Unidad docente Química Analítica e Ingeniería Quimica
http://hdl.handle.net/10017/277
QUANING2024-03-28T22:21:15ZPresence of pharmaceutical contaminants of emerging concerns in two rivers of western Cuba and their relationship with the extracellular enzymatic activity of microbial communities
http://hdl.handle.net/10017/61056
Presence of pharmaceutical contaminants of emerging concerns in two rivers of western Cuba and their relationship with the extracellular enzymatic activity of microbial communities
Petre Bujan, Alice Luminita; Larrea Murrell, Jeny Adina; Romeu Alvarez, Beatriz; Salcedo Gómez, Adrian; Lugo Moya, Daysi; Rojas Badía, Marcia María; Boltes Espínola, Ana Karina
En los últimos años ha aumentado la preocupación derivada de la presencia de contaminantes emergentes en el medio ambiente y los posibles efectos en la trilogía One Health. Este estudio determinó la concentración de contaminantes farmacéuticos de creciente preocupación y su relación con la actividad enzimática extracelular de comunidades microbianas de dos ríos del occidente de Cuba. Se analizaron dos estaciones de muestreo; uno en el Río Almendares (urbano) y otro en el Río San Juan (rural), teniendo en cuenta los focos de contaminación que llegan a estas estaciones y caracterizaciones fisicoquímicas previas. Se determinaron las actividades de proteasa extracelular, fosfatasa ácida, fosfatasa alcalina, lipasa y catalasa en agua y sedimentos y se correlacionaron con contaminantes de interés emergente determinados mediante cromatografía líquida con espectrometría de masas. Este estudio evidenció la presencia de diferentes contaminantes farmacéuticos encontrados en las categorías de antihipertensivos, estimulantes, antiinflamatorios y antibióticos en ambos ríos. Las concentraciones de contaminantes de creciente preocupación fueron mayores en el río Almendares en comparación con el río San Juan. Además, mediante el análisis de redundancia canónica se documentó la influencia de estos contaminantes en las actividades enzimáticas extracelulares de las comunidades microbianas, donde en la mayoría de los casos inhiben las actividades de proteasa, fosfatasa y lipasa y potencian la actividad de catalasa en respuesta al estrés oxidativo. La presente investigación constituye el primer reporte en Cuba de la presencia de contaminantes farmacéuticos de preocupación emergente y uno de los pocos trabajos que existen en la región latinoamericana.; In recent years, the concern derived from the presence of emerging contaminants in the environment and the possible effects on the One Health trilogy has increased. This study determined the concentration of pharmaceutical contaminants of emerging concern and their relationship with the extracellular enzymatic activity of microbial communities from two rivers in western Cuba. Two sampling stations were analyzed; one in the Almendares River (urban) and the other in the San Juan River (rural), taking into account the pollution sources that arrive at these stations and previous physicochemical characterizations. Extracellular protease, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, lipase, and catalase activities in water and sediments were determined and correlated with contaminants of emerging concern determined by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. This study evidenced the presence of different pharmaceutical contaminants found in the categories of antihypertensives, stimulants, anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics in both rivers. Concentrations of contaminants of emerging concern were greater in the Almendares River compared to the San Juan River. In addition, through the canonical redundancy analysis, the influence of these contaminants on the extracellular enzymatic activities of microbial communities was documented, where in most cases they inhibit protease, phosphatase, and lipase activities and enhance catalase activity in response to oxidative stress. The present investigation constitutes the first report in Cuba of the presence of pharmaceutical contaminants of emerging concern and one of the few works that exist in the Latin American region.
2024-02-01T00:00:00ZViable microorganisms on fibers collected within and beyond the planetary boundary layer
http://hdl.handle.net/10017/60986
Viable microorganisms on fibers collected within and beyond the planetary boundary layer
Rosal García, Roberto; González Pleiter, Miguel; Edo Cuesta, Carlos; Casero Chamorro, Maria Cristina; Aguilera Batzán, Ángeles; González Toril, Elena; Wierzchos, Jacek; Leganés Nieto, Francisco; Fernández Piñas, Francisca
Fibers are found in all environments. However, the impact of their presence on ecosystems and human health is not yet well understood, especially in the case of the atmosphere. In this work, we presented evidence that fibers traveling through the atmosphere act as vectors to spread microorganisms. Here, we investigated the presence of viable microorganisms on fibers collected within and beyond the planetary boundary layer during flights of a C-212 aircraft over Central Spain. In total, seven fibers, six of which transported viable microorganisms, were isolated in two flights. The viability of the microorganisms was determined by confocal microscopy by means of the fluorescent probes SYBR-Green to detect microorganisms and CTC redox dye to assess their cellular respiration activity. The fibers that transported viable microorganisms were spectroscopically analyzed by micro-FTIR and identified as wool-silk and cellulose-cotton. Taken together, the results demonstrated that fibers host viable microorganisms when traveling through the lower free troposphere.
2020-11-10T00:00:00ZEfficient removal of nanoplastics from water using mesoporous metal organic frameworks
http://hdl.handle.net/10017/60916
Efficient removal of nanoplastics from water using mesoporous metal organic frameworks
Pedrero Guerra, Daniel; Edo Cuesta, Carlos; Fernández Piñas, Francisca; Rosal García, Roberto; Aguado Sierra, Sonia
Nanoplastics have garnered significant global attention as emerging environmental contaminants due to their susceptibility to be internalized by organisms, potentially leading to higher ecological and health risks compared to microplastics. Recently, adsorption has emerged as a promising strategy for nanoplastic removal, and new adsorbents have demonstrated impressive performance in this regard. In this study, we focused on the removal of polystyrene nanoplastics (NPs) from aqueous environments using a series of mesoporous Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs). We synthesized mesoporous UiO-66 and its derivatives (?OH and ?NH2) through direct solvothermal synthesis in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) or Pluronic-type triblock copolymer (P123). The resulting materials had high crystallinity and displayed a hierarchical mesoporosity. Remarkably, we found that UiO-66-NH2/P123 demonstrated exceptional efficiency in removing NPs, achieving up to 100 % removal efficiency at an initial concentration of 1 g·L-1. This indicates its potential as a highly effective adsorbent for nanoplastic removal from aqueous media.
2023-12-01T00:00:00ZpH-responsive polyacrylic acid (PAA)-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrogel incorporating halloysite nanotubes (HNT) for controlled curcumin delivery
http://hdl.handle.net/10017/60914
pH-responsive polyacrylic acid (PAA)-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrogel incorporating halloysite nanotubes (HNT) for controlled curcumin delivery
Pourmadadi, Mehrab; Darvishan, Sepehr; Yazdian, Fatemeh; Abdous, Majid; Rahdar, Abbas; Díez Pascual, Ana María
A pH-sensitive nanocomposite based on halloysite nanotubes (HNT) coated with polyacrylic acid (PAA)/carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrogel was synthesized for controlled delivery of curcumin (CUR) to MCF-7 cancer cells. Hazelnut oil was added to minimize the nanocomposite size and increase its uniformity via water/oil/water (W/O/W) double emulsion method. Likewise, Span 80 surfactant was incorporated to produce a nanoniosomal emulsion that increased the stability and retention of CUR as an anticancer drug. The molecular interactions between the nanocomposite components, its crystalline structure, surface morphology, size distribution and surface charge were analyzed through Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements, respectively. The resulting drug delivery system showed a 45% drug loading and an 87% encapsulation efficiency, which are amongst the highest values reported up to date for CUR nanocarriers. The zeta potential of the nanocomposite was about 36 mV, indicating good stability. A sustained drug release was observed, with 61% and 96% CUR released at pH 7.4 and 5.4 after 96 h, respectively, which confirms the pH-sensitivity of the developed nanocarrier. MTT assay demonstrated the strong toxicity of the nanocomposites against MCF-7 cancer cells. Also, 46% of cell death rate in the apoptotic phase was observed by flow cytometry. The results obtained herein support the great potential of PAA/CMC/HNT/CUR hydrogel nanocomposites as smart drug delivery vehicles for breast cancer treatment.
2023-07-01T00:00:00Z