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Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Anticancerogenic Activity in Lacmellea edulis H. Karst., at Different Stages of Maturity
(MDPI AG, 2025-10-14)
Elena Coyago-Cruz
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ZÚÑIGA MIRANDA, JOHANA JANINA
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Gabriela Méndez
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Melany Alomoto
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Steven Vélez-Vite
Lacmellea edulis, traditionally known as chicle, is a species that has received little attention despite its nutraceutical potential. This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics (pH, soluble solids, titratable acidity, moisture, ash, and minerals) and the content of bioactive compounds (vitamin C, organic acids, carotenoids, and phenols) of fruits at different stages of ripeness, as well as their antimicrobial (against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus mutans), antiproliferative and antihaemolytic activity. Bioactive compounds were quantified using liquid chromatography, while biological activities were assessed via spectrophotometric assays. The results revealed a high concentration of ascorbic acid in the ripe pulp (3.0 mg/100 g DW), higher levels of organic acids in the unripe pulp (3947.6 mg/100 g DW), and a high total phenol content in the ripe peel (10,890.9 mg/100 g DW). The peel exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (63.3 mmol ET/100 g DW). Regarding antimicrobial activity, the pulp exhibited the lowest MIC values against E. coli (2.7 mg/mL) and S. mutans (2.6 mg/mL), the peel against S. aureus (21.3 mg/mL) and C. tropicalis (5.3 mg/mL), and the seeds against C. albicans (20.8 mg/mL). Additionally, the peel exhibited the greatest antiproliferative efficacy against cervical (HeLa) and hepatoma (HepG2) cancer cells. None of the evaluated extracts showed significant haemolytic effects, confirming their safety. Overall, L. edulis appears to be a promising source of bioactive metabolites with potential applications in functional foods and pharmaceutical products.
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Engineering xylose metabolism for production of polyhydroxybutyrate in the non-model bacterium Burkholderia sacchari
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2018-05-15)
GUAMAN BAUTISTA, LINDA PRISCILA
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Carlos Barba-Ostria
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Fuzhong Zhang
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Edmar R. Oliveira-Filho
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José Gregório C. Gomez
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Clinical, molecular, and epidemiological characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a comprehensive literature review
(Elsevier BV, 2020-09)
Esteban Ortiz-Prado
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Katherine Simbaña-Rivera
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Lenin Gómez- Barreno
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Mario Rubio-Neira
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GUAMAN BAUTISTA, LINDA PRISCILA
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High—throughput and automated screening for COVID-19
(Frontiers Media SA, 2022-09-15)
Nestor Jonguitud-Borrego
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Koray Malcı
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Mihir Anand
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Erikan Baluku
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Calum Webb
<jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global challenge for the healthcare systems of many countries with 6 million people having lost their lives and 530 million more having tested positive for the virus. Robust testing and a comprehensive track and trace process for positive patients are essential for effective pandemic control, leading to high demand for diagnostic testing. In order to comply with demand and increase testing capacity worldwide, automated workflows have come into prominence as they enable high-throughput screening, faster processing, exclusion of human error, repeatability, reproducibility and diagnostic precision. The gold standard for COVID-19 testing so far has been RT-qPCR, however, different SARS-CoV-2 testing methods have been developed to be combined with high throughput testing to improve diagnosis. Case studies in China, Spain and the United Kingdom have been reviewed and automation has been proven to be promising for mass testing. Free and Open Source scientific and medical Hardware (FOSH) plays a vital role in this matter but there are some challenges to be overcome before automation can be fully implemented. This review discusses the importance of automated high-throughput testing, the different equipment available, the bottlenecks of its implementation and key selected case studies that due to their high effectiveness are already in use in hospitals and research centres.</jats:p>
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Tracking SARS-CoV-2: Novel Trends and Diagnostic Strategies
(MDPI AG, 2021-10-26)
GUAMAN BAUTISTA, LINDA PRISCILA
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Erick Moreta-Urbano
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Claudia G. Oña-Arias
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Marbel Torres-Arias
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Nikolaos C. Kyriakidis
<jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on economies and health systems globally, therefore a top priority is the development of increasingly better diagnostic and surveillance alternatives to slow down the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In order to establish massive testing and contact tracing policies, it is crucial to have a clear view of the diagnostic options available and their principal advantages and drawbacks. Although classical molecular methods such as RT-qPCR are broadly used, diagnostic alternatives based on technologies such as LAMP, antigen, serological testing, or the application of novel technologies such as CRISPR-Cas for diagnostics, are also discussed. The present review also discusses the most important automation strategies employed to increase testing capability. Several serological-based diagnostic kits are presented, as well as novel nanotechnology-based diagnostic methods. In summary, this review provides a clear diagnostic landscape of the most relevant tools to track COVID-19.</jats:p>
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In silico Analyses of Immune System Protein Interactome Network, Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Human Tissues, and Artificial Neural Networks Reveal Potential Therapeutic Targets for Drug Repurposing Against COVID-19
(Frontiers Media SA, 2021-02-26)
Andrés López-Cortés
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GUEVARA RAMIREZ, ALEXANDRA PATRICIA
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Nikolaos C. Kyriakidis
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Carlos Barba-Ostria
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Ángela León Cáceres
<jats:p><jats:bold>Background:</jats:bold>There is pressing urgency to identify therapeutic targets and drugs that allow treating COVID-19 patients effectively.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methods:</jats:bold>We performed<jats:italic>in silico</jats:italic>analyses of immune system protein interactome network, single-cell RNA sequencing of human tissues, and artificial neural networks to reveal potential therapeutic targets for drug repurposing against COVID-19.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results:</jats:bold>We screened 1,584 high-confidence immune system proteins in ACE2 and TMPRSS2 co-expressing cells, finding 25 potential therapeutic targets significantly overexpressed in nasal goblet secretory cells, lung type II pneumocytes, and ileal absorptive enterocytes of patients with several immunopathologies. Then, we performed fully connected deep neural networks to find the best multitask classification model to predict the activity of 10,672 drugs, obtaining several approved drugs, compounds under investigation, and experimental compounds with the highest area under the receiver operating characteristics.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusion:</jats:bold>After being effectively analyzed in clinical trials, these drugs can be considered for treatment of severe COVID-19 patients. Scripts can be downloaded at<jats:ext-link>https://github.com/muntisa/immuno-drug-repurposing-COVID-19</jats:ext-link>.</jats:p>
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Evaluation of Biological Activity of Natural Compounds: Current Trends and Methods
(MDPI AG, 2022-07-13)
Carlos Barba-Ostria
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Saskya E. Carrera-Pacheco
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GONZALEZ PASTOR, REBECA EUGENIA
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Cristina Rodríguez-Pólit
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HEREDIA MOYA, JORGE HUMBERTO
<jats:p>Natural compounds have diverse structures and are present in different forms of life. Metabolites such as tannins, anthocyanins, and alkaloids, among others, serve as a defense mechanism in live organisms and are undoubtedly compounds of interest for the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Plants, bacteria, and insects represent sources of biomolecules with diverse activities, which are in many cases poorly studied. To use these molecules for different applications, it is essential to know their structure, concentrations, and biological activity potential. In vitro techniques that evaluate the biological activity of the molecules of interest have been developed since the 1950s. Currently, different methodologies have emerged to overcome some of the limitations of these traditional techniques, mainly via reductions in time and costs. These emerging technologies continue to appear due to the urgent need to expand the analysis capacity of a growing number of reported biomolecules. This review presents an updated summary of the conventional and relevant methods to evaluate the natural compounds’ biological activity in vitro.</jats:p>
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Protective role of butyrate in obesity and diabetes: New insights
(Frontiers Media SA, 2022-11-24)
MAYORGA RAMOS, ARIANNA CAROLINA
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Carlos Barba-Ostria
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SIMANCAS RACINES, DANIEL ALEJANDRO
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GUAMAN BAUTISTA, LINDA PRISCILA
<jats:p>Studies in human microbiota dysbiosis have shown that short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like propionate, acetate, and particularly butyrate, positively affect energy homeostasis, behavior, and inflammation. This positive effect can be demonstrated in the reduction of butyrate-producing bacteria observed in the gut microbiota of individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and other energy-associated metabolic alterations. Butyrate is the major end product of dietary fiber bacterial fermentation in the large intestine and serves as the primary energy source for colonocytes. In addition, it plays a key role in reducing glycemia and improving body weight control and insulin sensitivity. The major mechanisms involved in butyrate regulation include key signaling pathways such as AMPK, p38, HDAC inhibition, and cAMP production/signaling. Treatment strategies using butyrate aim to increase its intestine levels, bioavailability, and improvement in delivery either through direct supplementation or by increasing dietary fiber in the diet, which ultimately generates a higher production of butyrate in the gut. In the final part of this review, we present a summary of the most relevant studies currently being carried out in humans.</jats:p>
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Current Landscape of Methods to Evaluate Antimicrobial Activity of Natural Extracts
(MDPI AG, 2023-01-20)
GONZALEZ PASTOR, REBECA EUGENIA
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Saskya E. Carrera-Pacheco
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ZUÑIGA MIRANDA, JOHANA JANINA
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Cristina Rodríguez-Pólit
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MAYORGA RAMOS, ARIANNA CAROLINA
<jats:p>Natural extracts have been and continue to be used to treat a wide range of medical conditions, from infectious diseases to cancer, based on their convenience and therapeutic potential. Natural products derived from microbes, plants, and animals offer a broad variety of molecules and chemical compounds. Natural products are not only one of the most important sources for innovative drug development for animal and human health, but they are also an inspiration for synthetic biology and chemistry scientists towards the discovery of new bioactive compounds and pharmaceuticals. This is particularly relevant in the current context, where antimicrobial resistance has risen as a global health problem. Thus, efforts are being directed toward studying natural compounds’ chemical composition and bioactive potential to generate drugs with better efficacy and lower toxicity than existing molecules. Currently, a wide range of methodologies are used to analyze the in vitro activity of natural extracts to determine their suitability as antimicrobial agents. Despite traditional technologies being the most employed, technological advances have contributed to the implementation of methods able to circumvent issues related to analysis capacity, time, sensitivity, and reproducibility. This review produces an updated analysis of the conventional and current methods to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of natural compounds.</jats:p>
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Current landscape and future directions of synthetic biology in South America
(Frontiers Media SA, 2023-02-10)
E. Sebastian Gomez-Hinostroza
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Nicolás Gurdo
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María Victoria Gracia Alvan Vargas
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Pablo I. Nikel
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María-Eugenia Guazzaroni
<jats:p>Synthetic biology (SynBio) is a rapidly advancing multidisciplinary field in which South American countries such as Chile, Argentina, and Brazil have made notable contributions and have established leadership positions in the region. In recent years, efforts have strengthened SynBio in the rest of the countries, and although progress is significant, growth has not matched that of the aforementioned countries. Initiatives such as iGEM and TECNOx have introduced students and researchers from various countries to the foundations of SynBio. Several factors have hindered progress in the field, including scarce funding from both public and private sources for synthetic biology projects, an underdeveloped biotech industry, and a lack of policies to promote bio-innovation. However, open science initiatives such as the DIY movement and OSHW have helped to alleviate some of these challenges. Similarly, the abundance of natural resources and biodiversity make South America an attractive location to invest in and develop SynBio projects.</jats:p>

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