Telefarmacia como estrategia de dispensación coordinada entre Farmacia Hospitalaria y Atención Primaria / Telepharmacy as a strategy for co-ordinated dispensing between Hospital Pharmacy and Primary Care

A partir de la publicación de la Orden Ministerial SND/293/2020,del 25 de marzo, tras la declaración de la emergencia sanitariapor SARS-CoV-2 en España, se diseñaron una serie de medidasque garantizaran la restricción de movilidad de la población sinperjuicio del acceso a los medicamentos hospitalarios. Así, a raízde dicha publicación, en el Servicio de Farmacia Hospitalaria delHospital SAS La Línea se desarrolló un programa de Telefarmaciacon puntos de dispensación en los centros de Atención Primariaadscritos y una consulta telefónica de Atención Farmacéutica.Se realizaron un total de 1.007 dispensaciones en 301 pacientesdurante el periodo de estudio comprendido entre el 1 de julio al15 de noviembre de 2020. Así, al finalizar dicho periodo, 235fueron los pacientes que permanecieron incluidos en el programa de Telefarmacia con una edad media de 64 años y un54,5% (128) mujeres. A estos pacientes, se les enviaron por correo postal una encuesta de satisfacción que podrían devolvervoluntaria y anónimamente al Servicio de Farmacia. Se recibieronun total de 62 encuestas, mostrándose los pacientes satisfechosen un 96,77% (60) con el servicio de entrega, 90,32% (56) conel trato recibido, 87,10% (54) con la puntualidad y 98,39% (61)con las condiciones de conservación en el Centro de Salud.El alto grado de satisfacción de los pacientes encuestadosrefleja que el nuevo programa de Telefarmacia podrían responder a las necesidades individuales de los pacientes,siendo para ello fundamental la coordinación de todos losprofesionales implicados, así como la corresponsabilidad delos pacientes en el control de sus tratamientos.Con los resultados obtenidos en el presente estudio, parece justificado mantener en el futuro los centros de atención primariacomo punto de dispensación junto con un mayor desarrollo dela consulta no presencial de Atención Farmacéutica. (AU)

As of the publication of Ministerial OrderSND/293/2020, of March 25, after thedeclaration of the health emergency dueto SARS-CoV-2 in Spain, a series of measures were designed to guarantee therestriction of population mobility withoutprejudice to access to hospital medications. Thus, as a result of said publication,a telepharmacy program was developedat the clinical pharmacy service of theHospital SAS La Línea with dispensingpoints in the attached Primary Care centers and a Pharmaceutical Care Telephone Consultation.A total of 1,007 dispensations weremade in 301 patients during the studyperiod from July 1 to November 15,2020. Thus, at the end of that period,235 were the patients who remainedincluded in the Telepharmacy programwith a mean age 64 years and 54.5%(128) women. A satisfaction survey wassent to these patients by post, whichthey could return voluntarily and anonymously to the pharmacy service. A totalof 62 surveys were received, showing96.77% (60) satisfied patients with thedelivery service, 90.32% (56) with theattention received, 87.10% (54) withthe punctuality and 98.39% (61) withthe conditions of conservation in thehealth center.The high degree of satisfaction of thesurveyed patients reflects that the newTelepharmacy program could respondto the individual needs of the patients,being essential for this the coordinationof all the professionals involved, as wellas the co-responsibility of the patientsin the control of their treatments.With the results obtained in the present study, it seems justified in the future to maintain primary care centersas a dispensing point together with afurther development of the non-faceto-face consultation of PharmaceuticalCare. (AU)

Nivel de higiene y prevalencia de Porphyromona gingivalis y Fusobacterium nucleatum en pacientes recuperados de SARS-CoV-2 / Hygiene level and prevalence of Porphyromona gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum in recovered SARS-CoV-2 patients

Introducción: El SARS-CoV-2 afecta el sistema respiratorio en diferentes grados. La cavidad oral es el lugar más colonizado por bacterias, por lo tanto, al no tener una adecuada higiene pueden presentarse diferentes enfermedades secundarias, lo que ha causado alerta en el gremio odontológico, ya que puede contribuir a complicaciones posteriores en los pacientes. Material y métodos: El estudio fue conformado por 47 pacientes voluntarios recuperados de SARS-CoV-2, residentes de Montemorelos, Nuevo León, México, donde fueron atendidos en Bucalia Dent, consultorio dental. Después del consentimiento informado de cada paciente, se realizó una historia clínica para conocer los síntomas, enfermedades sistémicas, ausencia de dientes y nivel de inflamación gingival de acuerdo al índice de Loe y Silness. A continuación, se tomó una muestra de biofilm microbiano (placa dentobacteriana), la cual se suspendió en una solución buffer de fosfato, posteriormente fue llevada al Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias de la Salud (CIDICS), Monterrey, N.L, México. Se extrajo DNA y se purificó, después se realizó PCR para detectar los patógenos orales; la PCR se visualizó en gel de agarosa (1.5%) por tinción de bromuro de etidio. Resultados: Se detectó 80.85% Porphyromona gingivalis y 68.09% Fusobacterium nucleatum en pacientes recuperados de SARS-CoV-2; 23.4% presentaron inflamación leve de acuerdo al índice de Loe y Silness, 54.5% fueron masculinos y 45.5% femeninos. Por otro lado, 36.4% de los pacientes con inflamación leve tenían de cuatro a seis dientes ausentes. En estos pacientes se detectó 18.18% únicamente con Fusobacterium nucleatum y 27.27% sólo con Porphyromona gingivalis; el sexo masculino tuvo predisposición en 66.6% y el femenino en 33.33%. Se observó infección con los dos patógenos presentes en 45.45%; y 60% de estos pacientes fueron masculinos. Conclusiones: Los pacientes recuperados de SARSCoV- 2 analizados en esta investigación mostraron mala higiene oral y alta prevalencia de los patógenos mencionados altamente relacionados a inflamación gingival o enfermedad periodontal, lo que nos indica que es indispensable la intervención del odontólogo al finalizar el periodo de infección de cada paciente (AU)

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 affects the respiratory system to different degrees. The oral cavity is a colonized place by bacterias, therefore, by not having good hygiene, different secondary diseases can occur; this has caused an alert in the dental industry, since it can contribute to later complications in patients. Material and methods: The study was conducted in 47 SARS-CoV-2 recovered volunteers from the Montemorelos city of the Nuevo León state, Mexico, who were attended at the Bucalia Dent dental clinic. An informed consent was obtained from each of the patients, then their clinical history was documented in order to know the symptoms, previous systemic diseases, absence of teeth and degree of gingival inflammation, as suggested by Loe and Silness. Subsequently, a dental plaque sample was taken from all patients, which was suspended in a phosphate buffered solution and shipped to The Center for Research and Development in Health Sciences (CIDICS), Monterrey, NL, Mexico for storage. DNA extraction and purification was performed and PCR was carried out for the oral pathogens detection. All PCR products were visualized on 1.5% agarose gel by ethidium bromide staining. Results: Porphyromona gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum were detected in 80.85% and 68.09% of SARS-CoV-2 recovered patients, respectively. 23.4% showed mild inflammation based on the Loe and Silness criteria, 54.5% were male and 45.5% female. On the other hand, 36.4% of patients with mild inflammation had between 4 to 6 missing teeth. A single infection by Fusobacterium nucleatum was detected in 18.18% and by Porphyromona gingivalis in 27.27%; the male sex had a predisposition with 66.66% and 33.33% female; coinfection of both pathogens was observed in 45.45% where 60% were male. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 recovered patients show poor oral hygiene and a high prevalence of oral pathogens related to the development of inflammatory gingival or periodontal disease, this suggests the need for an odontological clinical intervention at the end of the course of infection or disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (AU)

Biodiesel production using microbial lipids derived from food waste discarded by catering services.

Biodiesel production using microbial oil derived from food waste discarded by the hospilatity sector could provide a sustainable replacement for diesel fuel. Discarded potato peels were used in solid-state fermentations of Aspergillus awamori for the production of glucoamylase (30 U/g) and protease (50 U/g). Hospitality food waste hydrolysis led to 98% (w/w) starch to glucose conversion yields. Crude hydrolyzates were used in shake flask fermentations with the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides Y-27012 leading to 32.9 g/L total dry weight (TDW) with 36.4% (w/w) intracellular lipid content. Fed-bath bioreactor cultures resulted in TDW of 53.9 g/L and lipid concentration of 26.7 g/L. Principal component analysis showed a fatty acid profile similar to soybean oil and solid food waste oil. Microbial oil was transesterified into biodiesel with satisfactory performance considering the European standard EN 14214. This work demonstrated that valorization of food waste for biodiesel production is feasible.

Auxiliary energy-assisted biodiesel production data from solid food waste oil.

A number of samples from solid food waste oil (SFWO) from different restaurants have been collected. Data regarding fatty acid profile, acid value, water content and kinematic viscosity were used for characterization purposes. Response surface methodology data has been used to carry out conventional transesterification optimization. The quality of the final product has been checked following the European biodiesel standard EN14214. To compare conventional and ultrasound-assisted transesterification results, energy consumption and reaction time data have been gathered. More information and result interpretation may be found in "Optimization of solid food waste oil biodiesel by ultrasound assisted transesterification" [1].

Food waste from restaurant sector - Characterization for biorefinery approach.

The aim of this study is the analysis of food waste (FW) composition from local catering services to assess potential biorefinery development. Moisture content of different FW samples showed that 27-47% (w/w) was organic material. Main components were lipids (25.7-33.2, w/w), starch (16.2-29.4%, w/w) and proteins (23.5-18.3%, w/w) on a dry basis. A metal profile with Na and Mg as main components, followed by trace elements, i.e. Zn or Fe, was also found in food waste samples. Statistical tests in combination with principal component analysis provides an efficient methodology to establish specific composition variations between FW from different catering services, while relating them to FW typology. The combination of chemical characterization with statistical study constitutes a promising decision-making tool for FW processing and valorization. The innovative methodology presented in this study provides systematic evaluation of FW composition and variability to allow selection of the most appropriate valorization paths.

LncRNA LUCAT1 as a novel prognostic biomarker for patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

In recent years, long non-coding RNAs have emerged as a novel class of regulators of cancer biological processes. While they are dysregulated in many cancer types, little is known about their expression and functional profiles. This study has been focused on the determination of the role of a specific lncRNA in papillary thyroid cancer. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR was performed to detect the expression levels of 84 lncRNAs in 61 papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues and their adjacent non-tumor tissues. The highest fold-change was obtained for lung cancer associated transcript 1 LUCAT1, and thus, this study determines the expression and biological implication of lncRNA LUCAT1 through different in vitro and ex vivo approaches in this tumor. LUCAT1 was specifically located at the cell nucleus in tumoral regions of patient tissues. Furthermore, LUCAT1 knockdown significantly reduced both cell proliferation and invasion ex vivo and induced cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. These facts were corroborated by an enhanced expression of P21, P57, P53 and BAX, and a reduced expression of EZH2 and HDAC1. In addition, a significant decrease was observed on DNMT1 and NRF2 genes, helping to clarify the role of LUCAT1 on PTC. Our study reveals the involvement of LUCAT1 in PTC development, through acting in cell-cycle regulation, proliferation, epigenetic modifications through LUCAT1/ CDK1/ EZH2/ P57/ P21/ HDAC1/ DNMT1/ P53/ BAX axis and apoptosis, via extrinsic pathway activating caspases. These findings indicate that LUCAT1 is maybe a potential therapeutic target and molecular biomarker for PTC.

¿Qué pacientes politraumatizados graves se benefician de la realización de un total-body CT? / Which multi-trauma patients benefit from performing a total-body CT?

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Formulación mixta de bacterias lácticas para el control de Listeria monocytogenes / Mixted formulation of lactic bacterium for the control of Listeria monocytogenes

Resumen La combinación de la actividad metabólica de cepas bacterianas potencializa la actividad antimicrobiana contra microorganismos patógenos, en comparación con la actividad que pueden presentar las cepas microbianas en forma individual. La formulación mixta de bacterias acido lácticas ha sido estudiada para la producción de preparados probióticos con actividad antimicrobiana contra patógenos. Listeria monocytogenes es considerado un microorganismo patógeno para el hombre y animales, causando principalmente, la enfermedad conocida como listeriosis. Se evaluó la actividad antimicrobiana de una formulación mixta de Lactobacillus brevis y Weisella cibaria frente a Listeria monocytogenes. L. brevis y W. cibaria se reprodujeron por fermentaciones en discontinuo durante 48 horas. Se midió la cinética de la actividad antimicrobiana contra L. monocytogenes en los siguientes tiempos de fermentación, 0, 1, 2, 6, 12, 24 y 48 horas. En cada tiempo, la actividad antimicrobiana de la mezcla de cepas se comparó con la actividad antimicrobiana de las cepas en forma individual. La actividad antimicrobiana se midió mediante el diámetro de Feret, utilizando un software de evaluación de imágenes. Se encontró que la actividad antimicrobiana de la mezcla de cepas contra L. monocytogenes fue estable desde la segunda hora de fermentación hasta las 48 horas. A partir de 18 horas de fermentación la mezcla de cepas presentó actividad antimicrobiana superior, comparada con las cepas individuales. Los resultados indican que la formulación mixta de L. brevis y W. cibaria podría ser una opción biotecnológica para el desarrollo de antimicrobianos naturales para el control y prevención de L. monocytogenes.

Abstract The combination of the metabolic activity of bacterial strains potentiates the antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms, in comparison with the activity that the microbial strains can present individually. The mixed formulation of lactic acid bacteria has been studied to the production of probiotic preparations with antimicrobial activity against pathogens. Listeria monocytogenes is considered a pathogenic microorganism for man and animals, causing the disease known as listeriosis. The antimicrobial activity of a mixed formulation of Lactobacillus brevis and Weisella cibaria was evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes. L. brevis and W. cibaria were reproduced by discontinuous fermentations for 48 hours. The kinetics of antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes were measured at the next fermentation times, 0, 1, 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours. At each time, the antimicrobial activity of the mixed formulation was compared with the antimicrobial activity of the strains individually. The antimicrobial activity was measured by Feret's diameter, using image evaluation software. It was found that the antimicrobial activity of the mixed formulation against L. monocytogenes was stable from the second hour of fermentation to 48 hours of fermentation. After 18 hours of fermentation the mixed formulation presented superior antimicrobial activity, compared to the individual strains. The results indicate that the mixed formulation of L. brevis and W. cibaria could be a biotechnological option for the development of natural antimicrobials for the control and prevention of L. monocytogenes.

Biorefining of by-product streams from sunflower-based biodiesel production plants for integrated synthesis of microbial oil and value-added co-products.

This study focuses on the valorisation of crude glycerol and sunflower meal (SFM) from conventional biodiesel production plants for the separation of value-added co-products (antioxidant-rich extracts and protein isolate) and for enhancing biodiesel production through microbial oil synthesis. Microbial oil production was evaluated using three oleaginous yeast strains (Rhodosporidium toruloides, Lipomyces starkeyi and Cryptococcus curvatus) cultivated on crude glycerol and nutrient-rich hydrolysates derived from either whole SFM or SFM fractions that remained after separation of value-added co-products. Fed-batch bioreactor cultures with R. toruloides led to the production of 37.4gL(-1) of total dry weight with a microbial oil content of 51.3% (ww(-1)) when a biorefinery concept based on SFM fractionation was employed. The estimated biodiesel properties conformed with the limits set by the EN 14214 and ASTM D 6751 standards. The estimated cold filter plugging point (7.3-8.6°C) of the lipids produced by R. toruloides is closer to that of biodiesel derived from palm oil.

Ultrasound-assisted biodiesel production from Camelina sativa oil.

The main drawbacks of biodiesel production are high reaction temperatures, stirring and time. These could be alleviated by aiding transesterification with alternative energy sources, i.e. ultrasound (US). In this study, biodiesel was obtained from Camelina sativa oil, aided with an ultrasonic probe (20kHz, 70% duty cycle, 50% amplitude). Design of experiments included the combination of sonication and agitation cycles, w/wo heating (50°C). To gain knowledge about the implications of the proposed methodology, conventional transesterification was optimized, resulting in higher needs on catalyst concentration and reaction time, compared to the proposed reaction. Although FAME content met EN 14103 standard, FAME yields were lower than those provided by US-assisted transesterification. Energy consumption measurements showed that ultrasound assisted transesterification required lower energy, temperature, catalyst and reaction time.

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Evaluation of by-products from the biodiesel industry as fermentation feedstock for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) production by Cupriavidus necator.

Utilization of by-products from oilseed-based biodiesel production (crude glycerol, rapeseed meal hydrolysates) for microbial polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production could lead to the replacement of expensive carbon sources, nutrient supplements and precursors for co-polymer production. Batch fermentations in shake flasks with varying amounts of free amino nitrogen led to the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (P(3HB-co-3HV)) with a 2.8-8% 3HV content. Fed-batch fermentations in shake flasks led to the production of 10.9g/L P(3HB-co-3HV) and a 55.6% P(3HB-co-3HV) content. NaCl concentrations between 2 and 6g/L gradually became inhibitory to bacterial growth and PHA formation, whereas in the case of K(2)SO(4), the inhibitory effect was observed only at concentrations higher than 20g/L. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and nuclear magnetic resonance ((13)C NMR) demonstrated that the incorporation of 3HV into the obtained P(3HB-co-3HV) lowered glass transition temperature, crystallinity and melting point as compared to polyhydroxybutyrate. Integrating PHA production in existing oilseed-based biodiesel plants could enhance the viability and sustainability of this first generation biorefinery.

Long-term evaluation of phrenic nerve pacing for respiratory failure due to high cervical spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVES: Phrenic nerve pacing is a method of respiratory support that can replace mechanical ventilation in high-level cervical spinal cord injury patients with diaphragmatic paralysis. Our objective was to evaluate survival and long-term quality of life in patients with external respiratory support by PNP vs volumetric respirator in patients with severe respiratory insufficiency due to a high-level spinal cord injury. DESIGN: This is a retrospective review study of a prospectively collected database for evaluate the survival and a questionnaire for quality of life has been collected face-to-face or by telephone at present. PATIENTS: Cervical SCI patients with permanent respiratory support (PNP or MV). METHODS: Long-term evaluation of a cohort of PNP-supported patients. We performed a comparison between these patients and volumetric respirator-supported patients. For survival analysis, we used the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. The health-related quality of life was assessed with SF-36 questionnaire, a general HRQL evaluation. RESULTS: One hundred twenty six patients on permanent respiratory support were evaluated during the study period. Of these, 38 were on PNP and 88 were mechanically ventilated. Paced patients were younger and had a longer survival, but in a multivariate analysis adjusted for age using a multiple logistic correlation we found that length of survival was greater for PNP patients. In terms of HRQL, the PNP-supported patients showed better results in terms of social functioning. CONCLUSIONS: PNP is a stable and effective method of long-term respiratory support in this type of patients (SCI patients dependent on external respiratory support). In these patients it improves the length of survival and some social issues by quality of life when compared with patients under MV.

Multiple response optimization of vegetable oils fatty acid composition to improve biodiesel physical properties.

The effect of fatty acids chain length (LC) and its interaction with unsaturation degree (UD) on important biodiesel quality parameters was studied. Low calorific value, kinematic viscosity, flash point, cetane number and cold filter plugging point of biodiesel blends covering a wide range of fatty acids were analyzed. Analytical results were processed with statistical regression to obtain a prediction model for each property, combining LC and UD. Due to the antagonistic effects of the chemical composition over quality properties, the Derringer desirability function was proposed to allow the most suitable fatty acid composition. This target was achieved considering an average of 1.26 double bounds and 17 carbon atoms. A set of combinations of LC and UD values that provides a biodiesel that fits the European standard EN 14214 was proposed. It was found that a reduction of FAME LC allows a lower UD while keeping biodiesel specifications under the standard limits.

Aplicabilidad y efectividad de un protocolo de indicación farmacéutica para la gripe y el resfriado / The applicability and effectiveness of a protocol of pharmaceutical prescribing in a cold or flu

La indicación farmacéutica es el servicio profesional prestado ante la demanda de un paciente o usuario que llega a la farmacia sin saber qué medicamento debe adquirir y solicita al farmacéutico el remedio más adecuado para un problema de salud concreto. Objetivo: Evaluar la aplicabilidad de un protocolo de indicación farmacéutica para la gripe y el resfriado en el trabajo diario desarrollado en una oficina de farmacia, y valorar su efectividad sobre los pacientes atendidos en términos de percepción de su estado de salud. Método: Estudio cuasi experimental postest, sin grupo control, realizado en 295 pacientes que acuden a una oficina de farmacia solicitando algún medicamento para la gripe, el resfriado o algún síntoma relacionado. Resultados: El protocolo se ha podido aplicar en el 99,3% de los casos; se dispensaron medicamentos al 88% de los pacientes. El 97% de los pacientes siguió las indicaciones del farmacéutico, el 88,7% percibió bastante mejoría en sus síntomas, y los problemas de salud se resolvieron en el 87,2% de los casos. Conclusiones: La aplicabilidad de un protocolo de indicación farmacéutica para la gripe y el resfriado ha sido posible en el trabajo diario de una oficina de farmacia. La efectividad de la intervención farmacéutica en términos de salud percibida por los pacientes ha sido altamente satisfactoria (AU)

Pharmaceutical prescribing is the professional service provided to the demand of a patient or user who arrives at the pharmacy without knowing what medicine he or she should acquire and asks the pharmacist the most appropriate medicine for a particular health problem. Objective: To assess the applicability of a protocol for pharmaceutical prescribing for fl u and cold in the daily work of a drugstore and evaluate its effectiveness of the protocol by considering the perception of the state of health of the patients. Methods: A quasi-experimental post-test study without a control group with 295 patients attending a drugstore to request the pharmacist to recommend a drug for fl u, colds or any symptoms related. Results: The protocol was applied in 99.3% of the cases; medicines were dispensed to 88% of the patients. 97% of the patients followed the advice given by the pharmacists, 88.7% perceived enough improvement in their symptoms and health problems were resolved in 87.2% of the cases. Conclusions: The applicability of a protocol for pharmaceutical prescribing for flu and cold in the daily work of a drugstore has been possible. The effectiveness of the pharmacist prescribing by considering the perception of the state of health of the patients was highly satisfying (AU)

Influence of vegetable oils fatty acid composition on reaction temperature and glycerides conversion to biodiesel during transesterification.

Presence of unreacted glycerides in biodiesel may reduce drastically its quality. This is why conversion of raw material in biodiesel through transesterification needs to readjust reaction parameter values to complete. In the present work, monitoring of glycerides transformation in biodiesel during the transesterification of vegetable oils was carried out. To check the influence of the chemical composition on glycerides conversion, selected vegetable oils covered a wide range of fatty acid composition. Reactions were carried out under alkali-transesterification in the presence of methanol. In addition, a multiple regression model was proposed. Results showed that kinetics depends on chemical and physical properties of the oils. It was found that the optimal reaction temperature depends on both length and unsaturation degree of vegetable oils fatty acid chains. Vegetable oils with higher degree of unsaturation exhibit faster monoglycerides conversion to biodiesel. It can be concluded that fatty acid composition influences reaction parameters and glycerides conversion, hence biodiesel yield and economic viability.

Influence of vegetable oils fatty-acid composition on biodiesel optimization.

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel for diesel engines produced through transesterification of oleaginous feedstocks. To analyze the influence of the fatty-acid composition on biodiesel optimization, transesterification of several vegetable oils has been studied. Reactions were carried out in flasks filled with vegetable oils, heated to the reaction temperature and stirred at 1100 rpm. The reactions started when the methanol and potassium hydroxide solutions were added to the flasks. Concentration of catalyst, amount of methanol, reaction temperature and time were optimized using a factorial design and a surface response design. Also, a kinetics study was carried out to optimize the reaction time. Results showed that reaction parameters optimal values depend on the oil chemical and physical properties. It can be concluded from this field trial that the effect of both catalyst concentration and reaction time over the transesterification yield is greatly influenced by the saturation degree and fatty-acid chain length.

Response surface modeling to predict biodiesel yield in a multi-feedstock biodiesel production plant.

For economic reasons, multi-feedstock plants are preferred to produce biodiesel. However, the optimal conditions of the transesterification reaction depend on the raw material, thus making difficult the achievement of a high yield of biodiesel when different types of feedstock are used under the same operational settings. In the present work, a response surface methodology is proposed to both predict biodiesel yield when different raw materials are used to produce biodiesel and to determine the optimal operational conditions of a multi-feedstock plant. The optimization of the transesterification reaction of five vegetable oils consisting in a wide range of fatty acid profiles has been carried out. Results provided a compromise zone where all the experimental responses satisfied the imposed specifications to achieve the goals, where the best optimal combination of parameters was selected. According to this model, the tested properties of the produced biodiesel are within the limits of the EN 14214 standard. It can be concluded that this methodology provides the most suitable operational conditions to achieve the highest biodiesel yield in a multi-feedstock biodiesel plant, also considering the economics of the process.