Surfaces with antimicrobial properties are gaining notoriety as an efficient method to avoid surface contamination. Self-disinfecting paints are a promising strategy towards cleaner indoor environments by preventing the colonization of walls with microorganisms. However, its widespread use needs an appropriate toxicological safety evaluation due to the potential for biological disturbance associated to its biocidal activity. In this work, the cyto- and genotoxic assessment of two self-disinfecting paints containing the antimicrobial substances triclosan (TCS) and isoborneol (ISB) is performed. HaCaT and A549 cell lines models were selected for the in vitro assessment. To evaluate the cytotoxicity, tests by direct contact and on extracts obtained from leaching were performed following ISO 10993, whereas the genotoxicity was assessed by comet assay and cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. The results showed low levels of cyto- and genotoxicity under the models and conditions tested, indicating that these substances have commercial potential.

The consumption of ‘not-from-concentrate’ (NFC) fruit juices can be a convenient and enjoyable way to incorporate the nutritional benefits and flavors of fruits into one’s diet. This study will focus on the effect of production of juices from apple and pear fruits, by using centrifugal decanter and tangential filtration, on the profile of polyphenols as a valuable source of bioactive compounds. Likewise, by-products from the juice industry were characterized in order to understand the high-value-added potential based on their composition of polyphenols. Briefly, apple and apple juice showed great contents of chlorogenic acid (0.990 ± 0.021 mg/g of DW), the dihydrochalcone phloridzin (1.041 ± 0.062 mg/g of DW), procyanidins (0.733 ± 0.121 mg/g of DW) and quercetin derivatives (1.501 ± 0.192 mg/g of DW). Likewise, the most abundant compounds in pear and pear juices were chlorogenic acid (0.917 ± 0.021 mg/g of DW), caffeoylquinic acid (0.180 ± 0.029 mg/g of DW), procyanidins (0.255 ± 0.016 mg/g of DW) and quercetin derivatives (0.181 ± 0.004 mg/g of DW). Both temperature and tangential speed affect the amount of phenolic compounds in fruit juices, highlighting the need to control the technological process to obtain a more nutritious/healthier beverage. Overall, NFC juices arise as a better option when compared with concentrated juices. Furthermore, the higher yield of phenolic compounds found in fruit pomace clearly open new ways for upcycling this fruit by-product as a high-value-added ingredient.

Iatrogenic injury of the inferior vena cava is very uncommon but can lead to serious devastating sequelae. This can occur during reoperative or congenital surgery but also during routine cardiac surgery. We have presented a very rare case of a partial obstruction of the inferior vena cava–right atrium junction after multiple cardiac surgeries, which was treated using an endovascular percutaneous approach.