The objective of this study was to characterize the morphological and nutritional properties of sorghum genotypes to determine their viability in the food industry. Phenological traits, grain morphology, and proximate composition were evaluated under a randomized complete block design in Río Bravo, Tamaulipas. Results showed genotypes (ANZU1444 and RB-Pirulí) with protein levels exceeding 12%, significantly surpassing the Sureño control. A strong negative correlation was found between protein and fat (r = -0.88), and a positive correlation between corneous endosperm and bulk density (r = 0.65). The absence of tannins and high mineral density confirm that this germplasm is a nutritious and strategic alternative for the industrial sector in semi-arid regions.
Enterococcus species are opportunistic pathogens frequently associated with hospital-acquired infections and biofilm formation. Hospital wastewater may act as a selective environment favoring the persistence of strains carrying virulence-associated traits. In this study, isolates of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium obtained from hospital effluents were evaluated for biofilm formation, gelatinase activity, and the presence of virulence-associated genes. A total of 60 isolates were randomly selected from wastewater samples collected from three public hospitals in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. Biofilm formation and gelatinase activity were evaluated using microtiter plate and nutrient gelatin assays. The presence of the quorum-sensing operon fsrABC and the gelatinase gene gelE was analyzed by PCR, while transcripts were detected by RT-PCR. E. faecium isolates exhibited stronger biofilm formation compared to E. faecalis, and several isolates carried both fsrABC and gelE. Although transcripts of some fsr components were not detected in E. faecium, gelatinase activity and gelE transcripts were observed in representative strains. These findings suggest that hospital wastewater may serve as a reservoir of enterococci with virulence-associated characteristics.
Accumulating evidence has emphasized the role of inflammation in the development and progression of Diabetic Nephropathy (DN), the leading cause of end-stage renal failure worldwide. Recently, changes in the expression of certain microRNAs, have emerged as potential and relevant markers both for DN and its linked inflammatory process. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize recent findings on the dysregulated microRNAs that show a relationship with DN. Visualizing possible candidates to be considered for inflammatory biomarkers of DN was another goal. We analyzed studies in PUBMED, Web of Science and Science Direct, published from 2012 to 2022. From 34 independent studies that met specific inclusion criteria, we identified 45 dysregulated microRNAs linked to inflammatory pathways. Using the miRNet 2.0 platform, we identify 63 microRNAs DN related and, after the comparison of these microRNAs with the ones obtained in our systematic review 7 microRNAs were matching. We performed enrichment analysis of the target genes using STRING in KEGG, GO, and Reactome databases to screen the inflammatory-related pathways of the microRNAs identified. We focused on explaining the possible relationship between these seven microRNAs and the inflammatory process in DN.
Botrytis cinerea es uno de los principales agentes fitopatógenos en el cultivo de fresa, causando pérdidas debido a su alta capacidad de infección y supervivencia en tejidos vegetales. En este estudio se evaluó el potencial antifúngico de extractos metanólicos de Larrea tridentata y Lippia graveolens frente a seis aislados de B. cinerea (BtcF01–BtcF06). Se realizó un análisis fitoquímico cualitativo de los extractos y posteriormente se determinó su actividad antifúngica mediante la técnica de microdilución en microplaca, empleando concentraciones entre 2000 y 3.9 mg L⁻¹, así como el cálculo de las concentraciones inhibitorias (CI₅₀ y CI₉₀). El análisis fitoquímico mostró la presencia de flavonoides, taninos, quinonas y saponinas en ambos extractos. En la actividad antifúngica, L. tridentata inhibió completamente todos los aislados desde 500 mg L⁻¹, destacando BtcF03 desde 125 mg L⁻¹. L. graveolens mostró inhibición completa principalmente desde 500 mg L⁻¹, con mayor sensibilidad en BtcF02 y BtcF05 desde 250 mg L⁻¹. La actividad antifúngica se asoció con daño estructural en los conidios, evidenciado por pérdida de refringencia, vacuolización y lisis celular. Estos resultados sugieren el potencial de ambos extractos como alternativas naturales para el control de B. cinerea, aunque se requieren estudios in vivo para validar su eficacia.
The wine industry generates substantial quantities of grapepomace (GP), a lignocellulosic by-product with potential forvalorization as a livestock feed ingredient. Therefore, this studyaimed to characterize the chemical and nutritional compositionof red, white, and pink GP to provide preliminaryevidence of their potential use as animal feed ingredients.The samples were analyzed for proximate composition, fiberfractions, and total sugar, phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanincontents, and were further characterized using Fouriertransforminfrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The chemical andnutritional composition differed among the pomace types.Red GP had the highest crude protein content (12 %, w/w),whereas pink GP contained the highest total phenolic, flavonoid,and anthocyanin contents. White and pink GP had thehighest total sugar content (38 %, w/w). Crude fiber rangedfrom 7 % to 15 % (w/w), while red GP contained 58.49 % neutraldetergent fiber and 19.52 % lignin. The FTIR spectra wereconsistent with a lignocellulosic matrix. Overall, the resultsdemonstrate marked compositional differences among theGP types and support their further investigation as animalfeed ingredients.
