LOX Gene Transcript Accumulation in Olive (Olea europaea L.) Fruits at Different Stages of Maturation: Relationship between Volatile Compounds, Environmental Factors, and Technological Treatments for Oil Extraction

The quality of olive oil is influenced by genetic and environmental factors and by the maturation state of drupes, but it is equally affected by technological treatments of the process. This work investigates the possible correlation between olive LOX gene transcript accumulation, evaluated in fruits collected at different stages of maturation, and chemical biomarkers of its activity. During olive fruit ripening, the same genotype harvested from two different farms shows a positive linear trend between LOX relative transcript accumulation and the content of volatile compounds present in the olive oil aroma. Interestingly, a negative linear trend was observed between LOX relative transcript accumulation and the content of volatile compounds present in the olive pastes obtained from olive fruits with and without malaxation. The changes in the olive LOX transcript accumulation reveal its environmental regulation and suggest differential physiological functions for the LOXs

Inhibition of fluconazole in vitro antifungal activity in formulations containing propylene glycol

Inhibition action of propylene glycol (PG) on the antifungal activity of fluconazole has been investigated. PG was used as cosolvent and penetration enhancer in different solutions and topical dosage forms. The interaction was analyzed by comparing with Transcutol P® (TCL), another cosolvent and penetration enhancer. Solubility of the drug was evaluated in aqueous solutions containing PG or TCL and the crystallized drug was studied by both DSC and FTIR. Solutions of the drug in the solvents were studied by FTIR and UV spectroscopy. Antifungal activity was determined for solutions with several concentrations of PG/TCL and in dosage forms with PG 10 %. Candida albicans was used as a model fungus and a procedure with standardized inoculum concentration was used. Results showed lower antifungal activity of fluconazole solutions and topical dosage forms when propylene glycol is included. Although crystallization is faster in PG solutions, solubility proved not to be the cause, but changes in FTIR spectra suggested that different hydrogen bond formation could explain the decrease in activity.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Development and characterization of soluplus® nanomicelles associated to specific igg as an innovative strategy for the detection and neutralization of shiga toxin type 2

Shiga toxin type 2 (Stx2) is the main virulence factor of Shiga toxinproducing Escherichia coli and is responsible for triggering HemolyticUremic Syndrome (HUS). We aimed to develop and characterizepolymeric nanomicelles (PN) with the amphiphilic polymerSoluplus® coupled to anti-Stx2 IgG in order to introduce innovativeproposals for the detection of Stx2 and treatment of HUS. PN ofSoluplus® were formulated in PBS and coupled with IgG anti Stx2from hyperimmune (PN-IgG-Stx2) or control bovine colostrum (PNIgG-Ctrl). The hydrodynamic size of PN, PN-IgG-Stx2 and PN-IgGCtrlwas evaluated by Dynamic Light Scattering. Morphology of PNor PN-IgG-Stx2 was analyzed by Transmission Electron Microscopy(TEM). The PN toxicity was evaluated on both Vero and Human GlomerularEndothelial cells (HGEC) and cell viability was determinedby neutral red uptake. After coupling PN with IgG, Stx2 neutralizationcapacity of PN-IgG-Stx2 or PN-IgG-Ctrl was evaluated on Vero andHGEC cells and the percentage of cell viability was analyzed. Thehydrodynamic size of the PN of Soluplus® and IgG-Stx2 showed anaverage diameter of 70.2 ± 1.5 nm and 40.9 ± 2 nm, respectively.When both components were coupled, a single peak with a similarhydrodynamic size of the PN was observed (70.4 ± 0.2 nm). TEManalysis revealed circular particles with a diameter corresponding to100 nm either in PN and PN-IgG-Stx2 particles. PN-IgG-Stx2 wereable to neutralize Stx2 on Vero and HGEC cells in a dose dependentmanner. When comparing the neutralization capacity of Stx2 by IgGStx2vs PN-IgG-Stx2 a significant improvement in the cell viabilityof Vero and HGEC was observed with the PN-IgG-Stx2 (p<0.001).The association between anti-Stx2 IgG from bovine colostrum andSoluplus® PN was optimized and characterized. Encouraging resultsof antibody functionality coupled with PN were registered.These results may open the perspective of the design of new nanoplatformsfor neutralization and/or detection of Stx2.Fil: Girón Reyes, Claudio Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Gomez, Fernando Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Amaral, María Marta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Chiappetta, Diego Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica; ArgentinaFil: Moretton, Marcela Analía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ibarra, Cristina Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Sacerdoti, Flavia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; ArgentinaLXVI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica; LXIX Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología; LIII Reunión Anual de la Asociación Argentina de Farmacología Experimental y XI Reunión Anual de la Asociación Argentina de NanomedicinasArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Investigación ClínicaSociedad Argentina de InmunologíaAsociación Argentina de Farmacología ExperimentalAsociación Argentina de Nanomedicina

Peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] KNOPE1, a class 1 KNOX orthologue to Arabidopsis BREVIPEDICELLUS/KNAT1, is misexpressed during hyperplasia of leaf curl disease

Class 1 KNOTTED-like (KNOX) transcription factors control cell meristematic identity. An investigation was carried out to determine whether they maintain this function in peach plants and might act in leaf curliness caused by the ascomycete Taphrina deformans. KNOPE1 function was assessed by overexpression in Arabidopsis and by yeast two-hybrid assays with Arabidopsis BELL proteins. Subsequently, KNOPE1 mRNA and zeatin localization was monitored during leaf curl disease. KNOPE1 and Arabidopsis BREVIPEDICELLUS (BP) proteins fell into the same phyletic group and recognized the same BELL factors. 35S:KNOPE1 Arabidopsis lines exhibited altered traits resembling those of BP-overexpressing lines. In peach shoot apical meristem, KNOPE1 was expressed in the peripheral and central zones but not in leaf primordia, identically to the BP expression pattern. These results strongly suggest that KNOPE1 must be down-regulated for leaf initiation and that it can control cell meristem identity equally as well as all class 1 KNOX genes. Leaves attacked by T. deformans share histological alterations with class 1 KNOX-overexpressing leaves, including cell proliferation and loss of cell differentiation. Both KNOPE1 and a cytokinin synthesis ISOPENTENYLTRANSFERASE gene were found to be up-regulated in infected curled leaves. At early disease stages, KNOPE1 was uniquely triggered in the palisade cells interacting with subepidermal mycelium, while zeatin vascular localization was unaltered compared with healthy leaves. Subsequently, when mycelium colonization and asci development occurred, both KNOPE1 and zeatin signals were scattered in sectors of cell disorders. These results suggest that KNOPE1 misexpression and de novo zeatin synthesis of host origin might participate in hyperplasia of leaf curl disease