The presence of heavy metals in water for human use or consumption represents a major risk to human health. It is therefore important to find materials to remove or minimise the concentration of ...these pollutants. The adsorption process for the removal of heavy metals is favoured by the use of low-cost materials that exhibit a porous structure and a high cation exchange capacity, such as zeolites and clays. On the other hand, chemical treatments, e.g., using acids and bases, can modify the properties of these materials, but more recently the application of surfactants has also shown to be successful for broadening their metal affinity and allowing the removal of diverse organic and inorganic pollutants from water. This paper reviews the application of modified zeolites and clays for the removal of heavy metals from water.
•Red oak (Anti-inflammatory) effects in colon cell lines were tested.•Modulation of β– catenin and K-ras was associated to the anticarcinogenic effect.•Red oak leaves are a potential source of ...bioactive compounds against colon cancer.
Red oak (Quercus spp.) leaves are traditionally used as food in Mexico, and some of their infusions have potential anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects; however, these properties have not yet been scientifically tested. The aim of this work was to explore the anti-inflammatory activity in HT-29 cells and anticarcinogenic effect in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon carcinogenesis of red oak infusions. Quercus infusions were prepared and administered as the sole source of drink to male Sprague-Dawley rats (1% w/v) for the entire 26-week experimental period. On week 4, rats received 8 subcutaneous injections of DMH (21 mg/kg body weight) once a week. The results showed that mean tumor (0.9 ± 0.2 vs. 2.6 ± 0.3) and multiplicity (1.2 ± 0.1 vs. 2.0 ± 0.23), and β-catenin protein level (2.2-fold) in adenocarcinomas were significantly lower in Quercus sideroxyla-treated group compared with DMH group. By contrast, Quercus durifolia and Quercus eduardii infusions had no protective effect. Additionally, the experiments in HT-29 cells confirmed that Q. sideroxyla infusion effectively decreased the levels of the inflammatory markers COX-2 and IL-8 by modulating the expression of NF-κB. These results highlight some of the molecular mechanisms related to the chemopreventive effect of Q. sideroxyla infusion and its potential value as a source of bioactive compounds.
This study investigated the techno-functional conditions for producing fermented beverages using the kombucha artisanal consortium (kAC) while implementing sustainable strategies. According to the ...circular economy principles, the study focused on mulberry coproducts (MC) generated as agro-industrial waste during mulberry fruit production. The presence of target microorganisms in the beverage and biofilm was recorded to determine the MC content necessary for establishing kAC. Additionally, the physicochemical characteristics, carbohydrate and polyphenol profiles were analyzed to understand their impact on antioxidant activity and sensory responses in the soft drink. Notably, a concentration of 0.25% MC was found to yield fermented soft drinks rich in probiotic populations and displaying nutraceutical qualities that enhance antioxidant activity and sensory acceptability. This study offers valuable technical guidance for repurposing mulberry pruning coproducts in the creation of novel products.
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•Kombucha shows tolerance towards constituents of mulberry coproducts infusions.•Mulberry coproducts infusions aid to formulate probiotic-rich soft drinks.•Kombucha of mulberry coproducts shows antioxidant activity and sensory appeal.
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•Ultrasound-assisted extraction improves yield/quality of phenolics from salvilla.•Salvilla (Buddleja scordioides) extracts are a good source of antioxidant compounds.•Salvilla ...extracts with 25% ethanol afforded the higher phenolic content.•Salvilla extracts at 75% ethanol showed the higher antioxidant activity.•Ethanolic extracts of Salvilla showed excellent COX-2 inhibition.
Salvilla is a widely distributed plant used in treatments against gastrointestinal disorders due to its phenolic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Major yield and quality of bioactive polyphenols must be obtained with no degradation during suitable processes such as Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE), which allows an efficient extraction of metabolites at appropriate parameter conditions. Salvilla extractions were made using UAE and aqueous ethanolic solutions. Variables used in UAE were sonication time, wave amplitude and percentage of ethanol in solvent. Extracts were tested for total flavonoids, antioxidant activity (ABTS, FRAP and ORAC) and an identification and quantification of phenolic compounds was carried out by UPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS. Once elected the better extraction conditions, an anti-inflammatory test was performed for this treatment. As a result, total flavonoids content in extracts was 147 to 288 µg catechin equivalents/mg of dry salvilla extract. All extracts have shown good antioxidant activity (86 to 280 mM Trolox eq/mg dry salvilla extract). Flavonoids contents by chromatography were higher than hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids specially the flavone, flavanol and flavanone groups. Treatment T6 (75% ethanol, 30% amplitude and 10 min extraction time) was the best extract in terms of significant flavonols, antioxidant activity, and higher anti-inflammatory potential.
Dietary patterns (DPs) are an essential tool to analyze the relationship between diet and health as they have presented an association with the incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases. ...Therefore, the aim of this study was the identification and characterization of DPs and their association with cardiovascular risk factors. For this purpose, a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in 165 Mexican adults, including dietary intakes derived from a validated food frequency questionnaire, clinical history, anthropometry, and biochemical biomarkers using standardized procedures for glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-c, and HDL-c. DPs were identified through principal component analysis and ordinal logistic regression was used to examine associations between DPs and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Three DPs were identified: Mexican Fast-Food, Variety-Food, and Healthy-Economic, with a high prevalence of overweight and obesity (78%). Having a high adherence to a Mexican Fast-Food pattern (OR 1.71 CI 1.4-2.8), being sedentary (OR 4.85 2.32-10.15) and smoking (0R 6.4 CI 2.40-16.9) increased the risk of having a high scale of risk factors (four or more risk factors simultaneously). In conclusion, the Mexican Fast-Food pattern showed an increase in the risk of having multiple risk factors, while a sedentary lifestyle and overeating were largely responsible for the prevalence of overweight and obesity in this group of Mexican adults.
The antioxidant constituents of ancestral products with ethnobotanical backgrounds are candidates for the study of filtering infusions to aid in pharmacotherapies focused on the treatment of ...depression and anxiety. Monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) is an enzyme that regulates the metabolic breakdown of serotonin and noradrenaline in the nervous system. The goal of this study was to evaluate in vitro and in silico the effect of antioxidant constituents of filtering infusions from yerbaniz (
(Sweet) Voss) and oak (
Bonpl. and
Trel.) as monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Materials were dried, ground, and mixed according to a simplex-centroid mixture design for obtaining infusions. Differential analysis of the phenolic constituent's ratio in the different infusions indicates that among the main compounds contributing to MAO-A inhibition are the gallic, chlorogenic, quinic, and shikimic acids, quercetin glucuronide and some glycosylated derivatives of ellagic acid and ellagic acid methyl ether. Infusions of
Bonpl. leaves, because of their content (99.45 ± 5.17 µg/mg) and synergy between these constituents for MAO-A inhibition (52.82 ± 3.20%), have the potential to treat depression and anxiety. Therefore, future studies with pharmacological approaches are needed to validate them as therapeutic agents with applications in mental health care.
In Mexico, agave has a significant cultural and economic impact via its use as a raw material for producing fermented drinks. The agave plant grows in arid and nitrogen-deficient soil where it ...associates with fungi and bacteria to meet nutrient demands, particularly under extreme conditions of fungal growth; this community of microorganisms is called the microbiome. In the microbiome, aromatic volatile synthesis activates the defense response, resistance to abiotic stress, and plant growth. These aromatic volatiles also impact the organoleptic characteristics of fermented beverages and are produced by microorganisms during agave fermentation. This research presents the behavior of K. marxianus cultivated in the presence of extreme and deficient nitrogen concentrations. In addition, a new biological relationship between K. marxianus ITD0090 from mezcal fermentation and Bacillus tequilensis ITD-UANL-01 is reported, confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and intracellular recovery. Our results also reveal that B. tequilensis ITD-UANL-01 is a nitrogen-fixing bacterium that provides assimilable nitrogen to K. marxianus under nitrogen starvation conditions. This phenomenon allows for 144 h of viability without nitrogen. Furthermore, this is the first report of an endosymbiont of K. marxianus ITD0090 in fermentation.
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•Kluyveromyces marxianus ITD0090 remains viable under nitrogen starvation stress for 144 h.•Bacillus tequilensis ITD-UANL-01 is the endosymbiont identified in K. marxianus ITD0090.•B. tequilensis ITD-UANL-01 can fix nitrogen and gives to K. marxianus ITD0090 assimilable nitrogen in NH4 form.
Chromium is a non-biodegradable element predominantly found in two chemical forms, Cr(VI) and Cr(III). Several remediation strategies have been implemented to achieve its removal from aquatic ...environments with limited results. This review article focuses on the analysis of removal strategies including the use of: (1) raw materials (agro-wastes, activated carbons, extracts and solutions) and (2) treated materials (alkaline and acid treatments). The article also reviews and analyses results obtained with surfactant modified organic biomasses. Although this review aims to summarise chromium removal techniques by highlighting relevant results of several studies, surface modification is outlined as a promising method to improve removal efficiency in aqueous solutions. The information presented in this article can help in the development of more efficient methods considering the improvements that surfactants may offer.
This research addresses the use of methane (CH
4
) for energy generation in a landfill located in Southern Mexico. To evaluate the feasibility of this renewable and sustainable energy project, a ...LandGEM model was used to estimate the CH
4
-emissions, the environmental benefits and the economic profitability. Taken together, results showed an average CH
4
-production of 2932 ft
3
/min, with a maximum CH
4
-generation flowrate of 4072 ft
3
/min (115.3 m
3
). Energy generation resulted in 32.396 million KW h/year with a hot water/steam production of 63.990 million BTU/year. The installed capital costs of a 15-years project were estimated in $9,034,907 USD; economic parameters showed a financial profitability with a net present value of $6,304,060 and an internal rate of return of 25%. The environmental benefits reported a total collection and destruction of CH
4
at 9,824,469,979 ft
3
(278,198,009.2 m
3
). The results obtained in this research can be used to conduct further studies to implement waste-to-energy technologies in Mexico and thus improve the sector of sustainable and renewable energy.
Skin inflammation occurs as an immune response to various stimuli such as ultraviolet light, irritants, or any type of skin barrier injury. Finding safe and effective drugs to combat skin ...inflammation remains a research challenge. Ethical and legal considerations in animal testing encourage the development of in vitro and ex vivo models for the detection of skin inflammation. This report presents an updated review of non-animal study models available for screening drugs with anti-inflammatory potential. It includes a description of the basic methods used to inhibit protein denaturation and red blood cell membrane stability. Three in vitro inhibition assay methods for enzymes relevant to the skin inflammatory process are then described. The development of cell culture models is described: relatively simple and easy-to-produce two-dimensional (2D) skin cell cultures that allow assessment of response to a given stimulus, three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures that better mimic human skin physiology by more accurately replicating mechanical and chemical signals, and vascularized 3D skin models with dynamic perfusion and microfluidic devices known as skin on a chip. Finally, ex vivo skin models are presented that could more accurately represent human skin in terms of structure, cell signaling mechanisms, and absorption effects. Although the current development of models without the use of animals is promising, improvements and refinements are needed to make the models more suitable as screening platforms for topical anti-inflammatory drugs.
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