Arginine Gemini-Based Surfactants for Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Applications: Molecular Interactions, Skin-Related Anti-Enzymatic Activity and Cytotoxicity.

The antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of arginine-based surfactants have been evaluated. These two biological properties depend on both the alkyl chain length and the spacer chain nature. These gemini surfactants exhibit good activity against a wide range of bacteria, including some problematic resistant microorganisms such us methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, surfactants with a C10 alkyl chain and C3 spacer inhibit the (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation at concentrations as low as 8 µg/mL and are able to eradicate established biofilms of these two bacteria at 32 µg/mL. The inhibitory activities of the surfactants over key enzymes enrolled in the skin repairing processes (collagenase, elastase and hyaluronidase) were evaluated. They exhibited moderate anti-collagenase activity while the activity of hyaluronidase was boosted by the presence of these surfactants. These biological properties render these gemini arginine-based surfactants as perfect promising candidates for pharmaceutical and biological properties.

Evaluation of the EasyNAT SARS-CoV-2 assay PCR test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests are commonly utilized in commercial settings but pose challenges due to labor-intensive procedures and extended response times during peak demand. In contrast, real-time fluorescence and isothermal amplification assays using Crossing Priming Amplification (CPA) offer faster genetic material analysis, eliminate subjectivity, and require less manipulation and personnel training. This study aimed to validate the EasyNAT SARS-CoV-2 Assay, a diagnostic kit based on CPA, using oral and nasopharyngeal samples. The EasyNAT kit was compared to the Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 kit, evaluating 873 samples obtained during routine analysis at the Microbiology Laboratory of the Hospital Costa del Sol (Marbella, Spain). The overall sensitivity and specificity for the EasyNAT SARS-CoV-2 Assay were 79.1% (95%CI 74.5-83.7) and 99.5% (95%CI 98.7-100), respectively; with, validity index of 91.9%, positive predictive value of 98.9%, negative predictive value of 88.9%, positive likelihood ratio of 144.5, negative likelihood ratio of 0.21 and a total Youden Index of 0.79. Notably, sensitivity improved in fresh samples (91.4%), along with a high Youden Index (0.91). The EasyNAT SARS-CoV-2 Assay achieved a higher percentage of concordance in positive samples with Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 when analyzing cycle threshold (Ct) intervals below 30 compared to intervals equal or greater than 30, and demons. In conclusion, the EasyNAT SARS-CoV-2 Assay demonstrated high sensitivity and agreement with Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2, particularly in fresh samples or when the signal was detected at Ct intervals below 30, indicating higher viral loads. This makes it suitable for rapid screening in various settings, including those with limited access to conventional molecular laboratory setting.

Epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in Spain: A ten-year analysis of trend of clinical and demographic characteristics.

CONTEXT: The study of epidemiological changes of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is needed due to its highly variable incidence. OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of TSCI in Spain and to describe the trend of clinical and demographic characteristics according to age group during a 10-year period. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted. A multidisciplinary team evaluated all individuals with new TSCI. The data were recorded according to the International Spinal Cord Injury Core Data Sets. RESULTS: In a 10-year period, 933 new patients with TSCI were admitted to the hospital. The annual incidence of TSCI was 6.2 per million. The leading causes of injury were traffic accidents (38.5%), low-level falls (20.6%), and high-level falls (19.1%). Males, age group of 31-45 years, and cervical level of injury were the most common profiles of TSCI. In patients over 60 years,71.5% were injured following a fall, particularly low-level falls (47.2%). In patients under 60 years old, the leading cause of SCI was traffic accidents (46%). The proportion of tetraplegia in patients above 60 years was 68.3%, compared to 43.7% in patients under 60 years of age. Patients in the age group above 60 years were hospitalized with a shorter duration of rehabilitation compared to younger age group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with globally estimated data reported in previous studies, this research demonstrated a low incidence of TSCI in Spain, suggesting a decrease in the last years. Falls and traffic accidents were the most common causes of TSCI in elderly and youth, respectively. Prevention programs should focus on these issues.

Health effects of infant feeding: Information for parents in leaflets and magazines in five European countries.

Parents' decisions about whether to breastfeed their infant, and when to introduce complementary foods, are important public health issues. Breastfeeding has beneficial health effects and is widely promoted. Leaflets and magazine articles on infant feeding were collected in 2005, in five European countries (England, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Spain), and screened for statements that link feeding behaviours to infant health outcomes. A total of 127 leaflets contained 512 statements (0.38 / published page). Magazines contained approximately 1 article / month. Health outcomes were more intensively covered in England and Germany. Most statements referred to short term health implications. Lack of scientific agreement may underlie lack of cover of longer term health effects. Scope may exist to promote improved infant feeding practices by increasing the quantity and specificity of messages about health effects. Further research is required to evaluate the impact of alternative means of providing information on infant feeding practices.

Cholinium-Based Ionic Liquids as Promising Antimicrobial Agents in Pharmaceutical Applications: Surface Activity, Antibacterial Activity and Ecotoxicological Profile.

Cholinium-based ionic liquids are compounds increasingly studied in pharmaceutics and biomedicine to enhance bioavailability in drug delivery systems and as bioactive ingredients in pharmaceutical formulations. However, their potential as antimicrobial agents has scarcely been investigated. Herein, we explored the antimicrobial activity of a series of surface-active cholinium-based ionic liquids (Chol-ILs). For this purpose, Chol-ILs with alkyl chains of 10-16 carbon atoms were synthesized and their self-assembly in aqueous medium was investigated. Subsequently, their antimicrobial activity against a panel of clinically relevant bacteria and their ability to eradicate MRSA and P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilms was evaluated. Finally, we analyzed the ecotoxicological profile of Chol-ILs in terms of susceptibility to aerobic biodegradation and acute aquatic toxicity against D. magna and V. fisheri. Our results reveal that cholinium-based ILs with alkyl chain lengths ≥12 C show a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. Their antimicrobial efficacy depends on their hydrophobicity, with the C14-C16 homologs being the most effective compounds. These ILs exhibit antimicrobial activity similar to that of imidazolium ILs and quaternary ammonium antiseptics. Moreover, the longer alkyl chain Chol-ILs are able to eradicate established biofilms at concentrations as low as 16-32 µg/mL. The biodegradation rate of cholinium-based ILs decreases with alkyl chain elongation. Our results reinforce the suitability of Chol-ILs as promising multifunctional compounds for application in pharmaceutical and biomedical formulation.

Cationic Surfactants Based on Arginine-Phenylalanine and Arginine-Tryptophan: Synthesis, Aggregation Behavior, Antimicrobial Activity, and Biodegradation.

Cationic surfactants have great potential as drug vehicles and for use in gene therapy (cationic vesicles made from cationic surfactants can encapsulate RNA or DNA for cellular transfer). They can also be used as antimicrobial and antifungal agents to treat human infections. In an era of increasing antimicrobial resistance, the development of new biocompatible surfactants suitable for application as antimicrobial agents is of high interest. In this work, a library of amino acid-based surfactants was synthesized, characterized and tested for antimicrobial activity. The head group architecture (number and type of amino acids, density of cationic charge, ionic character) and the hydrophobic moiety (alkyl chain length and position of the hydrophobic group) were systematically modified, and the effect on the surfactant biological and aggregation behavior was studied. Thus, the pKa values, micellization process, antimicrobial efficiency and biodegradability were evaluated. The critical micelle concentration values of the surfactants depended on their hydrophobic character, but changes in the polar head as well as the position and length of the alkyl chain also significantly affected activity against some of the tested microorganisms. Moreover, biodegradability was closely related to the hydrophobic character of the surfactant and attachment of the alkyl chain to the polar head. The structure-activity relationships established here may open perspectives for the design of effective biodegradable antimicrobial materials that can overcome emerging resistance.

A nutritional intervention study with hydrolyzed collagen in pre-pubertal spanish children: influence on bone modeling biomarkers.

AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of dietary intake of commercial hydrolyzed collagen (Gelatine Royal) on bone remodeling in pre-pubertal children. METHODS: A randomized double-blind study was carried out in 60 children (9.42 +/- 1.31 years) divided into three groups according to the amount of partially hydrolyzed collagen taken daily for 4 months: placebo (G-I, n=18), collagen (G-II, n=20) and collagen+calcium (G-III, n=22) groups. Analyses of the following biochemical markers were carried out: total and bone alkaline phosphatase (tALP and bALP), osteocalcin, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), type I collagen carboxy-terminal telopeptide, lipids, calcium, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxin and intact parathormone. RESULTS: There was a significantly greater increase in serum IGF-1 in G-III than in G-II (p < 0.01) or G-I (p < 0.05) during the study period, and a significantly greater increase in plasma tALP in G-III than in G-I (p < 0.05). Serum bALP behavior significantly (p < 0.05) differed between G-II (increase) and G-I (decrease). Plasma TRAP behavior significantly differed between G-II and G-I (p < 0.01) and between G-III and G-II (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Daily dietary intake of hydrolyzed collagen seems to have a potential role in enhancing bone remodeling at key stages of growth and development.

[Description of the long-term effects of breast feeding in the Hungarian guidelines for infant nutrition]. / Az anyatejes táplálás hosszú távú hatásainak megjelenése a csecsemotáplálási irányelvekben Magyarországon.

AIMS: To identify and describe infant feeding policy documents in Hungary and compare them to the documents of other four European countries (England, Finland, Germany and Spain). The question was also addressed how the phenomenon of nutritional programming was represented in the documents. SUBJECTS: Policy documents on infant feeding were identified and analyzed in the five European countries by using uniform methods for searching and coding. RESULTS: Twenty-six documents were identified: 4 in England, 2 in Finland, 9 in Germany, 6 in Hungary and 5 in Spain. Altogether 203 statements linked to references were identified: benefits of breast-feeding in general (24%), protection against infections (32%), long-term advantages like the prevention of diabetes (31%) or allergy (12%). Considerable variations were found within and between countries in the evaluation of the duration and character of the positive effects. The majority of the statements in the Hungarian documents referred either to the role of breast-feeding in infection protection (n = 8), or to long-term protective effects (n = 13). CONCLUSION: Policy documents in the study countries varied both in their extent and in the description of the long-term effects of infant nutrition. Majority of the documents failed to contain evidence based discussion of the phenomenon of early nutritional programming.

Lifetime health outcomes of breast-feeding: a comparison of the policy documents of five European countries.

OBJECTIVE: To (i) identify and describe prevailing infant feeding policy documents in five diverse European countries; (ii) analyse types of health outcomes for the infant that are associated with feeding breast milk rather than formula milk in the documents of different countries; and (iii) assess the extent to which documents reflect the WHO global recommendation of exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months. DESIGN: Documentary review and analysis. SETTING: Five geographically dispersed countries of Europe (England, Finland, Germany, Hungary and Spain). SUBJECTS: Policy documents on infant feeding were identified; statements that linked choice between breast- and formula-feeding to a health outcome for the infant were extracted. RESULTS: Twenty-six documents (varied authorships, dates, length and character) were identified: four from England; two from Finland; nine from Germany; six from Hungary; and five from Spain. There was no consistency in the way in which health outcomes were cited as factors in the recommendations for breast- rather than formula-feeding. Seven documents contained no reference to the health implications of infant feeding choice. Of 203 statements in remaining documents citing health outcomes, 24.1 % mentioned general health effects, 32.5 % protection against infections, 31.5 % long-term conditions (e.g. diabetes, CVD) and 11.8 % mentioned allergy. Health outcomes were linked to exclusive breast-feeding in only 25 % of statements. CONCLUSIONS: Policy documents in the study countries varied in the extent to which they reflect the health outcomes for the baby of breast-feeding, and this may limit effective promotion by health professionals. There is scope to improve the process of bringing evidence and recommendations into policy documents.

Obesity related programming statements in infant feeding policies in five European countries.

The aim of this study was to know how the early nutrition programming concept and its relation with long-term diseases such as obesity is reflected in policy recommendations on infant nutrition in five European countries (Finland, Germany, Hungary, Spain and England). After collating and evaluating infant nutrition policy documents, statements about early nutrition programming, as the origin of diseases such as obesity, were analysed. The number of policy documents analysed were 38 (England: 10, Finland: 2, Germany: 11, Hungary: 8, Spain: 7) with a total of 455 statements identified and categorized into 53 different health outcomes. Obesity was mentioned in 5.5% (n = 25) of the statements, the third most frequent outcome after allergy (14.1%, n = 64) and health in general (5.7%, n = 26). Twenty six percent (n = 6) of the obesity related statements referred to short-term duration of the effects, 48% (n = 12) to medium-term, 24% (n = 6) to long-term effects and the rest were not identified. Only 22% of the obesity statements were evidence based. The link between infant feeding and obesity is integrated into policy documents, but most of the statements did not fully specify the short, medium and long term health implications. Action may be required to keep documents up to date as new evidence emerges and to ensure the evidence base is properly recorded.

Obesity related programming statements in materials on infant feeding aimed at parents in five European countries.

Early nutrition programming as an origin of obesity is well acknowledged, but to what extent is this concept communicated to parents? In five European countries, UK, Finland (FI), Germany (DE), Hungary (HU) and Spain (ES), a total of 130 stand alone leaflets and 161 articles from parenting magazines providing information on feeding of healthy infants aged 0-12 months were identified and screened for nutrition programming statements. Obesity was mentioned in 8.5% (54/638) of the statements, and was the fourth most frequent outcome after allergy (20.7%), risk of infections (15.5%) and growth and development (11.4%). A temporal prognosis was given in 39% of obesity related statements, 6% referring to short- (< 5 years), 13% to medium- (5-15 years) and 20% to long-term (>15 years) duration of effects. So advice on obesity focuses on the intrinsic long-term perspective of programming in contrary to other surveyed health-outcomes where only 8- considered a lifelong approach. The major programming related behaviour concerned breast-feeding compared to formula and complementary feeding with meaningful differences concerning the recommended duration: for ES and HU the predominant advice was for exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months, for DE exclusive breast-feeding for 4-6 months and for UK and FI breast-feeding without further specification. In summary, statements relating to the programming of later obesity have been partially integrated into feeding information in five European countries. These countries have slightly different breastfeeding recommendations, but consistently refer to the preventive potential of breastfeeding in general. This is important as obesity and its resulting morbidity are of increasing public health concern in developed countries.

Infant feeding and the concept of early nutrition programming: a comparison of qualitative data from four European countries.

The concept of early nutrition programming is appearing in policy documents, leaflets and magazine articles with different types of statements. However, the level of representation and influence of this concept is unknown in the area of infant nutrition. We established the degree of reflection and the impact of the concept of nutrition programming among the different government stakeholders of infant nutrition in four European countries. In each country, a list of stakeholders in the area of infant feeding was established and key persons responsible for the remit of infant nutrition were identified. We conducted standardised face-to-face or phone interviews from January 2006 to January 2007. The interview guide included questions about the concept of nutrition programming. All interviews were digitally recorded and qualitative data analysis was done using QRS NVivo V2. In total, we analyzed 17 interviews from government organizations in England (5 interviews), Germany (4 interviews), Hungary (3 interviews) and Spain (5 interviews). The concept of nutrition programming was recognized from 4/5 English and 3/4 German interviewees, whereby one organisation reflected the concept in their documents in both countries. In Hungary, 1/3 interviewees recognised the concept and reflected it in their documents. All interviewed Spanish governmental bodies (5/5) recognised the concept of nutrition programming and three of them reflected the concept in their documents. The concept of early nutrition programming was widely recognized among the key persons of government bodies in all four European countries. However, the concept was not necessarily represented in the produced documents.

Changes in plasma fatty acid composition are associated with improvements in obesity and related metabolic disorders: A therapeutic approach to overweight adolescents.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: In recent years, obesity has reached alarming levels among children and adolescents. The study of plasma fatty acid (FA) composition, as a reflection of diet, and its associations with other parameters, that are closely linked to obesity and the cardiometabolic profile, may be useful for setting nutritional goals for obesity treatment and prevention. This study explored the relationship between plasma FA levels and body fat and cardiometabolic risk markers, in overweight adolescents. METHODS: A multidisciplinary weight loss program was followed by 127 overweight and obese adolescents aged 12-17 years old. Plasma FA composition, anthropometric indicators of adiposity and biochemical parameters were analyzed at baseline, two months (the end of the intensive intervention phase) and six months (the end of the extensive phase). RESULTS: While saturated fatty acid (SFA) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels decreased significantly during the intervention, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and n-3 PUFA showed the opposite trend. The decrease in SFA C14:0 was associated with a reduction in total and LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and insulin. The increase in MUFAs, especially C18:1n-9, was related to a reduction in weight, fat mass, fat mass index and glucose. Regarding PUFAs, changes in the n-3 series were not associated with any of the parameters studied, whereas the reduction in n-6 PUFAs was directly related to weight, fat mass, total and HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, glucose and insulin, and inversely associated with diastolic blood pressure. The adolescents with greater weight loss presented significant changes in MUFAs, n-6 PUFAs and C14:0. CONCLUSIONS: Modifications in plasma FA composition were associated with adiposity reduction and cardiometabolic profile improvement in an anti-obesity program aimed at adolescents. The changes observed in FA composition were related to the success of the treatment, since the individuals most affected by these variations were those who presented the greatest weight loss.

Relation between plasma antioxidant vitamin levels, adiposity and cardio-metabolic profile in adolescents: Effects of a multidisciplinary obesity programme.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: In vivo and in vitro evidence suggests that antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids may be key factors in the treatment and prevention of obesity and obesity-associated disorders. Hence, the objective of the present study was to determine the relationship between plasma lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamin and carotenoid levels and adiposity and cardio-metabolic risk markers in overweight and obese adolescents participating in a multidisciplinary weight loss programme. METHODS: A therapeutic programme was conducted with 103 adolescents aged 12-17 years old and diagnosed with overweight or obesity. Plasma concentrations of α-tocopherol, retinol, ß-carotene and lycopene, anthropometric indicators of general and central adiposity, blood pressure and biochemical parameters were analysed at baseline and at 2 and 6 months of treatment. RESULTS: Lipid-corrected retinol (P < 0.05), ß-carotene (P = 0.001) and α-tocopherol (P < 0.001) plasma levels increased significantly, whereas lipid-corrected lycopene levels remained unaltered during the treatment. Anthropometric indicators of adiposity (P < 0.001), blood pressure (P < 0.01) and biochemical parameters (P < 0.05) decreased significantly, whereas fat free mass increased significantly (P < 0.001). These clinical and biochemical improvements were related to changes in plasma lipid-corrected antioxidant vitamin and carotenoid levels. The adolescents who experienced the greatest weight loss also showed the largest decrease in anthropometric indicators of adiposity and biochemical parameters and the highest increase in fat free mass. Weight loss in these adolescents was related to an increase in plasma levels of lipid-corrected α-tocopherol (P = 0.001), ß-carotene (P = 0.034) and lycopene (P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamin and carotenoid levels are associated with reduced adiposity, greater weight loss and an improved cardio-metabolic profile in overweight and obese adolescents.

Developmental origins of health and disease: the views of first-time mothers in 5 European countries on the importance of nutritional influences in the first year of life.

BACKGROUND: The programming concept suggests that poor early nutrition causes an array of medical problems later in life. Public health messages about the implications of programming may not be reaching parents and influencing infant feeding behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The views of new mothers were sought about the extent to which lifelong health is influenced by diet as an infant, rather than by genetic predispositions or lifestyles and behaviors. DESIGN: A questionnaire survey of first-time mothers was undertaken in 5 European countries. RESULTS: A convenience sample of 2071 mothers from England (438), Finland (426), Germany (414), Hungary (389), and Spain (404) self-completed the questionnaire. High proportions of mothers agreed that how an infant is fed affects his or her health over the first year (95.8%) and in subsequent years (88.5%), but the effect of infant feeding decisions on the development of long-term conditions was the least-cited underlying reason. Diet as an infant was rated an extremely/very important influence on adult health by 64% of mothers, equivalent to environmental pollution (63%), but by fewer mothers than were diet and physical activity in childhood/adolescence (79%, 84%) and adulthood (81%, 83%), genetics/inheritance (70%), and exposure to cigarette smoke (81%). Inter- and intracountry differences were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers in this study consider diet as an infant to be a less important influence on lifelong health than many lifestyle, behavioral, and environmental factors and genetics. Further dissemination of the implications of programming to consumers may be warranted.

Adsolubilisation of organic compounds onto collagen fibres.

Adsolubilisation has been defined as the incorporation to solid-water interfaces of molecules that do not adsorb spontaneously to such interfaces, but can be incorporated through an interaction with an adsorbing surfactant molecule. The aim of this work was to study the adsolubilisation of organic molecules with different hydrophobicity on collagen fibres. Hide powder collagen was treated under mild acidic aqueous conditions with an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate. Thereafter, five different organic molecules, i.e., benzyl alcohol, 2-naphtol, pararosaniline, hexamethylpararosaniline and nonylphenol with 10 mol ethylene oxide were separately applied to the treated collagen in order to study adsolubilisation as a function of their hydrophobicity. It was found that under acidic conditions all molecules were scarcely adsorbed or not adsorbed by the native hide powder collagen. However, all organic molecules, except benzyl alcohol, were adsolubilised if the hide powder collagen was previously treated with the anionic surfactant. The hydrophobicity of the molecules plays an important role in the adsolubilisation phenomenon with the result that the higher the hydrophobicity (nonylphenol with 10 mol ethylene oxide), the higher the adsolubilisation.

Improvement of bone formation biomarkers after 1-year consumption with milk fortified with eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, oleic acid, and selected vitamins.

The hypothesis of this study was that the replacement of regular milk with fortified milk in hyperlipidemic adults for 1 year would improve bone biomarkers. The fortified milk contained eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid from fish oils, oleic acid, vitamins A, B(6), and E, as well as folic acid. We believe that the fortified milk will improve the blood fatty acid profile and vitamin status in subjects to benefit bone health biomarkers. From the 84 patients who accepted to participate, 11 of these were excluded for the presence of metabolic diseases and 1 was excluded for noncompliance with the protocol. Seventy-two hyperlipidemic patients (35-65 years) were randomly divided between 2 study groups. The supplement group (E; n = 39) consumed 0.5 L/d of fortified milk that contained fish oil, oleic acid, and vitamins. The control group (C; n = 33) consumed 0.5 L/d of semiskimmed milk containing the same amount of total fat. Blood samples were taken at T(0), T(3), T(6), and T(12) months to determine plasma fatty acids, vitamins B(6), E, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D and serum folate, calcium, soluble osteoprotegerin (OPG), soluble receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL), osteocalcin, parathormone, type I collagen carboxy-terminal telopeptide, and malondialdehyde. After 1 year, the E group showed a significant increase in plasma eicosapentaenoic acid (42%), docosahexaenoic acid (60%), vitamin B6 (38%), OPG (18%), RANKL (7%), OPG/RANKL (10%), red blood cell folate (21%), serum folate (53%), calcium (4%), vitamin D (11%), and osteocalcin (22%). Dietary supplementation with the fortified milk drink improved nutritional status and bone formation markers in adult hyperlipidemic patients.

Screening for eating disorders in a psychiatric outpatient population.

BACKGROUND: Some studies have found "hidden" eating disorders in psychiatric patients. However, eating behaviour, weight, and body image concerns are usually weakly assessed among psychiatric patients. OBJECTIVES: a) To analyse the prevalence of eating disorders (ED) in patients referred from primary care for psychiatric assessment; and b) to analyse the psychopathological variables associated with these disorders. Methods. Ninety-three patients underwent psychometric assessment using Derogatis' Symptom Checklist-90-R, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, the Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40), the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), and the Body Dissatisfaction Scale of the Eating Disorders Inventory-2. The subsequent clinical assessment, applying DSM-IV-R criteria for ED, was conducted by means of interview with those patients whose scores on the EAT-40 and BITE were above the cut-off points. RESULTS: The assessments confirmed one case of bulimia nervosa and three of unspecified eating disorder, these accounting for 1.07% and 3.22%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The existence of hidden ED in psychiatric patients, especially as regards bulimic behaviour, and the correlation between eating disorder symptoms and different psychopathological variables make it important for clinicians to conduct a proper assessment when faced with "anxiety and depressive syndromes", which are a common feature of primary care referrals for psychiatric assessment.