Biotransformation of ferulic acid by the phytopathogenic fungi Colletotrichum acutatum and Lasiodiplodia theobromae

The microbial transformation of ferulic acid (FA) offers a cleaner, more economical alternative for the natural production of flavorings and fragrances. In the present study, the biotransformation of FA using the filamentous phytopathogenic fungi Colletotrichum acutatum and Lasiodiplodia theobromae was researched. Initially, the toxicity of FA against both fungi was evaluated; the FA displayed a moderate toxicity (total inhibition at concentrations ≥ 2000 mg L-1) and apparently a detoxification mechanism was present. Afterwards, the microorganisms were incubated with the substrate at room conditions using a Czapek-Dox culture medium. The results demonstrated that the FA was mainly converted to 4-vinylguaiacol, reaching the highest abundance within the first 48 hours. To a lesser extent, acetovanillone, ethylguaiacol, and vanillin, among others, were produced. Interestingly, the compounds generated in the biotransformation of FA with C. acutatum and L. theobromae have been used as flavorings. Based on the identified metabolites, a possible metabolic pathway was proposed

Biotransformation of ferulic acid by the phytopathogenic fungi Colletotrichum acutatum and Lasiodiplodia theobromae

The microbial transformation of ferulic acid (FA) offers a cleaner, more economical alternative for the natural production of flavorings and fragrances. In the present study, the biotransformation of FA using the filamentous phytopathogenic fungi Colletotrichum acutatum and Lasiodiplodia theobromae was researched. Initially, the toxicity of FA against both fungi was evaluated; the FA displayed a moderate toxicity (total inhibition at concentrations ≥ 2000 mg L-1) and apparently a detoxification mechanism was present. Afterwards, the microorganisms were incubated with the substrate at room conditions using a Czapek-Dox culture medium. The results demonstrated that the FA was mainly converted to 4-vinylguaiacol, reaching the highest abundance within the first 48 hours. To a lesser extent, acetovanillone, ethylguaiacol, and vanillin, among others, were produced. Interestingly, the compounds generated in the biotransformation of FA with C. acutatum and L. theobromae have been used as flavorings. Based on the identified metabolites, a possible metabolic pathway was proposed

Extracción y caracterización del aceite esencial de manadarina obtenido de residuos agroindustriales

En los últimos años, la agroindustria de cítricos nacional ha mostrado un dinamismo significativo, originado por la expansión del mercado de los derivados de frutas. Esta actividad ha conllevado a la generación de una gran cantidad de residuos, los cuales tienen potencialidad como material de partida para la elaboración de productos comerciales con alto valor agregado como: aceites esenciales (AE), aceites fijos y fibras entre otros. Los AE tienen una importante demanda en la industria de alimentos, farmacéutica y de cosméticos. Este trabajo describe la extracción y caracterización del AE de mandarina obtenido, mediante arrastre con vapor, a partir de desechos agroindustriales. Se evaluó el efecto de la presión de vapor, el espesor y el número de capas del material vegetal, sobre el rendimiento y calidad del AE. Las condiciones de operación fueron ajustadas de acuerdo con las características de diseño de la planta de extracción de una industria local

Caracterización fisicoquímica y actividad antimicrobiana del propóleos en el municipio de la unión (antioquia, colombia).

El propóleo un producto natural elaborado por las abejas melíferas (Apis mellifera) a partir de los brotes y exudados de diferentes plantas, se ha empleado en la medicina tradicional desde tiempos ancestrales, debido a sus propiedades biológicas. La composición química de este producto de la colmena es altamente compleja y dependiente de la vegetación circundante al sitio de recolección. En este trabajo, se evaluaron las características fisicoquímicas, y la actividad antifúngica y antibacteriana del propóleo colectado en el municipio de La Unión (Antioquia, Colombia). Los resultados del análisis fisicoquímico del propóleo fueron: punto de fusión, 67-68 °C; sustancias extractables con hexano, 74,32 ± 0,90%; resinas solubles en etanol, 14,08 ± 2,24%; residuos insolubles, 10,47 ± 0,84%; pérdidas por calentamiento, 1,82 ± 0,32%; cenizas, 0,16 ± 0,01%, y el índice de oxidación, 8,0 ± 3,0 s. Las evaluaciones de actividad antifúngica, contra los hongos Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, C. acutatum, Aspergillus sp. y Penicillium sp., y de actividad antibacteriana, contra Bacillus subtilis (esporulada), Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus y Salmonella tiphy, demuestran un efecto moderado del propóleo en la inhibición del crecimiento del microorganismo. El análisis mediante cromatografía de gases-espectrometría de masas (CG-EM), permitió la detección de ácidos grasos y sus ésteres, esteroides, triterpenos y diterpenos

Prediction of Anti-Glioblastoma Drug-Decorated Nanoparticle Delivery Systems Using Molecular Descriptors and Machine Learning

The theoretical prediction of drug-decorated nanoparticles (DDNPs) has become a very important task in medical applications. For the current paper, Perturbation Theory Machine Learning (PTML) models were built to predict the probability of different pairs of drugs and nanoparticles creating DDNP complexes with anti-glioblastoma activity. PTML models use the perturbations of molecular descriptors of drugs and nanoparticles as inputs in experimental conditions. The raw dataset was obtained by mixing the nanoparticle experimental data with drug assays from the ChEMBL database. Ten types of machine learning methods have been tested. Only 41 features have been selected for 855,129 drug-nanoparticle complexes. The best model was obtained with the Bagging classifier, an ensemble meta-estimator based on 20 decision trees, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.96, and an accuracy of 87% (test subset). This model could be useful for the virtual screening of nanoparticle-drug complexes in glioblastoma. All the calculations can be reproduced with the datasets and python scripts, which are freely available as a GitHub repository from authors. View Full-TextThe APC was funded by IKERDATA, S.L. under grant 3/12/DP/2021/00102—Area 1: Development of innovative business projects, from Provincial Council of Vizcaya (BEAZ for the Creation of Innovative Business Innovative business ventures)

Educating in antimicrobial resistance awareness: adaptation of the Small World Initiative program to service-learning.

The Small World Initiative (SWI) and Tiny Earth are a consolidated and successful education programs rooted in the USA that tackle the antibiotic crisis by a crowdsourcing strategy. Based on active learning, it challenges young students to discover novel bioactive-producing microorganisms from environmental soil samples. Besides its pedagogical efficiency to impart microbiology content in academic curricula, SWI promotes vocations in research and development in Experimental Sciences and, at the same time, disseminates the antibiotic awareness guidelines of the World Health Organization. We have adapted the SWI program to the Spanish academic environment by a pioneering hierarchic strategy based on service-learning that involves two education levels (higher education and high school) with different degrees of responsibility. Throughout the academic year, 23 SWI teams, each consisting of 3-7 undergraduate students led by one faculty member, coordinated off-campus programs in 22 local high schools, involving 597 high school students as researchers. Post-survey-based evaluation of the program reveals a satisfactory achievement of goals: acquiring scientific abilities and general or personal competences by university students, as well as promoting academic decisions to inspire vocations for science- and technology-oriented degrees in younger students, and successfully communicating scientific culture in antimicrobial resistance to a young stratum of society

Gestión del conocimiento. Perspectiva multidisciplinaria. Volumen 9

El libro “Gestión del Conocimiento. Perspectiva Multidisciplinaria”, volumen 9, de la Colección Unión Global, es resultado de investigaciones. Los capítulos del libro, son resultados de investigaciones desarrolladas por sus autores. El libro es una publicación internacional, seriada, continua, arbitrada de acceso abierto a todas las áreas del conocimiento, que cuenta con el esfuerzo de investigadores de varios países del mundo, orientada a contribuir con procesos de gestión del conocimiento científico, tecnológico y humanístico que consoliden la transformación del conocimiento en diferentes escenarios, tanto organizacionales como universitarios, para el desarrollo de habilidades cognitivas del quehacer diario. La gestión del conocimiento es un camino para consolidar una plataforma en las empresas públicas o privadas, entidades educativas, organizaciones no gubernamentales, ya sea generando políticas para todas las jerarquías o un modelo de gestión para la administración, donde es fundamental articular el conocimiento, los trabajadores, directivos, el espacio de trabajo, hacia la creación de ambientes propicios para el desarrollo integral de las instituciones

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality