Hypocholesterolemic and Hepatoprotective Effects of “Triguero” Asparagus from Andalusia in Rats Fed a High Cholesterol Diet

The cultivated species of the wild autochthonous Asparagus officinalis in Andalusia in Spain is commonly called “triguero” asparagus. This vegetable has traditionally been very much appreciated for its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. This study has been designed to evaluate the potential effect of different concentrations of freeze-dried asparagus (500, 250, and 125 mg/Kg of body weight/day) on oxidative status and lipid profile in rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet. After five weeks of treatment, doses of 250 and 500 mg/Kg of asparagus were able to significantly reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. Atherogenic index was also significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner by administrating freeze-dried asparagus. A beneficial effect was observed in the HDL cholesterol levels in asparagus-fed groups although the increase was not significant. Consumption of asparagus also improved antioxidant status, assayed superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymes, and protected against lipid peroxidation. These results show that the intake of green asparagus from Andalusia (Spain) helps to regulate plasma lipid levels and prevents oxidative damage in hypercholesterolemic conditions

Pharmacological effects of mitraphylline from Uncaria tomentosa in primary human monocytes: Skew toward M2 macrophages

© 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Ethnopharmacological relevance Uncaria tomentosa (Willdenow ex Roemer & Schultes) DC. (Rubiaceae) is a Peruvian thorny liana, commonly known as >cat's claw>, and traditionally used in folk medicine to deal with several inflammatory diseases. Mitraphylline (MTP) is the most abundant pentacyclic oxindolic alkaloid (POA) from U. Tomentosa and has been reported to modify the inflammatory response. Herein, we have sought to identify the mechanisms underlying this modulatory effect of MTP on primary human monocytes and its ability to regulate differentiation processes on human primary monocyte and monocyte-derived macrophages. Material and methods In vitro studies with human primary monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages were performed. Monocytes and M0 macrophages were exposed to MTP (25 μM) and LPS (100 ng/mL). M0 macrophages were polarized to M1 and M2 phenotypes in the absence or presence of MTP. The activation state of monocytes/macrophages was assessed by flow cytometry, gene expression and protein analysis of different specific markers. Results In human primary monocytes, the incubation of MTP for 24 h reduced the number of classical (CD14++CD16-) and intermediate (CD14++CD16+) subsets when compared to untreated or LPS-treated cells. MTP also reduced the chemotactic capacity of human primary monocytes. In addition, MTP promoted the polarization of M0 macrophages toward an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, the abrogation of the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα, IL-6 or IL-1β, as well as the restoration of markers for M2 macrophages in LPS-treated M1 macrophages. Conclusions Our results suggest that MTP may be a key modulator for regulating the plasticity of monocytes/macrophages and the attenuation of the inflammatory response.This work was supported by the University of Seville, “V Own Research Plan” contract to BB and QA. MS has the benefit of a FPI fellowship (BES-2012–056104) of MICINN.Peer Reviewe

FeCo Nanowire-Strontium Ferrite Powder Composites for Permanent Magnets with High-Energy Products

Due to the issues associated with rare-earth elements, there arises a strong need for magnets with properties between those of ferrites and rare-earth magnets that could substitute the latter in selected applications. Here, we produce a high remanent magnetization composite bonded magnet by mixing FeCo nanowire powders with hexaferrite particles. In the first step, metallic nanowires with diameters between 30 and 100 nm and length of at least 2 {\mu}m are fabricated by electrodeposition. The oriented as-synthesized nanowires show remanence ratios above 0.76 and coercivities above 199 kA/m and resist core oxidation up to 300 {\deg}C due to the existence of a > 8 nm thin oxide passivating shell. In the second step, a composite powder is fabricated by mixing the nanowires with hexaferrite particles. After the optimal nanowire diameter and composite composition are selected, a bonded magnet is produced. The resulting magnet presents a 20% increase in remanence and an enhancement of the energy product of 48% with respect to a pure hexaferrite (strontium ferrite) magnet. These results put nanowire-ferrite composites at the forefront as candidate materials for alternative magnets for substitution of rare earths in applications that operate with moderate magnet performance

Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.: a rich source of lipophilic phytochemicals

The lipophilic extracts from the storage root of 13 cultivars of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) were evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with the aim to valorize them and offer information on their nutritional properties and potential health benefits. The amount of lipophilic extractives ranged from 0.87 to 1.32% dry weight. Fatty acids and sterols were the major families of compounds identified. The most abundant saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were hexadecanoic acid (182-428 mg/kg) and octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid (133-554 mg/kg), respectively. β-Sitosterol was the principal phytosterol, representing 55.2-77.6% of this family, followed by campesterol. Long-chain aliphatic alcohols and α-tocopherol were also detected but in smaller amounts. The results suggest that sweet potato should be considered as an important dietary source of lipophilic phytochemicals.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The construction of viewpoint aspect: the imperfective revisited

This paper argues for a constructionist approach to viewpoint Aspect by exploring the idea that it does not exert any altering force on the situation-aspect properties of predicates. The proposal is developed by analyzing the syntax and semantics of the imperfective, which has been attributed a coercer role in the literature as a de-telicizer and de-stativizer in the progressive, and as a de-eventivizer in the so-called ability (or attitudinal) and habitual readings. This paper proposes a unified semantics for the imperfective, preserving the properties of eventualities throughout the derivation. The paper argues that the semantics of viewpoint aspect is encoded in a series of functional heads containing interval-ordering predicates and quantifiers. This richer structure allows us to account for a greater amount of phenomena, such as the perfective nature of the individual instantiations of the event within a habitual construction or the nonculminating reading of perfective accomplishments in Spanish. This paper hypothesizes that nonculminating accomplishments have an underlying structure corresponding to the perfective progressive. As a consequence, the progressive becomes disentangled from imperfectivity and is given a novel analysis. The proposed syntax is argued to have a corresponding explicit morphology in languages such as Spanish and a nondifferentiating one in languages such as English; however, the syntax-semantics underlying both of these languages is argued to be the same

Caracterization of the graphitiyed carbonaceous matter in the Early Silurium of the Serrazyn Syncline, Central System; construints an the Iow grade metamorphism of the area

The Iower part of the Silurian Serrazin S/ates contain an exceptional accumulation of carbonaceous matter in the Serrazín Syncline (Segovia). Low grade Hercynian metamorphism had it transformed into graphite and/oP meta antracyte. Organic matter accumulated in anoxic seafloors during the Early Silurian marine transgression, probably due to upwel/ing and phitoplancton bloom

Validation of ethnopharmacological use as anti-inflammatory of a decoction from Annona muricata leaves

© 2015, African Ethnomedicines Network. All rights reserved. Background: Through this work we evaluated the potential of the aqueous extract of Annona muricata L. leaves (AMAEL) to treat inflammatory conditions. The use of decoction or infusion of this important medicinal resource is still not scientifically validated. Methods: Different doses of AMAEL were assayed in carrageenan-induced inflammation and tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA)-induced edema in mice, myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) in inflamed tissue, MPO released by A-23187-stimulated rat neutrophils and nitric oxide released by murine macrophages. Acute oral toxicity and cell viability of murine macrophages were also tested. Results: A single dose of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg of AMAEL did not show any symptoms associated with toxicity in vivo and the viability of murine macrophages was of 100% at the assayed doses. AMAEL at 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg exerted a significant edema reduction in the carrageenan inflammation model (26.82±0.02%, p<0.05 and 52.70±0.12%, p<0.001 inhibition respectively, after the first hour). The TPAinduced topical edema model showed a significantly and dose-dependently inhibition (56% and 78% at doses of 2.5 mg/ear and 5 mg/ear, respectively). The decrease in (MPO) enzyme activity in the ear homogenates assayed at 5 mg/ear were highly significant (92.5% ± 1.83 inhibition, p<0.001) and MPO was also reduced in activated rat neutrophils at 200 μg/ml (81.98% ± 1.01 inhibition, p<0.001). AMAEL considerably decreased dose-dependently nitrite production in LPS-stimulated murine macrophages, the highest inhibition was achieved at 500 μg/ml (73.18% ± 2.36, p<001). Conclusion: this study validates the ethnomedicinal use of the decoction of Annona muricata L. leaves as anti-inflammatory agent.The authors express their sincere thanks to Dr. Lionel Germosen Robineau (Enda- Caribe, TRAMIL Projet) for providing the facilities and to A. Veloz (National Botanic Garden of Santo Domingo, Dr. Rafael Moscoso) for identification of the plant materialPeer Reviewe

U-Pb Ages of Detrital Zircons from the Permo-Triassic Series of the Iberian Ranges: A Record of Variable Provenance during Rift Propagation

The provenance of the Permo-Triassic series of the Talayuelas anticline (Iberian Ranges) have been studied using UPb geochronology (laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) of detrital zircons. These intracontinental siliciclastic series were formed by extensive sandy braided fluvial systems associated with ephemeral lake deposits and aeolian sediments, with paleocurrents suggesting constant NW-SE transport directions. Upper Permian reddish sandstones from the Upper Alcotas Formation (Lopingian) contain a dominant Variscan zircon population (290–360 Ma), which indicates source areas located in the axial zone of the Variscan belt, in the core of the Ibero- Armorican arc. However, in the Lower Triassic sandstones of the Canñizar Formation (Olenekian), the Variscan zircon population is almost completely replaced by Cadomian zircons (520–750 Ma), with important Avalonian (390–520 Ma), Mesoproterozoic (900–1750 Ma), Eburnian (1.78–2.35 Ga), and post-Eburnian and Archaean (12.4 Ga) zircon populations. This detrital zircon content now suggests source areas located more to the NW, in the Avalonian microcontinent, although a limited supply coming from the southern part of Laurentia cannot be ruled out. Finally, in the Middle Triassic (Anisian), the source areas returned to the Variscan axial zone, since the Variscan zircon population is again highly dominant during this period. The changes detected in the source areas of the Permo-Triassic series are related to the development and propagation of the Iberian rift, one of the large extensional structures that determined the generation of the sedimentary basins and finally caused the breakup of Pangea. The methodology followed in this article is very useful to understand the generation and evolution of these intracontinental basins and also the relationships between the different rift systems generated in the North Atlantic realm during the Permo- Triassic times