Fortín Boquerón: a conflict landscape past and present

Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 2011

Growing evidence from a variety of experimental models shows that boron is a bioactive and beneficial (perhaps essential) element for humans. Reported beneficial actions of boron include arthritis alleviation or risk reduction, bone growth and maintenance, central nervous system function, cancer risk reduction, hormone facilitation, and immune response, inflammation, and oxidative stress modulation. The diverse effects of boron indicate that it influences the formation and/or activity of an entity that is involved in many biochemical processes. Formation of boroesters with the ribose moiety of compounds involved in numerous reactions, such as S-adenosylmethionine and oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) might be the reason for boron bioactivity. Both animal and human data suggest that boron intakes should be >1.0 mg/d. Many people consume less than this amount. Thus, a low boron intake should be considered a health concern, which can be prevented by diets rich in fru...

Boron containing metabolites are found in plants, algae and microorganisms. Boron forms complexes with fatty acids, such as borophycin, aplasmomycin, and tartrolon, and their derivatives. All these metabolites are polyketide antibiotics and are of great interest for medicine, and the pharmaceutical industry. In this paper, using the PASS computer program, we computed new biological activities for boron compounds. The results obtained show that fifty biologically active boron compounds show anti-cancer, antibacterial, and antifungal activity, with a confidence of 50 to 90 percent.

Medicinal Research Reviews, 2003

Boronic acid compounds have been used, because of their unique structural features, for the development of potent enzyme inhibitors, boron neutron capture agents for cancer therapy, and as antibody mimics that recognize biologically important saccharides. Consequently, there has been a surge of interests in boronic acid compounds. This study reviews the recent development in this area during the last six years. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 23, No. 3, 346–368, 2003

Archives of Toxicology

Romanian Journal of Morphology and Embryology

Research on the use of boron (B) in the field of oral health has gained momentum in recent years, with various studies on the possibilities of using various B-containing compounds (BCCs). A multitude of applications have been discovered, from cariostatic activity to anti-inflammatory and antifungal activity, paving the way for other new research directions. B is a microelement that is commonly found in the human diet, and present throughout the body, with the highest concentration in the structure of bones, teeth, and gastrointestinal mucus gel layer. Multiple studies have demonstrated that B plays some important roles, especially in bone development and recently has been proposed to have an essential role in the healthy symbiosis. In addition, B has also attracted the interest of researchers, as various studies used BCCs in conventional or modern biomaterials. In this review, we have brought together the information we have found about B updates in the dental field and analyzing its future perspectives and potential for further studies.

Future Medicinal Chemistry, 2013

Advances in the field of boron chemistry have expanded the application of boron from material use to medicine. Boron-based drugs represent a new class of molecules that possess several biomedical applications including use as imaging agents for both optical and nuclear imaging as well as therapeutic agents with anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and other disease-specific activities. For example, bortezomib (Velcade®), the only drug in clinical use with boron as an active element, was approved in 2003 as a proteasome inhibitor for the treatment of multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Several other boron-based compounds are in various phases of clinical trials, which illustrates the promise of this approach for medicinal chemists working in the area of boron chemistry. It is expected that in the near future, several boron-containing drugs should become available in the market with better efficacy and potency than existing drugs. This article discusses the curren...

Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 1998

Boron is ubiquitously present in soils and water. Associated with pectin it is essenti al for vascular plants as a component 6f cell walls, and it stabilises cell membranes. It is required for the growth of pollen tubes and is involved in membrane transport, stimulating H+-pumping ATPase activity and K+ uptake. However, a high boron concentration in the soil s is toxic to plants and some boronated derivati ves are used as herbicides. An absolute requirement for boron has not been definiti vely demonstrated in animals and humans. However, experiments with boron supplementation or deprivation show that boron is involved in calcium and bone metabolism, and its effects are more marked when other nutrients (cholecalciferol, magnesium) are deficient. Boron supplementation increases the serum concentration of 17 ~-estradiol and testosterone but boron excess has toxic effects on reproductive function. Boron may be involved in cerebral function via its effects on the transport across membranes. It affects the synthesis of the extracellular matrix and is beneficial in wound healing. Usual dietary boron consumption in humans is J-2 mg/day for adults. As boron has been shown to have biological activity, research into the chemistry of boronated compouds has increased. Boronated compounds have been shown to be potent anti-osteoporotic, anti-i nflammatory, hypolipemic, anti-coagulant and anti-neoplasic agents both in vitro and in vivo in animals.

Integrative medicine, 2015

The trace mineral boron is a micronutrient with diverse and vitally important roles in metabolism that render it necessary for plant, animal, and human health, and as recent research suggests, possibly for the evolution of life on Earth. As the current article shows, boron has been proven to be an important trace mineral because it (1) is essential for the growth and maintenance of bone; (2) greatly improves wound healing; (3) beneficially impacts the body's use of estrogen, testosterone, and vitamin D; (4) boosts magnesium absorption; (5) reduces levels of inflammatory biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α); (6) raises levels of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase; (7) protects against pesticide-induced oxidative stress and heavy-metal toxicity; (8) improves the brains electrical activity, cognitive performance, and short-term memory for elders; (9) influences...

Journal of Elementology, 2012

Boron is a mineral used for various purposes in glass, ceramics, automotive and paint industries. Recently, boron has been confirmed to be an essential element for plants, animals and humans, although the knowledge of its biological effects is rather scanty. Boron is a dynamic trace element, and inorganic borates are transformed into boric acids and absorbed from mucosal surfaces, even when they are in low levels of physiological pH. It has been determined that boron affects many enzymes, bone development, mineralization, Ca, P, Mg and energy metabolism. Boron mineral compounds can be effective in optimizing the performance of an organism, treatment of bone structure disorders, reduction of cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Beside the effects it produces specifically on fat and lipid metabolisms, boron can influence the activity of vitamin D and affect some disorders connected with its deficiency. Although several studies on effects of boron on some mechanisms have been conducted over the last ten years, the available information remains insufficient.