La imperiosa necesidad de programar la asistencia a urgencias, atendiendo al cambio climático y las crisis de calidad del aire

El cambio climático y la crisis global de calidad del aire son fenómenos que están teniendo impactos en numerosos aspectos de la sociedad, incluyendo la atención médica en general y en los servicios de urgencias en particular. En 2021 la Organización Mundial de la Salud declaró que el cambio climático es “la mayor amenaza para la salud a la que enfrenta la humanidad”1, motivo por el que este organismo publicó nuevas directrices de calidad del aire, recomendando reducir drásticamente los niveles de contaminación en el aire ambiente. Recientemente, y en relación a los escenarios meteorológicos que estamos viviendo en este nuevo escenario climático, el secretario general de la ONU declaro “la humanidad ha abierto las puertas del infierno”.

Benito Lozano, Miguel; Rodríguez, Sergio.

Revista Española de Urgencias y Emergencias, 2: 194-197 (2023)
Digital.CSIC

TBS-pyrrole as an “universal” reference to quantify artemisinin and structurally-diverse natural products in plants extracts by NMR

The commercial production of artemisinin and other valuable bioactive natural products depends on their plant sources, which may provide variable amounts of the compound depending on plant variety, the period of the year, abiotic stress and other factors. Therefore, it requires a method for large-scale, low-cost natural product quantification. The standard HPLC and UHPLC methods are accurate but the analysis are costly and require different optimization for structurally-diverse products. An alternative method using NMR with TBS-pyrrole as a novel “universal” reference affords a simple, fast method to quantify many different products. The method is shown with antimalarial artemisinin, whose yield using conventional and novel extraction procedures was determined by standard UHPLC-MS procedures and by our NMR protocol, with similar quantification results. The novel reference compound does not interfere with artemisinin or extract signals, only needs a small amount of the extract, is accurate and operationally simple, and a large volume of samples can be processed in little time. Moreover, bioactive terpenes, steroids, alkaloids, aromatic compounds, and quinones, among others, were quantified in a model vegetal extract with this “universal” reference with excellent accuracy.

García-García, Ana L.; Hernández, Dácil C; Santana-Mayor, Álvaro; Jiménez-Arias, David; Boto, Alicia.

Frontiers in Plant Science 14, 1255512 : 1-15 (2023)
DOIDigital.CSIC

Síntesis de éteres cíclicos naturales

Se presenta un resumen de algunos métodos utilizados en la síntesis de productos naturales bioactivos de origen marino. El artículo se estructura acorde al orden en que son introducidos los enlaces más importantes en los heterociclos oxigenados. Se discute asimismo la similitud de algunos métodos sintéticos utilizados con los usados por los organismos vivos productores.

Betancort, Juan M.; Carrillo Fumero, Romen; Díaz Díaz, David; García, Celina; Martín, Tomás; Padrón, Juan I.; Padrón, José M.; Ramírez, Miguel Á.; Martín, Víctor S.

Anales de química, 119(3): 153-160 (2023)
Digital.CSIC

First report of Aphria latifrons (Diptera, Tachinidae, Leskiini) in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are an archipelago of volcanic origin, located off north-west Africa comprising eight islands. Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are the oldest (20 and 15 millon years old, respectively) and the easternmost islands. The order Diptera is one of the most relevant taxa in the Canary Islands as they constitute the second highest species richness. Within this order, the family Tachinidae is especially interesting as all species are endoparasitoids of arthropods and most species play a key role as pollinators. In the Canary Islands, the family comprises 52 species, with Fuerteventura and Lanzarote harbouring up to 20 species each.

Suárez, Daniel; Lugo, David; Pérez-Gil, Mónica; Peña, Gustavo; Ruiz, Carlos.

Biodiversity Data Journal, 11, e109690: 1-9 (2023)
DOIDigital.CSIC

Geography, climate and shifts in host plants distribution explain the genomic variation in the cactus moth

Landscape heterogeneity and the host plant use are factors suggested to play determinant roles in shaping the evolutionary history of herbivorous insects. However, the role of the reconfiguration of host plants distributions linked to Quaternary climate oscillations as drivers of contemporary population genetic structure is still poorly understood. Here, we formally examine the relative contribution of such factors on intraspecific diversification using the South American cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum, an herbivore insect specialized in the use of cacti as host plants. We assessed genomic variation using genome-wide SNPs and mitochondrial data in populations sampled across a broad geographical gradient where moths feed on different cactus species. We integrated demographic simulations and ecological niche modeling into a landscape genomics framework, to test alternative hypotheses of past and current population connectivity for both C. cactorum and its host plants. Regions exhibiting higher genomic diversity were evaluated for congruence with areas where suitable climatic conditions remained stable through time. Our results revealed that past spatial configuration of suitable habitat conditions and shifts of host plants distributions are the factors that better explain the intraspecific diversification. Genomic data also supported the hypothesis that areas of long-term habitat stability served as refugia for C. cactorum, enabling the maintenance of high levels of genetic diversity over time. Overall, our study highlights the importance of integrating inter-specific interactions and their spatio-temporal dynamics to better understand the relative importance of abiotic and biotic factors driving the diversification processes in herbivorous insects with broad geographical and restricted host ranges.

Poveda-Martínez, Daniel; Noguerales, Víctor; Hight, Stephen D.; Logarzo, Guillermo; Emerson, Brent C.; Varone, Laura; Hasson, Esteban.

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11: 1-14 (2023)
DOI

Ligand-Directed Chemistry on Glycoside Hydrolases – A Proof of Concept Study

Selective covalent labelling of enzymes using small molecule probes has advanced the scopes of protein profiling. The covalent bond formation to a specific target is the key step of activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), a method which has become an indispensable tool for measuring enzyme activity in complex matrices. With respect to carbohydrate processing enzymes, strategies for ABPP so far involve labelling the active site of the enzyme, which results in permanent loss of activity. Here, we report in a proof of concept study the use of ligand-directed chemistry (LDC) for labelling glycoside hydrolases near – but not in – the active site. During the labelling process, the competitive inhibitor is cleaved from the probe, departs the active site and the enzyme maintains its catalytic activity. To this end, we designed a building block synthetic concept for small molecule probes containing iminosugar-based reversible inhibitors for labelling of two model β-glucosidases. The results indicate that the LDC approach can be adaptable for covalent proximity labelling of glycoside hydrolases.

Prasch, Herwig; Wolfsgruber, Andreas; Thonhofer, Martin; Culum, André; Mandl, Christoph; Weber, Patrick; Zündel, Melanie; Nasseri, Seyed A.; González Santana, Andrés; Tegl, Gregor; Nidetzky, Bernd; Gruber, Karl; Stütz, Arnold E.; Withers, Stephen G.; Wrodnigg, Tanja M.

ChemBioChem, e202300480: 1-12 (2023)
DOIDigital.CSIC

Polyphenols as Antioxidant/Pro-Oxidant Compounds and Donors of Reducing Species: Relationship with Human Antioxidant Metabolism

In this review, we have focused mainly on the study of their antioxidant and pro-oxidant capacity, and the analysis of the oxidation of the catechol group to o-quinone. The redox balance established between the different oxidase and reductase enzymes generates reducing species, H+ and e−, and allows the oxidation of polyphenolic groups to quinones to be reversible. This continuous balance between these nucleophilic and electrophilic substances allows the activation of the NRF2/ARE axis, which regulates cellular antioxidant responses against oxidative stress, as well as cell proliferation. Understanding the ambivalent character of polyphenols, which can act simultaneously as antioxidants and pro-oxidants, will allow the design of specific therapies that can serve science and medicine in their tasks.

Curieses Andrés, Celia María; Pérez de Lastra, José Manuel; Andrés Juan, Celia; Plou Gasca, Francisco José; Pérez-Lebeña, Eduardo.

Processes 11(9), 2771: 1-23 (2023)
DOIDigital.CSIC

Biostimulant activity of Galaxaura rugosa seaweed extracts against water deficit stress in tomato seedlings involves activation of ABA signaling

Water scarcity is a serious constraint for agriculture, and global warming and climate change can exacerbate it in many areas. Therefore, sustainable approaches must be implemented to deal with current and future water scarcity scenarios. Genetic and chemical approaches are being applied to manage this limitation and maintain crop yields. In particular, biostimulants obtained from natural sources such as marine algae are promising aids for coping with water deficit stress in agriculture. Here we present a bioprospection study of extracts of the macroalgae Bonnemaisonia hamifera, Galaxaura rugosa, Dasycladus vermicularis, Ulva clathrata, Cystoseira foeniculacea, Cystoseira humilis, Lobophora dagamae, Colpomenia sinuosa and Halopteris scoparia from the north coast of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. The aqueous extracts of Bonnemaisonia hamifera, Galaxaura rugosa, Dasycladus vermicularis and Cystoseira humilis show biostimulant activity against water deficit stress in tomato seedlings under controlled conditions, providing higher tolerance than the mock-treated control. The Galaxaura rugosa extract showed the highest biostimulant activity against water deficit stress. We demonstrate that this positive effect involves the activation of the abscisic acid (ABA) pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana (arabidopsis) and Solanum lycopersicum (tomato). Application of G. rugosa extract to the root system by drenching tomato seedlings subjected to water deficit leads to improved CO2 assimilation and water use efficiency (WUEp), compared to mock-treated plants. These results highlight a new potential seaweed source of substances with osmoprotectant properties, useful for biostimulant development. Future studies may provide further insight into which components of the seaweed extract induce activation of the ABA pathway.

Morales-Sierra, Sarai; Cristo Luis, Juan; Jiménez-Arias, David; Rancel-Rodríguez, Nereida M.; Coego, Alberto; Rodriguez, Pedro L.; Cueto, Mercedes; Borges, Andrés A.

Frontiers in Plant Science, 14: 1-13 (2023)
DOIDigital.CSIC

First record of Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910 (Hemiptera, Coreidae) in the Canary Islands, a novel pine pest detected through citizen science in an oceanic archipelago

Background

The 'western seed bug', known as Leptoglossus occidentalis, is considered a global invasive species that has experienced a recent rapid expansion worldwide, becoming an important pest species for coniferous forests.

 

New information

With the 'Canary Islands early-warning network for the detection and intervention of invasive exotic species' (RedEXOS), this species was detected for the first time in the Canarian archipelago in an urban area in the eastern part of the island of Gran Canaria. This early detection is crucial for understanding the potential damage in one of the islands with the highest surface area of natural endemic pine forest.

Lugo, David; Suárez, David; Martín, Sonia; Martín Afonso, Óscar; Martín, Alicia; Ruiz, Carlos.

Biodiversity Data Journal, 11, e109851: 1-13 (2023)
DOIDigital.CSIC

Bubble-enhanced basanite–tephrite mixing in the early stages of the Cumbre Vieja 2021 eruption, La Palma, Canary Islands

Syneruptive magma mixing is widespread in volcanic eruptions, affecting explosivity and composition of products, but its evidence in basaltic systems is usually cryptic. Here we report direct evidence of mixing between basanitic and tephritic magmas in the first days of the 2021 Tajogaite eruption of Cumbre Vieja, La Palma. Groundmass glass in tephritic tephra from the fifth day of the eruption is locally inhomogeneous, showing micron-scale filamentary structures of Si-poor and Fe-, Mg-rich melt, forming complex filaments attached to bubbles. Their compositional distribution attests the presence of primitive basanitic magma, with compositions similar to late-erupted melts, interacting with an evolved tephritic melt during the first week of the event. From filament morphology, we suggest their generation by dragging and folding of basanitic melt during bubble migration through melt interfaces. Semi-quantitative diffusion modelling indicates that the filamentary structures are short-lived, dissipating in timescales of tens of seconds. In combination with thermobarometric constraints, we suggest a mixing onset by sub-Moho remobilization of a tephritic reservoir by basanite input, followed by turbulent ascent of a mingled magma. In the shallow conduit or lava fountain, bubble nucleation and migration triggered further mingling of the distinct melt-phases. This phenomenon might have enhanced the explosive behaviour of the eruption in such period, where violent strombolian explosions were common.

González-García, Diego; Boulesteix, Thomas; Klügel, Andreas; Holtz, François.

Scientific Reports, 13, 14839: 1-15 (2023)
DOIDigital.CSIC