Natalia Bailón-Moscoso

• PhD
• Researcher at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja

Toxicity refers to the potential of a substance such as a pesticide to cause damage to the structure or functions of an exposed organism. Pesticides can lead to harmful biological effects in exposed animals and their offspring over the medium and long term. They can affect the immunological, nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems. DNA damage...

Traditional herbal medicine has become an important alternative in the treatment of various cancer types, including colon cancer, which represents one of the main health problems around the world. Therefore, the search for new therapies to counteract this disease is very active. Grias neuberthii is an endemic plant located in the Ecuadorian Amazon...

Pollution from oil spills can seriously affect many ecosystem processes and human health. Many articles have evaluated the impact of oil spills on human health. However, most of these articles focus on occupational exposure. The effect on people living in the areas affected by oil pollution is rarely studied. Approximately 640 million people worldw...

Accumulating evidence supports the idea that secondary metabolites obtained from medicinal plants (phytometabolites) may be important contributors in the development of new chemotherapeutic agents to reduce the occurrence or recurrence of cancer. Our study focused on Dehydroleucodine (DhL), a sesquiterpene found in the provinces of Loja and Zamora-...

Background“Horchata” is an herbal mixture infusion consumed in Southern Ecuador; 66% of its plants are anti-inflammatory medicinal plant, and 51% are analgesics. Anti-inflammatory substances can prevent carcinogenesis mediated by cytotoxic effects and can prevent DNA damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity and apoptotic/antig...

This chapter explores the intersection of green chemistry and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), emphasizing the critical role of sustainable practices in agriculture, particularly in the development and application of eco-friendly pesticides. As global agricultural demands increase, the reliance on conventional chemical pesticides poses sig...

Geranium diffusum Kunth is a medicinal plant native to Ecuadorian highlands with limited scientific study despite its ethnopharmacological relevance. The present study investigates the phytochemical properties and cytotoxic effects of the methanolic extract of G. diffusum. Comprehensive analyses revealed a rich composition of bioactive compounds, p...

Colada Morada, a traditional Ecuadorian beverage consumed during the Day of the Dead celebrations, represents a unique blend of native and introduced ingredients with significant cultural and scientific value. This study investigates the phytochemical profiles and biological activities of key native ingredients, including Rubus glaucus, Vaccinium f...

Ecuadorian horchata is a herbal mixture infusion; a sweetened compound tisane with ample presence in the gastronomy and ethnopharmacology of the southern Ecuador highlands, particularly in the Loja province. It is composed of a variable number of plant ingredients: herbs, leaves, barks, and flowers, and is served either hot or cold in a variety of...

The Ecuadorian Amazon harbors numerous wild and cultivated species used as food, many of which are underutilized. This review explores the bioactive potential of five such fruits—Borojó (Alibertia patinoi); Chonta (Bactris gasipaes); Arazá (Eugenia stipitata); Amazon grape (Pourouma cecropiifolia), a wild edible plant; and Cocona (Solanum sessilifl...

The species Chenopodium quinoa Willd. and Amaranthus hybridus L. are Andean staples, part of the traditional diet and gastronomy of the people of the highlands of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern Argentina and Chile, with several ethnopharmacological uses, among them anti-cancer applications. This review aims to present updated informatio...

Several plants of the genus Tragia L. have shown antibacterial, fungicidal, and antiproliferative activity, among other types of activities; however, most species of the genus have not been investigated. Tragia volubilis L. is native to tropical America and Africa, and although it has been reported as medicinal in the literature, it has not been th...

Si bien la hemofilia era conocida como una enfermedad que perturbaba solo a las familias reales de Europa, actualmente afecta a uno de cada 5.000 y a uno de cada 30.000 varones recién nacidos vivos tanto para la de Tipo A como B, respectivamente. La hemofilia es un trastorno de la coagulación sanguínea que afecta principalmente a varones por su car...

Multiple studies have shown that exposure to pollutants can increase genotoxic damage in different taxa. However, to our knowledge, the effects of environmental stress have been explored little. In certain stressful ecosystems, such as seasonally dry tropical forests, the combined effects of anthropogenic activities and ongoing global changes can c...

Los largometrajes han sido utilizados como una herramienta de aprendizaje llamativa en el campo de la salud, esto debido a que ciertas enfermedades que suelen ser raras dentro de la población se prestan para desarrollar una historia en base a las mismas. La Osteogénesis imperfecta conocida también como la enfermedad de los huesos de cristal, es un...

Although the western discovery of borojó [ Alibertia patinoi Cuatrec. (Delprete & C.H.Perss.)] is as recent as 1948, its several traditional uses in gastronomy and medicine, and its fame as an aphrodisiac are long standing and strong: the “love juice” extracted from it is very appreciated in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama. Its medicinal potential, t...

A pre-Columbian staple, Bactris gasipaes Kunth. is a palm tree domesticated around 4000 years ago, so appreciated that a Spanish chronicler wrote in 1545, “only their wives and children were held in higher regard” by the Mesoamerican natives. The peach palm is an integral part of the foodways and gastronomy of Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Braz...

El cine es una efectiva herramienta de enseñanza - aprendizaje que permite ilustrar desde diversos enfoques los procesos complejos de la enfermedad. En este artículo hacemos hincapié sobre estas herramientas educativas que nos brinda la película A dos metros de ti / Five feet apart, sobre la fibrosis quística. En la que se retratan los aspectos dia...

Un enfoque cinematográfico sobre la realidad que viven las familias de los niños que padecen enfermedades raras, es lo que vemos en la película “Mi hija, mi vida” (Tu Vivras ma fille, 2018) de Gabriel Aghion. La primera hija de un matrimonio feliz nace su hija con el Síndrome de Sanfilippo, una patología de carácter genético poco frecuente donde ex...

The main etiological agents in dermatophytosis of human skin and nails are Trichophyton, in particular Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes). A new series of twenty‐three 3‐ and 4‐arylcoumarins was synthesized and the antifungal activities against clinical isolates of T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes wer...

This work focuses on the search and development of drugs that may become new alternatives to the commercial drugs currently available for treatment of leishmaniasis. We have designed and synthesized 12 derivatives of bis(spiropyrazolone)cyclopropanes. We then characterized their potential application in therapeutic use. For this, the in vitro biolo...

Background: contamination of aquatic ecosystems by oil spills associated with petroleum exploitation represents a serious problem of environmental contamination that can affect human health. We developed a spatial model of contamination risk in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and evaluated the model using independent datasets on environmental contamination...

Background Pyrazoles have attracted particular attention due to the diverse biological activities associated with this heterocyclic system, and some have been shown to be cytotoxic to several human cell lines. Several drugs currently on the market have this heterocycle as the key structural motif, and some have been approved for the treatment of di...

Resumen: Estudios toxicológicos y epidemiológicos ponen de manifiesto que el material particulado (PM) específicamente el PM2.5 tiene efectos negativos significativos en la salud humana, asociado con mortalidad, insuficiencia cardíaca, trastornos respiratorios, enfermedades pulmonares y cáncer. La toxicidad y el efecto inflamatorio de estas partícu...

Introduction: The prevalence of diabetes has increased more rapidly in low and middle- income countries than in high-income countries. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), which is the most common form of diabetes, is caused by the inefficient use of insulin in the body and is characterized by disrupted insulin action or secretion. Also, oxidative stres...

Solanum betaceum belongs to the Solanaceae family. Its fruit is mainly consumed in South America, but in recent years, it has been distributed to other regions. The different varieties of this fruit are closely linked to its components. Nutritionally, they contain an excellent source of vitamin C and also provide vitamins A, B6, and E. However, in...

The number of colon cancer patients is increasing, and new alternatives for treatment are important. We focused on the sesquiterpene lactone onoseriolide from Hedyosmum racemosum, which is widely used in traditional medicine. This compound was evaluated to determine its cytotoxic effect and the mechanism of cell death that is induced in the human c...

Urbanization and agricultural conversion are the leading global causes of deforestation and biodiversity loss. Latin America is the second most urbanized region in the world with 80% of people living in areas that are defined as cities. Agricultural conversion is the main driver of deforestation in tropical and subtropical countries accounting for...

Some species of the Baccharis genus have been shown to possess important biomedical properties, including cytotoxic activity. In this study, we examined the cytotoxic effect of methanol extract from Baccharis obtusifolia (Asteraceae) in cancer cell lines of prostate (PC-3), colon (RKO), astrocytoma (D-384), and breast (MCF-7). The methanolic extrac...

Urbanization and agricultural conversion are the leading global causes of deforestation and biodiversity loss. Latin America is the second most urbanized region in the world with 80% of people living in cities. Agricultural conversion is the main driver of the deforestation in tropical and subtropical countries accounting for 80% of deforestation f...

Some species of the Baccharis genus have been shown to possess important biomedical properties, including cytotoxic activity. In this study, we examined the cytotoxic effect of methanol extract from Baccharis obtusifolia (Asteraceae) in cancer cell lines of prostate (PC-3), colon (RKO), astrocytoma (D-384), and breast (MCF-7). The methanolic extrac...

The unique etiology of cancer requires a multidimensional approach for its treatment, control, and prevention. Therefore, all approaches to drug discovery and development should be exploited. Argentatin B (1) is a cycloartane triterpene isolated from Parthenium argentatum with inhibitory activity on tumor lines. The aim of this study is to investig...

The harmful effects of oil on various species of flora and fauna have been studied extensively; however, few studies have studied the effects of oil exposure on human health. The objective of this research was to collect information on the acute health effects and serious psychological symptoms of the possible consequences of such exposure to crude...

Intestinal parasites delay mental and physical development in children. Infection with these parasites can result in complications during pregnancy and alter the health of newborns, which has long-term effects on educational attainment and economic productivity. The appearance of resistance against classical drug treatments generates interest in th...

Natural compounds from various plants, microorganisms and marine species play an important role in the discovery novel components that can be successfully used in numerous biomedical applications, including anticancer therapeutics. Since uncontrolled and rapid cell division is a hallmark of cancer, unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying mit...

Pulverized immature fruits of Annona montana M. are commonly used for biomedical applications, especially in the treatment of dysentery. The aim of this study was to investigate whether hexane, ethyl acetate or methanol extracts of A. montana M. can be cytotoxic to human tumor cells or exhibit genotoxic effects on normal human cells. The organic ex...

Nanotechnology is the study, design, creation, synthesis, manipulation and application of materials through the control of matter at the nanometer scale, between 1-100 nanometers. Nanotechnology is revolutionizing our world. Nanomaterials are widely used in various fields thanks to their unique properties. However, nanomaterials can also result in...

Some species of the Clusia genus have been shown to have important biomedical properties, including the ability to inhibit tumor growth in vitro and the usefulness for skin care. In this study, we examined the cytotoxic effect of hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts from Clusia latipes Planch. & Triana, Clusiaceae, leaves on survival of huma...

La exposición a partículas ambientales es un factor de riesgo que ocasiona daños en la salud humana, como trastornos respiratorios, cardiovasculares y cáncer. La toxicidad y el efecto inflamatorio de estas partículas están relacionados con su tamaño y características químicas. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar las características químicas...

Phytochemical investigation of Azorella madreporica led to the isolation of four known compounds and an unknown chalcone. The structure of the new compound was identified by spectroscopy, including two-dimensional NMR techniques and comparison with published spectral data. The antioxidant activity of chalcone (compound 1) was measured using the 1,2...

Marine natural products are a rich source of potent, selective, and structurally novel compounds. Marine bacteria are considered the most promising source of biologically active compounds which can be applied to treat a wide range of diseases. The current study was designed to establish the bases for a future marine exploration in the Ecuadorian co...

Ecuador is well known for its biodiversity and its ancient richness. This review provides an overview of Ecuadorian plant species in terms of the ethnobotany and chemistry of natural products in relation to anticancer activity. Plant species were classified into two groups: (a) Ethnomedical species with confirmed antitumor activity and (b) species...

Resumen: La exposición a partículas ambientales es un factor de riesgo que ocasiona daños en la salud humana, como trastornos respiratorios, cardiovasculares y cáncer. La toxicidad y el efecto inflamatorio de estas partículas están relacionados con su tamaño y características químicas. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar las características...

Cancer remains a public health problem with a high unmet medical demand. However, in recent decades, the knowledge of several functional molecular and biological traits that distinguish tumor cells from normal cells, known as the hallmarks of cancer as described by Hannahan and Weinberg, has led to new and modern therapeutic approaches against this...

Background Pesticides are of concern in Bolivia because of increasing use. Frequent intoxications have been demonstrated due to use of very toxic pesticides, insufficient control of distribution and sale and little knowledge among farmers of protective measures and hygienic procedures. Method Questionnaires were applied and blood tests taken from...

Pesticides are of concern in Bolivia because of increasing use. Frequent intoxications have been demonstrated due to use of very toxic pesticides, insufficient control of distribution and sale and little knowledge among farmers of protective measures and hygienic procedures. Questionnaires were applied and blood tests taken from 81 volunteers from...