Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy and multivariate analysis were used to study honey intentionally adulterated with standard sugar solutions (glucose, fructose and sucrose), and also with cheap syrups (corn, inverted and cane sugar). By using the principal component analysis (PCA) method on pure and adulterated (0–100%) honey samples, the determination of the type of adulterant was realized in an easy way through the use of the two- and three-dimensional PCA score plots. From this analysis, a tetrahedral structure was obtained. Superior vertex is formed by the set of samples of pure honey, whereas the edges are formed by the adulterant sugars. Partial least squares method was employed to develop optimal calibrations for the six adulterants used, obtaining values of standard error of calibration in the range 0.377–0.583 and standard error of prediction in the range of 1.550–3.150 for the standard sugars, which suggest a good predictive capacity of the model employed in this study.

Some of the greatest challenges in stem cells (SCs) biology and regenerative medicine are differentiation control of SCs and ensuring the purity of differentiated cells. In this work, we differentiated mouse pluripotent stem cells (mPSCs) toward pancreatic cells characterizing this differentiation process by molecular and spectroscopic technics. Both mPSCs and Differentiated Pancreatic Cells (DPCs) were subjected to a genetic, phenotypic, and biochemical analysis by real‐time quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR), immunocytochemistry, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Cultured mPCSs expressed pluripotent genes and proteins (Nanog and SOX2). DPCs expressed endodermal genes (SOX17 and Pdx1) at day 11, an inductor gene of embryonic pancreas development (Pdx1) at day 17 and pancreas genes and proteins (Insulin and Glucagon) at day 21 of differentiation. Likewise, FTIR spectra of mPSCs and DPCs at different maturation stages (11, 17, and 21 days) were obtained and showed absorption bands related with different types of biomolecules. These FTIR spectra exhibited significant spectral changes agreeing with the differentiation process, particularly in proteins and nucleic acids bands. In conclusion, the obtained DPCs passed through the chronological stages of embryonic pancreas development and FTIR spectra provide a new biophysical parameter based on molecular markers indicating the differentiation process of mPSCs to specialized cells.

This paper comprehensively reviews whey, a by-product of cheese production, as a raw material for various biotechnological applications. It addresses its unique composition, the environmental impact of its inadequate disposal, and the opportunities it offers to develop high-value products in line with circular economy and sustainability principles. Using the PRISMA methodology, a systematic search was conducted in various databases (Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar) with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies from the last five years were considered, focusing on food applications, the production of bioproducts (such as lactic acid, biopolymers, bioethanol, biomass, and enzymes), and the use of whey as a culture medium for the expression of recombinant proteins. It is concluded that the use of whey in biotechnological applications mitigates the environmental impact associated with its disposal and represents an economic and sustainable alternative for the industrial production of bioproducts. The integration of pretreatment technologies, experimental designs, and improvements in producing strains brings these processes closer to competitive conditions in the industry, opening new perspectives for innovation in the fermentation sector.