Tick-borne viruses and their risk to public health in the Caribbean: Spotlight on bats as reservoirs in Cuba.

In recent decades, tick-borne diseases (TBDs) have surged and expanded globally due to factors like changes in human activities, land use patterns, and climate change, and it have been associated with the emergence of zoonotic diseases. Cuba faces the impact of ticks on human health and the economy. Although Cuba has studied TBDs extensively for the past 50 years, focus on tick-borne viral pathogens affecting humans remains scant. Despite TBDs not currently being a major health concern in Cuba, factors like inadequate clinician awareness, climate conditions, global tick emergence, and evidence of zoonotic pathogens in ticks underscore the importance of enhanced TBD surveillance in the country. Here we revised the available information on ticks as vectors of pathogenic viruses to humans, spotlighting bats as potential reservoirs of tick-borne viruses (TBVs). Ticks on bats have gained interest as potential reservoirs of pathogenic viruses to humans in Cuba and worldwide. Understanding their role in maintaining viruses and their potential transmission to humans is crucial for the implementation of surveillance and control programs to reduce the risk of tick-borne viral diseases and public health management.

Ultraviolet sun exposure and sun protection behaviors in outdoor rock climbers.

BACKGROUND: Overexposure to sunlight and sunburn are the main preventable causes of skin cancer. Outdoor sports are associated with significant levels of sunlight exposure. AIMS: We sought to quantify the sun radiation exposure received by outdoor rock climbers and assess their sun exposure habits, sun protection behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge regarding skin cancer. METHODS: From April to June 2021, outdoor rock climbers contacted via email completed an online validated self-reported questionnaire on sun related habits, behaviors, attitudes and knowledge. As a pilot trial, ten participants wore a personal dosimeter during two outdoor climbing weekends in May and November 2021. Ambient ultraviolet radiation (UVR) was also recorded. RESULTS: A total of 217 outdoor rock climbers (103 women), mean age 36.8 ± 8.8 years (range 20-70 years) and median climbing practice per week of 8 h (IQR 7.5) were studied. Two in three (65.9%) participants reported at least one sunburn event during the previous rock climbing season. Of the survey respondents, 49.3% reported using sunscreen with SPF ≥ 15, 47% wore sunglasses, and 14.3% indicated they reapplied sunscreen every two hours. The median personal UVR dose measured during the two outdoor climbing weekends analyzed was 5.2 (IQR 1.8) and 8.8 (IQR 1.1) standard erythemal doses, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The high rates of sunburn, the elevated personal UVR measured and the clearly insufficient sun protection practices followed during rock climbing together with unsatisfactory attitudes towards tanning reveal the need to develop explicit sun protection campaigns and educational strategies to reduce the risk of skin cancer among the athletes studied.

Ultraviolet exposure of competitors during a Tokyo Olympic Sailing Regatta Test Event.

BACKGROUND: Overexposure to sunlight is the main cause of skin cancer. Photoprotection practices and sunburn play a crucial role in skin cancer prevention. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to quantify the risk of sun exposure and to evaluate photoprotection practices in Spanish sailors during Olympic competitions. METHODS: Solar daily ultraviolet (UV) radiation cycle, personal UV dosimetry, photoprotection practices and sunburn checking were followed during three consecutive days of competition among sailors from the Spanish Olympic Sailing Team during a Tokyo Olympic Regatta Test Event. RESULTS: A total of 13 sailors (7 women), with mean age of 27.6 ± 4.7 years and sports experience of 17.7 ± 5.4 years, were studied. The most common phototypes were type III (53.8%) and type II (38.5%). The rate of sunburn checked was high (46.2%). The mean daily personal UV exposure received was 761.0 ± 263.6 J/m2 , 3.0 ± 1.1 minimal erythemal dose and 7.6 ± 2.6 standard erythemal dose, seven times greater than the maximum permissible UV light exposure values for an 8 h working day. The use of a T-shirt was the most common practice (94.2%), followed by the use of shade (50.2%), hat/cap (44.0%), sunglasses (26.1%) and sunscreen (11.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Olympic sailor's studies presented high levels of UV radiation received, high rate of sunburn and insufficient adherence to sun-protective behaviours (especially, to use of sunscreen) to prevent sunburn, the main cause of skin cancer. Sport Federations should develop educational campaigns addressing sun-related exposure habits and photoprotection behaviours to reduce the risk of skin cancer among these athletes.

Chitosan and HPMCAS double-coating as protective systems for alginate microparticles loaded with Ctx(Ile21)-Ha antimicrobial peptide to prevent intestinal infections.

The incorrect use of conventional drugs for both prevention and control of intestinal infections has contributed to a significant spread of bacterial resistance. In this way, studies that promote their replacement are a priority. In the last decade, the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMP), especially Ctx(Ile21)-Ha AMP, has gained strength, demonstrating efficient antimicrobial activity (AA) against pathogens, including multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, gastrointestinal degradation does not allow its direct oral application. In this research, double-coating systems using alginate microparticles loaded with Ctx(Ile21)-Ha peptide were designed, and in vitro release assays simulating the gastrointestinal tract were evaluated. Also, the AA against Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli was examined. The results showed the physicochemical stability of Ctx(Ile21)-Ha peptide in the system and its potent antimicrobial activity. In addition, the combination of HPMCAS and chitosan as a gastric protection system can be promising for peptide carriers or other low pH-sensitive molecules, adequately released in the intestine. In conclusion, the coated systems employed in this study can improve the formulation of new foods or biopharmaceutical products for specific application against intestinal pathogens in animal production or, possibly, in the near future, in human health.

New Drug Design Avenues Targeting Alzheimer's Disease by Pharmacoinformatics-Aided Tools.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) have been of great interest to scientists for a long time due to their multifactorial character. Among these pathologies, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is of special relevance, and despite the existence of approved drugs for its treatment, there is still no efficient pharmacological therapy to stop, slow, or repair neurodegeneration. Existing drugs have certain disadvantages, such as lack of efficacy and side effects. Therefore, there is a real need to discover new drugs that can deal with this problem. However, as AD is multifactorial in nature with so many physiological pathways involved, the most effective approach to modulate more than one of them in a relevant manner and without undesirable consequences is through polypharmacology. In this field, there has been significant progress in recent years in terms of pharmacoinformatics tools that allow the discovery of bioactive molecules with polypharmacological profiles without the need to spend a long time and excessive resources on complex experimental designs, making the drug design and development pipeline more efficient. In this review, we present from different perspectives how pharmacoinformatics tools can be useful when drug design programs are designed to tackle complex diseases such as AD, highlighting essential concepts, showing the relevance of artificial intelligence and new trends, as well as different databases and software with their main results, emphasizing the importance of coupling wet and dry approaches in drug design and development processes.

Common Structural Pattern for Flecainide Binding in Atrial-Selective Kv1.5 and Nav1.5 Channels: A Computational Approach.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Its treatment includes antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) to modulate the function of cardiac ion channels. However, AADs have been limited by proarrhythmic effects, non-cardiovascular toxicities as well as often modest antiarrhythmic efficacy. Theoretical models showed that a combined blockade of Nav1.5 (and its current, INa) and Kv1.5 (and its current, IKur) ion channels yield a synergistic anti-arrhythmic effect without alterations in ventricles. We focused on Kv1.5 and Nav1.5 to search for structural similarities in their binding site (BS) for flecainide (a common blocker and widely prescribed AAD) as a first step for prospective rational multi-target directed ligand (MTDL) design strategies. We present a computational workflow for a flecainide BS comparison in a flecainide-Kv1.5 docking model and a solved structure of the flecainide-Nav1.5 complex. The workflow includes docking, molecular dynamics, BS characterization and pattern matching. We identified a common structural pattern in flecainide BS for these channels. The latter belongs to the central cavity and consists of a hydrophobic patch and a polar region, involving residues from the S6 helix and P-loop. Since the rational MTDL design for AF is still incipient, our findings could advance multi-target atrial-selective strategies for AF treatment.

Potential Energy as an Alternative for Assessing Lower Limb Peak Power in Children: A Bayesian Hierarchical Analysis.

The aim of this study was to analyze the use of potential energy (PE) as an alternative method to assess peak power of the lower limbs (PP) in children. 815 Spanish children (416 girls; 6-11 years old; Body Mass Index groups (n): underweight = 40, normal weight = 431, overweight = 216, obese = 128) were involved in this study. All participants performed a Countermovement Jump (CMJ) test. PP was calculated using Duncan (PPDUNCAN), Gomez-Bruton (PPGOMEZ) and PECMJ formulas. A model with PECMJ as the predictor variable showed a higher predictive accuracy with PPDUNCAN and PPGOMEZ than CMJ height (R2 = 0.99 and 0.97, respectively; ELPDdiff = 1037.0 and 646.7, respectively). Moreover, PECMJ showed a higher linear association with PPDUNCAN and PPGOMEZ across BMI groups than CMJ height (ßPECMJ range from 0.67 to 0.77 predicting PPDUNCAN; and from 0.90 to 1.13 predicting PPGOMEZ). Our results provide further support for proposing PECMJ as an index to measure PP of the lower limbs, taking into account the children's weight and not only the height of the jump. Therefore, we suggest the use of PECMJ in physical education classes as a valid method for estimating PP among children when laboratory methods are not feasible.

Chemical composition, enantiomeric analysis and anticholinesterase activity of Lepechinia betonicifolia essential oil from Ecuador.

CONTEXT: Due to the interesting potential of essential oils (EO) against cholinesterases and their close relation in Alzheimer's disease, the EO of Lepechinia betonicifolia (Lam) Epling (Lamiaceae), a native shrub from Ecuador, was assessed. Chemical profiling and enantiomeric distribution were also recorded for the first time. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the chemical profile including the enantiomeric composition and anticholinesterase effect exerted by EO of L. betonicifolia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The EO of L. betonicifolia fresh aerial parts was obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus. Physical properties were determined according to standard norms. The chemical composition was determined by GC-MS and GC-FID. Enantioselective GC-MS analysis was carried out by using a capillary chiral column. Anticholinesterase effect was assessed by Ellman's method with acetylthiocoline as substrate and Ellman's reagent (DTNB) to detect its hydrolysis at 405 nm for 60 min. Donepezil was used as a reference drug. EO was dissolved in methanol to reach 10 mg/mL concentration and two more 10× dilutions were included. RESULTS: Thirty-nine constituents were identified corresponding to 97.55% of the total oil composition. The main components were ß-pinene (30.45%), sabinene (27.98%), α-pinene (4.97%), ß-phellandrene (4.79%), E-caryophyllene (4.44%) and limonene (3.84%). L. betonicifolia EO exerted a strong inhibitory effect over the AChE enzyme with an IC50 value of 74.97 ± 1.17 µg/mL. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Current chemical characterisation and anticholinesterase effect of EO of L. betonicifolia encourage us to propose this EO as a candidate for the preparation of functional foods or as adjuvant therapy for Alzheimer's disease.

Sun Exposure and Photoprotection: Habits, Knowledge and Attitudes Among Elite Kitesurfers.

Kitesurfing is one of many water sports that are growing in popularity throughout the world. In such sports, practitioners are exposed not only to direct sunlight but also to reflection from the water surface, which aggravates the impact of solar radiation on the skin. This study sought to analyse the photoprotection and photoexposure habits and knowledge of elite kitesurfers and their beliefs and attitudes in this respect. A sample of convenience of 72 male kitesurfers completed a validated questionnaire in full. By Fitzpatrick phototype, the most common classes were types I and II (69.4%). On average, kitesurfers had been practising their sport for 10.93 years, at a rate of 13.93 h per week. During the last sports season, 84.7% of respondents had suffered at least one sunburn, while 43.1% had been sunburned at least three times. The sun protection practice most commonly adopted was the use of sunscreen cream, which was used by 79.2% of respondents. Although 43.2% of respondents recognized to be worried about they might get skin cancer from the sun, 31.9% does not like using sunscreen and 44.4% like sunbathing. Regarding the respondents' knowledge of facts about sun exposure, the average rate of correct answers for the items evaluated was 66.9%. In conclusion, elite kitesurfers are potentially exposed to dangerous levels of UV radiation, which caused numerous sunburn episodes during the last sports season. It is necessary to raise these athletes' awareness of their risk of developing skin cancer and of the need to improve their sun protection and skin surveillance practices.

Identification of a critical binding site for local anaesthetics in the side pockets of Kv 1 channels.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Local anaesthetics block sodium and a variety of potassium channels. Although previous studies identified a residue in the pore signature sequence together with three residues in the S6 segment as a putative binding site, the precise molecular basis of inhibition of Kv channels by local anaesthetics remained unknown. Crystal structures of Kv channels predict that some of these residues point away from the central cavity and face into a drug binding site called side pockets. Thus, the question arises whether the binding site of local anaesthetics is exclusively located in the central cavity or also involves the side pockets. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: A systematic functional alanine mutagenesis approach, scanning 58 mutants, together with in silico docking experiments and molecular dynamics simulations was utilized to elucidate the binding site of bupivacaine and ropivacaine. KEY RESULTS: Inhibition of Kv 1.5 channels by local anaesthetics requires binding to the central cavity and the side pockets, and the latter requires interactions with residues of the S5 and the back of the S6 segments. Mutations in the side pockets remove stereoselectivity of inhibition of Kv 1.5 channels by bupivacaine. Although binding to the side pockets is conserved for different local anaesthetics, the binding mode in the central cavity and the side pockets shows considerable variations. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Local anaesthetics bind to the central cavity and the side pockets, which provide a crucial key to the molecular understanding of their Kv channel affinity and stereoselectivity, as well as their spectrum of side effects.

Effects of a Rehabilitation Programme Using a Nasal Inspiratory Restriction Device in COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are characterised for presenting dyspnea, which reduces their physical capacity and tolerance to physical exercise. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of adding a Feel-Breathe (FB) device for inspiratory muscle training (IMT) to an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme. Twenty patients were randomised into three groups: breathing with FB (FBG), oronasal breathing without FB (ONBG) and control group (CG). FBG and ONBG carried out the same training programme with resistance, strength and respiratory exercises for 8 weeks. CG did not perform any pulmonary rehabilitation programme. Regarding intra group differences in the value obtained in the post-training test at the time when the maximum value in the pre-training test was obtained (PostPRE), FBG obtained lower values in oxygen consumption (VO2, mean = -435.6 mL/min, Bayes Factor (BF10) > 100), minute ventilation (VE, -8.5 L/min, BF10 = 25), respiratory rate (RR, -3.3 breaths/min, BF10 = 2), heart rate (HR, -13.7 beats/min, BF10 > 100) and carbon dioxide production (VCO2, -183.0 L/min, BF10 = 50), and a greater value in expiratory time (Tex, 0.22 s, BF10 = 12.5). At the maximum value recorded in the post-training test (PostFINAL), FBG showed higher values in the total time of the test (Tt, 4.3 min, BF10 = 50) and respiratory exchange rate (RER, 0.05, BF10 = 1.3). Regarding inter group differences at PrePOST, FBG obtained a greater negative increment than ONBG in the ventilatory equivalent of CO2 (EqCO2, -3.8 L/min, BF10 = 1.1) and compared to CG in VE (-8.3 L/min, BF10 = 3.6), VCO2 (-215.9 L/min, BF10 = 3.0), EqCO2 (-3.7 L/min, BF10 = 1.1) and HR (-12.9 beats/min, BF10 = 3.4). FBG also showed a greater PrePOST positive increment in Tex (0.21 s, BF10 = 1.4) with respect to CG. At PreFINAL, FBG presented a greater positive increment compared to CG in Tt (4.4 min, BF10 = 3.2) and negative in VE/VCO2 intercept (-4.7, BF10 = 1.1). The use of FB added to a pulmonary rehabilitation programme in COPD patients could improve tolerance in the incremental exercise test and energy efficiency. However, there is only a statically significant difference between FBG and ONBG in EqCO2. Therefore, more studies are necessary to reach a definitive conclusion about including FB in a pulmonary rehabilitation programme.

Chronic Effects of a Training Program Using a Nasal Inspiratory Restriction Device on Elite Cyclists.

This study compared the response of a 9-week cycling training on ventilatory efficiency under two conditions: (i) Combined with respiratory muscle training (RMT) using a new nasal restriction device (FeelBreathe) (FB group) and (ii) without RMT (Control group). Eighteen healthy elite cyclists were randomly separated into the FB group (n = 10) or Control group (n = 8). Gas exchange was measured breath by breath to measure ventilatory efficiency during an incremental test on a cycloergometer before (Pre) and after (Post) the nine weeks of training. The FB group showed higher peak power (Δ (95%HDI) (0.82 W/kg (0.49, 1.17)), VO2max (5.27 mL/kg/min (0.69, 10.83)) and VT1 (29.3 W (1.8, 56.7)) compared to Control at PostFINAL. The FB group showed lower values from Pre to PostPRE in minute ventilation (VE) (-21.0 L/min (-29.7, -11.5)), Breathing frequency (BF) (-5.1 breaths/min (-9.4, -0.9)), carbon dioxide output (VCO2) (-0.5 L/min (-0.7, -0.2)), respiratory equivalents for oxygen (EqO2) (-0.8 L/min (-2.4, 0.8)), heart rate (HR) (-5.9 beats/min (-9.2, -2.5)),, respiratory exchange ratio (RER) (-0.1 (-0.1, -0.0) and a higher value in inspiratory time (Tin) (0.05 s (0.00, 0.10)), expiratory time (Tex) (0.11 s (0.05, 0.17)) and end-tidal partial pressure of CO2 (PETCO2) (0.3 mmHg (0.1, 0.6)). In conclusion, RMT using FB seems to be a new and easy alternative ergogenic tool which can be used at the same time as day-to-day training for performance enhancement.

Performance Analysis in Olympic Sailors of the Formula Kite Class Using GPS.

Formula Kite is an Olympic sport that mainly differs from other kitesurfing modalities for the use of a hydrofoil. It is considered an extreme sport due to the great technical ability required. Regarding performance, the variables that determine performance in a real competition situation have not been studied, and even less so with Olympic sailors. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the technical and tactical variables that differentiate elite sailors. The sample consisted of 42 Olympic sailors of the Formula Kite class, who were evaluated in three World Cups. Using a GPS device, the speed, distance traveled, maneuvers, and time spent on the courses of upwind, downwind, and beam reach were recorded. The highest-level sailors presented a higher speed in upwind/downwind/beam reach and a shorter time in upwind and beam reach. Performance seems to be more strongly influenced by technical variables, such as speed, than by tactical variables.

The Flower Essential Oil of Dalea mutisii Kunth (Fabaceae) from Ecuador: Chemical, Enantioselective, and Olfactometric Analyses.

An essential oil was distilled with 0.25% yield from fresh flowers of Dalea mutisii Kunth, a native species mainly growing in the Andean region of Ecuador. A total of 50 compounds were identified, and most of them were quantified. The chemical composition was characterized by the prevalence of monoterpene hydrocarbons (>90%). Major components were α-pinene (42.9%), ß-pinene (15.1%), ß-phellandrene (12.6%), myrcene (6.7%), and (Z)-ß-ocimene (5.4%). The essential oil was then submitted to enantioselective analysis, with a 2,3-diethyl-6-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-ß-cyclodextrin-based capillary column. An enantiomeric excess was measured for (1R,5R)-(+)-α-pinene (91.6%), (1R,5R)-(+)-ß-pinene (15.2%), (R)-(-)-α-phellandrene (4.8%), and (R)-(-)-ß-phellandrene (88.8%), whereas (R)-(+)-limonene was enantiomerically pure. A gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) analysis was additionally carried out on this pleasantly fragrant essential oil, following an aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) approach. Main odorants were α-pinene, ß-pinene, α-phellandrene, and (Z)-ß-ocimene, with dilution factors (FD) of 8, 4, 2, and 2, respectively.

A New Nasal Restriction Device Called FeelBreathe® Improves Breathing Patterns in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients during Exercise.

A device called FeelBreathe (FB)® was designed, developed, and patented for inspiratory muscle training. The main aim was to determine the acute responses on lung ventilation, gas exchange, and heart rate during exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with and without the use of FB. In this study, a randomized cross-over trial was performed with 18 men diagnosed with COPD (FEV1 between 30% and 70% of its predicted value). Each participant randomly conducted two trials with 30 min of rest between them with the same protocol on a treadmill for 10 min at a constant rate of 50% of VO2peak. Each test was performed randomly and in a crossover randomized design in two different conditions: (1) oronasal breathing; and (2) nasal breathing with FB (nasal ventilatory flow restriction device). It was observed that FB had positive effects on dynamic hyperinflation, breathing pattern, and breathing efficiency, with higher expiratory and inspiratory time. Despite these differences, blood oxygen saturation percentage, oxygen uptake, and heart rate showed a similar response for both conditions during exercise. The results suggest that exercise performed with FB improved ventilatory responses compared to the oronasal mode in COPD patients. This new tool could be used during most daily tasks and exercise programs.

Effects of a Rehabilitation Programme with a Nasal Inspiratory Restriction Device on Exercise Capacity and Quality of Life in COPD.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the effects of a nasal restriction device for inspiratory muscle training, called Feelbreathe®, added to a rehabilitation program (RP) on exercise capacity, quality of life, dyspnea and inspiratory muscle strength in patients with stable COPD. METHODS: Patients were randomized into three groups, one performed a supervised RP using the Feelbreathe® device (FB group), the second group developed the same RP with oronasal breathing without FB (ONB group) and the third was the control group (CG). We evaluated inspiratory muscle strength (PImax), dyspnea (mMRC), quality of life (CAT) and exercise capacity (6MWT) before and after 8-week of RP. RESULTS: A total of 16 patients completed the study, seven in FB group, five in ONB group and four in the CG. After the RP, the FB group showed a significant increase in PImax (93.3 ± 19.1 vs. 123.0 ± 15.8 mmHg) and in the 6MWT distance (462.9 ± 71.8m vs. 529.1 ± 50.1 m) and a decrease in the CAT score (9.7 ± 6.5 vs. 5.9 ± 6.0) and in the mMRC dyspnea score. FB provides greater improvement in PImax, dyspnea, quality of life and 6MWT than ONB. CONCLUSIONS: The Feelbreathe® device provides greater improvements in quality of life, dyspnea, exercise capacity and inspiratory muscle strength compared to patients that did not use it.

Performance Factors in Dinghy Sailing: Laser Class.

Despite the relationship between performance and anthropometric characteristics, strength, and endurance in the action of dinghy hiking, there is no equation to predict the position obtained in competition. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of anthropometric characteristics, strength, and endurance on the performance of the sailor. Twenty-nine male sailors of the Laser class were evaluated according to age, navigation experience, strength and resistance tests in a simulator, body weight, size, sitting height, Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage, trochanteric length, thigh length, tibial length, foot length, abdominal perimeter, and upper thigh perimeter. The results show that the variables were related to performance are age, navigation experience, height, and length of the thigh. The variables that are most related to performance are age and sailing experience. Seventy-six percent of the performance can be estimated using the following equation: 311.971 + (-1.089 × height) + (-1946 × age) + (-1.537 × thigh length). Performance in the Laser class will be determined by the tactics (age and sailing experience) and the morphological characteristics of the sailor (height and sitting height).

Inertial flywheel resistance training and muscle oxygen saturation.

BACKGROUND: The inertial flywheel device causes an increase in eccentric overload during training. The aim was to study muscle oxygen saturation produced during an inertial flywheel squat training, comparing it with a barbell squat training. METHODS: Twelve male adults performed a barbell squat training (3×8 reps, 75-80% 1RM) and a flywheel squat training (3×8 reps, all-out). Muscle oxygen saturation (%SmO2), total hemoglobin (tHb), reoxygenation, heart rate (HR), lactate, vertical jumps, maximal voluntary isometric contraction and rated perceived exertion (RPE) were studied. RESULTS: Both protocols produced a significant decrease in %SmO2 and tHB during the sets of squats, and a significant increase in HR, lactates dand RPE after training. The flywheel squat protocol caused a greater decrease in %SmO2 than the barbell squat protocol in each of the sets of exercises (1st set: -67.5±7.2% vs. -53.7±16.2%; 2nd set: -67.2±13.5% vs. -53.6±15.4%; 3rd set: -68.1±13.0% vs. -55.0±17.0%), as well as a longer reoxygenation after finishing the training (61.7±12.6 vs. 55.7±13.7 s). CONCLUSIONS: Although no differences were found on a muscle fatigue level, the flywheel training brought on greater physiological stress than the barbell squat training, observing a greater decrease in muscle oxygen saturation and a longer reoxygenation.

Acorenone B: AChE and BChE Inhibitor as a Major Compound of the Essential Oil Distilled from the Ecuadorian Species Niphogeton dissecta (Benth.) J.F. Macbr.

This study investigated the chemical composition, physical proprieties, biological activity, and enantiomeric analysis of the essential oil from the aerial parts of Niphogeton dissecta (culantrillo del cerro) from Ecuador, obtained by steam distillation. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the essential oil was realized by gas chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques (GC-MS and GC-FID). Acorenone B was identified by GC-MS and NMR experiments. The enantiomeric distribution of some constituents has been assessed by enantio-GC through the use of a chiral cyclodextrin-based capillary column. We identified 41 components that accounted for 96.46% of the total analyzed, the major components were acorenone B (41.01%) and (E)-ß-ocimene (29.64%). The enantiomeric ratio of (+)/(-)-ß-pinene was 86.9:13.1, while the one of (+)/(-)-sabinene was 80.9:19.1. The essential oil showed a weak inhibitory activity, expressed as Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC 10 mg/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 5 mg/mL). Furthermore, it inhibited butyrylcholinesterase with an IC50 value of 11.5 µg/mL. Pure acorenone B showed inhibitory activity against both acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, with IC50 values of 40.8 µg/mL and 10.9 µg/mL, respectively.

Chemical Composition, Enantiomeric Analysis, AEDA Sensorial Evaluation and Antifungal Activity of the Essential Oil from the Ecuadorian Plant Lepechinia mutica Benth (Lamiaceae).

This study describes the GC-FID, GC/MS, GC-O, and enantioselective GC analysis of the essential oil hydrodistilled from leaves of Lepechinica mutica (Lamiaceae), collected in Ecuador. GC-FID and GC/MS analyses allowed the characterization and quantification of 79 components, representing 97.3% of the total sample. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (38.50%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (30.59%) were found to be the most abundant volatiles, while oxygenated sesquiterpenes (16.20%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (2.10%) were the minor components. In order to better characterize the oil aroma, the most important odorants, from the sensorial point of view, were identified by Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis (AEDA) GC-O. They were α-Pinene, ß-Phellandrene, and Dauca-5,8-diene, exhibiting the characteristic woody, herbaceus, and earthy odors, respectively. Enantioselective GC analysis of L. mutica essential oil revealed the presence of twelve couples and two enantiomerically pure chiral monoterpenoids. Their enantiomeric excesses were from a few percent units to 100%. Moreover, the essential oil exhibited moderate in vitro activity against five fungal strains, being especially effective against M. canis, which is a severe zoophilic dermatophyte causal agent of pet and human infections.