Pirfenidone (PFD) is a non-peptide synthetic molecule issued as a broad-spectrum anti-fibrotic drug with the ability to decrease TGF-β1, TNF-α, PDGF and COL1A1 expression, which is highly related to prevent or remove excessive deposition of scar tissue in several organs. Basic and clinical evidence suggests that PFD may safely slow or inhibit the progressive fibrosis swelling after tissue injuries. Furthermore, a number of evidence suggests that this molecule will have positive effects in the treatment of other inflammatory diseases. This review contains current research in which PFD has been used as the treatment of several diseases, and focus mainly in the outcomes related to improve inflammation and fibrogenesis. Therefore, the main goal of this review is to focus on the novel findings of PFD efficacy rather than deepen in the chemical aspects of the molecule.

BackgroundTherapeutic use of leaves of M. oleifera has been evaluated in diabetes because of its possible capacity to decrease blood glucose and lipids concentration after ingestion, as result of the polyphenols content and others compounds. Nevertheless most results have been obtain from leaf extract, therefore this study would use leaf powder as the regular way of consumption of population to know effects over toxicity glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, corporal weight, and predominant groups of microbiota.MethodsPowdered leaf was administrated in different doses to know toxicity and genotoxicity using LD50 and micronuclei assay. Hyperglycemia was induced by alloxan on Sprague Dawley rats. Glucose and body weight were measured once a week meanwhile cholesterol and triglycerides were analyzed at the end of the study by commercial kits. Different organs were examined by hematoxylin-eosin technique. Lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae were enumerated from stool samples.ResultsThe tested doses revealed no lethal dose and no significant differences in genotoxicity parameter. The consumption of the leaves showed a hypoglycemic effect (< 250 mg/dL in diabetic M. oleifera treated group), however in corporal weight showed an increased (> 30 g over no M. oleifera treated groups). There was no change in enumeration of lactic acid bacteria (8.4 CFU/g) but there were differences in the predominance of type of lactobacillus and enterobacteria enumeration.ConclusionsThese results help to increase information over the most popular use of M. oleifera and its safety. However there are needed more studies over the hypoglycemic mechanisms and effects over intestinal microbiota.

Frailty is a state of vulnerability to stressors because of a decreased physiological reserve, resulting in poor health outcomes. This state is related to chronic conditions, many of which are risk factors for outcomes in elderly patients having SARS-COV-2. This review aims to describe frailty as a physiological vulnerability agent during the COVID-19 pandemic in elderly patients, summarizing the direct and indirect effects caused by the SARS-COV-2 infection and its prognosis in frail individuals, as well as the interventions and recommendations to reduce their effects. Cohort studies have shown that patients with a Clinical Frailty Scale higher than five have a higher risk of mortality and use of mechanical ventilation after COVID-19; nonetheless, other scales have also associated frailty with longer hospital stays and more severe forms of the disease. Additionally, the indirect effects caused by the pandemic have a negative impact on the health status of older people. Due to the above, a holistic intervention is proposed based on a comprehensive geriatric assessment for frail patients (preventive or post-infection) with emphasis on physical activity and nutritional recommendations, which could be a potential preventive intervention in viral infections by COVID-19.

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The bacterial community of the artisanal Adobera cheese from Los Altos de Jalisco was described through high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene libraries. Samples were collected in two different seasons (dry and rainy) during four key steps of the manufacturing process (raw milk, fresh curd, matured curd, and cheese). Bacterial diversity was higher in early steps in comparison with the final elaboration stages. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla, strongly represented by the Streptococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacillaceae families, and core bacteria genera such as Streptococcus spp., Lactococcus spp., and Lactobacillus spp. Undesirable bacteria, including Pseudomonas spp. and Acinetobacter spp., were also detected in raw milk but almost undetectable at the end of the cheese manufacturing process, and seemed to be displaced by lactic-acid bacteria-related genera. Seasonal effects were observed on the community structure but did not define the core microbiota composition. Predictive metabolism was related to membrane transport, and amino-acid, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism pathways. Our results contribute to deduce the role of bacteria involved in Adobera cheese manufacturing in terms of the metabolism involved, cheese microbial safety, and how undesirable bacterial populations could be regulated by process standardization as a potential tool to improve safety.

Functionalization of protein-based materials by incorporation of organic and inorganic compounds has emerged as an active research area due to their improved properties and diversified applications. The present review provides an overview of the functionalization of protein-based materials by incorporating TiO2 nanoparticles. Their effects on technological (mechanical, thermal, adsorptive, gas-barrier, and water-related) and functional (antimicrobial, photodegradation, ultraviolet (UV)-protective, wound-healing, and biocompatibility) properties are also discussed. In general, protein–TiO2 hybrid materials are biodegradable and exhibit improved tensile strength, elasticity, thermal stability, oxygen and water resistance in a TiO2 concentration-dependent response. Nonetheless, they showed enhanced antimicrobial and UV-protective effects with good biocompatibility on different cell lines. The main applications of protein–TiO2 are focused on the development of eco-friendly and active packaging materials, biomedical (tissue engineering, bone regeneration, biosensors, implantable human motion devices, and wound-healing membranes), food preservation (meat, fruits, and fish oil), pharmaceutical (empty capsule shell), environmental remediation (removal and degradation of diverse water pollutants), anti-corrosion, and textiles. According to the evidence, protein–TiO2 hybrid composites exhibited potential applications; however, standardized protocols for their preparation are needed for industrial-scale implementation.

The proposed method for extrapolating spots outside the eyeglass frame removes edge artifacts of the contour maps (wavefront, cylinder, and sphere), which may be useful to facilitate measurements such as the length and width of the progressive corridor for a PAL in its frame. The method can be applied to any shape of eyeglass frame.