Optimización de la extracción de aceite de semilla de dátil mediante la ayuda de tecnologías hidrotermales y de ultrasonido

The date seed is a by-product from the date industry. Its use as a source of added-value compounds is of great interest. Oil accounts for 5-13% of the seed’s weight. Soxhlet extraction with organic solvents is the traditional method for obtaining oil from seeds. In this work, hydrothermal pre-treatments and sonication are proposed to make the extraction a more environmentally friendly process. Factors such as sonication time and temperature and hexane-to-seed ratio (H/S) have been considered. Response surface methodology was applied for optimization. Hydrothermal treatments increased oil recovery. H/S was the most influential factor, and was close to 7 mL/g seeds for both samples. 71% recovery was achieved for native seeds after 15 min sonication at 45 ºC, and 80% for 180 ºC-treated seeds after 45 min at 35 ºC when compared to Soxhlet extraction. These conditions comply with our initial aim. Pre-treatments seem to have a negative effect on oil stability, although this observation needs to be confirmed.La semilla de dátil es un subproducto de la industria datilera. Su uso como fuente de compuestos de valor añadido sería muy interesante. El aceite representa el 5-13% del peso de la semilla. La extracción mediante Soxhlet con disolventes orgánicos es el método tradicional para obtener aceite de semillas. En este trabajo se proponen pretratamientos hidrotérmicos y sonicación para diseñar un proceso de extracción más respetuoso con el medio ambiente. Se han considerado factores como el tiempo y la temperatura de sonicación y la proporción hexano/semilla (H/S). La optimización del proceso se llevó a cabo por el método de superficie de respuesta. Los tratamientos hidrotérmicos aumentaron el porcentaje de recuperación. El factor más influyente fue H/S, y su valor óptimo estuvo cerca de 7 mL/g para ambas muestras. La recuperación óptima fue del 71% para las semillas sin tratamiento tras 15 min de sonicación a 45 ºC, y del 80% para las semillas tratadas a 180 ºC después de 45 min a 35 ºC. Estos resultados cumplen con nuestro objetivo inicial. Sin embargo, los pretratamientos parecen tener un efecto negativo sobre la estabilidad del aceite, lo que se confirmará en estudios posteriores

Composición nutricional y actividad antioxidante de diferentes variedades de nueces (Juglans regia L.) de Nerpio (España) en comparación con variedades comerciales

In the Nerpio region (Albacete, Spain), endogenous walnut cultivars have been grown since ancient times. None of them has been chemically characterized to valorize them in comparison to commercial varieties. In this work, 47 native (N) and 7 foreign (F) walnut cultivars grown in Nerpio, and 13 commercial (C) samples were studied during three seasons. The average yield, moisture, and protein and oil contents were slightly lower in the N samples than in C. The composition of fatty acid suggested that the N walnuts could be more stable against oxidation due to their higher amount of MUFA and lower amount of PUFA. The biological protein value for the samples was similar but the antioxidant capacity marked important differences among them: N cultivars reached the highest scores, with intermediate F values. Local walnut varieties from Nerpio should be valorized on the basis of their potentially enhanced health benefits, although further studies must be developed on their phytochemicals.En Nerpio (Albacete, España) se cultivan tradicionalmente variedades locales de nueces que nunca han sido estudiadas con vistas a su puesta en valor frente a variedades comerciales. En este trabajo se han estudiado 47 variedades locales (N) y 7 extranjeras (F) cultivadas en Nerpio, además de 13 comerciales (C). Los valores medios encontrados para rendimiento, humedad, y contenidos graso y proteico fueron ligeramente inferiores en N. Debido a su composición de ácidos grasos, el aceite de nueces N podría ser más estable frente a la oxidación. El valor biológico de sus proteínas es muy similar, siendo la actividad antioxidante la que marca una gran diferencia en favor de los cultivares endémicos: las muestras N dieron los valores más altos, y las F intermedios. Por ello, las variedades locales de Nerpio podrían tener mayores beneficios para la salud que las variedades comerciales, aunque son necesarios estudios sobre su composición en fitoquímicos

Sistemas de protección y detección de contagios en los pediatras de atención primaria en la epidemia por COVID-19

Introducción: durante la pandemia de COVID-19, el uso de equipos y dispositivos de protección por parte de los profesionales es fundamental para evitar la transmisión de la infección en el colectivo de sanitarios. Material y métodos: el Grupo Laboral-Profesional de la Asociación Española de Pediatría de Atención Primaria (AEPap) ha realizado una encuesta a los vocales autonómicos de la AEPap para conocer la disponibilidad que han tenido los pediatras de Atención Primaria (PAP) de sistemas de protección frente a la enfermedad, y las pruebas diagnósticas realizadas para el diagnóstico de los contagios de los PAP. Resultados: en marzo de 2020, solo en el 32% de las comunidades autónomas (CC. AA.), los pediatras tenían sistemas de protección adecuados. En abril ascendió al 70%. En todas las CC. AA. se han registrado casos de PAP enfermos, aunque es difícil cuantificar el número de afectados. De las que tenemos datos, sumando el número de pediatras enfermos conocido, más test de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) positivo, los que han estado en aislamiento y los ingresados, la cifra asciende al 7,65% de la cifra total de PAP. Los test rápidos serológicos o PCR o ambos se han realizado en seis comunidades los últimos días de abril y en otras seis los primeros días de mayo. Entre las CC. AA. de las que hay información, Aragón es la única comunidad en la que no se ha realizado test. Se ha correlacionado la disponibilidad de los sistemas de protección y el gasto sanitario. Conclusiones: los sistemas de protección han sido insuficientes. Las CC. AA. con mayor gasto sanitario han contado más precozmente con sistemas de protección adecuados. Han resultado infectados PAP en todas las comunidades autónomas, especialmente en Madrid, Castilla y León y Comunidad Valenciana. La detección de profesionales afectos por la infección ha sido tardía

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Evaluation of polyploid experimental asparagus hybrids under spring and autumn harvesting for agronomic traits and flavonoids content

Five experimental hybrids (1 pentaploid, 3 tetraploids and 1 diploid) were planted in the field following a randomized block design with 4 repetitions, 2 for spring and 2 for autumn harvesting. Hybrids were evaluated for yield and spear thickness during autumn 2020, spring 2021 and autumn 2021, and flavonoids content during autumn 2020 and spring 2021. Significant differences were found among hybrids for yield and spear thickness, being the interaction season harvesting-hybrid significant. The performance of hybrids was different in autumn and spring. The pentaploid hybrid had a yield significantly higher than the rest in autumn and had one of the highest yields in spring. Regarding flavonoid content, seven different flavonoid types were found. The flavonoid rutin was the most present ranging from 64.4 to 95.9% of the total content. Variation among hybrids for all flavonoid was observed, the presence of some flavonoids being null in some hybrids. Non-significant differences between harvesting season and non-significant interaction season-hybrid were detected. The pentaploid hybrid showed the best flavonoid profile. Therefore, their spears are expected to have a higher antioxidant activity, due to the synergistic action between flavonoids of different nature.Peer reviewe

Enzymatic conversion of date fruit fiber concentrates into a new product enriched in antioxidant soluble fiber

Soluble dietary fiber (SDF) has got increasing interest because of its prebiotic effects and technological applications. The enzymatic hydrolysis is an effective treatment to convert insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) into SDF. Date fiber concentrate (DFC) is a very good source of dietary fiber, but its IDF/SDF ratio is very high. In this study an enzymatic treatment has been optimized to enrich DFC in SDF: Viscozyme® L from Novozymes A/S at 2.38 mL enzyme/100 mL reaction volume, in a solid/liquid ratio 1 g/35 mL, at 55 °C during 30–60 min. In these conditions, the amount of SDF increased from 1.8–6.3 to 5.4 g/100 g, and the ratio IDF/SDF changed from 19 to 2–3. In the SDF, besides an increase in the antiradical activity, gluco-, manno-, and xylo-oligosaccharides have been identified. Their molecular weights varied in a wide range, depending of hydrolysis duration, which suggests that this enzymatic treatment could be a promising process for obtaining tailor-made prebiotic oligosaccharides. © 2016 Elsevier Lt

The phytochemical and bioactivity profiles of wild Asparagus albus L. plant

5 Tablas.-- 3 FigurasThe ethanolic extracts from the leaves, pericarps and rhizomes of Asparagus albus L. were investigated for their phytochemical composition, antioxidant (DPPH and FRAP assays), anti-microbial against human pathogenic isolates and cytotoxic (human colon carcinoma HCT-116 cells) activities. The highest flavonoid content was obtained in the leaf extract followed by the pericarp but there were no flavonoids detected in the rhizome. However, the rhizome had a high concentration of saponins. Flavonoid and saponin profiles were similar to those previously described for the triguero Huetor Tajar asparagus landrace. It was found that the pericarp ethanolic extract exhibited higher antioxidant activity than rhizome and leaf extracts. Moreover, the rhizome possessed more evident cytotoxic activity against HCT-116 cells in comparison to leaf and pericarp. All extracts showed varying degrees of antimicrobial activity against most of the human pathogenic isolates. In addition, the leaves showed more powerful inhibitory activities against the maximum number of bacteria and all the fungai isolated and the highest activity was in the pericarp extract against multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR) and Erythromycin resistant Streptococcus agalactiae (ER) with an inhibition zone of 21 mm and 19 mm, respectively. The results show that A. albus could be a new crop with pharmaceutical interest because its richness in bioactive compounds provides considerable benefits for human health.This work was supported by the Tunisian Ministry of Scientific Research and Technology and by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain (AGL2011-29632). The authors are enormously grateful to Dr. Ilhem Boutiba Ben Boubaker (Antibiotic resistance laboratory, Faculty of Medicine of Tunisia) and Dr. Saadia Gargouri (Department of parasitology, Military Hospital of Tunis) for their assistance during the antimicrobial analysis and to Dr. Smaoui Abderrazek for botanical identification of the plants