Nanoparticles of Betalain-Gelatin with Antioxidant Properties by Coaxial Electrospraying: Preparation and Characterization.

Betalains are bioactive compounds with attractive antioxidant properties for the food industry, endowing them with potential application in food coatings to maintain quality and extend shelf life. However, they have low stability to factors such as light, temperature, and humidity. An alternative to protect bioactive compounds is nanoencapsulation; one of the most used techniques to produce an encapsulation is coaxial electrospraying. In this research, the preparation and characterization of gelatin-betalain nanoparticles were carried out using the coaxial electrospray technique. Betalains were extracted from pitaya (Stenocereus thurberi) and encapsulated in gelatin. The obtained material was evaluated by SEM, FTIR, TGA, and DSC techniques and for its antioxidant capacity. By SEM, nanoparticles with spherical and monodisperse morphologies were observed, with betalain concentrations of 1 and 3% w/v and average diameters of 864 and 832 µm, respectively. By FTIR, the interaction between betalain and gelatin was observed through amino groups and hydrogen bonds. Likewise, the antioxidant activity of the betalains was maintained at the time of encapsulation, increasing the antioxidant activity as the concentration increased. The results of the DPPH, ABTS, and total phenols methods were 645.4592 µM T/g, 832.8863 ± 0.0110 µM T/g, and 59.8642 ± 0.0279 mg GAE/g for coaxial nanoparticles with 3% betalains, respectively. Therefore, the coaxial electrospray technique was useful for obtaining nanoparticles with good antioxidant properties, and due to the origin of its components and since the use of toxic solvents is not necessary in the technique, the material obtained can be considered food grade with potential application as a coating on functional foods.

Intervenciones en obesidad infantil. Una revisión sistemática de la literatura / Interventions in child obesity. A systematic review of the literatura / Intervenções em obesidade infantil. Uma revisão sistemática da literatura

Resumen Antecedentes: se observa un aumento creciente en la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en la población infantil y se multiplican iniciativas para su prevención y control. Objetivo: caracterizar las intervenciones en obesidad infantil publicadas en literatura científica reciente. Materiales y Métodos: se realizó una revisión sistemática de investigaciones empíricas cuantitativas sobre intervenciones en obesidad infantil, en las bases de datos Web of Science, Scopus y Scielo entre los años 2013 y 2019. Se seleccionaron 30 artículos que describían 30 intervenciones distintas. Resultados: las intervenciones se centraron en promover una alimentación saludable y ejercicio físico, con énfasis en la reducción del peso corporal y medidas antropométricas como principales variables de resultado. La duración se concentró entre los 4 y 6 meses y se desarrollaron mayoritariamente en contextos escolares. Conclusiones: los estudios coinciden en la importancia de abordar la problemática a un nivel individual, grupal y comunitario, y cautelar la pertinencia de las intervenciones en función de la especificidad social y cultural del grupo objetivo. Persisten desafíos en relación con el diseño de intervenciones fundamentadas teóricamente, promover la adherencia a los programas y extender periodos de seguimiento para conocer su efectividad en el largo plazo.

Abstract Background: There is a growing increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the child population and initiatives for their prevention and control are multiplying. Objective: To characterize the interventions in child obesity published in recent scientific literature. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of quantitative empirical research on interventions in child obesity was carried out in the Web of Science, Scopus and Scielo databases between the years 2013 and 2019. A total of 30 articles describing 30 different interventions were selected. Results: The interventions were mainly focused on promoting a healthy diet and physical exercise, with an emphasis on reducing body weight and anthropometric measures as the main outcome variables. The duration was concentrated between 4 and 6 months and they were developed mainly in school contexts. Conclusions: The studies agree on the importance of addressing the problem at an individual, group and community level and ensuring the relevance of the interventions based on the social and cultural specificity of the target group. Challenges persist in relation to the design of theoretically-based interventions, promoting adherence to programs, and extending follow-up periods to determine their long-term effectiveness.

Resumo Antecedentes: observa-se um aumento crescente na prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade na população infantil e se multiplicam iniciativas para sua prevenção e controle. Objetivo: caracterizar as intervenções em obesidade infantil publicadas em literatura científica recente. Materiais e Métodos: realizou-se uma revisão sistemática de pesquisas empíricas quantitativas sobre intervenções em obesidade infantil, nas bases de dados Web of Science, Scopus e Scielo entre os anos 2013 e 2019. Selecionaram-se 30 artigos que descreviam 30 intervenções distintas. Resultados: as intervenções se centraram em promover uma alimentação saudável e exercício físico, com ênfase na redução do peso corporal e medidas antropométricas como principais variáveis de resultado. A duração se concentrou entre os 4 e 6 meses e se desenvolveram maioritariamente em contextos escolares. Conclusões: os estudos coincidem na importância de abordar a problemática a um nível individual, grupal e comunitário, e cautelar a pertinência das intervenções em função da especificidade social e cultural do grupo objetivo. Persistem desafios em relação com o desenho de intervenções fundamentadas teoricamente, promover a aderência aos programas e estender períodos de seguimento para conhecer sua efetividade no longo prazo.

The neurofibromin 1 type I isoform predominance characterises female population affected by sporadic breast cancer: preliminary data.

AIMS: Neurofibromin 1 (NF1) as a tumour suppressor gene can give rise to several transcripts by an alternative splicing event, generated at least for CELF cofactors. At present, the NF1 isoforms and CELF splicing transcripts in sporadic breast cancer are unknown. The aim of the authors was to detect NF1 gene expression, the NF1 isoform ratio and the CELF transcripts present in sporadic breast cancer. METHODS: Neurofibromin and RAS expression were analysed on tissue microarrays containing sporadic breast cancer (n=22), benign lesions (n=18, including six fibroadenomas, six fibrocystic changes and six ductal hyperplasias) and normal breast tissue (n=6) by immunohistochemistry assay. NF1 and CELF 3-6 RNA expression was performed by end point reverse transcription-PCR in the breast samples. RESULTS: NF1 and RAS expression in breast tissues showed no differential expression by immunohistochemistry results. Interestingly, the authors observed a shift transition in the isoform transcripts, from type II in normal breast tissue to type I isoform in breast carcinomas. CELF cofactor expression failed to be related with the shift transition of NF1 in breast tissues. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that there is a tendency for an NF1 expression shift transition from type II to type I isoform, which could comprise a significant event in the development and progression of sporadic breast cancer. This shift transition may not be related with CELF cofactors.

Pancreatitis post colangiopancreatografía retrógrada endoscópica: un modelo para la liberación de citoquinas en respuesta inflamatoria de fase aguda / Post cholan giopancreatograhy endoscopy retrogade pancreatitis a model to the cytokine liberation to acute phase inflamatory response

Se realizó un estudio prospectivo, descriptivo para determinar que la pancreatitis inducida por la colangiopancreatografía retrógrada endoscópica (CPRE) puede ser usada como un modelo humano para el estudio de indicadores de inflamación liberados durante las primeras horas post trauma. Se practicó CPRE a 41 pacientes que acudieron al servicio de gastroenterología del HCU-AMP en el período febrero-diciembre de 1999, con clínica y paraclínica de síndrome ictérico obstructivo de etiología benigna. Se les practicó determinación de proteína C reactiva, amilasas e interleuquina 6 antes de iniciar y a las 24h posterior al mismo. Los pacientes admitidos en el estudio, 30 correspondían al sexo femenino (73,17 por ciento), 11 al sexo masculino (26,83 por ciento) con los diagnósticos de síndrome ictérico obstructivo, litiasis vesicular y/o coledociana, dilatación de vías biliares y divertículos yuxtapapilares. La edad promedio fue de 44-24 años. Se dividió a los pacientes en tres grupos de acuerdo a la evolución posterior al estudio: Grupo A: conformado por 4 pacientes que presentaron pancreatitis aguda leve según los criterios para pacientes sometidos a ERCP y elevación significativa de interleuquina 6 (IL-6) con respecto al Grupo C. Grupo B: integrado por 5 pacientes que presentaron dolor post canulación de las vías biliares sin hiperamilasemia y elevación de interleuquina 6, significativa con respecto al Grupo C. Grupo C: 32 pacientes que no presentaron molestias ni elevación de IL-6, ni elevación de amilasas. El pico más importante de IL-6 se presentó a las 24 horas. La pancreatitis aguda post ERCP es un excelente modelo para la evaluación de los eventos inflamatorios tempranos y además la IL6 es un indicador diagnóstico y pronóstico de pancreatitis aguda

The influence of environment and parasitism on the prevalence of asthma in two Venezuelan regions / Influencia del medio ambiente e infestación parasitaria en la prevalencia de asma bronquial en dos regiones de Venezuela

The point prevalence of bronchial asthma and the influence of environmental conditions among 100 individuals chosen from two Venezuelan regions, i.e., rural and urban, were investigated by history, routine laboratory test, determination of total and specific IgE antibody to common allergens ans spirometric test. The point prevalence of bronchial asthma was 3,0% in rural subjects who were also highly parasitized by helmints and 3,6% in subjects from the urban region. A significative difference in skin responses to Dermatophagoides pteronnysinus was observed in urban asthmatics when compared with rural astmatics. A similar response to selected allergens was found among both populations. The prevalence of infestation by Ascaris in rural asthmatics was high compared with that of rural controls. Total IgE levels were elevated for both populations, but significatively higher (p<0.05) for rural individuals. Results suggest a significative point prevalence of bronchial asthma in both regions despite the helmint infestation of rural subjects. The effects of environmental factors, their concentrations and time of exposure are considered as main factors responsible for allergic reactivity observed in the Venezuelan regions studied