Durango State has the denomination of origin for the production of mezcal, which is made from Agave durangensis, mainly in an artisanal way; therefore, differences in the fermentation process affect the quality of the final product. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the diversity of culturable yeasts involved in the artisanal and semi-technified process of mezcal production in the State of Durango. Three distilleries with different production processes were monitored at different fermentation stages (beginning, mid-fermentation, and end of fermentation) in the spring and summer seasons. A greater diversity was found in the distillery of Nombre de Dios in both the spring and summer production seasons (H’ = 1.464 and 1.332, respectively), since it maintains an artisanal production process. In contrast, the distillery of Durango, where a Saccharomyces cerevisiae commercial inoculum is used to start fermentation, presented low diversity indexes (H’ = 0.7903 and 0.6442) and only S. cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and, sporadically, Pichia manshurica were found. Results suggest that the yeast microbiota involved in mezcal fermentation during the different seasons is affected by the type of inoculum; changes include the presence of some species that were only identified during a specific season in alcoholic fermentation, such as Torulaspora delbrueckii and Pichia kluyveri.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease, and a primary cause of persistent infection leading to cervical cancer (CC). CC remains one of the most common malignancies among women worldwide, with approximately 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths annually. In Mexico, this cancer accounts for 13.9% of female deaths. Currently, no antiviral treatment exists for HPV infection. Available therapies for dysplasia and CC focus on the destruction or surgical removal of infected tissue using cytotoxic agents. While the prophylactic HPV vaccine effectively prevents new infections, it does not benefit the millions already infected, underscoring the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to identify potential antagonists for the interaction between the HPV16 E2 and E1 proteins through in silico screening. A virtual screening was performed targeting the TAD of the HPV16 E2 protein (PDB ID: 1DTO) using the Maybridge HitFinder™ small molecule library. Six molecules with the best binding energies were identified: 11419, 11829, 10756, 10708, 10632, and 10726. Among these, molecules 10756, 10708, 10632, and 10726 demonstrated promising potential as antagonists, interacting with Tyr19 and/or Glu39 residues. These findings highlight potent therapeutic candidates against HPV-related diseases.

Milk and dairy are rich in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a protein secreted through the action of growth hormone (GH) and implicated in growth and metabolism. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the roles of milk intake and body composition and identify the presence of the single nucleotide variant (SNV) rs6214 in the insulin-like growth factor 1 gene (IGF1) and its effects on the serum IGF-1 and GH levels and body composition. Methods: We analyzed 110 volunteers with and without a history of milk intake. Through a case–control study with one hundred ten healthy volunteers, serum IGF-1 and GH levels were measured using the ELISA technique, the body composition was determined with bio-electrical impedance equipment, genotyping of the rs6214 SNV was carried out using real-time PCR, and a dietary questionnaire was administered to assess milk intake, with or without consumption. Results: The results showed that the highest levels of IGF-1 were found in people who regularly consumed milk, along with a lower body mass index (BMI) and percentage of fat. A lower BMI and fat percentage were associated with higher levels of IGF-1, lean mass, and SNV presence. Lower levels of BMI and percentages of subcutaneous and visceral fat were found in regular milk consumers. Conclusions: Our study suggests that dairy intake and the IGF1 gene rs6214 SNV are associated with higher levels of IGF-1, high levels of lean mass, a low BMI, a low % fat, and low visceral fat.

Doxorubicin (Dox) is a cornerstone in the treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but its use is limited by dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Oxidative stress, arising from mitochondrial dysfunction, enzymatic generation of reactive oxygen species, and cardiotoxic metabolites, has been implicated as a central mechanism, with interindividual variability partly influenced by genetic factors. This study evaluated oxidative DNA damage 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as an integrative marker of redox-related pathways in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity. In a prospective case–control study, 93 pediatric patients with ALL treated with Dox and 63 controls were included. Cardiotoxicity was assessed by serial echocardiography, and 8-OHdG levels were measured by ELISA. Genotyping of ABCC1 rs3743527, NCF4 rs1883112, and CBR3 rs1056892 was performed, and multivariable analyses were conducted. Dox-treated patients showed higher 8-OHdG levels than controls, and patients with cardiotoxicity (n = 11) had higher levels than those without. A higher frequency and severity of cardiotoxicity was observed in female patients, although this finding should be interpreted cautiously. Although allele frequencies did not reach statistical significance, distinct distribution patterns were observed between groups. These findings suggest that 8-OHdG may function as an integrative marker of redox dysfunction associated with Dox-induced cardiotoxicity.