Liquid culture production of microsclerotia and submerged conidia by Trichoderma harzianum active against damping-off disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani.

Media and culturing protocols were identified that supported the formation of submerged conidia and microsclerotia (MS) by Trichoderma harzianum Rifai strain T-22 using liquid culture fermentation. Liquid media with a higher carbon concentration (36 g L -1) promoted MS formation at all C:N ratios tested. Hyphae aggregated to form MS after 2 d growth and after 7 d MS were fully melanized. This is the first report of MS formation by T. harzianum or any species of Trichoderma. Furthermore, submerged conidia formation was induced by liquid culture media, but yields, desiccation tolerance, and storage stability varied with C:N ratio and carbon rate. Air-dried MS granules (<4 % moisture) retained excellent shelf life under cool and unrefrigerated storage conditions with no loss in conidial production. A low-cost complex nitrogen source based on cottonseed flour effectively supported high MS yields. Amending potting mix with dried MS formulations reduced or eliminated damping-off of melon seedlings caused by Rhizoctonia solani. Together, the results provide insights into the liquid culture production, stabilization process, and bioefficacy of the hitherto unreported MS of T. harzianum as a potential biofungicide for use in integrated management programs against soilborne diseases

Enhanced Urinary Angiotensinogen Excretion in Cyp1a1-Ren2 Transgenic Rats With Inducible ANG II-Dependent Malignant Hypertension

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that the urinary excretion of angiotensinogen is significantly increased in ANG II-infused hypertensive rats, which is associated with an augmentation of intrarenal ANG II levels. These findings suggest that urinary angiotensinogen excretion rates provide an index of intrarenal ANG II levels in ANG II-dependent hypertensive states. However, little information is available regarding the urinary excretion of angiotensinogen in ANG II-dependent malignant hypertension. METHODS: The present study was performed to determine if urinary angiotensinogen excretion is increased in Cyp1a1-Ren2 transgenic rats [strain name: TGR(Cyp1aRen2)] with inducible ANG II-dependent malignant hypertension. Adult male Cyp1a1-Ren2 rats (n=6) were fed a normal diet containing 0.3% indole-3-carbinol (I3C) for 10 days to induce ANG II-dependent malignant hypertension. RESULTS: Rats induced with I3C exhibited pronounced increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (208±7 vs. 127±3 mmHg, P<0.001), marked proteinuria (29.4±3.6 vs. 5.9±0.3 mg/day, P<0.001), and augmented urinary angiotensinogen excretion (996±186 vs. 241±31 ng/day, P<0.01). Chronic administration of the AT(1) receptor antagonist, candesartan (25 mg/L in drinking water, n=6), prevented the I3C-induced increases in SBP (125±5, P<0.001), proteinuria (7.3±1.0 mg/day, p<0.001) and urinary angiotensinogen excretion (488±51 ng/day, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that the urinary excretion of angiotensinogen is markedly augmented in ANG II-dependent malignant hypertension. Such increased urinary angiotensinogen excretion may contribute to augmented intrarenal ANG II levels and, thereby, to the increased blood pressure in Cyp1a1-Ren2 transgenic rats with inducible ANG II-dependent malignant hypertension

Virulência de fungos entomopatogênicos a ninfas de Bemisia tabaci biótipo B (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).

Neste trabalho, avaliou-se a virulência de 14 isolados dos fungos Beauveria bassiana senso latu, Isaria fumosorosea e Lecanicillium spp. sobre ninfas de segundo ínstar de Bemisia tabaci biótipo B em folhas de feijoeiro (cv. Pérola) sob condições de laboratório (26°C, UR>80%, 14 h luz) e, em seguida, determinou-se a capacidade desses isolados em produzir inóculo sobre cadáveres do inseto

Physicochemical Characterization And Antioxidant Capacity Of Pitanga Fruits (eugenia Uniflora L.) [caracterização Fisico-química E Capacidade Antioxidante De Pitangas (eugenia Uniflora L.)]

This study was carried out to obtain more information about the physicochemical properties, composition, and antioxidant activity of pitanga fruits (Eugenia uniflora L.), particularly fruits from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Pitanga with different flesh colors (purple, red, and orange) from tree selections cultivated at Embrapa Clima Temperado (RS-Brazil) were analyzed. Only slight differences were observed in the quality parameters and in the proximate and fatty acid compositions among the fruits studied. The extracts from purple-fleshed pitanga had the highest total phenolic and anthocyanin contents along with the highest antioxidant capacity. The antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP assays) of methanolic pitanga extracts was highly correlated with the total phenolic content, but in ethanolic extracts, the anthocyanin content was correlated only with the FRAP antioxidant capacity. Orange fleshed pitanga had higher β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene levels than those of the red fruit, which had higher lycopene content. The results indicate that the purple-fleshed pitanga, cultivated in Rio Grande do Sul, is a rich source of phenolic compounds and has high antioxidant capacity. The red and orange-fleshed pitanga, on the other hand, are rich sources of carotenoids.311147154Abidille, M.D.H., Antioxidant activity of the extracts from Dillenia indica fruits (2005) Food Chemistry, 90 (4), pp. 891-896Adebajo, A.C., Oloki, K.J., Aladesanmi, A., Antimicrobial activity of the leaf extract of Eugenia uniflora (1989) Journal of Phytotherapy Resource, 3 (6), pp. 258-259Aherne, S.A., O'Brien, N.M., Dietary flavonols: Chemistry, food content, and metabolism (2002) Nutrition, 18 (1), pp. 75-81(1995) Official methods of analysis of the Association of the Official Analytical Chemists, , ASSOCIATION OF OFFICIAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTS-AOAC, 16th ed. Arlington, Virginia: AOACAzevedo-Meleiro, C.H., Rodriguez-Amaya, D.B., Confirmation of the identity of the carotenoids of tropical fruits by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS (2004) Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 17 (3-4), pp. 385-396Bagetti, M., Antioxidant capacity and composition of pitanga seeds (2009) Ciência Rural, 39 (8), pp. 204-2510Beekwilder, J., Antioxidant in raspberry: On-line analysis links antioxidant activity to a diversity of individual metabolites (2005) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53 (9), pp. 3313-3320Benzie, F.F.I., Strain, J.J., The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) as a measure of "antioxidant power": The FRAP assay (1996) Analytical Biochemistry, 239 (1), pp. 70-76Bligh, E.G., Dyer, W.J., A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification (1959) Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology, 37 (8), pp. 911-917Block, G., Patterson, B., Subar, A., Fruits, vegetables and cancer prevention: A review of the epidemiological evidence (1992) Nutrition and Cancer, 18 (1), pp. 1-29Bors, W., Flavonoids as antioxidants: Determination of radical scavenging efficiencies (1990) Methods in Enzymology, 186, pp. 343-355Brand-Williams, W., Cuvelier, M.E., Berset, C., Use of a free radical method to evaluated antioxidant activity (1995) Lebensmittel-Wissenschaft und-Technologie, 28 (1), pp. 25-30Regulamento técnico geral para fixação dos padrões de identidade e qualidade para polpa de fruta (2000) Diário Oficial da República Federativa do Brasil, p. 54. , http://extranet.agricultura.gov.br/sislegisconsulta/consultarLegislacao. do?operacao=visualizar&id=7777, BRASIL. Instrução Normativa, no 1, de 7 de janeiro de 2000, Brasília, DF, 10 jan, Seção 1, Disponível em:, Acesso em: 18 dez. 2008Cavalcante, M.L., Rodriguez-Amaya, D.B., Carotenoid composition of the tropical fruits Eugenia uniflora and Malpighia glabra (1992) Food Science and Human Nutrition, pp. 643-650. , In: CHARALAMBOUS, G. (Ed.), Amsterdam: Elsevier Science PublishersClinton, S.K., Lycopene: Chemistry, biology, and implications for human health and disease (1998) Nutrition Reviews, 56 (2), pp. 35-51Consolini, A.E., Sarubbio, M., Pharmacological effects of Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae) aqueous extract on rat's heart (2002) Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 81 (1), pp. 57-63di Mascio, P., Kaiser, S., Sies, H., Lycopene as the most efficient biological carotenoid singlet oxygen quencher (1989) Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 274 (2), pp. 532-538Dillard, C.J., German, J.B., Phytochemicals: Neutraceuticals and human health (2000) Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 80 (12), pp. 1744-1756Diplock, A.T., Functional food sciences and defense against reactive oxidative species (1998) British Journal of Nutrition, 80 (1), pp. 77-112Escarpa, A., Gonzalez, M.C., Approach to the content of total extractable phenolic compounds from different food samples by comparison of chromatographic and spectrophotometric methods (2001) Analytica Chimica Acta, 427 (1), pp. 119-127Gemtchüjnicov, I.D., (1976) Manual de taxonomia vegetal: Plantas de interesse econômico, agrícola, ornamentais e medicinais, p. 368. , São Paulo: CeresGenovese, M.I., Bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of exotic fruits commercial frozen pulps from Brazil (2008) Food Science and Technology International, 4 (3), pp. 207-214Hartman, L., Lago, B.C., A rapid preparation of fatty methyl esters from lipids (1973) Laboratory Practice, 22 (6), pp. 475-477Hassimotto, N.M.A., Genovese, M.I., Lajolo, F.M., Antioxidant activity of dietary fruits, vegetables, and commercial frozen fruit pulps (2005) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53 (8), pp. 2928-2935Kaur, C., Kapoor, H., Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables-the millennium's health (2001) International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 36 (7), pp. 703-725Kimura, M., Rodriguez-Amaya, D.B., Yokoyama, S.M., Cultivar differences and geographic effects on the carotenoid composition and vitamin A value of papaya (1991) Lebensmittel-Wissenschaft und-Technologie, 24 (5), pp. 415-418Krinsky, N.I., Johnson, E.J., Carotenoid actions and their relation to health and disease (2005) Molecular Aspects of Medicine, 26 (6), pp. 459-516Kris-Etherton, P.M., Bioactive compounds in foods: Their role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer (2002) American Journal of Medicine, 113 (9), pp. 71-88Kuskoski, M.E., Frutas tropicais silvestres e polpas de frutas congeladas: Atividade antioxidante, polifenóis e antocianinas (2006) Ciência Rural, 36 (4), pp. 1283-1287Lees, D.H., Francis, F.J., Standardization of pigment analyses in cranberries (1972) Hortscience, 7 (1), pp. 83-84Lima, V.L.A.G., Mélo, E.A., Lima, D.E.S., Fenólicos e carotenóides totais em pitanga (2002) Scientia Agricola, 59 (3), pp. 447-450Niizu, P.Y., Rodriguez-Amaya, D.B., A melancia como fonte de licopeno (2003) Revista do Instituto Adolfo Lutz, 62 (3), pp. 195-199Oliveira, A.L., Volatile compounds from pitanga fruit (Eugenia uniflora L.) (2006) Food Chemistry, 99 (1), pp. 1-5Padula, M., Rodriguez-Amaya, D.B., Characterization of the carotenoids and assessment of the vitamin A value of Brazilian guavas (Psidium guajava L.) (1986) Food Chemistry, 20 (1), pp. 11-19Pellegrini, N., Evaluation of antioxidant capacity of some fruit and vegetable foods: Efficiency of extraction of a sequence of solvents (2007) Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 87 (1), pp. 103-111Pietta, P.G., Flavonoids as antioxidants (2000) Journal of Natural Products, 63 (7), pp. 1035-1042Pinto, M.S., Lajolo, F.M., Genovese, M.I., Bioactive compounds and quantification of total ellagic acid in strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) (2007) Food Chemistry, 107 (4), pp. 1629-1635Porcu, O.M., Rodriguez-Amaya, D.B., Variation in the carotenoid composition of the lycopene-rich Brazilian fruit Eugenia uniflora L (2008) Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 63 (4), pp. 195-199Prior, R.L., Cao, G., Antioxidant phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables: Diet and health implications (2000) Horticulture Science, 35 (4), pp. 588-592Rahman, I., Adcock, I.M., Oxidative stress and redox regulation of lung inflammation in COPD (2006) European Respiratory Journal, 28 (1), pp. 219-242Reynerston, K.A., Quantitative analysis of antiradical phenolic constituents from fourteen edible Myrtaceae fruits (2008) Food Chemistry, 109 (4), pp. 883-890Robards, K., Antolovich, M., Analytical chemistry of fruit bioflavonoids (1997) Analyst, 122, pp. 11R-34RRodriguez-Amaya, D.B., (1999) A guide to carotenoid analysis in foods, , Washington, D.C.: ILSI PressSalgado, S.M., Guerra, N.B., Melo Filho, A.B., Frozen fruit pulps: Effects of the processing on dietary fiber contents (1999) Brazilian Journal of Nutrition, 12 (3), pp. 303-308Scalzo, J., Plant genotype affects total antioxidant capacity and phenolic contents in fruit (2005) Nutrition, 21 (2), pp. 207-213Singleton, V.L., Rossi Jr., J.A., Colorimetry of total phenolic with phosphomolybdic-phosphotungstic acid reagents (1965) American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 16 (3), pp. 144-158Stahl, W., Sies, H., Bioactivity and protective effects of natural carotenoids (2005) Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 1740 (2), pp. 101-107Tapiero, H., Townsend, D.M., Tew, K.D., The role of carotenoids in the prevention of human pathologies (2004) Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, 58 (2), pp. 100-110(2006) Tabela brasileira de composição de alimentos-TACO, p. 113. , UNIVERSIDADE DE CAMPINAS-UNICAMP, 2. ed. 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AT1 Receptor Blockade Prevents the Increase in Blood Pressure and the Augmentation of Intrarenal ANG II Levels in Hypertensive Cyp1a1-Ren2 Transgenic Rats Fed With a High-Salt Diet

BACKGROUND: The present study was performed to determine the effects of high-salt diet on the magnitude of the increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and kidney tissue ANG II levels that occur following induction of ANG II-dependent malignant hypertension in Cyp1a1-Ren2 transgenic rats with inducible expression of the mouse Ren2 renin gene [strain name: TGR (Cyp1a1Ren2)]. METHODS: Cyp1a1-Ren2 rats (n=6) were fed a normal diet containing 0.3% indole-3-carbinol (I3C) for 10 days to induce ANG II-dependent malignant hypertension. RESULTS: Rats induced with I3C exhibited increases in (SBP) and elevations of ANG II levels in kidney cortex and medulla. In a second group of rats (n=6), high salt intake alone did not alter basal SBP; however, subsequent dietary administration of 0.3% I3C during continued high salt intake elicited a substantially greater increase in SBP than observed in rats fed a normal salt diet. ANG II levels in kidney cortex and medulla of rats induced with I3C and fed a high salt diet were elevated similarly to those in rats induced with I3C alone. Chronic administration of the AT(1) receptor antagonist, losartan (100 mg/L in drinking water, n=6), markedly attenuated the I3C-induced increase in SBP and prevented the augmentation of ANG II levels in kidney cortex and medulla in rats induced with I3C and maintained on a high salt diet. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of AT(1) receptors contributes to the augmented blood pressure and elevated kidney tissue ANG II levels that occur in Cyp1a1-Ren2 transgenic rats with malignant hypertension maintained on a high salt diet

Glomerular angiotensinogen protein is enhanced in pediatric IgA nephropathy

Enhanced intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is implicated in the development and progression of renal injury. To investigate whether angiotensinogen (AGT) expression is involved in glomerular RAS activity and glomerular injury, we examined glomerular AGT expression and its correlation with expression of other RAS components, and levels of glomerular injury in samples from patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) (23) and minor glomerular abnormalities (MGA) (8). Immunohistochemistry showed that AGT protein was highly expressed by glomerular endothelial cells (GEC) and mesangial cells in nephritic glomeruli of IgAN compared with glomeruli of MGA. Levels of glomerular AGT protein were well correlated with levels of glomerular angiotensin II (ang II), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), α-smooth-muscle actin, glomerular cell number, and glomerulosclerosis score but not with those of glomerular angiotensin-converting enzyme and ang II type 1 receptor. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analyses using cultured human GEC indicated that ang II upregulated AGT messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. These data suggest that activated glomerular AGT expression is likely involved in elevated local ang II production and, thereby, may contribute to increased TGF-β production and development of glomerular injury in IgAN. Augmentation of GEC-AGT production with ang II stimulation might drive further glomerular injury in a positive-feedback loop

Perfectionism and self-conscious emotions in British and Japanese students: Predicting pride and embarrassment after success and failure

Regarding self-conscious emotions, studies have shown that different forms of perfectionism show different relationships with pride, shame, and embarrassment depending on success and failure. What is unknown is whether these relationships also show cultural variations. Therefore, we conducted a study investigating how self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism predicted pride and embarrassment after success and failure comparing 363 British and 352 Japanese students. Students were asked to respond to a set of scenarios where they imagined achieving either perfect (success) or flawed results (failure). In both British and Japanese students, self-oriented perfectionism positively predicted pride after success and embarrassment after failure whereas socially prescribed perfectionism predicted embarrassment after success and failure. Moreover, in Japanese students, socially prescribed perfectionism positively predicted pride after success and self-oriented perfectionism negatively predicted pride after failure. The findings have implications for our understanding of perfectionism indicating that the perfectionism–pride relationship not only varies between perfectionism dimensions, but may also show cultural variations

Genopal™: A Novel Hollow Fibre Array for Focused Microarray Analysis

Expression profiling of target genes in patient blood is a powerful tool for RNA diagnosis. Here, we describe Genopal™, a novel platform ideal for efficient focused microarray analysis. Genopal™, which consists of gel-filled fibres, is advantageous for high-quality mass production via large-scale slicing of the Genopal™ block. We prepared two arrays, infectant and autoimmunity, that provided highly reliable data in terms of repetitive scanning of the same and/or distinct microarrays. Moreover, we demonstrated that Genopal™ had sensitivity sufficient to yield signals in short hybridization times (0.5 h). Application of the autoimmunity array to blood samples allowed us to identify an expression pattern specific to Takayasu arteritis based on the Spearman rank correlation by comparing the reference profile with those of several autoimmune diseases and healthy volunteers (HVs). The comparison of these data with those obtained by other methods revealed that they exhibited similar expression profiles of many target genes. Taken together, these data demonstrate that Genopal™ is an advantageous platform for focused microarrays with regard to its low cost, rapid results and reliable quality

Expression Profiling of PBMC-based Diagnostic Gene Markers Isolated from Vasculitis Patients

Vasculitis (angiitis) is a systemic autoimmune disease that often causes fatal symptoms. We aimed to isolate cDNA markers that would be useful for diagnosing not only vasculitis but also other autoimmune diseases. For this purpose, we used stepwise subtractive hybridization and cDNA microarray analyses to comprehensively isolate the genes whose expressions are augmented in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) pooled from vasculitis patients. Subsequently, we used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR) to examine the mRNA levels of each candidate gene in individual patients. These analyses indicated that seven genes exhibit remarkably augmented expression in many vasculitis patients. Of these genes, we analyzed G0/G1 switch gene 2 (G0S2) further because G0S2 expression is also enhanced in the PBMCs of patients with systemic lupus erythematodes (SLE). We generated G0S2 transgenic mice that ubiquitously overexpress human G0S2. Although we did not observe any obvious vasculitis-related histopathologic findings in these mice, these mice are unhealthy as they produce only few offspring and showed elevated serum levels of two autoimmunity-related antibodies, anti-nuclear antibody, and anti-double strand DNA antibody. Thus, our large-scale gene profiling study may help finding sensitive and specific DNA markers for diagnosing autoimmune diseases including vasculitis and SLE

Feeding Cues and Injected Nutrients Induce Acute Expression of Multiple Clock Genes in the Mouse Liver

The circadian clock is closely associated with energy metabolism. The liver clock can rapidly adapt to a new feeding cycle within a few days, whereas the lung clock is gradually entrained over one week. However, the mechanism underlying tissue-specific clock resetting is not fully understood. To characterize the rapid response to feeding cues in the liver clock, we examined the effects of a single time-delayed feeding on circadian rhythms in the liver and lungs of Per2::Luc reporter knockin mice. After adapting to a night-time restricted feeding schedule, the mice were fed according to a 4, 8, or 13 h delayed schedule on the last day. The phase of the liver clock was delayed in all groups with delayed feeding, whereas the lung clock remained unaffected. We then examined the acute response of clock and metabolism-related genes in the liver using focused DNA-microarrays. Clock mutant mice were bred under constant light to attenuate the endogenous circadian rhythm, and gene expression profiles were determined during 24 h of fasting followed by 8 h of feeding. Per2 and Dec1 were significantly increased within 1 h of feeding. Real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed a similarly acute response in hepatic clock gene expression caused by feeding wild type mice after an overnight fast. In addition to Per2 and Dec1, the expression of Per1 increased, and that of Rev-erbα decreased in the liver within 1 h of feeding after fasting, whereas none of these clock genes were affected in the lung. Moreover, an intraperitoneal injection of glucose combined with amino acids, but not either alone, reproduced a similar hepatic response. Our findings show that multiple clock genes respond to nutritional cues within 1 h in the liver but not in the lung