Browsing by Subject "In vivo"
Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- PublicationOpen AccessCharacterization of betalain-loaded liposomes and its bioactive potential in vivo after ingestion(Elsevier, 2022-12-09) Martínez-Rodriguez, Pedro; Guerrero-Rubio, M.Alejandra; Hernández García, Samanta; Henarejos Escudero, Paula; Gandía Herrero, Fernando; García Carmona, Francisco; Bioquímica y Biología Molecular ABetalains are plant pigments characterized by showing a wide range of beneficial properties for health. Its bioactive potential has been studied for the first time after its encapsulation in liposomes and subsequent administration to the animal model Caenorhabditis elegans. Phenylalanine-betaxanthin and indoline carboxylic acid-betacyanin encapsulated at concentrations of 25 and 500 μM managed to reduce lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in the nematodes. Highly antioxidant betalains dopaxanthin and betanidin were also included in the survival analyses. The results showed that phenylalanine-betaxanthin was the most effective betalain by increasing the lifespan of C. elegans by 21.8%. In addition, the administration of encapsulated natural betanidin increased the nematodes’ survival rate by up to 13.8%. The preservation of the bioactive properties of betalains manifested in this study means that the stabilization of the plant pigments through encapsulation in liposomes can be postulated as a new way for administration in pharmacological and food applications.
- PublicationOpen AccessExtension of life-span using a RNAi model and in vivo antioxidant effect of Opuntia fruit extracts and pure betalains in Caenorhabditis elegans(Elsevier, 2018-09-11) Guerrero Rubio, M. Alejandra; Hernández García, Samanta; Gandía Herrero, Fernando; García Carmona, Francisco; Bioquímica y Biología Molecular ABetalains are nitrogenous plant pigments known for their high antioxidant capacity. For the first time, this antioxidant nature has been studied in an in vivo system using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The oxidative stress caused in the fluorescent strain TJ375 (hsp-16.2::GFP) was reversed by the presence of both natural and semi-synthetic betalains, with an ED50 value around 25 μM for betacyanins and up to 10 μM for betaxanthins, with indicaxanthin, the major pigments in prickly pear fruits, as the most effective betalain. The effect of model betalains on the lifespan of the wild-type N2 strain was carefully studied using the automatic platform “Lifespan Machine”. In a search for different approaches to suppress progeny, pop-1 RNAi was used to avoid FUdR use. The presence of betalains in the medium, both as pure compounds and as enriched Opuntia extracts significantly increased the lifespan of C. elegans
- PublicationOpen AccessHealth-promoting potential of betalains in vivo and their relevance as functional ingredients: A review(Elsevier, 2022-02-13) Martínez-Rodriguez, Pedro; Guerrero Rubio, María Alejandra; Henarejos Escudero, Paula; Gandía Herrero, Fernando; García Carmona, Francisco; Bioquímica y Biología Molecular "A"Background: Betalains are phytochemicals of relevance to the food industry not only for their natural presence in foods and beverages but also due to their utility as food colorants. However, the use of betalains as functional ingredients has not been extended despite their demonstrated health-promoting properties. The use of betalains as nutraceuticals is an emerging field thanks to the accumulation of scientific evidence on their beneficial effects on health in humans and animal models. Scope and approach: In this review, all the health-promoting effects of betalains published to date are collected and discussed with a focus on their promising use as functional ingredients. All studies on animal models and humans are critically analyzed. Key findings and conclusions: The bioactive properties of betalains have been manifested in rodents, fish, and nematodes. Chemopreventive, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities are some of the effects produced by betalains in vivo. Assays performed in humans remain limited, but their conclusions are highly promising in terms of the health-promoting potential of betalains, supporting the use of these compounds as functional ingredients.
- PublicationOpen AccessLimitations and challenges of direct cell reprogramming in vitro and in vivo(Universidad de Murcia, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Histiologia, 2022) Zhang, Yi-Xuan; Chen, Si-Lin; Li, Yu-Mei; Zheng, Yun-WenDirect reprogramming, whether in vitro or in vivo, has attracted great attention because of its advantages of convenience, short-term conversion, direct targets, no immune rejection, and potential clinical applications. In addition, due to its independence from the pluripotent state, direct programming minimizes some safety concerns associated with the use of human pluripotent stem cells. However, the significant limitations of reprogrammed cells, such as poor proliferative ability, low efficiency, and immature function, need to be addressed before the clinical application potential can be expanded. Here, we review the recent achievements of direct reprogramming in 2D and 3D systems in vitro and in vivo, covering cells derived from the three germ layers from stem/progenitor cells to terminal cells, such as hepatocytes, pancreatic β cells, cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, neurons, and melanocytes. Combining our lab experiences with current work, we summarize the practical and potential issues that need to be solved and the prospects of strategies for addressing the current dilemmas. Through comprehensive analyses, it is concluded that the directions for dealing with efficiency and functionality issues could be the optimization of transcription factors, the upgradation for delivery systems, the regulation of epigenetic factors and pathways, and the improvement of cellular maintenance conditions. Besides, converting cells into the progenitor state firstly and then differentiating them into the desired cell types with chemical compounds may provide an approach to obtaining functional and safe converted cells in batches with a better proliferative ability. With the emergence of more and more direct reprogramming techniques and approaches with both safety and effectiveness, it is bound to bring a new dawn for mechanism research and therapeutic applications for relevant diseases in the future.
- PublicationOpen AccessNanotechnology-based formulations for resveratrol delivery: Effects on resveratrol in vivo bioavailability and bioactivity(Elsevier Sci Ltd, 2019-04-15) Collado-González, Mar; Pereira, Irina; Pereira-Silva, Miguel; Ferreira, Laura; Caldas, Mariana; Magalhães, Mariana; Figueiras, Ana; Ribeiro, António J.; Veiga, Francisco; Santos, Ana Claudia; Biología Celular e HistologíaResveratrol (RES), also known as 3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene, is a polyphenolic phytoalexin that has been widely researched in the past decade due to its recognized numerous biological activities. Despite the potential benefits of RES, its effective use is limited due to its poor solubility, photosensitivity and rapid metabolism, which strongly undermine RES bioavailability and bioactivity. Thereby, recently, nanotechnology appeared as a po- tential strategy to circumvent RES physicochemical and pharmacokinetics constrains. However, only few studies have addressed the crucial in vivo suitability of the developed delivery systems to improve RES efficacy. Facing this scenario, in the present review, it is intended to present and discuss the in vivo resveratrol bioavailability and bioactivity, following its encapsulation or conjugation in nanotechnology-based carriers, contemplating their pharmacokinetics effectiveness.
- PublicationOpen AccessPulmonary toxicity of instilled cadmium-doped silica nanoparticles during acute and subacute stages in rats(F. Hernández y Juan F. Madrid. Universidad de Murcia: Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, 2013) Coccini, Teresa; Barni, Sergio; Vaccarone, Rita; Mustarelli, Piercarlo; Manzo, Luigi; Roda, ElisaPotential risk associated with new nanomaterial exposure needs to be assessed. This in vivo study investigated pulmonary effects of engineered cadmium-containing silica nanoparticles Cd/SiNPs (1 mg/rat), silica SiNPs (600 µg/rat) and CdCl 2 (400 µg/rat) 1, 7 and 30 days after intratracheal instillation. Comprehensive histopathological and immunocytochemical characterization of lung damage in terms of apoptosis, cell proliferation, inflammation, fibrosis and metabolism were obtained. After exposure to all treatments, lung parenchyma showed injury patterns characterized by collapsed alveoli, inflammation, granuloma formation, thickened alveolar septa and bronchiolar epithelium exfoliation. Type II pneumocytes, containing scarcely surfactantlamellated bodies, were also observed. Apoptotic phenomena enhanced as following, Cd/SiNPs>CdCl 2> SiNPs. In parallel with these findings, a significant increase of PCNA-immunoreactive cells was detected together with high mitotic activity. Cellular localization and distribution of IL-6, IP-10 and TGF-ß1 revealed an increased expression of these cytokines as evidence of an enhanced cellular inflammatory response. CYP450- immunoreactivity was also enhanced, at bronchiolar (e.g. Clara cells) and alveolar (e.g. macrophages) level after both Cd/SiNPs and CdCl 2. These overall effects were observed acutely and lasted until the 30th day, with Cd/SiNPs producing the most marked effects. Collagen-immunolabelling changed particularly 7 and 30 days after Cd/SiNPs, when a strong stromal fibrogenic reaction occurred. The present findings suggest that Cd/SiNPs produce significantly greater pulmonary alterations than either SiNPs or CdCl2 under the present experimental conditions.