Browsing by Autor "Natalia Montellano Duran"

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Biological Activities from Vegetal Products in Latin America
(2023) Natalia Montellano Duran
Plant sources have various potentials due to the variety of ecosystems in which they can be found. Different bioactive molecules with antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antihyperglycemic, antihypertensive, and anticancer properties, among others, have been found in various Latin American plants. Many of the discoveries of these biological properties are due to the culture of ancestral medicine and the attempt to rescue that knowledge to insert it into modern society. From Mexico to Argentina, ancestral knowledge has been used to create cosmetics, medicines, and foods with biological activities of interest to modern society. Food and traditional medicine are full of bioactive molecules that in modern times have been maintained by tradition, but beyond tradition, pharmacognosy has helped us to know how these foods are improving the quality of life in the region. Each molecule and its variant in Latin American plant sources is rescued by researchers. This chapter identifies these molecules, their mechanisms of action, and their traditional use in Latin American countries.
Book Review: Modern Epidemics, From Spanish Flu to COVID-19 by Salvador Macip Maresma
(Frontiers Media, 2021) Paola A. Vargas; Lucia Elena Alvarado-Arnez; Natalia Montellano Duran
Citation: Vargas PA, Alvarado-Arnez LE and Montellano Duran N (2021) Book Review: Modern Epidemics, From Spanish Flu to COVID-19 by Salvador Macip Maresma. Front. Polit. Sci. 3:709290. doi: 10.3389/fpos.2021.709290
Characterization of bioactive compounds, antioxidants and antimicrobial properties of Allagoptera leucocalyx
(Elsevier BV, 2024) Ayelen Jenifer Camacho Crespo; Natalia Montellano Duran
Effective participatory science education in a diverse Latin American population
(Palgrave Macmillan, 2019) Leonardo M. R. Ferreira; Giovanni A. Carosso; Natalia Montellano Duran; Soad V. Bohorquez-Massud; Gustavo Vaca-Diez; Laura Ines Rivera-Betancourt; Yara Rodríguez; Dalila G. Ordonez; Diana K. Alatriste-Gonzalez; Aldo Vacaflores
Exploratory assessment of the chemical and antioxidant potential of Apis mellifera honeys from Santa Cruz, Bolivia
(Elsevier BV, 2026) Jose A. Limpias-Hurtado; Natalia Montellano Duran; Alberto Giménez-Turba; Nélida Nina
This preliminary exploratory study investigates the chemical composition and antioxidant potential of <i>Apis mellifera</i> honeys from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, a region with notable honey production but limited data. Eleven samples collected between 2023 and 2024 were processed to obtain enriched extracts (EE) using solid-phase extraction. Chemical profiles were obtained by TLC and HPLC. Total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity (DPPH•, TEAC, FRAP) were determined spectrophotometrically. Profiles revealed compositional differences, with tentative identification of phenolic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonoid derivatives. Total phenolics ranged from 3.57 to 24.95 mg GAE/100 g of honey, and TEAC from 0.37 to 2.10 μmol TE/g honey. Notably, sample M11, with <i>Tessaria</i> spp. reported as a dominant floral source, exhibited the highest antioxidant potential, suggesting interest for functional applications. Darker honeys generally had higher antioxidant capacity, though not always reflecting chemical diversity. These findings highlight the complex bioactive composition of Bolivian honeys and the role of floral and environmental factors.
Extraction and characterization of sodium hyaluronate from quail eggshell (Coturnix japonica)
(2025) Melissa Unzueta Schlink; Vitor Lourival de Sousa Silva; Natalia Montellano Duran
<title>Abstract</title> Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a natural biopolymer with notable biological functions and wide cosmetic applications. Chicken eggshell membranes have been identified as a rich source of HA (5-10% dry weight). Given the physicochemical similarities between chicken and quail eggs, this study explores the extraction and characterization of sodium hyaluronate from quail eggshell membranes ( <italic>Coturnix Japonica</italic> ). The membranes were treated with sodium acetate solutions at concentrations of 3%, 4% and 5%, followed by dialysis (24 and 48 h), lyophilization and analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, and the uronic acid content was quantified by UV-Vis spectrophotometry using the modified Stabler-Ogawa method. Higher solvent concentrations yielded greater mass, while uronic acid was slightly higher in samples extracted with lower acetate concentrations and extended dialysis. Cooked membranes showed improved clarity in the FTIR spectra, suggesting improved HA solubilization. These results support the valorization of quail eggshell waste as a sustainable source of HA, with potential applications in different areas.
Internet-enabled lab-on-a-chip technology for education
(Nature Portfolio, 2024) Tyler Sano; Mohammad Julker Neyen Sampad; Jesus Gonzalez-Ferrer; Sebastían Hernández; Samira Vera-Choqqueccota; Paola A. Vargas; Roberto Urcuyo; Natalia Montellano Duran; Mircea Teodorescu; David Haussler
Despite many interventions, science education remains highly inequitable throughout the world. Internet-enabled experimental learning has the potential to reach underserved communities and increase the diversity of the scientific workforce. Here, we demonstrate the use of lab-on-a-chip (LoC) technologies to expose Latinx life science undergraduate students to introductory concepts of computer programming by taking advantage of open-loop cloud-integrated LoCs. We developed a context-aware curriculum to train students at over 8000 km from the experimental site. Through this curriculum, the students completed an assignment testing bacteria contamination in water using LoCs. We showed that this approach was sufficient to reduce the students' fear of programming and increase their interest in continuing careers with a computer science component. Altogether, we conclude that LoC-based internet-enabled learning can become a powerful tool to train Latinx students and increase the diversity in STEM.
Molecular Testing of Environmental Samples as a Potential Source to Estimate Parasite Infection
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2024) Rojelio Mejía; Barton E. Slatko; María Cristina Almazán; Rubén O. Cimino; Alejandro Krolewiecki; Natalia Montellano Duran; Jacob Edwin Valera Aspetty; Paola A. Vargas; Chiara Cássia Oliveira Amorim; Stefan Michael Geiger
We discuss the potential usefulness of molecular testing of soil, dust, and water samples to detect medically important parasites, and where such testing could be used to supplement stool sampling in humans. A wide variety of parasites including protozoa and helminths, many of which are zoonotic, have an important infection reservoir in the environment. In some cases, this environmental period is essential for further parasite development. We describe the progress in implementing methods for the molecular detection of these parasites in soil across eight collaborating centers in Latin America and represent a variety of potential applications in improving our understanding of parasite epidemiology and mapping, surveillance, and control of these parasites. This methodology offers new opportunities for improving our understanding of a wide variety of parasites of public health importance and novel tools for their control.
Open-loop lab-on-a-chip technology enables remote computer science training in Latinx life sciences students
(2023) Tyler Sano; Mohammad Julker Neyen Sampad; Jesus Gonzalez-Ferrer; Sebastían Hernández; Samira Vera-Choqqueccota; Paola A. Vargas; Roberto Urcuyo; Natalia Montellano Duran; Mircea Teodorescu; David Haussler
Despite many interventions, science education remains highly inequitable throughout the world. Among all life sciences fields, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology suffer from the strongest underrepresentation of racial and gender minorities. Internet-enabled project-based learning (PBL) has the potential to reach underserved communities and increase the diversity of the scientific workforce. Here, we demonstrate the use of lab-on-a-chip (LoC) technologies to train Latinx life science undergraduate students in concepts of computer programming by taking advantage of open-loop cloud-integrated LoCs. We developed a context-aware curriculum to train students at over 8,000 km from the experimental site. We showed that this approach was sufficient to develop programming skills and increase the interest of students in continuing careers in Bioinformatics. Altogether, we conclude that LoC-based Internet-enabled PBL can become a powerful tool to train Latinx students and increase the diversity in STEM.
Perceptions and prospects in life sciences in a heterogeneous Latin American population
(2019) Leonardo M. R. Ferreira; Giovanni A. Carosso; Bruno Lopez-Videla; Gustavo Vaca Diez; Laura Ines Rivera-Betancourt; Yara Rodríguez; Dalila G. Ordonez; Natalia Montellano Duran; Diana K. Alatriste-Gonzalez; Aldo Vacaflores
ABSTRACT Particular challenges exist for science education in the developing world, where limited resources beget curricula designed to balance state-of-the-art knowledge with practical and political considerations in region-specific contexts. Project-based biology teaching is particularly difficult to execute due to high infrastructural costs and limited teacher training. Here, we report our results implementing short, challenging, and low-cost biology courses to high school and college students in Bolivia, designed and taught in collaboration between scientists from developed nations and local science instructors. We find our approach to be effective at transmitting advanced topics in disease modeling, microscopy, genome engineering, neuroscience, microbiology, and regenerative biology. Importantly, this approach was unaffected by the students’ backgrounds, education level, socioeconomic status, or initial interest in the course, and increased participants’ interest in pursuing scientific careers. These results demonstrate efficacy of participatory learning in a developing nation, and suggest that such techniques could drive scientific engagement in other developing economies.
Sensory and Nutritional Characterization of Allagoptera Leucocalyx
(RELX Group (Netherlands), 2024) Natalia Montellano Duran; Ayelen Jenifer Camacho Crespo
Trends in Potential Health Benefits from Unexplored Tropical Fruits to Avoid Food Waste
(2025) Natalia Montellano Duran