Penicillium chrysogenum as a fungal factory for feruloyl esterases.

Plant biomass is a promising substrate for biorefinery, as well as a source of bioactive compounds, platform chemicals, and precursors with multiple industrial applications. These applications depend on the hydrolysis of its recalcitrant structure. However, the effective biological degradation of plant cell walls requires several enzymatic groups acting synergistically, and novel enzymes are needed in order to achieve profitable industrial hydrolysis processes. In the present work, a feruloyl esterase (FAE) activity screening of Penicillium spp. strains revealed a promising candidate (Penicillium rubens Wisconsin 54-1255; previously Penicillium chrysogenum), where two FAE-ORFs were identified and subsequently overexpressed. Enzyme extracts were analyzed, confirming the presence of FAE activity in the respective gene products (PrFaeA and PrFaeB). PrFaeB-enriched enzyme extracts were used to determine the FAE activity optima (pH 5.0 and 50-55 °C) and perform proteome analysis by means of MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. The studies were completed with the determination of other lignocellulolytic activities, an untargeted metabolite analysis, and upscaled FAE production in stirred tank reactors. The findings described in this work present P. rubens as a promising lignocellulolytic enzyme producer. KEY POINTS: • Two Penicillium rubens ORFs were first confirmed to have feruloyl esterase activity. • Overexpression of the ORFs produced a novel P. rubens strain with improved activity. • The first in-depth proteomic study of a P. rubens lignocellulolytic extract is shown.

Royal Sun Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Agaricus brasiliensis (Agaricomycetes) as a Functional Food in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Before and After Fetus Implantation.

Through preclinical tests, this study evaluated the effects of Agaricus brasiliensis consumption in rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and considered its potential as a functional food. The perinatal period was evaluated considering the daily exposure to A. brasiliensis before and after GDM induction (Abb and Aba, respectively). Nutritional characterization of A. brasiliensis was performed (centesimal composition, ß-glucans, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity). Concerning maternal reproductive development, the parameters assessed were maternal weight, oral glucose tolerance, hemogram, biochemical markers, redox status in blood, biochemical markers in amniotic fluid, and reproductive performance. Moreover, embryofetal development was evaluated. A. brasiliensis reduced hyperglycemia before STZ induction and maintained levels similar to the GDM group after STZ induction. A. brasiliensis also reduced alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels and increased high-density lipoprotein levels. The mushroom also presented antioxidant activity, improving parameters of oxidative stress. Furthermore, it protected the conceptus from actions promoted by STZ concerning external abnormalities. Thus, daily intake of A. brasiliensis in GDM suggests its potential as a functional food because the nutritional characterization of this mushroom indicated important antioxidant activity, improving lipid and glycemic functions and preventing oxidative damage from STZ.

Learning from the Pandemic to Improve Care for Vulnerable Communities: The Perspectives and Recommendations from the Rare Disease Community.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about health and social care disruptions for millions of people with complex health needs and disabilities, who are amongst the most vulnerable populations. More than ever before, the need for integrated care is pressing, as fragmented health and care systems struggle to face the pandemic and vulnerable individuals are exposed to aggravated health, social and economic hurdles. The implementation of effective integrated care pathways is long due and must build upon the key guidelines being published by experts worldwide. Furthermore, the pandemic is opening the doors for more remote healthcare and care coordination, with both services and care receivers being increasingly more receptive to virtual and digital solutions, so long as they are fit for purpose and do improve care. In this article we will go over the impact that the pandemic has had so far for the community of people living with a rare disease, and how it has aggravated their already vulnerable condition. We will also recall crucial recommendations to achieve integrated care for those with complex needs and will bring to light the most recent perspectives of the rare disease community in regards to remote care. While we are still facing the COVID-19 crisis, we do hope that by 2030 we will look back at this pandemic as the ultimate propeller which led millions of people with vulnerable conditions to finally be supported by effective integrated and holistic care pathways.

Bridging the Gap between Health and Social Care for Rare Diseases: Key Issues and Innovative Solutions.

Bridging the gaps between health and social care for rare diseases is not only necessary but crucial to increase the life expectancy, quality of life and autonomy of people living with a rare disease, supporting them in the full realisation of their fundamental human rights.The complexity of rare diseases, their strong relation to disability and the current unmet social and daily life needs of people living with a rare disease must not be underestimated and require urgent attention from all stakeholders involved in care provision, from healthcare to social and community services.The Commission Expert Group Recommendations to Support the Incorporation of Rare Diseases into Social Services and Policies, adopted unanimously in April 2016, by the representatives of European Member States and the other rare disease stakeholders, clearly set the tone for the need to promote measures that facilitate multidisciplinary, holistic, continuous, person-centred and participative care provision to people living with rare diseases.These recommendations, sided by other recent policy developments at European and national levels, represent an important policy step into approaching rare diseases' complex challenges in regards to holistic care provision.Innovative approaches aiming at bridging the gap between health, social and community service and support providers are currently being developed and tested in different European countries: standards of care, networks of expertise, case management services, one-stop-shop services, amongst others.These ongoing pilot approaches, presented in this chapter, have the power to inspire future policies and the effective and efficient implementation of holistic care pathways for people living with a rare disease, bringing about significant changes for patients, carers, care providers, competent authorities and the society at large.Nonetheless, the challenges to fully address this issue remain numerous and other key issues will also need to be taken into account when moving forward with the implementation of measures that aim at bridging the gaps between care providers and providing holistic care to people living with a rare disease.

Safety assessment of the royal sun mushroom, Agaricus brasiliensis (higher Basidiomycetes) intake during rat pregnancy.

In this study, we investigated the reproductive capacity of pregnant rats exposed to daily orally administered powder-dehydrated reconstituted of Agaricus brasiliensis (=Agaricus blazei sensu Murrill), the fetal organogenesis, and the development of the pups. Pregnant rats were exposed for the entire gestational period to water (control) and A. brasiliensis at 300 or 600 mg/kg/day. Fertility and body weight of dams were monitored. Pups were monitored for body weight, offspring vitality, morphology, and physical and neurobehavioral development. An increase in sternebrae agenesis was observed at the 600 mg/kg/day dose of A. brasiliensis, while incomplete ossification of sternebrae was seen even at a 300 mg/kg/day dose. In conclusion, this study is the first to demonstrate the impact of maternal exposure to A. brasiliensis on the fetal organogenesis and development of offspring in a rat model. The 600 mg/kg/day dose showed some negative effects, and low toxicity was observed at the 300 mg/kg/day dose.

Tamizaje fitoquímico de los extractos alcohólico, etéreo y acuoso de las hojas y tallo de la Isocarpha cubana B / Phytochemical screening of alcoholic, ethereal and aqueous extract from leaves and stalks of Isocarpha cubana Bake

Se le realizó el estudio fitoquímico a los extractos etéreo y alcohólico de la Isocarpha cubana demostrándose la presencia de flavonoides, triterpenos, esteroides y otros metabolitos secundarios, para la obtención de los extractos etéreo, acuoso y alcohólico, se realizaron extracciones sucesivas con solventes de polaridad creciente con la finalidad de lograr un mayor agotamiento del material vegetal seco. En la identificación de los metabolitos secundarios, mediante la metodología de maceración sucesiva con solventes de polaridad creciente, se utilizaron técnicas simples, rápidas y selectivas para determinados compuestos químicos, de modo que a cada extracto se le practicaron aquellos ensayos específicos para los metabolitos que de acuerdo a su solubilidad pueden extraerse con cada solvente. Se comprobó la gran diversidad de metabolitos secundarios con respuestas positivas presentes en la Isocarpha cubana Blake.(AU)

It was performed the phytochemical study to the ethereum and alcoholic extracts of the Cuban Isocarpha showing the presence of flavonoids, triterpens, steroids and other secondary metabolites to obtain ethereum, aqueous and alcoholic extracts. There were performed posterior extractions with growing polarity solvents with the objective to obtain a greater tiredness of the dry vegetal material. In the identification of the secondary metabolites, through the methodology of posterior maceration with growing polar solvents, there were used simple, fast and selective techniques for specific chemical formulas, in a way that for each extract there were practiced the specific essays for the metabolites that can be taken with each solvent according to its solubility. It was checked the great diversity of secondary metabolites with positive answers presented in Blake cuban Isocharpa.(EU)