Widely Targeted Metabolomics Reveals Metabolite Diversity in Jalapeño and Serrano Chile Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.).

Chile peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) are good sources of vitamins and minerals that can be included in the diet to mitigate nutritional deficiencies. Metabolomics examines the metabolites involved in biological pathways to understand the genes related to complex phenotypes such as the nutritional quality traits. The current study surveys the different metabolites present in jalapeño ('NuMex Pumpkin Spice') and serrano ('NuMex LotaLutein') type chile peppers grown in New Mexico using a widely targeted metabolomics approach, with the 'NuMex LotaLutein' as control. A total of 1088 different metabolites were detected, where 345 metabolites were differentially expressed; 203 (59%) were downregulated and 142 (41%) were upregulated (i.e., relative metabolite content is higher in 'NuMex Pumpkin Spice'). The upregulated metabolites comprised mostly of phenolic acids (42), flavonoids (22), and organic acids (13). Analyses of principal component (PC) and orthogonal partial least squares demonstrated clustering based on cultivars, where at least 60% of variation was attributed to the first two PCs. Pathway annotation identified 89 metabolites which are involved in metabolic pathways and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Altogether, metabolomics provided insights into the different metabolites present which can be targeted for breeding and selection towards the improvement of nutritional quality traits in Capsicum.

The Effects of Food on Cannabidiol Bioaccessibility.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a hydrophobic non-psychoactive compound with therapeutic characteristics. Animal and human studies have shown its poor oral bioavailability in vivo, and the impact of consuming lipid-soluble CBD with and without food on gut bioaccessibility has not been explored. The purpose of this research was to study the bioaccessibility of CBD after a three-phase upper digestion experiment with and without food, and to test lipase activity with different substrate concentrations. Our results showed that lipase enzyme activity and fatty acid absorption increased in the presence of bile salts, which may also contribute to an increase in CBD bioaccessibility. The food matrix used was a mixture of olive oil and baby food. Overall, the fed-state digestion revealed significantly higher micellarization efficiency for CBD (14.15 ± 0.6% for 10 mg and 22.67 ± 2.1% for 100 mg CBD ingested) than the fasted state digestion of CBD (0.65 ± 0.7% for 10 mg and 0.14 ± 0.1% for 100 mg CBD ingested). The increase in bioaccessibility of CBD with food could be explained by the fact that micelle formation from hydrolyzed lipids aid in bioaccessibility of hydrophobic molecules. In conclusion, the bioaccessibility of CBD depends on the food matrix and the presence of lipase and bile salts.

Insecticidal Properties of Essential Oils and Some of Their Constituents on the Turkestan Cockroach (Blattodea: Blattidae).

The Turkestan cockroach, Blatta lateralis (Walker), has become the most important peridomestic species in urban areas of the Southwestern United States. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of botanical compounds to control this urban pest. We tested the acute toxicity and repellency of six botanical constituents and three essential oils on Turkestan cockroach nymphs. Chemical composition of the essential oils was also determined. Topical and fumigant assays with nymphs showed that thymol was the most toxic essential oil constituent, with a LD50 of 0.34 mg/nymph and a LC50 of 27.6 mg/liter air, respectively. Contact toxicity was also observed in assays with trans-Cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, geraniol, methyl eugenol, and p-Cymene. Methyl eugenol and geraniol had limited fumigant toxicity. The essential oils from red thyme, clove bud, and Java citronella exhibited toxicity against nymphs. Cockroaches avoided fresh dry residues of thymol and essential oils. Chemical analysis of the essential oils confirmed high contents of effective essential oil constituents. Our results demonstrated that essential oils and some of their constituents have potential as eco-friendly insecticides for the management of Turkestan cockroaches.

Nodule-enhanced expression of a sucrose phosphate synthase gene member (MsSPSA) has a role in carbon and nitrogen metabolism in the nodules of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) catalyzes the first step in the synthesis of sucrose in photosynthetic tissues. We characterized the expression of three different isoforms of SPS belonging to two different SPS gene families in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), a previously identified SPS (MsSPSA) and two novel isoforms belonging to class B (MsSPSB and MsSPSB3). While MsSPSA showed nodule-enhanced expression, both MsSPSB genes exhibited leaf-enhanced expression. Alfalfa leaf and nodule SPS enzymes showed differences in chromatographic and electrophoretic migration and differences in V (max) and allosteric regulation. The root nodules in legume plants are a strong sink for photosynthates with its need for ATP, reducing power and carbon skeletons for dinitrogen fixation and ammonia assimilation. The expression of genes encoding SPS and other key enzymes in sucrose metabolism, sucrose phosphate phosphatase and sucrose synthase, was analyzed in the leaves and nodules of plants inoculated with Sinorhizobium meliloti. Based on the expression pattern of these genes, the properties of the SPS isoforms and the concentration of starch and soluble sugars in nodules induced by a wild type and a nitrogen fixation deficient strain, we propose that SPS has an important role in the control of carbon flux into different metabolic pathways in the symbiotic nodules.

Terapia de fluidos en pacientes adultos críticamente enfermos / Therapy of fluids in critically sick adult patients

La terapia de fluidos en el paciente críticamente enfermo ha venido experimentando una serie de cambios que buscan optimizar este manejo, varios de los cuales han sido motivo de controversia. Dentro de éstos se seleccionaron los siguientes tópicos para ser discutidos en la Reunión de Consenso, los cuales originaron estas Guías de Práctica Clínica: cristaloides versus coloides en el paciente crítico; uso de albúmina humana en resucitación; hipoalbuminemia y plasmaféresis; resucitación con fluidos y el desarrollo del síndrome de dificultad respiratoria aguda; fluidos en resucitación de pacientes con trauma craneoencefálico; acidosis metabólica como índice de resucitación insuficiente en el paciente crítico; accesos venosos en resucitación; utilidad de los signos clínicos en el diagnóstico y manejo del choque hipovolémico. Los expertos participantes representan 10 disciplinas médicas relacionadas con este campo de la medicina crítica y una amplia diversidad de hospitales y facultades de medicina...

Mycobiota associated with the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) in Mexico.

Field surveys were carried out in coffee plantations in Chiapas, Mexico, to collect and identify fungi associated with the cuticle, gut, faeces and galleries of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei. Insects and coffee berries containing galleries were collected in three coffee farms at different altitudes: Rosario Izapa (425 m), La Alianza (700 m) and Monteperla (950 m). An additional sample consisting of coffee berry borers reared in the laboratory on meridic diets was also included. Results show that there is a great diversity of fungi associated with this insect. 212 cultures, including 40 species distributed in 22 genera, were isolated. The recovery of fungi from the galleries was markedly less than from the borer's body. Three of the isolated species were undescribed; two belonging to the Penicillium and one to Hanseniaspora. Most of the species were collected from the cuticle of the insect, and the presence of fungi was not correlated with altitude. Fusarium, Penicillium, Candida and Aspergillus were the dominant genera with percentage abundance of 26.4, 18.7, 13.4 and 12.5%, respectively. The present study provides a detailed description of the mycobiota associated with H. hampei and represents a significant advance in the understanding of the relationship among this insect and the fungi associated with it.