Publications by authors named "Alejandro Cifuentes"

Essential oils (EOs) are highly valued in the cosmetic and food industries for their diverse properties. However, traditional extraction methods often result in low yields, inconsistent compositions, lengthy extraction times, and the use of potentially harmful solvents. Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) have emerged as promising alternatives, offering advantages such as higher efficiency, cost-effectiveness, biodegradability, and tunable properties.

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This study investigates the biorefinery approach to extracting blood-brain barrier (BBB)-permeable compounds from Labill. and L. for neuroprotective purposes.

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Pressurized hot water, as a green and efficient physical treatment technology, has been widely utilized for the extraction and modification of polysaccharides, with the objective of enhancing the physicochemical properties and biological activities of polysaccharides applied in food systems. This article reviews the recent advances regarding the effects of pressurized hot water treatment (extraction and modification) on polysaccharide extraction rates, structure, physicochemical properties, and bioactivities. The potential modes and mechanisms of polysaccharides subjected to pressurized hot water treatment and the relevant applications of these treated polysaccharides are also thoroughly discussed.

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Systematic Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease increasingly prevalent in the aging population. AD is characterized by pathological features such as -amyloid (A) plaque accumulation, tau neurofibrillary tangles formation, oxidative stress, an impaired cholinergic system, and neuroinflammation. Many therapeutic drugs have been developed to slow the progression of AD by targeting these pathological mechanisms.

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) development is a gradual process in which progressive histological alterations of the intestinal mucosa damage occur over years. This process can be influenced by modifiable external factors such as lifestyle and diet. Most CRC cases (>80%) originate from conventional adenomas through the adenomatous pathway and usually harbour dysplastic cells, whereas the serrated pathway is less frequent (<20% cases) and comprises hyperplastic polyps and other polyps containing dysplastic cells.

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Allium chinense G. Don waste (ACGD) has an abundance of polysaccharides (ACGDP). Therefore, in this study, a method for extraction of ACGDP from ACGD by ultrasonic-assisted hot water extraction (UAE) based on ultrasonic cleaning equipment was developed.

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Background/objectives: The genus has been traditionally used for the treatment of various illnesses, but the potential of var. against different Alzheimer's disease (AD) hallmarks has never been achieved.

Methods: In this work, a pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method was optimized to extract L.

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Early detection of cancer significantly improves patient outcomes, with biomarkers offering a promising avenue for earlier and more precise diagnoses. Microfluidic biosensors have emerged as a powerful tool for detecting these biomarkers in body fluids, providing enhanced sensitivity, specificity, and rapid analysis. This review focuses on recent advances in microfluidic biosensors from 2018 to 2024, detailing their operational principles, fabrication techniques, and integration with nanotechnology for cancer biomarker detection.

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Elevated uric acid levels are associated with lipid metabolism disorders. The effects of Imperata cylindrica polysaccharide (ICPC-a) were explored using a hyperuricemia mouse model and a uric acid-induced HepG2 hepatocyte model. ICPC-a significantly improved total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein levels, and hepatic lipid deposition in hyperuricemia mice.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The review examines how silymarin is absorbed and metabolized in the body, focusing on its anti-inflammatory effects through pathways like NF-κB and MAPK.
  • * This research highlights the potential of silymarin to modify diseases and supports the need for further clinical studies to explore its therapeutic applications.
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A biorefinery process was developed to isolate phycobiliproteins, sulfated polysaccharides, and phenolic compounds from . The extraction process was carried out in three stages using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) integrated with different natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs). In general, PLE provided higher phycobiliprotein contents than UAE in the first step of the process.

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Pomegranate ( L.) peel is a potential source of bioactive phenolic compounds such as ellagic acid and α- and β-punicalagin. This work explores the efficiency of natural deep eutectic solvents combined with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) for their extraction.

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Objective: To conduct an exhaustive scoping search of existing literature, incorporating diverse bibliographic sources to elucidate the relationships between metabolite biomarkers in human fluids and dietary intake.

Background: The search for biomarkers linked to specific dietary food intake holds immense significance for precision health and nutrition research. Using objective methods to track food consumption through metabolites offers a more accurate way to provide dietary advice and prescriptions on healthy dietary patterns by healthcare professionals.

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This study focuses on the extraction of bioactive compounds from Quercus sideroxyla Bonpl., leaves which have been shown to possess health benefits. The extraction process was done using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), which is efficient and preserves heat-sensitive compounds.

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As emerging contaminants, microplastics threaten food and environmental safety. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP, released from microplastics) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP, adsorbed on microplastics) coexisted in food and the environment, harming human health, requesting a sensitive and simultaneous testing method to monitor. To address current sensitivity, simultaneousness, and on-site portability challenges during dual targets in complex matrixes, CuCoS/FeO nanoflower was designed to develop a smartphone-assisted photoelectrochemical point-of-care test (PEC POCT).

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is an EFSA-approved novel food and dietary supplement with increasing use in nutraceutical production worldwide. This study investigated the neuroprotective potential of bioactive compounds extracted from using green biobased solvents (ethyl acetate, AcOEt, and cyclopentyl methyl ether, CPME) under pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) conditions and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). Response surface optimization was used to study the effect of temperature and solvent composition on the neuroprotective properties of the PLE extracts, including anticholinergic activity, reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) scavenging capacity, and anti-inflammatory activity.

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The cultivation of (L.) Crantz is rapidly increasing due to oil production resulting in a substantial volume of by-products, which still have an interesting composition in secondary metabolites, especially glucosinolates. Therefore, a green extraction procedure of glucosinolates by Pressurised Liquid Extraction was developed and optimized using a chemometric approach.

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Sweet cherry ( L.) is among the most valued fruits due to its organoleptic properties and nutritional worth. Cherry stems are rich in bioactive compounds, known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

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Coenzyme Q (Q) is a key lipid electron transporter, but several aspects of its biosynthesis and redox homeostasis remain undefined. Various flavoproteins reduce ubiquinone (oxidized form of Q) to ubiquinol (QH); however, in eukaryotes, only oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complex III (CIII) oxidizes QH to Q. The mechanism of action of CIII is still debated.

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In this study, an exhaustive chemical characterization of a Dunaliella salina (DS) microalga extract obtained using supercritical fluids has been performed, and its neuroprotective capacity has been evaluated in vivo using an Alzheimer's disease (AD) transgenic model of Caenorhabditis elegans (strain CL4176). More than 350 compounds were annotated in the studied DS extract, with triacylglycerols, free fatty acids (FAs), carotenoids, apocarotenoids and glycerol being the most abundant. DS extract significantly protects C.

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This work evaluated the efficiency of Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE) and Pressurized Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (P-NaDESs) under different temperatures (100, 120, 140 and 160 °C) in obtaining pectin from Passion Fruit Rinds (PFR) and its residual biomass (PFR - UAPLE), and compare the results with those of Conventional Extraction (CE). The highest pectin yields, 19.1 and 27.

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The Amazonian (Willd.) Kuntze nuts contain a lipidic fraction with health-promoting effects, but little is known about the bioactivity of other constituents. In this study, the lipidic fraction obtained using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO was chemically characterized by using lipidomics techniques.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Alejandro Cifuentes"

  • - Alejandro Cifuentes' research primarily focuses on the development of innovative extraction techniques for bioactive compounds from various natural sources, emphasizing sustainability and efficiency, such as in the use of natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) in combination with ultrasound-assisted and pressurized liquid extractions.
  • - His studies include the assessment of dietary intake biomarkers to enhance precision nutrition, aiming to establish objective tools that link metabolite profiles in human fluids with food consumption patterns for improved health guidance.
  • - Cifuentes also investigates the potential of new food sources and by-products, like edible microalgae and plant by-products, to extract compounds with neuroprotective and antioxidant properties, contributing to the advancement of nutraceutical applications.