D-Fagomine is an iminosugar originally isolated from seeds of buckwheat (Fagopyrum sculentum Moench), present in the human diet and now available as a pure crystalline product. We tested D-fagomine for activities connected to a reduction in the risk of developing insulin resistance, becoming overweight and suffering from an excess of potentially pathogenic bacteria. The activities were: intestinal sucrase inhibition in vitro (rat mucosa and everted intestine sleeves), modulation of postprandial blood glucose in rats, bacterial agglutination and bacterial adhesion to pig intestinal mucosa. When ingested together with sucrose or starch, D-fagomine lowered blood glucose in a dose-dependent manner without stimulating insulin secretion. D-Fagomine reduced the area under the curve (0-120 min) by 20 % (P,0·01) and shifted the time to maximum blood glucose concentration (T max ) by 15 min at doses of 1 -2 mg/kg body weight when administered together with 1 g sucrose/kg body weight. Moreover, D-fagomine (0·14 mM) agglutinated 60 % of Enterobacteriaceae (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium) populations (P, 0·01), while it did not show this effect on Bifidobacterium spp. or Lactobacillus spp. At the same concentration, D-fagomine significantly (P,0·001) inhibited the adhesion of Enterobacteriaceae (95 -99 % cells in the supernatant) and promoted the adhesion of Lactobacillus acidophilus (56 % cells in the supernatant) to intestinal mucosa. D-Fagomine did not show any effect on bacterial cell viability. Based on all this evidence, D-fagomine may be used as a dietary ingredient or functional food component to reduce the health risks associated with an excessive intake of fast-digestible carbohydrates, or an excess of potentially pathogenic bacteria.Key words: Fagomine: Iminosugars: Insulin resistance: Weight management: Microbiota D-Fagomine (1,2-dideoxynojirimycin) is a six-membered ring iminocyclitol that was first isolated from seeds of buckwheat (Fagopyrum sculentum Moench, Polygonaceae) (1) and is also present in other plant sources such as mulberry (Morus Alba, Moraceae) leaves (2) and gogi (Lycium chinense) roots (3) . Iminocyclitols, also referred to as iminosugars, are carbohydrate analogues in which the endocyclic oxygen has been replaced by nitrogen (Fig. 1) and the spatial configurations of the hydroxyl groups are coincident with those of sugars (e.g. glucose, galactose, fucose and mannose).D-Fagomine was the first iminosugar found in plants and it is present in the human diet, since buckwheat flour is used in the elaboration of many traditional foods including Japanese soba noodles, French galletes de Bretagne and Italian polenta. Another common iminocyclitol is 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), which is the most abundant iminosugar found in mulberry (4) . D-Fagomine presents the molecular configuration of D-glucose and D-mannose on carbons 3, 4 and 5, while DNJ is a sugar mimetic of D-glucose. D-Fagomine and DNJ are particularly stable compounds, both chemically and metabolically (5) .DNJ...

Incorporation of living organisms, such as photosynthetic organisms, on the structure envelope has become a priority in the area of architecture and construction due to aesthetical, economic and ecological advantages. Important research efforts are made to achieve further improvements, such as for the development of cementitious materials with an enhanced bioreceptivity to stimulate biological growth. Previously, the study of the bioreceptivity of cementitious materials has been carried out mainly under laboratory conditions although field-scale experiments may present different results.\ud \ud This work aims at analysing the colonisation of cementitious materials with different levels of bioreceptivity by placing them in three different environmental conditions. Specimens did not present visual colonisation, which indicates that environmental conditions have a greater impact than intrinsic properties of the material at this stage. Therefore, it appears that in addition to an optimized bioreceptivity of the concrete (i.e., composition, porosity and roughness), extra measures are indispensable for a rapid development of biological growth on concrete surfaces. An analysis of the colonisation in terms of genus and quantity of the most representative microorganisms found on the specimens for each location was carried out and related to weather conditions, such as monthly average temperature and total precipitation, and air quality in terms of NOx, SO2, CO and O3.\ud \ud OPC-based specimens presented a higher colonisation regarding both biodiversity and quantity. However, results obtained in a previous experimental programme under laboratory conditions suggested a higher suitability of Magnesium Phosphate Cement-based (MPC-based) specimens for algal growth. Consequently, carefully considering the environment and the relationships between the different organisms present in an environment is vital for successfully using a cementitious material as a substrate for biological growth.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

The preparation of antifungal-functionalized silica nanoparticles by covalent attachment of several silylated derivatives based on the topical antifungal agent Micozanole is described. Grafting and co-condensation procedures are used to obtain mesoporous or dense nanoparticles. Cotton fabrics have been coated with these antifungal-functionalized silica nanoparticles under ultrasonic conditions. The characterization of the functionalized nanoparticles and coated cotton fabrics is performed by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The antifungal activity of all the modified cotton textiles is tested against Trichophyton mentagrophytes CECT 2783, Aspergillus brasiliensis CECT 2091, Penicillium chrysogenum CECT 2307 and Candida albicans CECT 1001, resulting to be highly dependent on the microorganism. Remarkably, all of the modified fabrics are active against Candida albicans and Trichophyton mentagrophytes, with up to 75 and 90% effectiveness, respectively. High expectations arise for topical cutaneous applications in wound dressings (bandages, gauzes, strips). Graphical abstract

Keywords: Aspergillus flavus, feed, filamentous fungi