Publications by authors named "Felix Lopez Figueroa"

Seaweed from the genus Ulva (Ulvales, Chlorophyta) has a worldwide distribution and represents a potential biomass source for biotechnological applications. In the present study, we investigated the ulvan polysaccharide-rich fraction (UPRF) isolated from two Ulva species (U. rigida and U.

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Marine organisms have gained considerable biotechnological interest in recent years due to their wide variety of bioactive compounds with potential applications. Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are UV-absorbing secondary metabolites with antioxidant and photoprotective capacity, mainly found in organisms living under stress conditions (e.g.

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Raceways are widely used as microalgae culture systems due to their low cost, but they are not the best option for biomass yield. Understanding in situ photosynthetic performance can be a first step to increase their biomass productivity. This study aimed at comparing the real time photosynthetic activity in a greenhouse raceway culture (250 L) with discrete measurements under laboratory conditions.

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Article Synopsis
  • The research focuses on the eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using natural plant materials like daisy petals, leek, and garlic skin, which also reflect their phenolic content.
  • These AgNPs are characterized for their uniform size and shape through techniques like UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), demonstrating effective potential in cosmetic formulations.
  • The study further explores the incorporation of AgNPs with red algae extracts in cosmetics for UV protection, revealing that their combined antioxidant properties could potentially combat photoaging rather than acting solely as UV screens.
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The microalga Chlamydopodium fusiforme MACC-430 was cultured in two types of outdoor pilot cultivation units-a thin-layer cascade (TLC) and a raceway pond (RWP) placed in a greenhouse. This case study aimed to test their potential suitability for cultivation scale-up to produce biomass for agriculture purposes (e.g.

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Overexposure to solar radiation has become an increasingly worrying problem due to the damage to the skin caused by ultraviolet radiation (UVR). In previous studies, the potential of an extract enriched with glycosylated flavonoids from the endemic Colombian high-mountain plant as a photoprotector and antioxidant was demonstrated. Therefore, in this work we sought to develop a dermocosmetic formulation with broad-spectrum photoprotection from the hydrolysates and purified polyphenols obtained from this species.

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Microalgae cultures were used for a WW treatment to remediate nutrients while producing biomass and recycling water. In these trials, raceway ponds (RWPs; 1 and 0.5 ha) were located next to a municipal (WW) treatment plant in Mérida, Spain.

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Article Synopsis
  • Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) significantly affects aquatic ecosystems, impacting growth and physiological processes in organisms like unicellular green algae due to anthropogenic global changes.
  • A study on the effects of UVR revealed that while it inhibited algal growth and fluorescence, it did not cause cell death; Type-II metacaspases were found to be present and involved in stress response, not in cell death.
  • Enzyme activity showed that specific substrates were cleaved by metacaspases, indicating their role in survival strategies under UVR stress rather than contributing to cellular death.
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Lolium perenne (cv. AberDart) was grown at 14 locations along a latitudinal gradient across Europe (37-68°N) to study the impact of ultraviolet radiation (UV) and climate on aboveground growth and foliar UV-B absorbing compounds. At each location, plants were grown outdoors for 5 weeks in a replicated UV-B filtration experiment consisting of open, UV-B transparent (cellulose diacetate) and UV-B opaque (polyester) environments.

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Total cAMP levels were measured in the macroalgae Dictyota dichotoma, Gelidium sesquipedale and Ulva rigida under different light conditions in order to study its regulation either by phytochrome or photosynthesis. Incubation in red or far-red light did not promote a phytochrome-like response; instead, it showed a synergistic effect upon cAMP accumulation. cAMP levels seemed to depend on the amount of energy applied.

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