Vegetal bioproducts with antioxidant activity for prophylactic and therapeutic effect

This paper presents the extractive technological process and processing of the selective vegetal extracts from the Rosmarinus officinalis L. species in order to obtain some vegetal bioproducts with proven antioxidant activity. By combining various active fractions, new vegetal bioproducts have been obtained and have been physically and chemically characterised (infrared, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, chemiluminescence, determination of flavonoids, polyphenols, and polyphenolcarboxilic acids content) and finaly biologically tested. The antioxidant activity of Rosmarinus officinalis extracts have been evaluated by two techniques, in vitro chemiluminescence and ex vivo biological tests, both of them recommending the vegetal bioproducts for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes

Environment between pollution and therapy

Environment is a critical complex index for quality of the habitat for humans, animals and plants. Ecosystems are communities of different species of plants and animals which lives together, depending one of another, being influenced by the pollution of air, water or soil. Some plants and animals are used as natural bioindicators of environmental quality, thus in pollution situations the specific organisms cannot live in the ecosystem. Then, environment was since ancient the source of the natural therapeutics products. But in case of pollution the plants used in curing do not have the same effect, or even cannot be used as therapy due to the pollutant contains. So, the environmental quality is very important not only for the ecosystems, but also for some applications of plants in natural products therapy

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING HERBAL ANTIOXIDANTS USEFUL IN FOOD INDUSTRY

Abstrac

Biocomposite Materials Derived from <i>Andropogon halepensis</i>: Eco-Design and Biophysical Evaluation

This research work presents a “green” strategy of weed valorization for developing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with promising interesting applications. Two types of AgNPs were phyto-synthesized using an aqueous leaf extract of the weed Andropogon halepensis L. Phyto-manufacturing of AgNPs was achieved by two bio-reactions, in which the volume ratio of (phyto-extract)/(silver salt solution) was varied. The size and physical stability of Andropogon—AgNPs were evaluated by means of DLS and zeta potential measurements, respectively. The phyto-developed nanoparticles presented good free radicals-scavenging properties (investigated via a chemiluminescence technique) and also urease inhibitory activity (evaluated using the conductometric method). Andropogon—AgNPs could be promising candidates for various bio-applications, such as acting as an antioxidant coating for the development of multifunctional materials. Thus, the Andropogon-derived samples were used to treat spider silk from the spider Pholcus phalangioides, and then, the obtained “green” materials were characterized by spectral (UV-Vis absorption, FTIR ATR, and EDX) and morphological (SEM) analyses. These results could be exploited to design novel bioactive materials with applications in the biomedical field

The importance of leptin in animal science

There are two different neurons that control the energetic homeostasis in animals: appetite-stimulating and appetite-suppressing neurons. Leptin is a peptide hormone (also known as “satiety hormone”), released by adipose cells, being an anorexigenic compound which inhibit the hunger. Leptin function in animal organism is opposite by the action of ghrelin – a peptide hormone acting as an orexigenic compound that activate the hunger sensation. The quantity of leptin produced in organism is correlated by the size and the number of adipocytes, and of course by the lipid tissue mass. The action of leptin is in accordance with the neuropeptide Y that signaling the brain to increase the appetite and make the animal to eat. When the animals lose weight, the mass of adipose tissue is diminished, that has as consequence a decrease the leptin concentration in the blood. Blood leptin is correlated also with other characteristics, such as: fasting for a short term, stress, physical activity, sleep duration (prehibernation and hibernation), insulin concentration, obesity and diabetes

The Importance of Leptin in Animal Science

There are two different neurons that control the energetic homeostasis in animals: appetite-stimulating and appetite-suppressing neurons. Leptin is a peptide hormone (also known as “satiety hormone”), released by adipose cells, being an anorexigenic compound which inhibit the hunger. Leptin function in animal organism is opposite by the action of ghrelin – a peptide hormone acting as an orexigenic compound that activate the hunger sensation. The quantity of leptin produced in organism is correlated by the size and the number of adipocytes, and of course by the lipid tissue mass. The action of leptin is in accordance with the neuropeptide Y that signaling the brain to increase the appetite and make the animal to eat. When the animals lose weight, the mass of adipose tissue is diminished, that has as consequence a decrease the leptin concentration in the blood. Blood leptin is correlated also with other characteristics, such as: fasting for a short term, stress, physical activity, sleep duration (prehibernation and hibernation), insulin concentration, obesity and diabetes

PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS FROM THE ADULT MOUSE UTRICLE

Researchers discovered that cochlear epithelia in mice especially the vestibular one, contains stem cells that have the capacity to differentiate in sensorial auditory hair cell progenitors specific to the organ. They are reduced in number as the animal progresses in age. This process leads to a loss in the regenerative and proliferative potential of sensorial inner ear epithelia secondary to different injuries. Isolation, cultivation and than in vitro differentiation of vestibular stem cells could become a regenerative implant for acquired hearing loss. These were the motives that determined us to try to isolate, cultivate and finally differentiate vestibular stem cells from vestibular epithelia.Utricles from 7 days old mice NMRI were harvested, the otolites were removed, the utricles were trypsinized in order to isolate cells. Obtained cells were cultivated at 37ºC and 5% CO2 in DMEM with F12 Nutrient mixture, B27, N2 supplement. Pluripotency of obtained spheres was established with the help of stem cell markers Nanog and Oct-4. For identification of progenitor cells we used the marker, which reveals the gene which encodes the protein nestin. In all experiments we obtained floating colonies called spheres, formed by mitotic multiplying. For testing the pluripotency of spheres we used Nanog and Oct-4, two transcription factors that are expressed at high levels in stem cells and that we found to be expressed in our spheres. The presence of nestin mRNA in cells composing the spheres showed that these progressed to a progenitor cell stage.We concluded that utricular epithelia in 7 days old mice contains sufficient stem cells that can be cultivated and that can be later differentiated

Preparation and Characterization of Silica Nanoparticles and of Silica-Gentamicin Nanostructured Solution Obtained by Microwave-Assisted Synthesis

In this research work, silica nanoparticles and silica-gentamicin nanostructured solution were synthesized by using the microwave-assisted synthesis, in basic medium, using two silane precursors (tetraethylorthosilicate and octyltriethoxysilane) and the antibiotic (gentamicin sulfate). The prepared materials were characterized through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, TGA analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate the morphology and structure. Antimicrobial studies of the silica-gentamicin nanostructured solution versus silica nanoparticles were performed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. FTIR spectra showed that the gentamicin has been loaded to the silica nanoparticles. AFM analysis showed that the morphology of the silica-gentamicin nanostructured solution has changed, and agglomerations of particles are present at the surface. Antimicrobial testing, performed using the diffusion method through spot inoculation, indicates that the silica-gentamicin nanostructured solution exhibited activity against the resistant strain. The obtained silica-gentamicin solution can be used as biochemical agent for the prevention and treatment of microorganisms which are deposited on different surfaces (e.g., glass, plastic, ceramic)