Microorganisms as Biocatalysts and Enzyme Sources

Microbial-catalyzed biotransformations have considerable potential for the generation of an enormous variety of structurally diversified organic compounds, especially natural products with complex structures like triterpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, steroidal saponins, and sesquiterpenoids. They offer efficient and economical ways to produce semisynthetic analogues and novel lead molecules. Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi could catalyze chemo-, regio-, and stereospecific hydroxylations of diverse substrates that are extremely difficult to produce by chemical routes. During recent years, considerable research has been performed on the microbial transformation of bioactive compounds, in order to obtain biologically active molecules with diverse structural features. In green chemistry, biotransformations are an important chemical methodology toward more sustainable industrial processes

Recent Developments and Applications of Nanosystems in the Preservation of Meat and Meat Products

Due to their high water, lipid, and protein content, meat and meat products are highly perishable. The principal spoilage mechanisms involved are protein and lipid oxidation and deterioration caused by microbial growth. Therefore, efforts are ongoing to ensure food safety and increase shelf life. The development of low-cost, innovative, eco-friendly approaches, such as nanotechnology, using non-toxic, inexpensive, FDA-approved ingredients is reducing the incorporation of chemical additives while enhancing effectiveness and functionality. This review focuses on advances in the incorporation of natural additives that increase the shelf life of meat and meat products through the application of nanosystems. The main solvent-free preparation methods are reviewed, including those that involve mixing organic–inorganic or organic–organic compounds with such natural substances as essential oils and plant extracts. The performance of these additives is analyzed in terms of their antioxidant effect when applied directly to meat as edible coatings or marinades, and during manufacturing processes. The review concludes that nanotechnology represents an excellent option for the efficient design of new meat products with enhanced characteristics

Antimalarial Activity of Ultra-Short Peptides

Ultra-short peptides 1-9 were designed and synthesized with phenylalanine, ornithine and proline amino acid residues and their effect on antimalarial activity was analyzed. On the basis of the IC50 data for these compounds, the effects of nature, polarity, and amino acid sequence on Plasmodium berghei schizont cultures were analyzed too. Tetrapeptides Phe-Orn-Phe-Orn (4) and Lys-Phe-Phe-Orn (5) showed a very important activity with IC50 values of 3.31 and 2.57 μM, respectively. These two tetrapeptides are candidates for subsequent in vivo assays and SARS investigations

Comparative Study Using Different Infrared Zones of the Solventless Activation of Organic Reactions

In this work, the results of a study comparing the use of irradiation from different regions of the infrared spectrum for the promotion of several organic reactions, are presented and discussed. This use of eco-conditions provides a green approach to chemical synthesis. A set of ten different organic reactions were evaluated, including the Knoevenagel, Hantzsch, Biginelli and Meldrum reactions. It is important to highlight the use of a commercial device that produces infrared irradiation in the near infrared region and its distribution by convection providing heating uniformity, significantly reducing reaction times, achieving good yields and proceeding in the absence of solvent. It is also worth noting that a variety of different reactions may be performed at the same time. Finally, the products obtained were identified using TLC, together with corresponding MS-data, complementarily in comparison of NMR 1H and 13C data with literature information

Elaboración de material didáctico para preescolar y ciclo inicial : Mi escuela es mi pueblo

Proyecto conjunto y coordinado entre profesores de Educación Infantil y Primaria de Colegios de la provincia de Zamora que tiene como objetivo: la elaboración de material que garantice el tránsito adaptado y sin rupturas entre ambos niveles y tenga un enfoque aglutinador en torno al medio próximo. El plan de trabajo lo dividen en cuatro partes: 1) Planteamientos didácticos del grupo. 2) Propuestas de diseño y elaboración de Unidades Didácticas. 3) Taller del entorno, donde con diversos enfoques se aborda el estudio del medio próximo. 4) Dedicado a propuestas experienciales concretas o sugerencias didácticas. Entre los materiales que han generado en el desarrollo del proyecto: Una guía didáctica general que contempla de forma pormenorizada cada una de las cuatro partes en que han dividido el trabajo, 3 anexos dedicados a: -Experiencias y pequeños proyectos; -Propuesta concreta de programación de un aula; -Taller del Entorno: trabajos realizados por los alumnos y diferentes cuadernillos referidos a todas las áreas curriculares de aplicación directa en el aula y que contienen materiales de apoyo a las unidades didácticas desarrolladas. El trabajo no está publicado..Comunidad Autónoma de Castilla y León, Consejería de Educación y Cultura, Dirección General de EducaciónCastilla y LeónES

A Novel Phospholipase A2 Isolated from <i>Palythoa caribaeorum</i> Possesses Neurotoxic Activity

Zoanthids of the genus Palythoa are distributed worldwide in shallow waters around coral reefs. Like all cnidarians, they possess nematocysts that contain a large diversity of toxins that paralyze their prey. This work was aimed at isolating and functionally characterizing a cnidarian neurotoxic phospholipase named A2-PLTX-Pcb1a for the first time. This phospholipase was isolated from the venomous extract of the zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum. This enzyme, which is Ca2+-dependent, is a 149 amino acid residue protein. The analysis of the A2-PLTX-Pcb1a sequence showed neurotoxic domain similitude with other neurotoxic sPLA2&#180;s, but a different catalytic histidine domain. This is remarkable, since A2-PLTX-Pcb1a displays properties like those of other known PLA2 enzymes