Ursolic acid: an overview including research performed in Peru

  Ursolic acid (3β-3-hydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic-acid) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound present in many medicinal herbs and edible fruits of different species of plants. Ursolic acid is now considered an important biomolecule due to its pharmacological activity and much of the research has focused on anticancer activity. To achieve the clinical application of ursolic acid, delivery nanosystems have been developed and the synthesis of its derivatives has also been carried out. In this review, we address different aspects of the chemistry of ursolic acid. Furthermore, we highlight the investigations that were carried out in Peru concerning ursolic acid.   Palavras-chave: Ursolic acid, Triterpenoid, Lamiaceae, Medicinal plants.   Abstract El ácido ursólico (ácido 3β-hidroxi-urs-12-en-28-óico) es un triterpenoide pentacíclico presente en varias hierbas medicinales y frutos comestibles de diferentes especies de plantas, es considerado una importante biomolécula debido a su actividad farmacológica y gran parte de las investigaciones se han enfocado en su actividad anticancerígena. Para lograr la aplicación clínica del ácido ursólico, se han desarrollado nanosistemas para su administración y también se han sintetizado gran cantidad de derivados. En esta revisión abordamos diferentes aspectos de la química del ácido ursólico, y además, destacamos las investigaciones que se llevaron a cabo en el Perú.   Keywords: Ácido ursólico, Triterpenoide, Lamiaceae, Plantas medicinales. &nbsp

Efectividad de Sansevieria trifasciata y Spathiphyllum para purificar el formaldehído en ambientes interiores

The reduction of formaldehyde, as a common indoor air pollutant, was analyzed using two species of ornamental plants: Sansevieria trifasciata and Spathiphyllum. The study was conducted in an airtight chamber, where formaldehyde was measured every half hour for 22 hours using a formaldehyde meter. The results revealed that the combination of both plants was the most effective, achieving 98% absorption in 22 hours, with 92,5% during the day and 84,5% at night. Spathiphyllum reduced 96% in 22 hours, with 91,5% during the day and 74,75% at night. Meanwhile, Sansevieria trifasciata decreased 75,75% in 22 hours, with 57% during the day and 46,5% at night. These results highlight the importance of plants in improving air quality, with the combination of Sansevieria trifasciata and Spathiphyllum being the most efficient. The variables of light exposure and time of exposure of the plants to formaldehyde also influenced their ability to reduce the pollutant. In conclusion, the potential of using these plant species as an environmentally friendly solution to reduce indoor air pollution and protect population health is demonstrated.Se analizó la reducción del formaldehído, como contaminante común del aire interior, mediante dos especies de plantas ornamentales: Sansevieria trifasciata y Spathiphyllum. El estudio se llevó a cabo en una cámara hermética, donde se midió el formaldehído cada media hora durante 22 horas utilizando un medidor de formaldehído. Los resultados revelaron que la combinación de ambas plantas fue la más efectiva, logrando una absorción del 98% en 22 horas, con 92,5% durante el día y 84,5% durante la noche. El Spathiphyllum redujo el 96% en 22 horas, con 91,5% durante el día y 74,75% durante la noche. Mientras tanto, la Sansevieria trifasciata disminuyó el 75,75% en 22 horas, con 57% en el día y 46,5% por la noche. Estos resultados resaltan la importancia de las plantas en la mejora de la calidad del aire, siendo la combinación de Sansevieria trifasciata y Spathiphyllum la más eficiente. Las variables de exposición a la luz y tiempo de exposición de las plantas al formaldehído también influyeron en su capacidad de reducción del contaminante. En conclusión, se demuestra el potencial de utilizar estas especies de plantas como una solución amigable con el ambiente para reducir la contaminación del aire interior y proteger la salud poblaciona

Plan de negocios para la implementaci?n de stands de venta de postres peruanos en centros comerciales de Lima Metropolitana

La presente investigaci?n busca identificar la existencia de demanda para el mercado de postres peruanos tradicionales, los cuales ser?n adquiridos en stands ubicados en cinco centros comerciales (Plaza San Miguel, Mall del Sur, Plaza Lima Sur, Plaza Norte y MegaPlaza), determinar el modelo de negocio ideal, las estrategias a utilizar para lograr la sostenibilidad del mismo, e identificar si su implementaci?n resulta econ?micamente viable. Para lograr los objetivos se realiz? una investigaci?n de mercado, conformada por investigaciones cualitativas y cuantitativas. La investigaci?n cualitativa consisti? en entrevistas a expertos del rubro retail y del rubro postres, observaci?n de la oferta y demanda actual en los centros comerciales de postres al paso, y la realizaci?n de dos focus group, orientados principalmente a la presentaci?n y prueba del producto. La investigaci?n cuantitativa consisti? en el levantamiento de 427 encuestas, las mismas que fueron contestadas por hombres y mujeres entre 18 y 60 a?os que consuman postres

Demographic and health attributes of the Nahua, initial contact population of the Peruvian Amazon.

We present the case of the Nahua population of Santa Rosa de Serjali, Peruvian Amazon's population, considered of initial contact. This population consists of human groups that for a long time decided to live in isolation, but lately have begun living a more sedentary lifestyle and in contact with Western populations. There are two fully identified initial contact groups in Peru: the Nahua and the Nanti. The health statistics of the Nahua are scarce. This study offers an interpretation of demographic and epidemiological indicators of the Nahua people, trying to identify if a certain degree of health vulnerability exists. We performed a cross sectional study, and after analyzing their health indicators, as well as the supplemental qualitative analysis of the population, brought us to conclude that in 2006, the Nahua, remained in a state of health vulnerability.Revisión por pare

Adverse effects of last generation anticonvulsants in pregnant women diagnosed with epilepsy: A review

Objetivo: Determinar los efectos adversos de los anticonvulsivantes de última generación en gestantes con diagnóstico de epilepsia. Material y métodos: Artículo de revisión. Estudio descriptivo con enfoque mixto de tipo exploratorio. La recolección de información se realizó mediante las búsqueda en PubMed, Scopus (Recursos científicos FECYT), DIGEMID, Revista Peruana de Investigación Materno Perinatal y la Revista Peruana de Ginecología y Obstetricia. Resultados: Mediante una  revisión sistematizada de artículos, se obtuvo respecto al uso de Topiramato una asociación a malformaciones bucales. Y en cuanto a los fármacos Lacosamida y Perampanel no se puede concluir su efectos adversos debido a la limitada y escasa información. Conclusiones: Se encontró asociación entre el uso Topiramato y malformaciones congénitas bucales durante la gestación, así mismo, respecto al Perampanel se evidenció efectos adversos tales como pérdida post implantación; sin embargo, la falta de información no permite ser concluyente. Respecto al uso de Lacosamida  se evidenciaron algunos efectos relacionados con la viso-motricidad, sin embargo existe limitada información. Objectives: Determine adverse effects of last generation anticonvulsants in pregnant women with diagnosis of epilepsy. Material and Methods: Review article. Descriptive study with an exploratory mixed approach. The data collection was carried out by searching PubMed, Scopus (scientific resources as FECYT), DIGEMID, Revista Peruana de Investigación Materno Perinatal and the Revista Peruana de Ginecología y Obstetricia. Results: A systematised review of articles found an association with oral malformations in the use of Topiramate. As for the drugs Lacosamide and Perampanel, it is not possible to conclude their adverse effects due to limited and scarce information. Conclusions: An association was found between the use of Topiramate and oral congenital malformations during gestation, as well as adverse effects such as post-implantation loss with respect to Perampanel; however, the lack of information does not allow us to be conclusive. Regarding the use of Lacosamide, some effects related to visual-motor function were reported, but there is limited information

Deploying the NASA Valkyrie Humanoid for IED Response: An Initial Approach and Evaluation Summary

As part of a feasibility study, this paper shows the NASA Valkyrie humanoid robot performing an end-to-end improvised explosive device (IED) response task. To demonstrate and evaluate robot capabilities, sub-tasks highlight different locomotion, manipulation, and perception requirements: traversing uneven terrain, passing through a narrow passageway, opening a car door, retrieving a suspected IED, and securing the IED in a total containment vessel (TCV). For each sub-task, a description of the technical approach and the hidden challenges that were overcome during development are presented. The discussion of results, which explicitly includes existing limitations, is aimed at motivating continued research and development to enable practical deployment of humanoid robots for IED response. For instance, the data shows that operator pauses contribute to 50\% of the total completion time, which implies that further work is needed on user interfaces for increasing task completion efficiency.Comment: 2019 IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robot

Removal of methylene blue dye from water with Fe3O4/poly(HEMA-co-AMPS) magnetic hydrogels

In this research, a novel magnetic hydrogel (MHG) adsorbent based on Fe3O4/poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate-co-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) Fe3O4/poly(HEMA-co-AMPS) was synthesized by in situ co-precipitation of Fe3O4 magnetic particles inside poly(HEMA-co-AMPS) hydrogels. This adsorbent was used to adsorb the organic cationic dye methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The properties of the adsorbent were characterized by FT-IR, TGA, XRD, VSM, and EDX-SEM techniques. The degree of swelling was recorded in water, acidic medium (HCl 0.01 M), and basic medium (NaOH 0.01 M). The results confirmed that Fe3O4 particles were successfully synthesized within the poly(HEMA-co-AMPS) hydrogel structure. Magnetic hydrogels have higher swelling and reach equilibrium faster than hydrogels. The magnetic hydrogel prepared with 3 % crosslinker and 10 % AMPS (MHG3(10)) showed better potential to remove MB dye, adsorption capacity Qmax = 445.35 mg/g, this was obtained under the best conditions at pH 6.5, dose of 1 g/L, and contact time of 10 min. Over the test pHpzc, the surface of the MHG3(10) is predominantly negative at pH values higher than 2.47. The adsorption process of MHG3(10) for MB removal follows the Langmuir model and obeys pseudo-second-order kinetics. In addition, thermodynamic studies performed show that the adsorption process is endothermic (ΔH0 = 75.946 kJ/mol) and spontaneous with a positive value of entropy (ΔS0 = 263.562 J/mol·K). Regeneration experiments showed that MHG3(10) can be reused several times as its removal efficiency is still 94 % after 10 adsorption–desorption cycles. Therefore, the magnetic hydrogel MHG3(10) proved to be a promising adsorbent for the removal of the pollutant MB dye from aqueous media