The consumption of ayahuasca, a brew prepared from the decoction of two Amazon plants, has increased worldwide in the last decades. This fact raised questions about the safety in its oral ...administration. In this sense, information concerning the chemical composition of ayahuasca is essential to find a comprehensive reply. Therefore, the aim of this study consisted of determining the elemental composition of ready-to-consume ayahuasca samples produced in Brazil, in order to evaluate the safety in the oral administration of this beverage, considering recommended macroelement and microelement daily intake values and the permitted limits of potentially toxic heavy metals. Real ayahuasca samples, obtained from Brazilian religious groups, underwent microwave radiation-assisted acid decomposition, and Li, Al, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb concentrations were determined by ICP-MS, while Ca, Mg, K, and P concentrations were determined by ICP OES. Method accuracy was assessed by analyte addition and recovery assays. Recoveries ranged from 80 and 118%, indicating satisfactory accuracy. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values were lower than 1 mg L
−1
for the macroelements determined by ICP OES and lower than 3.5 μg L
−1
for the microelements determined by ICP-MS. The concentrations of the elements determined in the samples were lower than the recommended or tolerable limits; hence, it is possible to affirm that ayahuasca presents safe administration levels regarding total elemental content.
•Elemental determination in blood serum from schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) patients.•Lowest Se concentration determined for BD patients treated with Li.•Lower Zn concentrations for ...SCZ and BD patients against healthy controls.•Higher Fe concentrations in SCZ and BD not treated with Li patients against healthy controls.•Copper: zinc ratio was significantly enhanced in SCZ patients compared to healthy individuals.
Imbalances in metal concentrations have been suggested to contribute to the pathophysiology of different brain disorders, such as bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SCZ).
The aim of this exploratory study is to evaluate the association between the concentrations of macro/trace elements in serum from BD and SCZ patients considering the effects from different treatments.
Eleven subjects with SCZ, seven with BD treated with lithium (BDL) and eight subjects with BD treated with other medications except lithium (BDN) were recruited for the study, as well as eleven healthy controls (HC). Serum concentrations of eleven macro/trace elements (Se, Zn, Fe, K, Ca, Mg, P, Al, Cu, Mn, and Ni) were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
Se and Zn concentrations were significantly lower for patients with SCZ and BD in comparison to HC by one-way ANOVA test. Moreover, serum concentrations for Fe were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in BDN (548 ± 92 μg L−1) and SCZ (632 ± 279 μg L−1) in comparison to HC (421 ± 121 μg L−1). A significant negative correlation was reported between Se and Fe in BDL group (r = −0.935, p < 0.05). In addition, a significantly higher Cu/Zn ratio was determined in SCZ group against HC (ratio = 2.4, p = 0.028).
The obtained results suggest that the imbalance in Fe concentrations is an effect of BD treatment. Lithium is supposed to have an antagonist effect for Se in BDL patients. A negative correlation reported between Fe and BMI in SCZ group could be related to antipsychotic treatment and the Cu/Zn ratio reported could be considered as a suggesting parameter to relate oxidative stress to SCZ. Future studies including larger number of patients with SCZ and BD before and after treatment are necessary to confirm the investigative results presented herein.
Metallomics (more specifically, metalloproteomics) is an emerging field that encompasses the role, uptake, transport and storage of trace metals, which are essential to preserve the functions of ...proteins within a biological system. The current strategies for metal-binding and metalloprotein analysis based on the combination of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) are discussed in this review. The advantages, limitations and the most recently developed and applied quantification approaches for this methodology are also described.
is the most aggressive pathogen of citrus fruits. Tryptoquialanines are major indole alkaloids produced by
It is unknown if tryptoquialanines are involved in the damage of citrus fruits caused by
To ...investigate the pathogenic roles of tryptoquialanines, we initially asked if tryptoquialanines could affect the germination of
seeds. Exposure of the citrus seeds to tryptoquialanine A resulted in a complete inhibition of germination and an altered metabolic response. Since this phytotoxic effect requires the extracellular export of tryptoquialanine A, we investigated the mechanisms of extracellular delivery of this alkaloid in
We detected extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by
both in culture and during infection of citrus fruits. Compositional analysis of EVs produced during infection revealed the presence of a complex cargo, which included tryptoquialanines and the mycotoxin fungisporin. The EVs also presented phytotoxicity activity
and caused damage to the tissues of citrus seeds. Through molecular networking, it was observed that the metabolites present in the
EVs are produced in all of its possible hosts. Our results reveal a novel phytopathogenic role of
EVs and tryptoquialanine A, implying that this alkaloid is exported in EVs during plant infection.
During the postharvest period, citrus fruits can be affected by phytopathogens such as
, which causes green mold disease and is responsible for up to 90% of total citrus losses. Chemical fungicides are widely used to prevent green mold disease, leading to concerns about environmental and health risks. To develop safer alternatives to control phytopathogens, it is necessary to understand the molecular basis of infection during the host-pathogen interaction. In the
model, the virulence strategies are poorly known. Here, we describe the production of phytotoxic extracellular vesicles (EVs) by
during the infection of citrus fruits. We also characterized the secondary metabolites in the cargo of EVs and found in this set of molecules an inhibitor of seed germination. Since EVs and secondary metabolites have been related to virulence mechanisms in other host-pathogen interactions, our data are important for the comprehension of how
causes damage to its primary hosts.
Abstract
For cardiovascular disease prevention, statins alone or combined with ezetimibe have been recommended to achieve low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets, but their effects on other ...lipids are less reported. This study was designed to examine lipid changes in subjects with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after two highly effective lipid-lowering therapies. Twenty patients with STEMI were randomized to be treated with rosuvastatin 20 mg QD or simvastatin 40 mg combined with ezetimibe 10 mg QD for 30 days. Fasting blood samples were collected on the first day (D1) and after 30 days (D30). Lipidomic analysis was performed using the Lipidyzer platform. Similar classic lipid profile was obtained in both groups of lipid-lowering therapies. However, differences with the lipidomic analysis were observed between D30 and D1 for most of the analyzed classes. Differences were noted with lipid-lowering therapies for lipids such as FA, LPC, PC, PE, CE, Cer, and SM, notably in patients treated with rosuvastatin. Correlation studies between classic lipid profiles and lipidomic results showed different information. These findings seem relevant, due to the involvement of these lipid classes in crucial mechanisms of atherosclerosis, and may account for residual cardiovascular risk.
Randomized clinical trial: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02428374, registered on 28/09/2014.
Over the past few years, metabolomics has been employed in a broad range of applications in different research fields. Microbial metabolomics has been applied in several microbiological areas, such ...as identification of microorganisms, cell mutations, functional gene approach, identification of unique metabolic pathways and microbial engineering, leading to a better understanding of the global metabolism and metabolic regulation of certain systems. Metabolites produced by microorganisms constitute a large promising group with diverse applications; however, most of these systems are still unknown and underexplored. In this context, the overall analysis of metabolites involved in a biological system can be used to discover potential biomarkers or specific metabolic changes due to a biological phenomenon studied. In this sense, this review aims to understand the main challenges faced by each step of the workflow in the metabolic analysis of microorganisms and how these difficulties have been overcome. A critical analysis of the articles published within the last five years will be accomplished in this paper to understand how these studies have contributed to the microbial metabolomics research. Moreover, major trends observed in this area will be highlighted here in order to guide readers interested in microbial metabolomics in their future researches.
In this study, we obtained a lipidomic profile of plasma samples from drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) in comparison to healthy controls. The sample cohort ...consisted of 30 BD and 30 SZ patients and 30 control individuals. An untargeted lipidomics strategy using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry was employed to obtain the lipid profiles. Data were preprocessed, then univariate (
-test) and multivariate (principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis) statistical tools were applied to select differential lipids, which were putatively identified. Afterward, multivariate receiver operating characteristic tests were performed, and metabolic pathway networks were constructed, considering the differential lipids. Our results demonstrate alterations in distinct lipid pathways, especially in glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids and glycerolipids, between SZ and BD patients. The results obtained in this study may serve as a basis for differential diagnosis, which is crucial for effective treatment and improving the quality of life of patients with psychotic disorders.
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