Anthocyanins (ANCs) are naturally occurring water-soluble pigments responsible for conferring red, blue, and purple colors to fruits, vegetables, flowers, and grains. Due to their chemical structure, they are highly susceptible to degradation by external factors, such as pH, light, temperature, and oxygen. Naturally acylated anthocyanins have proven to be more stable in response to external factors and exhibit superior biological effects as compared with their non-acylated analogues. Therefore, synthetic acylation represents a viable alternative to make the application of these compounds more suitable for use. Enzyme-mediated synthetic acylation produces derivatives that are highly similar to those obtained through the natural acylation process, with the main difference between these two pathways being the catalytic site of the enzymes involved in the synthesis; acyltransferases catalyze natural acylation, while lipases catalyze synthetic acylation. In both cases, their active sites perform the addition of carbon chains to the hydroxyl groups of anthocyanin glycosyl moieties. Currently, there is no comparative information regarding natural and enzymatically acylated anthocyanins. In this sense, the aim of this review is to compare natural and enzyme-mediated synthetic acylated anthocyanins in terms of chemical stability and pharmacological activity with a focus on inflammation and diabetes.

The current medical need to respond to different diseases has sparked great interest in extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) due to their great regenerative potential and as drug carriers by playing a critical role in cell–cell communication. However, due to their heterogeneity, there is no standardized universal method for their identification and characterization, which limits their clinical application. This study, following the recommendations and methodologies proposed by MISEV2023 for the characterization of EVs, shows for the first time a detailed morphological, protein, and biochemical comparison between EVs derived from three different MSCs sources (placenta, endometrium, and dental pulp). The information obtained from the different applied assays suggests that there are substantial differences between one EVs source and another. It also offers valuable insights that provide the guidelines to ease their profiling and therefore improve their selection, in order to speed up their use and clinical application; additionally, the knowledge obtained from each characterization test could facilitate new researchers in the field to choose a specific cell source to obtain EVs and select the appropriate methods that provide the necessary information according to their requirements.

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in varied applications, which are morphology dependent. Consequently, a morphology-controlled synthesis is mandatory. Although there are several studies focused on the plant extract-based biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles, the use of extracts obtained from agro-wastes is scant. Furthermore, information regarding morphology modification through the use of additional agents is even more scarce. Thus, in this study, AgNPs were synthesized using a malt extract (ME) obtained from an artisanal beer brewing process residue. Additionally, sodium chloride (NaCl), gum arabic (GA), and talc (T) were used in an attempt to modify the morphology of AgNPs. XRD, DLS, SEM, and TEM results demonstrate that stable AgNPs of different sizes and shapes were synthesized. FTIR, HPLC analysis, and the quantification of total proteins, free amino acids, reducing sugars, and total polyphenols before and after AgNPs synthesis showed that ME biomolecules allowed them to act as a source of reducing and stabilizing agents. Therefore, this study provides evidence that ME can be successfully used to biosynthesize AgNPs. Additionally, the antibacterial activity of AgNPs against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria was evaluated. Results indicate that AgNPs show a higher antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria.