Antifungal Activity Enhancement of Cell-Free Streptomyces griseus Extract Obtained by Fermentation with Magnetic Manganese Ferrite Nanoparticles.

The present study aims to obtain manganese ferrite nanoparticles functionalized with chitosan (C-MNP) or ethylenediamine (E-MNP) by coprecipitation and polyol one-step methods, characterize their interaction with S. griseus demonstrating cell immobilization, and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the free cell extracts obtained from immobilized S. griseus fermentation in the presence of different concentrations of MNP. The adsorption isotherms were analyzed mathematically using Langmuir and Freundlich models. The highest coefficient of determination (R2) for the S. griseus cell adsorption isotherm with C-MNP was observed with a linear function of the Langmuir model. The adsorption isotherm of S. griseus cells with E-MNP was better fitted to the Freundlich model. Cell immobilization by adsorption on magnetic nanoparticles was demonstrated in both cases. Different concentrations of C-MNP and E-MNP were used in fermentations to prepare cell-free extracts with antifungal activity. The best results were obtained with E-MNP, with a 91.5% inhibition of radial fungal growth. Magnetic nanoparticles offer potential applications in different fields and easy biomass separation.

Cytomegalovirus-driven early-onset lymphocytosis in hematopoietic allogeneic transplant mimicking a T-cell lymphoma progression.

Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) is an uncommon and highly aggressive subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphoma characterized by liver, spleen, and bone marrow involvement. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) is the only curative treatment for HSTCL, but it carries a significant risk of relapse. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation is a frequent complication after alloHSCT, particularly in patients undergoing lymphocyte-toxic therapies. A 27-year-old man diagnosed with HSTCL underwent an alloHSCT with active disease after six lines of therapy. A CMV reactivation was successfully treated with foscarnet. A sudden reappearance of symptomatic lymphocytosis (15,550/µL) by day +20, prior to engraftment, raised suspicion of disease progression. A comprehensive diagnostic work-up revealed an oligoclonal expansion of donor lymphocytes along with complete donor chimerism, leading to an alternative diagnosis of a CMV-driven T-cell expansion. This was confirmed by an in vitro assay testing T-cell specificity against CMV. The patient achieved both complete response and complete donor chimerism despite persisting lymphocytosis, but ultimately relapsed. This case highlights the importance of diagnostic tools in understanding disease progression and guiding treatment decisions.

In vitro assessment of the combined effect of letermovir and sirolimus on cytomegalovirus replication / Evaluación in vitro del efecto combinado de letermovir y sirolimus en la replicación de citomegalovirus

Introduction. Letermovir (LMV) is used for prophy laxis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation and end-or gan disease in adult CMV-seropositive allogeneic hemato poietic stem cell transplant recipients (allo-HSCT). In turn, sirolimus (SLM) which displays in vitro anti-CMV activity, is frequently employed for prophylaxis of Graft vs. Host disease in allo-HSCT. Here, we aimed at assessing whether LMV and SLM used in combination may act synergistically in vitro on inhibiting CMV replication. Material and methods. The antiviral activity of LMV and SLM alone or in combination was evaluated by a checkerboard assay, using ARPE-19 cells infected with CMV strain BADrUL131-Y. LMV and SLM were used at con centrations ranging from 24 nM to 0.38 nM and 16 nM to 0.06 nM, respectively. Results. The mean EC50 for LMV and SLM was 2.44 nM (95% CI, 1.66-3.60) and 1.40 nM (95% CI, 0.41-4.74), re spective. LMV and SLM interaction yielded mainly additive effects over the range of concentrations tested. Conclusion. The additive nature of the combination of LMV and SLM against CMV may have relevant clini cal implications in management of CMV infection in al lo-HSCT recipients undergoing prophylaxis with LMV (AU)

Introducción. Letermovir (LMV) se utiliza para la pro filaxis de la reactivación de la infección y de la enfermedad orgánica por citomegalovirus (CMV) en adultos receptores de trasplante alogénico de células madre hematopoyéticas (alo TPH) en pacientes seropositivos para CMV. A su vez, sirolimus (SLM), que muestra actividad anti-CMV in vitro, se usa con fre cuencia para la profilaxis de la enfermedad de injerto contra huésped en alo-TPH. Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar si LMV y SLM utilizados en combinación pueden actuar sinérgicamente in vi tro en inhibir la replicación del CMV. Material y métodos. La actividad antiviral de LMV y SLM individualmente o en combinación se evaluó mediante un en sayo de tablero de ajedrez, utilizando células ARPE-19 infec tadas con la cepa BADrUL131-Y de CMV. Se utilizaron LMV y SLM en concentraciones que variaron entre 24 nM y 0,38 nM y entre 16 nM y 0,06 nM, respectivamente. Resultados. La EC50 media para LMV y SLM fue de 2,44 nM (IC del 95 %, 1,66-3,60) y 1,40 nM (IC del 95 %, 0,41-4,74), respectivamente. La interacción LMV y SLM produjo principal mente efectos aditivos en el rango de concentraciones ensa yadas. Conclusión. La naturaleza aditiva de la combinación de LMV y SLM frente a CMV puede tener implicaciones clínicas re levantes en el tratamiento de la infección por CMV en alo-TPH que reciben profilaxis con LMV (AU)

Identification, Antioxidant Capacity, and Matrix Metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) In Silico Inhibition of Haloarchaeal Carotenoids from Natronococcus sp. and Halorubrum tebenquichense.

Natural pigments from haloarchaea are of great interest; bacterioruberin is the major pigment, it shows higher antioxidant power when compared with ß-carotene. However, characterization of bacterioruberin and its isomers along with its antioxidant and the matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) inhibition activities in extracts from Natronoccoccus sp. TC6 and Halorubrum tebenquichense SU10 was not previously described, being the aim of this work. The carotenoids profile was performed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, thin-layer chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS). Antioxidant capacity was determined for DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. In addition, MMP-9 inhibition was studied using docking simulations. The carotenoid profile of studied strains was composed of bacterioruberin, some derivatives like mono, bis, and tris anhydrobacterioruberin, and also some bacterioruberin cis isomers. The carotenoid pools showed antioxidant capacity for DPPH > ABTS > FRAP; Natronococcus sp. TC6 carotenoid pool was better for ABTS and DPPH, while Halorubrum tebenquichense SU10 carotenoid pool was better for FRAP. Additionally, docking and molecular dynamics suggest that bacterioruberin inhibits MMP-9 through hydrophobic interactions near the catalytic site. Bacterioruberin shows the higher binding energy of -8.3 (kcal/mol). The carotenoids profile of both strains was elucidated, their antioxidant activity and singular participation of each carotenoid on MMP-9 in silico inhibition were evaluated.

Trichoderma as a biological control agent: mechanisms of action, benefits for crops and development of formulations.

Currently, the food and economic losses generated by the attack of phytopathogens on the agricultural sector constitute a severe problem. Conventional crop protection techniques based on the application of synthetic pesticides to combat these undesirable microorganisms have also begun to represent an inconvenience since the excessive use of these substances is associated with contamination problems and severe damage to the health of farmers, consumers, and communities surrounding the fields, as well as the generation of resistance by the phytopathogens to be combated. Using biocontrol agents such as Trichoderma to mitigate the attack of phytopathogens represents an alternative to synthetic pesticides, safe for health and the environment. This work explains the mechanisms of action through which Trichoderma exerts biological control, some of the beneficial aspects that it confers to the development of crops through its symbiotic interaction with plants, and the bioremedial effects that it presents in fields contaminated by synthetic pesticides. Also, detail the production of spore-based biopesticides through fermentation processes and formulation development.

Encapsulation of Pineapple Peel Extracts by Ionotropic Gelation Using Corn Starch, Weissella confusa Exopolysaccharide, and Sodium Alginate as Wall Materials.

Phenolic compounds that are present in pineapple by-products offer many health benefits to the consumer; however, they are unstable to many environmental factors. For this reason, encapsulation is ideal for preserving their beneficial effects. In this work, extracts were obtained by the combined method of solid-state fermentation with Rhizopus oryzae and ultrasound. After this process, the encapsulation process was performed by ionotropic gelation using corn starch, sodium alginate, and Weissella confusa exopolysaccharide as wall material. The encapsulates produced presented a moisture content between 7.10 and 10.45% (w.b), a solubility of 53.06 ± 0.54%, and a wettability of 31.46 ± 2.02 s. The total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant capacity of DPPH, and ABTS of the encapsulates were also determined, finding 232.55 ± 2.07 mg GAE/g d.m for TPC, 45.64 ± 0.9 µm Trolox/mg GAE for DPPH, and 51.69 ± 1.08 µm Trolox/mg GAE for ABTS. Additionally, ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) analysis allowed us to identify and quantify six bioactive compounds: rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, and quercetin. According to the above, using ionotropic gelation, it was possible to obtain microencapsulates containing bioactive compounds from pineapple peel extracts, which may have applications in the development of functional foods.

Production of a Fungal Punicalagin-Degrading Enzyme by Solid-State Fermentation: Studies of Purification and Characterization.

The present work describes the purification of an enzyme capable of degrading punicalagin. The enzyme was produced by Aspergillus niger GH1 by solid-state fermentation, and the enzyme production was induced by using ellagitannins as the sole carbon source. The purification steps included the concentration by lyophilization, desalting, anionic exchange, and gel filtration chromatography. The enzyme kinetic constants were calculated by using punicalagin, methyl gallate, and sugar beet arabinans. The molecular mass of the protein was estimated by SDS-PAGE. The identified bands were excised and digested using trypsin, and the peptides were submitted to HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The docking analysis was conducted, and a 3D model was created. The purification fold increases 75 times compared with the cell-free extract. The obtained Km values were 0.053 mM, 0.53% and 6.66 mM for punicalagin, sugar beet arabinans and methyl gallate, respectively. The optimal pH and temperature for the reaction were 5 and 40 °C, respectively. The SDS-PAGE and native PAGE analysis revealed the presence of two bands identified as α-l-arabinofuranosidase. Both enzymes were capable of degrading punicalagin and releasing ellagic acid.

Bioactive protein hydrolysates obtained from amaranth by fermentation with lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus species.

Protein hydrolysates are a promising source of bioactive peptides. One strategy by which they can be obtained is fermentation. This method uses the proteolytic system of microorganisms to hydrolyze the parental protein. Fermentation is a little-explored method for obtaining protein hydrolysates from amaranth. Different strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Bacillus species isolated from goat milk, broccoli, aguamiel, and amaranth flour were used in this work. First, the total protein degradation (%TPD) of amaranth demonstrated by the strains was determined. The results ranged from 0 to 95.95%, the strains that produced a higher %TPD were selected. These strains were identified by molecular biology and were found to correspond to the genera Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Bacillus, and Leuconostoc. Fermentation was carried out with amaranth flour and the selected strains. After this process, water/salt extracts (WSE) containing the released protein hydrolysates were obtained from amaranth doughs. The peptide concentration was measured by the OPA method. The antioxidant, antihypertensive and antimicrobial activity of the WSE was evaluated. In the FRAP test, the best WSE was LR9 with a concentration of 1.99 µMTE/L ± 0.07. In ABTS, 18C6 obtained the highest concentration with 19.18 µMTE/L ± 0.96. In the DPPH test, there was no significant difference. In terms of antihypertensive activity, inhibition percentages ranging from 0 to 80.65% were obtained. Some WSE were found to have antimicrobial properties against Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. Fermentation of amaranth with LAB and Bacillus spp. allowed the release of protein hydrolysates with antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antimicrobial activity.

Gradually supply of isoamyl alcohol increases the isoamyl acetate production in solid-state fermentation.

Nowadays, isoamyl acetate production is carried out by chemical synthesis with a recent interest in developing biological producing processes, mainly based on microorganisms in submerged fermentation. This work assayed producing isoamyl acetate through solid-state fermentation (SSF), feeding the precursor in the gas phase. Polyurethane foam functioned as the inert support to contain 20 ml of a solution of molasses (10% w/v, pH 5.0). The yeast Pichia fermentans was inoculated at 3 × 107 cells per gram of initial dry weight. The airstream to supply oxygen also served to supply the precursor. Slow supply was obtained using an isoamyl alcohol solution of 5 g l-1 in the bubbling columns and an air stream of 50 ml min-1. For fast supply, fermentations were aerated using 10 g l-1 and 100 ml min-1 for isoamyl alcohol solution and air stream, respectively. It demonstrated the feasibility of isoamyl acetate production in SSF. Moreover, the slow supply of the precursor increased isoamyl acetate production up to 390 mg l-1, which is 12.5 times higher than that obtained without precursor (32 mg l-1). On the other hand, fast supply caused an evident inhibition of the growth and production capacity of the yeast.

Features of cytomegalovirus DNAemia and virus-specific T-cell responses in allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients during prophylaxis with letermovir.

BACKGROUND: There is scarce information on the natural kinetics of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNAemia and dynamics of CMV-specific T-cell reconstitution in allogeneic hematopoietic transplant recipients (allo-HSCT) undergoing letermovir (LMV) prophylaxis. METHODS: Twelve adult CMV-seropositive high-risk recipients (median age, 53 years; 9 males/3 females) undergoing LMV prophylaxis and 13 non-LMV allo-HSCT controls (median age, 58 years; 7 males/6 females) were included. CMV DNAemia in plasma was monitored by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Preemptive antiviral therapy (PET) was administered upon detection of ≥1500 IU/ml. CMV-specific interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-producing CD8+ and CD4+ T cells were enumerated by flow cytometry around days +30, +60, and +90 after allo-HSCT. Ex vivo experiments assessing of the potential effect of LMV on CMV-specific T-cell expansion in a single CMV-seropositive donor were also conducted. RESULTS: Five LMV patients (41.6%) developed CMV DNAemia that cleared spontaneously. Four patients (33.3%) developed CMV DNAemia after LMV cessation, of which two required PET. Nine non-LMV patients (69.2%) developed CMV DNAemia (five required PET). The percentage of LMV and non-LMV patients exhibiting detectable CMV-specific T-cell responses was comparable (7/10 vs. 10/13; p = .71). Nevertheless, median CMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts were lower in LMV patients by days +60 (p = .006 and .02, respectively) and +90 (p = .08 and .02). Ex vivo, CMV-specific CD8+ T cells expanded to the same level either in the presence (19.8%) or in the absence of LMV (20.6%). CONCLUSIONS: In our series, episodes of CMV DNAemia in LMV patients cleared spontaneously. A diminished degree of CMV-specific T-cell reconstitution in LMV patients compared to non-LMV patients was observed.

Medicinal plants used by rural communities in the arid zone of Viesca and Parras Coahuila in northeast Mexico.

This study is the first record of medicinal plants in the southwest of the Coahuila state, an arid zone where extreme dry conditions prevail. One hundred twenty-two residents (in sixteen communities) were interviewed. The residents were questioned with a questionnaire-guided ethnomedical survey protocol about the various plants used. Seventy-seven species of medicinal plants belonging to 36 botanical families were cited. The highest use-value (UV) was calculated for Lippia graveolens Kunth (0.30); Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. (0.20); Eucalyptus abdita Brooker & Hopper, Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All. (0.16); Mentha spicata L. (0.15) and Salvia officinalis L. (0.10). Informant consensus factor (ICF) about usages of medicinal plants ranges from 0.41 to 0.80; the highest level of agreement was determined between the informants and Respiratory System Diseases (0.80). The highest fidelity level (FL) values (100%) were identified in Flourensia cernua DC., Artisia ludoviciana Nutt., and Parthenium incanum Kunth to Gastro-intestinal System Diseases; Eucalyptus abdita Brooker & Hopper, Bougainvillea berberidifolia Heimerl, and Lippia graveolens Kunth to Respiratory System Diseases (RSD) and Cyclolepis genistoides D.Don and Ephedra antisyphilitica Berland. ex C.A.Mey. to Obstetrics, Gynecology and Urinary tract Diseases. These last two medicinal plant species ("palo azul" and "pitoreal") used by the rural communities in Viesca in the treatment of urinary tract infections and kidney stones have not been reported previously. These findings can provide new research directions for further phytochemical studies. The present study revealed that the residents are rich in ethno-medicinal knowledge and actively use medicinal plants to treat various diseases. New phytochemical and pharmacological research are needed to confirm the therapeutic potential and safety of the identified plants.

Biocatalyst developed with recovered iron-rich minerals enhances the biotransformation of SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs in anaerobic bioreactors.

The biotransformation of the SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs, ribavirin and tenofovir, was studied in methanogenic bioreactors. The role of iron-rich minerals, recovered from a metallurgic effluent, on the biotransformation process was also assessed. Enrichment of anaerobic sludge with recovered minerals promoted superior removal efficiency for both antivirals (97.4 % and 94.7 % for ribavirin and tenofovir, respectively) as compared to the control bioreactor lacking minerals, which achieved 58.5 % and 37.9 % removal for the same drugs, respectively. Further analysis conducted by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectroscopy revealed several metabolites derived from the biotransformation of both antivirals. Interestingly, tracer analysis with 13CH4 revealed that anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to Fe(III) reduction occurred in the enriched bioreactor, which was reflected in a lower content of methane in the biogas produced from this system, as compared to the control bioreactor. This treatment proposal is suitable within the circular economy concept, in which recovered metals from an industrial wastewater are applied in bioreactors to create a biocatalyst for promoting the biotransformation of emerging pollutants. This strategy may be appropriate for the anaerobic treatment of wastewaters originated from hospitals, as well as from the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors.

Fungal Proteins from Sargassum spp. Using Solid-State Fermentation as a Green Bioprocess Strategy.

The development of green technologies and bioprocesses such as solid-state fermentation (SSF) is important for the processing of macroalgae biomass and to reduce the negative effect of Sargassum spp. on marine ecosystems, as well as the production of compounds with high added value such as fungal proteins. In the present study, Sargassum spp. biomass was subjected to hydrothermal pretreatments at different operating temperatures (150, 170, and 190 °C) and pressures (3.75, 6.91, and 11.54 bar) for 50 min, obtaining a glucan-rich substrate (17.99, 23.86, and 25.38 g/100 g d.w., respectively). The results indicate that Sargassum pretreated at a pretreatment temperature of 170 °C was suitable for fungal growth. SSF was performed in packed-bed bioreactors, obtaining the highest protein content at 96 h (6.6%) and the lowest content at 72 h (4.6%). In contrast, it was observed that the production of fungal proteins is related to the concentration of sugars. Furthermore, fermentation results in a reduction in antinutritional elements, such as heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Sn), and there is a decrease in ash content during fermentation kinetics. Finally, this work shows that Aspergillus oryzae can assimilate nutrients found in the pretreated Sargassum spp. to produce fungal proteins as a strategy for the food industry.

Successive Fermentation of Aguamiel and Molasses by Aspergillus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Obtain High Purity Fructooligosaccharides.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are usually synthesized with pure enzymes using highly concentrated sucrose solutions. In this work, low-cost aguamiel and molasses were explored as sucrose alternatives to produce FOS, via whole-cell fermentation, with an Aspergillus oryzae DIA-MF strain. FOS production process was optimized through a central composite experimental design, with two independent variables: initial sucrose concentration in a medium composed of aguamiel and molasses (AgMe), and inoculum concentration. The optimized process-165 g/L initial sucrose in AgMe (adjusted with concentrated molasses) and 1 × 107 spores/mL inoculum concentration-resulted in an FOS production of 119 ± 12 g/L and a yield of 0.64 ± 0.05 g FOS/g GFi. Among the FOSs produced were kestose, nystose, 1-fructofuranosyl-nystose, and potentially a novel trisaccharide produced by this strain. To reduce the content of mono- and disaccharides in the mixture, run a successive fermentation was run with two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. Fermentations run with S. cerevisiae S227 improved FOS purity in the mixture from 39 ± 3% to 61.0 ± 0.6% (w/w) after 16 h of fermentation. This study showed that agro-industrial wastes such as molasses with aguamiel are excellent alternatives as substrate sources for the production of prebiotic FOS, resulting in a lower-cost process.

Recent trends and technological development in plasma as an emerging and promising technology for food biosystems.

The rising need for wholesome, fresh, safe and "minimally-processed" foods has led to pioneering research activities in the emerging non-thermal technology of food processing. Cold plasma is such an innovative and promising technology that offers several potential applications in the food industry. It uses the highly reactive, energetic and charged gas molecules and species to decontaminate the food and package surfaces and preserve the foods without causing thermal damage to the nutritional and quality attributes of food. Cold plasma technology showed promising results about the inactivation of pathogens in the food industry without affecting the food quality. It is highly effective for surface decontamination of fruits and vegetables, but extensive research is required before its commercial utilization. Recent patents are focused on the applications of cold plasma in food processing and preservation. However, further studies are strongly needed to scale up this technology for future commercialization and understand plasma physics for getting better results and expand the applications and benefits. This review summarizes the emerging trends of cold plasma along with its recent applications in the food industry to extend shelf life and improve the quality of food. It also gives an overview of plasma generation and principles including mechanism of action. Further, the patents based on cold plasma technology have also been highlighted comprehensively for the first time.

Recent trends in microbial flavour Compounds: A review on Chemistry, synthesis mechanism and their application in food.

Aroma and flavour represent the key components of food that improves the organoleptic characteristics of food and enhances the acceptability of food to consumers. Commercial manufacturing of aromatic and flavouring compounds is from the industry's microbial source, but since time immemorial, its concept has been behind human practices. The interest in microbial flavour compounds has developed in the past several decades because of its sustainable way to supply natural additives for the food processing sector. There are also numerous health benefits from microbial bioprocess products, ranging from antibiotics to fermented functional foods. This review discusses recent developments and advancements in many microbial aromatic and flavouring compounds, their biosynthesis and production by diverse types of microorganisms, their use in the food industry, and a brief overview of their health benefits for customers.

Prebiotic effect, bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of melon peel (Cucumis melo L. inodorus) flour subjected to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and human faecal fermentation.

Melon peels are by-products derived from food processing industries, representing potential sources of new ingredients in particular dietary fibre and phenolic compounds, which in synergy could exert beneficial effects on human health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accessibility of bioactive compounds from melon peels throughout gastrointestinal digestion and evaluate their prebiotic effect when submitted to in vitro human faecal fermentation. Melon peels flour obtained from solid fraction showed an increase in antioxidant capacity at the gastric and intestinal phase, which was corroborated by the total phenolic content (126.91%) increase and the identified individual phenolics (tyrosol, luteolin-6-glycoside, chlorogenic and caffeic acids). Also, melon peels flour positively impacted the gut microbiota diversity, showing a similar ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes compared to the positive control (FOS) and promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids, mainly acetate > propionate > butyrate. Thus, these findings demonstrate that melon peels have antioxidant and prebiotic potential attributed to the phenolic compounds and the production of beneficial fatty acids, which could improve human gut health.

Co-microencapsulation: a promising multi-approach technique for enhancement of functional properties.

Co-microencapsulation is a growing technique in the food industry because it is a technique that, under the same fundamentals of microencapsulation, allows the generation of microcapsules with a longer shelf life, using a smaller number of encapsulating materials and a smaller amount of active compounds, while having a greater beneficial activity. This responds to consumer demand for higher quality foods that limit the use of ingredients with low nutritional content and provide beneficial health effects, such as probiotics, prebiotics, vitamins, fatty acids, and compounds with antioxidant activity. The combination of two or more active compounds that achieve a synergy between them and between the encapsulating materials offers an advantage over the well-known microencapsulation. Among the main active compounds used in this process are probiotics, prebiotics, fatty acids, and polyphenols, the main combination being that of probiotics with one of the other active compounds that enhances their benefits. The present review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the different encapsulating materials and techniques used to obtain co-microencapsulants, where the main result is a higher survival of probiotics, higher stability of the active compounds and a more controlled release, which can lead to the generation of new foods, food supplements, or therapeutic foods for the treatment of common ailments.

Growth kinetics and quantification of carbohydrate, protein, lipids, and chlorophyll of Spirulina platensis under aqueous conditions using different carbon and nitrogen sources.

This study evaluated different carbon and nitrogen sources on the growth and production of carbohydrates, protein, lipids, and chlorophyll of Spirulina platensis LEB-52 through an easy successive methodology under aqueous conditions. Spirulina platensis was cultivated at 120 rpm and light intensity of 156 µmol m-2 s-1 in a 500 mL Erlenmeyer flask with a working volume of 250 mL, using Zarrouk's medium. The biomass, carbohydrate, and protein production together with the specific growth rate did not show a significant difference between NaHCO3 and Na2CO3. The salts of urea and ammonium are not an alternative nitrogen sources of low cost for Spirulina platensis cultivation. From the experimental results obtained in this study, a successful estimate of carbohydrate, protein, lipids, and chlorophyll content inside Spirulina platensis was achieved without use advanced analytical techniques, allowing saves resources and time. This method can be extrapolated to other microorganisms and cultivation regimens.

A simple quantitative method using TLC-image analysis to determine fructooligosaccharides (FOS) in food samples.

The thin-layer chromatography technique (TLC) is a simple and inexpensive analysis commonly used to identify qualitatively the presence of carbohydrates in food samples such as mono- di and oligosaccharides particularly. TLC assay could be improved using image processing software for the semiquantitative determination of this type of compound. In the present work, TLC-image analysis with Silica Gel 60 TLC plates was used for the semiquantitative determination of 6 standards of carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose, 1-kestose, nystose, and fructofuranosylnystose). Subsequently, the areas of the spots of each compound were determined by digitizing in a conventional office scanner. Then, the segmentation of the images is carried out using software for image processing. The calibration curves were plotted in the Excel software using the average of the areas of the pigmentations obtained in pixels. In this study, the technique of thin-layer chromatography was also used to quantitatively determine the presence of carbohydrates in food samples such as honey, garlic, and onion. Values of determination coefficient (R2) greater than 0.97 in all the calibration curves were obtained. This technique could be useful for detecting carbohydrates (monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides) in analytical assays and food samples without needing specialized analytical equipment. In this work, it was possible to determine the concentration of carbohydrates in samples of garlic and onion that showed the presence of prebiotic carbohydrates in addition to sucrose, glucose, and fructose.