Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is usually a lifelong state that disturbs the digestive system. IBS has been linked to low-grade inflammation and the release of inflammatory mediators into the bloodstream. This could be associated with the degree of obesity presented by patients with IBS. Reports imply that IBS is more frequent in obese patients than in the overall population, with a prevalence of up to 31%. Here, we evaluated the serum levels of immunological and inflammation molecules and their correlation with Body Mass Index in IBS patients and the healthy control (HC). Seventy-nine serum samples of the IBS patients and thirty-five of the HC group were analyzed to determine the levels of each molecule and compare them with their BMI. Serum levels of C3 and C4 were significantly increased in IBS patients. C3 and C4 levels were higher in IBS-M and IBS-D subtypes compared with the HC group. When patients were grouped by BMI, a positive correlation between serum C3 (r = 0.49, p < 0.0001) and CRP (r = 0.40, p < 0.001) levels was found. Our results show, for the first time, a correlation between immunological molecules and BMI in IBS patients, suggesting that the inflammatory nature of obesity could contribute to the development of the symptoms in IBS through the stimulation and release of proteins as complement components and CRP.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder defined by disturbances in bowel habits and abdominal pain, in the absence of known organic pathology that affects between 5 to 10% of healthy populations. Despite improvements in detection and treatment, the pathogenesis of IBS has not been clarified. Several microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis of IBS through increased intestinal permeability, inflammation, and modulation of visceral hyperalgesia, and they may have the potential to be used as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Here, we have summarized the recent advances about the role of miRNAs in the development of IBS symptoms and the possibility to use them as therapeutic targets to mitigate symptoms in IBS.

Spiky Au-Ag nanostars offer intense plasmonic enhancement due to their sharp-tipped morphology, enabling powerful surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Here, we report a liquid-phase SERS platform that addresses current limitations in cancer biomarker detection, such as low sensitivity and dependence on Raman reporters. Nanostar concentration was tuned by simple centrifugation (10, 30, and 60 min), and their SERS performance was evaluated using methylene blue (MB) and mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as probe molecules. Signal intensity scaled with nanostar content, enabling sensitive detection. Optimized nanostars were functionalized with MPA, 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylamino1-Ethyl-3-(3dimethylaminopropyl1) carbodiimide (EDC), and N-Hydroxy succinimide (NHS) for covalent attachment of monoclonal anti-α-fetoprotein antibodies (AFP-Ab), facilitating the detection of AFP antigens across 167–38 ng/mL (antibody) and 500–0 ng/mL (antigen) ranges. The limit of detection (LOD) for the antigens was determined to be 16.73 ng/mL. Unlike conventional SERS systems, this aqueous, surfactant-free platform exploits the intrinsic vibrational modes of AFP, enabling sensitive and rapid biomarker detection with strong potential for early cancer diagnostics.

Pulsed-current electrodeposition is widely used to control nucleation and growth during the electrochemical synthesis of metallic nanostructures; however, reproducible implementation commonly requires programmable potentiostats or galvanostats, which can be costly or inaccessible for parallel experimentation. This study introduces a low-cost Arduino-based pulsed constant-current platform designed for low-voltage electrodeposition. The system incorporates an MCP4725 digital-to-analog converter to define the current setpoint, while an MCP602 operational amplifier drives an IRLZ34N MOSFET in a low-side feedback configuration using a 10 Ω shunt resistor. A 2N2222 transistor actively clamps the MOSFET gate during OFF periods to minimize residual conduction between pulses. Standalone firmware enables direct configuration of ON time, OFF time, cycle number, and current through a 20 × 4 I2C LCD and three push buttons, without requiring an external computer during operation. Electrical evaluation from 0.50 to 40.00 mA using a test LED load demonstrated a maximum absolute deviation ≤ 0.80 mA and a highly linear response, with R² = 0.9998. Pulse timing and OFF-state behavior were confirmed by oscilloscope monitoring. Beyond electrical testing, the platform was validated through Ag electrodeposition protocols used to fabricate TiO₂/Ag SERS substrates, including Ag nanoparticles and 3D Ag dendrites, with analytical performance within the range reported for established SERS architectures. The proposed hardware offers an accessible, reproducible, and open-source solution for laboratories requiring programmable pulsed-current capability for low-voltage electrochemical nanostructure synthesis.