The presence of dangerous pollutants in different water sources has restricted the availability of this natural resource. Thus, the development of new low-cost and environmentally-friendly technologies is currently required to ensure access to clean water. Various approaches to the recovery of contaminated water have been considered, including the generation of biomaterials with adsorption capacity for dangerous compounds. Research on bioadsorbents has boomed in recent years, as they constitute one of the most sustainable options for water treatment thanks to their abundance and high cellulose content. Thanks to the vast amount of information published to date, the present review addresses the current status of different biosorbents and the principal processes and characterization methods involved, focusing on base biomaterials such as fruits and vegetables, grains and seeds, and herbage and forage. In comparison to other reviews, this work reports more than 60 adsorbents obtained from agricultural wastes. The removal efficiencies and/or maximum adsorption capacities for heavy metals, industrial contaminants, nutrients and pharmaceuticals are presented as well. In addition to the valuable information provided in the literature investigation, challenges and perspectives concerning the implementation of bioadsorbents are discussed in order to comprehensively guide selection of the most suitable biomaterials according to the target contaminant and the available biowastes.

The microbiome of the shrimp’s digestive tract shows differences between healthy and acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND)-affected shrimp. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of probiotic consumption on the microbial community in experimentally AHPND-infected shrimp. Effective probiotics (EPs) Vibrio alginolyticus (Va32A), V. campbellii (VcHA), and Bacillus pumilus (BPY100) and non-effective probiotics (NEPs) B. pumilus (Bp43, and BpY119), were employed in bioassays with Penaeus vannamei and challenged with AHPND-causing V. parahaemolyticus (Vp_AHPND). Stomach (Sto), intestine (Int), and hepatopancreas (Hep) were analyzed by metabarcoding (16S rRNA gene) to characterize the microbiome and biomarkers. Hep-VcHA showed the highest alpha diversity (Shannon index = 5.88; 166 ASVs), whereas the lowest was for Hep-Bp43 (2.33; 7 ASVs). Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Saccharibacteria were the most abundant phyla. The relative abundance of Vibrio sp. was the highest in the Hep and Int of Bp43, BPY119 and the positive control, followed by Rhodobacteraceae in the EP group. Principle coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed a cluster grouped negative (Sto and Hep) control with almost all organs in the EP group causing 28.79% of the variation. The core microbiome of EP was mainly represented by Rhodobacteraceae, Caldilineaceae, Celeribacter indicus, Illumatobacter, Microbacterium, Ruegeria atlantica, Saccharibacteria sp., Shimia biformata, and Thalassobius mediterraneus, whose relative abundance was enriched by probiotics, which may explain their protective roles against Vp_AHPND, whereas the low survival in the NEP group was associated with a higher diversity of Vibrio spp. Our results present an ecosystem-friendly alternative based on beneficial microorganisms to prevent and control AHPND and probably other bacterial diseases in shrimp farming.

The fluorescence imaging technique is becoming a useful tool in the natural and life sciences. Commercial biomarkers are available; however, some disadvantages exist like high isolation cost, low-temperature storage, photodegradation, and low yields. Here two new fluorescent molecular rotors (SB-B 2 and SB-B2 3) derived from Boron Schiff bases (BOSCHIBAs) were synthesized and characterized by NMR (¹H and ¹³C), UV/Vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The crystal structure of SB-B2 3 by X-ray diffraction showed a binuclear complex and C₂ symmetry. Both compounds showed viscochromic and thermochromic properties. The binuclear rotor 3 showed a greater luminescence intensity increase than the mononuclear one at the highest level of viscosity (90%). From the remarkable findings and to our best knowledge this is the first time low cytotoxicity BOSCHIBAs exhibit selective fluorescent staining of endoplasmic reticulum in HeLa cells and HUVECs.

In cancer, the use of microbots based on anaerobic bacteria as specific transporters targeting tumor tissues has been explored since most solid tumors exhibit hypoxic regions. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize magnetic microbots based on Bifidobacteria and iron oxide fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles complexed with chitosan and a hypoxia inducible plasmid. In addition, the efficiency of the microbots for gene delivery to solid tumors was evaluated in an in vivo model by florescence and luminescence. To elaborate microbots, iron oxide fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles complexed with chitosan and a hypoxia-inducible plasmid called nanocomplex (NCs) with a size of 302 nm and a ζ potential of +16 mV were obtained and loaded onto Bifidobacteria membranes. Microbots with a diameter between 1–2 µm were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Microbots were injected intravenously through the tail vein to tumor-bearing mice, and then a magnet was placed to focus them to the tumor area. Forty-eight hours after injection, the biodistribution was determined by florescence and luminescence. The greatest luminescence and fluorescence emitted were found in tumor tissue compared with the normal organs. We created a vector that can be directed by a magnet and deliver genes whose expression is regulated by hypoxic microenvironment of tumor.

Cancer is a disease that causes millions of deaths per year worldwide because conventional treatments have disadvantages such as unspecific tumor selectivity and unwanted toxicity. Most human solid tumors present hypoxic microenvironments and this promotes multidrug resistance. In this study, we present “Magnetogene nanoparticle vector” which takes advantage of the hypoxic microenvironment of solid tumors to increase selective gene expression in tumor cells and reduce unwanted toxicity in healthy cells; this vector was guided by a magnet to the tumor tissue. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), chitosan (CS), and the pHRE-Luc plasmid with a hypoxia-inducible promoter were used to synthesize the vector called “Magnetogene nanoparticles” by ionic gelation. The hypoxic functionality of Magnetogene vector nanoparticles was confirmed in the B16F10 cell line by measuring the expression of the luciferase reporter gene under hypoxic and normoxic conditions. Also, the efficiency of the Magnetogene vector was confirmed in vivo. Magnetogene was administered by intravenous injection (IV) in the tail vein and directed through an external magnetic field at the site of tumor growth in C57Bl/6 mice. A Magnetogene vector with a size of 50 to 70 nm was directed and retained at the tumor area and gene expression was higher at the tumor site than in the others tissues, confirming the selectivity of this vector towards hypoxic tumor areas. This nanosystem, that we called the “Magnetogene vector” for systemic delivery and specific gene expression in hypoxic tumors controlled by an external magnetic designed to target hypoxic regions of tumors, can be used for cancer-specific gene therapies.