La cronobiología: una herramienta de apoyo a la docencia

[SPA] En esta comunicación se propone la realización de un taller teórico-práctico, en el que alumnos de ESO podrán reforzar y adquirir nuevos conocimientos de Ciencias de la naturaleza, Biología y Geología, y Ciencias sociales, recogidos en el Anexo II del Real Decreto 1631/2006, mediante la realización de determinados experimentos y observaciones de situaciones cotidianas relacionadas con la Cronobiología, trabajando en distintos grupos, en función del curso al que pertenezcan. La Cronobiología es una ciencia cuyo objetivo es el estudio de los ritmos biológicos. Éstos son oscilaciones que sufren determinadas variables biológicas de forma regular y con un periodo determinado. Además, con esta innovadora forma de trabajo se pretenden alcanzar importantes objetivos como son la familiarización con las características básicas del trabajo científico, la interpretación de información de carácter científico y utilización de dicha información para formarse una opinión propia. Además, se pretende que los alumnos aprendan a valorar las aportaciones de las ciencias de la naturaleza para dar respuesta a las necesidades de los seres humanos y por supuesto la utilización de fuentes secundarias de información para la realización de pequeñas investigaciones.[ENG] The aim of this communication is to propose a theoretical and practical workshop to be carried out with Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) students, where their Natural Science, Biology and Geology curriculum under Annex II of RD 1631/2006 would be deepened and further developed. This would be achieved through a number of experiments and through the study and recording of everyday situations related to Chronobiology. These experiences would be developed by classifying the students in different groups according to their academic level. Chronobiology is the field of study that examines biological rhythms as biological patterns which are subject to a periodic or cyclic rhythm. Furthermore, by means of this innovative approach significant objectives may be attained, such as furthering the students’ awareness of the basic features of scientific research, helping them interpret scientific data and teaching them how to adequately use such information to develop a personal view on each subject. Students would acquire also a better knowledge of the contribution of Natural Sciences towards a better answer for the humans’ needs in all fields and, of course, they would learn how to use secondary information sources necessary to carry our basic research

Valorization of grape stems

The wine industry produces large amounts of grape stem byproducts, which have been described as a natural source of polyphenols. In the present study, an extract from grape stems was evaluated for its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in model wine to determine its potential capacity to replace and/or reduce SO2 in winemaking. Additionally, its possible effects on aroma were studied. Grape stem extract (STE) showed high antioxidant activity and it can be proposed as an energetic antioxidant. Its antimicrobial activity was compared to that of SO2. STE showed a lower inhibitory effect than SO2 for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Dekkera bruxellensis and Pediococcus damnosus whereas STE seems to be more efficient against Candida stellata and Botryotinia fuckeliana. GC–olfactometry analysis of STE showed that its most important odorants are naturally present in wines, and thus olfactometric profile modifications in wine, after STE addition, could appear quantitatively but not qualitatively. It can be concluded that grape stems are compounds with a low sourcing cost, high antioxidant activity and good antimicrobial properties.Ciencias de la AlimentaciónFarmaciaMedicin

Efficacy of olive oil mill extract in replacing sulfur dioxide in wine model

Olive oil industry produces high amounts of olive mill solid waste. These have been described as natural source of hydroxytyrosol, which shows high antioxidant and antimicrobial properties joint to healthpromoting effects. In the present work, an olive mill solid waste extract dissolved in model wine was evaluated to determine its potential capacity to replace and/or reduce sulfur dioxide in winemaking. Olive oil mill extract is a potent antioxidant of biological origin. The extract resulted in 4 and 40 mmol/L Trolox/mg extract by DPPH and ORAC respectively. Its antimicrobial activity was approaching to that of SO2 for Hanseniaspora uvarum, Candida stellata, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus damnosus and Acetobacter aceti, higher for Oenococcus oeni and lower for Dekkera bruxellensis and Botryotinia fuckeliana. Additionally, GC-olfactometry analysis showed that the most important odorants from the extract are naturally present in wines. However, some odorant zones might be significantly increased in wine after extract addition. It can be concluded that olive mill solid waste extracts is a source of bioactive compounds of low cost, with high antioxidant activity and good antimicrobial properties.Ciencias de la Alimentació

Actividad antioxidante y compuestos fenólicos en uva y vino tinto de la variedad monastrell de cultivo ecológico y tradicional / Juana Mulero Cánovas; dirección Francisco Pardo Mínguez y Pilar Zafrilla Rentero

Tesis-Universidad de Murcia.Consulte la tesis en: BCA. GENERAL. ARCHIVO UNIVERSITARIO. T.M. 2852

Nutrición para educadores de la enseñanza primaria

Este libro va más allá de ser un simple manual de nutrición. Evidencia, como no podría ser de otra manera, la maravillosa experiencia de la alimentación adaptándose a las novedades científicas del panorama nutricional y alimentario. Tanto padres como educadores tienen en sus manos una obra que facilita el entendimiento de las principales nociones en nutrición. Los profesores de enseñanza primaria se ven a veces desbordados por cuestiones que son descritas en este libro con un lenguaje accesible: desde los principales nutrientes hasta recomendaciones y prescripciones en patologías nutricionales, pasando por explicaciones ante las diferentes culturas alimentarías que se puede encontrar en el aula.Ciencias de la AlimentaciónEducació

Mice with Pulmonary Fibrosis Driven by Telomere Dysfunction.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a degenerative disease of the lungs with an average survival post-diagnosis of 2-3 years. New therapeutic targets and treatments are necessary. Mutations in components of the telomere-maintenance enzyme telomerase or in proteins important for telomere protection are found in both familial and sporadic IPF cases. However, the lack of mouse models that faithfully recapitulate the human disease has hampered new advances. Here, we generate two independent mouse models that develop IPF owing to either critically short telomeres (telomerase-deficient mice) or severe telomere dysfunction in the absence of telomere shortening (mice with Trf1 deletion in type II alveolar cells). We show that both mouse models develop pulmonary fibrosis through induction of telomere damage, thus providing proof of principle of the causal role of DNA damage stemming from dysfunctional telomeres in IPF development and identifying telomeres as promising targets for new treatments.Research in the Blasco lab is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness Projects SAF2008-05384 and CSD2007-00017, the European Union FP7 Projects 2007-A-201630 (GENICA) and 2007-A-200950 (TELOMARKER), the European Research Council (ERC) Project TEL STEM CELL (GA#232854), the Korber Foundation, the AXA Research Fund, Fundacion Botin, and Fundacion Lilly (Spain). F.B. is ICREA Academia, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain.S

Phenolic Composition, Antioxidant Activity, and In Vitro Availability of Four Different Berries

Polyphenols from berries have proved healthy effects after “in vitro” and “in vivo” studies, such as preventing tumor growing and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. We compared four different kinds of berries—strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry—with the aim to distinguish their phenolic composition, concerning their antioxidant capacity along with their “in vitro” availability. Folin-Ciocalteu method was used for the determination of phenolic compounds, and the antioxidant capacity was measured by ORAC method. Moreover, the determination of anthocyanins was accomplished with an HPLC-DAD. Finally, we carried out an “in vitro” digestion to simulate the gastrointestinal digestion. All berries showed good antioxidant capacity with significant differences, besides high total phenolic compounds. Content of anthocyanins measured by HPLC-DAD varied between the different berries, namely, blackberries and strawberries which showed higher anthocyanin concentration. After “in vitro” digestion, berries showed poor bioavailability of the analysis of anthocyanins (9.9%–31.7%). Availability of total phenolic compounds was higher than anthocyanins (33%–73%). Moreover, strawberries and blackberries presented the less availability grade. Decrease in antioxidant activity measured by ORAC method was about 90% in all berries studied. Therefore, bioavailability of phenolic compounds remains unclear and more correlation between “in vitro” and “in vivo” studies seems to be necessary

Therapeutic inhibition of TRF1 impairs the growth of p53-deficient K-RasG12V-induced lung cancer by induction of telomeric DNA damage

We are indebted to R. Serrano for animal care. We thank C. Guerra, R. Blasco, and D. Santamaria for scientific and technical advice. M.A.B.'s laboratory is funded with the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, projects SAF2008-05384 and 2007-A-200950 (TELOMARKER), European Research Council Advanced grant GA#232854, the Korber Foundation, Fundacion Botin, and Fundacion Lilly.Telomeres are considered anti-cancer targets, as telomere maintenance above a minimum length is necessary for cancer growth. Telomerase abrogation in cancer-prone mouse models, however, only decreased tumor growth after several mouse generations when telomeres reach a critically short length, and this effect was lost upon p53 mutation. Here, we address whether induction of telomere uncapping by inhibition of the TRF1 shelterin protein can effectively block cancer growth independently of telomere length. We show that genetic Trf1 ablation impairs the growth of p53-null K-Ras(G12V)-induced lung carcinomas and increases mouse survival independently of telomere length. This is accompanied by induction of telomeric DNA damage, apoptosis, decreased proliferation, and G2 arrest. Long-term whole-body Trf1 deletion in adult mice did not impact on mouse survival and viability, although some mice showed a moderately decreased cellularity in bone marrow and blood. Importantly, inhibition of TRF1 binding to telomeres by small molecules blocks the growth of already established lung carcinomas without affecting mouse survival or tissue function. Thus, induction of acute telomere uncapping emerges as a potential new therapeutic target for lung cancer.S

A New Process To Develop a Cocoa Powder with Higher Flavonoid Monomer Content and Enhanced Bioavailability in Healthy Humans

10 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables.Cocoa is a food rich in polyphenols, mainly the flavonoid procyanidins and flavan-3-ols. The improvement of the cardiovascular function in humans upon cocoa consumption has been specifically linked to the presence of flavan-3-ol derived metabolites in plasma, especially epicatechin glucuronide. In this context, a flavonoid-enriched cocoa-derived product could potentially exert stronger health benefits. The aim of the present study was to obtain a cocoa powder with a higher flavonoid content (mainly enriched in monomer compounds) and assess its flavonoid bioavailability in humans. For this purpose, an unfermented, nonroasted, and blanch-treated cocoa powder (A) was obtained. The powder contained four times more procyanidins than a conventional (B) cocoa powder. Powder A contained eight times more epicatechin and procyanidin B2 than powder B. Cocoa milk drinks were prepared with powder A (MDA) and B (MDB). The bioavailability of flavonoids in both drinks was assessed in a crossover intervention with healthy volunteers. The content of epicatechin glucuronide, the main metabolite detected in plasma, was five-fold higher upon consumption of MDA as compared with MDB. The urinary excretion of metabolites, mainly methyl epicatechin sulfate, was higher upon MDA consumption as compared with MDB, ranging from two- to 12-fold higher depending on the metabolite. These results, together with previous reports regarding the cardiovascular benefits linked to the presence of procyanidin metabolites in plasma, suggest that further clinical trials to validate the health benefits of a flavonoid-enriched cocoa powder are warranted.Peer reviewe