Publications

Summary 1. Recreational angling activities in wild populations of Atlantic salmon may induce a selection pressure towards a reduction in body size and length if the angling season coincides with the return of the largest sea age fish class. 2. Using estimates of heritability for growth traits and estimates of the selection pressure from angling operating on growth, we predicted the response to selection expected to occur in a wild population of Atlantic salmon. 3. The dataset used here comprised individuals from two consecutive generations (parents and offspring) from the River Bidasoa (NW Spain). Offspring were assigned to parents using six highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. Use of restricted maximum likelihood methodology and the animal model allowed us to estimate the heritability for body length and body weight as well as their genetic correlation. 4. Estimated heritabilities (0.32 ± 0.12 for length and 0.32 ± 0.11 for weight) and selection pressure caused by angling were used to obtain predictions of response to selection because of angling. Our results suggested a decline of 1.9 mm in body length and 103.3 g in body weight per generation because of angling pressure. 5. The results derived from this study suggest that the angling season should be annually delayed in order to avoid selective angling of the multi‐year class and further reductions in body weight and length.

Recent studies have explored the field of extracellular vesicles (EVs), driving an increasing interest in their application to human health. EVs have unique physicochemical traits to participate in intercellular communication, thus fostering the idea of using EVs to yield synergistic, preventive, and therapeutic effects. Many reports have shown that EVs contain natural bioactive compounds, such as lipids, proteins, RNA, and other active components that regulate biological processes, thereby contributing to human health. Therefore, in this review, we comprehensively elucidate various facets of the relationship between EVs and bioactive compounds that modulate EVs contents, including RNAs and proteins, discussing different forms of biological regulation. The use of EVs for cargo-loading bioactive compounds to exert biological functions and methods to load bioactive compounds into EVs are also discussed. This review highlighted the effect of EV-delivered bioactive compounds on several therapeutic mechanisms and applications, providing new insight into nutrition and pharmacology.

Hydroxyl groups on the aromatic rings of flavonoids are favorable for inhibiting AChE, and the hydroxylation increases the affinities for AChE. However, methoxylation may decrease or increase the activities depending on the class of flavonoids.

Active packaging has gained interest in recent years. Despite protecting food from the environment, it can incorporate agents with specific properties in order to extend the shelf life of the food. As a requirement, it is essential that the active agent has a greater affinity for the food than for the packaging material and in this sense, essential oils (EOs) are potential candidates to be included in this new packaging system. The use of EOs can confer to food matrix antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, reduce the permeability of the packaging to water vapor and extend the shelf life of food products [1]. However, their use has been limited because they can provide strong flavor by interacting with other compounds present in the food matrix and modify the organoleptic characteristics. Although the nanoencapsulation of EOs can provide chemical stability and minimize the impact of EOs on the organoleptic properties decreasing their volatilization, still some physical modifications have been observed such as plasticizing effects or the color variations [2]. In this sense, the quality of food products and consumer safety can be increased through the use of sensors. This technology indicates when food products are degrading and gives information in the event that some specific packaging conditions have changed [3]. This work focuses to highlight the use of sensors as a new methodology to detect these undesirable changes in the food matrix in a short period of time. References: Sharma, S.; Barkauskaite, S.; Jaiswal, A.K.; Jaiswal, S. Essential oils as additives in active food packaging. Food Chem. 2021, 343, 128403, doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128403. Ribeiro-Santos, R.; Andrade, M.; Sanches-Silva, A. Application of encapsulated essential oils as antimicrobial agents in food packaging. Curr. Opin. Food Sci. 2017, 14, 78–84, doi:10.1016/j.cofs.2017.01.012. Soltani Firouz, M.; Mohi-Alden, K.; Omid, M. A critical review on intelligent and active packaging in the food industry: Research and development. Food Res. Int. 2021, 141, 110113, doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110113.

Polyphenols, abundant in tea, fruits, vegetables, and other plant-derived foods, have emerged as key bioactive ingredients in the field of nutritional epigenetics. These polyphenols can modulate epigenetic modifications through endogenous metabolic pathways that are highly sensitive to food signals. Among these, the methionine cycle plays a central role in maintaining the homeostasis of DNA, histone, and RNA methylation by controlling the cellular supply of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the universal methyl donor. Dietary polyphenols influence this cycle through multiple mechanisms, including the regulation of methionine adenosyltransferase activity, modulation of SAM biosynthesis, and promotion of S-adenosylhomocysteine clearance. These actions help restore methylation balance and contribute to the dietary prevention of metabolic, inflammatory, and age-related diseases. Furthermore, polyphenols are biotransformed in the gut microbiota to produce metabolites that further influence methionine metabolism and its associated epigenetic modifications. This review provides an overview of dietary polyphenols as functional food supplements that play a role in methionine metabolic homeostasis and epigenetic modification. This review provides new perspectives for the development of precision nutrition strategies, functional foods, and chronic disease prevention approaches.

Abstract Advances in phylogenomics and high-throughput sequencing have allowed the reconstruction of deep phylogenetic relationships in the evolution of eukaryotes. Yet, the root of the eukaryotic tree of life remains elusive. The most popular hypothesis in textbooks and reviews is a root between Unikonta (Opisthokonta + Amoebozoa) and Bikonta (all other eukaryotes), which emerged from analyses of a single-gene fusion. Subsequent, highly cited studies based on concatenation of genes supported this hypothesis with some variations or proposed a root within Excavata. However, concatenation of genes does not consider phylogenetically-informative events like gene duplications and losses. A recent study using gene tree parsimony (GTP) suggested the root lies between Opisthokonta and all other eukaryotes, but only including 59 taxa and 20 genes. Here we use GTP with a duplication-loss model in a gene-rich and taxon-rich dataset (i.e., 2,786 gene families from two sets of 155 and 158 diverse eukaryotic lineages) to assess the root, and we iterate each analysis 100 times to quantify tree space uncertainty. We also contrasted our results and discarded alternative hypotheses from the literature using GTP and the likelihood-based method SpeciesRax. Our estimates suggest a root between Fungi or Opisthokonta and all other eukaryotes; but based on further analysis of genome size, we propose that the root between Opisthokonta and all other eukaryotes is the most likely.

Abstract The importance of food quality and safety lies in ensuring the best product quality to meet consumer demands and public health. Advanced technologies play a crucial role in minimizing the risk of foodborne illnesses, contamination, drug residue, and other potential hazards in food. Significant materials and technological advancements have been made throughout the food supply chain. Among them, quantum dots (QDs), as a class of advanced nanomaterials with unique physicochemical properties, are progressively demonstrating their value in the field of food quality and safety. This review aims to explore cutting‐edge research on the different applications of QDs in food quality and safety, including encapsulation of bioactive compounds, detection of food analytes, food preservation and packaging, and intelligent food freshness indicators. Moreover, the modification strategies and potential toxicities of diverse QDs are outlined, which can affect performance and hinder applications in the food industry. The findings suggested that QDs are mainly used in analyte detection and active/intelligent food packaging. Various food analytes can be detected using QD‐based sensors, including heavy metal ions, pesticides, antibiotics, microorganisms, additives, and functional components. Moreover, QD incorporation aided in improving the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of film/coatings, resulting in extended shelf life for packaged food. Finally, the perspectives and critical challenges for the productivity, toxicity, and practical application of QDs are also summarized. By consolidating these essential aspects into this review, the way for developing high‐performance QD‐based nanomaterials is presented for researchers and food technologists to better capitalize upon this technology in food applications.