Armando Moro

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Soil erosion risk zoning in the Ecuadorian coastal region using geo-technological tools

by Williams José Méndez Mata and Armando Moro

Earth Sciences Research Journal, Dec 31, 2019

The activation of erosive processes on the slopes of the drainage catchments in the Ecuadorian co... more The activation of erosive processes on the slopes of the drainage catchments in the Ecuadorian coastal region represents a serious environmental problem that results in a loss of soil resource with the consequent reduction in agricultural productivity, increasing lack of areas with vegetation, and decreased water quality. These issues increase, among other things, the probability of flooding. The purpose of this research is to zone soil erosion risk in the Manabí province, which is located on the Ecuadorian coast. The methodology is supported by the employment of Geographic Information Technologies (GIT) in order to access and process information of interest, such as: precipitation data with which to calculate the R Factor of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE); topography, which was employed to create a slope map from the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) ASTER; vegetation cover, by applying the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI); land use, through the interpretation of orthophotos and a field survey; and infiltration capacity, obtained by considering the texture of the soil. The factors were combined by means a weighted relationship (map algebra) and exploiting the potential of software for the design of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The results indicate the presence of soils with little or limited vegetal protection, in areas with steep slopes, moderate rainfall and extensive farming activities. These characteristics determine conditions of high soil erodibility, and propitiate the triggering of erosive processes. Indeed about 19% of the surface of the Manabí province classifies with soil erosion risk between high and very high. These areas should be prioritized by regional government agencies to implement soil restoration and protection policies. Surfaces with medium soil erosion risk represent 67% of the territory, which are also areas that require certain levels of attention. The surfaces with low soil erosion risk represent only 14% of the province, corresponding to areas of low slope.

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Dairy matrix effect on the transference of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) essential oil compounds during cheese making

Journal of the science of food and agriculture, Jan 4, 2014

The use of aromatic plant extracts as ingredients may be compromised owing to low transference an... more The use of aromatic plant extracts as ingredients may be compromised owing to low transference and activity lack in food matrixes compared with in vitro trials. Rosemary essential oil (REO) was added to sheep milk to study the transference of its compounds during the cheese-making process and to determine how cheese antimicrobial activity is modified. The volatile characterization of dairy samples was performed using headspace stir bar sorptive extraction coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-SBSE/GC/MS) so that fat matrix interferences were reduced. This method detected a decrease in volatile recovery concentration of 19.33% when REO was added to milk. A total recovery volatile yield of 62.51% was measured from the initial quantification of milk to cheese, with hydrocarbon volatiles being transferred in a higher ratio (64.88%) than oxygenated ones (58.74%). No effects were observed for REO in fortified cheese on the counts of native flora necessary for ripening proces...

Effects of Agronomic Practices on Volatile Composition of Hyssopus officinalis L. Essential Oils

Molecules, 2011

Abstract: The chemical composition of Hyssopus officinalis (Lamiaceae) essential oil grown in sou... more

Mycotoxicogenic fungal inhibition by innovative cheese cover with aromatic plants

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2013

BACKGROUND: The use of aromatic plants and their extracts with antimicrobial properties may be co... more BACKGROUND: The use of aromatic plants and their extracts with antimicrobial properties may be compromised in the case of cheese, as some type of fungal starter is needed during its production. Penicillium verrucosum is considered a common cheese spoiler. The aim of this study was to evaluate the innovative use of certain aromatic plants as natural cheese covers in order to prevent mycotoxicogenic fungal growth (P. verrucosum). A collection of 12 essential oils (EOs) was obtained from various aromatic plants by solvent-free microwave extraction technology, and volatile characterisation of the EOs was carried out by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

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Human and rodent aldo–keto reductases from the AKR1B subfamily and their specificity with retinaldehyde

by Oriol Gallego and Armando Moro

Chemico-Biological Interactions, 2011

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Retinaldehyde is a substrate for human aldo–keto reductases of the 1C subfamily

by Armando Moro and Sergio Porté

Biochemical Journal, 2011

Human aldo-keto reductase 1C proteins (AKR1C1-AKR1C4) exhibit relevant activity with steroids, re... more Human aldo-keto reductase 1C proteins (AKR1C1-AKR1C4) exhibit relevant activity with steroids, regulating hormone signaling at pre-receptor level. We here investigate the activity of the four human AKR1C enzymes with retinol and retinaldehyde. All the enzymes except AKR1C2 showed retinaldehyde reductase activity with low K m values (~1 μM). The k cat values were also low (0.18 -0.6 min −1 ), except for AKR1C3 with 9-cis-retinaldehyde whose k cat was remarkably higher (13 min −1 ). Structural modeling of the AKR1C complexes with 9-cis-retinaldehyde indicated a distinct conformation of Trp-227, originated by changes in residue 226, which may contribute to activity differences. This was partially supported by the kinetics of the AKR1C3 R226P mutant. Retinol/retinaldehyde conversion, combined with the use of the inhibitor flufenamic acid, indicated a relevant role of endogenous AKR1Cs in retinaldehyde reduction in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Overexpression of AKR1C proteins depleted retinoic acid (RA) trans-activation in HeLa cells treated with retinol. Thus, AKR1Cs may decrease RA levels in vivo. Finally, by using lithocholic acid as an AKR1C3 inhibitor and UVI2024 as an RA receptor antagonist, we provide evidence that the pro-proliferative action of AKR1C3 in HL-60 cells involves the RA signaling pathway and that this is in part due to the retinaldehyde reductase activity of AKR1C3.

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Aldo-keto reductases from the AKR1B subfamily: Retinoid specificity and control of cellular retinoic acid levels

by Oriol Gallego, Armando Moro, and Carme Rovira

Chemico-Biological Interactions, 2009

a b s t r a c t NADP(H)-dependent cytosolic aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) have been added to the gr... more a b s t r a c t NADP(H)-dependent cytosolic aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) have been added to the group of enzymes which contribute to oxidoreductive conversions of retinoids. Recently, we found that two members from the AKR1B subfamily (AKR1B1 and AKRB10) were active in the reduction of all-trans-and 9cis-retinaldehyde, with K m values in the micromolar range, but with very different k cat values. With all-trans-retinaldehyde, AKR1B10 shows a much higher k cat value than AKR1B1 (18 min −1 vs. 0.37 min −1 ) and a catalytic efficiency comparable to that of the best retinaldehyde reductases. Structural, molecular dynamics and site-directed mutagenesis studies on AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 point that subtle differences at the entrance of their retinoid-binding site, especially at position 125, are determinant for the all-transretinaldehyde specificity of AKR1B10. Substitutions in the retinoid cyclohexene ring, analyzed here further, also influence such specificity. Overall it is suggested that the rate-limiting step in the reaction mechanism with retinaldehyde differs between AKR1B1 and AKR1B10. In addition, we demonstrate here that enzymatic activity of AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 lowers all-trans-and 9-cis-retinoic acid-dependent trans-activation in living cells, indicating that both enzymes may contribute to pre-receptor regulation of retinoic acid and retinoid X nuclear receptors. This result supports that overexpression of AKR1B10 in cancer (an updated review on this topic is included) may contribute to dedifferentiation and tumor development.

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