Vicente Orellana, José Alfredo

Plants belonging to the genus Taraxacum are considered a nutritious food, being consumed raw or cooked. Additionally, these plants have long been used in folk medicine due to their choleretic, diuretic, antitumor, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and hepatoprotective properties. This genus, with its complex taxonomy, includes several species that are difficult to distinguish. Its traditional use must be related not only to T. officinale F.H. Wigg., the most studied species, but also to others. The aim of this work is to compare five different common South European species of Taraxacum (T. obovatum (Willd.) DC., T. marginellum H. Lindb., T. hispanicum H. Lindb., T. lambinonii Soest and T. lacistrum Sahlin), in order to find differences between antioxidant and cytotoxic activities among them. Dissimilarities between species in LC/MS patterns, in in vitro and intracellular antioxidant activity and also in the cytotoxicity assay were found. T. marginellum was the most efficient extract reducing intracellular ROS levels although in in vitro assays, T. obovatum was the best free radical scavenger. A relevant cytotoxic effect was found in T. lacistrum extract over HeLa and HepG2 cell lines.

Antecedentes. En un contexto marcado por el modelo de aprendizaje colaborativo y constructivista y la rápida evolución de las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones, los equipos de gobierno de las universidades deben apoyar decididamente las iniciativas del profesorado en materia de innovación docente y promover acciones de impulso complementarias. Método. Uno de los objetivos de nuestro Vicerrectorado de Profesorado e Investigación es promover la innovación docente mediante el apoyo a la elaboración de un programa formativo adecuado para el profesorado; la convocatoria de premios de innovación docente; el apoyo a la celebración anual de congresos interfacultativos y la programación de talleres internos impartidos por los propios profesores. Resultados. Tras una participación creciente en todos los ámbitos a lo largo de los últimos años, durante el curso 2019-2020 nuestros profesores (alrededor de 1000) cursaron 7958 horas de formación y presentaron 21 proyectos a la convocatoria de premios de innovación docente y 103 comunicaciones al Congreso CEU de Innovación Educativa y Docente. Además, participaron en un número muy elevado de actividades adicionales de transformación digital, una situación extraordinaria impuesta por la pandemia. Conclusiones. Los resultados obtenidos avalan la pertinencia de las iniciativas emprendidas y recomiendan su mantenimiento en el futuro.

Catalpa bignonioides Walt. (Bignoniaceae) is a species that belongs to a tropical family but has been introduced in many countries as ornamental. Although this plant is consumed by indigenous cultures of South America for medical uses, experimental studies of the biological properties of Catalpa bignonioides are lacking. The aim of this work was to study the biological activity of crude extracts from either pods, seeds or leaves of Catalpa bignonioides which were collected in Spain. Ethyl ether, butanolic and aqueous fractions of the pod extract were also prepared and studied. We have examined the antimicrobial activity against five bacteria and one yeast, the cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells and the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects in rodents. A preliminary phytochemical analysis of the extracts and fractions was also conducted. Results showed no antimicrobial or antitumoral effects, but prominent anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive actions of the extracts. These last activities may be a result of the presence of either of saponins, sterols or phenols, mainly found in the leaves and pods of the plants.