Anabel Torrente

Study on the expression of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) genes and their pharmacological applications: Quercetin – Verónica Ruiz Trujillo

2 May, 2022 por Anabel Torrente Leave a Comment

This research was carried out in the Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide in Biotechnology and Agri-Food Research Group (Zaidín Experimental Station, CSIC, Granada). In recent years, this group has been investigating the possible contribution that peppers can make to a better state of health, thanks to the fact that they contain compounds of pharmacological and therapeutic interest. In collaboration with the University of Malaga and the MEDINA Foundation, we conducted metabolomic and transcriptomic studies to analyse a series of metabolic pathways that lead to the synthesis of molecules with this potential capacity. These molecules are also modulated by nitric oxide (NO), a molecule whose functions in the physiology of both animal and plant cells are increasingly recognised. This Master’s Thesis takes a step further in this strategy which, together with other metabolomic data recently obtained, has allowed the group to focus its research on quercetin, one of the flavonoid compounds present in peppers, which has a number of pharmacological properties.

Keywords: Pepper; nitric oxide (NO); quercetin; flavonoid compounds.

Directed by: José Manuel Palma Martínez

Research on talcum powder from Norway. Quality assessment for pharmaceutical-cosmetic use – Soraya Mena Rosado

1 May, 2022 por Anabel Torrente Leave a Comment

Talc is a mineral species belonging to the Phyllosilicates (class of Silicates). It is a hydrated magnesium silicate, formed naturally by the alteration of other minerals. This means that talcum powder may be composed of additional minerals other than talc (chlorites, carbonates, quartz, amphiboles, among others).
The characteristics of talc make it a unique raw material with a wide variety of applications in different industrial sectors, including the pharmaceutical-cosmetic sector.
Samples of talcum powder were studied and their quality for pharmaceutical-cosmetic use was evaluated using the standards of the European Pharmacopoeia and different advanced complementary methods such as: XRF, DRX, ICP-masses, SEM-EDX, calcimetry and atomic absorption.
Most of the samples presented high relative purity in the mineral species talc, with a content of over 90% in most cases. This indicates good mineral quality for cosmetic use. Most of the samples also have good Pharmacopoeia quality and are therefore suitable for pharmaceutical-cosmetic use.

Keywords: Talc; European Pharmacopoeia; Mineral quality; Pharmaceutical-Cosmetic Use; Impurities.

Directed by: María Virginia Fernández González

Synthesis, purification and structural determination of isoquinolin-5-ol derivatives as antitumor agents – Soledad Romero Tamudo

1 May, 2022 por Anabel Torrente Leave a Comment

Cancer is a disease that begins when a cancerous cell manages to evade the main regulatory mechanisms of the cell cycle and begins to proliferate uncontrollably. It is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, so the search for new therapies is essential.
CD44 is a glycoprotein whose increased expression makes tumors more resistant to cancer treatments. Its ligand is hyaluronic acid (HA) and after binding, signaling cascades are activated that contribute to increased cell proliferation, migration and tissue invasion.
Tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) inhibits binding between CD44 and HA. With this in mind, in this Master’s Thesis, we propose the synthesis of 10 isoquinolin-5-ol derivatives. We will then assess the capacity of these derivatives to act as antitumor agents by inhibiting binding between CD44 and HA.

Keywords: Cancer; CD44; Hyaluronic Acid; Tetrahydroisoquinoline; Inhibitors.

Directed by: María Dora Carrión Peregrina

Desing and development of peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates for activating frataxin expression – Ricardo Manuel Chueca González

1 May, 2022 por Anabel Torrente Leave a Comment

Friedreich’s Ataxia is a degenerative disease that affects one in 50,000 people. These patients have low levels of the protein frataxin, as they have inherited a mutation in the FXN gene. There is currently no cure. One possible treatment option involves the administration of small nucleic acid fragments (DNA or RNA) that block the mutation and allow the correct expression of frataxin. These types of compounds are unable to cross the brain’s protective barrier, the blood-brain barrier. To circumvent this problem, we have worked on the synthesis of peptides capable of crossing this barrier, so that in the future they may be conjugated with the selected nucleic acids to see if they increase frataxin expression.

Keywords: Friedreich’s ataxia; frataxin; blood-brain barrier; peptides; nucleic acids.

Directed by: Macarena Sánchez Navarro

Desing, synthesis and biological evaluation of choline kinase enzyme inhibitor diazufro derivatives – Marina Úbeda García

1 May, 2022 por Anabel Torrente Leave a Comment

In this research, a total of 9 symmetrical diazuffered bis-cationic compounds with inhibitory activity against the human ChoKα1 enzyme were designed, synthesised and characterised. The aim was to find compounds with effective inhibitory and antiproliferative activity in tumour cells. In-vitro biological assays were performed to determine their capacity to inhibit human ChoKα1 and restrict its proliferation. We noted that slight changes in the structure of the molecules give rise to considerable variations in inhibitory activity and antiproliferative capacity and that compounds with a high capacity to inhibit the enzyme were unable to inhibit tumour cell development and vice versa. Further studies are therefore needed to investigate the mechanism of action, as well as to continue in-vitro synthesising and testing of new ChoKα1 inhibitor compounds, so as to find molecules that perform this function successfully.

Keywords: sulphur derivatives; inhibitory capacity; antiproliferative capacity; choline kinase.

Directed by: Luisa Carlota López Cara