Search

Equilibrium data of aqueous two-phase systems composed of polyethylene glycol (4000 g mol−1 or 6000 g mol−1) and Li2SO4, (NH4)2SO4 or Na2SO4 at pH 6.5 and 25 °C were obtained. The efficiency of these in the partition of amylases derived from Aspergillus niger was determined. The experimental data of binodal curves and tie lines were used to estimate the group interaction parameters using the UNIFAC model. Additionally, the influence of phases on the activity of the enzymes was investigated. The results indicate that the polymer molar mass did not influence the biphasic region size. However, the cations under study presented differences in induction to phase formation. It was verified that the systems formed with the Na+ presented a larger biphasic region. The increase in the molar mass of the polymer caused the increase in the exclusion volume from 3970.732 g mol−1 to 5700.873 g mol−1. The transfer Gibbs free energy of enzymes presented values between −1296.30 kJ mol−1 and −2867.70 kJ mol−1, that is, the process was spontaneous for all systems studied. The systems formed by (NH4)2SO4 and PEG 4000 g mol−1 presented the best Ke result (3.421) and theoretical recovery of 80.35 %.

International audience; p-Cresyl sulfate (PCS), indoxyl sulfate (IS), and inorganic phosphate (Pi) are uremic toxins found in chronic kidney disease (CKD) that are closely related to endothelial extracellular vesicles (EVs) formation. The present study aimed to understand the role of EVs and their role in cell adhesion and migration, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Human endothelial cells were treated with PCS, IS, and Pi in pre-established uremic and kinetic recommendations. EVs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, flow cytometry, and NanoSight assays. The concentrations of EVs were established using Alamar Blue and MTT assays. Cell adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins was analyzed using an adhesion assay. Inflammation and oxidative stress were assessed by vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression/monocyte migration and reactive oxygen species production, respectively. The capacity of EVs to stimulate endothelial cell migration was evaluated using a wound-healing assay. Our data showed that endothelial cells stimulated with uremic toxins can induce the formation of EVs of different sizes, quantities, and concentrations, depending on the uremic toxin used. Cell adhesion was significantly (P < 0.01) stimulated in cells exposed to PCS-induced extracellular vesicles (PCSEVs) and inorganic phosphate-induced extracellular vesicles (PiEVs). Cell migration was significantly (P < 0.05) stimulated by PCSEVs. VCAM-1 expression was evident in cells treated with PCSEVs and IS-induced extracellular vesicles (ISEVs). EVs are not able to stimulate monocyte migration or oxidative stress. In conclusion, EVs may be a biomarker of endothelial injury and the inflammatory process, playing an important role in cell-to-cell communication and pathophysiological processes, although more studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms of EVs in uremia.

International audience; A bioadsorbent (CEDA) capable of adsorbing As(V) and Cu(II) simultaneously was prepared by tosylation of microcrystalline cellulose (MC) and nucleophilic substitution of the tosyl group by ethylenediamine. MC, tosyl cellulose, and CEDA were characterized by elemental C, H, N, and S analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and 13C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The adsorption of As(V) and Cu(II) on CEDA was evaluated as a function of solution pH, contact time, and initial solute concentration. The maximum adsorption capacities of CEDA for As(V) and Cu(II) were 1.62 and 1.09 mmol g−1, respectively. The interactions of As(V) and Cu(II) with CEDA were elucidated using thermodynamic parameters, molecular quantum mechanics calculations, and experiments with ion exchange of Cd(II) by Cu(II), and As(V) by SO4 2−. Adsorption enthalpies were determined as a function of surface coverage of the CEDA, using isothermal titration calorimetry, with ΔadsH° values of −32.24 ± 0.07 and −93 ± 2 kJ mol−1 obtained for As(V) and Cu(II), respectively. The potential to reuse CEDA was evaluated and the interference of other ions in the adsorption of As(V) and Cu(II) was investigated. Multi-component experiments showed that Cd(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Pb(II) did not interfere in the adsorption of Cu(II), while SO4 2− inhibited As(V) adsorption.

Tackling microbial resistance requires continuous efforts for the development of new molecules with novel mechanisms of action and potent antimicrobial activity. Our group has previously identified metal-based compounds, [Ag(1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione)2]ClO4 (Ag-phendione) and [Cu(1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione)3](ClO4)2.4H2O (Cu-phendione), with efficient antimicrobial action against multidrug-resistant species. Herein, we investigated the ability of Ag-phendione and Cu-phendione to bind with double-stranded DNA using a combination of in silico and in vitro approaches. Molecular docking revealed that both phendione derivatives can interact with the DNA by hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Cu-phendione exhibited the highest binding affinity to either major (− 7.9 kcal/mol) or minor (− 7.2 kcal/mol) DNA grooves. In vitro competitive quenching assays involving duplex DNA with Hoechst 33258 or ethidium bromide demonstrated that Ag-phendione and Cu-phendione preferentially bind DNA in the minor grooves. The competitive ethidium bromide displacement technique revealed Cu-phendione has a higher binding affinity to DNA (Kapp = 2.55 × 106 M−1) than Ag-phendione (Kapp = 2.79 × 105 M−1) and phendione (Kapp = 1.33 × 105 M−1). Cu-phendione induced topoisomerase I-mediated DNA relaxation of supercoiled plasmid DNA. Moreover, Cu-phendione was able to induce oxidative DNA injuries with the addition of free radical scavengers inhibiting DNA damage. Ag-phendione and Cu-phendione avidly displaced propidium iodide bound to DNA in permeabilized Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells in a dose-dependent manner as judged by flow cytometry. The treatment of P. aeruginosa with bactericidal concentrations of Cu-phendione (15 µM) induced DNA fragmentation as visualized by either agarose gel or TUNEL assays. Altogether, these results highlight a possible novel DNA-targeted mechanism by which phendione-containing complexes, in part, elicit toxicity toward the multidrug-resistant pathogen P. aeruginosa. Graphical abstract

Metakaolinis the principal raw material utilized in the synthesis of geopolymers, although its ratio of silica and alumina contents is not ideal. Normally, the SiO2 content is adjusted with the use of silicates present in the activating solution. An eco-efficient alternative would be the use of glass waste as an additional source of silica.This work evaluates the efficiency of the alkaline activation of metakaolin, using potassium hydroxide and silicate, with and without the substitution of 12.5% of metakaolin by microparticles of glass. The efficiency of the alkaline activation was evaluated by X ray diffractometry, spectroscopy in the infrared region with the Fourier transform, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of 27Al and 29Si, specific mass and compressive strength. The results indicate the occurrence of geopolymerization with and without the use of glass waste. It was observed that the substitution of 12.5% favors the mechanical performance of the compounds at 28 days, with increases by 37% and 47% in the mechanical strength of the material with thermal curing and ambient temperature curing, respectively. Resumo O metacaulim é a principal matéria-prima utilizada na síntese de geopolímeros, embora a relação entre os teores de sílica e alumina não seja a ideal. Normalmente, o teor de SiO 2 é ajustado com o uso de silicatos presentes na solução ativadora. Uma opção ecoeficiente seria o uso de resíduos de vidro como fonte adicional de sílica. Este trabalho avalia a eficiência da ativação alcalina do metacaulim, utilizando hidróxido e silicato de potássio, com e sem substituição de 12,5% de metacaulim por micropartículas de vidro. A eficiência da ativação alcalina foi avaliada por difratometria de raios x, espectroscopia na região infravermelha com transformada de Fourier, espectroscopia de ressonância magnética nuclear do 27 Al e 29 Si, massa específica e resistência à compressão. Os resultados indicam a ocorrência de geopolimerização com e sem uso de resíduo de vidro. Observou-se que a substituição de 12,5% favorece o desempenho mecânico dos compósitos aos 28 dias, com aumentos de 37% e 47% da resistência mecânica do material com cura em estufa e na temperatura ambiente, respectivamente.

6 pags., 5 figs., 1 tab. -- This work is dedicated to Prof. Rafael Notario (IQFR-CSIC)., The gas phase acidities (GA) of 5,5-alkylbarbituric acids have been experimentally determined by electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole (ESI-TQ) mass spectrometry and by using the extended kinetic Cooks method (EKCM). The GAs of C-H (1330.9 ± 10.0 kJ mol-1) and N-H (1361.5 ± 10.5 kJ mol-1) deprotonated sites of bifunctional barbituric acid were determined from the selective production of their corresponding heterodimers. The GA value in the N-H site was confirmed by measuring the GAs of 5,5-dimethyl- and 5,5-diethyl barbituric acids (∼1368 kJ mol-1). The experimental results have been rationalized and discussed with the support of quantum chemical calculations with Gaussian-n (G3 and G4) composite methods, which confirmed the excellent consistency of the results., A.F.L. acknowledges the support from the Brazilian funding agencies CNPq, FAPESP, and CAPES. J.M.O.-E. acknowledges support from the Spanish MICINN, Grant Number CTQ2018-094644-B-C22.

The use of microwave-assisted synthesis (in water) of α-Fe2O3 nanomaterials followed by their transformation onto iron oxide Fe3O4-γ-Fe2O3 hollow nanoparticles encoding well-defined sizes and shapes [nanorings (NRs) and nanotubes (NTs)] is henceforth described. The impact of experimental variables such as concentration of reactants, volume of solvent employed, and reaction times/temperatures during the shape-controlled synthesis revealed that the key factor that gated generation of morphologically diverse nanoparticles was associated to the initial concentration of phosphate anions employed in the reactant mixture. All the nanomaterials presented were fully characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The hollow nanoparticles that expressed the most promising magnetic responses, NTs and NRs, were further tested in terms of efficiencies in controlling the magnetic hyperthermia, in view of their possible use for biomedical applications, supported by their excellent viability as screened by in vitro cytotoxicity tests. These systems NTs and NRs expressed very good magneto-hyperthermia properties, results that were further validated by micromagnetic simulations. The observed specific absorption rate (SAR) and intrinsic loss power of the NRs and NTs peaked the values of 340 W/g and 2.45 nH m2 kg–1 (NRs) and 465 W/g and 3.3 nH m2 kg–1 (NTs), respectively, at the maximum clinical field 450 Oe and under a frequency of 107 kHz and are the highest values among those reported so far in the hollow iron-oxide family. The higher SAR in NTs accounts the importance of magnetic shape anisotropy, which is well-predicted by the modified dynamic hysteresis (β-MDH) theoretical model., G.N. is thankful to Brazilian funding agency CAPES and PPGF-UFMA for providing doctorate fellowship and other financial support to visit UnB, Brasilia, UFG, Goiania, and CBPF, Rio de Janerio to perform the experiment, respectively. S.K.S. is very thankful to FAPEMA for the financial support. J.A.H.C. thanks to CNPq and FAPDF for the financial support. G.Z. thanks the support of the project “Development of preapplied research in nanotechnology and biotechnology” (no. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_048/0007323).

Herein, a novel silver and chromium nanostructured N-doped carbonaceous material has been synthesized by a biomass-annealing approach using readily available chitosan as a raw material. The resulting catalyst AgCr@CN-800 has been applied for the dehydrogenative coupling reaction of various silanes with different alcohols to obtain the corresponding silyl ethers under aerobic and mild conditions. Besides excellent activity and selectivity, the as-prepared catalyst exhibits good stability and reusability. Characterization by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in combination with careful examination of the structure with Cs-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM revealed that the catalyst AgCr@CN-800 comprises Ag- and CrN-aggregated particles, as well as highly dispersed Ag–Nx and Cr–Nx sites embedded in N-doped graphitic structures. A comparative catalytic study using structure-related catalysts in combination with acid-leaching treatments has shown that the most active species are the Ag particles and that their activity is boosted by the presence of Cr-derived species. By in situ Raman spectroscopy experiments, it has been found that the dehydrogenative coupling of silanes with alcohols in the presence of catalyst AgCr@CN-800 takes place through an oxygen-assisted mechanism., The authors thank the financial support from MICIU/AEI/FEDER (PGC2018-094417-B-I00 and RTI2018-098237-B-C22) and Universitat Jaume I (UJI-A2019-16, UJI-B2019-30, and UJI-B2018-23). I.S. thanks the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) for a postdoctoral “Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación” fellowship (IJCI-2016-30590), and the financial support from the “José Castillejo” Mobility Program (CAS19/00339) of the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICIU). S.M. acknowledges DGA/fondos FEDER (construyendo Europa desde Aragón) for funding the research group Platón (E31_17R). D.V.-E. thanks the MICIU for a FPU grant (FPU15/03011). E.L. and M.A. thank the financial support from FAPESP (2013/07296-2), CNPq (166281/2017-4), CAPES, and FINEP. The authors also thank the “Servei Central d’Instrumentació Científica (SCIC)” of the Universitat Jaume I, as well as Dr. G. Antorrena for technical support in XPS studies.

The heat produced by magnetic nanoparticles, when they are submitted to a time-varying magnetic field, has been used in many auspicious biotechnological applications. In the search for better performance in terms of the specific power absorption (SPA) index, researchers have studied the influence of the chemical composition, size and dispersion, shape, and exchange stiffness in morphochemical structures. Monodisperse assemblies of magnetic nanoparticles have been produced using elaborate synthetic procedures, where the product is generally dispersed in organic solvents. However, the colloidal stability of these rough dispersions has not received much attention in these studies, hampering experimental determination of the SPA. To investigate the influence of colloidal stability on the heating response of ferrofluids, we produced bimagnetic core@shell NPs chemically composed of a ZnMn mixed ferrite core covered by a maghemite shell. Aqueous ferrofluids were prepared with these samples using the electric double layer (EDL) as a strategy to maintain colloidal stability. By starting from a proper sample, ultrastable concentrated ferrofluids were achieved by both tuning the ion/counterion ratio and controlling the water content. As the colloidal stability mainly depends on the ion configuration on the surface of the magnetic nanoparticles, different levels of nanoparticle clustering are achieved by changing the ionic force and pH of the medium. Thus, the samples were submitted to two procedures of EDL destabilization, which involved dilution with an alkaline solution and a neutral pH viscous medium. The SPA results of all prepared ferrofluid samples show a reduction of up to half the efficiency of the standard sample when the ferrofluids are in a neutral pH or concentrated regime. Such results are explained in terms of magnetic dipolar interactions. Our results point to the importance of ferrofluid colloidal stability in a more reliable experimental determination of the NP heat generation performance., Authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Brazilian agencies CAPES, CNPq (grants 465259/2014-6, 202340/2015-5, 400849/2016-0, 305796/2016-0, and 422740/2018-7), INCT-FCx (grant 2014/50983-3), and FAP-DF (grants 0193.001569/2017, 0193.001376/2016, and 0193.000.919/2016).

We developed and validated a stability-indicating method for the simultaneous determination of allopurinol and ketoconazole in the pharmaceutical form of capsules. A Dionex® liquid chromatograph equipped with a diode array detector (DAD) and InertSustain® C18 column (4.6 x 100 mm x 3 μm) was used and InertSustain® C18 column (4.6 x 100 mm x 3 μm). The chromatographic separation occurred in the isocratic mode with a flow rate of 0.45 mL min-1 and mobile phase composed of acetonitrile: water (52:48 v/v) with pH adjusted to 3.0. The wavelengths used were 250 nm for allopurinol and 225 nm for ketoconazole. The method was validated by evaluating the parameters of linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, accuracy, robustness, and selectivity. The method presented linearity. It was precise, with coefficients of variation lower than 2.0%, and accurate, with recovery close to 100.00%. Robustness was indicated by the Plackett-Burman model, and the method was not significantly influenced by any of the variations. The selectivity was proven by the peak purities close to 1000 in both the presence of excipients and drug degradation products. Therefore the proposed method is simple and fast, with separation for both drugs less than four minutes.

This work aimed to predict C18:1 TFA isomers as well as other groups of fatty acids (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and total TFA) in chocolates by ATR-FTIR and partial least square regression. The quantification of fatty acids in representative samples (white, dark, and milk chocolates) was rapid (, This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001 and PDSE 88881187078/2018-01; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2016-75159-C2-2-R); CNPq (303355/2017-4, 424032/2018-0); Finep (CT-INFRA 01/2013-REF 0633/13); RQ-MG (CEX.RED- 00010-14); and INCTBio (FAPESP 2014/50867-3, CNPq 465389/2014-7).

This study aimed to develop a chia mucilage (MC)-based emulsion gel (EG) with olive oil to replace pork back fat in emulsified meat products. Six variables (alginate—ALG; collagen—COL; whey—WHEY; carboxymethylcellulose—CMC; transglutaminase—MTG; carrageenan—CAR) with MC were evaluated using a Plackett–Burman (PB) design. Then, a complete factorial design was applied to evaluate the interactions and properties of the selected variables (ALG, COL, and WHEY) for the manufacture of EGs. The responses evaluated in the EGs were pH, color, emulsion stability, rheological, and texture parameters. In PB, the variables CMC, COL, ALG, and WHEY did not lead to any significant effects on the pH values of EGs, which ranged from 5.6 to 5.8. WHEY had a significant effect on the increase in luminosity of the EGs. ALG and WHEY decreased the liquid release of the samples showing greater stability of EGs and meat model systems. All samples of EGs, apart from run 5 (CMC, MTG, CAR, and ALG), showed a typical gel-like behavior (Gʹ > Gʺ) and a frequency-independent behavior. Even the formulation with only mucilage (run 12) showed a dominant Gʹ forming a gel-like structure. The complete factorial design showed stable and strong interactions between WHEY, MC, and olive oil, since a small or no liquid release, were observed in all experiments with WHEY. This study contributed to understanding the interactions among MC, biopolymers, and proteins, disclosing the potentiality of chia mucilage-based emulsion gels for the replacement of animal fat in emulsified meat products., The authors thank National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP) (process numbers 140854/2016-9 and 2016/19967-7, respectively) for the financial support to this work and scholarships. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brazil (CAPES)-Finance Code 001.

Anxiety and depression affect 35–50% of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), often precede the onset of motor symptoms, and have a negative impact on their quality of life. Dysfunction of the serotonergic (5-HT) system, which regulates mood and emotional pathways, occurs during the premotor phase of PD and contributes to a variety of non-motor symptoms. Furthermore, α-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregates were identified in raphe nuclei in the early stages of the disease. However, there are very few animal models of PD-related neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we develop a new mouse model of α-synucleinopathy in the 5-HT system that mimics prominent histopathological and neuropsychiatric features of human PD. We showed that adeno-associated virus (AAV5)-induced overexpression of wild-type human α-Syn (h-α-Syn) in raphe 5-HT neurons triggers progressive accumulation, phosphorylation, and aggregation of h-α-Syn protein in the 5-HT system. Specifically, AAV5-injected mice displayed axonal impairment in the output brain regions of raphe neurons, and deficits in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and 5-HT neurotransmission, resulting in a depressive-like phenotype. Intracerebroventricular treatment with an indatraline-conjugated antisense oligonucleotide (IND-ASO) for four weeks induced an effective and safe reduction of h-α-Syn synthesis in 5-HT neurons and its accumulation in the forebrain, alleviating early deficits of 5-HT function and improving the behavioural phenotype. Altogether, our findings show that α-synucleinopathy in 5-HT neurons negatively affects brain circuits that control mood and emotions, resembling the expression of neuropsychiatric symptoms occurring at the onset of PD. Early preservation of 5-HT function by reducing α-Syn synthesis/accumulation may alleviate PD-related depressive symptoms., We thank to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Nivel Superior (CAPES-PDSE: 19/2016 88881.135527/2016-01), Brazil, for their financial support via a scholarship awarded to C.C.-S. We also thank JAE-Intro Program, CSIC (JAEINT_20_02116), Spain, for their financial support via a scholarship awarded to M.T.-L. This study was supported by grants SAF2016-75797-R, PID2019-105136RB-100, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), UE; and CB/07/09/0034 Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Mental Health (CIBERSAM).

Ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata), an emerging unconventional food plant belonging to the Cactaceae family, is known as a source of protein with high nutritional value, traditionally used in folk medicine. In this study, different compressed fluid technologies were used to obtain antioxidant rich extracts from P. aculeata leaves. The recovered extracts from ora-pro-nobis leaves showed, in general, high antioxidant potential in DPPH and FRAP in vitro assays. Complementary, supercritical fluid extracts presented acetylcholinesterase inhibition and anti-inflammatory activity. Overall, 11 compounds were identified from the non-polar extracts belonging to terpenoids and phenolic compounds. Metabolites like 2,4-Ditert-butylphenol, β-sitosterol, campesterol, phytol, Vitamin E were already identified in other Pereskia sp. extracts, but compounds like fucosterol and lupeol were also tentatively identified in the present study. Terpenes and phenolic compounds are known for its biological activities, which shows the potentiality of the P. aculeata leaves extracts recovery by compressed fluids technologies., The authors are grateful to the following agencies for the financial support: CNPq (National Council of Technological and Scientific Development, Brazil), Project 404347/2016-9; CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher-Level Personnel, Brazil), projects CAPES/PROEX-1624/2018 and CAPES/PRINT88887.310560/2018-00; and MINECO (Ministery of Economy and Competitiveness, Spain), project AGL2017-89417-R. We are also grateful to LAMEB (Laboratório Multiusuário de Estudos em Biologia), from Biological Sciences Center (CCB) of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC, Brazil). G.A.-R. would like to acknowledge MINECO for a “Juan de la Cierva” postdoctoral grant.

International audience; The residual biomass of cold-pressed green coffee oil (GCO), rich in chlorogenic acids (CGA), was reused by incorporating the press cake (CE) and sediment (SE) extracts into carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) films. The effect of these extracts combined with GCO was investigated on the physicochemical, barrier, and antioxidant properties, and on the ability of the active films to delay fish oil oxidation. The films with added CE and GCO (C-CE) or SE and GCO (C-SE) showed high antioxidant activity, 3.61 ± 0.01 and 2.03 ± 0.01 mmol Trolox eq/g dry film, respectively. These findings are in line with the CGA content in CE and SE (9.8 and 9.0% w/w, respectively), as determined by HPLC. The addition of SE and GCO slightly affects the oxygen barrier of CMC films, while providing them with high Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) absorption. The evolution of peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in fish oil samples covered by C-CE and C-SE films and inert headspace was significantly lower than those of controls (storage at 40 °C for 16 days). The antioxidant release from films with added CE and SE showed an antagonistic behaviour into the food simulants. Although both active films are promising for active packaging, the C-SE film appeared as more advantageous for oil-rich food protection.

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of the ethanolic extract obtained from red algae marine Meristiella echinocarpa (Areschougiaceae) – EEMe. Methods : EEMe was used in doses ranging from 10 to 40 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally in mice. Behavioral tests were performed to assess locomotor activity (open field), anxiety (elevated plus maze), depression (tail suspension), and motor coordination (rota-rod). The anticonvulsant effect of the algae extract was evaluated in two models of seizures induced by strychnine and pentylenetetrazol. The level of oxidative stress was also evaluated in the following brain areas: the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. Statistical analysis was performed applying ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni test. Results : EEMe reduced significantly the number of crossing (36%) and rearing (54%) in the open field test and increased 1.3x the immobility time in the tail suspension test. In brain areas EEMe also reduced significantly malondialdehyde levels (striatum: 45%, hippocampus: 38%, prefrontal cortex: 37%) and nitrite levels (striatum: 72%, hippocampus: 79%, prefrontal cortex: 63%), and increased the reduced-glutathione levels (striatum: 72%, hippocampus: 73%, prefrontal cortex: 42%). In addition, the extract significantly prolonged the latency of seizures induced by strychnine (38%) or pentylenetetrazol (57%), and the latency of death induced by pentylenetetrazol (6.1x). Conclusion : EEMe exhibits antioxidant and anticonvulsant effects, probably involving GABAergic and glycinergic pathways. extract exhibits antioxidant and anticonvulsant effects, involving GABAergic and glycinergic pathways.

International audience; Conducting polymers have been used as support for catalysts towards distinct electrocatalytic reactions. The overall activity of the modified interfaces critically depends on both the processes on the catalyst surface and of the charge compensation within the polymer matrix. Therefore, understand the coupling between surface and volumetric processes in such systems is of utmost importance. In this contribution we report on the experimental investigation of the interplay between surface and volumetric processes during the electrooxidation of formic acid (and also formaldehyde) on platinum modified polyaniline electrodes. The study was performed through in situ nanogravimetry, with the Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Nanobalance (EQCN). We have explored the dynamics of charge and mass changes along several experimental conditions, including the self-organized potential oscillations. The systematic study included the analysis of several configurations: gold electrodes covered with a PANI film and dispersed platinum (Au/PANI/Pt); platinum electrodes covered with PANI (Pt/PANI); and bare platinum electrodes. The methodology introduced includes the detailed analysis of the charge compensation process and of the time-derivative of the mass variations. Typical results for the electro-oxidation of formic acid on PANI supported platinum indicate that the electrocatalysis itself is reflected in the current profile, whereas the charge compensation rules the gravimetric response. This general observation also holds for the oscillatory electro-oxidation of formic acid. The physicochemical description of the support/catalyst systems described here opens interesting perspectives for the investigation of parent systems.

This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterization and Encapsulation of Natural Antioxidants: Interaction, Protection and Delivery., The aim of the present work was to fortify yogurt by adding a stripped weakfish (Cynoscion guatucupa) protein hydrolysate obtained with the enzyme Protamex and microencapsulated by spray drying, using maltodextrin (MD) as wall material. The effects on the physicochemical properties, syneresis, texture, viscoelasticity, antioxidant and ACE inhibitory activities of yogurt after 1 and 7 days of storage were evaluated. In addition, microbiological and sensory analyses were performed. Four yogurt formulations were prepared: control yogurt (without additives, YC), yogurt with MD (2.1%, YMD), with the free hydrolysate (1.4%, YH) and the microencapsulated hydrolysate (3.5%, YHEn). Yogurts to which free and microencapsulated hydrolysates were added presented similar characteristics, such as a slight reduction in pH and increased acidity, with a greater tendency to present a yellow color compared with the control yogurt. Moreover, they showed less syneresis, the lowest value being that of YHEn, which also showed a slight increase in cohesiveness and greater rheological stability after one week of storage. All yogurts showed high counts of the microorganisms used as starters. The hydrolysate presence in both forms resulted in yogurts with antioxidant activity and potent ACE-inhibitory activity, which were maintained after 7 days of storage. The incorporation of the hydrolysate in the microencapsulated form presented greater advantages than the direct incorporation, since encapsulation masked the fishy flavor of the hydrolysate, resulting in stable and sensorily acceptable yogurts with antioxidant and ACE inhibitory activities., This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001. We also thank the Rio Grande do Sul State Research Foundation (FAPERGS) (17/2551-0000916-9), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness project NANOALIVAL AGL2017-84161, cofounded with ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) and CSIC -202070E218.

This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Nano/Microparticles., In this study, chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) were prepared by the ionic gelation technique with tripolyphosphate (TPP), and the effect of CNP composition and physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. After the synthesis optimization, CNPs were used as carriers for a fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) with bioactive properties (CNPH). The physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial, antihypertensive and emulsifier properties of unloaded and loaded CNPs in a food system model were studied. CNPH showed a uniform particle distribution, size ~200 nm, high stability (zeta potential around 30 mV), radical scavenging activity and increased antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella sonnei and Aeromonas hydrophila. Additionally, CNPH showed an angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity of 63.6% and, when added to a food emulsion model, this system containing CNPs, with or without FHP, exhibited improved food emulsion stability. Thus, CNPs were able to carry the FPH while maintaining their bioactive properties and can be an alternative to the delivery of bioactive peptides with potential as an emulsion stabilizer for food applications., This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001. We also thank the Rio Grande do Sul State Research Foundation (FAPERGS), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Electron Microscopy Center of South (CEME-SUL) at Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG) for TEM analysis. This work has been carried out through the NANOALIVAL AGL2017-84161 projects financed by MINECO (Spain) and the European Social Fund (FEDERF), and the 202070E218 project financed by CSIC, Spain.

10 pags., 7 figs., In this work, we explore the use of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) on silver (Ag) nanoparticles for the detection of triazine pesticide atrazine and prometryn as well as their degradation products. This tecnique was used to monitor the pesticide degradation both in the commercial samples as well as by the effects of heat and humidity. We have studied the adsorption affinity of these pesticides as well as their degradation products on the employed SERS substrates in order to check the optimal conditions in the detection of both the original pesticide and their degradation products. The presence of these products in triazine pesticides with high solubility in water is of great interest for the human health, but what's even more important is the fact that the pesticide degradation can be favored by very mild conditions of humidity, temperature, and pH, thus leading to high levels of structural modifications, which produce other final compounds with an even higher impact on both human health and environment., Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior FAPESP. Grant Numbers: 2013/14262‐7, 2016/0634‐0 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Grant Numbers: CTQ2015‐65816‐R, FIS2017‐84318‐R

Many attempts have been made to synthesize cadmium-free quantum dots (QDs), using nontoxic materials, while preserving their unique optical properties. Despite impressive advances, gaps in knowledge of their intracellular fate, persistence, and excretion from the targeted cell or organism still exist, precluding clinical applications. In this study, we used a simple model organism (Hydra vulgaris) presenting a tissue grade of organization to determine the biodistribution of indium phosphide (InP)-based QDs by X-ray fluorescence imaging. By complementing elemental imaging with In L-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure, unique information on in situ chemical speciation was obtained. Unexpectedly, spectral profiles indicated the appearance of In-O species within the first hour post-treatment, suggesting a fast degradation of the InP QD core in vivo, induced mainly by carboxylate groups. Moreover, no significant difference in the behavior of bare core QDs and QDs capped with an inorganic Zn(Se,S) gradient shell was observed. The results paralleled those achieved by treating animals with an equivalent dose of indium salts, confirming the preferred bonding type of In3+ ions in Hydra tissues. In conclusion, by focusing on the chemical identity of indium along a 48 h long journey of QDs in Hydra, we describe a fast degradation process, in the absence of evident toxicity. These data pave the way to new paradigms to be considered in the biocompatibility assessment of QD-based biomedical applications, with greater emphasis on the dynamics of in vivo biotransformations, and suggest strategies to drive the design of future applied materials for nanotechnology-based diagnosis and therapeutics., K.D.W. and L.M. thank the Labex SERENADE (grant Saquado) and the French National Research Agency ANR (grant no. ANR-12-NANO-0007-03 NanoFRET) for funding. P.R. acknowledges financial support from Labex ARCANE (grant QDPhotocat), from CAPES/COFECUB (grant 858/15), and from ANR (grant number ANR-16-CE09-0015-03 Neutrinos). M.M. acknowledges financial support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 660228) and Spanish Juan de la Cierva subprogram.

It is estimated that approximately 200 million people are exposed to arsenic levels above the World Health Organization provisional guideline value, and various agencies have indicated the need to reduce this exposure. In view of the difficulty of removing arsenic from water and food, one alternative is to reduce its bioavailability (the amount that reaches the systemic circulation after ingestion). In this study, dietary components [glutathione, tannic acid, and Fe(III)] were used to achieve this goal. As(III) or As(V) (1 mg/kg body weight) was administered daily to BALB/c mice, along with the dietary components, for 15 days. The results confirm the efficacy of Fe(III) and glutathione as reducers of arsenic bioavailability and tissue accumulation. Also, these treatments did not result in reductions of Ca, K, P, and Fe contents in the liver. These data suggest that use of these two compounds could be part of valid strategies for reducing inorganic arsenic exposure in chronically exposed populations., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2015-68920-R) for which the authors are deeply indebted. Gabriela de Matuoka e Chiocchetti received a fellowship from the Brazilian Government (CAPES- BEX1086/14-6) to carry out this study.

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (As) [As(III) + As(V)], which affects millions of people, increases the incidence of some kinds of cancer and other non-carcinogenic pathologies. Although the oral pathway is the main form of exposure, in vivo studies have not been conducted to verify the intestinal toxicity of this metalloid. The aim of this study is to perform an in vivo evaluation of the intestinal toxicity of inorganic As, using female BALB/c mice exposed through drinking water to various concentrations of As(III) (20, 50, and 80 mg/L) for 2 months. An increase was observed in oxygen and/or nitrogen reactive species, and in gene and protein expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6) at concentrations equal to or greater than 50 mg/L. These changes were accompanied by a profound remodeling of the intestinal microbial profile in terms of diversity and global composition, which could be at the basis or exacerbate As(III) toxic effects. The histological study showed that there was moderate inflammation of the mucosa and submucosa, accompanied by hyperplasia of crypts at the highest administered dose. In addition, all the treatments with As(III) resulted in a decreased expression of Muc2, which encodes one of the main components of the intestinal layer of mucus. The effects described are compatible with the increased intestinal permeability observed at concentrations equal to or greater than 50 mg/L, indicative of loss of barrier function., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (AGL2015-68920-R), for which the authors are deeply indebted. Gabriela M. Chiocchetti received a fellowship from the Brazilian Government (CAPES BEX1086/14-6). We thank M.C. Collado, C. Alcántara, M. Selma, M. Dzidic and A. Boix for their advice in metagenome analyses. We also thank Inmaculada Noguera, from the Animal Production Service from the University of Valencia, for her assistance in the animal experiments.

Inorganic arsenic (As) is the most toxic form of As found in food and water. Gastrointestinal disorders have been reported in populations chronically exposed to this arsenical form or to one of its metabolites; however, studies to determine the mechanisms of inorganic As toxicity at the intestinal level are scarce. The aim of this study is to determine the mechanisms of toxicity of inorganic As [As(III) and As(V)] on intestinal epithelial cells. For this purpose, two human intestinal cell models were used: non-transformed colon epithelial cells (NCM460) and epithelial cells from a colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2). Exposure to As(III) and As(V) generates an increase in the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8 (57–1135%) and an increase in the generation of reactive oxygen and/or nitrogen species (130–340%) in both cell lines. This pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant response may be responsible for the structural and functional modifications demonstrated in the monolayers formed by both cell types. Treatments with As(III) and As(V) produce a redistribution of zonula occludens 1 and a reduction in the expression of claudin 1, tight junction proteins that participate in maintaining the structure of the epithelium. All these toxic effects are finally translated into a loss of the barrier function of intestinal monolayers., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2015-68920-R), for which the authors are deeply indebted. Gabriela de Matuoka e Chiocchetti received a fellowship from the Brazilian Government (CAPES- BEX1086/14-6) to carry out this study., We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI)

A method for As determination in sulfur-containing active pharmaceutical ingredients (SC-APIs) by direct solid sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption (DSS-GF AAS) was developed. The proposed method was successfully applied to three SC-APIs (hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide and sulfadiazine). Palladium was used as chemical modifier as well as hydrogen during the pyrolysis allowing the direct determination of As in the SC-APIs without interferences caused by gaseous sulfur species. Sample masses (hydrochlorothiazide) from 0.4 to 3 mg were used and calibration with aqueous standard solutions was feasible. The limit of quantification was 0.033 mg g-1 and the calibration ranged from 0.1 to 1.6 ng As. Recoveries for As solutions added directly to the solid samples were between 95 and 103%, showing a good accuracy. The method validation highlighted its robustness, since variation in pyrolysis and atomization temperatures, as well as in Pd and sample masses, did not change significantly the results. Additional experiments showed that this method can be applied to other SC-APIs (as e.g., furosemide and sulfadiazine). Arsenic concentration in hydrochlorothiazide samples ranged from 0.13 to 0.48 mg g-1, while in furosemide and sulfadiazine samples it was from 0.49 and 0.54 mg g-1, respectively. The use of DSS-GF AAS does not require previous sample digestion and As could be directly determined in the solid samples providing some advantages, as lower risks of contamination and analyte losses, good accuracy and limits of quantification.

Resistive switching (RS) devices are promising forms of non-volatile memory. However, one of the biggest challenges for RS memory applications is the device-to-device (D2D) variability, which is related to the intrinsic stochastic formation and configuration of oxygen vacancy (VO) conductive filaments (CFs). In order to reduce the D2D variability, control over the formation and configuration of oxygen vacancies is paramount. In this study, we report on the Zr doping of TaO x -based RS devices prepared by pulsed-laser deposition as an efficient means of reducing the VO formation energy and increasing the confinement of CFs, thus reducing D2D variability. Our findings were supported by XPS, spectroscopic ellipsometry and electronic transport analysis. Zr-doped films showed increased VO concentration and more localized VOs, due to the interaction with Zr. DC and pulse mode electrical characterization showed that the D2D variability was decreased by a factor of seven, the resistance window was doubled, and a more gradual and monotonic long-term potentiation/depression in pulse switching was achieved in forming-free Zr:TaO x devices, thus displaying promising performance for artificial synapse applications.

Jaboticaba, a popular Brazilian berry, has been studied due to its relevant polyphenol composition, health benefits and potential use for the development of derived food products. Considering that around 200 articles have been published in recent years, this review aims to provide comprehensive and updated information, as well as a critical discussion on: (i) jaboticaba polyphenolic composition and extraction methods for their accurate determination; (ii) jaboticaba polyphenol's metabolism; (iii) biological effects of the fruit and the relationship with its polyphenols and their metabolites; (iv) challenges in the development of jaboticaba derived products. The determination of jaboticaba polyphenols should employ hydrolysis procedures during extraction, followed by liquid chromatographic analysis. Jaboticaba polyphenols, mainly anthocyanins and ellagitannins, are extensively metabolized, and their metabolites are probably the most important contributors to the relevant health effects associated with the fruit, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective and hypolipidemic. Most of the technological processing of jaboticaba fruit and its residues is related to their application as a colorant, antioxidant, antimicrobial and source of polyphenols. The scientific literature still lacks studies on the metabolism and bioactivity of polyphenols from jaboticaba in humans, as well as the effect of technological processes on these issues., This work was supported by Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro [E-26/203.276/2016, E-26/202.694/2019, E-26/202.708/2018, E-26/210.151/2018, E-26/210.003/2020]. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (Finance Code 001).

The development of new antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 is a valuable long-term strategy to protect the global population from the COVID-19 pandemic complementary to the vaccination. Considering this, the viral main protease (Mpro) is among the most promising molecular targets in light of its importance during the viral replication cycle. The natural flavonoid quercetin 1 has been recently reported to be a potent Mpro inhibitor in vitro, and we explored the effect produced by the introduction of organoselenium functionalities in this scaffold. In particular, we report here a new synthetic method to prepare previously inaccessible C-8 seleno-quercetin derivatives. By screening a small library of flavonols and flavone derivatives, we observed that some compounds inhibit the protease activity in vitro. For the first time, we demonstrate that quercetin (1) and 8-(p-tolylselenyl)quercetin (2d) block SARS-CoV-2 replication in infected cells at non-toxic concentrations, with an IC50 of 192 μM and 8 μM, respectively. Based on docking experiments driven by experimental evidence, we propose a non-covalent mechanism for Mpro inhibition in which a hydrogen bond between the selenium atom and Gln189 residue in the catalytic pocket could explain the higher Mpro activity of 2d and, as a result, its better antiviral profile, This work was supported by the University of Perugia “Fondo per la Ricerca di Base 2019”(C.S.); Fundación hna (to A.V.C. and O.A.); Miguel Servet Program from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CPII13/00017 to O.A.); Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and the European Union (ERDF/ESF, “Investing in your future”) (PI18/00349 to O.A. and an FIS Research Contract to L.C.L.); Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BFU2016-78232-P to A.V.C.); Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (FPI Predoctoral Research Contract BES-2017-080739 to D.O.A.); Diputación General de Aragón (Predoctoral Research Contract 2019 to A.J.A., “Protein Targets and Bioactive Compounds Group” E45_20R to A.V.C., “Digestive Pathology Group” B25_20R to O.A.); and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd). This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001. FAPERGS, CNPq, and FINEP are acknowledged for financial support. CNPq is also acknowledged for fellowships to E.J.L. and D.A. This work was supported by the subsidy from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education for research on the

The functionalization of the internal surface of macroporous carriers with glyoxyl groups has proven to highly stabilize a large variety of enzymes through multipoint covalent immobilization. In this work, we have translated the surface chemistry developed for the fabrication of glyoxyl-agarose carriers to macroporous cellulose (CEL). To that aim, CEL-based microbeads were functionalized with glyoxyl groups through a stepwise alkoxylation (or alkylation)/oxidation synthetic scheme. This functionalization sequence was analyzed by solid-state NMR, while the scanning electron miscroscopy of CEL microbeads reveals that the mild oxidation conditions negligibly affect the morphological properties of the material. Through the optimal functionalization protocol using rac-glycidol, we introduce up to 200 μmols of aldehyde groups per gram of wet CEL, a similar density to the one obtained for the benchmarked agarose-glyoxyl carrier. This novel CEL-based carrier succeeds to immobilize and stabilize industrially relevant enzymes such as d-amino acid oxidase from Trigonopsis variabilis and xylanases from Trichoderma reseei. Remarkably, the xylanases immobilized on the optimal CEL-based materials present a half-life time of 51 h at 60 °C and convert up to 90% of the xylan after four operation cycles for the synthesis of xylooligosaccharides., The authors acknowledge funding from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for financial support for the PhD scholarships of S.M.O (Process CsF 201683/2014–2008). J.M.G thanks the funding from the EU FP7 project Lignofood (Ingredients for Food and Beverage Industry from a Lignocellulosic Source, grant agreement no 606073). F.L-G acknowledges the funding of IKERBASQUE. This work was performed under the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State Research Agency—grant no. MDM-2017-0720. J.M.F., thanks to the funding from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (grant RTI2018-093431-BI00).

This work includes the second/sequential stage of a green-based valorization strategy of mango peel. An exhausted biomass from a pilot-scale CO2 supercritical extraction process was reused for obtaining phenolic-rich extracts with high antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity, employing microwave-assisted extraction. The effects of microwave power (400–800 W), liquid-to-solid ratio (10–50 mL/g) and extraction time (60–120 s) on process yield, phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity were investigated using a Box-Behnken design. A solution consisting of 60% aqueous ethanol was used as extraction solvent. The results showed that microwave power and liquid-to-solid ratio were the most influential factors on the responses variables. The highest total phenolic content (52.08 mg gallic acid eq./g d. w.) and antioxidant activities (2.75 mmol trolox eq./g extract, and of 6.47 μg/mL expressed in DPPH, EC50) were obtained at 800 W, 50 g/mL, and 90 s. Mango peel extract recovered at optimal conditions provided high anti-proliferative activity against HT-29 colon cancer cells line, after 24 h treatment (IC50 = 22.98 μg/mL). Gallic acid derivatives, such as galloyl-esters, xanthones like mangiferin, flavonoids, including quercetin and quercetin glycosides were tentatively identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Most probably, the compounds responsible for the outstanding anti-proliferative activity., A.P.S-C. thanks to Ministerio de Ciencia Tecnología e Innovación (Colombia) for her postdoctoral fellowship (784-2017). A.P.S-C and S.R.S.F thank to CAPES-PRINT, Project number 88887.310560/2018-00 for the financial support.

Italian ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum L.) has become notorious due to glyphosate resistance evolution. To study the demography of susceptible and glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass populations, several experiments were conducted in the grower’s field to evaluate seedling emergence, survival and reproductive traits patterns in three cohorts, and the effect of density on seed production. Results showed that seedling emergence is fast, and under suitable environmental conditions, it can happen within 30-days. Lower plant survival was observed in the first two cohorts (2% and 3%, respectively) compared to the last (13%). A larger number of spikes (spk) per plant (pl) was observed in plants of the first two cohorts (50.34 and 47.02 spk pl-1, respectively) in comparison to the last one (26 spk pl-1); however, the third cohort presented a higher potential for flower (flwrs) production per spikelets (spklt) (13.5 flwrs spklt-1) in detriment to the first two (11.9 and 12.12 flwrs spklt-1). Fecundity was 20,300 and 13,830 seeds pl-1 for susceptible and glyphosate-resistant plants, respectively, and presented density-dependent regulation. A knowledge of Italian ryegrass’s demographic parameters provides valuable information for identifying particularly vulnerable life-history processes and developing population dynamics models that can contribute to designing more rational control strategies., The authors are grateful to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR) and Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAS-CSIC) for the infrastructure and financial support.

This study aimed to recover bioactive compounds from by-product of acerola processing. Firstly, hydrothermal treatment was carried out to extract the compounds, and later, it was concentrated by nanofiltration (NF). Central Composite Rotational Design associated with response surface methodology was applied to maximize the extraction. The optimal conditions were 15 min and a liquid-solid ratio of 22 mL/g (water/non-pomace). The optimized extract was concentrated in NF by a volumetric factor of 13-fold to provide a concentrated product with characteristics compatible with acerola juice. The concentration resulted in the following retentions (R%) and concentration factors (CF): 94.9% and 9.2 for total phenolic content (TPC), 91.6% and 4.9 for ascorbic acid (AA), 99.0% and 8.0 for antioxidant compounds, respectively. NF membrane also showed retention higher than 90.0% for catechin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and rutin. TPC and antioxidant activity found in the concentrated extract was 1.3 and 1.5-fold higher than the acerola juice, respectively. The AA content in the extract was below the value found in the juice, 7.9 and 9.1 mg/mL, respectively. Finally, the hydrothermal treatment resulted in higher extraction of phenolic compounds compared to conventional extraction, and its integration with NF resulted in a high content of bioactive compounds., The authors are grateful to CAPES-PRINT project number 88887.310560/2018-00472 and DINTER/CAPES 1955/2016 process number 23038.021515/2016-97.

Eversa® Transform 2.0 lipase (ET2) is a recent lipase formulation derived from the Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase cultivated on Aspergillus oryzae and specially designed for biodiesel production. Since it has not been available for a long time, research on the efficiency of this enzyme in other applications remains unexplored. Moreover, even though it has been launched as a free enzyme, its immobilization may extend the scope of ET2 applications. This work explored ET2 immobilization on octadecyl methacrylate beads (IB-ADS-3) and proved the efficiency of the derivatives for esterification of glycerophosphocholine (GPC) with oleic acid in anhydrous systems. ET2 immobilized via interfacial activation on commercial hydrophobic support Immobead IB-ADS-3 showed maximum enzyme loading of 160 mg/g (enzyme/support) and great stability for GPC esterification under 30% butanone and solvent-free systems. For reusability, yields above 63% were achieved after six reaction cycles for GPC esterification. Considering the very high enzyme loading and the number of reuses achieved, these results suggest a potential application of this immobilized biocatalyst for esterification reactions in anhydrous media. This study is expected to encourage the exploration of other approaches for this enzyme, thereby opening up several new possibilities., The authors are grateful for the financial support from Brazilian agencies CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) and CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) (CAPES-PRINT, Project number 88887.508974/2020-00). This study was also funded by Plan Nacional (Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia) Grant number RTI2018-093583-B-I00.

[Background]: A high‐fiber emulsion gel (EG) containing inulin, soy protein isolate, and soybean oil was applied as animal fat replacer in reduced salt and fat Bologna sausage containing mechanically deboned chicken meat, pork meat, and pork back fat. Technological and microbiological properties were evaluated for 60 days at 4 °C., [Results]: A reduction of 11 to 34% and 35 to 45% of fat and sodium were obtained in reformulated products, respectively. An increase in fiber content and polyunsaturated fatty acid was noticed in the formulations with EG. The addition of EG in Bologna increased L* (lightness) values and reduced a* (redness/greenness) values comparing to control treatment. Microstructural properties of sausages exhibited a denser network with the presence of EG. Softer, more elastic, cohesive and resilient samples with a higher intensity of lipid oxidation (P, [Conclusion]: These results suggest that inulin‐based EG is a potential fat substitute for developing healthier meat products, with better fatty acids composition and stable to chilled storage., The authors are thankful to CNPq (140 531/2015‐7), CAPES (140 531/2015‐7), and FAPESP (2016/19 967‐7) for providing financial support and scholarships that sustained this study.

Background : Ionophore antibiotics are food additives with coccidiostatic or antimicrobial action; they are also used as growth promoters, ruminal pH regulators, volatile fatty acid molar modifiers, and methanogenesis reducers. However, these compounds have the potential to cause microbial resistance, in addition to the risk of intoxication. Ionophore poisoning may be caused by excessive intake, sensitivity of certain animal species, and concomitant use with other drugs. In Brazil, cases of ionophore poisoning in buffalos are rare. This study aims to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and pathological findings of lasalocid poisoning in buffalo calves. Case : A visit was made to a farm in the municipality of Moju, Para state to care for Murrah buffalo calves. After weaning, the buffalos were grazed in paddocks with Panicum spp . , and received a supplement of mineral, protein, and vitamin. This supplement contained, per kg, 250 g PB, 50 g Ca, 20 g P, 8 g S, 39 g Na, 20 mg Co, 557 mg Cu, 200 mg Fe, 12.4 mg Se, 2040 mg Zn, 0.19 mg biotin, 26750 IU of vitamin A, 4175 IU of vitamin D, 155 IU of vitamin E and 300 mg/kg of lasalocid. The product was made available to all calves, at 1-2 g/kg body weight (BW), according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Older calves were raised together with those less than 30 days old; as a result, the older calves tended to eat more, which could lead to a supplementation consumption of more than 1 kg body weight per animal per day. It was reported that between 40 and 60 days after the introduction of this supplement, 16 calves fell ill and died due to apathy, motor instability, tremors, and distended neck. The herd had a mortality rate of 33.3%. Two calves underwent a necroscopic examination at the Pathology Section of the Veterinary Institute of the Federal University of Para. Macroscopic examination revealed extensive pale areas in the skeletal muscles, myocardium, and tongue. Fragments of these muscles and various organs were collected, fixed in 10% buffered formalin, processed according to the routine histological technique, and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome stain. Microscopic examination of the histologic samples revealed foci of muscle atrophy and necrosis characterized by an increase in cytoplasmic eosinophilia associated with the loss of stretch marks, and hyperchromatic nuclei that were displaced to the periphery. The necrosis of the muscle fibers was highlighted by Masson's trichrome staining. Discussion : The diagnosis of lasalocid poisoning in buffalo calves was based on epidemiological data, clinical findings, results of macroscopic and histopathological examination, and based on the estimated ionophore intake, obtained directly from the supplement label and by the calf's handler. Based on the absence of stratification of the calves by similarity of age and because the buffalo calves older than 30 days could eat more than 1 kg of the supplement (containing 300 mg/kg of lasalocid), it was possible to estimate the intake of lasalocid per kg CP (body weight). Therefore, the intake of lasalocid by a 70-kg buffalo calf in approximately 90 days and daily supplement consumption between 1 and 1.5 kg would be between 4.2 and 6.4 mg/kg of body weight. This report reinforces that notion that buffalo calves should never ingest ionophores; however, if necessary, strict protocols must be followed to avoid poisoning in these animals. This study highlighted the fact that stratification of buffaloes by different age groups during feeding became a risk factor that allowed greater consumption by older animals; this led to the estimated consumption of 4.2-6.4 mg/kg of lasalocid. Keywords: ionophores, ruminants, buffalo calves, muscle necrosis. Descritores: ionoforos, ruminantes, bezerros bufalos, necrose muscular. Titulo: Intoxicacao por lasalocida em bezerros bufalos no Estado do Para, Brasil

Ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds and carotenoids were extracted from acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) by-products using gas-expanded liquids (GXLs) based on carbon dioxide expanded ethanol at 40 °C and 7 MPa. The by-products generated in the processing of acerola: bagasse (seed and peel) and non-pomace (from the juice clarification step), were studied separately. The overall extraction yields obtained were 3.8 and 12.9 g/100 g for bagasse and non-pomace, respectively. Ascorbic acid was not detected in the bagasse extract, while 158.2 mg/gextract was found in non-pomace extract, and 193.7 mg/g was found in the acerola juice powder. The higher the concentration of ascorbic acid, the higher the antioxidant activity of the extracts. The phytochemical profile obtained by LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS showed a higher number of phenolic compounds (hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids) in the bagasse and non-pomace extracts when compared to acerola juice. In addition, GXL promoted the extraction of a pool of carotenoids (lutein and β-carotene), pheophytin and chlorophyll derivatives detected by LC-APCI-MS/MS. The obtained extracts, rich in bioactive compounds, open an opportunity for the valorization of acerola by-products, meeting the current demand for natural nutraceuticals rich in vitamin C and polyphenols., The authors are grateful to CAPES-PRINT, project number 88887.310560/2018-00472 (Brazil) and Project AGL2017-89417-R (MINECO, Spain).

9 pags., 8 figs., 1 tab., The large use of herbicides applied in the control of agricultural pests has become a serious environmental problem. One of the concerns is the long persistence of these contaminants in soil and wastewater leading to the need of developing detection and quantification techniques. In this work, we applied surface-enhanced Raman scattering to detect prometryn herbicide using silver nanoparticles at low concentrations (ppb - parts per billion). The adsorption of prometryn on metallic surfaces was studied at different pH in order to optimize the interaction mechanism with the metal. The effect of pH is especially strong on prometryn, since it undergoes a chemical change at pH < 5 consisting in an hydroxylation of the triazine ring that leads to the hydroxylated prometryn. Thus, the quantitative analysis of prometryn was done at neutral and alkaline pH, at which prometryn interacts with the metal surface through the formation of coordination charge-transfer bonds. The detection of prometryn led to limit of detection of 1.2 × 10 mol/L (28 ppb) at pH 11 and 5.3 × 10 mol/L (128 ppb) at pH 7. The limit of detection at pH 11 is comparable to the concentration allowed to PRM in potable water by regulating organizations., This work was supported by FAPESP (2020/05423-0, 2018/04628- 8, 2016/09634-0; 2018/22214-6), CNPq, and CAPES PNPD. S.S.C. also thanks the MINECO project FIS2017-84318-R.

Sterol analysis of complex matrices can be very laborious. To minimize the existing drawbacks, a new micro-method of sterols and squalene determination in cyanobacteria was developed and applied to monitor their production of Phormidium autumnale cultured heterotrophically. Sample extraction/saponification and GC analysis of the target compounds were optimized separately using Plackett-Burman design (PB) followed by a central composite rotational design (CCRD). The most influential variables were identified to maximize compound recovery. Chloroform presented the highest capability to extract all target compounds with a horizontal shaker table (HST) for homogenization in the saponification step. For the pretreatment, a small amount of chloroform was used for 90 min at 50 °C and 6 min for the saponification time. The sample introduction in the GC injector was studied by evaluating pressure and injector temperature. High response for sterols and squalene were obtained between 19 and 23 psi and at 310 °C of injection temperature. The new method was able to determine different sterol concentrations: 0.2–0.6 mg kg−1 of squalene, 5–18 mg kg−1 of stigmasterol, 6 mg kg−1 of cholesterol, and 3 mg kg−1 of β-sitosterol, showing high analytical performance and fulfilling all steps, thus proving to be a promising technique., This work was supported by the Institutional Internationalization Program CAPES-PRINT nº 41/2017 and financed by CAPES – Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education within the Ministry of Education of Brazil. Additionally, we are grateful to the financial support by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) – Brazil; PQ-2018, Process: 311125/2018-2 and Universal (MCTI/CNPq) 1/2016 Process: 428691/2016-1.

This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances on the Neuroprotective Effect of Food and Natural Bioactive Compounds on Alzheimer 2.0., Passiflora edulis by-products (PFBP) are a rich source of polyphenols, of which piceatannol has gained special attention recently. However, there are few studies involving environmentally safe methods for obtaining extracts rich in piceatannol. This work aimed to concentrate piceatannol from defatted PFBP (d-PFBP) by means of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and conventional extraction, using the bio-based solvents selected with the Hansen solubility parameters approach. The relative energy distance (Ra) between solvent and solute was: Benzyl Alcohol (BnOH) < Ethyl Acetate (EtOAc) < Ethanol (EtOH) < EtOH:H2O. Nonetheless, EtOH presented the best selectivity for piceatannol. Multi-cycle PLE at 110 °C was able to concentrate piceatannol 2.4 times more than conventional extraction. PLE exhibited a dependence on kinetic parameters and temperature, which could be associated with hydrogen bonding forces and the dielectric constant of the solvents. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and lipoxygenase (LOX) IC50 were 29.420 μg/mL and 27.682 μg/mL, respectively. The results reinforce the demand for processes to concentrate natural extracts from food by-products., his work was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) Process number 2017/11245-5, 2019/10655-0, and 2017/23670-2, CNPq (303063/2018-1 and 408285/2018-4), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001, and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project AGL2017-89417-R).

To date no direct methods are available for the subunit quantification of pheomelanin, the sulfur-containing melanin form whose structure increases melanoma risk. Here we apply Raman spectroscopy combined with chemometrics (MCR-ALS method) to quantify benzothiazine (BT) and benzothiazole (BZ), the constituent monomers of pheomelanin. The Raman spectra of synthetic pheomelanins only composed of BT or BZ were markedly different from those of natural pheomelanins composed of mixed BT-BZ, indicating the necessity of using a multivariate curve resolution method to extract the pure profiles of these monomers in complex samples. MCR-ALS with correlation constraint was applied to the Raman spectra of pheomelanized feathers from 26 bird species to predict BT-BZ concentrations. The methodology was able to quantify BT with R ​= ​0.91 and a relative error of 9%, for the range of 100–1000 ​ng/mg. However, the model did not perform well for BZ quantification. In addition, the MCR-ALS model could retrieve a pure profile associated to keratin, a major component (interference) in feathers. The deconvolution of Raman spectra, which predicts total pheomelanin content, combined with MCR-ALS, which predicts BT content, can therefore provide a complete pheomelanin determination at the monomeric level. This represents a direct and non-destructive analytical method for pheomelanin subunits, opening the door to investigate the differential cytotoxicity of these subunits in a high diversity of biological samples, including melanoma., A. C. O. N. thanks the Brazilian entity Coordenaçao de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior for financial support (PNPD/CAPES).M. Z. and A. R. gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-104381 GB-I00), Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (SBPLY/17/180501/000262) and University of Castilla-La Mancha (2020-GRIN-28882)

Constraining the mechanisms controlling organic matter (OM) reactivity and, thus, degradation, preservation, and burial in marine sediments across spatial and temporal scales is key to understanding carbon cycling in the past, present, and future. However, we still lack a detailed quantitative understanding of what controls OM reactivity in marine sediments and, consequently, a general framework that would allow model parametrization in data-poor areas. To fill this gap, we quantify apparent OM reactivity (i.e. OM degradation rate constants) by extracting reactive continuum model (RCM) parameters (a and v, which define the shape and scale of OM reactivity profiles, respectively) from observed benthic organic carbon and sulfate dynamics across 14 contrasting depositional settings distributed over five distinct benthic provinces. We further complement the newly derived parameter set with a compilation of 37 previously published RCM a and v estimates to explore large-scale trends in OM reactivity. Our analysis shows that the large-scale variability in apparent OM reactivity is largely driven by differences in parameter a (10-3-107) with a high frequency of values in the range 100-104 years. In contrast, and in broad agreement with previous findings, inversely determined v values fall within a narrow range (0.1-0.2). Results also show that the variability in parameter a and, thus, in apparent OM reactivity is a function of the whole depositional environment, rather than traditionally proposed, single environmental controls (e.g. water depth, sedimentation rate, OM fluxes). Thus, we caution against the simplifying use of a single environmental control for predicting apparent OM reactivity beyond a specific local environmental context (i.e. well-defined geographic scale). Additionally, model results indicate that, while OM fluxes exert a dominant control on depth-integrated OM degradation rates across most depositional environments, apparent OM reactivity becomes a dominant control in depositional environments that receive exceptionally reactive OM. Furthermore, model results show that apparent OM reactivity exerts a key control on the relative significance of OM degradation pathways, the redox zonation of the sediment, and rates of anaerobic oxidation of methane. In summary, our large-scale assessment (i) further supports the notion of apparent OM reactivity as a dynamic ecosystem property, (ii) consolidates the distributions of RCM parameters, and (iii) provides quantitative constraints on how OM reactivity governs benthic biogeochemical cycling and exchange. Therefore, it provides important global constraints on the most plausible range of RCM parameters a and v and largely alleviates the difficulty of determining OM reactivity in RCM by constraining it to only one variable, i.e. the parameter a. It thus represents an important advance for model parameterization in data-poor areas., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

A modified 45S5 Bioglass® containing 2 mol% alumina and 2 mol% strontium oxide was prepared. In vitro bioactivity in powder and monolithic samples was conducted. Fourier transform infrared analysis and pH change in simulated body fluid were investigated for powder samples after 480 min of immersion. Additionally, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy after 7 and 14 days of immersion in simulated body fluid were investigated for monolithic samples. The formation of phosphate and carbonate phase precursors of hydroxycarbonate apatite was observed after 480 min for powder samples, and the hydroxycarbonate apatite pattern and morphology were confirmed after 7 days of immersion for monolithic samples. It seems that changes in composition did not affect reactivity but caused a decrease in the maxima of pH. Cytotoxicity and cell viability obtained by using the NCTC clone 929 cell line did not show any significant loss of cell viability or cytotoxicity. Moreover, after overnight incubation, the samples demonstrated safe disinfection for Escherichia coli. For these reasons, the use of these new bioactive glasses can be considered a promising alternative for the reconstruction of bone defects and even for the treatment and suppression of bone infections., This research was performed with support from the Brazilian government through the funding agencies CAPES (CsF/PDSE-Project No 88881.189953/2018–01), CNPq (GD-Project No 142172/2016–2, Universal Research Project No 481260/2012–9 and PD. 312135/2016–5) and FAPESP (Project No 1999/01924–2).

The aim of the present study was to assess the risks of four different pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs; diazepam, metformin, omeprazole and simvastatin). Acute and chronic toxicities were studied using the bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri and the microalgae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata; while the repellency and attractiveness were assessed by avoidance tests with juvenile Cypirinus carpio using a multi-compartmented exposure system. Omeprazole was found to be an acutely toxic drug (EC50: 0.015 mg/L), while the other PhACs, except simvastatin, showed some chronic toxicity. Regarding avoidance, simvastatin and omeprazole induced an escape response for 50% of the fish population at 0.032 and 0.144 mg/L, respectively; contrarily, diazepam was attractive, even at lethal concentrations, representing a dangerous trap for organisms. The toxicity of the PhACs seemed not to be directly related to their repellency; and the mode of action seems to determine the repellency or attractiveness of the chemicals. Contamination by PhACs is of concern due to the environmental disturbance they might cause, either due to their acute and chronic toxicity (at the individual level), repellency (at the ecosystem level: loss of local biodiversity) or attraction to potentially lethal levels., This research was funded by: Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement (CAPES); National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq); Foundation for Research Support of the State of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). C.V.M. Araújo received the Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC-2017-22324) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

19 páginas.- 7 figuras,. referencias.- The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.617020/full#supplementary-material, Plant lignocellulosic biomass, mostly composed of polysaccharide-rich secondary cell walls (SCWs), provides fermentable sugars that may be used to produce biofuels and biomaterials. However, the complex chemical composition and physical structure of SCWs hinder efficient processing of plant biomass. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying SCW deposition is, thus, essential to optimize bioenergy feedstocks. Here, we establish a xylogenic culture as a model system to study SCW deposition in sugarcane; the first of its kind in a C4 grass species. We used auxin and brassinolide to differentiate sugarcane suspension cells into tracheary elements, which showed metaxylem-like reticulate or pitted SCW patterning. The differentiation led to increased lignin levels, mainly caused by S-lignin units, and a rise in p-coumarate, leading to increased p-coumarate:ferulate ratios. RNAseq analysis revealed massive transcriptional reprogramming during differentiation, with upregulation of genes associated with cell wall biogenesis and phenylpropanoid metabolism and downregulation of genes related to cell division and primary metabolism. To better understand the differentiation process, we constructed regulatory networks of transcription factors and SCW-related genes based on co-expression analyses. Accordingly, we found multiple regulatory modules that may underpin SCW deposition in sugarcane. Our results provide important insights and resources to identify biotechnological strategies for sugarcane biomass optimization., This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) via the BIOEN Young Investigators Awards research grant (FAPESP no. 2015/02527-1). This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brazil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001, by FAPESP (no. 2014/09623-6) and by FEDER/Agencia Estatal de Investigacio ìn with the Spanish Project AGL2017-83036R. IC thanks FAPESP for the SPRINT Project grant number 2016/50189-0. IC is indebted to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for the research fellowship 302927/2018-2. MS was funded for a master’s fellowship (FAPESP no. 2015/18361-5). SF and AG were funded for a postdoctoral fellowship (FAPESP nos. 2016/06917-1 and 2019/13936-0). EF is indebted with CNPq for the research fellowship 303606/2017-7 and FAPESP no. 2016/17541-2. MB was supported by the National Institute of Science and Technology for Bioethanol (INCT-Bioethanol; FAPESP no. 2014/50884-5) and CNPq (465319/2014-9).

Endemic in more than 90 countries and territories, malaria is the most widely, populational, and geographically, parasitic disease in the world. Plasmodium sp. resistance to available drugs is one of the biggest problems for malaria eradication. In this study, we develop a method for the simultaneous determination of two new derivatives of betulinic and ursolic acids with antimalarial activity designated 3-O-butanoylbetulinic and 3-O-butanoylursolic acids. An analytical method was developed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled, in series, to ultraviolet (UV) and charged aerosol (CAD) detectors. The chromatographic system, operated isocratically by reversed-phase, consisted in a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile: water pH 3.0 adjusted with formic acid (85:15, v/v), flow rate of 1.2 mL/min and a PhenoSphere Next octadecylsilane column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 μm particle size). Chromatograms were recorded simultaneously in UV and CAD, at a concentration of 50 µg mL-1, an injection volume of 20 μL at a controlled temperature of 50 °C. The method was found to be selective, linear (r > 0.99), precise (RSD < 2.0%), accurate, and robust for both analytes, and considered statistically validated, and can be applied to the identification and quantification of these new drug candidates.

This study aimed to verify whether dietary quercetin protects against the detrimental effects induced by oxytetracycline (OTC) administration in silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen). Fish were divided into different experimental groups that received OTC and/or quercetin, either during 14 or 21 days. To determine the endocrine system stress response, we have measured the brain mRNA expression levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone (crh), proopiomelanocortins (pomca and pomcb) and some of the pituitary hormones (growth hormone [gh], somatolactin [sl], and prolactin [prl]). We have also quantified the levels of cortisol as well as some metabolites (glucose, glycogen, lactate, and triglycerides) in the plasma. Moreover, the enzymatic activity of hexokinase, phosphorylase (active GPase), fructose-biphosphatase (FBP), glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and gill Na+/K+-ATPase were measured. The results demonstrated that OTC activates the silver catfish stress response by increasing the plasma cortisol and decreasing the glucose levels at 14 and 21 days. Additionally, OTC also altered the fish hepatic metabolic status as demonstrated by an increase in triglycerides levels and the enzymatic activity of both FBP and GDH after 14 days. OTC also stimulated Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the gill after 14 days and altered the hypophyseal expression of gh (at 14 and 21 days) and prl (at 14 days). The co-treatment with 1.5 g of quercetin could prevent most of the alterations caused by OTC, strongly suggesting quercetin as a beneficial compound when added to the fish diet., This work was funded by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation - MICINN (AGL2016-76069-C2-1-R) awarded to JMM. IJC was supported by a contract from the University of Cádiz (PIF UCA/REC02VIT/2014; 2018-011/PU/AY.PUENTE/CD). The authors (IJC and JMM) belong to the Fish Welfare and Stress Network (AGL2016-81808-REDT), which is supported by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (MICINN, Spanish Government). The authors wish to thank the financial support received by Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico-CNPq (Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brazil) through the program CSF (Programa Ciência sem Fronteiras (CONCF) - Process: 207329/2015-0) awarded to Tanise da Silva Pês and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

[Aim]: We investigated the antioxidant protective power of egg white hydrolysate (EWH) against the vascular damage induced by mercury chloride (HgCl2) exposure in resistance arteries., [Methods]: Male Wistar rats received for 60 days: (I) intramuscular injections (i.m.) of saline and tap water by gavage – Untreated group; (II) 4.6 μg/kg of HgCl2 i.m. for the first dose and subsequent doses of 0.07 μg/kg/day and tap water by gavage – HgCl2 group; (III) saline i.m. and 1 g/kg/day of EWH by gavage – EWH group, or (IV) the combination of the HgCl2 i.m. and EWH by gavage – EWH + HgCl2 group. Blood pressure (BP) was indirectly measured and dose-response curves to acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and noradrenaline (NE) were assessed in mesenteric resistance arteries (MRA), as in situ production of superoxide anion, nitric oxide (NO) release, vascular reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant status., [Results]: Egg white hydrolysate prevented the elevation in BP and the vascular dysfunction after HgCl2 exposure; restored the NO-mediated endothelial modulation and inhibited the oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways induced by HgCl2., [Conclusion]: Egg white hydrolysate seems to be a useful functional food to prevent HgCl2-induced vascular toxic effects in MRA., This work was supported by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – CNPq [CNPq 307399/2017-6]; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior; Programa Nacional de Cooperação Acadêmica; Pró-reitoria de Pesquisa - Universidade Federal do Pampa [N° 20180615102630]; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Rio Grande do Sul – FAPERGS/Brazil [PQG:19/2551-0001810-0]; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo – FAPES/CNPq/PRONEX [N° 80598773], and Spanish Goverment (MICINN) [AGL-2017-89213].

18 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, supplementary information https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-020-00930-w, Background. The Amazon River is one of the largest in the world and receives huge amounts of terrestrial organic matter (TeOM) from the surrounding rainforest. Despite this TeOM is typically recalcitrant (i.e. resistant to degradation), only a small fraction of it reaches the ocean, pointing to a substantial TeOM degradation by the river microbiome. Yet, microbial genes involved in TeOM degradation in the Amazon River were barely known. Here, we examined the Amazon River microbiome by analysing 106 metagenomes from 30 sampling points distributed along the river. Results. We constructed the Amazon River basin Microbial non-redundant Gene Catalogue (AMnrGC) that includes ~ 3.7 million non-redundant genes, affiliating mostly to bacteria. We found that the Amazon River microbiome contains a substantial gene-novelty compared to other relevant known environments (rivers and rainforest soil). Genes encoding for proteins potentially involved in lignin degradation pathways were correlated to tripartite tricarboxylates transporters and hemicellulose degradation machinery, pointing to a possible priming effect. Based on this, we propose a model on how the degradation of recalcitrant TeOM could be modulated by labile compounds in the Amazon River waters. Our results also suggest changes of the microbial community and its genomic potential along the river course. Conclusions. Our work contributes to expand significantly our comprehension of the world’s largest river microbiome and its potential metabolism related to TeOM degradation. Furthermore, the produced gene catalogue (AMnrGC) represents an important resource for future research in tropical rivers, CDSJ was supported by a PhD scholarship from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil (CNPq #141112/2016-6). FHS and HS work was supported by Research Productivity grants from CNPq (Process # 311746/2017-9 and #309514/2017-7, respectively). RL was supported by a Ramón y Cajal fellowship (RYC-2013-12554, MINECO, Spain). This work was supported by Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), as part of a research agreement (#0050.0081178.13.9) with the Federal University of São Carlos, SP, Brazil, within the context of the Geochemistry Thematic Network. Additionally, this work was supported by the projects INTERACTOMICS (CTM2015-69936-P, MINECO, Spain) and MicroEcoSystems (240904, RCN, Norway) to RL and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo – FAPESP (Process #2014/14139-3) to HS. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001 (CAPES #88881.131637/2016-01), With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)

8 pags., 7 figs. -- This manuscript is dedicated to Prof. José M. Riveros, We have studied the fragmentation dynamics of the protonated 2-, 3- and 4-hydroxybenzophenones (2H, 3H and 4H, 191 m/z) obtained by CID (“Collision Induced Dissociation”) technique coupled to Mass Spectrometer with electrospray source (MS-ESI). The CID-fragmentation patterns involve the C7OH5 (105 m/z) and C7O2H5 (121 m/z) cations, for which the intensity ratio is typical to the isomer considered. 2H and 3H yield preferably C7O2H5 (121 m/z) and C7OH5 (105 m/z) respectively, while 4H yields both cations in similar quantity. The fragmentation pathways were analyzed and discussed, taking into account the “model of free-proton” and results from computational calculations at B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. CID/MS-ESI fragmentation technique employed to characterize hydroxybenzophenone isomers. Main structures in the spectrum: Parent cation (199 m/z), C7O2H5 (121 m/z), C7OH5 (105 m/z)., This research has been possible thanks to the support of the scholarship program UNI-agreement N◦ 167 - 2015 - Fondecyct UNI Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Tecnológica, CONCYTEC. A special thanks to Rocío Ramos (JAE-tec) from laboratory of Thermochemistry of IQFR-CSIC, Madrid. A.F.L. acknowledges the support from the brazilian funding agencies: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP).

International audience; Nitric oxide (NO) and nitroxyl (HNO) have gained broad attention due to their roles in several physiological and pathophysiological processes. Remarkably, these sibling species can exhibit opposing effects including the promotion of angiogenic activity by NO compared to HNO, which blocks neovascularization. While many NO donors have been developed over the years, interest in HNO has led to the recent emergence of new donors. However, in both cases there is an expressive lack of iron-based compounds. Herein, we explored the novel chemical reactivity and stability of the trans-[Fe(cyclam)(NO)Cl]Cl2 (cyclam = 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane) complex. Interestingly, the half-life (t1/2) for NO release was 1.8 min upon light irradiation, vs 5.4 h upon thermal activation at 37 °C. Importantly, spectroscopic evidence supported the generation of HNO rather than NO induced by glutathione. Moreover, we observed significant inhibition of NO donor- or hypoxia-induced HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor 1α) accumulation in breast cancer cells, as well as reduced vascular tube formation by endothelial cells pretreated with the trans-[Fe(cyclam)(NO)Cl]Cl2 complex. Together, these studies provide the first example of an iron-nitrosyl complex with anti-angiogenic activity as well as the potential dual activity of this compound as a NO/HNO releasing agent, which warrants further pharmacological investigation.