Evaluation of the Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities and Acute Toxicity of Caco Seed (Chrysobalanus icaco L.) in Murine Models.

Chysobalanus icaco L. (C. icaco) is a plant that is native to tropical America and Africa. It is also found in the southeast region of Mexico, where it is used as food and to treat certain diseases. This study aimed to carry out a phytochemical analysis of an aqueous extract of C. icaco seed (AECS), including its total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and condensed tannins (CT). It also aimed to examine the antioxidant and metal-ion-reducing potential of the AECS in vitro, as well as its toxicity and anti-inflammatory effect in mice. Antioxidant and metal-ion-reducing potential was examined by inhibiting DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. The acute toxicity test involved a single administration of different doses of the AECS (0.5, 1, and 2 g/kg body weight). Finally, a single administration at doses of 150, 300, and 600 mg/kg of the AECS was used in the carrageenan-induced model of subplantar acute edema. The results showed that the AECS contained 124.14 ± 0.32 mg GAE, 1.65 ± 0.02 mg EQ, and 0.910 ± 0.01 mg of catechin equivalents/g dried extract (mg EC/g de extract) for TPC, TFC and CT, respectively. In the antioxidant potential assays, the values of the median inhibition concentration (IC50) of the AECS were determined with DPPH (0.050 mg/mL), ABTS (0.074 mg/mL), and FRAP (0.49 mg/mL). Acute toxicity testing of the AECS revealed no lethality, with a median lethal dose (LD50) value of >2 g/kg by the intragastric route. Finally, for inhibition of acute edema, the AECS decreased inflammation by 55%, similar to indomethacin (59%, p > 0.05). These results demonstrated that C. icaco seed could be considered a source of bioactive molecules for therapeutic purposes due to its antioxidant potential and anti-inflammatory activity derived from TPC, with no lethal effect from a single intragastric administration in mice.

Phytochemical profile of petals from black Dahlia pinnata by flow injection analysis-electrospray ionization-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

INTRODUCTION: Dahlia pinnata Cav. is a flower native to Mexico that has many applications; in particular, its petals have been used for ornamental, food, and medicinal purposes, for example to treat skin rashes and skin cracks. It has been reported that the medicinal properties of plants are generally related to the phytochemical constituents they possess. However, there are few studies on black D. pinnata. OBJECTIVES: The present study was aimed at qualitatively and quantitatively determining the phytochemical profile of petals from black D. pinnata. METHODOLOGY: Phytochemicals from Dahlia petals were extracted by consecutive maceration (hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol); then, the extracts were analyzed through colorimetric assays and UV-Vis spectroscopy for qualitative identification and quantification of phytochemical compounds, respectively. The methanolic extract was analyzed by flow injection analysis-electrospray ionization-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FIA-ESI-FTICR-MS) in negative and positive mode. RESULTS: Quantitative phytochemical profiling of the methanolic extract by UV-Vis spectroscopy indicated high contents of phenolic compounds (34.35 ± 3.59 mg EQ/g plant) and sugars (23.91 ± 1.99 mg EQ/g plant), while the qualitative profiling by FIA-ESI-FTICR-MS allowed the tentative identification of several flavonoids and phenolic acids. Kaempferol-3-rutinoside, pelargonidin-3-(6″-malonylglucoside)-5-glucoside, rutin, kaempferol-3-(2″,3″-diacetyl-4″-p-coumaroylrhamnoside), and myricetin-3-(2‴-galloylrhamnoside) were the main compounds detected. CONCLUSION: The results expand our knowledge of the phytochemical constituents of petals from black D. pinnata.

Metabolomic Insights of Biosurfactant Activity from Bacillus niabensis against Planktonic Cells and Biofilm of Pseudomonas stutzeri Involved in Marine Biofouling.

In marine environments, biofilm can cause negative impacts, including the biofouling process. In the search for new non-toxic formulations that inhibit biofilm, biosurfactants (BS) produced by the genus Bacillus have demonstrated considerable potential. To elucidate the changes that BS from B. niabensis promote in growth inhibition and biofilm formation, this research performed a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomic profile analysis to compare the metabolic differences between planktonic cells and biofilms of Pseudomonas stutzeri, a pioneer fouling bacteria. The multivariate analysis showed a clear separation between groups with a higher concentration of metabolites in the biofilm than in planktonic cells of P. stutzeri. When planktonic and biofilm stages were treated with BS, some differences were found among them. In planktonic cells, the addition of BS had a minor effect on growth inhibition, but at a metabolic level, NADP+, trehalose, acetone, glucose, and betaine were up-regulated in response to osmotic stress. When the biofilm was treated with the BS, a clear inhibition was observed and metabolites such as glucose, acetic acid, histidine, lactic acid, phenylalanine, uracil, and NADP+ were also up-regulated, while trehalose and histamine were down-regulated in response to the antibacterial effect of the BS.

The Bacterial and Fungal Microbiota of the Mexican Rubiaceae Family Medicinal Plant Bouvardia ternifolia.

Bouvardia ternifolia is a medicinal plant considered a source of therapeutic compounds, like the antitumoral cyclohexapeptide bouvardin. It is known that large number of secondary metabolites produced by plants results from the interaction of the host and adjacent or embedded microorganisms. Using high-throughput DNA sequencing of V3-16S and V5-18S ribosomal gene libraries, we characterized the endophytic, endophytic + epiphyte bacterial, and fungal communities associated to flowers, leaves, stems, and roots, as well as the rhizosphere. The Proteobacteria (average 80.7%) and Actinobacteria (average 14.7%) were the most abundant bacterial phyla, while Leotiomycetes (average 54.8%) and Dothideomycetes (average 27.4%) were the most abundant fungal classes. Differential abundance for the bacterial endophyte group showed a predominance of Erwinia, Propionibacterium, and Microbacterium genera, while Sclerotinia, Coccomyces, and Calycina genera predominated for fungi. The predictive metagenome analysis for bacteria showed significative abundance of pathways for secondary metabolite production, while a FUNguild analysis revealed the presence of pathotroph, symbiotroph, and saprotrophs in the fungal community. Intra and inter copresence and mutual exclusion interactions were identified for bacterial and fungal kingdoms in the endophyte communities. This work provides a description of the diversity and composition of bacterial and fungal microorganisms living in flowers, leaves, stems, roots, and the rhizosphere of this medicinal plant; thus, it paves the way towards an integral understanding in the production of therapeutic metabolites.

Untargeted 1 H-NMR Metabolome of Celery During Fusarium Wilt: Implications for Vegetable Quality.

Celery is a vegetable widely consumed as a condiment to prepare diverse dishes around the world. Nevertheless, this plant is susceptible to the attack of several phytopathogens including those of the Fusarium genus which is translated into devastating losses for the production chain. Herein we report on the metabolic changes produced during the celery wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum which was determined through untargeted 1 H-NMR metabolomics. The changes in the metabolite content of celery were measured at 16, 24, and 32 days post-inoculation using viable conidia obtained from the native F. oxysporum strain FO3. Our results demonstrated that the parasitic activity of the fungus reduced the endogenous levels of free sugars (fructose, galactose, glucose isomers, mannose, Myo-inositol, mannitol, and sucrose) amino acids (alanine, aspartate GABA, glutamate, glutamine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, proline, threonine, tyrosine, and valine), nucleosides (adenosine, cytidine, guanosine, and uridine) and organic acids (citric acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, and succinic acid). Interestingly, the levels of tyrosine and tryptophan were triggered as a consequence of F. oxysporum infection. This tendency was correlated with an increase in the levels of chlorogenic acid, apiin, and apigenin derivatives, suggesting their involvement in the chemical defense of celery against fungal colonization. According to principal component analysis (PCA) and Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) methanol was the main differential metabolite and it was considered as a new chemical marker associated with F. oxysporum infection. Our results demonstrate that infected celery plants dramatically reduced their nutritional and nutraceutical contents during Fusarium wilt after 32 days post-inoculation. However, these findings also suggest that the phenylpropanoid pathway is strongly related with the chemical defense of celery against F. oxysporum.

The Entero-Mammary Pathway and Perinatal Transmission of Gut Microbiota and SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 is a severe respiratory disease threatening pregnant women, which increases the possibility of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Several recent studies have demonstrated the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect the mother enterocytes, disturbing the gut microbiota diversity. The aim of this study was to characterize the entero-mammary microbiota of women in the presence of the virus during delivery. Fifty mother−neonate pairs were included in a transversal descriptive work. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in nasopharyngeal, mother rectal swabs (MRS) and neonate rectal swabs (NRS) collected from the pairs, and human colostrum (HC) samples collected from mothers. The microbiota diversity was characterized by high-throughput DNA sequencing of V3-16S rRNA gene libraries prepared from HC, MRS, and NRS. Data were analyzed with QIIME2 and R. Our results indicate that several bacterial taxa are highly abundant in MRS positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. These bacteria mostly belong to the Firmicutes phylum; for instance, the families Bifidobacteriaceae, Oscillospiraceae, and Microbacteriaceae have been previously associated with anti-inflammatory effects, which could explain the capability of women to overcome the infection. All samples, both positive and negative for SARS-CoV-2, featured a high abundance of the Firmicutes phylum. Further data analysis showed that nearly 20% of the bacterial diversity found in HC was also identified in MRS. Spearman correlation analysis highlighted that some genera of the Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria phyla were negatively correlated with MRS and NRS (p < 0.005). This study provides new insights into the gut microbiota of pregnant women and their potential association with a better outcome during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Exploring Agro-Industrial By-Products: Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Capacity, and Phytochemical Profiling via FI-ESI-FTICR-MS Untargeted Analysis.

This study investigates agro-industrial by-products as sources of bioactive compounds, particularly focusing on phenolic compounds known for their antioxidant properties. With growing interest in natural alternatives to synthetic antioxidants due to safety concerns, this study highlights the health benefits of plant-derived phenolic compounds in food preservation and healthcare products. Traditional and advanced analytical techniques were used to obtain phytochemical profiles of various residue extracts, including espresso (SCG) and cold-brew spent coffee grounds (CBCG), pineapple peel (PP), beetroot pomace (BP), apple pomace (AP), black carrot pomace (BCP), and garlic peel (GP). Assessments of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacity (AC) supported their revalorization. CBCG showed the highest TPC, TFC, and AC. TPC content in by-products decreased in the order CBCG > SCG > GP > BCP > PP > AP > BP, with a similar trend for TFC and AC. Phytochemical profiling via FI-ESI-FTICR-MS enabled the preliminary putative identification of a range of compounds, with polyphenols and terpenes being the most abundant. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed key patterns among samples. Strong positive correlations (Pearson's R > 0.8) indicated significant contribution of polyphenols to antioxidant capacities. These findings highlight the potential of agro-industrial residues as natural antioxidants, advocating for their sustainable utilization.

Post Natal Microbial and Metabolite Transmission: The Path from Mother to Infant.

The entero-mammary pathway is a specialized route that selectively translocates bacteria to the newborn's gut, playing a crucial role in neonatal development. Previous studies report shared bacterial and archaeal taxa between human milk and neonatal intestine. However, the functional implications for neonatal development are not fully understood due to limited evidence. This study aimed to identify and characterize the microbiota and metabolome of human milk, mother, and infant stool samples using high-throughput DNA sequencing and FT-ICR MS methodology at delivery and 4 months post-partum. Twenty-one mothers and twenty-five infants were included in this study. Our results on bacterial composition suggest vertical transmission of bacteria through breastfeeding, with major changes occurring during the first 4 months of life. Metabolite chemical characterization sheds light on the growing complexity of the metabolites. Further data integration and network analysis disclosed the interactions between different bacteria and metabolites in the biological system as well as possible unknown pathways. Our findings suggest a shared bacteriome in breastfed mother-neonate pairs, influenced by maternal lifestyle and delivery conditions, serving as probiotic agents in infants for their healthy development. Also, the presence of food biomarkers in infants suggests their origin from breast milk, implying selective vertical transmission of these features.

Carbon and Oxygen Isotopic Ratio Analysis by FT ICR MS for Natural Vanillin Authentication.

Vanillin is the main component of vanilla flavor and is naturally produced from an orchid. However, due to the high cost and time-intensive nature of cultivating natural vanilla pods, most of the vanillin is mainly artificially manufactured. Existing methodologies, such as isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and site-specific natural isotopic fractionation by nuclear magnetic resonance (SNIF-NMR), are employed to differentiate natural vanillin from other sources based on carbon and hydrogen isotope measurements. Nevertheless, these methods have limitations, as the carbon isotopic ratio can be counterfeited by adding commercially available enriched vanillin. For this research, we purified 1 mg of vanillin from pods from various geographical and botanical sources. We developed a novel method for analyzing 13C/12C and 18O/16O isotopic ratios of vanillin using direct injection analysis coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). This innovative approach enables the examination of bulk vanillin carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios, as well as specific molecular fragments. By analyzing a characteristic vanillin fragment that provides site-specific 18O/16O isotopic ratio data, we achieved superior clustering and discrimination of samples based on their botanical source and geographical origin. Our proposed method holds significant potential for vanillin authentication and can be performed using a mere 20 µg of pure vanillin in just 10 min of analysis time. Subsequent research should focus on acquiring additional vanillin samples from diverse botanical, geographical, and biosynthetic origins while exploring various isotopic ratios to further enhance the reproducibility and reliability of this methodology.

Adsorption and Photodegradation of Lanasol Yellow 4G in Aqueous Solution by Natural Zeolite Treated by CO2-Laser Radiation.

Natural zeolite is a widely used material with excellent environmental cleaning performance, especially in water and wastewater treatment. Natural zeolite (Zini) calcined by CO2-laser radiation (ZL) was tested as a catalyst for the photodegradation and the adsorption of industrial azo dye Lanasol Yellow 4G (LY4G) in water. Morphology, chemical structure, and surface composition of Zini and ZL were analyzed by XRD, SEM, EDS, and XPS. UV/Visible spectrophotometry was used to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of Zini and ZL. The photocatalytic activity of the studied zeolites was associated with the presence of Fe oxides in their composition. Laser-treated natural zeolite showed higher efficiency as a photocatalyst compared to untreated natural zeolite.

Gut Microbiota Associated with Gestational Health Conditions in a Sample of Mexican Women.

Gestational diabetes (GD), pre-gestational diabetes (PD), and pre-eclampsia (PE) are morbidities affecting gestational health which have been associated with dysbiosis of the mother's gut microbiota. This study aimed to assess the extent of change in the gut microbiota diversity, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) production, and fecal metabolites profile in a sample of Mexican women affected by these disorders. Fecal samples were collected from women with GD, PD, or PE in the third trimester of pregnancy, along with clinical and biochemical data. Gut microbiota was characterized by high-throughput DNA sequencing of V3-16S rRNA gene libraries; SCFA and metabolites were measured by High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and (Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), respectively, in extracts prepared from feces. Although the results for fecal microbiota did not show statistically significant differences in alfa diversity for GD, PD, and PE concerning controls, there was a difference in beta diversity for GD versus CO, and a high abundance of Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes and Bacteroidota among gestational health conditions. DESeq2 analysis revealed bacterial genera associated with each health condition; the Spearman's correlation analyses showed selected anthropometric, biochemical, dietary, and SCFA metadata associated with specific bacterial abundances, and although the HPLC did not show relevant differences in SCFA content among the studied groups, FT-ICR MS disclosed the presence of interesting metabolites of complex phenolic, valeric, arachidic, and caprylic acid nature. The major conclusion of our work is that GD, PD, and PE are associated with fecal bacterial microbiota profiles, with distinct predictive metagenomes.

Synthesis, Controlled Release, and Stability on Storage of Chitosan-Thyme Essential Oil Nanocapsules for Food Applications.

The nanoencapsulation of thyme essential oil has been greatly important in food science, given its remarkable antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity. However, its analysis in storage has not been established in terms of physical stability, antioxidant capacity, and release studies. In this paper, chitosan-thyme oil nanocapsules were prepared by the ionic gelation method. These were characterized for differential calorimetry, release kinetic, and infrared spectroscopy. The chitosan-thyme oil nanocapsules were stored at 4 and 25 °C for 5 weeks, the changes in particle size, zeta potential, stability (diffuse reflectance), and antioxidant capacity were analyzed and associated with nanocapsules' functionality. The results show that the storage time and temperature significantly modify the particle size (keeping the nano-size throughout the storage), the release of the bioactive was Fickian with t0.193 according to Korsmery & Peppas and best described by Higuchi model associated with changes in the zeta potential from 8 mV to -11 mV at 4 °C. The differential scanning calorimetry and infrared spectroscopy results confirm the good integration of the components. The antioxidant capacity revealed a direct relationship with residual oil concentration with a decrease in the ABTS test of 15% at 4 °C and 37% at 25 °C. The residual bioactive content was 77% at 4 °C and 62% at 25 °C, confirming nanoencapsulation effectiveness. The present investigation provides helpful information so that these systems can be applied in food conservation.

Influence of moderate beer consumption on human gut microbiota and its impact on fasting glucose and ß-cell function.

Beer is a beverage that has been consumed worldwide for thousands of years due to social, religious, and cultural reasons; it contains polyphenolic compounds as well as phenolic acids with a potential positive effect on human health. This study aimed to explore the impact of moderate beer consumption on human health and gut microbiota diversity. Three hundred fifty-five mL of non-alcoholic beer (NAB) or alcoholic beer (AB) were consumed daily by the participants for 30 days in each study. Anthropometric measures, blood samples for biochemistry, and fecal samples for microbiota analysis were collected on Day 1 and Day 30. Microbial diversity was characterized by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rDNA libraries, and data were analyzed using the QIIME pipeline. We found that NAB and AB have effects on the composition of the gut microbiota, favoring the proliferation of Bacteroidetes with respect to Firmicutes. No increase in weight, waist, and hip parameters was observed, and the liver and lipid profile values were not modified for NAB. In addition, the consumption of NAB induced a decrease in fasting blood serum glucose and an increase in functional ß cells, while, on the other hand, there was an increase in blood serum glucose and a decrease in functional ß cells with the consumption of AB. In general, beer consumption neither changed anthropometric values, nor affected liver function. Although the glucose values decreased with NAB or increased with AB, they remained within the normal range. Our conclusion is that moderate consumption of NAB has a positive effect on human health via supplementation of biological active polyphenol and phenolic acids, and by enrichment of the gut microbiota diversity with beneficial bacteria, while the presence of alcohol in AB interferes with this effect. More work should be done on this topic before general conclusions are drawn.