Inspired by the use of fatty acids in development of low temperature latent heat storage materials, novel low viscous and hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based exclusively on fatty acids are herein proposed as sustainable solvents. Three DESs were prepared by exclusively combining fatty acids, namely octanoic acid (C 8 ), nonanoic acid (C 9 ), decanoic acid (C 10 ), and dodecanoic acid (C 12 ), which can simultaneously act as hydrogen bond donors and acceptors. The obtained fatty acid-based DESs were analyzed in order to check their structures, purities, and proportions. Water stability was also carefully evaluated through 1 H NMR. Fatty-acid DESs melting point diagrams were determined by visual observation. Good agreement was obtained between the experimental eutectic point and that predicted by considering an ideal system of two individually melting compounds. Important solvent thermophysical properties, such as density and viscosity of the dried and water-saturated DESs, were measured. Finally, the removal of bisphenol A, a persistent micropollutant present in aqueous environments illustrates the potential of binary and ternary fatty acid-based DESs as extraction solvents. All prepared DESs showed good ability to extract bisphenol A from water with extraction efficiencies up to 92%.

BackgroundProgressive cognitive decline is the most relevant clinical symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the rate of cognitive decline is highly variable between patients. Synaptic deficits are the neuropathological event most correlated with cognitive impairment in AD. Considering the important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating synaptic plasticity, our objective was to identify the plasma miRNAs associated with the rate of cognitive decline in patients with mild AD.MethodsWe analyzed 754 plasma miRNAs from 19 women diagnosed with mild AD using TaqMan low-density array cards. The patients were grouped based on the rate of decline in the MMSE score after 2 years [<4 points (N = 11) and ≥4 points (N = 8)]. The differentially expressed miRNAs between the two groups were validated in an independent cohort of men and women (N = 53) with mild AD using RT-qPCR.ResultsIn the discovery cohort, 17 miRNAs were differentially expressed according to the fold change between patients with faster declines in cognition and those with slower declines. miR-342-5p demonstrated differential expression between the groups and a good correlation with the rate of cognitive decline in the validation cohort (r = −0.28; p = 0.026). This miRNA had a lower expression level in patients who suffered from more severe decline than in those who were cognitively more stable after 2 years (p = 0.049).ConclusionLower levels of miR-342-5p in plasma were associated with faster cognitive decline in patients with mild AD after 2 years of follow-up.

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Background: Progressive cognitive decline is the most relevant clinical symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the rate of cognitive decline is highly variable between patients. Synaptic deficits are the neuropathological event most correlated with cognitive impairment in AD. Considering the important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating synaptic plasticity, our objective was to identify the plasma miRNAs associated with the rate of cognitive decline in patients with mild AD.Methods: To discover the miRNAs related to the rate of cognitive impairment, we analysed 754 plasma miRNAs from 19 women diagnosed with mild AD using TaqMan low-density array cards. The patients were grouped based on the rate of decline in the MMSE score after two years (<4 points (N=11) and ≥ 4 points (N=8)). The differentially expressed miRNAs between the two groups were validated in an independent cohort of men and women (N=53) with mild AD using RT-qPCR.Results: In the discovery cohort, 17 miRNAs were differentially expressed according to the fold change between patients with faster declines in cognition and those with slower declines. miR-342-5p demonstrated differential expression between the groups and a good correlation with the rate of cognitive decline in the validation cohort (r=-0.28; p=0.026). This miRNA had a lower expression level in patients who suffered from more severe decline than in those who were cognitively more stable after two years (p=0.049).Conclusion: Lower levels of miR-342-5p in plasma were associated with faster cognitive decline in patients with mild AD after two years of follow-up.

Background: Progressive cognitive decline is the most relevant clinical symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the rate of cognitive decline is highly variable between patients. Synaptic deficits are the neuropathological event most correlated with cognitive impairment in AD. Considering the important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating synaptic plasticity, our objective was to identify the plasma miRNAs associated with the rate of cognitive decline in patients with mild AD.Methods: To discover the miRNAs related to the rate of cognitive impairment, we analysed 754 plasma miRNAs from 19 women diagnosed with mild AD using TaqMan low-density array cards. The patients were grouped based on the rate of decline in the MMSE score after two years (<4 points (N=11) and ≥ 4 points (N=8)). The differentially expressed miRNAs between the two groups were validated in an independent cohort of men and women (N=53) with mild AD using RT-qPCR.Results: In the discovery cohort, 17 miRNAs were differentially expressed according to the fold change between patients with faster declines in cognition and those with slower declines. miR-342-5p demonstrated differential expression between the groups and a good correlation with the rate of cognitive decline in the validation cohort (r=-0.28; p=0.026). This miRNA had a lower expression level in patients who suffered from more severe decline than in those who were cognitively more stable after two years (p=0.049).Conclusion: Lower levels of miR-342-5p in plasma were associated with faster cognitive decline in patients with mild AD after two years of follow-up.