Julia Vega

University of Malaga | UMA · Department of Ecology and Geology

The bioinvasion of Rugulopteryx okamurae in the coastal waters of Andalusia, through the Strait of Gibraltar, is producing both high ecological and ocioeconomical impacts. This manuscript presents a summary on the first results of the research Project “Interdisciplinary research for blue management of the invasive alien algae Rugulopteryx okamurae...

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., cy...

We report the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by using daisy petals (Bellis perennis), leek (Allium porrum) and garlic skin (Allium sativum) as reducing agents and water as solvent. AgNPs are obtained with high monodispersity, spherical shapes and size ranging from 5 to 35 nm and characterized by UV-Vis and TEM techniques. The obtai...

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 Baccharis antioquensis as a photoprotector and antioxidant was demonstr...

The biochemical composition, molecular diversity, and two different bioactivities of Asparagopsis armata and Rugulopteryx okamurae (two alien species with different invasive patterns in the southern Iberian Peninsula) were analyzed through spectrophotometric methods and Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectroscopy (FT-ICR-MS). A total of 3042...

Short-term N-NH4⁺ and N-NO3⁻ removal by Ulva pseudorotundata under different initial nutrient concentrations and biomass stocking densities were investigated, monitoring in parallel photosynthetic parameters obtained by Pulse-Amplitude-Modulation (PAM) fluorometry of chlorophyll-a and evaluating biomass characteristics (CHN, proteins, carbohydrates...

The potential of seaweed extracts in cosmetic applications have increased with novel development and market. Beneficial biological properties include the ability to struggle aging and anticancer agents. This research aimed to evaluate antioxidant, photoprotective and cytotoxic properties of extracts from beach-cast seaweed species from the Brazilia...

Marine macroalgae are considered an untapped source of healthy natural metabolites and their market demand is rapidly increasing. Intertidal macroalgae present chemical defense mechanisms that enable them to thrive under changing environmental conditions. These intracellular chemicals include compounds that can be used for human benefit. The aim of...

Oxidative stress generated by UV exposition plays an important role on photoaging. Understanding the cell physiological responses due to the action of oxidative molecules process helps to develop approaches to reduce its impact on skin cells. In this context, algae can be source of biomolecules with antioxidant, inhibition of metalloproteinases and...

Interactive effects of solar radiation and inorganic nitrogen and phosphate on biofiltration capacity, biomass production, photosynthetic activity and the accumulation of bio-active compounds were studied in the red alga Gracilaria cornea grown in tanks with a seawater open-flow system during 35 days. Two light conditions were utilized: outdoor (O)...

Phlorotannins play a role in biological functions to protect the cells against UV and oxidative damage in brown algae. We hypothesized that these compounds can function as photo-protectors and antioxidants in skin care formulations. Two types of extracts (water (FV-WE) and 67% v/v ethanol (FV-EE)) from Fucus vesiculosus were obtained with a phlorot...

Anthropogenic impacts on water resources, especially by nutrient discharge, is a worldwide problem in marine coastal areas. In this context, seaweed cultivation in aquaculture wastewater can be considered as an alternative for effluent mitigation, where the biomass becomes a source of valuable compounds. The current study examined the potential use...

Radiation induces different processes in photosynthetic organisms through photosynthetic pigments and photoreceptors. This study evaluated the performance of the red alga Gracilaria cornea cultivated under different radiation treatments. The objective was to identify responses associated with the treatments and mediated by photoreceptors. For this,...

Short-term N-NH 4 ⁺ and N-NO 3 ⁻ removal by U. pseudorotundata under different initial nutrient concentrations and biomass stocking densities, monitoring in parallel photosynthetic parameters obtained by Pulse-Amplitude-Modulation ( PAM ) Fluorometry of chlorophyll-a and evaluating biomass characteristics (CHN, proteins, carbohydrates) was investig...

The culture of microalgae and cyanobacteria in open systems has been improved through the novel approach of thin-layer raceway ponds. The importance of studying mass cultivation of the cyanobacterium Nostoc calcicola (further as Nostoc) lies in its biotechnological potential as a source of bioactive compounds for food and non-food applications. The...

Different light qualities, i.e. ultraviolet (280–400 nm), blue (400–450 nm), green (500–550 nm) and red (620–670 nm) were combined with the actinic yellow light (SOX) (590 nm) under saturation of photosynthetic activity conditions, in order to consider the specific effects of each waveband on the red macroalga Gracilaria gracilis physiology. In thi...

This study presents the validation of a high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method for the determination of different mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in the red alga Bostrychia scorpioides. The investigated MAAs, named bostrychines, have only been found in this specific species so far. The developed HPLC-DAD m...

Macroalgae belong to a diverse group of organisms that could be exploited for biomolecule application. Among the biocompounds found in this group, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are highlighted mainly due to their photoprotection, antioxidant properties, and high photo and thermo-stability, which are attractive characteristics for the developm...

In recent years, research on natural products has gained considerable attention, particularly in the cosmetic industry, which is looking for new bio-active and biodegradable molecules. In this study, cosmetic properties of cyanobacteria and red macroalgae were analyzed. The extractions were conducted in different solvents (water, ethanol and two co...

La macroalga parda de origen asiático Rugulopteryx okamurae, está invadiendo las costas de Ceuta, norte de Marruecos y Andalucía (especialmente las de las provincias de Cádiz y Málaga). Desde su detección en Ceuta en el año 2015, no ha dejado de colonizar fondos marinos desde zonas intermareales hasta 40 m de profundidad y, de acuerdo con modelos d...

Light, or visible radiation, serves as a source of energy for photosynthesis of plants and most algae. In addition, light and ultraviolet radiation (UV-A and UV-B) act as a biological signal, triggering several cellular processes that are mediated by photoreceptors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological and biochemical responses o...

Cyanobacteria are able to absorb light over a wide spectral range due to the presence of photoreceptors, making it possible to modulate the production of high-value compounds by inducing specific pathways. In order to evaluate the influence of light quality in cyanobacteria metabolism, Cyanobium sp. was grown in five different light conditions, by...

Seaweeds have been identified as promising sources of bioactive substances for the cosmeceutical industry, especially by their photoprotection capacity. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the photoprotective properties of extracts from macroalgae and one marine lichen. Samples of 22 species of macroalgae and one marine lichen, were collected...

Cyanobacteria are an important group of microorganisms of significant economic interest due to, for example,the antioxidant capacity of their metabolites. Cyanobium sp. LEGE 06113 is a marine cyanobacterium poorlystudied, but with promising future applications. The aim of this study was to optimize the light conditions (both sourceand irradiance) a...

Methanolic and hydroethanolic extracts of ten common species of marine macroalgae (5 Rhodophyta, 2 Ochrophyta and 3 Chlorophyta) of the intertidal system of the Canary Islands were screened to evaluate their in vitro antioxidant activity by DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power. The concentration of bioactives as pigments and phenolic...