As the use of photovoltaic installations becomes extensive, it is necessary to look for recycling processes that mitigate the environmental impact of damaged or end-of-life photovoltaic panels. There is no single path for recycling silicon panels, some works focus on recovering the reusable silicon wafers, others recover the silicon and metals contained in the panel. In the last few years, silicon solar cells are thinner, and it becomes more difficult to separate them from the glass, so the trend is towards the recovery of silicon. In this paper, we investigate the experimental conditions to delaminate and recovery silicon in the recycling process, using a combination of mechanical, thermal, and chemical methods. The conditions of thermal treatment to remove the ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) layer were optimized to 30 min at 650 °C in the furnace. To separate silicon and metals, the composition of HF/HNO₃ solution and the immersion time were adjusted considering environmental aspects and cost. Under the selected conditions, panels from different manufacturers were tested, obtaining similar yields of recovered silicon but differences in the metal concentrations.

Many studies describe different pharmacological effects of flavonoids on experimental animals and humans. Nevertheless, few ones are confirming the safety of these compounds for therapeutic purposes. This study aimed to investigate the preclinical safety of naringenin, naringin, hesperidin, and quercetin by in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches. For this, an MTT-based cytotoxicity assay in VERO and MDCK cell lines was performed. In addition, acute toxicity was evaluated on Wistar rats by OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals (Test No. 423: Acute Oral Toxicity-Class Method). Furthermore, we used the ACD/Tox Suite to predict toxicological parameters such as hERG channel blockade, CYP450 inhibition, and acute toxicity in animals. The results showed that quercetin was slightly more cytotoxic on cell lines (IC₅₀ of 219.44 ± 7.22 mM and 465.41 ± 7.44 mM, respectively) than the other citroflavonoids. All flavonoids exhibited an LD₅₀ value > 2000 mg/kg, which classifies them as low-risk substances as OECD guidelines established. Similarly, predicted LD⁵⁰ was LD₅₀ > 300 to 2000 mg/kg for all flavonoids as acute toxicity assay estimated. Data suggests that all these flavonoids did not show significant toxicological effects, and they were classified as low-risk, useful substances for drug development.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of Amaranthus cruentus flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, catechin, hesperetin, naringenin, hesperidin, and naringin), cinnamic acid derivatives (p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid), and benzoic acids (vanillic acid and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid) as antioxidants, antidiabetic, and antihypertensive agents. An analytical method for simultaneous quantification of flavonoids, cinnamic acid derivatives, and benzoic acids for metabolomic analysis of leaves and inflorescences from A. cruentus was developed with HPLC-UV-DAD. Evaluation of linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, precision, and recovery was used to validate the analytical method developed. Maximum total flavonoids contents (5.2 mg/g of lyophilized material) and cinnamic acid derivatives contents (0.6 mg/g of lyophilized material) were found in leaves. Using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, the maximum total betacyanin contents (74.4 mg/g of lyophilized material) and betaxanthin contents (31 mg/g of lyophilized material) were found in inflorescences. The leaf extract showed the highest activity in removing DPPH radicals. In vitro antidiabetic activity of extracts was performed with pancreatic α-glucosidase and intestinal α-amylase, and compared to acarbose. Both extracts exhibited a reduction in enzyme activity from 57 to 74%. Furthermore, the in vivo tests on normoglycemic murine models showed improved glucose homeostasis after sucrose load, which was significantly different from the control. In vitro antihypertensive activity of extracts was performed with angiotensin-converting enzyme and contrasted to captopril; both extracts exhibited a reduction of enzyme activity from 53 to 58%. The leaf extract induced a 45% relaxation in an ex vivo aorta model. In the molecular docking analysis, isoamaranthin and isogomphrenin-I showed predictive binding affinity for α-glucosidases (human maltase-glucoamylase and human sucrase-isomaltase), while catechin displayed binding affinity for human angiotensin-converting enzyme. The data from this study highlights the potential of A. cruentus as a functional food.

Psittacanthus calyculatus parasitizes mesquite trees through a specialized structure called a haustorium, which, in the intrusive process, can cause cellular damage in the host tree and release DAMPs, such as ATP, sugars, RNA, and DNA. These are highly conserved molecules that primarily function as signals that trigger and activate the defense responses. In the present study, we generate extracellular DNA (exDNA) from mesquite (P. laevigata) tree leaves (self-exDNA) and P. calyculatus (non-self exDNA) mistletoe as DAMP sources to examine mesquite trees’ capacity to identify specific self or non-self exDNA. We determined that mesquite trees perceive self- and non-self exDNA with the synthesis of O^2•−, H₂O₂, flavonoids, ROS-enzymes system, MAPKs activation, spatial concentrations of JA, SA, ABA, and CKs, and auxins. Our data indicate that self and non-self exDNA application differs in oxidative burst, JA signaling, MAPK gene expression, and scavenger systems. This is the first study to examine the molecular biochemistry effects in a host tree using exDNA sources derived from a mistletoe.

Pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen, paracetamol, and caffeine are commonly found in wastewater due to incomplete removal in conventional treatment systems. This study evaluated three vertical constructed wetland (V-CW) configurations: V1 (gravel–sand with vegetation), V2 (biochar–zeolite with vegetation), and V3 (biochar–zeolite without vegetation). All systems achieved high removal efficiencies for organic matter (Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): 89.4–91.7%, Biochemical Oxygen Demand over 5 days (BOD₅): 93.3–93.8%, Total Suspended Solids (TSS): 94.5–96.6%) and pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen: 81.8–91.5%, paracetamol: 90.0–94.3%, caffeine: 93.1–97.2%). Statistical analysis showed that substrate type significantly influenced ibuprofen (p = 0.0035) and caffeine (p = 0.0436) removal, while vegetation had no significant effect (p > 0.266). The enhanced performance of biochar and zeolite can be attributed to their high adsorption capacity and microbial support, with adsorption and biodegradation identified as dominant removal mechanisms, as reported in previous research. These findings highlight the importance of engineered substrates in optimizing constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment to improve the removal of emerging contaminants. Future research should focus on long-term substrate performance, cost-effectiveness, and field-scale validation, particularly in regions with vulnerable groundwater systems such as the Yucatán Peninsula.

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, and the search for therapeutic alternatives in developing countries has been focused on natural products, primarily from plants. This study evaluated the antihyperglycemic and hypoglycemic activities of the albedo (FA) and flavedo (FF) flavonoid fractions obtained from orange peels (often discarded) in normoglycemic Wistar rats. The flavonoid fractions were identified and quantified using HPLC-UV-DAD and compared with glibenclamide, repaglinide, saxagliptin, and acarbose. Additionally, both fractions were tested in a streptozotocin (65 mg/kg)/nicotinamide (100 mg/kg)-induced diabetic model. In normoglycemic rats, the highest glucose variation (%VG) occurred during the first hour after FA (112.8%) and FF (105.30%) administration at 100 mg/kg, indicating a hypoglycemic effect. In diabetic rats, FF at 100 mg/kg showed the highest %VG (140.41%) during the first hour after administration. HPLC-UV-DAD analysis revealed the presence of hesperidin (HSP) and naringenin (NGN), with the highest concentrations found in FA (HSP: 41.41%; NGN: 10.75%). These findings suggest potential antihyperglycemic effects of FA and FF fractions, possibly attributed to the presence of HSP and NGN. The results obtained in this work lay the foundations to explore the therapeutic applications of orange peels for controlling hyperglycemia in diabetes. In conclusion, our results suggest a reevaluation and revalorization of orange peels, as they contain pharmaceutically relevant flavonoids.