Exploratory study of the hoaxes spread via WhatsApp in Spain to prevent and/or cure COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To review the hoaxes' characteristics spread through WhatsApp in Spain during COVID-19 lockdown and identify what kind of substances were promoted for consumption or application. METHOD: A phone number was activated to receive hoaxes via WhatsApp. A total of 2353 messages were collected, and among those 584 different hoaxes were identified and validated, between March 18 and April 18, 2020. From these 584 hoaxes, a sub-sample of 126 was selected, exclusively related to the object of study, and a content analysis table with fourteen registration fields was applied. Besides, the averages and medians of the quantitative fields were extracted. RESULTS: Most of the messages received were texts (39%) and videos (30%). In the majority, the acting subject was presented as medical personnel (36.5%) or as an anonymous person (30.9%). The videos lasted between 2' 40" and 18' 18", while the audios ranged between 1' 35" and 7' 48". Regarding the gender of the informant, there was a significant difference, with 45.2% being male, and 13.5%, female and 41.3% non-identifiable. CONCLUSIONS: One out of five false health claims received was about prevention or cure of the coronavirus, based on the principle of medical authority, and basically promoting the use and consumption of substances of natural origin.

[Sociodemographic profile of the homeopathy user in Spain]. / Perfil sociodemográfico del usuario de la homeopatía en España.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the sociodemographic profile of the homeopathy user in Spain. DESIGN: Quantitative study. LOCATION: Spain. CORPUS: The Centre for Sociological Research database (Study 3205, February 2018), with a total of 2,486 interviews, and the sub-sample that includes all patients who have claimed to use homeopathy in Spain in the last 12 months (n=124). MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The percentages, means and/or standard deviation of the factors were calculated, as well as the significance of the changes in the different variables analysed in the general population, and the specific users of homeopathy in Spain. This was determined by the variance analysis or Pearson's χ2 test, depending on the nature of the variable in the study. RESULTS: The homeopathy user-type profile in Spain is a woman, of middle/high social status, with higher university studies, and with a progressive political ideology. CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish profile is similar to that in other international studies.

Dynamics of Monoterpene Formation in Spike Lavender Plants.

The metabolic cross-talk between the mevalonate (MVA) and the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways was analyzed in spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia Med) on the basis of 13CO2-labelling experiments using wildtype and transgenic plants overexpressing the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGR), the first and key enzyme of the MVA pathway. The plants were labelled in the presence of 13CO2 in a gas chamber for controlled pulse and chase periods of time. GC/MS and NMR analysis of 1,8-cineole and camphor, the major monoterpenes present in their essential oil, indicated that the C5-precursors, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) of both monoterpenes are predominantly biosynthesized via the MEP pathway. Surprisingly, overexpression of HMGR did not have significant impact upon the crosstalk between the MVA and MEP pathways indicating that the MEP route is the preferred pathway for the synthesis of C5 monoterpene precursors in spike lavender.

Metabolic cross-talk between pathways of terpenoid backbone biosynthesis in spike lavender.

The metabolic cross-talk between the mevalonate (MVA) and the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways in developing spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia Med) was analyzed using specific inhibitors and on the basis of (13)C-labeling experiments. The presence of mevinolin (MEV), an inhibitor of the MVA pathway, at concentrations higher than 0.5 µM significantly reduced plant development, but not the synthesis of chlorophylls and carotenoids. On the other hand, fosmidomycin (FSM), an inhibitor of the MEP pathway, at concentrations higher than 20 µM blocked the synthesis of chlorophyll, carotenoids and essential oils, and significantly reduced stem development. Notably, 1.2 mM MVA could recover the phenotype of MEV-treated plants, including the normal growth and development of roots, and could partially restore the biosynthesis of photosynthetic pigments and, to a lesser extent, of the essential oils in plantlets treated with FSM. Spike lavender shoot apices were also used in (13)C-labeling experiments, where the plantlets were grown in the presence of [U-(13)C6]glucose. GC-MS-analysis of 1,8-cineole and camphor indicated that the C5-precursors, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) of both monoterpenes are predominantly biosynthesized via the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway. However, on the basis of the isotopologue profiles, a minor contribution of the MVA pathway was evident that was increased in transgenic spike lavender plants overexpressing the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGR), the first enzyme of the MVA pathway. Together, these findings provide evidence for a transport of MVA-derived precursors from the cytosol to the plastids in leaves of spike lavender.

Deoxyxylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase is not a rate-determining enzyme for essential oil production in spike lavender.

Spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia) is an economically important aromatic plant producing essential oils, whose components (mostly monoterpenes) are mainly synthesized through the plastidial methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway. 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) synthase (DXS), that catalyzes the first step of the MEP pathway, plays a crucial role in monoterpene precursors biosynthesis in spike lavender. To date, however, it is not known whether the DXP reductoisomerase (DXR), that catalyzes the conversion of DXP into MEP, is also a rate-limiting enzyme for the biosynthesis of monoterpenes in spike lavender. To investigate it, we generated transgenic spike lavender plants constitutively expressing the Arabidopsis thaliana DXR gene. Although two out of the seven transgenic T0 plants analyzed accumulated more essential oils than the controls, this is hardly imputable to the DXR transgene effect since a clear correlation between transcript accumulation and monoterpene production could not be established. Furthermore, these increased essential oil phenotypes were not maintained in their respective T1 progenies. Similar results were obtained when total chlorophyll and carotenoid content in both T0 transgenic plants and their progenies were analyzed. Our results then demonstrate that DXR enzyme does not play a crucial role in the synthesis of plastidial monoterpene precursors, suggesting that the control flux of the MEP pathway in spike lavender is primarily exerted by the DXS enzyme.

Enhanced levels of S-linalool by metabolic engineering of the terpenoid pathway in spike lavender leaves.

Transgenic Lavandula latifolia plants overexpressing the linalool synthase (LIS) gene from Clarkia breweri, encoding the LIS enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of linalool were generated. Most of these plants increased significantly their linalool content as compared to controls, especially in the youngest leaves, where a linalool increase up to a 1000% was observed. The phenotype of increased linalool content observed in young leaves was maintained in those T1 progenies that inherit the LIS transgene, although this phenotype was less evident in the flower essential oil. Cross-pollination of transgenic spike lavender plants allowed the generation of double transgenic plants containing the DXS (1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-P synthase), coding for the first enzyme of the methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway, and LIS genes. Both essential oil yield and linalool content in double DXS-LIS transgenic plants were lower than that of their parentals, which could be due to co-suppression effects linked to the structures of the constructs used.