Roberto Gamboa-Becerra

Basidiomycota is a cosmopolitan fungal phylum recognized for its nutritional properties and as a natural source of bioactive compounds. Within this group, the family Marasmiaceae Roze ex Kühner remains comparatively understudied. In this study, we performed a metabolic characterization and bioactivity screening of four marasmioid fungal strains using untargeted metabolomic and bioinformatic tools to analyze the metabolic profiles of broth extracts from strains Montiel04, FGR1289, FGR1276, and CC45, detecting 296, 447, 167, and 99 spectrometric features (m/z_RT), respectively. The extracts exhibited notable antibacterial activity, particularly against Clavibacter michiganensis and Erwinia persicina, with strain FGR1289 demonstrating the highest efficacy. Furthermore, extracts from strains FGR1289 and FGR1276 exhibited significant antioxidant capacity against ABTS⁺, DPPH, and galvinoxyl radicals. Pathway enrichment analysis identified putative metabolic pathways involved in organic acid biosynthesis, amino acid metabolism, and butyrate, which may contribute to the observed bioactivities. These findings highlight the marasmioid group as a promising reservoir of bioactive metabolites and support further research on their potential pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. Graphical Abstract Untargered UHPLC-MS/MS metabolomics combined with bioactivity assays enables the identification of bioactive metabolites in fungal crude extracts.

Wood-based materials are a significant source of formaldehyde (HCHO), which is a volatile organic compound (VOC) classified as a human carcinogen that has adverse effects on the indoor air quality (IAQ) and health. This study evaluates HCHO emissions from six materials commonly used indoors, including medium-density fiberboard, melamine, pine boards, birch boards, oak boards, and alder boards, using the desiccator method in accordance with ASTM D5582. The experimental results were integrated with an indoor air model to estimate exposure under representative residential conditions. The measured emissions ranged from 0.235 ± 0.01 to 1.023 ± 0.10 mg m⁻³, with composite materials exhibiting the highest values. The risk analysis showed that all samples exceeded international reference values, with the greatest concern arising in scenarios of chronic exposure. The modeling indicated that indoor air concentrations depend heavily on material load and ventilation, reaching values as high as 0.155 mg m⁻³ under conditions of low air exchange. Overall, the results show that material composition, installed quantity, and ventilation conditions are key factors influencing indoor HCHO concentrations. This study offers an integrated approach that combines experimental measurement and exposure estimation, contributing to informed material selection and the assessment of their impact on IAQ.

Super oxidized water is a disinfectant generated by electrolysis whose effectiveness depends mainly on oxidation–reduction potential and pH. In this study, a 2² factorial Design of Experiments was applied to evaluate the influence of applied potential (8.2–12.2 V) and NaCl concentration (0.05–0.25 wt.%) on the redox properties of SOW, aiming to produce solutions with targeted disinfection profiles. The obtained models showed excellent predictive capacity (R² > 0.99), identifying NaCl concentration as the most influential factor affecting both oxidation–reduction potential and pH. The system enabled the controlled generation of SOW with ORP values ranging from approximately 950 to 1100 mV and pH between ~3.8 and 5.0, with experimental errors below 1.5%. Stability tests demonstrated that oxidation–reduction potential and pH remained within ±25 mV and ±0.15 units, respectively, over 24 weeks of storage. Microbiological evaluation revealed effective antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans, with inhibition halos of up to ~5 mm depending on ORP and microorganism. The results demonstrate that Design of Experiments enables precise adjustment of SOW redox properties, allowing optimization of antimicrobial performance for specific applications. This positions super oxidized water as a flexible, stable, and scalable disinfection technology for industrial and clinical use.

Red Amaranth (RA) Azo dye is a persistent pollutant in wastewater and stands as a toxicological risk, which has led to the development of effective methods for its removal and photocatalytic degradation. Therefore, CeO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by a controlled precipitation method, and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV–Vis) analysis and Tauc plots yielded a band gap of ~3.24 eV. The CeO₂ nanoparticles showed the fluorite cubic phase, and nearly spherical particles with an average size of ~10 nm. Nitrogen physisorption revealed a type IV isotherm with a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 85.27 m²·g⁻¹ and a total pore volume of 0.27 cm³·g⁻¹, indicating a mesoporous structure and high surface accessibility. The chemical behavior showed Ce and O, consistent with phase purity. Photocatalytic performance was evaluated in 20 ppm aqueous solution of RA under 365 nm UV irradiation (LED 100 W), with a temperature of ~20 °C and a 15 min dark adsorption step. Concentration decay was followed at λ_max = 520 nm by Lambert–Beer. The degradation efficiency η and pseudo-first-order kinetic were obtained from ln(C₀/C_t) vs. time. In addition, chemical oxygen demand (COD) tests were performed on RA solution before and after photodegradation, showing a COD reduction of ~85% (from 19.8 to 3 mg O₂·L⁻¹), which corroborates mineralization beyond chromophore bleaching. Under [C₀ = 20 mg·L⁻¹] and [m_cat = 1.0 g·L⁻¹], CeO₂ achieved [RA = 90% at 180 min, k = 0.0125 min⁻¹]. These results demonstrate that CeO₂ is an effective photocatalyst for RA degradation under UV-A irradiation, integrating adsorption, kinetic behavior, and mineralization performance into a coherent structure–property relationship.

Super oxidized water is a disinfectant agent generated by electrolysis. Its effectiveness de-pends mainly on the oxidation-reduction potential and pH. In the present study, a 22 fac-torial Design of Experiments was used in order to evaluate the influence of the applied potential and the NaCl concentration on the ORP and pH of super oxidized water, with the aim of generating solutions with specific redox values for different disinfection appli-cations. The models obtained showed a high predictive capacity (R2 > 0.99), identifying NaCl concentration as the factor with the greatest effect on the oxidation-reduction poten-tial and pH. The optimized conditions presented experimental errors of less than 1.5%, thus confirming the validity of the model. The solutions showed high physicochemical stability during 24 weeks of storage. Microbiological evaluation showed antimicrobial ac-tivity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus au-reus, and Candida albicans, with its responses being dependent on the ORP level and the microorganism evaluated. The results demonstrate that the use of DOE allows for the ad-justment of redox profile of super oxidized water in a controlled manner for specific ap-plications, simultaneously optimizing antimicrobial efficacy, which positions super oxi-dized water as a flexible and scalable technology for disinfection in industrial and clinical contexts.

Metabolite analysis plays a critical role in understanding phenotypic variations, biochemical processes, and physiological responses in biological systems. Whether through untargeted metabolomic profiling or targeted approaches aimed at quantifying specific or even individual metabolites, accurate detection presents significant analytical challenges due to their vast chemical diversity, low abundance, and complexity of biological matrices. This chemical analytical process encompasses a dynamic workflow that includes sample collection, extraction, enrichment, separation, and detection. Recent advances in nanotechnology offer promising alternatives to support and enhance each stage of this workflow, particularly within mass spectrometry (MS)-based applications. Nanoparticles, due to their high surface area, tunable surface chemistry, and ability to improve sensitivity, have been widely applied to improve sample pretreatment, selective enrichment, separation efficiency, and ionization, ultimately enhancing MS-based metabolites detection. This review provides an updated overview of nanoparticle-assisted strategies throughout the MS-based metabolite analysis workflow. It discusses the different classes of those nanomaterials and their applications across various phases stages, from sample preparation to ionization and detection, supporting analyses that range from untargeted and targeted metabolomics to the detection of individual metabolites. Although the primary focus is on MS-based workflows, we also reviewed nanoparticle-assisted separation strategies coupled with alternative detection platforms, such as optical or electrochemical methods, when these approaches show potential for integration with MS workflows. This inclusion reflects the current gap in literature addressing nanoparticle-assisted separation directly coupled with MS detection systems. These cases highlight underexplored opportunities where nanomaterials could enhance separation prior to MS detection, although further work is needed to ensure compatibility with MS platforms for suitable metabolite analysis. Furthermore, we highlight emerging trends and future perspectives in this evolving field, emphasizing the potential of nanotechnology to overcome current analytical limitations and expand the scope of both metabolomic profiling and focused metabolite analysis.

Mushrooms related to Boletus edulis s.l. are globally valued as wild‐harvested edibles. This study investigated the nutritional composition, antioxidant activity, and metabolic profile of Boletus rubriceps and B. vigasensis from Pinus forests in the Cofre de Perote mountain, Veracruz, Mexico. Using non‐targeted metabolomics and predictive Random Forest models, we identified 180 putative metabolites, 29 with documented bioactivity, and discovered metabolite markers distinguishing both taxa. Integrating morphological, nutritional, and metabolomic data confirmed the taxonomic and molecular separation of B. vigasensis from B. rubriceps. However, distinct metabolic profiles further subdivided B. rubriceps into two groups, B. rubriceps 1 and B. rubriceps 2, consistent with the subtle morphological and nutritional differences, suggesting cryptic diversity. The high protein content, antioxidant capacity, and bioactive potential of these species highlight their nutritional and economic value. This study underscores the need for sustainable management and further metabolomic research to explore their ecological roles and health‐promoting properties.

Efforts are intensifying to identify bioactive microbial metabolites from biocontrol agents to manage plant pathogens in critical crops. This study examined both volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and non‐volatile compounds from Metarhizium carneum and Lecanicillium uredinophilum strains for their antimicrobial effects against various phytopathogens and analyzed their exo‐metabolomes. M. carneum VOCs inhibited four bacterial and eight fungal species by up to 45.45 %, while L. uredinophilum VOCs inhibited five bacterial and eight fungal species by up to 50.91 %. Additionally, n‐BuOH extracts from both biocontrol agents effectively targeted three fungi and five bacteria. The exo‐metabolomes of M. carneum and L. uredinophilum included 125 and 102 spectrometric features, respectively, primarily consisting of polyketides, alkaloids, lipids, organic aromatic compounds, terpenoids, and peptides. Our findings revealed a correlation between the phylogenetic relationships of M. carneum strains, their bioactivity patterns against phytopathogens, and their metabolomic profiles. Notably, some compounds detected in both fungi previously demonstrated biological activity against plant pathogens, enhancing their biocontrol potential. This study not only evidences the antimicrobial properties of diffusible compounds from M. carneum and L. uredinophilum , but also documents the antimicrobial potential of their VOCs for the first time, supporting their use in sustainable agricultural practices, reducing reliance on chemical inputs.

Summary: Edible Mushrooms boast a diverse array of biomolecules with exceptional nutritional and bioactive benefits for humans. This study conducted metabolomic and nutritional analyses, aiming to identify potential bioactive metabolites in Tricholoma mesoamericanum from Pinus forests in Veracruz, Mexico. These mushrooms exhibited high carbohydrate and protein contents, coupled with a significant anti‐oxidant capacity. Metabolomic analysis identified 181 different compounds, with terpenoids, fatty acids, glycerophospholipids, and sphingolipids as the most enriched compound classes detected in T. mesoamericanum. Some compounds presented a positive correlation, while others demonstrated negative correlations with anti‐oxidant activity, ash, carbohydrate, fat, and protein contents. Notably, 39 of these compounds have previously demonstrated medicinal properties in other mushroom species, suggesting potential health benefits for humans. This study presents the first combined nutritional and metabolomic analysis of T. mesoamericanum, highlighting its value and underscoring the importance of sustainable management and further research to explore its bioactive potential, as unveiled in this investigation.

Transcription factors are important regulators of gene expression. They can orchestrate the activation or repression of hundreds or thousands of genes and control diverse processes in a coordinated way. This work explores the effect of a master regulator of plant development, BOLITA (BOL), in plant metabolism, with a special focus on specialized metabolism. For this, we used an Arabidopsis thaliana line in which the transcription factor activity can be induced. Fingerprinting metabolomic analyses of whole plantlets were performed at different times after induction. After 96 h, all induced replicas clustered as a single group, in contrast with all controls which did not cluster. Metabolomic analyses of shoot and root tissues enabled the putative identification of differentially accumulated metabolites in each tissue. Finally, the analysis of global gene expression in induced vs. non-induced root samples, together with enrichment analyses, allowed the identification of enriched metabolic pathways among the differentially expressed genes and accumulated metabolites after the induction. We concluded that the induction of BOL activity can modify the Arabidopsis metabolome. Future work should investigate whether its action is direct or indirect, and the implications of the metabolic changes for development regulation and bioprospection.