Publications

Abstract We introduce a new family of spiked particles resulting from the growth of high aspect ratio gold nanorods. Upon spike growth, elongated beads are obtained with sizes above 300 nm. Interestingly, and in contrast to smooth particles of the same size, these spiked‐particles are not only able to sustain localized surface plasmon resonances and consequently enhance Raman signals, but are also big enough to be recognized by standard confocal optical microscopy. These spiked beads have been engineered into thin films to test their surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancing efficiency as a function of the particle density. Such films provide a high level of portability and easiness of use for “in‐field” optical ultrasensitive analysis.

This study investigated the behavior of pesticides commonly used on potato in a part of northwestern Spain with a large area devoted to this crop. Experimental potato plots were treated with commercial formulations of two insecticides, a nematicide, a herbicide, and a combination of two fungicides, and the concentrations of the active ingredients were monitored throughout the growing season in the 0-1 and 1-15 cm soil layers, in water dripping off the potato plants, and in the potatoes themselves. The technique used for pesticide determination was gas chromatography with mass selective detection. For potato analyses, pesticide extraction was optimized. The only pesticide ever detected in potato tubers was metalaxyl, the concentration of which never exceeded half the maximum residual limit even when it was applied several times more often than is officially recommended for potato crops. Metalaxyl was also the only pesticide detected in wash-off, apparently due to its being more soluble in water than the other pesticides applied to the growing plants. A mathematical model of pesticide transport in soil was fitted to the experimental data using the program HYDRUS-1D.

This study aimed to confirm the effects of Tibet kefir milk (TKM) on gut microbiota and metabolism. An obesity model was established by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD) to human-microbiota-associated rats. Next-generation sequencing and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry were applied for gut microbiota and untargeted metabolomics, respectively. After 8 weeks of feeding, the enterotype in the HFD group was switched from ET1 (<i>Prevotella</i>/<i>Akkermansia</i>-dominant) to ET2 (<i>Bacteroides</i>/<i>Akkermansia</i>-dominant). Branched-chain amino-acids- and aromatic amino-acids-metabolism increased, and taurine-conjugated bile acids decreased in the HFD group. Compared with the HFD group, taurocholic acid increased in the TKM1 group, while l-threonine decreased, and equol, taurochenodeoxycholate, and taurodeoxycholic acid increased in the TKM2 group. The metabolite alteration suggested restorative bile acid metabolism, modified metabolic pattern of amino acids, and elevation of anti-obesity factors in the TKM-intervened animals. It can be deduced that changes by TKM intervention in the host gut metabolites are the major contributors to reducing fat deposition.

SUMMARY Cancer cell lines are valuable models for studying tumor biology, yet their genomic evolution during culture can compromise experimental reproducibility. We conducted a detailed genomic analysis of the triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, examining sublines obtained from different sources, at various time points, and across distinct passages. We introduce the concept of intraline heterogeneity (ILH) to highlight the genomic variability observed among these sublines. Our analyses revealed extensive genomic diversity, including differences in single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number alterations (CNAs). In particular, CNAs exhibited remarkable heterogeneity, with pronounced chromosomal gains and losses between sublines, underscoring the impact of genomic instability on ILH. These findings suggest that ILH may influence experimental outcomes, emphasizing the importance of considering passage-specific genomic characterization to ensure consistency and reliability in cancer research.

Ochradenus baccatus Delile (Resedaceae) is a desert plant with edible fruits native to the Middle East. Few investigators have reported antibacterial, antiparasitic and anti-cancer activities of the plant. Herein we evaluated the cytotoxic activity of O. baccatus using four cell lines and a zebrafish embryo model. Additionally, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy was performed to characterize the extract's main constituents. The highest cytotoxicity was observed against human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa), with CC₅₀ of 39.1 µg/mL and a selectivity index (SI) of 7.23 (p < 0.01). Metabolic analysis of the extract resulted in the annotation of 57 metabolites, including fatty acids, flavonoids, glucosinolates, nitrile glycosides, in addition to organic acids. The extract showed an abundance of hydroxylated fatty acids (16 peaks). Further, 3 nitrile glycosides have been identified for the first time in Ochradenus sp., in addition to 2 glucosinolates. These identified phytochemicals may partially explain the cytotoxic activity of the extract. We propose O. baccatus as a possible safe food source for further utilization to partially contribute to the increasing food demand specially in Saharan countries.

During the previous few years, the relationship between the gut microbiota, metabolic disorders, and diet has come to light, especially due to the understanding of the mechanisms that particularly link the gut microbiota with obesity in animal models and clinical trials. Research has led to the understanding that the responses of individuals to dietary inputs vary remarkably therefore no single diet can be suggested to every individual. The variations are attributed to differences in the microbiome and host characteristics. In general, it is believed that the immanent nature of host-derived factors makes them difficult to modulate. However, diet can more easily shape the microbiome, potentially influencing human physiology through modulation of digestion, absorption, mucosal immune response, and the availability of bioactive compounds. Thus, diet could be useful to influence the physiology of the host, as well as to ameliorate various disorders. In the present study, we have described recent developments in understanding the disparities of gut microbiota populations between individuals and the primary role of diet-microbiota interactions in modulating human physiology. A deeper understanding of these relationships can be useful for proposing personalized nutrition strategies and nutrition-based therapeutic interventions to improve human health.

The upper horizons of old vineyard soils have substantial copper contents due to the traditional use of copper-based fungicides. Total copper levels in eight vineyard soils in the Rías Baixas area of Galicia (northwestern Spain) ranged from 60 to 560 mg kg(-1) (mean +/- SD = 206 +/- 170 mg kg(-1)). The adsorption of the fungicides metalaxyl (pK(a) = 1.41) and penconazole (pK(a) = 2.83) by these soils was determined using fungicide solutions of pH 2.5 and 5.5, and desorption of fungicide adsorbed at pH 5.5 was also determined. In all cases, Freundlich equations were fitted to the data with R (2) > 0.96. Penconazole was adsorbed and retained more strongly than metalaxyl, with K(F) values more than an order of magnitude greater. In the desorption experiments, both fungicides exhibited hysteresis. Soil copper content hardly affected the adsorption of metalaxyl, but K(F) values for adsorption of penconazole increased at a rate of about 0.1 mL(n) (microg of penconazole)(1-n) (microg of Cu)(-1), which is attributed to the formation of Cu(2+)-penconazole complexes with greater affinity for soil colloids than penconazole itself. Because the dependence of K(F) for penconazole adsorption on copper content was the same at both pH values, complex formation appears not to have been affected by the solubilization of 6-17% of soil copper at pH 2.5. A similar copper dependence, or lack of dependence, was observed when 100-1000 mg kg(-1) of copper was added as Cu(NO(3))(2).2H(2)O to the solutions from which the fungicides were adsorbed.

This study assessed the fortification of muffins with 2, 4, and 6 % of brewer's spent grain protein hydrolysates to enhance their in vitro antioxidant, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase inhibitory activities. In addition, oxidative stability, hardness, color and sensory properties of fortified muffins were investigated. The fortification of muffin formulations with 6 % hydrolysates increased antioxidant activity six times higher than that of the control sample. As the hydrolysate increased to 6 %, the α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition also increased to 88 and 40 %, respectively. The 6 % fortified muffins exhibited lower peroxide and thiobarbituric acid values during a 14 day storage than the control muffins, while higher hydrolysate levels darkened the color and softened the texture. Sensory evaluation indicated that muffins with 2% hydrolysates achieved similar overall acceptance as the control. It can be concluded that brewer's spent grain hydrolysate is suitable for functional bakery products.

Saffron is a valued herb, obtained from the stigmas of the C. sativus Linn (Iridaceae), with therapeutic effects. It has been described in pharmacopoeias to be variously acting, including as an anti-depressant, anti-carcinogen, and stimulant agent. The therapeutic effects of saffron are harbored in its bioactive molecules, notably crocins, the subject of this paper. Crocins have been demonstrated to act as a monoamine oxidase type A and B inhibitor. Furthermore, saffron petal extracts have experimentally been shown to impact contractile response in electrical field stimulation. Other research suggests that saffron also inhibits the reuptake of monoamines, exhibits N-methyl-d-aspartate antagonism, and improves brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling. A host of experimental studies found saffron/crocin to be similarly effective as fluoxetine and imipramine in the treatment of depression disorders. Saffron and crocins propose a natural solution to combat depressive disorders. However, some hurdles, such as stability and delivery, need to be overcome.

Flavone (Fl), genistein (Gen) and kaempferol (Kol) were studied for their affinities towards human serum albumin (HSA) in the presence and absence of Pb2+,Cu2+,Zn2+,Mg2+ and Mn2+. The fluorescence intensities of HSA decreased with increasing concentration of the three flavonoids. Kaempferol resulted in a blue-shift of the ?em of HSA from 336 to 330 nm; flavone showed an obvious red-shift of the ?em of HSA from 336 to 342 nm; genistein did not cause an obvious blue-shift or red-shift of the ?em of HSA. However, the extents of ?em-shifts induced by the flavonoids in the presence of metal ions were much bigger than that in the absence of mental ions. Pb2+,Cu2+,Zn2+,Mg2+ and Mn2+ reduced the quenching constants of the flavonoids for HSA by 14.6% to 60.7% , 28% to 67.9%,3.5% to 59.4%, 23.2% to 63.7% and 14% to 65%, respectively. The affinities of flavone, genistein and kaempferol for HSA decreased about 10.84%, 10.05%and 3.56% in the presence of Pb2+, respectively. Cu2+ decreased the affinities of flavone, genistein and kaempferol for HSA about 14.04%, 5.14%and 8.89%, respectively. Zn2+ decreased the affinities of flavone, genistein and kaempferol for HSA about 3.79%, 0.55% and 3.58%, respectively. Mg2+ decreased the affinities of flavone, genistein and kaempferol for HSA about 16.94%, 2.94%and 7.04%, respectively. Mn2+ decreased the affinities of flavone, genistein and kaempferol for HSA about 14.24%, 3.66% and 4.78%, respectively.

The present work reports on a sensitive and affordable non-instrumental method for the determination of bromine species in environmental waters by combination of paper-based headspace sampling and smartphone-based fluorescence detection. The proposed approach takes advantage of the luminescence quenching of a probe (5-oxo-3,5-dihydro-2 H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyridine-7-carboxylic acid, TPCA) derived from natural compounds, namely, citric acid and cysteamine, when exposed to molecular bromine. The decreased luminescence intensity of the probe was attributed to the formation of a dibrominated derivative of TPCA at the detection area of a paper-based analytical device (PAD). Remarkably, PADs modified with the luminescent probe showed excellent stability. Under optimal conditions, the proposed approach showed limits of detection of 5.4 µg L-1 and 0.9 µg L-1 for Br- and BrO3-, respectively, with a repeatability lower than 10% for both bromine species. The non-instrumental method was validated against two certified reference materials, namely BCR-611 and BCR-612 (low and high level Br- in groundwater), and successfully applied to the analysis of environmental water samples with recoveries in the range 93–106%.

Gold nanostars with tuneable optical properties are synthesized via a seed-mediated approach employing adenosine monophosphate (AMP) as a capping ligand. AMP directs the reduction of the gold salt and mediates the anisotropic nanoparticle growth.