Rita Dolores Medina Muñoz

Biotransformation of Phenolics by Lactobacillus plantarum in Fermented Foods

Abstract Food phenolics exhibit a wide range of beneficial health effects due to their antioxidant properties. Natural phenolic compounds often occur as glycosides, esters, or polymers on which their bioactivity is reduced. Some food phenolics are transformed by the microbiota present during fermentation. This conversion is often essential for absorption and modulates the biological activity of these dietary compounds. Lactobacillus plantarum is the species most frequently used to ferment plant food products where phenolic compounds are abundant. The knowledge of the metabolism of phenolic compounds in L. plantarum is of interest as this bacterium possesses relevant enzymatic activities to obtain bioactive compounds. Complex phenolics are hydrolyzed by L. plantarum to simpler and more biologically active compounds. The complete enzymatic pathways for the biodegradation of polymeric hydroxybenzoic- and hydoxycinnamic-derived compounds are described. The adaptative behavior of L. plantarum under stress induced by phenolics also modulates traits beneficial for its gastrointestinal survival.

Characteristics of the leisure activities that create wellness in tourism destinations

The overall objective of this research is to analyse the conditions and attributes of the leisure activities that create wellness in a tourism context. Firstly, the literature on wellness leisure and wellness tourism demand is examined with a view to identifying major commonalities and patterns. Secondly, an exploratory study of the wellness leisure style of European visitors to Gran Canaria is conducted, covering socio–demographic characteristics, the wellness leisure activities at the place of residence (visits to wellness centres, trips for wellness motives and the reasons of the trip to Gran Canaria), the wellness leisure activities at the destination (visits to wellness centres and the enjoyment of wellness treatments), as well as the conditions and attributes of the leisure activities that are important in choosing wellness destinations.

Crystallographic analysis at atomic resolution of the N-terminal lectin module of the LBL protein from Laccaria bicolor

Crystallographic analysis at atomic resolution of the N-terminal lectin module of the LBL protein from Laccaria bicolor Iván Acebrón,a Blanca de las Rivas,b Rosario Muñoz,b José Miguel Mancheño,a aDepartment of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Instituto de Química Física “Rocasolano”, CSIC, Madrid (Spain). bGroup of Bacterial Biotechnology, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Alimentación y Nutrición, CSIC, Madrid (Spain). E-mail: xivan@iqfr.csic.es