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Green technologies based on microwaves have been developed by the food industry to produce organoleptically acceptable fruit juices without preliminary processing. Microwave irradiation coupled with hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) combines microwave heating with the earth's gravity, allowing the collection of hydrophilic substances released from the irradiated matrix. To the best of our knowledge, MHG extraction has never been experimented to produce pomegranate juice. In this work, we have evaluated it as a potential alternative to the conventional squeezing. A central composite design study (CCD) allowed the selection of the best extractive conditions (irradiation power and extraction time) to obtain a pomegranate juice with higher yield, polyphenol (e.g., catechin and delphinidin-3,5-glucoside) content, and related bioactivities (antioxidant and antidiabetic) than the one obtained by squeezing while maintaining the chemical-physical properties. Thus, this technique appears to be a functional alternative to producing high value pomegranate juice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Despite the increasing number of essential oils being reported on their potential therapeutic effects, some remain relatively unknown on their biological properties. That is the case of the essential oils obtained from copaiba ( Copaifera officinalis L.), wintergreen ( Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall.), everlasting ( Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G.Don) and clove ( Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry), commonly labelled as being useful on the amelioration of conditions with an inflammatory background. Methods: To further broaden the current knowledge on the four essential oils, commercially available samples were approached on their effects upon a series of mediators that are involved on the inflammatory and oxidative response, both through in vitro cell-free and cell-based assays (5-lipoxygenase activity, lipid peroxidation, free radical and nitric oxide radical scavenging properties or tyrosinase inhibition). Results: The four oils proved to be active at some of the concentrations tested in most of the performed assays. Significant differences were found between the essential oils, S. aromaticum proving to tbe the most active, followed by G. fragrantissima against 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) and linoleic acid peroxidation, proving their potential use as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. In fact, the IC 50 value of S. aromaticum in the 5-LOX assay was 62.30 μg mL -1 . Besides S. aromaticum efficiently scavenged superoxide radicals generated by xanthine/xanthine oxidase, displaying an IC 50 value of 135.26 μg mL -1 . The essential oil obtained from H. italicum exhibited a significant decrease in the nitric oxide levels on BV-2 cells, showing its potential as a cytoprotective agent against toxic damage. Copaiba oil ranked first as the most potent tyrosinase inhibitor, exhibiting an IC 50 98.22 μg mL -1 . Conclusion: More studies are needed to describe the essential oils properties, but these results confirm the potential of these essential oils as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Cebollada, Gomes, Andrade and López.)

Objective: To describe an outbreak of hepatitis A in the city of Albacete (Spain) and to assess the effectiveness of the control measures implemented., Methods: When the outbreak was noted, definitions of a case were established. Clinical and epidemiological data were collected through a survey. The temporal-spatial distribution was identified through mapping and the epidemic curve. Health education and immunoglobulin (IG) administration were conducted as immediate prevention and control measures in the population at risk., Results: From January 2005 to January 2006, 62 cases were reported. The most affected age groups were school children and young adults. Transmission was person to person. The epidemic curve was divided into two periods. Initial control measures consisted of hygiene measures and IG administration to contacts. In the second period, these measures were complemented with vaccination against hepatitis A in students of the school centers of the two neighborhoods initially involved. Due to public alarm and spread of the outbreak to adjacent neighborhoods, vaccination was extended to schools close to those where cases had been detected. No cases were notified after the last vaccination in January 2006., Conclusions: The use of vaccination after exposure to the hepatitis A virus in young adults and the school population seems to be an effective outbreak control measure., (Copyright © 2009 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)