Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Ultrathin oral films are novel delivery systems that do not require water to swallow, show rapid systemic release, and allow a comfortable and precise dosage. These films represent an option for administering active metabolites from medicinal plants used against insomnia, such as Agastache mexicana. However, incorporating complex bioactive molecules can compromise the functionality of the films. This study evaluated the physicochemical properties and biological activity of sodium alginate films added with the ethanolic extracts of Agastache Mexicana. After incorporating the extracts, the films preserved their homogeneous morphology, thickness (<50 µm), and solubility time (<10 min). In contrast, hardness increased more than 40%, and elasticity increased 60%. Infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed that, after the preparation of the films, the functional groups of the extracts and the chemical structure of the ultrathin films were maintained. Moreover, we demonstrated that the hypnotic effect of Agastache mexicana was preserved, since the sleep onset latency and total sleep time in a murine model were similar between the liquid extract and the film formulation. These data support the use of ultrathin films with natural extracts as a potential treatment for sleep disorders like insomnia.

In the tourist zone of the Puerto Arista Sanctuary and 70 meters inside the beach line, on the coast of the state of Chiapas, Mexico, what is known as epibionts of a colony of the barnacle Conchoderma virgatum (Spengler, 1790) was found attached to the caudal section of a live pelagic sea snake, Hydrophis platurus (Linnaeus, 1766). Twenty-three epibionts were counted, each with an average length of 1.2 cm; the snake measured 61.97 cm in length and was subsequently relocated. The record is a novelty for the sanctuary area and unusual to find it in the terrestrial environment.

The alternative oxidase (AOX) is a monotopic metalloprotein attached to the inner surface of the inner mitochondrial membrane. This enzyme catalyzes the transfer of electrons from ubiquinol to oxygen, with the production of water. When the cytochrome pathway is inhibited by cyanide or other xenobiotic molecules, the AOX allows the flux of electrons from NADH to oxygen and thus, the catabolic and anabolic activity of the Krebs cycle. The AOX is found in plants, fungi, some protists and a few primitive metazoans. It has been proposed that this enzyme has important roles in the response against osmotic and oxidative stresses. In this review, we analyze the structure of the enzyme, address its participation in the responses of fungi to osmotic stress and analyze the influence of AOX on ATP synthesis.

The ecological succession is a biotic community substitution process by other with more structuration and functionality, during the ecosystem maturation. As well, succession is a self-organization process in biotic communities, with organisms forming relationships and associations that regulate and control energy flux and organic matter cycles, in search of a growing resilience. In this work, it is presented an analysis of reported data on the plant succession of a xeric shrub at the Valle del Mezquital, Hidalgo State, Mexico. The results show there is a gradual sequency toward a more structuration and functionality within the ecosystem during xeric shrub maturation, that support better utilization of local water resources. Finally, it is concluded that the successional trend is not toward a more ecosystem complexity, but to the rise of its structuration, with cooperative organization and mutualisms as dominant interactions, in a way that ecosystem can increase its functionality.

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Polymorphisms of the ACTN3 and ACE genes related to athletic performance are controversial due to those who favor differences between ethnicity and athletic status. However, although the above is the subject of debate through genetics, it is known that the potential benefits of the R + I allele fall on anaerobic performance and the carriers of the X + D allele on aerobic performance, biologically indicative that the genotype RX + DD + II is the key to the excellent performance of athletes with similar physical abilities and makes both power and endurance phenotypes important. The objective of this paper was to select and describe the studies that support the association of the genotype of the ACTN3 and ACE genes with the performance of individual sports athletes, considered elite for their high sports performance. 1,153 articles on the subject were reviewed and only 13 were included in the research. The results obtained indicate that athletes with the RR/RX + ID/DD genotype stand out in speed/power and those with the XX + II genotype in endurance. In conclusion, it is possible that there is a specific genetic structure associated with the polymorphisms of the ACTN3 and ACE genes that allow them to be predisposed to a high level of anaerobic and/or aerobic performance.

La conversión de la energía solar a energía química en las plantas se realiza a través de la fotosíntesis, que es el principal sostén para la vida en el planeta, ya que es en este proceso en el que se da la fijación del CO2 y como resultado final los azúcares, que son la fuente principal de energía para los tejidos no fotosintéticos de las plantas. Durante la evolución, los azúcares no solo fueron, sino son una fuente de energía para las plantas y adquirieron la función de moléculas señalizadoras; es decir, moléculas mensajeras que perciben y comunican las variaciones del estado energético de la planta a través de diversos receptores proteícos situados extracelular e intracelularmente. Tanto los monosacáridos (glucosa y fructosa) como los disacáridos (sacarosa y trehalosa) desencadenan diferentes vías de señalización que involucran la participación de diversas cinasas y factores de transcripción para modular la expresión de diversos genes relacionados con el crecimiento, desarrollo y respuesta al estrés de las plantas. El objetivo de esta revisión es proporcionar un panorama general de las fuentes que generan los azúcares, sus mecanismos de transporte, así como el conocimiento actual de la percepción y la señalización mediada por estos compuestos y su impacto en la vida de las plantas.

Biofuels are a viable alternative to the partial or total replacement of fossil fuels, biodiesel is an ideal substitute for diesel as it can be used without modifying existing engines and offers a safe distribution process. In this review, the raw materials used in recent years for their production by the transesterification method are summarized, as well as the effect that the operating conditions have on the reaction yield, in addition to integrating the reaction mechanisms with base catalysis, acid and the heterogeneous catalyst CaO. Transesterification has been studied and modified, from the conventional process to the application of ultrasound, in supercritical conditions and in situ. The ideal process will depend on the available raw materials and equipment, using the least amount of energy, time and inputs, one of the most promising is transesterification with ultrasound and heterogeneous catalyst.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP-PEST, also known as PTPN12, is ubiquitously expressed and it is regulated by the phosphorylation of serine and threonine residues. PTPN12 gene is located, in humans, in chromosome 7q11.23. The coded protein comprises an N-terminal region, followed by a tyrosine phosphatase catalytic domain, and a C-terminal tail containing sequences rich in proline, glutamic acid, serine and threonine (PEST), as well as an NPLH (asparagine, proline, leucine, histidine) sequence that functions as a docking site for proteins involved in signal transduction.PTP-PEST regulates various physiological processes such as cell migration, immune response and neuronal activity by phosphorylating multiple substrates; among them several cytoskeleton adaptor proteins such as paxillin, and others involved in signal transduction pathways, some of which have not been completely elucidated.PTP-PEST is altered in several diseases such as cancer, and has been studied as a therapeutic target. This review focuses on its classification, structure and both its physiological and pathological roles. 

The adaptive immunity system in bacteria and archaea, responsible for recognizing invasive DNA sequences, is characterized by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR). CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) and guide RNAs complementary to specific target DNA sequences are the most widely used gene-editing tools to modify organisms. Currently, the variety of CRISPR/Cas systems has increased, adapting to microorganisms such as yeasts with biotechnological potential. This review aims to facilitate understanding of the basic concepts of the CRISPR/Cas9 system and to recognize some of the varieties of this molecular tool that have been successfully implemented in different yeasts. Likewise, some of the new technologies that are revolutionizing research based on CRISPR are described