Lactobionic acid (LBA) is a polyhydroxy acid with attractive properties in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, medical, and chemical industries, making it a versatile product with multiple applications, which supports the various studies aimed at its production by increasingly more simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly processes. For this reason, the purpose of this research was to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by a synthesis process using Myrciaria dubia (Camu camu) fruit extract. Subsequently, AuNPs were used to produce LBA from lactose. The results demonstrate that the Myrciaria dubia extract manages to synthesize AuNPs that were characterized by UV/vis spectrophotometry, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Zetasizer. LBA was quantified by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and ion chromatography. The results showed that AuNPs succeeded in producing LBA from lactose showing the highest LBA production efficiency at a dose of 0.5g/L and a temperature of 60°C. It has been shown that the AuNPs obtained by synthesis using the Myrciaria dubia extract efficiently catalyze the production of LBA from lactose, with a yield of 45.24, which can be used to produce LBA for industrial or research purposes.

The use of organophosphate pesticides, such as profenofos, is a pressing environmental concern due to their persistence and toxicity to non-target organisms. For this reason, developing alternatives to remove them from the environment is crucial. The objective of this study was to biosynthesize ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using an aqueous extract of Negra Criolla grape seeds for their application in the degradation of profenofos in synthetic solutions. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs had an average size of 52 ± 2 nm and a maximum absorption at 375 nm, characteristic of the surface plasmon resonance of ZnO NPs. The ATR-FTIR spectra showed peaks characteristic of ZnO NPs. The 2² × 3 factorial design showed that the optimal values for pH and ZnO NPs concentration are 5 and 3 g/L, respectively, achieving a primary degradation of profenofos (20 mg/L) of 59 ± 2% after 120 min of UV irradiation. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that ZnO NPs biosynthesized using an aqueous extract of Negra Criolla grape seeds exhibit photocatalytic activity for the degradation of profenofos; however, further studies are needed to evaluate their application in actual contaminated water.

Aluminum is the third most abundant metal on earth and is currently widely used in industrial, technological and medical sectors, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products. However, in recent years, several studies suggest possible health risks of aluminum, being associated with neurotoxicity, Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study was to propose, develop and validate a simple, reliable and accessible UV-VIS spectrophotometric method for the quantification of aluminum by means of the aluminum-alizarin complex. The method proved to be linear with a coefficient of determination R 2 of 0.9998, precise with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 11% and accurate with recovery percentages higher than 80% and lower than 110%, as stipulated by the AOAC. In conclusion, the method proved to be simple, accessible, reliable, precise and accurate for the quantification of aluminum in antiperspirant samples.