Hypoglycemic Effect of Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam) Pers. Leaf Extract

Introduction: Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam) Pers (Crasulaceae) is a succulent ornamental plant. In Costa Rica, the leaves are used as a coadjuvant treatment for Diabetes Mellitus based on traditional knowledge of natural remedies. Moreover, there are some studies mentioning its use for Diabetes Mellitus as medicinal plant in several countries. This research aimed to demonstrate the antidiabetic properties of hydroalcoholic extracts of K. pinnata leaves through phytochemical screening, alpha amylase inhibition and rodent models. Methods: Crude extracts of K. pinnata leaves were prepared by infusion and decoction using water:ethanol (70:30) as a solvent. The extracts prepared by decoction (LAED, lyophilized-water:ethanol decoction) and by infusion (LAEI, lyophilized-water:ethanol-infusion) were analyzed by Folin Ciocalteu, HPLC and capacity of inhibition of α-amylase activity. To determine hypoglycemic activity in rats, extracts were administered orally at doses of 250, 500 and 750 mg/Kg and blood sugar levels were monitored over a four hours period using a glucometer. Results: A significant reduction (p < 0.05) in blood glucose was observed after one hour in rats treated with 500 mg/Kg of LAED extract. Treatment with 750 mg/Kg LAEI induced a statistically significant reduction in blood sugar at 90, 180 and 240 min, showing that the glucose-lowering effect of this extract was greater at a higher concentration. Conclusions: This study confirmed the hypoglycemic effect of K. pinnata extracts in the acute phase in rats and supports the use of this Crassulaceae as a home remedyInstituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica/[1510035]/TEC/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacéuticas (INIFAR

Peptaibol Production and Characterization from Trichoderma asperellum and Their Action as Biofungicide

Peptaibols (Paib), are a class of biologically active peptides isolated from soil, fungi and molds, which have interesting properties as antimicrobial agents. Paib production was optimized in flasks by adding sucrose as a carbon source, 2-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) as an additive amino acid, and F. oxysporum cell debris as an elicitor. Paib were purified, sequenced and identified by High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)coupled to mass spectrometry. Afterward, a Paib extract was obtained from the optimized fermentations. The biological activity of these extracts was evaluated using in vitro and in vivo methods. The extract inhibited the growth of specific plant pathogens, and it showed inhibition rates similar to those from commercially available fungicides. Growth inhibition rates were 92.2, 74.2, 58.4 and 36.2% against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata and Fusarium oxysporum, respectively. Furthermore, the antifungal activity was tested in tomatoes inoculated with A. alternata, the incidence of the disease in tomatoes treated with the extract was 0%, while the untreated fruit showed a 92.5% incidence of infection Scanning electron microscopy images showed structural differences between the fungi treated with or without Paib. The most visual alterations were sunk and shriveled morphology in spores, while the hyphae appeared to be fractured, rough and dehydrated

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

Bioprospección fitoquímica de dos variedades de fruta de cas (Psidium friedrichsthalianum Ndz y Psidium guineense Sw) oriundas de Costa Rica

Muñoz Arrieta, R. A. (2014). Bioprospección fitoquímica de dos variedades de fruta de cas (Psidium friedrichsthalianum Ndz y Psidium guineense Sw) oriundas de Costa Rica. [Tesis de Licenciatura]. Universidad Nacional. Heredia, C.R.Las plantas han sido la base para la cura de enfermedades desde épocas antiguas, en donde el hombre a través del tiempo ha buscado respuesta a la necesidad de vivir en condiciones óptimas de salud y vida aceptables. Conforme el ser humano ha desarrollado continuamente su forma de vida, se han generado un conjunto de aspectos y hechos importantes en la medicina, en donde se han mejorado los tratamientos de enfermedades por medio de la investigación en diferentes tipos de plantas a las cuales se les atribuyen propiedades anticancerígenas, antiinflamatorias, antimicrobianas, entre otras. El cas (Psidiumfriedrichsthalianum Ndz) es una fruta autóctona de Costa Rica y desconocida por el mundo, pero representa una pieza clave en la dieta de los costarricenses, ya que es ampliamente utilizada para la producción de jugos naturales y de jaleas. Posee gran capacidad para ser utilizada como nutracéutico, puesto a que contiene gran cantidad de polifenoles y una alta actividad antioxidante, por otro lado resulta ser un antibiótico natural contra bacterias del índole Gram positivo (S. areus, B. subtilis). Existen diferencias significativas en la variedad de psidiumfriedrichsthalianum Ndz dependiendo de la zona de Costa Rica en donde se colecte. El cas de la zona de La Tigra de San Carlos presentó el mayor contenido de polifenoles, actividad antioxidante y mayor contenido de proantocianidinas durante el estudio; mientras que el cas de la zona de Naranjo es la que presentó los valores más bajos. Por otro lado, los extractos obtenidos de la columna cromatográfica con relleno Cl 8 y los EPAC's de psidium friedrichsthalianum Ndz, guineense y guayaba resultaron ser fuentes ineficientes contra la inhibición de crecimiento celular en células de linfoma, por lo que no muestran evidencia que indique la presencia de una actividad interesante para el desarrollo de una investigación futura en la búsqueda de agentes anticancerígenos. Al ser el psidium friedrichsthalianum Ndz, una fruta autóctona de Costa Rica y una fuente importante de antioxidantes que debería incorporarse con más frecuencia a nuestra dieta y generar productos con más valor agregado.Plants have been the basis for curing diseases since ancient times, where man over time has sought an answer to the need to live in optimal conditions of health and acceptable life. As the human being has continuously developed his way of life, a set of important aspects and facts have been generated in medicine, where disease treatments have been improved through research in different types of plants to which attribute anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial properties, among others. The cas (Psidiumfriedrichsthalianum Ndz) is a native fruit of Costa Rica and unknown to the world, but it represents a key piece in the diet of Costa Ricans, since it is widely used for the production of natural juices and jellies. It has a great capacity to be used as a nutraceutical, since it contains a large amount of polyphenols and high antioxidant activity, on the other hand it turns out to be a natural antibiotic against Gram-positive bacteria (S. areus, B. subtilis). There are significant differences in the variety of psidiumfriedrichsthalianum Ndz depending on the area of ​​Costa Rica where it is collected. The case from the La Tigra area of ​​San Carlos presented the highest content of polyphenols, antioxidant activity and the highest content of proanthocyanidins during the study; while the case of the Naranjo area is the one that presented the lowest values. On the other hand, the extracts obtained from the chromatographic column with Cl 8 packing and the EPAC's of psidium friedrichsthalianum Ndz, guineense and guava turned out to be inefficient sources against the inhibition of cell growth in lymphoma cells, therefore they do not show evidence indicating the presence of an interesting activity for the development of future research in the search for anticancer agents. Being the psidium friedrichsthalianum Ndz, a native fruit of Costa Rica and an important source of antioxidants that should be incorporated more frequently into our diet and generate products with more added value.Universidad Nacional, Costa RicaEscuela de Químic

Nutritional and bioactive composition of Spanish, Valencia, and Virginia type peanut skins

The aims of this study were to determine the proximate and amino acid compositions, mineral content, and fatty acid and proanthocyanidins (PAC) profiles of peanut skins (PS) from three varieties of peanuts. Proximate composition showed that PS had a moisture content from 9.71 to 11.0%, ash content from 2.07 to 2.13%, fat content from 9.59 to 10.2%, protein content from 8.88 to 12.7%, and dietary fiber from 38.8 to 42.8%. The amino acid composition indicated that lysine and phenylalanine, glycine, and glutamine were the predominant amino acids in PS. Mineral content indicated that potassium was the main macro-element in PS. Palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids were the predominant fatty acids in PS. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) of PAC showed that the predominant masses were typical of (epi)catechin monomers with “A-type” interflavan bonds. Deconvolution of overlapping isotope patterns observed with MALDI-TOF MS indicates that in all PS, 95 % of the PAC oligomers contain one or more A-type bonds. These results indicate that PS may be used as functional ingredients to improve profitability of the peanut industries through the use of a low-value by-product. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study providing a chemical evaluation and comparison of PS from three varieties of peanuts.Los objetivos de este estudio fueron determinar las composiciones próximas y de aminoácidos, el contenido mineral y los perfiles de ácidos grasos y proantocianidinas (PAC) de pieles de maní (PS) de tres variedades de maní. La composición aproximada mostró que el PS tenía un contenido de humedad de 9,71 a 11,0%, contenido de cenizas de 2,07 a 2,13%, contenido de grasa de 9,59 a 10,2%, contenido de proteínas de 8,88 a 12,7% y fibra dietética de 38,8 a 42,8%. La composición de aminoácidos indicó que la lisina y la fenilalanina, la glicina y la glutamina eran los aminoácidos predominantes en la PS. El contenido mineral indicó que el potasio era el principal macroelemento en la PS. Los ácidos palmítico, oleico y linoleico fueron los ácidos grasos predominantes en la PS. La espectrometría de masas de tiempo de vuelo de ionización / desorción láser asistida por matriz (MALDI-TOF MS) de PAC mostró que las masas predominantes eran típicas de los monómeros de (epi) catequina con enlaces interflavanos "tipo A". La deconvolución de los patrones de isótopos superpuestos observados con MALDI-TOF MS indica que en todos los PS, el 95% de los oligómeros de PAC contienen uno o más enlaces de tipo A. Estos resultados indican que los PS pueden usarse como ingredientes funcionales para mejorar la rentabilidad de las industrias del maní mediante el uso de un subproducto de bajo valor. Hasta donde sabemos, este es el primer estudio que proporciona una evaluación química y una comparación de PS de tres variedades de maní.Universidad Nacional, Costa RicaCentro Nacional de Innovaciones Biotecnológicas, Costa Rica.Universidad de Wisconsin-Madison, Estados Unidos.Soluciones Fitoquímicas Completas, Estados Unidos.Escuela de Químic

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of Jatropha curcas associated with the content of phorbol ester

Jatropha curcas is an oleaginous plant of multiple uses including the production of biodiesel. By-products after oil extraction can be used for animal feed, but the presence of toxic compounds such as phorbol esters limits its use. The availability of non-toxic germplasm permits the generation of varieties free of phorbol esters. In the present study, we validated SNP markers associated with the absence or low content of phorbol esters in fifty-four accessions from nine different countries conserved in a germplasm bank of J. curcas in Costa Rica. Accessions from Mexico, where non-toxic germplasm occurs naturally, were included. The identification of toxic germplasm with levels of PE > 0.1 mg/g was possible with four SNPs (SNP22, SNP24, SNP25772 and SNP25886). Besides, the discrimination of accessions of Mexico from other countries was possible with both a unique haplotype of three SNPs (SNP22, SNP24 and SNP25772) and two genotypes of SNP25886. Only the genotype T/T of SNP25886 was exclusively associated with non-toxic accessions. The genotype C/T of SNP25886 was associated with accessions of Mexico with variable content of PE (from 0 to 0.4148 mg/g) which may serve as a first line of screening to find potencial non-toxic plants. The SNPs validated in this work, in combination with the quantification of PE by HPLC, may serve to select non-toxic germplasm in plant breeding programs that pursue the development of non-toxic varieties of J. curcas.Consejo Nacional para Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas/[FI-035–16]/CONICIT/Costa RicaFundación para el Fomento y Promoción de la Investigación y Transferencia de Tecnología Agropecuaria de Costa Rica/[F06-17]/FITTACORI/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno (EEAFBM

Tolerance and biological removal of fungicides by Trichoderma species isolated from the endosphere of wild Rubiaceae plants

The transition from conventional to organic agriculture is often challenged by the adaptation of biological control agents to environments heavily exposed to agrochemical pollutants. We studied Trichoderma species isolated from living leaf tissues of wild Rubiacaeae (coffee family) plants to determine their fungicide tolerance and potential for bioremoval. First, we assessed the in vitro tolerance to fungicides of four Trichoderma isolates (Trichoderma rifaii T1, T. aff. crassum T2, T. aff. atroviride T3, and T. aff. strigosellum T4) by placing mycelial plugs onto solid media supplemented with seven different systemic and non-systemic fungicides. After a week, most of the fungicides did not significantly inhibit the growth of the isolates, except in the case of cyproconazole, where the only isolate able to grow was T1; however, the colony morphology was affected by the presence of fungicides. Second, biological removal potential was established for selected isolates. For this experiment, the isolates T1, T2, and T4 were independently inoculated into liquid media with the fungicides azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, cyproconazole, and trifloxystrobin. After 14 days of incubation, a removal of up to 89% was achieved for chlorothalonil, 46.4% for cyproconazole, and 33.1% for trifloxystrobin using viable biomass. In the case of azoxystrobin, the highest removal (82.2%) occurred by adsorption to fungal biomass. Ecotoxicological tests in Daphnia magna revealed that T1 has the highest removal potential, achieving significant elimination of every fungicide, while simultaneously detoxifying the aqueous matrix (except in the case of cyproconazole). Isolate T4 also exhibited an intermediate efficiency, while isolate T2 was unable to detoxify the matrix in most cases. The removal and detoxification of cyproconazole failed with all the isolates. These findings suggest that endosphere of wild plants could be an attractive guild to find new Trichoderma species with promising bioremediation capabilities. In addition, the results demonstrate that attention should be placed when combining certain types of agrochemicals with antagonistic fungi in Integrated Pest and Disease Management strategies or when transitioning to organic agriculture.Universidad de Costa Rica/[802-B8-510]/UCR/Costa RicaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[809-C1-604]/UCR/Costa RicaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[111-B7-176]/UCR/Costa RicaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[809-B9-662]/UCR/Costa RicaConsejo Nacional de Rectores/[809-B9-662]/CONARE/Costa RicaNational Science Foundation/[DEB-1638976]/NSF/Estados UnidosCentro Nacional de Innovaciones Biotecnológicas/[FP-022-2019]/CENIBiot/Costa RicaMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación, Tecnología y Telecomunicaciones/[FI-048B-19]/MICITT/Costa RicaMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación, Tecnología y Telecomunicaciones/[FI-197B-17]/MICITT/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigaciones en Productos Naturales (CIPRONA)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de BiologíaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Facultad de Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Escuela de AgronomíaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit Moreno (EEAFBM)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro en Investigación en Contaminación Ambiental (CICA

The Added Value of Coronary Calcium Score in Predicting Cardiovascular Events in Familial Hypercholesterolemia

International audienceObjectivesThis study aimed at investigating the additional contribution of coronary artery calcium (CAC) score to SAFEHEART (Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolemia Cohort Study) risk equation (SAFEHEART-RE) for cardiovascular risk prediction in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH).BackgroundCommon cardiovascular risk equations are imprecise for HeFH. Because of the high phenotype variability of HeFH, CAC score could help to better stratify the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).MethodsREFERCHOL (French Registry of Familial Hypercholesterolemia) and SAFEHEART are 2 ongoing national registries on HeFH. We analyzed data from primary prevention HeFH patients undergoing CAC quantification. We used probability-weighted Cox proportional hazards models to estimate HRs. Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) and net reclassification improvement (NRI) were used to compare the incremental contribution of CAC score when added to the SAFEHEART-RE for ASCVD prediction. ASCVD was defined as coronary heart disease, stroke or transient ischemic attack, peripheral artery disease, resuscitated sudden death, and cardiovascular death.ResultsWe included 1,624 patients (mean age: 48.5 ± 12.8 years; men: 45.7%) from both registries. After a median follow-up of 2.7 years (interquartile range: 0.4-5.0 years), ASCVD occurred in 81 subjects. The presence of a CAC score of >100 was associated with an HR of 32.05 (95% CI: 10.08-101.94) of developing ASCVD as compared to a CAC score of 0. Receiving-operating curve analysis showed a good performance of CAC score alone in ASCVD prediction (AUC: 0.860 [95% CI: 0.853-0.869]). The addition of log(CAC + 1) to SAFEHEART-RE resulted in a significantly improved prediction of ASCVD (AUC: 0.884 [95% CI: 0.871-0.894] for SAFEHEART-RE + log(CAC + 1) vs AUC: 0.793 [95% CI: 0.779-0.818] for SAFEHEART-RE; P < 0.001). These results were confirmed also when considering only hard cardiovascular endpoints. The addition of CAC score was associated with an estimated overall net reclassification improvement of 45.4%.ConclusionsCAC score proved its use in improving cardiovascular risk stratification and ASCVD prediction in statin-treated HeFH

ENGIU: Encuentro Nacional de Grupos de Investigación de UNIMINUTO.

El desarrollo del prototipo para el sistema de detección de Mina Antipersona (MAP), inicia desde el semillero ADSSOF perteneciente al programa de Administración en Seguridad y Salud en el trabajo de la UNIMINUTO, se realiza a partir de un detector de metales que emite una señal audible, que el usuario puede interpretar como aviso de presencia de un objeto metálico, en este caso una MAP. La señal audible se interpreta como un dato, como ese dato no es perceptible a 5 metros de distancia, se implementa el transmisor de Frecuencia Modulada FM por la facilidad de modulación y la escogencia de frecuencia de transmisión de acuerdo con las normas y resolución del Ministerio de Comunicaciones; de manera que esta sea la plataforma base para enviar los datos obtenidos a una frecuencia establecida. La idea es que el ser humano no explore zonas peligrosas y buscar la forma de crear un sistema que permita eliminar ese riesgo, por otro lado, buscar la facilidad de uso de elementos ya disponibles en el mercado

Contemporary use of cefazolin for MSSA infective endocarditis: analysis of a national prospective cohort

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the real use of cefazolin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infective endocarditis (IE) in the Spanish National Endocarditis Database (GAMES) and to compare it with antistaphylococcal penicillin (ASP). Methods: Prospective cohort study with retrospective analysis of a cohort of MSSA IE treated with cloxacillin and/or cefazolin. Outcomes assessed were relapse; intra-hospital, overall, and endocarditis-related mortality; and adverse events. Risk of renal toxicity with each treatment was evaluated separately. Results: We included 631 IE episodes caused by MSSA treated with cloxacillin and/or cefazolin. Antibiotic treatment was cloxacillin, cefazolin, or both in 537 (85%), 57 (9%), and 37 (6%) episodes, respectively. Patients treated with cefazolin had significantly higher rates of comorbidities (median Charlson Index 7, P <0.01) and previous renal failure (57.9%, P <0.01). Patients treated with cloxacillin presented higher rates of septic shock (25%, P = 0.033) and new-onset or worsening renal failure (47.3%, P = 0.024) with significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality (38.5%, P = 0.017). One-year IE-related mortality and rate of relapses were similar between treatment groups. None of the treatments were identified as risk or protective factors. Conclusion: Our results suggest that cefazolin is a valuable option for the treatment of MSSA IE, without differences in 1-year mortality or relapses compared with cloxacillin, and might be considered equally effective