Renewable Carbon Materials as Electrodes for High-Performance Supercapacitors: From Marine Biowaste to High Specific Surface Area Porous Biocarbons

Waste, in particular, biowaste, can be a valuable source of novel carbon materials. Renewable carbon materials, such as biomass-derived carbons, have gained significant attention recently as potential electrode materials for various electrochemical devices, including batteries and supercapacitors. The importance of renewable carbon materials as electrodes can be attributed to their sustainability, low cost, high purity, high surface area, and tailored properties. Fish waste recovered from the fish processing industry can be used for energy applications and prioritizing the circular economy principles. Herein, a method is proposed to prepare a high surface area biocarbon from glycogen extracted from mussel cooking wastewater. The biocarbon materials were characterized using a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analyzer to determine the specific surface area and pore size and by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Raman analysis, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical characterization was performed using a three-electrode system, utilizing a choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) as an eco-friendly and sustainable electrolyte. Optimal time and temperature allowed the preparation of glycogen-based carbon materials, with a specific surface area of 1526 m² g^-1, a pore volume of 0.38 cm³ g^-1, and an associated specific capacitance of 657 F g^-1 at a current density of 1 A g^-1, at 30 °C. The optimal material was scaled up to a two-electrode supercapacitor using a DES-based solid-state electrolyte (SSE@DES). This prototype delivered a maximum capacitance of 703 F g^-1 at a 1 A g^-1 of current density, showing 75% capacitance retention over 1000 cycles, delivering the highest energy density of 0.335 W h kg^-1 and power density of 1341 W kg^-1. Marine waste can be a sustainable source for producing nanoporous carbon materials to be incorporated as electrode materials in energy storage devices.

Chitins from Seafood Waste as Sustainable Porous Carbon Precursors for the Development of Eco-Friendly Supercapacitors

Carbon materials derived from marine waste have been drawing attention for supercapacitor applications. In this work, chitins from squid and prawn marine wastes were used as carbon precursors for further application as electrodes for energy storage devices. Chitins were obtained through a deproteinization method based on enzymatic hydrolysis as an alternative to chemical hydrolysis as commonly presented in the literature. The obtained porous carbons were characterized using a BET surface area analyzer to determine the specific surface area and pore size, as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), to characterize their morphology, composition, and structure. The electrochemical characterization was performed using a glassy carbon (GC) electrode modified with marine waste-based porous carbons as the working electrode through cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge using ethaline, a choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvent (DES), as an eco-friendly and sustainable electrolyte. Squid and prawn chitin-based carbons presented a surface area of 149.3 m² g^-1 and 85.0 m² g^-1, pore volume of 0.053 cm³ g^-1 and 0.029 cm³ g^-1, and an associated specific capacitance of 20 and 15 F g^-1 at 1 A g^-1, respectively. Preliminary studies were performed to understand the effect of -OH groups on the chitin-based carbon surface with DES as an electrolyte, as well as the effect of aqueous electrolytes (1 mol L^-1 sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) and 1 mol L^-1 potassium hydroxide (KOH)) on the capacitance and retention of the half-cell set up. It is provided, for the first time, the use of chitin-based carbon materials obtained through a one-step carbonization process combined with an eco-friendly DES electrolyte for potential application in energy storage devices.

Cell-Laden Marine Gelatin Methacryloyl Hydrogels Enriched with Ascorbic Acid for Corneal Stroma Regeneration

Corneal pathologies from infectious or noninfectious origin have a significant impact on the daily lives of millions of people worldwide. Despite the risk of organ rejection or infection, corneal transplantation is currently the only effective treatment. Finding safe and innovative strategies is the main goal of tissue-engineering-based approaches. In this study, the potential of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels produced from marine-derived gelatin and loaded with ascorbic acid (as an enhancer of the biological activity of cells) was evaluated for corneal stromal applications. Marine GelMA was synthesized with a methacrylation degree of 75%, enabling effective photocrosslinking, and hydrogels with or without ascorbic acid were produced, encompassing human keratocytes. All the produced formulations exhibited excellent optical and swelling properties with easy handling as well as structural stability and adequate degradation rates that may allow proper extracellular matrix remodeling by corneal stromal cells. Formulations loaded with 0.5 mg/mL of ascorbic acid enhanced the biological performance of keratocytes and induced collagen production. These results suggest that, in addition to marine-derived gelatin being suitable for the synthesis of GelMA, the hydrogels produced are promising biomaterials for corneal regeneration applications.

Kinetics of Bacterial Adaptation, Growth, and Death at Didecyldimethylammonium Chloride sub-MIC Concentrations

Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) are standard indexes for determining disinfection effectiveness. Nevertheless, they are static values disregarding the kinetics at sub-MIC concentrations where adaptation, growth, stationary, and death phases can be observed. The understanding of these dynamic mechanisms is crucial to designing effective disinfection strategies. In this study, we studied the 48 h kinetics of Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli cells exposed to sub-MIC concentrations of didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC). Two mathematical models were employed to reproduce the experiments: the only-growth classical logistic model and a mechanistic model including growth and death dynamics. Although both models reproduce the lag, exponential and stationary phases, only the mechanistic model is able to reproduce the death phase and reveals the concentration dependence of the bactericidal/bacteriostatic activity of DDAC. This model could potentially be extended to study other antimicrobials and reproduce changes in optical density (OD) and colony-forming units (CFUs) with the same parameters and mechanisms of action.

Characterization of Protein Hydrolysates from Fish Discards and By-Products from the North-West Spain Fishing Fleet as Potential Sources of Bioactive Peptides

Fish discards and by-products can be transformed into high value-added products such as fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) containing bioactive peptides. Protein hydrolysates were prepared from different parts (whole fish, skin and head) of several discarded species of the North-West Spain fishing fleet using Alcalase. All hydrolysates had moisture and ash contents lower than 10% and 15%, respectively. The fat content of FPH varied between 1.5% and 9.4% and had high protein content (69.8-76.6%). The amino acids profiles of FPH are quite similar and the most abundant amino acids were glutamic and aspartic acids. All FPH exhibited antioxidant activity and those obtained from Atlantic horse mackerel heads presented the highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, reducing power and Cu2+ chelating activity. On the other hand, hydrolysates from gurnard heads showed the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity and Fe2+ chelating activity. In what concerns the α-amylase inhibitory activity, the IC50 values recorded for FPH ranged between 5.70 and 84.37 mg/mL for blue whiting heads and whole Atlantic horse mackerel, respectively. α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity of FPH was relatively low but all FPH had high Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. Considering the biological activities, these FPH are potential natural additives for functional foods or nutraceuticals.

Coumarin-grafted blue-emitting fluorescent alginate as a potentially valuable tool for biomedical applications

A novel blue-emitting fluorescent alginate derivative has been successfully synthesized in a simple two-reaction step protocol. The developed material showed to be biocompatible and traceable upon long periods of incubation in physiologic conditions.

[From a pathogen's genome to an effective vaccine: the four-component meningococcal serogroup B vaccine]

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, entails significant mortality and morbidity. Disease incidence is highest in infants <1 year and young children globally. In Europe, N. meningitidis serogroup B is responsible for over 50% of overall IMD cases, whereas the majority of IMD cases in Latin America is caused either by serogroup B or C. The development of an effective vaccine against serogroup B has challenged the researchers for over half a century. Serogroup B capsular polysaccharide was an inappropriate vaccine antigen, and the success of outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines was restricted to homologous bacterial strains. Reverse vaccinology led to the development of a 4-component meningococcal vaccine including three novel antigens, and OMVs (4CMenB). Each vaccine component has a different target. 4CMenB has been authorised based on its immunogenicity and safety data because the low disease incidence precluded formal clinical efficacy studies. Human serum bactericidal antibody (hSBA) assay tests functional antibodies in the serum of vaccinated individuals (i.e. the vaccine immunogenicity), and is the accepted correlate of protection. Vaccine strain coverage has been assessed both through hSBA assays and a more conservative method named Meningococcal Antigen Typing System (MATS). Effectiveness data of 4CMenB have been collected in the field since 2013. The vaccine proved effective in outbreak control in North America, and recent data from the introduction of the vaccine in the United Kingdom infant national immunisation programme reveal a vaccine effectiveness of 82.9% for the first two doses, with an acceptable safety profile.

Comparison of real-time PCR methods for quantification of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) in processed food samples

The quantification of species in commercial products is limited by analytical shortcomings, as most of them provide semiquantitative results. An exception is real-time PCR, which can provide quantitative results using hybridization probes. In the present work, this technique has been applied to the absolute, absolute-relative and relative quantification of the most valued hake species in European markets, Merluccius merluccius (European Hake). The best quantification results for this species in binary mixtures with non-target species (Merluccius capensis) and using a species-specific real-time PCR MMER_VIC system was achieved using a relative quantification approach (MLL as reference system). Absolute quantification using the MLL nuclear system has been demonstrated as appropriate for the quantification of the Merluccius genus in food model samples. This study reveals the impact of different reference systems (MLL and HAKE) in the absolute-relative and relative quantification approaches, showing that the nuclear MLL system performed better than the mitochondrial HAKE system.

Stochastic Individual-Based Modeling of Bacterial Growth and Division Using Flow Cytometry

A realistic description of the variability in bacterial growth and division is critical to produce reliable predictions of safety risks along the food chain. Individual-based modeling of bacteria provides the theoretical framework to deal with this variability, but it requires information about the individual behavior of bacteria inside populations. In this work, we overcome this problem by estimating the individual behavior of bacteria from population statistics obtained with flow cytometry. For this objective, a stochastic individual-based modeling framework is defined based on standard assumptions during division and exponential growth. The unknown single-cell parameters required for running the individual-based modeling simulations, such as cell size growth rate, are estimated from the flow cytometry data. Instead of using directly the individual-based model, we make use of a modified Fokker-Plank equation. This only equation simulates the population statistics in function of the unknown single-cell parameters. We test the validity of the approach by modeling the growth and division of Pediococcus acidilactici within the exponential phase. Estimations reveal the statistics of cell growth and division using only data from flow cytometry at a given time. From the relationship between the mother and daughter volumes, we also predict that P. acidilactici divide into two successive parallel planes.

Production of Chitin from Penaeus vannamei By-Products to Pilot Plant Scale Using a Combination of Enzymatic and Chemical Processes and Subsequent Optimization of the Chemical Production of Chitosan by Response Surface Methodology

The waste generated from shrimp processing contains valuable materials such as protein, carotenoids, and chitin. The present study describes a process at pilot plant scale to recover chitin from the cephalothorax of Penaeus vannamei using mild conditions. The application of a sequential enzymatic–acid–alkaline treatment yields 30% chitin of comparable purity to commercial sources. Effluents from the process are rich in protein and astaxanthin, and represent inputs for further by-product recovery. As a last step, chitin is deacetylated to produce chitosan; the optimal conditions are established by applying a response surface methodology (RSM). Under these conditions, deacetylation reaches 92% as determined by Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H-NMR), and the molecular weight (Mw) of chitosan is estimated at 82 KDa by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Chitin and chitosan microstructures are characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Cationic imprinting of Pb(II) within composite networks based on bovine or fish chondroitin sulfate

Imprinting chondroitin sulfate (CS)/silica composites with Pb(II) and Cu(II) cations was explored with CS of bovine and different fish species origin. The process was based on the assumption that particular arrangements of the linear CS chains in aqueous solution, induced so as to accommodate cross complexation with the cations, would be embodied into a tridimensional matrix created through an organoalkoxysilane sol-gel scheme. The presence of Cu(II) in the synthesis of the composites did not result in the production of significantly stronger Cu(II)-oriented binding arrangements, and therefore, the imprinting was not successful. Inversely, for Pb(II), the materials obtained exhibited a "memory" effect for the Pb(II) ions, expressed in the observation of stronger (13%-44%) binding as compared to the nonimprinted counterparts, and increased selectivity (1.5-2 folds) against Cd(II). The imprinting features observed were dependent on the CS source. However, it was not possible to identify, among a set of their properties (carboxylate and sulfate abundance, percent of disulfated units, 4S/6S ratio, and molecular weight), any that correlated directly with the observed imprinting features. The augmented selectivity provided by the cation-imprinting process may be advantageous in areas such as analytical separation, remediation, purification, sensing, and others, particularly in those cases where a certain cation is of special interest within a mixture of them.

An environmental management industrial solution for the treatment and reuse of mussel wastewaters

In the North-West of Spain, the annual production of mussel is 2×10(6)t (35% of the world). The industrial thermal treatment of mussels generates between 300 and 400L/t wastewaters that are continuously disposed into the sea without previous treatment and or further reuse. These effluents, relatively rich in organic matter (7g glycogen/L and 25g COD/L), contribute to the progressive deterioration of the marine ecosystem. We wish to suggest a biotechnological process, based on a laboratory optimization and industrial pre-scale trials, to transform these industrial effluents into a growth culture medium to produce microbial biomass. Furthermore, this biomass is isolated and treated by different optimized separation and purification processes to produce several bioproducts: 1) single cell protein; 2) cell wall material with a high content in glucans and glycoproteins 3) fractions of 1,3-β-glucans and mannoproteins from yeast cell walls hydrolysis; and 4) a potential antioxidant extract. Finally, the authors propose a scaled process for its industrial application. In consequence, we believe that this work provides an environmentally friendly, eco-designed and profitable solution that allows integrating the mussel industry into the ecosystem in a sustainable way.

A Kinetic and Factorial Approach to Study the Effects of Temperature and Salinity on Growth and Toxin Production by the Dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii from the Baltic Sea

Alexandrium ostenfeldii is present in a wide variety of environments in coastal areas worldwide and is the only dinoflagellate known species that produces paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins and two types of cyclic imines, spirolides (SPXs) and gymnodimines (GYMs). The increasing frequency of A. ostenfeldii blooms in the Baltic Sea has been attributed to the warming water in this region. To learn more about the optimal environmental conditions favoring the proliferation of A. ostenfeldii and its complex toxicity, the effects of temperature and salinity on the kinetics of both the growth and the net toxin production of this species were examined using a factorial design and a response-surface analysis (RSA). The results showed that the growth of Baltic A. ostenfeldii occurs over a wide range of temperatures and salinities (12.5-25.5°C and 5-21, respectively), with optimal growth conditions achieved at a temperature of 25.5°C and a salinity of 11.2. Together with the finding that a salinity > 21 was the only growth-limiting factor detected for this strain, this study provides important insights into the autecology and population distribution of this species in the Baltic Sea. The presence of PSP toxins, including gonyautoxin (GTX)-3, GTX-2, and saxitoxin (STX), and GYMs (GYM-A and GYM-B/-C analogues) was detected under all temperature and salinity conditions tested and in the majority of the cases was concomitant with both the exponential growth and stationary phases of the dinoflagellate's growth cycle. Toxin concentrations were maximal at temperatures and salinities of 20.9°C and 17 for the GYM-A analogue and > 19°C and 15 for PSP toxins, respectively. The ecological implications of the optimal conditions for growth and toxin production of A. ostenfeldii in the Baltic Sea are discussed.

Production of Hyaluronic Acid by Streptococcus zooepidemicus on Protein Substrates Obtained from Scyliorhinus canicula Discards

This work investigates the production of hyaluronic acid (H) by Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in complex media formulated with peptones obtained from Scyliorhinus canicula viscera by-products. Initially, in batch cultures, the greatest productions were achieved using commercial media (3.03 g/L) followed by peptones from alcalase hydrolyzed viscera (2.32 g/L) and peptones from non-hydrolyzed viscera (2.26 g/L). An increase of between 12% and 15% was found in subsequent fed-batch cultures performed on waste peptones. Such organic nitrogen sources were shown to be an excellent low-cost substrate for microbial H, saving more than 50% of the nutrient costs.

Oxidation Stability of Pig Liver Pâté with Increasing Levels of Natural Antioxidants (Grape and Tea)

The present study investigated the effect of the addition of increasing levels of the natural antioxidants tea (TEA) and grape seed extracts (GRA) on the physiochemical and oxidative stability of refrigerated stored pig pâtés. In addition, a synthetic antioxidant and a control batch were used, thus a total of eight batches of liver pâté were prepared: CON, BHT, TEA (TEA50, TEA200 and TEA1000) and GRA (GRA50, GRA200 and GRA1000). Pâté samples were analyzed following 0, 4, 8 and 24 weeks of storage. Color parameters were affected by storage period and level of antioxidant extract. Samples with TEA200 and GRA1000 levels of extracts showed lower total color difference between 0 and 24 weeks. At the end of storage period, the lower TBARs values were obtained in samples with the highest concentration on natural extract. Overall, the evolution of volatile compounds showed an increase in those ones that arise from the lipid oxidation and samples with TEA1000 extract showed the lowest values.

Inhibition of selected bacterial growth by three hydrocarbons: mathematical evaluation of toxicity using a toxicodynamic equation

The individual toxicity of different hydrocarbons (naphthalene, cyclododecane and aniline) on the growth of selected bacteria (Pseudomonas sp., Phaeobacter sp. and Leuconostoc mesenteroides) was studied by means of a toxicodynamic model combination of two sigmoid equations (logistic and Weibull). All the toxicological effects on growth parameters and kinetic properties were characterized and the global toxicity of such chemicals was evaluated. It was observed that two kinetic parameters (maximum growth and maximum growth rate) were in almost all cases influenced by the hydrocarbons studied. Aniline was less toxic than cyclododecane and naphthalene. The presented approach is a reasonable starting point for understanding and modeling complete and real assessment of chemical toxic effects on bacterial growths. The values of EC50,τ could be used for a most efficient comparison of the individual toxicity of chemicals.

Crocin bleaching antioxidant assay revisited: application to microplate to analyse antioxidant and pro-oxidant activities

The crocin bleaching assay (CBA) is a common method for evaluating the antioxidant activity of hydrosoluble samples. It is criticised due to its low reproducibility, problematic quantification of results, differences in reagent preparation, doubtful need for a preheating phase and sensitivity to factors such as temperature, pH, solvents and metals. Here, the critical points of the method were extensively revised, and a highly reproducible procedure for microplate readers redeveloped. The problems of using quantification procedures, disregarding kinetic considerations, are discussed in detail and a model is proposed for quantifying simultaneously anti- and pro-oxidant activities as function of concentration and time. Thus, the combined use of a reproducible procedure and robust mathematical modeling produced consistent and meaningful criteria for comparative characterization of any oxidation modifier, taking into account the dose-time-dependent behaviour. The method was verified by characterising several commercial antioxidants and some metal compounds using the parametric values of the proposed models. The activity of the tested antioxidants decreased in the order ETX>TR>PG>AA>TBHQ>BHA. Others, such as the lipophilic antioxidants of BHT and α-Tocopherol did not show any activity. Interference from metals were for Fe(2+), Fe(3+), Cd(2+), Ni(2+), Mg(2+), Zn(2+) and Sr(2+), slightly antioxidant for Cu(1+) and Cu(2+), and strongly antioxidant for Mn(2+). None of the tested metals showed a pro-oxidant activity.

A critical point: the problems associated with the variety of criteria to quantify the antioxidant capacity

The oxidant action implies interfering in an autocatalytic process, in which no less than five chemical species are present (oxygen, oxidizable substrate, radicals, antioxidants, and oxidation products); furthermore, reactions of first and second order can take place, and interactions can occur, at several levels of the process. The common and incorrect practice is to use the single-time dose-response of an established antioxidant as a calibration curve to compute the equivalent antioxidant capacity of a sample, which is only tested at one single time-dose, assuming too many false aspects as true. Its use is unreasonable, given the availability of computational applications and instrumental equipment that, combined, provide the adequate tools to work with different variables in nonlinear models. The evaluation of the dose-time dependency of the response of the β-carotene method as a case study, using the combination of strong quantification procedures and a high amount of results with lower experimental error (applying microplate readers), reveals the lack of meaning of single-time criteria. Also, it demonstrates that, in most of the reactions, the time-dependent response in the oxidation process is inherently nonlinear and should not be standardized at one single time, because it would lead to unreliable results, hiding the real aspects of the response. In food matrices, the application of single-time criteria causes deficiencies in the control of the antioxidant content. Therefore, it is logical that, in the past decade, researchers have claimed consensus to increase the determination and effectiveness of antioxidant responses.

Toxicity of four spill-treating agents on bacterial growth and sea urchin embryogenesis

The toxicity of spill-treating agents (STAs) is a topic that needs to be assessed prior to their potential application in environmental disasters. The aim of the present work was to study the effects of four commercial STAs (CytoSol, Finasol OSR 51, Agma OSD 569 and OD4000) on the growth of marine (Phaeobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp.) and terrestrial (Leuconostoc mesenteroides) bacteria, and sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) embryolarval development. In general, STA did not inhibit significantly the biomass production of the tested marine bacteria. Finasol OSR 51 and OD4000 clearly inhibited the growth of L. mesenteroides and an accurate description of the kinetics was provided by a proposed bivariate equation. For this species, a global parameter (EC50,τ) was defined to summarize the set of growth kinetics. Using this parameter Finasol OSR 51 was found to be less toxic (754μL L(-1)) than OD4000 (129μL L(-1)). For the sea urchin embryo assay, the ranking of toxicity as EC50 (μL L(-1)) was Agma OSD 569 (34.0)<CytoSol (26.3)<OD4000 (2.2)<Finasol OSR 51 (1.2).

Use of drugs related to the treatment of diabetes mellitus and other cardiovascular risk factors in the Spanish population. The Di@bet.es study

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

To assess the patterns of use of 8 therapeutic drug groups for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and other cardiovascular risk factors, and to identify sociodemographic and health determinants of their use in the overall Spanish population.

METHODS

A representative sample of the Spanish population within the Di@bet.es study, a cross-sectional population-based survey, was included.

STUDY VARIABLES

sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle data; physical examination, and an oral glucose tolerance test in patients without known diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, patients were systematically queried about current medication use, and 8 pharmacotherapeutic groups were evaluated: lipid-lowering therapy, antihypertensives, oral hypoglycemic agents, insulin, thyroid hormone, uricosurics, psychoactive drugs, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

RESULTS

Sixty-six percent of the Spanish population was taking at least one medication. Therapeutic drug use was associated with age, independently of the higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia in older patients. Sex disparities were found in the use of lipid-lowering agents, allopurinol, levothyroxine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and psychoactive drugs. Use of psychoactive drugs was related to education level, work status, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Almost 30% of patients with diabetes mellitus were taking 6 or more medications daily. Diabetes mellitus was associated with greater use of antihypertensives, lipid-lowering agents, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

CONCLUSIONS

Age and sex are the most important factors determining therapeutic drug use. Lifestyle patterns and sociocultural factors have an impact only on psychoactive drug use. Diabetes mellitus is associated with greater use of antihypertensives, lipid-lowering agents, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Toxicity of spill-treating agents and oil to sea urchin embryos

The aim of this study was to assess the joint toxicity of a Maya crude oil and four spill-treating agents (STAs) (CytoSol, Finasol OSR51, Agma OSD569 and OD4000). The acute toxicity of the binary mixtures of the water accommodated fractions (WAFs) obtained independently for the oil and each STA was assessed. The toxicity of the chemically enhanced WAF (CEWAF) of oil and Finasol OSR51 at several dispersant to oil ratios (1:2, 1:10 and 1:100) was also evaluated. The toxicity (EC50) obtained for the WAFs of the STAs was: CytoSol (15.1 mL/L)<Agma OSD 569 (9.8 mL/L)<OD4000 (2.6 mL/L)<and Finasol OSR 51 (1.8 mL/L). An accurate description of the toxicity of binary mixtures was obtained by the following models: Concentration Addition (Agma OSD569 and CytoSol), Independent Action (Finasol OSR51) and extended Concentration Addition model to describe antagonistic effects (OD4000). The CEWAFs showed an intermediate position between the more moderate effects of the WAF of oil and the higher toxicity of the WAFs of Finasol OSR51, which suggested the high sensitivity of the sea urchin embryo toward the dispersant.

Toxicity of binary mixtures of oil fractions to sea urchin embryos

The assumption of additive toxicity for oil compounds is related to a narcotic mode of action. However, the joint toxicity of oil fractions has not been fully investigated. A fractionation of Maya crude oil into aliphatics, aromatics and polars was performed, fractions were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and subsequently toxicity of single fractions and binary mixtures was assessed using the sea urchin embryo test. The descriptive ability of Concentration Addition (CA), Independent Action (IA) and modifications of both models for describing the joint toxicity of mixtures has also been evaluated. The hydrocarbon content extractable with dichloromethane of the fractions dissolved in DMSO was: 12.0 ± 1.8 mg mL(-1), 39.0 ± 0.5 mg mL(-1) and 20.5 ± 2.5 mg mL(-1) for aliphatics, aromatics and polars, respectively. The toxicity of the extracts in DMSO of the fractions as EC50 (μLL(-1)) was: aliphatics (165.8-242.3)<polars (87.1-115.7)<aromatics (20.5-34.6). The goodness of fit of the CA model was in most binary mixtures (aliphatics-aromatics, aromatics-polars) greater than the IA (aliphatics-polars) according to the Akaike Information Criterion, so CA was considered a better option than IA to explain the joint toxicity of oil fractions. In addition, synergistic or antagonistic effects were not observed.

Effects of spill-treating agents on growth kinetics of marine microalgae

The effects of four spill-treating agents (STAs) (CytoSol, Finasol(®) OSR 51, Agma OSD 569 and OD4000) on the growth kinetics of three marine microalgae (Isochrysis galbana, Chaetoceros gracilis, Phaeodactylum tricornutum) were studied. Chlorophyll a concentration and optical density at 700 nm were assessed to describe the logistic growth of algae in batch cultures. The optical density data were initially analyzed as described for standard algal growth inhibition tests and subsequently modelled by a bivariate model, as a function of time and dose, to assess the toxic effects on growth parameters. Increasing trends in EC50 and EC10 values with time were found with the standard approach. In 8 of the 11 tests, the lag phase (λ) or the time required to achieve half the maximum biomass (τ) was significantly dependent on the STA concentration. A global parameter (EC50,τ) was calculated to summarize the effects of STAs on growth parameters in the bivariate model. The ranking of sensitivity as EC50,τ values was I. galbana>C. gracilis>P. tricornutum. For all species tested, the least toxic agent was Agma OSD 569, followed by CytoSol. The mathematical model allowed successful ecotoxicological evaluation of chemicals on microalgal growth.

Inhibition kinetics of lipid oxidation of model foods by using antioxidant extract of fermented soybeans

Fermentation by using Aspergillus oryzae has been reported to increase antioxidant activity of soybeans significantly. The effectiveness of the extract from fermented soybeans was studied in 3 model foods with different complexities, i.e., linoleic acid emulsion, sunflower oil emulsions and bulk sunflower oil. For the emulsion systems, oxidation at two different pH values (4.5 and 7) was also compared. A reparameterised logistic equation was used to describe and to predict the experimental data. In general, a good agreement between experimental trends and simulated data from the model was found. A crude antioxidant extract (5 mg/g) showed a comparable antioxidant activity to 0.26 mg/g of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in the linoleic acid emulsions. The extract exhibited a better capability to retard primary products in the linoleic acid systems than the secondary products. The opposite effect was observed in the bulk sunflower oil and its emulsion systems.

Mediterranean diet adherence in individuals with prediabetes and unknown diabetes: the Di@bet.es Study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is causally related to diabetes and is a dietary pattern recommended to individuals with diabetes. We investigated MedDiet adherence in individuals with prediabetes and unknown (PREDM/UKDM) or known diabetes (KDM) compared to those with normal glucose metabolism (NORMAL).

METHODS

This was a national, population-based, cross-sectional, cluster-sampling study. MedDiet adherence was scored (MedScore, mean ± SD 24 ± 5) using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between MedScore and PREDM/UKDM or KDM versus control subjects.

RESULTS

We evaluated 5,076 individuals. Mean age was 50 years, 57% were female, 826 (582/244) were PREDM/UKDM, 478 were KDM and 3,772 were NORMAL. Mean age increased across MedScore tertiles (46, 51 and 56 years, p < 0.0001). Higher age-adjusted adherence to MedDiet (5-unit increment in the MedScore) was associated with lower and nondifferent odds (OR, 95% CI) of prevalent PREDM/UKDM (0.88, 0.81-0.96, p = 0.001) and KDM (0.97, 0.87-1.07, p = 0.279), respectively, compared to individuals in the NORMAL group.

CONCLUSIONS

In a representative sample of the whole Spanish population, MedDiet adherence is independently associated with PREDM/UKDM. Therapeutic intervention may be, in part, responsible for the lack of differences in adherence observed between the KDM and NORMAL groups. However, reverse causation bias cannot be ruled out in cross-sectional studies.

Modeling real-time PCR kinetics: Richards reparametrized equation for quantitative estimation of European hake (Merluccius merluccius)

Real-time PCR is the most sensitive method for detection and precise quantification of specific DNA sequences, but it is not usually applied as a quantitative method in seafood. In general, benchmark techniques, mainly cycle threshold (Ct), are the routine method for quantitative estimations, but they are not the most precise approaches for a standard assay. In the present work, amplification data from European hake (Merluccius merluccius) DNA samples were accurately modeled by three sigmoid reparametrized equations, where the lag phase parameter (λc) from the Richards equation with four parameters was demonstrated to be the perfect substitute for Ct for PCR quantification. The concentrations of primers and probes were subsequently optimized by means of that selected kinetic parameter. Finally, the linear correlation among DNA concentration and λc was also confirmed.

β-Carotene assay revisited. application to characterize and quantify antioxidant and prooxidant activities in a microplate

The β-carotene bleaching assay, a common method for evaluating antioxidant activity, has been widely criticized due to its low reproducibility, problematic quantification, complex reagent preparation, and interference of different factors (temperature, pH, solvents, and metals). In this work we have examined the effects of these factors and developed a highly reproducible procedure for microplate assay, evaluated the critical points of the method, and proposed a kinetic model for quantifying both antioxidant and prooxidant activities. The application of these tools produced very consistent results, which provide robust and meaningful criteria to compare in detail the characteristics of several well-known commercial antioxidants, as well as several predictable prooxidants, and can be easily applied to natural extracts, food samples, and many other type of compounds. As an example, we have tested a set of commercial antioxidants and some typical lipophilic prooxidants. The activity of the tested antioxidants decreased in the following order: ethoxyquin ≫ α-tocopherol > butylhydroxyanisole > butylhydroxytoluene ≫ propyl gallate. On the other hand, hemoglobin and Fe(2+), Fe(3+), Co(2+), and Cu(2+) showed a strong prooxidant effect, and the activity was null in Cd(2+), Ni(2+), and Sr(2+), slightly antioxidant in Mg(2+), and strongly antioxidant in Zn(2+) and Mn(2+).

Comparison of growth performance, carcass components, and meat quality between Mos rooster (Galician indigenous breed) and Sasso T-44 line slaughtered at 10 months

The aim of this research was to make a full study of the meat from Mos-breed roosters (Spanish indigenous chicken). To achieve this purpose, the type of breed (Mos vs. a hybrid line, Sasso T-44) and the effect of finishing treatment in the last month (corn vs. commercial fodder) on growth performance, carcass and meat quality (physicochemical and textural traits), fatty and amino acid profile, and sensorial description were studied. The finishing feeding effect did not modify the growth, but the differences between genotypes were statistically significant (P < 0.05), in where Sasso T-44 was the genotype that generated the best growths and associated parameters. With regard to carcass characteristics, no significant influences of finishing feeding treatment (P > 0.05) were found, and carcass weight clearly differed between genotypes due to the lower growth rate of Mos roosters. Drumstick, thigh, and wing percentages were greater in Mos breed than in Sasso T-44 birds, whereas breast (15.2%), that is the most highly valued piece of the chicken, was similar for both genotypes. Significant differences in pH, protein, and ash content between genotypes have been found, whereas finishing feeding treatment had an effect on myoglobin and redness index (P < 0.01), showing meat from roosters fed with corn had a higher luminosity. Despite the fact of the slaughtered age of birds, values of shear force were slightly higher than 2 kg (2.11 kg) for both genotypes, thus it can be classified as very tender meat. Mos breed showed a higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (25.90 vs. 22.74; P < 0.001) and a lower percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids (35.14 vs. 38.95; P < 0.001) than Sasso T-44 chicken muscles. Surprisingly, birds finishing with the corn diet (2 times higher in linolenic acid than fodder) did not increase their polyunsaturated fatty acid level in the breast, obtaining in the Mos breed a polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio of 0.69. The amino acid profile of the indigenous-breed breast was not similar to that of the commercial-strain breast; besides, finishing feeding treatment had more of an effect on amino acid profile, affecting the majority of amino acids, with the exception of phenylalanine and threonine.

Breed effect between Mos rooster (Galician indigenous breed) and Sasso T-44 line and finishing feed effect of commercial fodder or corn

The aim of this research was to study the Mos rooster breed growth performance, carcass, and meat quality. The breed effect (Mos vs. Sasso T-44) and finishing feed in the last month (fodder vs. corn) on animal growth, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and fatty and amino acid profiles were studied using a randomized block design with initial weight as covariance. In total, 80 roosters (n = 30 of Sasso T-44 line and n = 50 of Mos breed) were used. They were separated by breed and allocated to 2 feeding treatment groups (concentrate and corn). Each feeding treatment group consisted of 15 and 25 roosters, for Sasso T-44 line and Mos breed, respectively. Finishing feeding did not affect growth parameters in the 2 genotypes of rooster tested (P > 0.05). Nonetheless, the comparison between both types of roosters led to significant differences in growth parameters (P < 0.05). Regarding carcass characteristics, no significant influences of finishing feeding treatment (P > 0.05) were found, and as expected, carcass weight clearly differed between genotypes due to the lower growth rate of Mos roosters. However, drumstick, thigh, and wing percentages were greater in the Mos breed than in the hybrid line. In color instrumental traits, roosters feeding with corn showed breast meat with significantly (P < 0.001) higher a* and b* values than those of cocks feeding with commercial fodder. Values of shear force were less than 2 kg for both genotypes, thus it can be classified as very tender meat. Finishing with corn significantly increased (P < 0.001) the polyunsaturated fatty acid content in the breast; the Mos breed had a polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio of 0.73. The amino acid profile of the indigenous breed was not similar to that of the commercial strain. Finishing feeding treatment had a greater influence than breed effect on amino acid profile.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose regulation in Spain: the Di@bet.es Study

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The Di@bet.es Study is the first national study in Spain to examine the prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose regulation.

METHODS

A population-based, cross-sectional, cluster sampling study was carried out, with target population being the entire Spanish population. Five thousand and seventy-two participants in 100 clusters (health centres or the equivalent in each region) were randomly selected with a probability proportional to population size. Participation rate was 55.8%. Study variables were a clinical and demographic structured survey, lifestyle survey, physical examination (weight, height, BMI, waist and hip circumference, blood pressure) and OGTT (75 g).

RESULTS

Almost 30% of the study population had some carbohydrate disturbance. The overall prevalence of diabetes mellitus adjusted for age and sex was 13.8% (95% CI 12.8, 14.7%), of which about half had unknown diabetes: 6.0% (95% CI 5.4, 6.7%). The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence rates of isolated impaired fasting glucose (IFG), isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and combined IFG-IGT were 3.4% (95% CI 2.9, 4.0%), 9.2% (95% CI 8.2, 10.2%) and 2.2% (95% CI 1.7, 2.7%), respectively. The prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose regulation increased significantly with age (p < 0.0001), and was higher in men than in women (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

The Di@bet.es Study shows, for the first time, the prevalence rates of diabetes and impaired glucose regulation in a representative sample of the Spanish population.

Dose-response modelling with two agents: application to the bioassay of oil and shoreline cleaning agents

Single and joint effects of hydrocarbons and a shoreline cleaning agent (SCA) were studied by measuring the inhibition of the larval growth of sea urchin. Different dosage methods of hydrophobic compounds were compared. The results obtained in the evaluation of CytoSol toxicity revealed that the method of variable dilution of water accommodated fraction (WAF) led to the more conservative toxicological approach. Regarding to Libyan oil, the use of DMSO as carrier allowed us the evaluation of its potential toxicity in comparison with the limitations imposed to the use of WAF method. A reparametrised form of the Weibull equation was slightly modified to be useful for dose-response analysis. This was the basis for modelling single sigmoid responses, which were used to simulate biphasic profiles with addition of effects and to describe both the concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) hypotheses. In all cases, its descriptive ability was graphically and statistically satisfactory. The IA model was the best option to explain the combined experimental responses obtained.

Acute toxicity of a shoreline cleaner, CytoSol, mixed with oil and ecological risk assessment of its use on the Galician Coast

The application of embryo-larval bioassay with the purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis at 48 hours, and with neonates of the mysid Siriella armata at 96 hours, was used to evaluate the acute toxicities of the following preparations: (1) the shoreline cleaning agent CytoSol; (2) the water-accommodated fraction of CytoSol plus a light crude oil; and (3) the runoff from a pilot-scale treatment with CytoSol of a rocky coastal substrate impregnated with residues from the Prestige oil spill (which occurred on November 19, 2002). The mussel was the most sensitive organism to CytoSol and runoff effects (EC(50) = 8.0 microL/L and 64.3 mL/L, respectively), and the mysid was the least sensitive to the runoff (EC(50) > 200 mL/L). The predicted no-effect environmental concentration (PNEC) was calculated from the no observed-effect concentration of the species most sensitive to the runoff. The predicted environmental concentration (PEC) was estimated from a simple and reasonable dilution model, and the PEC/PNEC ratio was calculated according to the area treated and the values of the variables considered in the model. Implications for the management of the treatment operations are discussed.

Biphasic toxicodynamic features of some antimicrobial agents on microbial growth: a dynamic mathematical model and its implications on hormesis

Background

In the present work, we describe a group of anomalous dose-response (DR) profiles and develop a dynamic model that is able to explain them. Responses were obtained from conventional assays of three antimicrobial agents (nisin, pediocin and phenol) against two microorganisms (Carnobacterium piscicola and Leuconostoc mesenteroides).

Results

Some of these anomalous profiles show biphasic trends which are usually attributed to hormetic responses. But they can also be explained as the result of the time-course of the response from a microbial population with a bimodal distribution of sensitivity to an effector, and there is evidence suggesting this last origin. In light of interest in the hormetic phenomenology and the possibility of confusing it with other phenomena, especially in the bioassay of complex materials we try to define some criteria which allow us to distinguish between sensu stricto hormesis and biphasic responses due to other causes. Finally, we discuss some problems concerning the metric of the dose in connection with the exposure time, and we make a cautionary suggestion about the use of bacteriocins as antimicrobial agents.

Conclusions

The mathematical model proposed, which combines the basis of DR theory with microbial growth kinetics, can generate and explain all types of anomalous experimental profiles. These profiles could also be described in a simpler way by means of bisigmoidal equations. Such equations could be successfully used in a microbiology and toxicology context to discriminate between hormesis and other biphasic phenomena.

Hyaluronic acid production by Streptococcus zooepidemicus in marine by-products media from mussel processing wastewaters and tuna peptone viscera

BACKGROUND

Hyaluronic acid is one of the biopolymers most commonly used by the pharmaceutical industry. Thus, there is an increasing number of recent works that deal with the production of microbial hyaluronic acid. Different properties and characteristics of the fermentation process have been extensively optimised; however, new carbon and protein sources obtained from by-products or cheap substrates have not yet been studied.

RESULTS

Mussel processing wastewater (MPW) was used as a sugar source and tuna peptone (TP) from viscera residue as a protein substrate for the production of hyaluronic acid (HA), biomass and lactic acid (LA) by Streptococcus zooepidemicus in batch fermentation. Commercial medium formulated with glucose and tryptone was used as the control. The parametric estimations obtained from logistic equations and maintenance energy model utilized for modelling experimental data were compared in commercial and low-cost media. Complete residual media achieved high production (3.67, 2.46 and 30.83 g l(-1) of biomass, HA and LA respectively) and a high molecular weight of HA (approximately 2500 kDa). A simple economic analysis highlighted the potential viability of this marine media for reducing the production costs by more than 50%.

CONCLUSIONS

The experimental data and mathematical descriptions reported in this article demonstrate the potential of media formulated with MPW and TP to be used as substrates for HA production by S. zooepidemicus. Furthermore, the proposed equations accurately simulated the experimental profiles and generated a set of interesting parameters that can be used to compare the different bacterial cultures. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work in which a culture media formed by marine by-products has been successfully used for microbial HA production.

From the limits of the classical model of sensitometric curves to a realistic model based on the percolation theory for GafChromic EBT films

PURPOSE

Modern radiotherapy uses complex treatments that necessitate more complex quality assurance procedures. As a continuous medium, GafChromic EBT films offer suitable features for such verification. However, its sensitometric curve is not fully understood in terms of classical theoretical models. In fact, measured optical densities and those predicted by the classical models differ significantly. This difference increases systematically with wider dose ranges. Thus, achieving the accuracy required for intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) by classical methods is not possible, plecluding their use. As a result, experimental parametrizations, such as polynomial fits, are replacing phenomenological expressions in modern investigations. This article focuses on identifying new theoretical ways to describe sensitometric curves and on evaluating the quality of fit for experimental data based on four proposed models.

METHODS

A whole mathematical formalism starting with a geometrical version of the classical theory is used to develop new expressions for the sensitometric curves. General results from the percolation theory are also used. A flat-bed-scanner-based method was chosen for the film analysis. Different tests were performed, such as consistency of the numeric results for the proposed model and double examination using data from independent researchers.

RESULTS

Results show that the percolation-theory-based model provides the best theoretical explanation for the sensitometric behavior of GafChromic films. The different sizes of active centers or monomer crystals of the film are the basis of this model, allowing acquisition of information about the internal structure of the films. Values for the mean size of the active centers were obtained in accordance with technical specifications. In this model, the dynamics of the interaction between the active centers of GafChromic film and radiation is also characterized by means of its interaction cross-section value.

CONCLUSIONS

The percolation model fulfills the accuracy requirements for quality-control procedures when large ranges of doses are used and offers a physical explanation for the film response.

Growth and metabolic features of lactic acid bacteria in media with hydrolysed fish viscera. An approach to bio-silage of fishing by-products

The reparameterization of two classic growth models (the logistic and Gompertz equations), and the dynamic modification of the integrated form of the first of these, was applied to the description of the kinetics and metabolic behaviour of six strains of lactic acid bacteria in four media: three of these from visceral waste from fishing products, and one commercial medium. The descriptions obtained -always consistent models and statistically significant parameters- provided a wide range of reliable numerical values on notable characteristics of microbial growth and bioproductions, which allowed the assessment of the individual systems by direct comparison, and also the suggesting of the potentially most suitable groups (of species of fish and of bacteria) for bio-silage processes.

Evaluation of the fermentability of oat fractions obtained by debranning using lactic acid bacteria

AIMS

The overall kinetics of the fermentation of four oat fractions obtained by debranning using three potentially probiotic lactic acid bacteria were investigated. The main objective was to study the suitability of these fractions as fermentation media for the growth and the metabolic production of bacteria isolated from human intestine.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The cell growth, lactic acid production and substrate uptakes of the three lactobacilli was monitored for 30 h. An unstructured mathematical model was used to describe and fit the experimental data. In the medium from fraction B (1-3% pearlings or beta-glucan-rich fraction) all strains reached the highest cell populations, maximum growth rates and maximum lactic acid productions. This could be because of the high levels of total fibre and beta-glucan of this fraction. Limited growth and lactic acid formation was found in medium A (0-1% pearlings or bran-rich fraction).

CONCLUSIONS

Medium B (1-3% pearling fraction) is the most suitable for fermentation and produces considerably higher probiotic cell concentrations.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Debranning technology could be used to separate fractions from cereal grains for the production of functional formulations with higher probiotic levels than the ones that were obtained with the whole grain.

Mouse bioassay for palytoxin. Specific symptoms and dose-response against dose-death time relationships

Nowadays, a variety of protocols are applied to quantitate palytoxin. However, there is not desirable agreement among them, the confidence intervals of the basic toxicological parameters are too wide and the formal descriptions lack the necessary generality to establish comparisons. Currently, the mouse bioassay is the most accepted one to categorize marine toxins and it must constitute the reference for other methods. In the present work, the mouse bioassay for palytoxin is deeply analyzed and carefully described showing the initial symptoms of injected mice which are presented here in the first time. These symptoms clearly differ from the more common marine toxins described up to now. Regarding to the toxicological aspects two considerations are taking into account: (i) the empiric models based in the dose-death time relationships cause serious ambiguities and (ii) the traditional moving average method contains in its regular use any inaccuracy elements. Herein is demonstrated that the logistic equation and the accumulative function of Weibull's distribution (with the modifications proposed) generate satisfactory toxicological descriptions in all the respects.