Gerardo Díaz-Godínez’s research while affiliated with Autonomous University of Tlaxcala and other places

Mushrooms produce many metabolites that show biological activity, which can be obtained from their fruiting body, mycelium or recovered from the culture broth when mushrooms are grown in submerged fermentation. Mushrooms are a source of natural pharmaceuticals; they have been reported to have potential inhibitory or preventive activity against some diseases, including different types of cancer. Cancer represents one of the main causes of death worldwide. It is worth mentioning that despite advances in pharmacological treatments, they still present side effects in patients. In this sense, the study of the use of mushrooms in complementary treatments against cancer is of great interest. Based on studies carried out in vitro and, in some cases, using animal models, it has been observed that mushrooms present preventive, corrective, and therapeutic properties against different types of cancer, by stimulating the immune system, due to their antioxidant, antimutagenic, and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as the regulation of the expression of some cellular processes, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis, etc. Based on the above, this manuscript shows a review of scientific studies that support the anticancer activity of some mushrooms and/or their bioactive compounds.

Male offspring of rats whose mothers consumed sucrose (5% solution) during gestation and lactation were also given the sucrose solution instead of drinking water for 3 months, and subsequently, for 1 month, they were given an aqueous extract obtained from dehydrated fruiting bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus. The offspring that consumed sucrose (experimental group) did not show differences in body weight compared with those that did not consume sucrose (control group), however, total adiposity was higher in the experimental group. In rats that consumed the aqueous extract, a decrease in the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in blood plasma was observed, total adiposity also decreased and the average size of adipocytes in the visceral area was reduced. Consumption of the aqueous extract of P. ostreatus showed an antihyperlipidemic effect when triglyceride, cholesterol and adipose tissue levels were increased by the consumption of sucrose in rats descended from mothers who also consumed sucrose.

Enzymes are widely used in the food industry. Their use as a supplement to the raw material for animal feed is a current research topic. Although there are several studies on the application of enzyme additives in the animal feed industry, it is necessary to search for new enzymes, as well as to utilize bioinformatics tools for the design of specific enzymes that work in certain environmental conditions and substrates. This will allow the improvement of the productive parameters in animals, reducing costs and making the processes more efficient. Technological needs have considered these catalysts as essential in many industrial sectors and research is constantly being carried out to optimize their use in those processes. This review describes the enzymes used in animal nutrition, their mode of action, their production and new sources of production as well as studies on different animal models to evaluate their effect on the productive performance intended for the production of animal feed.

Edible coatings (EC) are a biodegradable alternative for food preservation. In this work EC based on extracellular compounds of Humphreya coffeata and pectin (PHC) were elaborated and characterized through testing on strawberries. Two PHC types were obtained (PHC1, which settled, and PHC2, which floated during the first separation). The conservation period of the strawberry and the phenol content and antioxidant activity in strawberries with the EC were determined. Four EC were prepared (EC1, EC2, EC3, and EC4), in which EC1 did not contain any PHC, EC2 contained PHC1, EC3 contained PHC2, and EC4 contained both PHCs. Three EC types (EC2, EC3, and EC4) delayed the decay of strawberries approximately 90% at 20 °C during the first 10 days of evaluation, and at 4 °C the effect was between 75 and 90% after 25 days of experimentation. However, EC3 and EC4, both of which contained PHC2, presented the best results. The content of total phenols (approximately 55 mg (gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/mL) and the free radical scavenging activity were 35% with ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and 75% with DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) in strawberries with EC. Thus, EC are an alternative for preserving strawberries without losing their antioxidant capacity.

Bioactive peptides are amino acid sequences of small size, inactive inside the intact protein but that can be released during the digestion of the food in the organism or by an enzymatic hydrolysis process, exerting diverse functions for the benefit of the human health. The nutritional and functional value of a protein is determined not only by the total amino acid composition and its digestibility but also by the presence of bioactive peptides in its sequence. The most studied bioactive peptides are of vegetable or animal origin; however, fungi are also a potential source. On the other hand, bioactive peptides can be ingredients of commercialized products called “functional foods” or “nutraceuticals.” The activities that have been reported in bioactive peptides are antihypertensive (with ribonuclease activity), antifungal, and antibacterial, among others. This review shows some bioactive peptides obtained from fungi.

Mushrooms are used directly as foods; many species are widely demanded due to excellent flavor, aroma, and texture; they are also considered as functional foods, because their nutritional properties and bioactive compounds promote health. Also they have a great importance in the ecosystem because they perform various environmental functions, such as the degradation of organic matter; that property allows the industry of edible mushroom production to contribute significantly to the integrated management of lignocellulosic waste. The cultivation of several saprophytic edible mushrooms has been established at the industrial level. Moreover, due to their enzymatic capacity, they are the most worked for commercial purposes. Mycorrhizal edible mushrooms are widely demanded; there are groups of this type that have a high price in the international market, so there are research groups working to increase the production of fruiting bodies and implement farming strategies. Finally, there are a few edible species of the pathogenic type, such as Ustilago maydis and Armillaria mellea. It is of great importance to continue working on the improvement and implementation of the cultivation of edible mushrooms. This chapter mentions some edible species of international importance.

Objective In the present study, the in vitro and in vivo effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of Neolentinus ponderosus (EHNP) on L3 larvae of Haemonchus contortus was evaluated.Material and methodsThe N. ponderosus fungus was cultivated in potato dextrose liquid medium for 7 days at 120 rpm and 25 °C. Subsequently, the EHNP was obtained; in vitro bioassays were performed in 96-well plates. Furthermore, an in vitro confrontation with different concentrations of EHNP was carried out at 72 h against L3 larvae of H. contortus. The controls used were distilled water and ivermectin at 5 mg/mL. Subsequently, the in vivo activity of EHNP was evaluated using the gerbil against H. contortus L3 larvae as an experimental model. The experimental design consisted of four groups with: (1) distilled water, (2) fenbendazole at 20 mg/kg of body weight, (3) EHNP at a dose of 81 µg/mL, and (4) EHNP at a dose of 40 µg/mL.ResultsIn vitro study showed 97% mortality of the parasite H. contortus at a concentration of 3.4 mg/mL and a lethal concentration (LC90) of 2 mg/mL EHNP. In the in vivo assessment the highest mortality was (49%) at 72 h at a concentration of 81 µg/mL bw.Conclusion The result of the present study shows that EHNP has nematicidal activity in vitro and in vivo tests (close to 97% and 50%, respectively), the fungus N. ponderosus should be considered in future tests to elucidate the secondary metabolites through spectroscopic studies.

Biofilm is an interesting niche for fungi and essential for growth, pathogenicity, and resistance that form high challenges both in current trends and in the future in the management of fungal diseases. Fungi cause many problems for different organisms in several fields such as in agriculture, livestock, and public health. Fungicides are widely utilized in the management of plant fungal pathogens, and its usage has also affected the ecosystem. But what is interesting is the occurrence of resistant varieties against fungicides. The formation of biofilms in a niche of the plant fungal pathogenesis more interested in determining the role in pathogenicity for plants, and resistance to fungicides. The concept of biofilms for fungal pathogens is in development and will possibly provide a useful chance to improve the integrated management of fungal pathogens, hence reducing disease severity. The formation biofilms by fungal that infect both of the animals and human are exhibiting a role in antifungal drug resistance and contributing to the development of pathogenicity. Therefore, the general concept of fungal biofilms and methods for use in reducing pathogenicity and improving the efficacy of antifungals such as fungicides and drugs should be presented. The potential of biotechnological application of biofilms in these sectors is presented.

En este trabajo se realizó la búsqueda de 20 secuencias proteicas de la familia Ustilaginaceae en la base de datos de NCBI para su posterior modelamiento. El modelamiento de estas proteínas utilizando el servidor en línea SWISS-MODEL permitió apreciar las regiones conservadas en 17 proteínas a través de la presencia de estructuras secundarias como α-hélices y hojas-β, sin embargo tres de ellas no presentaron similitud estructural con el resto de las proteínas. Se sugiere realizar estudios sobre la composición de los aminoácidos del sitio activo y sobre la región del péptido señal, así como llevar a cabo un análisis filogenético de las proteínas con mayor similitud.

La presencia de colorantes azo en aguas residuales provenientes de industrias textiles representa una de las principales fuentes de contaminación en el medio ambiente. Se han empleado métodos fisicoquímicos para la eliminación de estos compuestos, sin embargo, en la actualidad no existe un método que garantice la eliminación total de los colorantes y el problema de contaminación continua presente. Estudios realizados proponen el uso de Pleurotus ostreatus como una alternativa biológica para la degradación de colorantes azo.