Effect of Dietary Components on Larval Life History Characteristics in the Medfly (Ceratitis capitata: Diptera, Tephritidae)

Background: The ability to respond to heterogenous nutritional resources is an important factor in the adaptive radiation of insects such as the highly polyphagous Medfly. Here we examined the breadth of the Medfly’s capacity to respond to different developmental conditions, by experimentally altering diet components as a proxy for host quality and novelty. Methodology/Principal Findings: We tested responses of larval life history to diets containing protein and carbohydrate components found in and outside the natural host range of this species. A 40% reduction in the quantity of protein caused a significant increase in egg to adult mortality by 26.5%±6% in comparison to the standard baseline diet. Proteins and carbohydrates had differential effects on larval versus pupal development and survival. Addition of a novel protein source, casein (i.e. milk protein), to the diet increased larval mortality by 19.4%±3% and also lengthened the duration of larval development by 1.93±0.5 days in comparison to the standard diet. Alteration of dietary carbohydrate, by replacing the baseline starch with simple sugars, increased mortality specifically within the pupal stage (by 28.2%±8% and 26.2%±9% for glucose and maltose diets, respectively). Development in the presence of the novel carbohydrate lactose (milk sugar) was successful, though on this diet there was a decrease of 29.8±1.6 µg in mean pupal weight in comparison to pupae reared on the baseline diet. Conclusions: The results confirm that laboratory reared Medfly retain the ability to survive development through a wide range of fluctuations in the nutritional environment. We highlight new facets of the responses of different stages of holometabolous life histories to key dietary components. The results are relevant to colonisation scenarios and key to the biology of this highly invasive species

Promising self-emulsifying drug delivery system loaded with lycopene from red guava (Psidium guajava L.): in vivo toxicity, biodistribution and cytotoxicity on DU-145 prostate cancer cells

Background Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDSs) have attracted attention because of their effects on solubility and bioavailability of lipophilic compounds. Herein, a SEDDS loaded with lycopene purified from red guava (nanoLPG) was produced. The nanoemulsion was characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential measurement, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), lycopene content quantification, radical scavenging activity and colloidal stability in cell culture medium. Then, in vivo toxicity and tissue distribution in orally treated mice and cytotoxicity on human prostate carcinoma cells (DU-145) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were evaluated. Results NanoLPG exhibited physicochemical properties with a size around 200 nm, negative zeta-potential, and spherical morphology. The size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential parameters suffered insignificant alterations during the 12 month storage at 5 °C, which were associated with lycopene stability at 5 °C for 10 months. The nanoemulsion showed partial aggregation in cell culture medium at 37 °C after 24 h. NanoLPG at 0.10 mg/mL exhibited radical scavenging activity equivalent to 0.043 ± 0.002 mg Trolox/mL. The in vivo studies did not reveal any significant changes in clinical, behavioral, hematological, biochemical, and histopathological parameters in mice orally treated with nanoLPG at 10 mg/kg for 28 days. In addition, nanoLPG successfully delivered lycopene to the liver, kidney and prostate in mice, improved its cytotoxicity against DU-145 prostate cancer cells—probably by pathway independent on classical necrosis and apoptosis—and did not affect PBMC viability. Conclusions Thus, nanoLPG stands as a promising and biosafe lycopene delivery system for further development of nanotechnology-based health products

Mechanistic insights into the leishmanicidal and bactericidal activities of Batroxicidin, a Cathelicidin-related peptide from a South American viper (Bothrops atrox)

Copyright © 2021 American Chemical Society and American Society of PharmacognosySnake venoms are important sources of bioactive molecules, including those with antiparasitic activity. Cathelicidins form a class of such molecules, which are produced by a variety of organisms. Batroxicidin (BatxC) is a cathelicidin found in the venom of the common lancehead (Bothrops atrox). In the present work, BatxC and two synthetic analogues, BatxC(C-2.15Phe) and BatxC(C-2.14Phe)des-Phe1, were assessed for their microbicidal activity. All three peptides showed a broad-spectrum activity on Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, as well as promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. Circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data indicated that the three peptides changed their structure upon interaction with membranes. Biomimetic membrane model studies demonstrated that the peptides exert a permeabilization effect in prokaryotic membranes, leading to cell morphology distortion, which was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The molecules considered in this work exhibited bactericidal and leishmanicidal activity at low concentrations, with the AFM data suggesting membrane pore formation as their mechanism of action. These peptides stand as valuable prototype drugs to be further investigated and eventually used to treat bacterial and protozoal infections.This work was supported by Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal (FAPDF, Brazil, concession number 00193.00001937/2018-83). A.D. thanks the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for the financial support (142099/2018-9). This work was supported by FCT (PTDC/BII-BIO/31158/2017). A.P. is a recipient of a postdoctoral grant from the same project. A.C.M. and J.M. are grateful to Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, grant numbers 2016/22488-3 and 2019/25905-2; 2018/24077-6), Brazil. C.P.A. acknowledges FCT-MCTES fellowship PD/BD/136860/2018. We also acknowledge Project Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000012 [Structured program on bioengineered therapies for infectious diseases and tissue regeneration, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)]. Bioprospectrum, Lda (UPTEC, Porto, Portugal) is acknowledged for the project management and logistical support in receiving the sample in Portugal. The authors thank Wanessa Feliz Cabral (NuPMIA/UnB/Brazil) for their technical support in the RP-HPLC analyses that make up the Supporting Information of this article. A.C.M and J.M are grateful to Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP grant numbers 2016/22488-3 and 2019/25905-2; 2018/24077-6) and HC-FMUSP, Brazil.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Desenvolvimento e reprodução da mosca-do-mediterrâneo em caquizeiro, macieira, pessegueiro e videira

O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever o desenvolvimento e reprodução de Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) em frutos de caqui 'Fuyu', maçã 'Gala', pêssego 'Maciel' e uva 'Itália'. Foram feitas avaliações quanto a: duração e viabilidade do ovo, duração do estágio larval, peso de pupa, duração e viabilidade da pupa, duração do período ovo-adulto, razão sexual, período de pré-oviposição e oviposição, fecundidade diária e total e longevidade de machos e fêmeas. A maior duração do período ovo-adulto ocorreu em maçã, em consequência do aumento do estágio larval, seguido por uva, caqui e pêssego. Larvas que se alimentaram de pêssego apresentaram maior peso médio de pupa. A maior viabilidade pupal foi registrada em pêssego, equivalente à de uva e caqui. O período de pré-oviposição foi maior para fêmeas provenientes de maçã e uva. Fêmeas provenientes de pêssego apresentaram período de oviposição mais longo, além de maior fecundidade média diária e fecundidade total. A longevidade de adultos foi superior em insetos criados em pêssego. Frutos de pessegueiro são mais adequados para o desenvolvimento de C. capitata, em comparação aos de caqui, maçã e uva