Publications

On exposed rocky shores in Galicia (northwest Spain), a striking polymorphism exists between two ecotypes (RB and SU) of Littorina saxatilis that occupy different levels of the intertidal zone and exhibit an incomplete reproductive isolation. The setting has been suggested to represent ongoing sympatric speciation by ecological adaptation of the two ecotypes to their respective habitats. In this article we address whether or not the ecotypes have developed their own population structures in response to the rigors of their corresponding environments and life histories. We analyzed four to five allozymic loci from three surveys of the same sites, spanning a 14-year period. An experimental design including three localities with two transects per locality and three shore levels allowed studying temporal and spatial population structure and estimation of effective population sizes (N(e)), neighborhood sizes (N(n)), and migration rates (m). Genetic differentiation was significantly lower in RB populations (theta(ST) = 0.067) than in SU ones (theta(ST) = 0.124). Mean estimates of N(e), N(n), and m did not differ significantly between ecotypes, but local ecotype differences in migration between the two closest localities (larger migration rates in RB than in SU populations) could explain the pattern in population differentiation.

ABSTRACT Human virome studies are gaining attention as viruses are increasingly acknowledged as key modulators of microbial communities and human health. However, viral metagenomics presents distinct challenges, including the low abundance and diversity of viruses in biological samples, the lack of universal marker genes, and protocol-induced biases. Although various virome protocols have been benchmarked using viral particles or nucleic acids from mock communities, these often fail to replicate the complexity and heterogeneity of natural viromes. In this study, we systematically evaluated protocol modifications for the metagenomic analysis of human fecal samples, testing alternatives for viral enrichment, nucleic acid extraction, genome amplification, and library preparation. We assessed the impact of each modification on key inferences, including taxonomic and functional assignment, contig quality, viral diversity, and genome structure. Our results highlight important trade-offs between viral genome recovery and contamination removal, underscoring how methodological choices can shape virome composition. Based on our findings, we propose an optimized protocol that enhances the recovery of viral DNA and RNA genomes while minimizing contamination from non-viral sequences, providing a robust framework for future gut virome studies.

Eye diseases are currently a major public health concern due to the growing number of cases resulting from both an aging of populations and exogenous factors linked to our lifestyles. Thus, many treatments including surgical pharmacological approaches have emerged, and special attention has been paid to prevention, where diet plays a preponderant role. Recently, potential antioxidants such as resveratrol have received much attention as potential tools against various ocular diseases. In this review, we focus on the mechanisms of resveratrol against ocular diseases, in particular age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and vitreoretinopathy. We analyze, in relation to the different steps of each disease, the resveratrol properties at multiple levels, such as cellular and molecular signaling as well as physiological effects. We show and discuss the relationship to reactive oxygen species, the regulation of inflammatory process, and how resveratrol can prevent ocular diseases through a potential epigenetic action by the activation of sirtuin-1. Lastly, various new forms of resveratrol delivery are emerging at the same time as some clinical trials are raising more questions about the future of resveratrol as a potential tool for prevention or in therapeutic strategies against ocular diseases. More preclinical studies are required to provide further insights into RSV’s potential adjuvant activity.

Sargassum muticum is an invasive brown macroalga in Galicia (Spain). Thus, exploitation of this biomass for the extraction of bioactive compounds could be an interesting strategy to add value to food supplements and functional foods. Among these compounds, fucoxanthin (Fx) has been gaining attention for its promising biological activities, such as its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, neuroprotective, anti-angiogenic and photoprotective properties. Fucoxanthin is the most abundant and characteristic pigment in brown algae, accounting for approximately 10% of the total carotenoids in nature. The aim of this study was to optimize the extraction yield (grams extract per 100 g of macroalgae dried weight, g E/100 g Ma dw) and Fx content (mg Fx/g E) from Sargassum muticum using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). For this purpose, a response surface methodology (RSM) study with a five-level circumscribed central composite design (28 independent experiments) was applied to optimize three main UAE variables: ethanol concentration (S, 35–100%), time (t, 5–55 min) and power (p, 100–500 W). A second-order polynomial model was used to fit the experimental data (obtained in triplicate). Based on the model prediction (R2 = 0.965), the optimal conditions that individually maximized extraction yield were 29.98 ± 1.03 g E/100 g Ma dw at a t-value of 45.00 ± 3.35 min, an S-value of 37.50 ± 3.06% and a p-value of 409.46 ± 10.12 W. Meanwhile, for maximizing the Fx content (R2 = 0.8199), the response was optimal at 0.93 ± 0.10 mg Fx/g Ma dw at a t-value of 45.00 ± 3.35 min, an S-value of 84.22 ± 4.59% and a p-value of 339.73 ± 9.22 W.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia. It has been confirmed that the pathological processes that intervene in AD development are linked with oxidative damage to neurons, neuroinflammation, tau phosphorylation, amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation, glutamate excitotoxicity, and cholinergic deficit. Still, there is no available therapy that can cure AD. Available therapies only manage some of the AD symptoms at the early stages of AD. Various studies have revealed that bioactive compounds derived from marine organisms and plants can exert neuroprotective activities with fewer adverse events, as compared with synthetic drugs. Furthermore, marine organisms have been identified as a source of novel compounds with therapeutic potential. Thus, there is a growing interest regarding bioactive compounds derived from marine sources that have anti-AD potentials. Various marine drugs including bryostatin-1, homotaurine, anabaseine and its derivative, rifampicins, anhydroexfoliamycin, undecylprodigioisin, gracilins, 13-desmethyl spirolide-C, and dictyostatin displayed excellent bioavailability and efficacy against AD. Most of these marine drugs were found to be well-tolerated in AD patients, along with no significant drug-associated adverse events. In this review, we focus on the drugs derived from marine life that can be useful in AD treatment and also summarize the therapeutic agents that are currently used to treat AD.

In recent decades, plants have strengthened their relevance as sources of molecules potentially beneficial for health. This underpinning effect also arises from the extensive research that has been conducted on plants that are typically undervalued, besides being scarcely used. This is the case with Camellia japonica in Galicia (NW Spain), where, despite its abundance, it is exclusively used for ornamental purposes and has been studied only for its proximate composition. Thus, the present study was conducted on several additional parameters in the flowers of eight C. japonica varieties. Our results show that camellia has a high nutritional value, with carbohydrates as the most abundant macronutrients followed by a moderate protein content (4.4–6.3 g/100 g dry weight) and high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially ω-3 fatty acids, which represent 12.9–22.7% of the total fatty acids), raising its potential for use for nutritional purposes. According to the thermochemical characterization and elemental composition of camellia, the raw material has poor mineralization and low nitrogen content, but high percentages of volatile matter and high carbon-fixation rates, making it a promising alternative for biofuel production. Furthermore, preliminary analysis reveals a high concentration of different bioactive compounds. As a result of these findings, camellias can be used as food or functional ingredients to improve the nutritional quality of food formulations.