Person:
León González, María Eugenia De

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First Name
María Eugenia De
Last Name
León González
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Ciencias Químicas
Department
Química Analítica
Area
Química Analítica
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Now showing 1 - 10 of 27
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    Determination of phenolic compounds in residual brewing yeast using matrix solid-phase dispersion extraction assisted by titanium dioxide nanoparticles
    (Journal of Chromatography A, 2019) Gómez Mejía, Esther; Rosales Conrado, Noelia; León González, María Eugenia De; Madrid Albarrán, María Yolanda; ELSEVIER
    A simple and efficient low-cost matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) extraction based on TiO2nanopar-ticles (NPs) and diatomaceous earth has been developed for the recovery of phenolic compounds fromresidual brewing yeast. Experimental conditions for MSPD extraction were optimized by an experimen-tal design approach. A screening factorial design plus replicates at the center point, followed by surfaceresponse analysis were used. The simultaneous identification and quantification of eleven main nat-ural polyphenols: caffeic, chlorogenic, p-coumaric, 3,4-dihydroxibenzoic, trans-ferulic and gallic acids,kaempferol, myricetin, naringin, quercetin and rutin, was possible by combining MSPD and capillaryliquid chromatography couple to a diode array detection system (cLC-DAD) and liquid chromatogra-phy couple to a triple quadrupole analyzer (LC–MS/MS). Moreover, residual brewing yeast extracts wereevaluated in terms of DPPH (1,1-diphenyl–2 picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity. Polyphenol-nanoparticle interaction was studied by UV–vis spectroscopy and electron transmission microscopy(TEM), pointing out a stable interplay that assists phenolic isolation. The extracted polyphenol quan-tities were within the 3.2-1,500 g g−1range, and the high antioxidant activity estimated suggested thatdeveloped MSPD is a successful, simple, efficient and rapid method for the extraction and recovery of bioactive phenolic compounds, which promotes the reuse and re-evaluation of brewing yeast agri-foodby-products.
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    Extraction of polyphenols and synthesis of new activated carbon from spent coffee grounds
    (Scientific Reports, 2019) Ramón-Gonçalves, Marina; Alcaraz, Lorena; Pérez-Ferreras, Susana; León González, María Eugenia De; Rosales Conrado, Noelia; López, Félix A.; Nature Research
    A valorization process of spent coffee grounds (SCG) was studied. Thus, a two-stage process, the first stage of polyphenols extraction and synthesis of a carbonaceous precursor and a subsequent stage of obtaining activated carbon (AC) by means of a carbonization process from the precursor of the previous stage, was performed. The extraction was carried out with a hydro-alcoholic solution in a pressure reactor, modifying time, temperature and different mixtures EtOH:H2O. To optimize the polyphenols extraction, a two-level factorial experimental design with three replicates at the central point was used. The best results were obtained by using a temperature of 80 °C during 30 min with a mixture of EtOH:H2O 50:50 (v/v). Caffeine and chlorogenic acid were the most abundant compounds in the analysed extracts, ranging from 0.09 to 4.8 mg∙g−1 and 0.06 to 9.7 mg∙g−1, respectively. Similarly, an experimental design was realized in order to analyze the influence of different variables in the AC obtained process (reaction time, temperature and KOH:precursor ratio). The best results were 1 h, 850 °C, and a mixture of 2.5:1. The obtained activated carbons exhibit a great specific surface (between 1600 m2∙g−1 and 2330 m2∙g−1) with a microporous surface. Finally, the adsorption capacity of the activated carbons was evaluated by methylene blue adsorption.
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    Unravelling the in vitro and in vivo potential of selenium nanoparticles in Alzheimer’s disease: A bioanalytical review
    (Talanta, 2023) Vicente Zurdo, David; Rosales Conrado, Noelia; León González, María Eugenia De
    Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline and the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain. Current therapies have limited efficacy, prompting the search for novel treatments. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have emerged as promising candidates for AD therapy due to their unique physicochemical properties and potential therapeutic effects. This review provides an overview of SeNPs and their potential application in AD treatment, as well as the main bioanalytical techniques applied in this field. SeNPs possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making them potential candidates to combat the oxidative stress and neuroinflammation associated with AD. Moreover, SeNPs have shown the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), allowing them to target brain regions affected by AD pathology. Various methods for synthesizing SeNPs are explored, including chemical,physical and biological synthesis approaches. Based on the employment of algae, yeast, fungi, and plants, green methods offer a promising and biocompatible alternative for SeNPs production. In vitro studies have demonstrated the potential of SeNPs in reducing beta-amyloid aggregation and inhibiting tau hyperphosphorylation, providing evidence of their neuroprotective effects on neuronal cells. In vivo studies using transgenic mousem models and AD-induced symptoms have shown promising results, with SeNPs treatment leading to cognitive improvements and reduced amyloid plaque burden in the hippocampus. Looking ahead, future trends in SeNPs research involve developing innovative brain delivery strategies to enhance their therapeutic potential, exploring alternative animal models to complement traditional mouse studies, and investigating multi-targeted SeNPs formulations to address multiple aspects of AD pathology. Overall, SeNPs represent a promising avenue for AD treatment, and further research in this field may pave the way for effective and much-needed therapeutic interventions for individuals affected by this debilitating disease.
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    Valorization of prunus seed oils: fatty acids composition and oxidative stability
    (Molecules, 2023) Rodríguez-Blázquez, Sandra; Gómez Mejía, Esther; Rosales Conrado, Noelia; León González, María Eugenia De; García-Sánchez, Beatriz; Miranda Carreño, Rubén
    Prunus fruit seeds are one of the main types of agri-food waste generated worldwide during the processing of fruits to produce jams, juices and preserves. To valorize this by-product, the aim of this work was the nutritional analysis of peach, apricot, plum and cherry seeds using the official AOAC methods, together with the extraction and characterization of the lipid profile of seed oils using GC-FID, as well as the measurement of the antioxidant activity and oxidative stability using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging method. Chemometric tools were required for data evaluation and the obtained results indicated that the main component of seeds were oils (30–38%, w). All seed oils were rich in oleic (C18:1n9c) and linoleic (C18:2n6c) acids and presented heart-healthy lipid indexes. Oil antioxidant activity was estimated in the range IC50 = 20–35 mg·mL−1, and high oxidative stability was observed for all evaluated oils during 1–22 storage days, with the plum seed oil being the most antioxidant and stable over time. Oxidative stability was also positively correlated with oleic acid content and negatively correlated with linoleic acid content. Therefore, this research showed that the four Prunus seed oils present interesting healthy characteristics for their use and potential application in the cosmetic and nutraceutical industries.
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    Insights into the accumulation and transformation of Ch-SeNPs by Raphanus sativus and Brassica juncea: effect on essential elements uptake
    (Science of the Total Environment, 2020) Moreno Martín, Gustavo; Sanz Landaluce, Jon; León González, María Eugenia De; Madrid Albarrán, María Yolanda; Elsevier
    Selenium (Se) at very low doses has important functions for humans. Unfortunately, the low levels of Se in soils in various regions of the world have implemented the agronomic biofortification of crops by applying Se-enriched fertilizers (mainly based on selenate). Lately, the use of nanofertilizers is growing in interest as their low size reduces the amount of chemicals and minimizes nutrient losses in comparison with conventional bulk fertilizers. However, the knowledge on their fate and environmental impact is still scarce. This study aims to evaluate the biotransformation of chitosan-modified Se nanoparticles (Ch-SeNPs) as well as their effect on the metabolism of essential metals (Fe, Cu, Zn and Mo) when applied to hydroponic cultivation of R. sativus and B. juncea. In house-synthesized Ch-SeNPs were characterized in both synthesis and hydroponic culture media by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). The composition of one-tenth strength Hoagland's solution did not affect the size, shape and concentration in number of particles per mL of Ch-SeNPs. The plants were grown inside a box at 25 °C during the months of May–July in 2018. After a week of treatment with Ch-SeNPs, plants were harvested and divided into roots and aerial part. The biotransformation of Ch-SeNPs was evaluated through a process of enzymatic hydrolysis and subsequent analysis by HPLC-ICP-MS and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The results confirmed the transformation of Ch-SeNPs to seleno-amino acids: Selenomethionine (SeMet), Semethylselenocysteine (SeMetSeCys) and ɣ-glutamyl-Se-MetSeCys. Moreover, Multiple-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal component analysis (PCA) showed that, regardless the plant species, Ch-SeNPs supplementation affected the absorption of Zn.
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    Characterization of AgNPs and AuNPs in sewage sludge by single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry
    (Talanta, 2022) Moreno Martín, Gustavo; Gómez Gómez, Beatriz; León González, María Eugenia De; Madrid Albarrán, María Yolanda; Elsevier
    This study develops for the first time an analytical method for the characterization of silver and gold nanoparticles in sewage sludge. The evaluation of the effect of temperature, extracting agent and centrifugation speed and time on the extraction yield was carried out through a multifactorial analysis of variance which allows us to select 289 g, 5 min and 20 mM sodium pyrophosphate tetrabasic as optimal extraction conditions. Under these conditions, the analysis of the extract by single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry provided recovery percentages of 70 ± 2% and 56 ± 1% for silver and gold nanoparticles, respectively. Moreover, the complementary results obtained upon analysis of these extracts by transmission electron microscopy and single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry showed that the developed method did not modify the original size and shape of these nanoparticles during the extraction procedure. Size detection limits of 23 nm and 16 nm as well as number concentration limits of 3.12 × 109 particles kg−1 and 1.38 × 109 particles kg−1 were obtained for silver and gold nanoparticles, respectively. Moreover, a stability study of silver and gold nanoparticles in sewage sludge for 12 months showed differences between the two nanoparticle types. Although the sizes were not affected during the 12 months, silver nanoparticles underwent an oxidation process from 6 months onwards, which was reflected in an increase in the percentage of ionic silver from 14 ± 1% at 6 months to 24 ± 2% at 12 months. The developed methodology represents a simple, reliable and fast tool for detecting, quantifying and assessing the stability of nanoparticles in an important environmental sample such as sewage sludge.
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    Valorization of citrus reticulata blanco peels to produce enriched wheat bread: phenolic bioaccessibility and antioxidant potential
    (ANTIOXIDANTS, 2023) Gómez Mejía, Esther; Sacristán, Iván; Rosales Conrado, Noelia; León González, María Eugenia De; Madrid Albarrán, María Yolanda
    The fortification of foods with bioactive polyphenols aims to improve their functional properties and to provide health benefits. Yet, to exert their benefits, phenolic compounds must be released from the food matrix and absorbed by the small intestine after digestion, so assessing their bioaccessibility is crucial to determine their potential role. This work aims to incorporate Citrus reticulata Blanco peel extracts into wheat bread as a promising opportunity to increase their bioactive potential, along with supporting the sustainable management of citrus-industry waste. A control and a wheat bread enriched at 2% and 4% (w/v) with a phenolic extract from mandarin peels were prepared and analyzed for antioxidant activity and phenolic composition using LC-MS and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. In addition, in vitro digestion was performed, and the digested extracts were analyzed with HPLC-MS/MS. The results showed a significant increase in total flavonoid content (TFC, 2.2 ± 0.1 mg·g−1), antioxidant activity (IC50 = 37 ± 4 mg·g−1), and contents of quercetin, caffeic acid, and hesperidin in the 4% (w/v) enriched bread. Yet, most polyphenols were completely degraded after the in vitro digestion process, barring hesperidin (159 ± 36 μg·g−1), highlighting the contribution of citrus enrichment in the development of an enriched bread with antioxidant potential.
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    Simultaneous determination of the size and concentration of AgNPs in water samples by UV–vis spectrophotometry and chemometrics tools
    (Talanta, 2018) Moreno Martín, Gustavo; León González, María Eugenia De; Madrid Albarrán, María Yolanda
    The combination of UV–vis spectrophotometry with a chemometric calibration tool based on partial least squares (PLS) has allowed us the development of a multivariate analytical method that simultaneously estimates the concentration and size of mixtures of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in environmental water samples. The method is based on changes in the surface plasmon resonance band (SPRB) of AgNPs when they form aggregated/assembled structures with L-cysteine (L-cys). Measurementts were performed by employed a fixed-time kinetics method that implies that the final spectra (response) are obtained by subtstracting the solutions spectra at fixed times. Optimization of experimental conditions affecting aggregation such as time, temperature, pH and concentration of aggregating substance was performed by experimental design and response surface methodologies (RSM). A multivariate calibration model using AgNPs of known diameter size ((20 ± 3), (41 ± 3), (59 ± 5) and (79 ± 7) nm) within a concentration range between 0.62 and 2.5 mg L−1 was constructed by using a mixture experimental design and PLS. The method was finally applied to estimate size and concentration of AgNPs in AgNPs-spiked river and tap water samples. Water samples were spiked with individual, binary and ternary mixtures of AgNPs of different sizes and by using two types of AgNPs: citrate-coated AgNPs (cit-AgNPs) and polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated AgNPs (PVP-AgNPs). A good correspondence was obtained between predicted values and the total amount of AgNPs added with recovery values ranged within 80–160% for the individual mixtures, 68–108% for the binary mixtures and 60–64% for the ternary mixtures of AgNPs. Finally, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements were performed for those cases where discrepancies between the expected and the obtained values were observed. TEM micrographs evidenced the presence of agglomerates or aggregates of AgNPs in some of the mixtures or water tested.
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    Phenolic profile, safety, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of wasted Bunium ferulaceum Sm. aerial parts
    (Food Research International, 2022) Deghima, Amirouche; Righi, Nadjat; Rosales Conrado, Noelia; León González, María Eugenia De; Baali, Faiza; Gómez Mejía, Esther; Madrid Albarrán, María Yolanda; Bedjou, Fatiha; ELSEVIER
    The pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries benefit greatly from recycling and transforming non-utilized parts of medicinal plants from agro-industrial operations into value added products. Hence, the aim of this work was to study the potential nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications of Bunium ferulaceum Sm. aerial parts, in order to maximize their value. The phenolic profile of their hydromethanolic extract was determined and its antioxidant activity was evaluated in vitro and in vivo alongside with its anti-inflammatory activity and safety profile. The extract exerted an in vitro antioxidant activity mainly through radical scavenging (DPPH IC50: 14.0 ± 0.3 μg/ml) and iron chelating ability (24 ± 2 μg/ml), while, in vivo, the extract did not cause any mortality or visible signs of acute toxicity at high dose (2000 mg/kg body weight). The supplementation of the extract at different doses improved mice liver redox state by increasing catalase and reduced glutathione levels and reducing lipid peroxidation, without causing any toxicity. Moreover, the extract efficiently inhibited xylene induced ear inflammation (62 %). These different bioactivities were linked to the phenolic compounds present in the extract, particularly, chlorogenic acid (78 ± 6 mg/g extract), rutin (44 ± 2 mg/g extract) and hesperidin (56 ± 9 mg/g extract). However, further studies should be carried out on the isolated major compounds found in the extract to correlate the activity with these compounds or their mixture. The wasted aerial parts of Bunium ferulaceum Sm. proved to be a valuable source of polyphenols and exhibited interesting health promoting effects with no toxicity. Thus, Bunium ferulaceum Sm. aerial parts can be included in nutraceutical formulations or used as functional food and the extracted compounds may be used as an alternative food preservative.
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    Effect of Storage and Drying Treatments on Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Composition of Lemon and Clementine Peel Extracts
    (Molecules, 2023) Gómez Mejía, Esther; Sacristán Navarro, Iván; Rosales Conrado, Noelia; León González, María Eugenia De; Madrid Albarrán, María Yolanda
    Obtaining polyphenols from horticultural waste is an emerging trend that enables the valorization of resources and the recovery of value-added compounds. However, a pivotal point in the exploitation of these natural extracts is the assessment of their chemical stability. Hence, this study evaluates the effect of temperature storage (20 and −20 ◦C) and drying methods on the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of clementine and lemon peel extracts, applying HPLC-DADMS, spectrophotometric methods, and chemometric tools. Vacuum-drying treatment at 60 ◦C proved to be rather suitable for retaining the highest antioxidant activity and the hesperidin, ferulic, and coumaric contents in clementine peel extracts. Lemon extracts showed an increase in phenolic acids after oven-drying at 40 ◦C, while hesperidin and rutin were sustained better at 60 ◦C. Hydroethanolic extracts stored for 90 days preserved antioxidant activity and showed an increase in the total phenolic and flavonoid contents in lemon peels, unlike in clementine peels. Additionally, more than 50% of the initial concentration was maintained up to 51 days, highlighting a half-life time of 71 days for hesperidin in lemon peels. Temperature was not significant in the preservation of the polyphenols evaluated, except for in rutin and gallic acid, thus, the extracts could be kept at 20 ◦C.