Edible bio-based nanostructures: delivery, absorption and potential toxicity

The development of bio-based nanostructures as nanocarriers of bioactive compounds to specific body sites has been presented as a hot topic in food, pharmaceutical and nanotechnology fields. Food and pharmaceutical industries seek to explore the huge potential of these nanostructures, once they can be entirely composed of biocompatible and non-toxic materials. At the same time, they allow the incorporation of lipophilic and hydrophilic bioactive compounds protecting them against degradation, maintaining its active and functional performance. Nevertheless, the physicochemical properties of such structures (e.g., size and charge) could change significantly their behavior in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The main challenges in the development of these nanostructures are the proper characterization and understanding of the processes occurring at their surface, when in contact with living systems. This is crucial to understand their delivery and absorption behavior as well as to recognize potential toxicological effects. This review will provide an insight into the recent innovations and challenges in the field of delivery via GI tract using bio-based nanostructures. Also, an overview of the approaches followed to ensure an effective deliver (e.g., avoiding physiological barriers) and to enhance stability and absorptive intestinal uptake of bioactive compounds will be provided. Information about nanostructures potential toxicity and a concise description of the in vitro and in vivo toxicity studies will also be given.Joana T. Martins, Oscar L. Ramos, Ana C. Pinheiro, Ana I. Bourbon, Helder D. Silva and Miguel A. Cerqueira (SFRH/BPD/89992/2012, SFRH/BPD/80766/2011, SFRH/BPD/101181/2014, SFRH/BD/73178/2010, SFRH/BD/81288/2011, and SFRH/BPD/72753/2010, respectively) are the recipients of a fellowship from the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE, Portugal). The authors thank the FCT Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 and the project "BioInd-Biotechnology and Bioengineering for improved Industrial and Agro-Food processes," REF.NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000028, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER. We also thank to the European Commission: BIOCAPS (316265, FP7/REGPOT-2012-2013.1) and Xunta de Galicia: Agrupamento INBIOMED (2012/273) and Grupo con potencial de crecimiento. The support of EU Cost Action FA1001 is gratefully acknowledged

Impact of prior high-pressure processing on lipid damage and volatile amines formation in mackerel muscle subjected to frozen storage and canning

7 pages, 2 tables, 3 figuresThis research describes a first approach to analyse the effects of using high-pressure processing (HPP) as a pre-treatment before frozen storage and subsequent canning of fish. For it, Atlantic Chub mackerel (Scomber colias) was subjected to HPP (200, 400 and 600 MPa for 2 min) followed by freezing (−30 °C for 48 h), frozen storage (−18 °C for 0, 3, 6, 10 or 15 months), canning and canned storage (3 months at 20 °C). Lipid damage development (hydrolysis and oxidation) and volatile amines formation (total and trimethylamine) were determined in canned mackerel. As a result, a marked inhibitory effect (p 0.05) on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and trimethylamine values was noticed related to HPP. However, increasing (p < 0.05) peroxides and fluorescent compounds contents were obtained when applying the two highest pressure levelsThe authors thank the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) (Spain) (Research Project 2017–70E032) for the financial support of the study and the University of Aveiro and FCT/MEC for the financial support for the QOPNA research Unit (FCT UID/QUI/00062/2013) and Associate Laboratory (UIDB/50006/2020) through national founds and, where applicable, co-financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership AgreementPeer reviewe

Effect of previous high-pressure processing and frozen storage on lipid damage of canned mackerel (Scomber colias)

58th EHPRG Meeting on High Pressure Science and Technology, 6-11 September 2020, Tenerife, SpainCanning is one of the most important means of fish preservation. In it, two thermal steps (cooking and sterilisation) are encountered, so that both enzymes and bacteria should be inactivated provided reinfection does not occur and no negative interaction with the container is produced [1]. Thus, the majority of quality problems found in canned fish products can be related to the quality of raw material, which continuously changes during storage as a result of different factors; among such factors, the high content on polyunsaturated fatty acids is considered of great significance. For many decades, canneries have employed the frozen storage as the main strategy to keep excess material prior to canning. However, when long storage periods and/or relatively lowfrozen temperatures are employed, activity of endogenous enzymes can lead to important quality losses in frozen fish [2]. Interestingly, high-pressure processing (HPP) has shown to retain the sensory and nutritional properties of food while inactivating microbial growth and endogenous enzyme activity [3]. This latest effect ought to be especially profitable when employed before fish frozen storage, as inhibiting the pro-oxidative effect of some endogenous enzymes during such periodThe work was supported by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) (Spain) through the Research Project 2017-70E032, by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT Portugal), European Union, QRN, FEDER, COMPETE through founding of the Organic Chemistry Research Unit (QOPNA) (project PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2013; FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037296), and by Formula Grants no. 2011-31200-06041 and 2012-31200-06041 from the USDA National Institute of Food and AgricultuPeer reviewe

To speak with the other's voice: reducing asymmetry and social distance in mental health care admission interviews

The aim of this article is to examine the case of adoption of characteristic features of the interlocutor's ‘voice’ in mental health care admission interviews at a public hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We observed ethnographically that ‘speaking with the Other's voice’ is a strategy adopted by psychoanalysts to achieve clinical goals, though they overlook its wider implications and contradictions as it involves both professionals and patients. We will argue that patients adopt bureaucratic and psychiatric terms in order to decrease asymmetry and reorient the activity conducted between the professional and the client. On the other hand, professionals tend to consider social class, age, ethnicity or religion when adopting the patient's voice in an attempt to decrease social distance. These strategies are employed to accomplish different goals during the interview: to the patient, it is a way to show competence in the activity of medical consultation, indexing the highly valued voices of state institutions and psychiatric knowledge; to the professional, it is a strategy to achieve clinical goals by decreasing social distance and enhancing transference. Analysis will show the unequal distribution of voicing options for participants: while patients attempt to reduce asymmetry despite social distance, psychotherapists try to decrease social distance but maintain asymmetry. In conclusion, wider implications will be discussed for intergroup communication between professionals and clients.Fil: Bonnin, Juan Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Centro de Estudios E Investigaciones Laborales; Argentin

Climate change facilitated the early colonization of the Azores Archipelago during medieval times

Humans have made such dramatic and permanent changes to Earth's landscapes that much of it is now substantially and irreversibly altered from its preanthropogenic state. Remote islands, until recently isolated from humans, offer insights into how these landscapes evolved in response to human-induced perturbations. However, little is known about when and how remote systems were colonized because archaeological data and historical records are scarce and incomplete. Here, we use a multiproxy approach to reconstruct the initial colonization and subsequent environmental impacts on the Azores Archipelago. Our reconstructions provide unambiguous evidence for widespread human disturbance of this archipelago starting between 700-60+50 and 850-60+60 Common Era (CE), ca. 700 y earlier than historical records suggest the onset of Portuguese settlement of the islands. Settlement proceeded in three phases, during which human pressure on the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems grew steadily (i.e., through livestock introductions, logging, and fire), resulting in irreversible changes. Our climate models suggest that the initial colonization at the end of the early Middle Ages (500 to 900 CE) occurred in conjunction with anomalous northeasterly winds and warmer Northern Hemisphere temperatures. These climate conditions likely inhibited exploration from southern Europe and facilitated human settlers from the northeast Atlantic. These results are consistent with recent archaeological and genetic data suggesting that the Norse were most likely the earliest settlers on the islands

Reply to Elias et al.: Multiproxy evidence of widespread landscape disturbance in multiple Azorean lakes before the Portuguese arrival

Despite the multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach taken in ref. 1, we acknowledge that there are still open questions that require further research. We emphasize that our study relies on multiple records that show the synchronous arrival of humans on multiple islands before ca. 1400 CE. Elias et al. (2) raise specific concerns about the record from Peixinho Lake, one of the five lakes included in the study, while ignoring the other multiproxy lake sediment records. The arguments presented by Elias et al. (2) do not undermine in any way the main conclusions of our paper, but still we would like to explicitly address the main criticisms with regard to the only record in question