Ácidos grasos omega-3 en el tratamiento de los trastornos del espectro autista / Omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders

Los trastornos del espectro autista incluyen un grupo heterogéneo de trastornos del neurodesarrollo que se caracterizan por deficiencias en la interacción social, comunicación y aprendizaje, así como patrones de conducta restrictivos y reiterativos. A pesar de su inicio en la infancia, estos pacientes presentan afectación clínica también en la edad adulta. Los tratamientos farmacológicos son empleados de forma muy habitual a pesar de presentar escasa evidencia de su efectividad en pacientes adultos con estos trastornos. En el contexto de una profundización en la etiopatogenia del autismo y la búsqueda de alternativas terapéuticas que puedan demostrar eficacia, recientemente se han llevado a cabo estudios en relación con el posible déficit y uso clínico de ácidos grasos omega-3 en pacientes con trastornos del espectro autista. A continuación se presenta el caso clínico de una paciente adulta con autismo a quien los tratamientos farmacológicos empleados durante años no habían resultado eficaces, apareciendo alteraciones analíticas como efectos adversos, planteándose entonces el tratamiento con ácidos grasos omega-3, con buen resultado posterior (AU)

Autism spectrum disorders include a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by social communication and learning disabilities, as well as restrictive and repetitive behaviours. Although the early onset of autism spectrum disorders appears in childhood, they should be considered lifelong clinical conditions. Although here is insufficient evidence on the use of pharmacological treatments for autistic adults, they are commonly prescribed in this group of patients. In the context of increasing the knowledge of the aetiopathogenesis of autism and the search for effective strategies, various studies have been carried out recently related with a deficiency of polyunsaturated fatty acids in autism spectrum disorders and the efficacy of omega-3 supplementation. This article presents the case of an adult patient with autism who was treated with a variety of medications with poor results, as well as a biochemical disturbance as side effects, and was started on treatment with omega-3 fatty acids supplements, with marked improvements (AU)

Nontargeted GC-MS approach for volatile profile of toasting in cherry, chestnut, false acacia, and ash wood.

By using a nontargeted GC-MS approach, 153 individual volatile compounds were found in extracts from untoasted, light toasted and medium-toasted cherry, chestnut, false acacia, as well as European and American ash wood, used in cooperage for aging wines, spirits and other beverages. In all wood types, the toasting provoked a progressive increase in carbohydrate derivatives, lactones and lignin constituents, along with a variety of other components, thus increasing the quantitative differences among species with the toasting intensity. The qualitative differences in the volatile profiles allow for identifying woods from cherry (being p-anisylalcohol, p-anisylaldehyde, p-anisylacetone, methyl benzoate and benzyl salicylate detected only in this wood), chestnut (cis and trans whisky lactone) and false acacia (resorcinol, 3,4-dimethoxyphenol, 2,4-dihydroxy benzaldehyde, 2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone, 2,4-dihydroxypropiophenone and 2,4-dihydroxy-3-methoxyacetophenone), but not those from ash, because of the fact that all compounds present in this wood are detected in at least one other. However, the quantitative differences can be clearly used to identify toasted ash wood, with tyrosol being most prominent, but 2-furanmethanol, 3- and 4-ethylcyclotene, α-methylcrotonolactone, solerone, catechol, 3-methylcatechol and 3-hydroxybenzaldehyde as well. Regarding oak wood, its qualitative volatile profile could be enough to distinguish it from cherry and acacia woods, and the quantitative differences from chestnut (vanillyl ethyl ether, isoacetovanillone, butirovanillone, 1-(5-methyl-2-furyl)-2-propanone and 4-hydroxy-5,6-dihydro-(2H)-pyran-2-one) and ash toasted woods.