Chemical composition and antioxidant properties of beetroot parasitized by Meloidogyne javanica and treated with elicitors

Beetroot is rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, such as, betalains and phenolics. The objective of this work was to analyze the chemical composition and antioxidant properties of beetroot parasitized by Meloidogyne javanica and treated with elicitors. Beet seedlings were inoculated with 1000 eggs and second-stage juveniles of M. javanica and treated with elicitors based on mannan oligosaccharides, citrus biomass, or acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM). At 60 days after inoculation, plants were evaluated for nematode reproduction factor (RF), proximate composition, betalains, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity. Beetroot was found to be susceptible to M. javanica, with RF values ranging from 15.26 to 27.94. ASM and citrus biomass treatments increased ash content by 15–25% in nematode-inoculated plants. There was no treatment effect on moisture or protein content, but uninoculated plants had higher total phenolic content (~35%) than inoculated plants. Nematode infection was found to compromise betalain production but did not impact antioxidant activity. Nematode-inoculated plants showed reduced sucrose content and increased glucose and fructose levels in all treatments. Regardless of the elicitor used, beetroots inoculated M. javanica exhibit deformities that render them unmarketable in fresh form. However, the results indicate that nematode-infected beetroot may be suitable for industrial processing and compound extraction

Bone healing response in cyclically loaded implants : comparing zero, one, and two loading sessions per day

When bone implants are loaded, they are inevitably subjected to displacement relative to bone. Such micromotion generates stress/strain states at the interface that can cause beneficial or detrimental sequels. The objective of this study is to better understand the mechanobiology of bone healing at the tissue-implant interface during repeated loading. Machined screw shaped Ti implants were placed in rat tibiae in a hole slightly bigger than the implant diameter. Implants were held stable by a specially-designed bone plate that permits controlled loading. Three loading regimens were applied, (a) zero loading, (b) one daily loading session of 60 cycles with an axial force of 1.5 N/cycle for 7 days, and (c) two such daily sessions with the same axial force also for 7 days. Finite element analysis was used to characterize the mechanobiological conditions produced by the loading sessions. After 7 days, the implants with surrounding interfacial tissue were harvested and processed for histological, histomorphometric and DNA microarray analyses. Histomorphometric analyses revealed that the group subjected to repeated loading sessions exhibited a significant decrease in bone-implant contact and increase in bone-implant distance, as compared to unloaded implants and those subjected to only one loading session. Gene expression profiles differed during osseointegration between all groups mainly with respect to inflammatory and unidentified gene categories. The results indicate that increasing the daily cyclic loading of implants induces deleterious changes in the bone healing response, most likely due to the accumulation of tissue damage and associated inflammatory reaction at the bone-implant interface

Intermittent administration of parathyroid hormone improves the repairing process of rat calvaria defects: a histomorphometric and radiodensitometric study

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intermittent treatment of parathyroid hormone (PTH (1-34)) on the bone regeneration of critically-sized rat calvarial bone defects. Material and Methods: Thirty-two male rats were trephined (4mm fullthickness diameter), in the central part of the parietal bones and divided into 2 groups of 16. The PTH group received subcutaneous injections of PTH (1-34) at 40μg/kg, 3 times a week and the control (CTL) group received the vehicle in the same regimen. The rats were sacrificed at 4 weeks post-treatment regimen, the parietal bones were extracted and samples were evaluated through histomorphometry and radiodensitometry. Results: The histological observations showed that the PTH group presented more “island-like” new bone between the defect margins with fibrous tissues than did the CTL group. The PTH group significantly exhibited greater histologic bone formation than did the CTL group (1.5mm ±0.7; 1.9 mm ± 0.6, p <0.05/ for residual bone defect). The radiodensitometry analysis revealed significant differences among the PTH and CTL groups (2.1 Al eq. ±0.04; 1.8Al eq. ±0.06, p <0.05), demonstrating an increase in bone mineral density. The PTH treatment contributed to the bone formation with a higher amount of mineral and/or fibrous tissue when compared with the CTL group. Conclusions: The results suggest that it was possible to increase the process of bone regeneration by accelerating the healing process in rat calvarial defects through intermittent administration of the PTH treatment

Estudo do equilíbrio corporal postural através do sistema de baropodometria eletrônica

O equilíbrio corporal postural além de toda sua complexidade, também está fundamentado nas relações provenientes das vias aferentes vestibulares e auditivas através do nervo craniano vestíbulo-coclear (VIII par), relacionado respectivamente com o equilíbrio e a audição, dois fatores fundamentais para se trabalhar nas questões posturais. O trabalho teve como objetivo verificar o equilíbrio corporal postural em cinco sujeitos do sexo masculino, idade compreendida entre 18 e 25 anos, com média de idade 21,2 anos. Foram analisada através da baropodometria a postura corporal estática e dinâmica medindo a superfície plantar/cm2; a distribuição do percentual (%) de carga corporal através da região plantar, e Kg/cm2. Foi estudada também, a postura corporal monopodálica direita e esquerda, com olhos abertos e olhos fechados, por um período de 03 segundos, verificando assim, o comportamento oscilatório do equilíbrio postural corporal. Quanto aos resultados referentes à superfície plantar/cm2; distribuição do percentual (%) de carga corporal; e Kg/cm2, os resultados foram maiores tanto na parte anterior quanto na parte posterior da região plantar na análise dinâmica.Quanto as variáveis estudadas nas análises monopodálicas, os resultados demonstraram menor equilíbrio corporal com olhos fechados. No que se refere ao tempo de realização das análises referentes ao equilíbrio corporal, dois dos sujeitos conseguiu permanecer durante três segundos sobre o pé direito com os olhos abertos, e um sujeito sobre o pé esquerdo também com os olhos abertos. Com os olhos fechados, nenhum dos sujeitos envolvidos no estudo conseguiu terminar o teste

Valorization of pomace from craft cider: Nutritional value, chemical composition, and phenolic and mineral profiles

Waste recovery, in a circular economy context, is associated with clear economic and environmental benefits. Although apple pomace has been extensively studied for many applications, the valorization of pomace from emerging craft cider production is a novelty. This work is intended to determine the nutritional value, chemical composition, and phenolic and mineral profiles of pomace from craft cider waste. Levels of moisture (79.3%) and sugar contents (54.0%) stand out in their composition. Ethanol (1.56%) has been identified. Also, malic acid (2.94%), as well as α‐tocopherols (0.4 mg/100 g) were detected. The phenolic profile showed six flavonoid compounds identified mainly quercetin derivatives. The mineral analysis revealed potassium as the major constituent (58.5 mg/g). In conclusion, it is envisaged that cider pomace could be an ideal substrate for biotechnological purposes, particularly as a sustainable and alternative, cheap source to produce glycerol for application in various industries such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2020). Ana Sofia Brandão and José M. R. C. A. Santos would like to thank the FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to INTERREG POCTEP project “INBEC—Circular bioeconomy. Promotion and development of a sustainable economy through innovation and business cooperation” (ref. 0627_INBEC_6_E). Maria Inês Dias and Lillian Barros would like to thank the national funding by FCT, Paula Rodrigues, through the institutional scientific employment program‐contract for their contracts; to the project Healthy—PETFOOD for the contract of Cristina Caleja (POCI‐01‐0247‐FEDER‐047073). This work is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional Operational Pro- gram North 2020, within the scope of Project GreenHealth—Digital strategies in biological assets to improve well‐being and promote green health, Norte‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐000042.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Trypsin-like serine peptidase profiles in the egg, larval, and pupal stages of Aedes albopictus

BACKGROUND: Aedes albopictus, a ubiquitous mosquito, is one of the main vectors of dengue and yellow fever, representing an important threat to public health worldwide. Peptidases play key roles in processes such as digestion, oogenesis, and metamorphosis of insects. However, most of the information on the proteolytic enzymes of mosquitoes is derived from insects in the adult stages and is often directed towards the understanding of blood digestion. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of active peptidases from the preimaginal stages of Ae. albopictus. METHODS: Ae. albopictus eggs, larvae, and pupae were analyzed using zymography with susbtrate-SDS-PAGE. The pH, temperature and peptidase inhibitor sensitivity was evaluated. In addition, the proteolytic activities of larval instars were assayed using the fluorogenic substrate Z-Phe-Arg-AMC. RESULTS: The proteolytic profile of the larval stage was composed of 8 bands ranging from 17 to 130 kDa. These enzymes displayed activity in a broad range of pH values, from 5.5 to 10.0. The enzymatic profile of the eggs was similar to that of the larvae, although the proteolytic bands of the eggs showed lower intensities. The pupal stage showed a complex proteolytic pattern, with at least 6 bands with apparent molecular masses ranging from 30 to 150 kDa and optimal activity at pH 7.5. Peptidases from larval instars were active from 10°C to 60°C, with optimal activity at temperatures between 37°C and 50°C. The proteolytic profile of both the larval and pupal stages was inhibited by phenyl-methyl sulfonyl-fluoride (PMSF) and Nα-Tosyl L-lysine chloromethyl ketone hydrochloride (TLCK), indicating that the main peptidases expressed during these developmental stages are trypsin-like serine peptidases. CONCLUSION: The preimaginal stages of Ae. albopictus exhibited a complex profile of trypsin-like serine peptidase activities. A comparative analysis of the active peptidase profiles revealed differential expression of trypsin-like isoforms among the preimaginal stages, suggesting that some of these enzymes are stage specific. Additionally, a comparison of the peptidase expression between larvae from eggs collected in the natural environment and larvae obtained from the eggs of female mosquitoes maintained in colonies for a long period of time demonstrated that the proteolytic profile is invariable under such conditions

Betacyanins from Gomphrena globosa L. flowers: Incorporation in cookies as natural colouring agents

A betacyanin rich extract was obtained from the flowers of Gomphrena globosa L. by ultrasound-assisted extraction and dried either by lyophilization or spray-drying, was tested as a natural colourant in cookies and compared to a commercial colourant. The extracts were characterized in terms of betacyanin content and antioxidant potential. The effects of the colourants incorporation in the cookies were assessed through proximate composition, soluble sugars, fatty acids, color, texture and microbial load, over a shelf life of 30 days. Considering all the assays and analyzing the results through a 2-way analysis of variance, the cookies incorporated with spray-dried colourant showed the most intense pink coloration while cookies incorporated with lyophilized extract lost less color intensity over time. Thus, betacyanin extracts have potential as pink natural alternatives to synthetic colourants in the food industry.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support by national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); C. L. Roriz PhD’s grant (SFRH/BD/117995/2016), L. Barros and Isabel P. Fernandes to FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for their contract and the individual scientific employment program contract for S.A. Heleno’s contract. The authors are also grateful to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of project Mobilizador Norte-01-0247-FEDER-024479: ValorNatural®. M. Carocho also acknowledges ValorNatural® for his contract. Finally, P. Morales is also grateful to UCM ALIMNOVA Research Group (GR105/18).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of natural preservatives on the nutritional profile, chemical composition, bioactivity and stability of a nutraceutical preparation of aloe arborescens

Citric acid, quercetin, dried chestnut flowers and an aqueous extract of chestnut flowers were screened as candidates for preserving a drinkable nutraceutical preparation for 45 days. The assays encompassed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, nutritional and chemical profiles, and individual profiles of fatty acids and mineral composition, all of which in comparison with a sodium benzoate, a synthetic preservative. The centesimal composition of the nutraceutical formulation was mainly composed of carbohydrates, followed by proteins and fat, with moisture levels between 66% and 71%. Palmitic and stearic acid were the most abundant fatty acids, while calcium and magnesium where the minerals in higher amount. Anthroquinones, followed by flavonoids where the most abundant groups of phenolic compounds. In terms of the preserving e ects of the extracts, the chestnut flowers and the citric acid were the most e ective natural preservatives, which better preserved phenolic compounds. Furthermore, these two ingredients also revealed the strongest capacity to control the microbial growth in the formulation by inhibiting the growth of food contaminants. In general, these ingredients revealed higher preservation capacity than sodium benzoate, while not altering the nutritional and fatty acid profile. The chestnut flowers and citric acid could be used to preserve foods, food supplements, and nutraceutical formulations after passing the required regulatory procedures for food additives.The authors are grateful to Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); the PhD grant of Filipa Fernandes (SFRH/BD/145467/2019). National funding by FCT, P.I., through the individual scientific employment program-contract for Sandrina A. Heleno and institutional to Maria Inês Dias, José Pinela and Lillian Barros. FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal through project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E and TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P., Project Mobilizador Norte-01-0247-FEDER-024479: ValorNatural®forM. Carocho’s contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lesões por esforços repetitivos em digitadores do Centro de Processamento de Dados do Banestado, Londrina, Paraná, Brasil

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) is a syndrome of difficult diagnosis characterized as muscle-tendinous disease of the upper limbs, such as shoulders and neck, caused by overload of a particular set of muscles, due to its repetitive use or contracted posture sustance, resulting in pain, tiredness and decrease of fatigue professional development. The term RSI, utilized in Brazil, is not used anymore, have been prefered, actually, the denomination Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMD). The difficult of WRMD treatment explains the researches on the main susceptible factors and how to prevent them. Fourty typists' complaints and place of work from the Centro de Processamento de Dados of Banestado Bank in Londrina, Paraná, Brasil were analysed. Trought questinaries and occupational factors observation connected to the appearance of WRMD, it was shown that the majority mentioned pain on the shoulder, elbows and hands; 44% subjects who were interviwed had already looked for medical help due yo problems such as tenosynovitis, bursitis and tendinitis, and from those ones, 78% were dismissed from their job. The results obtained from our researches suggest that the kind of physical moviments made to perform the occupational daily tasks, lack of some basic adaptation factors and orientation concerning its prevention, help the appearance of WRMD.Lesões por Esforços Repetitivos (LER) é uma síndrome de difícil diagnóstico caracterizada por distúrbio de músculo tendinoso, principalmente dos membros superiores, ombros e pescoço, causada pela sobrecarga de um grupo muscular particular, devido ao uso repetitivo ou à manutenção de posturas inadequadas, resultando em dor, fadiga e declínio no desempenho profissional. O termo LER, adotado no Brasil, não é mais utilizado, preferindo-se, atualmente, a denominação Doenças Osteomusculares Relacionadas ao Trabalho (DORT). O difícil tratamento da DORT justifica o estudo sobre os principais fatores predisponentes e uma forma de previni-los. Foram analisados quarenta digitadores do Centro de Processamento de Serviços do Banestado Londrina, PR., suas queixas e seu local de trabalho. Através de questionários e observação dos fatores ocupacionais associados ao aparecimento das DORT, constatou-se que a maioria referiu dores em ombro, cotovelo e mãos; 44% dos entrevistados haviam procurado assistência médica por problemas como tenossinovite, bursite e tendinite, dos quais 78% tiveram que se afastar do trabalho. Os resultados obtidos em nosso estudo sugerem que os tipos de movimentos utilizados para a realização das tarefas, a falta de alguns fatores básicos de ergonomia e de orientação quanto à prevenção contribuem para a instalação das DORT

Evaluation of the Polyphenolic Composition and Bioactivities of Three Native Cabo Verde Medicinal Plants

The use of medicinal plants in a variety of health conditions remains essential for the discovery of new treatments. The present study aimed to investigate the bioactive properties of three native plants from Cabo Verde Islands, namely Artemisia gorgonum Webb, Sideroxylon marginatum (Decne. ex Webb) Cout., and Tamarix senegalensis DC., contributing to the characterization of less-known medicinal plants and their potential benefits for human health. Known compounds, such as kaempferol, quercetin, caffeyolquinic, and apigenin derivatives, among others, were detected in the plant species under study. Overall, all species demonstrated good antioxidant capacity, especially the ethanolic extracts of A. gorgonum (EC50 = 0.149 mg/mL) in TBARS assay. Moreover, the ethanolic extracts of the studied plants showed cytotoxic properties against tumor cells, and again the A. gorgonum extract proved to be the most effective in inhibiting tumor growth, mainly in the CaCO2 (GI50 = 17.3 μg/mL) and AGS (GI50 = 18.2 μg/mL) cell lines. Only the ethanolic extracts of T. senegalensis and S. marginatum demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity, albeit weak (EC50 = 35 and 43 μg/mL, respectively). The present study contributed to increased knowledge about the bioactive properties of these plants commonly used in traditional medicine, some of which was discussed for the first time, opening new perspectives for their use in a wider range of health conditions, especially in African countries, where access to modern health care is more limited.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio