María Dolores Hernández-Navarro

Antioxidant, Antinociceptive, and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Carotenoids Extracted from Dried Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Carotenoids extracted from dried peppers were evaluated for their antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Peppers had a substantial carotenoid content: guajillo 3406 ± 4 μg/g, pasilla 2933 ± 1 μg/g, and ancho 1437 ± 6 μg/g of sample in dry weight basis. A complex mixture of carotenoids was discovered in each pepper extract. The TLC analysis revealed the presence of chlorophylls in the pigment extract from pasilla and ancho peppers. Guajillo pepper carotenoid extracts exhibited good antioxidant activity and had the best scavenging capacity for the DPPH+ cation (24.2%). They also exhibited significant peripheral analgesic activity at 5, 20, and 80 mg/kg and induced central analgesia at 80 mg/kg. The results suggest that the carotenoids in dried guajillo peppers have significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory benefits and could be useful for pain and inflammation relief.

Effect of Chia Seed on Physicochemical and Sensory Characteristics of Common Carp Restructured as Functional Food

Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of restructured meat of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fortified with 0-8 g/100 g of chia seed flour (CSF) was evaluated. It had a higher nutritional value (higher fibre content and protein retention] (p < 0.05) and better cooking characteristics (higher cooking yield and moisture retention) (p < 0.05) than the control. The colour (a*, b*) increased; lightness and whiteness index decrease (p < 0.05). Hardness increase (p < 0.05) occurred because of CSF addition. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that fibre fortification did not interfere with the thermal transitions of the restructured meat. No significant differences were detected with the preference test scores of 4% or 8% CSF compared with the control. Restructured (4%-8% CSF) had a higher content of fibre and fat, which could be linoleic and linolenic acid, and an increase in the content of protein compared with those of commercial products, among had 1.62 and 2.25 mg AGE/g. Therefore, the restructured properties of common carp were governed by CSF addition.

Toxicological hazard induced by sucralose to environmentally relevant concentrations in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Sucralose (SUC) is an artificial sweetener that is now widely used in North American and Europe; it has been detected in a wide variety of aquatic environments. It is considered safe for human consumption but its effects in the ecosystem have not yet been studied in depth, since limited ecotoxicological data are available in the peer-reviewed literature. This study aimed to evaluate potential SUC-induced toxicological hazard in the blood, brain, gill, liver and muscle of Cyprinus carpio using oxidative stress biomarkers. Carps were exposed to two different environmentally relevant concentrations (0.05 and 155μgL-1) for different exposure times (12, 24, 48, 72 and 96h). The following biomarkers were evaluated: lipid peroxidation (LPX), hydroperoxide content (HPC) and protein carbonyl content (PCC), as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). SUC was determined by high pressure liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry techniques (HPLC)-MS/MS. Results show a statically significant increase in LPX, HPC, PCC (P<0.05) especially in gill, brain and muscle, as well as significant changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes in gill and muscle. Furthermore, the biomarkers employed in this study are useful in the assessment of the environmental impact of this agent on aquatic species.

Anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of an aqueous extract of Tanacetum parthenium L. Schultz-Bip (Asteraceae) in mice

AIM Tanacetum parthenium L. Schultz-Bip (Asteraceae) is widely used worldwide in traditional medicine for the treatment of convulsions and culture-bound syndromes such as susto (fear). The aim of this work was to evaluate the anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of an aqueous extract of T. parthenium in behavioral paradigms in mice. The effects of T. parthenium were compared with those produced by anxiolytic and antidepressant drugs. We carried out the chemical characterization of the main constituents of T. parthenium. The involvement with the GABAergic and serotoninergic neurotransmitter systems were explored be means of synergic and antagonist experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS The anxiolytic-like effect was evaluated using the Burying Behavior Test (BBT) and the Elevated Plus-Maze Test (PMT). The antidepressant-like effect was evaluated in the Forced Swimming Test (FST), and ambulatory activity was assessed in the Open Field Test (OFT). Employing the behavioral tests, synergism and antagonism experiments with Alprazolam, Muscimol, and Picrotoxin were carried out in the PMT. In a series of independent experiments, concomitant administration of T. parthenium and Alprazolam, Fluoxetine, or p-chlorophenylalanine were conducted in the FST. For chemical characterization, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electro Spray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) analysis was performed. RESULTS T. parthenium exerts clear anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects in mice, without affecting the ambulatory activity of the experimental subjects. CONCLUSIONS Anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like T. parthenium effects result, at least part from the involvement of the GABAergic system. Our results support the use of Tanacetum parthenium in traditional medicine and suggest its therapeutic potential in the comorbid anxiety and depression.

Effect of Chitosan Edible Coating on the Biochemical and Physical Characteristics of Carp Fillet (Cyprinus carpio) Stored at −18°C

The effect of an edible coating (EC) with 1.5% chitosan as an additive, on common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fillet, was determined evaluating the biochemical, physicochemical, textural, microbiological, and nutritional characteristics periodically during its storage in the freezer (−18°C), observing a decrease in the rate of biochemical reactions related to degradation (p < 0.05), hydroperoxides content (HPC) (0.8324 nM hydroperoxides/mg of protein versus 0.5540 nM/mg with regard to the EC sample), as well as protein carbonyl content (PCC) (0.5860 nM versus 0.4743 nM of reactive carbonyl groups/mg of protein of noncoated material), keeping properties for a longer period of time, and a lower protein solubility (7.8 mg of supernatant protein/mg of total protein versus 6.8 mg/mg) and less loss of moisture (8% less, with regard to EC); for the nutritional characteristics of the fillet, lysine is the limiting aminoacid in the sample without EC, while leucine is the limiting aminoacid for the EC sample. According to microbial growth, the count was 2.2 × 105 CFU/g of sample in mesophiles versus 4.7 × 104 in the EC sample. The results indicate that the use of EC added with chitosan maintains the quality of the product regarding lipid and protein oxidation until fourth month of storage, maintaining moisture content without variation for at least 3 months, and inhibits microbial growth up to 2 logarithmic units, during five months of frozen storage.

Background to the Emergence of Ecopharmacovigilance

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is an issue that has taken on importance since the 1990s, when the first cases of harmful effects to organisms caused by exposure to these compounds present in the environment were demonstrated, and which currently continues emerging as an area whose knowledge increases day by day. Recent studies report that there is literature that in some way is related to the PiE since the 1950s; in this chapter, we will make a brief account of some of the important historical events that led to the term that encompasses this type of studies, ecopharmacovigilance, and how it began to develop knowledge about the life cycle of PiE.

Occurrence of Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

Roughly 4,000 pharmaceuticals are manufactured and marketed in the world for use in the treatment, prevention, and diagnosis of diverse diseases in humans and animals. Once their role in body systems has been accomplished, these compounds are excreted from the body, having aquatic ecosystems as their final destination. Pharmaceuticals are also released into the environment as a result of manufacturing processes and inadequate disposal of unused or expired medications. The environmental concentrations that have been detected in water systems are usually at trace levels (ng L−1 to μg L−1) since removal in sewage treatment plants is not significant for most pharmaceuticals as these facilities have not been designed to reduce or eliminate these contaminants, representing instead a continuous contribution to the environment. Effluents have been identified as the main entry route of pharmaceuticals into the environment. This chapter aims to review, compile, and analyze research studies on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environment.

Ecotoxicological Studies of Pharmaceuticals in Aquatic Organisms

Pharmaceuticals are widely used in human and veterinary medicine as well as agriculture and aquaculture to heal and save lives since they have been designed to interact specifically with biochemical mechanisms in higher vertebrate species at low concentrations. However, adverse effects on nontarget species may be possible despite the generally low toxicity of these compounds in mammalian species and the low levels found in the environment. The level of damage induced on aquatic organisms depends on the concentration to which they are exposed, the biological activity and toxicity of the pharmaceutical, its history of use, and its persistence in the environment. Studies on the ecotoxicity of pharmaceuticals are limited in number and are based primarily on acute toxicity studies and a few results about chronic effects on aquatic species. This chapter seeks to conduct an up-to-date review of published reports dealing with ecotoxicological studies of pharmaceuticals in aquatic organisms.