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Water pollution caused by dyes is a significant environmental issue, necessitating the development of effective, cost-efficient decolorization methods suitable for industrial use. In this study, a Chitosan-Fe polymeric gel was synthesized, characterized, and tested for removing the azo dye Direct Red 83:1 from water. The polymeric magnetic chitosan was analyzed using various techniques: Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) revealed a porous structure, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) demonstrated the thermal stability, Infrared Spectrophotometry (IR) indicated the successful coordination of iron at the C3 position, and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) confirmed the crystalline nature of the polymeric structure. Optimal conditions for kinetic and isotherm models were found at 1 g and pH 7.0. Adsorption behavior of Direct Red 83:1 onto magnetic chitosan gel beads was studied through kinetic tests and isotherm curves. The maximum adsorption capacity was 17.46 mg/g (qmax). The adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2 = 0.999) and fit the Temkin isotherm (R2 = 0.946), suggesting heterogeneous surface adsorption. The newly synthesized Chitosan-Fe polymeric gel demonstrated good adsorption properties and facilitated easy separation of purified water.

In Europe, sports food supplements (SSFs) are subject to specific laws and regulations. Up to 70% of athletes are highly influenced by the information on the label or the advertisement of the SSF, which often does not correspond to the scientific evidence, such as health claims. The aim is to analyze such claims relating to sports drinks (SDs) in commercial messages. To this end, an observational and cross-sectional study was conducted based on the analysis of the content and degree of adequacy of the health claims indicated on the labelling or technical data sheet of the SDs with those established by the European legislation in force according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The SSFs were searched for via Amazon and Google Shopping. A total of 114 health claims were evaluated. No claim fully conformed with the recommendations. A total of 14 claims (n = 13 products) almost conformed to the recommendations; they were “Maintain endurance level in exercises requiring prolonged endurance”, “Improve water absorption during physical exercise”, and “Improved physical performance during high intensity, high duration physical exercise in trained adults”, representing 12.3% of the total (n = 114). The vast majority of the claims identified indicated an unproven cause–effect and should be modified or eliminated, which amounts to food fraud towards the consumer.

Pest resistance against fungicides is a widespread and increasing problem, with impact on crop production and public health, making the development of new fungicides an urgent need. Chemical analyses of a crude methanol extract (CME) of Guiera senegalensis leaves revealed the presence of sugars, phospholipids, phytosterols, guieranone A, porphyrin-containing compounds, and phenolics. To connect chemical composition with biological effects, solid-phase extraction was used to discard water-soluble compounds with low affinity for the C18 matrix and obtain an ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) that concentrates guieranone A and chlorophylls, and a methanol fraction (MF) dominated by phenolics. While the CME and MF exhibited poor antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium oxysporum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, the EAF demonstrated antifungal activity against these filamentous fungi, particularly against C. gloeosporioides. Studies with yeasts revealed that the EAF has strong effectiveness against Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida krusei with MICs of 8, 8 and 16 μg/mL, respectively. A combination of in vivo and in vitro studies shows that the EAF can function as a mitochondrial toxin, compromising complexes I and II activities, and as a strong inhibitor of fungal tyrosinase (Ki = 14.40 ± 4.49 µg/mL). Thus, EAF appears to be a promising candidate for the development of new multi-target fungicides.

Isoprostanes (IsoPs) are lipid peroxidation biomarkers that reveal the oxidative status of the organism without specifying which organs or tissues it occurs in. Similar compounds have recently been identified that can assess central nervous system (CNS) lipid peroxidation status, usually oxidated by reactive oxygen species. These compounds are the neuroprostanes (NeuroPs) derived from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the F2t-dihomo-isoprotanes derived from adrenic acid (AdA). The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate whether the long-term nutraceutical consumption of high polyphenolic contents (600 mg) from fruits (such as berries) and vegetables shows efficacy against CNS lipid peroxidation in urine biomarkers. A total of 92 subjects (47 females, 45 males, age 34 ± 11 years old, weight 73.10 ± 14.29 kg, height 1.72 ± 9 cm, body mass index (BMI) 24.40 ± 3.43 kg/m2) completed a randomized, cross-over, double-blind study after an intervention of two periods of 16 weeks consuming either extract (EXT) or placebo (PLA) separated by a 4-week washout period. The results showed significant reductions in three AdA-derived metabolites, namely, 17-epi-17-F2t-dihomo-IsoPs (Δ −1.65 ng/mL; p < 0.001), 17-F2t-dihomo-IsoPs (Δ −0.17 ng/mL; p < 0.015), and ent-7(RS)-7-F2t-dihomo-IsoPs (Δ −1.97 ng/mL; p < 0.001), and one DHA-derived metabolite, namely, 4-F4t-NeuroP (Δ −7.94 ng/mL; p < 0.001), after EXT consumption, which was not observed after PLA consumption. These data seem to show the effectiveness of the extract for preventing CNS lipid peroxidation, as determined by measurements of oxylipins in urine through Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-ESI-MS/MS).

The present study aimed to discover the effects of exogenously foliar-applied salicylic acid (SA) in concentrations of 0, 1 and 15 mM (applied 7 and 21 days after heading) on oxidative stress. The effects were monitored through the concentrations of phytoprostanes (PhytoPs) and phytofurans (PhytoFs) in immature and mature grains of three genotypes of rice (‘R52’, ‘R45’ and ‘Yerua’), and their influence on grains per panicle and chalkiness. Chromatographic separation of PhytoPs and PhytoFs was performed using a UHPLC coupled to triple quadrupole-MS/MS (Agilent Technologies, Germany). The concentrations of oxylipins showed differences in both harvest times (immature and mature) for each genotype. The advanced lines, ‘R52’ and ‘R45’, showed concentrations that were 24.0 and 79.0% lower than those of the immature grains, respectively. The PhytoFs concentration in “R45” was 46.0% lower in the mature grains. In unripe grains, SA reduced a single oxylipin of all those analyzed, while in mature grains, a significant decrease in six of the ten monitored biomarkers was observed. The SA produced an increase in grains per panicle, and a decrease in chalkiness. Therefore, salicylic acid-mediated antioxidant regulatory capacities due to oxylipin down-regulation could favor grain filling and, hence, rice production.

The present work aimed to detail the mechanisms elicited by Allophylus africanus P. Beauv. stem bark extract in human stomach cancer cells and to identify the bioactives underlying the cytotoxicity. MTT reduction and LDH leakage assays allowed characterizing the cytotoxic effects in AGS cells, which were further detailed by morphological analysis using phalloidin and Hoechst 33258. Proapoptotic mechanisms were elucidated through a mitochondrial membrane potential assay and by assessing the impact upon the activity of caspase-9 and -3. The extract displayed selective cytotoxicity against AGS cells. The absence of plasma membrane permeabilization, along with apoptotic body formation, suggested that pro-apoptotic effects triggered cell death. Intrinsic apoptosis pathway activation was verified, as mitochondrial membrane potential decrease and activation of caspase-9 and -3 were observed. HPLC-DAD profiling enabled the identification of two apigenin-di-C-glycosides, vicenin-2 (1) and apigenin-6-C-hexoside-8-C-pentoside (3), as well as three mono-C-glycosides-O-glycosylated derivatives, apigenin-7-O-hexoside-8-C-hexoside (2), apigenin-8-C-(2-rhamnosyl)hexoside (4) and apigenin-6-C-(2-rhamnosyl)hexoside (5). Isovitexin-2″-O-rhamnoside (5) is the main constituent, accounting for nearly 40% of the total quantifiable flavonoid content. Our results allowed us to establish the relationship between the presence of vicenin-2 and other apigenin derivatives with the contribution to the cytotoxic effects on the presented AGS cells. Our findings attest the anticancer potential of A. africanus stem bark against gastric adenocarcinoma, calling for studies to develop herbal-based products and/or the use of apigenin derivatives in chemotherapeutic drug development.

Plant phytoprostanes (PhytoPs) are lipid oxidative stress mediators that share structural similarities with mammal prostaglandins (PGs). They have been demonstrated to modulate inflammatory processes mediated by prostaglandins. The present study aims to test the effects of the most abundant oxylipin from Gracilaria longissima, ent-9-D1t-Phytoprostane (9-D1t-PhytoP), on platelet activation and vascular cells as well as clarify possible interactions with platelets and the endothelial EP3 receptor Platelet and monocyte activation was assessed by flow cytometry in the presence of purified 9-D1t-PhytoP. Cell migration was studied using the human Ea.hy926 cell line by performing a scratch wound healing assay. The RNA expression of inflammatory markers was evaluated by RT-PCR under inflammatory conditions. Blind docking consensus was applied to the study of the interactions of selected ligands against the EP3 receptor protein. The 9D1t-PhytoP exerts several pharmacological effects; these include prothrombotic and wound-healing properties. In endothelial cells, 9D1t-PhytP mimics the migration stimulus of PGE2. Computational analysis revealed that 9D1t-PhytP forms a stable complex with the hydrophobic pocket of the EP3 receptor by interaction with the same residues as misoprostol and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), thus supporting its potential as an EP3 agonist. The potential to form procoagulant platelets and the higher endothelial migration rate of the 9-D1t-PhytoP, together with its capability to interact with PGE2 main target receptor in platelets suggest herein that this oxylipin could be a strong candidate for pharmaceutical research from a multitarget perspective.

The use of reclaimed water is considered an efficient tool for agricultural irrigation; however, the high salinity associated to this water could compromise plant quality and yields. Balm and spearmint plants were submitted for 15 days to three irrigation treatments in a controlled chamber: control with EC: 1.2 dS m−1 (control), reclaimed water from secondary effluent (EC: 1.6 dS m−1) (S) and water from secondary effluent with brine (EC: 4.4 dS m−1) (SB). The plant water status, stomatal and hormonal regulation, nutritional response, concentration of amino acids and plant oxidative stress-based markers, as well as growth were evaluated. Both species irrigated with saline reclaimed water reduced leaf water potential and gas exchange in comparison with control plants, following 2 days of exposure to irrigation treatments. Nevertheless, spearmint plants recovered photosynthetic activity from the seventh day onwards, maintaining growth. This was attributed to hormonal changes and a greater accumulation of some amino acids and some plant oxylipins (phytoprostanes) in comparison to balm plants, which contributed to the improvement in the organoleptic and health-promoting properties of spearmint. A longer irrigation period with saline reclaimed water would be necessary to assess whether the quality of both species, especially spearmint, could further improve without compromising their growth.

The aim of this study was to obtain solid carvacrol-cyclodextrin (CD) complexes for use in the pharmaceutical industry. To this end, the complexation of carvacrol at different pH values was studied in detail, to determine the type of CD and the reaction environment that supported the highest amount of encapsulated carvacrol. Evidence of the capability of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrins (HP-β-CD) to form inclusion complexes with carvacrol (KC = 5042 ± 176 L mol−1) and more high complexation efficiency (2.824) was demonstrated for HP-β-CDs using two different energy sources, ultrasound (US) (KC = 8129 ± 194 L mol−1 24 h) and microwave irradiation (MWI) (KC = 6909 ± 161 L mol−1), followed by spraying the resulting solution in a spray dryer. To confirm complex formation, the complexes were characterized using various instrumental methods to corroborate the carvacrol incorporation into the hydrophobic cavity of HP-β-CD. The obtained carvacrol solid complexes were analyzed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (ROSEY), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characterization. The structures of the resulting complexes were also characterized by molecular modeling. Furthermore, 1 mM HP-β-CD-carvacrol complex has been shown to reduce cell proliferation in HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells by 43%, much more than in a healthy lung fibroblast MRC-5 cell line (11%).

Oxylipins, lipid biomarkers of inflammation are considered the gold standard method to evaluate the inflammatory and antioxidant status. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the administration of a polyphenolic extract shot in the form of a nutraceutical was able to reduce inflammation, measured in urine markers. Ninety-two participants (45 males, 47 females, age 34 ± 11 years, weight 73.10 ± 14.29 kg, height 1.72 ± 9 cm, BMI 24.40 ± 3.43 kg/m2) completed the study after an intervention of two 16-week periods consuming extract or placebo separated by a 4-week washout period. The results showed significant differences in terms of reduction of different pro-inflammatory oxylipins (15-keto-PGF2α (from 0.90 ± 0.25 ng/mL to 0.74 ± 0.19 ng/mL p < 0.05), ent-PGF2α (from 1.59 ± 0.37 ng/mL to 1.44 ± 0.32 ng/mL p < 0.05), 2,3-dinor-15-F2t-Isop) (from 1.17 ± 0.35 ng/mL to 1.02 ± 0.27 ng/mL p < 0.05), in total oxylipins count (from 8.03 ± 1.86 ng/mL to 7.25 ± 1.23 ng/mL p < 0.05), and increase in PGE2 (from 1.02 ± 0.38 ng/mL to 1.26 ± 0.38 ng/mL p < 0.05) which has an anti-inflammatory character, after extract consumption compared to placebo. The available data seem to indicate that long-term consumption of a nutraceutical with high polyphenol content improves inflammation and oxidation parameters measured in urine, through UHPLC-QqQ-ESI-MS/MS.

Water pollution by dyes is a huge environmental problem; there is a necessity to produce new decolorization methods that are effective, cost-attractive, and acceptable in industrial use. Magnetic cyclodextrin polymers offer the advantage of easy separation from the dye solution. In this work, the β-CD-EPI-magnetic (β-cyclodextrin-epichlorohydrin) polymer was synthesized, characterized, and tested for removal of the azo dye Direct Red 83:1 from water, and the fraction of non-adsorbed dye was degraded by an advanced oxidation process. The polymer was characterized in terms of the particle size distribution and surface morphology (FE-SEM), elemental analysis (EA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), infrared spectrophotometry (IR), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The reported results hint that 0.5 g and pH 5.0 were the best conditions to carry out both kinetic and isotherm models. A 30 min contact time was needed to reach equilibrium with a qmax of 32.0 mg/g. The results indicated that the pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models were involved in the assembly of Direct Red 83:1 onto the magnetic adsorbent. Regarding the isotherms discussed, the Freundlich model correctly reproduced the experimental data so that adsorption was confirmed to take place onto heterogeneous surfaces. The calculation of the thermodynamic parameters further demonstrates the spontaneous character of the adsorption phenomena (ΔG° = −27,556.9 J/mol) and endothermic phenomena (ΔH° = 8757.1 J/mol) at 25 °C. Furthermore, a good reusability of the polymer was evidenced after six cycles of regeneration, with a negligible decline in the adsorption extent (10%) regarding its initial capacity. Finally, the residual dye in solution after treatment with magnetic adsorbents was degraded by using an advanced oxidation process (AOP) with pulsed light and hydrogen peroxide (343 mg/L); >90% of the dye was degraded after receiving a fluence of 118 J/cm2; the discoloration followed a pseudo first-order kinetics where the degradation rate was 0.0196 cm2/J. The newly synthesized β-CD-EPI-magnetic polymer exhibited good adsorption properties and separability from water which, when complemented with a pulsed light-AOP, may offer a good alternative to remove dyes such as Direct Red 83:1 from water. It allows for the reuse of both the polymer and the dye in the dyeing process.

This work aimed to identify the bioactive compounds present in adult maqui (Aristotelia chilensis) leaves from different stages of development and seasons of the year and compare them with leaves obtained from maqui plants grown in vitro. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of maqui leaf extracts by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn showed the presence of different polyphenolic compounds classified into galloyl and caffeoyl quinic acids, ellagitannins and ellagic acid- and flavonoid-derivatives. In general, the total phenolic content of the in vitro samples was higher than that of ex vitro samples, whereas the total flavonoid content was higher in winter basal leaves. Additionally, the analysis by HPLC-MS showed that the extract from spring basal leaves was enriched in quercetin, catechin, kaempferol and 3-caffeoyl quinic acids, while in the in vitro leaves extract, quercetin was not present. As regards lipophilic compounds identified by GC/MS, the samples of in vitro leaves showed a high presence of α-tocopherol and β-sitosterol. In contrast, the samples of adult leaves presented a hight level of linolenic and linoleic acids. These results suggest that maqui leaves could be an excellent source of antioxidants and lipophilic compounds for many industries, such as the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

Halophytes are capable of coping with excessive NaCl in their tissues, although some species may differ in their degree of salt tolerance. In addition, it is not clear whether they can tolerate other confounding factors and impurities associated with non-conventional waters. The experiment was performed in a greenhouse with Crithmum maritimum and Atriplex halimus plants, growing on soil and irrigated with two different water types: reclaimed wastewater (RWW) (EC: 0.8–1.2 dS m−1) and reverse osmosis brine (ROB) (EC: 4.7–7.9 dS m−1). Both species showed different physiological and nutritional responses, when they were irrigated with ROB. Atriplex plants reduced leaf water potential and maintained leaf turgor as consequence of an osmotic adjustment process. Atriplex showed higher intrinsic water use efficiency than Crithmum, regardless of the type of water used. In Crithmum, the water status and photosynthetic efficiency were similar in both treatments. Crithmum presented a higher leaf accumulation of B and Ca ions, while Atriplex a higher amount of K, Mg, Na and Zn. Crithmum plants irrigated with ROB presented higher concentrations of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid and trans-zeatin-glucoside, whereas abscisic acid concentration was lower. Atriplex showed a lower concentration of trans-zeatin-riboside and scopoletin. The characteristics associated to water irrigation did not influence negatively the development of any of these species, which confirms the use of brine as an alternative to irrigate them with conventional waters.

Structure-activity relationship (SAR) constitutes a crucial topic to discover new bioactive molecules. This approach initiates with the comparison of a target candidate with a molecule or a collection of molecules and their attributed biological functions to shed some light in the details of one or more SARs and subsequently using that information to outline valuable application of the newly identified compounds. Thus, while the empiric knowledge of medicinal chemistry is critical to these tasks, the results retrieved upon dedicated experimental demonstration retrieved resorting to modern high throughput analytical approaches and techniques allow to overwhelm the constraints adduced so far to the successful accomplishment of such tasks. Therefore, the present work reviews critically the evidences reported to date on the occurrence of phytoprostanes and phytofurans in plant foods, and the information available on their bioavailability and biological activity, shedding some light on the expectation waken up due to their structural similarities with prostanoids and isoprostanes.

Nanotechnology is a field of research that has been stressed as a very valuable approach for the prevention and treatment of different human health disorders. This has been stressed as a delivery system for the therapeutic fight against an array of pathophysiological situations. Actually, industry has applied this technology in the search for new oral delivery alternatives obtained upon the modification of the solubility properties of bioactive compounds. Significant works have been made in the last years for testing the input that nanomaterials and nanoparticles provide for an array of pathophysiological situations. In this frame, this review addresses general questions concerning the extent to which nanoparticles offer alternatives that improve therapeutic value, while avoid toxicity, by releasing bioactive compounds specifically to target tissues affected by specific chemical and pathophysiological settings. In this regard, to date, the contribution of nanoparticles to protect encapsulated bioactive compounds from degradation as a result of gastrointestinal digestion and cellular metabolism, to enable their release in a controlled manner, enhancing biodistribution of bioactive compounds, and to allow them to target those tissues affected by biological disturbances has been demonstrated.