Seminar “Present and future of pyrethroid compounds”

Next 12/04/2024, at 11:30 am, a research conference entitled “Present and future of pyrethroid compounds” will take place in the auditorium of the Institute of Bioengineering, located in the Vinalopó building of the Elche campus, within the program of seminars of the Master in Biotechnology and Bioengineering and the Doctoral Program in Bioengineering. The conference will be given by Dr. María Aránzazu Martínez Caballero (University Professor) of the Complutense University of Madrid, and is organized by Prof. Javier Esteban Mozo, researcher at the Institute of Bioengineering of the UMH.

Brief description of the talk

“Pyrethroids are synthetic derivatives, analogous to natural products called pyrethrins, which exhibit potent insecticidal activity, low mammalian toxicity and short persistence of their residues and are also photostable. The symptoms/signs of acute intoxication induced by pyrethroids in mammals has led to the classification of these insecticides into two classes whose chemical modifications have given rise to Type I or non-cyano pyrethroids causing T-syndrome (“tremor”) and Type II or alpha-cyano called -CS- syndrome (“choreoathetosis and salivation”). Pyrethroids are one of the most widely used insecticides, accounting for approximately 30% of the world market, and their use is increasing after the banning of other insecticides. They are of interest because of their potential presence as residues in the food chain and in the environment, as well as their implications for animal and public health. Chronic exposure to pyrethroids is linked to adverse health effects and their exposure to an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases is now beginning to be questioned.”

Awards and recognitions

Prof. María Aránzazu Martínez Caballero, holds a PhD in Pharmacy from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and is currently Professor of Toxicology since 2022 at the same university. She teaches in the Veterinary, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Food Science and Technology and in the Double Degree of Pharmacy and Human Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as in the Masters of Human Nutrition and Applied Dietetics, Neurosciences and Food Industry of the UCM. She focuses her research in the field of Toxicology and Safety of Chemical and Biological Agents. He has supervised 12 doctoral theses and his scientific career includes more than 90 papers published in prestigious and high impact research journals. She has been a member of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN) and Secretary General and Member of the Board of the Spanish Association of Toxicology (AETOX) and is a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) since 2022. She is a member of the editorial boards of reputable journals such as Toxicology Mechanism and Methods, Toxicology Report and Frontiers in Veterinary Science (Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology).

She has participated in more than 25 Competitive Projects, being Principal Investigator in 2 of them. He leads the Research Group “Toxicology and Safety of Chemical and Biological Agents”, evaluated by the State Research Agency (AEI) in 2022 as “excellent”. The Research Group has collaborated with numerous International Research Groups and currently the Group is developing with the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Huazhong Agriculture University, Wuhan (Hubei), China, a project on “The mechanism of PGC-1alpha in the neurotoxicity of T-2 toxin through the blood-brain barrier and the excavation of small molecule agonist”. The TOXIAQBI Group is also recognized as a Transversal Group of the Research Institute of the Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12 Institute) since 2019.