD), the mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD) and their equivalents standardized for species richness (ses.PDss, ses.MPD, ses.MNTD). We compared PD of tree communities growing (1) on substrates of varying geological age; and (2) in environments with varying ecophysiological barriers to growth and survival. Results: PDss is strongly positively correlated with species richness (SR), whereas MNTD has a negative correlation. Communities on geologically young- and intermediate-aged substrates (western and central Amazonia respectively) have the highest SR, and therefore the highest PDss and the lowest MNTD. We find that the youngest and oldest substrates (the latter on the Brazilian and Guiana Shields) have the highest ses.PDss and ses.MNTD. MPD and ses.MPD are strongly correlated with how evenly taxa are distributed among the three principal angiosperm clades and are both highest in western Amazonia. Meanwhile, seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) and forests on white sands have low PD, as evaluated by any metric. Main conclusions: High ses.PDss and ses.MNTD reflect greater lineage diversity in communities. We suggest that high ses.PDss and ses.MNTD in western Amazonia results from its favourable, easy-to-colonize environment, whereas high values in the Brazilian and Guianan Shields may be due to accumulation of lineages over a longer period of time. White-sand forests and SDTF are dominated by close relatives from fewer lineages, perhaps reflecting ecophysiological barriers that are difficult to surmount evolutionarily. Because MPD and ses.MPD do not reflect lineage diversity per se, we suggest that PDss, ses.PDss and ses.MNTD may be the most useful diversity metrics for setting large-scale conservation priorities

¿Cómo se discute la violencia contra las mujeres en el espacio público digital?: divulgación de resultados investigación-docencia

Este documento presenta los resultados más relevantes de un proceso de investigación y docencia desarrollado en el marco de los cursos C-1103 Comunicación y Poder y C-1002 Comunicación Inclusiva de la Concentración en Comunicación Social de la Escuela de Ciencias de la Comunicación Colectiva durante el ciclo II-2020, en articulación con el Programa de Narrativas, Género y Comunicación del Centro de Investigación en Comunicación – CICOM-, de la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR). El proyecto se planteó objetivos en tres ámbitos: el de la investigación, el de la enseñanza-aprendizaje y el de la política pública. En primer lugar, esta investigación responde al esfuerzo de articulación entre el CICOM y el Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres, INAMU, institución que coordina a las 22 instituciones que conforman el Sistema Nacional de prevención y atención de la violencia contra las mujeres e intrafamiliar (Ley 8688), encargado de implementar la Política Nacional para la atención y prevención de la violencia contra las mujeres de todas las edades, PLANOVI 2017-2032 y del cual la UCR es parte. Esta política, particularmente los ejes 1 y 2, centran su interés en la comunicación como vehículo fundamental para conseguir el cambio cultural y propiciar la erradicación de la violencia contra las mujeres y la promoción de las masculinidades no violentas. Para ello, se requiere diseñar e implementar una estrategia integrada de comunicación que exige, como punto de partida, determinar cuáles son los discursos sobre la violencia contra las mujeres que circulan en el espacio público costarricense en la actualidad. Con este documento, aspiramos a generar insumos que impacten en el diseño de dicha estrategia.Universidad de Costa Rica/[]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Sociales::Centro de Investigación en Comunicación (CICOM

EDUCACIÓN AMBIENTAL Y SOCIEDAD. SABERES LOCALES PARA EL DESARROLLO Y LA SUSTENTABILIDAD

Este texto contribuye al análisis científico de varias áreas del conocimiento como la filosofía social, la patología, la educación para el cuidado del medio ambiente y la sustentabilidad que inciden en diversas unidades de aprendizaje de la Licenciatura en Educación para la Salud y de la Maestría en Sociología de la SaludLas comunidades indígenas de la sierra norte de Oaxaca México, habitan un territorio extenso de biodiversidad. Sin que sea una área protegida y sustentable, la propia naturaleza de la región ofrece a sus visitantes la riqueza de la vegetación caracterizada por sus especies endémicas que componen un paisaje de suma belleza

Taking the pulse of Earth's tropical forests using networks of highly distributed plots

Tropical forests are the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth. While better understanding of these forests is critical for our collective future, until quite recently efforts to measure and monitor them have been largely disconnected. Networking is essential to discover the answers to questions that transcend borders and the horizons of funding agencies. Here we show how a global community is responding to the challenges of tropical ecosystem research with diverse teams measuring forests tree-by-tree in thousands of long-term plots. We review the major scientific discoveries of this work and show how this process is changing tropical forest science. Our core approach involves linking long-term grassroots initiatives with standardized protocols and data management to generate robust scaled-up results. By connecting tropical researchers and elevating their status, our Social Research Network model recognises the key role of the data originator in scientific discovery. Conceived in 1999 with RAINFOR (South America), our permanent plot networks have been adapted to Africa (AfriTRON) and Southeast Asia (T-FORCES) and widely emulated worldwide. Now these multiple initiatives are integrated via ForestPlots.net cyber-infrastructure, linking colleagues from 54 countries across 24 plot networks. Collectively these are transforming understanding of tropical forests and their biospheric role. Together we have discovered how, where and why forest carbon and biodiversity are responding to climate change, and how they feedback on it. This long-term pan-tropical collaboration has revealed a large long-term carbon sink and its trends, as well as making clear which drivers are most important, which forest processes are affected, where they are changing, what the lags are, and the likely future responses of tropical forests as the climate continues to change. By leveraging a remarkably old technology, plot networks are sparking a very modern revolution in tropical forest science. In the future, humanity can benefit greatly by nurturing the grassroots communities now collectively capable of generating unique, long-term understanding of Earth's most precious forests.Additional co-authors: Susan Laurance, William Laurance, Francoise Yoko Ishida, Andrew Marshall, Catherine Waite, Hannsjoerg Woell, Jean-Francois Bastin, Marijn Bauters, Hans Beeckman, Pfascal Boeckx, Jan Bogaert, Charles De Canniere, Thales de Haulleville, Jean-Louis Doucet, Olivier Hardy, Wannes Hubau, Elizabeth Kearsley, Hans Verbeeck, Jason Vleminckx, Steven W. Brewer, Alfredo Alarcón, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Eric Arets, Luzmila Arroyo, Ezequiel Chavez, Todd Fredericksen, René Guillén Villaroel, Gloria Gutierrez Sibauty, Timothy Killeen, Juan Carlos Licona, John Lleigue, Casimiro Mendoza, Samaria Murakami, Alexander Parada Gutierrez, Guido Pardo, Marielos Peña-Claros, Lourens Poorter, Marisol Toledo, Jeanneth Villalobos Cayo, Laura Jessica Viscarra, Vincent Vos, Jorge Ahumada, Everton Almeida, Jarcilene Almeida, Edmar Almeida de Oliveira, Wesley Alves da Cruz, Atila Alves de Oliveira, Fabrício Alvim Carvalho, Flávio Amorim Obermuller, Ana Andrade, Fernanda Antunes Carvalho, Simone Aparecida Vieira, Ana Carla Aquino, Luiz Aragão, Ana Claudia Araújo, Marco Antonio Assis, Jose Ataliba Mantelli Aboin Gomes, Fabrício Baccaro, Plínio Barbosa de Camargo, Paulo Barni, Jorcely Barroso, Luis Carlos Bernacci, Kauane Bordin, Marcelo Brilhante de Medeiros, Igor Broggio, José Luís Camargo, Domingos Cardoso, Maria Antonia Carniello, Andre Luis Casarin Rochelle, Carolina Castilho, Antonio Alberto Jorge Farias Castro, Wendeson Castro, Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro, Flávia Costa, Rodrigo Costa de Oliveira, Italo Coutinho, John Cunha, Lola da Costa, Lucia da Costa Ferreira, Richarlly da Costa Silva, Marta da Graça Zacarias Simbine, Vitor de Andrade Kamimura, Haroldo Cavalcante de Lima, Lia de Oliveira Melo, Luciano de Queiroz, José Romualdo de Sousa Lima, Mário do Espírito Santo, Tomas Domingues, Nayane Cristina dos Santos Prestes, Steffan Eduardo Silva Carneiro, Fernando Elias, Gabriel Eliseu, Thaise Emilio, Camila Laís Farrapo, Letícia Fernandes, Gustavo Ferreira, Joice Ferreira, Leandro Ferreira, Socorro Ferreira, Marcelo Fragomeni Simon, Maria Aparecida Freitas, Queila S. García, Angelo Gilberto Manzatto, Paulo Graça, Frederico Guilherme, Eduardo Hase, Niro Higuchi, Mariana Iguatemy, Reinaldo Imbrozio Barbosa, Margarita Jaramillo, Carlos Joly, Joice Klipel, Iêda Leão do Amaral, Carolina Levis, Antonio S. Lima, Maurício Lima Dan, Aline Lopes, Herison Madeiros, William E. Magnusson, Rubens Manoel dos Santos, Beatriz Marimon, Ben Hur Marimon Junior, Roberta Marotti Martelletti Grillo, Luiz Martinelli, Simone Matias Reis, Salomão Medeiros, Milton Meira-Junior, Thiago Metzker, Paulo Morandi, Natanael Moreira do Nascimento, Magna Moura, Sandra Cristina Müller, Laszlo Nagy, Henrique Nascimento, Marcelo Nascimento, Adriano Nogueira Lima, Raimunda Oliveira de Araújo, Jhonathan Oliveira Silva, Marcelo Pansonato, Gabriel Pavan Sabino, Karla Maria Pedra de Abreu, Pablo José Francisco Pena Rodrigues, Maria Piedade, Domingos Rodrigues, José Roberto Rodrigues Pinto, Carlos Quesada, Eliana Ramos, Rafael Ramos, Priscyla Rodrigues, Thaiane Rodrigues de Sousa, Rafael Salomão, Flávia Santana, Marcos Scaranello, Rodrigo Scarton Bergamin, Juliana Schietti, Jochen Schöngart, Gustavo Schwartz, Natalino Silva, Marcos Silveira, Cristiana Simão Seixas, Marta Simbine, Ana Claudia Souza, Priscila Souza, Rodolfo Souza, Tereza Sposito, Edson Stefani Junior, Julio Daniel do Vale, Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira, Dora Villela, Marcos Vital, Haron Xaud, Katia Zanini, Charles Eugene Zartman, Nur Khalish Hafizhah Ideris, Faizah binti Hj Metali, Kamariah Abu Salim, Muhd Shahruney Saparudin, Rafizah Mat Serudin, Rahayu Sukmaria Sukri, Serge Begne, George Chuyong, Marie Noel Djuikouo, Christelle Gonmadje, Murielle Simo-Droissart, Bonaventure Sonké, Hermann Taedoumg, Lise Zemagho, Sean Thomas, Fidèle Baya, Gustavo Saiz, Javier Silva Espejo, Dexiang Chen, Alan Hamilton, Yide Li, Tushou Luo, Shukui Niu, Han Xu, Zhang Zhou, Esteban Álvarez-Dávila, Juan Carlos Andrés Escobar, Henry Arellano-Peña, Jaime Cabezas Duarte, Jhon Calderón, Lina Maria Corrales Bravo, Borish Cuadrado, Hermes Cuadros, Alvaro Duque, Luisa Fernanda Duque, Sandra Milena Espinosa, Rebeca Franke-Ante, Hernando García, Alejandro Gómez, Roy González-M., Álvaro Idárraga-Piedrahíta, Eliana Jimenez, Rubén Jurado, Wilmar López Oviedo, René López-Camacho, Omar Aurelio Melo Cruz, Irina Mendoza Polo, Edwin Paky, Karen Pérez, Angel Pijachi, Camila Pizano, Adriana Prieto, Laura Ramos, Zorayda Restrepo Correa, James Richardson, Elkin Rodríguez, Gina M. Rodriguez M., Agustín Rudas, Pablo Stevenson, Markéta Chudomelová, Martin Dancak, Radim Hédl, Stanislav Lhota, Martin Svatek, Jacques Mukinzi, Corneille Ewango, Terese Hart, Emmanuel Kasongo Yakusu, Janvier Lisingo, Jean-Remy Makana, Faustin Mbayu, Benjamin Toirambe, John Tshibamba Mukendi, Lars Kvist, Gustav Nebel, Selene Báez, Carlos Céron, Daniel M. Griffith, Juan Ernesto Guevara Andino, David Neill, Walter Palacios, Maria Cristina Peñuela-Mora, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres, Gorky Villa, Sheleme Demissie, Tadesse Gole, Techane Gonfa, Kalle Ruokolainen, Michel Baisie, Fabrice Bénédet, Wemo Betian, Vincent Bezard, Damien Bonal, Jerôme Chave, Vincent Droissart, Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury, Annette Hladik, Nicolas Labrière, Pétrus Naisso, Maxime Réjou-Méchain, Plinio Sist, Lilian Blanc, Benoit Burban, Géraldine Derroire, Aurélie Dourdain, Clement Stahl, Natacha Nssi Bengone, Eric Chezeaux, Fidèle Evouna Ondo, Vincent Medjibe, Vianet Mihindou, Lee White, Heike Culmsee, Cristabel Durán Rangel, Viviana Horna, Florian Wittmann, Stephen Adu-Bredu, Kofi Affum-Baffoe, Ernest Foli, Michael Balinga, Anand Roopsind, James Singh, Raquel Thomas, Roderick Zagt, Indu K. Murthy, Kuswata Kartawinata, Edi Mirmanto, Hari Priyadi, Ismayadi Samsoedin, Terry Sunderland, Ishak Yassir, Francesco Rovero, Barbara Vinceti, Bruno Hérault, Shin-Ichiro Aiba, Kanehiro Kitayama, Armandu Daniels, Darlington Tuagben, John T. Woods, Muhammad Fitriadi, Alexander Karolus, Kho Lip Khoon, Noreen Majalap, Colin Maycock, Reuben Nilus, Sylvester Tan, Almeida Sitoe, Indiana Coronado G., Lucas Ojo, Rafael de Assis, Axel Dalberg Poulsen, Douglas Sheil, Karen Arévalo Pezo, Hans Buttgenbach Verde, Victor Chama Moscoso, Jimmy Cesar Cordova Oroche, Fernando Cornejo Valverde, Massiel Corrales Medina, Nallaret Davila Cardozo, Jano de Rutte Corzo, Jhon del Aguila Pasquel, Gerardo Flores Llampazo, Luis Freitas, Darcy Galiano Cabrera, Roosevelt García Villacorta, Karina Garcia Cabrera, Diego García Soria, Leticia Gatica Saboya, Julio Miguel Grandez Rios, Gabriel Hidalgo Pizango, Eurídice Honorio Coronado, Isau Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, Walter Huaraca Huasco, Yuri Tomas Huillca Aedo, Jose Luis Marcelo Peña, Abel Monteagudo Mendoza, Vanesa Moreano Rodriguez, Percy Núñez Vargas, Sonia Cesarina Palacios Ramos, Nadir Pallqui Camacho, Antonio Peña Cruz, Freddy Ramirez Arevalo, José Reyna Huaymacari, Carlos Reynel Rodriguez, Marcos Antonio Ríos Paredes, Lily Rodriguez Bayona, Rocio del Pilar Rojas Gonzales, Maria Elena Rojas Peña, Norma Salinas Revilla, Yahn Carlos Soto Shareva, Raul Tupayachi Trujillo, Luis Valenzuela Gamarra, Rodolfo Vasquez Martinez, Jim Vega Arenas, Christian Amani, Suspense Averti Ifo, Yannick Bocko, Patrick Boundja, Romeo Ekoungoulou, Mireille Hockemba, Donatien Nzala, Alusine Fofanah, David Taylor, Guillermo Bañares-de Dios, Luis Cayuela, Íñigo Granzow-de la Cerda, Manuel Macía, Juliana Stropp, Maureen Playfair, Verginia Wortel, Toby Gardner, Robert Muscarella, Hari Priyadi, Ervan Rutishauser, Kuo-Jung Chao, Pantaleo Munishi, Olaf Bánki, Frans Bongers, Rene Boot, Gabriella Fredriksson, Jan Reitsma, Hans ter Steege, Tinde van Andel, Peter van de Meer, Peter van der Hout, Mark van Nieuwstadt, Bert van Ulft, Elmar Veenendaal, Ronald Vernimmen, Pieter Zuidema, Joeri Zwerts, Perpetra Akite, Robert Bitariho, Colin Chapman, Eilu Gerald, Miguel Leal, Patrick Mucunguzi, Miguel Alexiades, Timothy R. Baker, Karina Banda, Lindsay Banin, Jos Barlow, Amy Bennett, Erika Berenguer, Nicholas Berry, Neil M. Bird, George A. Blackburn, Francis Brearley, Roel Brienen, David Burslem, Lidiany Carvalho, Percival Cho, Fernanda Coelho, Murray Collins, David Coomes, Aida Cuni-Sanchez, Greta Dargie, Kyle Dexter, Mat Disney, Freddie Draper, Muying Duan, Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, Robert Ewers, Belen Fadrique, Sophie Fauset, Ted R. Feldpausch, Filipe França, David Galbraith, Martin Gilpin, Emanuel Gloor, John Grace, Keith Hamer, David Harris, Tommaso Jucker, Michelle Kalamandeen, Bente Klitgaard, Aurora Levesley, Simon L. Lewis, Jeremy Lindsell, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, Jon Lovett, Yadvinder Malhi, Toby Marthews, Emma McIntosh, Karina Melgaço, William Milliken, Edward Mitchard, Peter Moonlight, Sam Moore, Alexandra Morel, Julie Peacock, Kelvin Peh, Colin Pendry, R. Toby Pennington, Luciana de Oliveira Pereira, Carlos Peres, Oliver L. Phillips, Georgia Pickavance, Thomas Pugh, Lan Qie, Terhi Riutta, Katherine Roucoux, Casey Ryan, Tiina Sarkinen, Camila Silva Valeria, Dominick Spracklen, Suzanne Stas, Martin Sullivan, Michael Swaine, Joey Talbot, James Taplin, Geertje van der Heijden, Laura Vedovato, Simon Willcock, Mathew Williams, Luciana Alves, Patricia Alvarez Loayza, Gabriel Arellano, Cheryl Asa, Peter Ashton, Gregory Asner, Terry Brncic, Foster Brown, Robyn Burnham, Connie Clark, James Comiskey, Gabriel Damasco, Stuart Davies, Tony Di Fiore, Terry Erwin, William Farfan-Rios, Jefferson Hall, David Kenfack, Thomas Lovejoy, Roberta Martin, Olga Martha Montiel, John Pipoly, Nigel Pitman, John Poulsen, Richard Primack, Miles Silman, Marc Steininger, Varun Swamy, John Terborgh, Duncan Thomas, Peter Umunay, Maria Uriarte, Emilio Vilanova Torre, Ophelia Wang, Kenneth Young, Gerardo A. Aymard C., Lionel Hernández, Rafael Herrera Fernández, Hirma Ramírez-Angulo, Pedro Salcedo, Elio Sanoja, Julio Serrano, Armando Torres-Lezama, Tinh Cong Le, Trai Trong Le, Hieu Dang Tra

Proanthocyanidin Characterization and Bioactivity of Extracts from Different Parts of Uncaria tomentosa L. (Cat’s Claw)

Apart from alkaloids, bioactive properties of Uncaria tomentosa L. have been attributed to its phenolic constituents. Although there are some reports concerning low-molecular-weight polyphenols in U. tomentosa, its polymeric phenolic composition has been scarcely studied. In this study, phenolic-rich extracts from leaves, stems, bark and wood (n = 14) of Uncaria tomentosa plants from several regions of Costa Rica were obtained and analysed in respect to their proanthocyanidin profile determined by a quadrupole-time-of-flight analyser (ESI-QTOF MS). Main structural characteristics found for U. tomentosa proanthocyanidins were: (a) monomer composition, including pure procyanidins (only composed of (epi)catechin units) and propelargonidins (only composed of (epi)afzelechin units) as well as mixed proanthocyanidins; and (b) degree of polymerization, from 3 up to 11 units. In addition, U. tomentosa phenolic extracts were found to exhibit reasonable antioxidant capacity (ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) values between 1.5 and 18.8 mmol TE/g) and antimicrobial activity against potential respiratory pathogens (minimum IC50 of 133 µg/mL). There were also found to be particularly cytotoxic to gastric adenocarcinoma AGS and colon adenocarcinoma SW620 cell lines. The results state the particularities of U. tomentosa proanthocyanidins and suggest the potential value of these extracts with prospective use as functional ingredients