Composición química, estabilidad oxidativa y propiedades sensoriales de las mezclas de aceites de semillas de Boerhavia elegana Choisy (alhydwan)/aceite de maní

This study investigated the effects of blending alhydwan seed oil and peanut oil as a way of enhancing the stability and chemical characteristics of plant seed oils and to discover more innovative foods of high nutraceutical value which can be used in other food production systems. Alhydwan seed oil and peanut oil blended at proportions of 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60 and 50:50 (v/v) were evaluated according to their physi­cochemical properties, including refractive index, relative density, saponification value, peroxide value, iodine value, free fatty acids, oxidative stability index, and tocopherol contents using various standard and published methods. At room temperature, all of the oil blends were in the liquid state. The physicochemical profiles of the blended oils showed significant decreases (p < 0.05) in peroxide value (6.97–6.02 meq O2/kg oil), refractive index at 25 °C (1.462–1.446), free fatty acids (2.29–1.71%), and saponification value (186.44–183.77 mg KOH/g), and increases in iodine value and relative density at 25 °C (98.10–102.89 and 0.89–0.91, respectively), especially with an analhydwan seed oil to peanut oil ratio of 10:90. Among the fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acids were most abundant in the 50:50 and 10:90 alhydwan seed oil to peanut oil blends, respectively. Oxidative stability increased as the proportion of alhydwan oil increased. In terms of tocopherol contents (γ, δ, and α), γ-tocopherol had the highest values across all of the blended proportions, followed by δ-tocopherol. The overall acceptability was good for all blends. The incorporation of alhydwan seed oil into peanut oil resulted in inexpensive, high-quality blended oil that may be useful in health food products and pharmaceuticals without compromising sensory characteristics.Este estudio investigó los efectos de mezclar aceites de semillas de alhidwan y aceites de maní como una forma de mejorar la estabilidad y las características químicas de los aceites de semillas de plantas y descubrir alimentos más innovadores de alto valor nutracéutico que pueden usarse en otros sistemas de producción de alimentos. El aceite de semilla de Alhydwan y el aceite de maní se mezclaron en proporciones: 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60 y 50:50 (v/v), respectivamente, y se evaluaron sus propiedades fisicoquímicas, incluido el índice de refracción, densidad, índice de saponificación, índice de peróxido, índice de yodo, ácidos grasos libres, estabilidad oxidativa y contenido de tocoferoles, utilizando métodos estandarizados publicados. A temperatura ambiente, todas las mezclas de aceite estaban en estado líquido. Los perfiles fisicoquímicos de los aceites mezclados mostraron disminuciones significativas (p < 0.05) en el valor de peróxido (6,97–6,02 meqO2/kg de aceite), índice de refracción a 25 °C (1,462–1,446), ácidos grasos libres (2,29–1,71%) e índice de saponificación (186,44–183,77 mg KOH/g), y aumentos en el índice de yodo y la densi­dad relativa a 25 °C (98,10–102,89 y 0,89–0,91, respectivamente), especialmente en una relación de aceite de semilla de analhidwan a aceite de maní de 10:90. Entre los ácidos grasos, los ácidos oleico y linoleico fueron los más abundantes en las mezclas de aceite de semilla de alhydwan/aceite de maní 50:50 y 10:90, respectivamente. La estabilidad oxidativa aumentó a medida que aumentó la proporción de aceite de alhidwan. En términos de contenido de tocoferoles (γ, δ y α), el γ-tocoferol tuvo los valores más altos en todas las proporciones de las mezclas, seguido por el δ-tocoferol. La aceptabilidad general fue buena para todas las mezclas. La incorpora­ción del aceite de semilla de alhydwan al aceite de maní da como resultado mezclas económicas y de alta cali­dad que pueden ser útiles en productos alimenticios saludables y productos farmacéuticos sin comprometer las características sensoriales

Vitamins E and C ameliorate the oxidative stresses induced by zinc oxide nanoparticles on liver and gills of Oreochromis niloticus

The current study evaluated the hazards of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on Nile Tilapia liver and gill antioxidants enzymes activities and antioxidants genes expressions. The ameliorative action of vitamins E and C mixture was investigated. Two hundred males of Nile Tilapia were exposed to one and two mg L−1 of ZnONPs either with or without vitamin C and E mixture for 7 and 15 days. Glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities and gene expression as well glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxide (LPO) levels were investigated. The results revealed that the exposure to ZnONPs could induce alterations in the liver and gills antioxidants and LPO of Nile Tilapia. Moreover, the mixture of vitamin E and C highly effective in alleviation the toxic effect of ZnONPs. Keywords: Zinc oxide nanoparticles toxicity, Oreochromis nilotica, Antioxidant enzymes, Gene expressio

Functional Anatomy of the Fiddler Crab Compound Eye ( Uca vomeris : Ocypodidae, Brachyura, Decapoda)

We describe the structural organization of the ommatidium in the compound eye of the fiddler crab, Uca vomeris, at both the light- and the electron-microscopy levels. We pay particular attention to the organization of the optical system, the retinular cells, the rhabdom, and of pigment cells. Although the fiddler crab compound eye is of the apposition type, typical for Brachyuran crabs, we identify a number of novel, functionally relevant aspects of ommatidial organization that have not previously been described. The flat corneal facet lenses provide the main focusing power and therefore must contain a gradient of refractive index. Each ommatidium has the typical set of eight retinular cells, with a distal retinular cell R8 lying close to the proximal tip of the crystalline cone. R8 is shaped into four lobes, which are separated by proximal extensions of the four crystalline cone cells and of distal extensions of retinular cells R1-R7. The microvilli in the R8 rhabdom are not aligned in a uniform direction, while the microvilli of the main rhabdom show the typical crustacean pattern of alternating bands of horizontally (R3, R4, R7) and vertically aligned microvilli (R1, R2, R5, R6). We describe in detail the distribution and structural properties of screening pigment granules in the two types of pigment cells and in the retinular cells in the equatorial eye. We discuss the functional significance of this fine-structural organization of the fiddler crab compound eye in relation to visual processing and visual ecology. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:1264-1283, 2014

Antidiabetic Activity of Zinc Oxide and Silver Nanoparticles on Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

The use of nanoparticles in medicine is an attractive proposition. In the present study, zinc oxide and silver nanoparticles were evaluated for their antidiabetic activity. Fifty male albino rats with weight 120 ± 20 and age 6 months were used. Animals were grouped as follows: control; did not receive any type of treatment, diabetic; received a single intraperitoneal dose of streptozotocin (100 mg/kg), diabetic + zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs), received single daily oral dose of 10 mg/kg ZnONPs in suspension, diabetic + silver nanoparticles (SNPs); received a single daily oral dose of SNP of 10 mg/kg in suspension and diabetic + insulin; received a single subcutaneous dose of 0.6 units/50 g body weight. Zinc oxide and silver nanoparticles induce a significant reduced blood glucose, higher serum insulin, higher glucokinase activity higher expression level of insulin, insulin receptor, GLUT-2 and glucokinase genes in diabetic rats treated with zinc oxide, silver nanoparticles and insulin. In conclusion, zinc oxide and sliver nanoparticles act as potent antidiabetic agents