Publications

The influence of glucose on the interaction between flavonoids and plasma proteins from healthy humans (HPPs) was investigated. Glucose affected the flavonoid-protein interactions depending upon their structures. Glucose significantly reduced the affinities of HPPs for 6-hydroxyflavone by 10.72 times, slightly weakened the affinities of HPPs for quercetin, 7-hydroxyflavone, and kaempferol, and hardly affected the affinities of HPPs for myricetin, chrysin, and 3,7-dihydroxyflavone on the first day. However, glucose obviously enhanced the affinities of HPPs for 3-hydroxyflavone, luteolin, and apigenin. Glucose significantly weakened the binding affinities of HPPs for chrysin, kaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin by 6.17, 7.94, 14.12, and 112.2 times, when kept at 37 °C under air conditions for 14 days, and the binding affinities of HPPs for 7-hydroxyflavone, luteolin, 3,7-dihydroxyflavone, 3-hydroxyflavone, and 6-hydroxyflavone were slightly decreased by 1.35-, 1.58-, 1.58-, 1.9-, and 2.4-fold. The binding affinity between apigenin and HPP was hardly influenced. Glucose weakened the binding affinities of HPPs for hydroxyflavonoids. The differences between log K(a)(absence) and log K(a)(presence) were bigger for the more lipophilic hydroxyflavonoids, and more lipophilic hydroxyflavonoids are easily affected by glucose, when kept at 37 °C under air conditions for 14 days. These flavonoids with lower hydrogen donor/acceptor numbers prefer to stably interact with HPPs in the presence of glucose. However, other flavonoids with high hydrogen donor/acceptor numbers (multi-hydroxyl flavonoids) were apt to reduce their affinities with HPPs in the presence of glucose.

"Padrón-type" peppers are a small variety of Capsicum annuum cultivated mainly in Galicia, Spain. To compare the effects of freezing and freeze-drying on the volatile components of Padrón-type peppers, preserved samples are analyzed by means of dynamic headspace sampling on an adsorbent followed by microwave desorption into a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass spectrometric detector. Sixty-five compounds are identified, including hydrocarbons, terpenes, alcohols, phenols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, esters, pyrroles, pyrazines, and sulfurous compounds. Fresh whole, homogenized, and freeze-dried peppers have characteristic volatile-component profiles, whereas frozen peppers have a highly variable volatile-component profile.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lysolecithin supplementation in a low-energy diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and liver lipid metabolism of yellow-feather broilers. A total of 900 one-day-old male broilers were randomly divided into five treatment groups with 6 replicates. The dietary treatments were followed as control group (CON, basal diet), low energy group (LE, reduced 0.25 MJ/kg of metabolisable energy than basal diet), and experimental groups supplemented with 500, 750, or 1000 g/T of lysolecithin (LPL500, LPL750, and LPL1000) in LE diet. The results showed that LE treatment significantly increased the feed to gain ratio (F/G) of broilers during the whole period compared to CON group. Compared with the LE group, lysolecithin addition reduced the F/G of broiler over the entire period and significantly increased the digestibility of ether extract on 21 d and the VH/CD ratio of the jejunum and ileum over the whole period. Lysolecithin supplementation also increased chymotrypsin activity on 21 d and lipase activity on 52 d in duodenum and apolipoprotein A4 (APOA4) expression in liver tissue on 52 d compared with LE treatment. In conclusion, lysolecithin could alleviate the growth retardation caused by low ME diet through improving lipase and chymotrypsin activity, intestinal morphology, nutrients digestibility and absorption.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare but fatal disease characterized by persistent elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary circulation, due to increased resistance to blood flow, through the lungs. Advances in the understanding of the pathobiology of PAH clarify the role of leukotrienes (LTs) that appear to be an exciting new target for disease intervention. Over the years, our group has long investigated this field, detecting the 1,2-benzoquinone <b>RF-22c</b> as the most powerful and selective competitive inhibitor of the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO). With the aim to improve the bioavailability of RF-22c and to confirm the role of 5-LO as therapeutic strategy for PAH treatment, we developed a solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) loaded with drug. Therefore, in monocrotaline (MCT) rat model of PAH, the role of 5-LO has been investigated through the formulation of RF-22c-SLN. The rats were randomly grouped into control group, MCT group, and MCT + RF22-c group. After 21 days, all the animals were sacrificed to perform functional and histological evaluations. RF22-c-SLN treatment was able to significantly reduce the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and precapillary resistance (R-pre) compared to the MCT group. The MCT induced rise in medial wall thickness of pulmonary arterioles, and the cardiomyocytes width were significantly attenuated by RF22-c-SLN formulation upon treatment. The results showed that the selective inhibition of 5-LO improved hemodynamic parameters as well as vascular and cardiac remodeling by preventing induced pulmonary hypertension. The improved sustained release properties and targeting abilities achieved with the innovative nanotechnological approach may be therapeutically beneficial for PAH patients as a consequence of the increase of pharmacological effects and of the possible reduction and/or optimization of the drug frequency of administration.

Retention of the cationic herbicides paraquat (PQ), diquat (DQ), and difenzoquat (DFQ) in two vineyard soils with a different management history and retention capacity was examined. The influence of copper on the ability of the soils to retain the herbicides was determined by comparing the results of adsorption and desorption tests on untreated and Cu-enriched soil samples, and also on soils that were previously treated with EDTA to extract native copper. The three herbicides were strongly adsorbed by both soils. Soil 1 exhibited linear adsorption isotherms for PQ and DFQ with partition coefficients, KD, of 1.28 x 103 and 1.37 x 103 L kg-1, respectively, and a Freundlich-type isotherm for DQ with a linearized partition coefficient, KD*, of 1.01 x 103 L kg-1. On the other hand, soil 2 exhibited curved isotherms and smaller KD* values (viz. 106, 418, and 28 L kg-1 for PQ, DQ, and DFQ, respectively). Using EDTA to extract copper from the soils released new sites for the herbicides to bind. The three herbicides exhibited strong hysteresis in the adsorption-desorption process. Extracting copper decreased the percent desorption of PQ and DQ; on the other hand, it decreased the affinity of DFQ for the resulting vacant adsorption sites. Similarly, competitive adsorption tests with copper and the herbicides revealed that the metal was only capable of displacing DFQ from adsorption sites. The behavior of this herbicide in the soils was consistent with a specific adsorption model. The disparate behavior of the two soils toward the herbicides was a result of the adsorption sites in soil 1 being less extensively occupied than those of soil 2 in the adsorption tests. The effect of copper on the adsorption of DFQ in the two soils was acceptably reproduced by an adsorption model involving Coulombic and specific sorption with competition from the metal.

Background: Combinatorial therapy- &amp;ldquo;nano antibiotics&amp;rdquo; is an emerging field in nanoscience. In this present investigation, we attempted to combine the green synthesized noble metal nanoparticle and the antibiotic Streptomycin to form bio-conjugated nanoparticles. The newly synthesized Nano antibiotics acted as the antibiotic carrier, functioned as cargo, and delivered the antibiotic. Methods: Comparative studies between the noble metal nanoparticles were attempted for the first time on the grounds of their antibacterial activity. The antibacterial activity of the three noble metal nanoparticles was assessed against Streptomycin-resistant Bacillus sp.; the results obtained proved that silver nanoparticles were a potent antibacterial agent. Still, no antibacterial activity was exerted by gold, and platinum nanoparticles were for the Streptomycin-resistant strain Bacillus sp. To our surprise, the gold and platinum fabricated/bio-conjugated nanoparticle with the antibiotic showed 100% antibacterial activity, whose antibacterial activity was zero when functioning as a nanoparticle alone. Results: The combinatorial therapy of two different clauses of drugs majorly increased antibacterial activity. It enhanced the antibiotic to overcome the resistance exhibited by the bacterial pathogen, and the possible mechanism is elucidated in the present study. Also, an attempt has been made to assess the nanotoxicity of the nano-bioconjugates on RBC and compare their hemocompatibility. The results obtained in the current investigation demonstrate the enhanced antibacterial activity of the green synthesized nanoparticles conjugated with the streptomycin; their efficacy for combinational therapy against resistance in pathogenic organisms highlights the novelty of the work and the comparative study of three different noble metals nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Pt) from single agro-waste for the first time.

The commercialization of products with cannabidiol (CBD) has undergone a significant increase. These products can be presented in different forms such as baked goods, gummies or beverages (such as kombucha, beer or teas, among others) using wide concentrations ranges. The use of CBD in edibles favors its consumption, for medicinal users, during the work week, avoid its possible social stigma and facilitates its transport. These products can be purchased on store shelves and online. There is a large number of specialized studies, in which the possible advantages of CBD consumption are described in the preclinical and clinical trials. It is also necessary to recognize the existence of other works revealing that the excessive consumption of CBD could have some repercussions on health. In this review, it is analyzed the composition and properties of Cannabis sativa L., the health benefits of cannabinoids (focusing on CBD), its consumption, its possible toxicological effects, a brief exposition of the extraction process, and a collection of different products that contain CBD in its composition.

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Background</bold>: Since the COVID-19 outbreak an unprecedented challenge for healthcare systems around the world has been placed. In Cuba, the first case of COVID-19 was reported on March 11. Elderly with multiple comorbidities have been the most risky population. Although most patients present a mild to moderate disease, some have developed severe symptoms. One of the possible mechanisms underlying rapid disease progression is a cytokine storm, in which interleukin (IL) -6 seems to be a major mediator. Itolizumabis a humanized recombinant anti-CD6 monoclonal antibody(MAb), with the ability of reducingserum interferon gamma(INF-γ), tumournecrosis factor alpha(TNFα) and IL-6. Based on these previous results in patients with psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, an expanded access clinical trial was approved by the Cuban regulatory agency for COVID-19 critically, severely and moderately ill patients. <bold>Results</bold>: We show here a short kinetic of IL-6 serum concentration in the first 24 COVID-19 patients treated with itolizumab. Most of patients were elderly with multiple comorbidities.We found that with one itolizumabdose, the circulating IL-6 decreased in critically and severely ill patients, whereas in moderately ill patients the values didn’trise as compared to theirlow baseline levels.<bold>Conclusion</bold>: These findings suggest that itolizumabcould be an attractive therapeutic option to decrease the negative outcome of the cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients.<italic>Trial registration: CECMED IIC RD-EC 179, RPCEC00000311. Registered 4May 2020 - Retrospectively registered, </italic><italic>http://rpcec.sld.cu/ensayos/RPCEC00000311-Sp</italic><italic> or </italic><italic>http://rpcec.sld.cu/trials/RPCEC00000311-En</italic>