20 research outputs found
DNA multigene characterization of Fasciola hepatica and Lymnaea neotropica and its fascioliasis transmission capacity in Uruguay, with historical correlation, human report review and infection risk analysis
Fascioliasis is a highly pathogenic zoonotic disease emerging in recent decades, in part due to the effects of climate and global changes. South America is the continent presenting more numerous human fascioliasis endemic areas and the highest Fasciola hepatica infection prevalences and intensities known in humans. These serious public health scenarios appear mainly linked to altitude areas in Andean countries, whereas lowland areas of non-Andean countries, such as Uruguay, only show sporadic human cases or outbreaks. To understand this difference, we characterized F. hepatica from cattle and horses and lymnaeids of Uruguay by sequencing of ribosomal DNA ITS-2 and ITS-1 spacers and mitochondrial DNA cox1, nad1 and 16S genes. Results indicate that vectors belong to Lymnaea neotropica instead of to Lymnaea viator, as always reported from Uruguay. Our correlation of fasciolid and lymnaeid haplotypes with historical data on the introduction and spread of livestock species into Uruguay allow to understand the molecular diversity detected. We study the life cycle and transmission features of F. hepatica by L. neotropica of Uruguay under standardized experimental conditions to enable a comparison with the transmission capacity of F. hepatica by Galba truncatula at very high altitude in Bolivia. Results demonstrate that although L. neotropica is a highly efficient vector in the lowlands, its transmission capacity is markedly lower than that of G. truncatula in the highlands. On this baseline, we review the human fascioliasis cases reported in Uruguay and analyze the present and future risk of human infection in front of future climate change estimations
Applications of lignin in the agri-food industry
Of late, valorization of agri-food industrial by-products and their sustainable utilization is
gaining much contemplation world-over. Globally, 'Zero Waste Concept' is promoted with
main emphasis laid towards generation of minimal wastes and maximal utilization of plantbased
agri-food raw materials. One of the wastes/by-products in the agri-food industry are the
lignin, which occurs as lignocellulosic biomass. This biomass is deliberated to be an
environmental pollutant as they offer resistance to natural biodegradation. Safe disposal of this
biomass is often considered a major challenge, especially in low-income countries. Hence, the
application of modern technologies to effectively reduce these types of wastes and maximize
their potential use/applications is vital in the present day scenario. Nevertheless, in some of the
high-income countries, attempts have been made to efficiently utilize lignin as a source of fuel, as a raw material in the paper industry, as a filler material in biopolymer based packaging and
for producing bioethanol. However, as of today, agri-food industrial applications remains
significantly underexplored. Chemically, lignin is heterogeneous, bio-polymeric, polyphenolic
compound, which is present naturally in plants, providing mechanical strength and rigidity.
Reports are available wherein purified lignin is established to possess therapeutic values; and
are rich in antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-carcinogenic, antidiabetic properties, etc.
This chapter is divided into four sub-categories focusing on various technological
aspects related to isolation and characterization of lignin; established uses of lignin; proved
bioactivities and therapeutic potentials of lignin, and finally on identifying the existing research
gaps followed by future recommendations for potential use from agri-food industrial wastes.Theme of this chapter is based on our ongoing project- Valortech,
which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
program under grant agreement No 810630
Lignocellulosic materials: sources and processing technologies
Lignocellulosic materials (LCMs) are one of the most promising feedstock for several biotechnological purposes. However, these LCMs are highly complex and present a robust structure of difficult access. For the valorization of each fraction of LCMs, a pre-treatment step is necessary in order to alter and/or remove the surrounding matrix of lignin and hemicellulose and increase the cellulose accessibility. Each pre-treatment has a specific effect on the LCM components and generally more than one pre-treatment step is necessary to obtain the fractions. This chapter primarily covers the definition of LCMs, their composition and varied sources. Subsequently, it is presented their structure, and the advantages and disadvantages of the different pre-treatment methods. Furthermore, a section with examples of successful processing technologies and valorization of each LCM component using different pre-treatment technologies is presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Chemical contamination assessment in mangrove-lined Caribbean coastal systems using the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae as biomonitor species
This paper aims to contribute to the use of mangrove
cupped oyster, Crassostrea rhizophorae, as a biomonitor
species for chemical contamination assessment in
mangrove-lined Caribbean coastal systems. Sampling was
carried out in eight localities (three in Nicaragua and five in
Colombia) with different types and levels of contamination.
Oysters were collected during the rainy and dry seasons of
2012–2013 and the tissue concentrations of metals, polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) were determined. Low tissue concentrations of
metals (except Hg) and PAHs; moderate-to-high tissue concentrations
of Hg, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and
dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs); detectable levels
of chlorpyrifos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (mainly
CB28, CB118, CB138 and CB 153) and brominated diphenyl
ethers 85 (BDE85); and negligible levels of musks were recorded
in Nicaraguan oysters. A distinct profile of POPs was
identified in Colombia, where the tissue concentrations of
PCBs and synthetic musk fragrances were low to moderate,
and Ag, As, Cd, Pb, and PAHs ranged from moderate to extremely
high. Overall, the values recorded for HCHs, DDTs
and PCBs in Nicaraguan mangrove cupped oysters greatly
exceeded the reference values in tissues of C. rhizophorae
from the Wider Caribbean Region, whereas only the levels
of PCBs were occasionally surpassed in Colombia. Different
contaminant profiles were distinguished between oysters from
Nicaragua and Colombia in radar plots constructed using the
main groups of contaminants (metals, PAHs, musks, PCBs,
and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)). Likewise, integrated
pollution indices revealed differences in the levels of contaminants.
Moreover, the profiles and levels in oyster tissues also
varied with season. Thus, principal component analysis clearly
discriminated Nicaraguan and Colombian localities and, especially
in Colombia, seasonal trends in chemical contamination
and differences amongst localities were evidenced. The geographical
and environmental disparity of the studied scenarios
may represent to a large extent the diversity of mangrove-lined
Caribbean coastal systems and therefore the present results
support the use of C. rhizophorae as suitable biomonitor species
at Caribbean regional scale, where seasonal variability
is a major factor controlling pollutant mobility and
bioavailability