The neem bioinsecticides in pest insects control in economics crops : La Habana (Cuba)

En Cuba, la generalización del cultivo del Nim (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) y el uso de los bioinsecticidas producidos a partir de éste como apoyo al desarrollo de una agricultura sostenible y ecológica, trae consigo la necesidad de validar su efectividad biológica en una gama cada vez más amplia de plagas de interés agrícola. En el presente trabajo se demuestra que con el uso de los productos OleoNim 80 CE, NeoNim 60 CE, CubaNim T, CubaNim SM y FoliarNim HM es posible controlar con eficacia la acción nociva de plagas tales como Diaphania hyalinata (L.) en melón, Empoasca fabae (Harris) en poroto, Thrips palmi (Karny) en pepino en organopónico y bajo condiciones de cultivo protegido, y Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) en poroto y tomate. Las efectividades biológicas alcanzadas en estas experiencias, oscilaron entre 75 y 100 %, lo cual confirma la factibilidad del uso de estos bioinsecticidas insertados en el Manejo Integrado de Plagas para una agricultura sostenible.In Cuba, the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) and bioinsecticides produced from this botanical specie have been generalizated and have set up themselves as an important support for the development of a sustainable and ecological agriculture. This process brought out the need of biological effectiveness validation against an each time enlarged sort of pests with agricultural importance. This work showed that employing bioinsecticides as OleoNim 80 EC, NeoNim 60 EC, CubaNim T, CubaNim SM and FoliarNim HM is possible to get an effective control of Diaphania hyalinata (L.) in water melon, Empoasca fabae (Harris) in beans, Thrips palmi (Karny) in cucumber under organoponic conditions (bed with organic substrates) and crop protected conditions, and Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) in beans and tomato. Biological effects observed in all experiments fluctuated between 75 and 100 % which confirm Neem bioinsecticides feasibility to be used in Integrated Pest Management in a Sustainable Agriculture.Fil: López Díaz, María Teresa.Fil: Estrada Ortíz, Jesús

Changes on Neem seed weight and its componentes during storage

En el presente trabajo se muestran los resultados de las investigaciones realizadas en el Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical (INIFAT), acerca de la acción del almacenamiento sobre la semilla de Nim y sus componentes. Se pudo determinar que durante el proceso de beneficio de los frutos de Nim cosechados sólo una cuarta parte del volumen de los frutos se convierte en semillas, definiéndose además que el peso de un fruto maduro es de 1.8 g y de una semilla seca 0.4 g. Por otra parte, se pudo conocer que en el proceso de almacenamiento de la semilla seca de Nim se produce una disminución notable del peso de la misma y sus componentes (almendra, aceite, torta y residuo), dada por la influencia del tiempo de almacenamiento y factores ambientales tales como humedad relativa y temperatura. Además, se observó de igual forma, que la mayor pérdida de peso de la semilla se produjo durante los dos primeros meses de almacenadas, que incluyen el período de envejecimiento fisiológico.In the present piece of work are shown results of several research experiences carried out in the Institute for Fundamental Research in Tropical Agriculture (INIFAT), about the influence of storage periods on Neem seeds and their components. It was found that during depulping process only a quarter of the fruits remained as seed and particularly averages weights decreased from 1.8 g in the fruits to 0.4 g in the dry seeds. On the other hand during a period of dry seed storage happened a remarkable decrease of weight in the seed itself and their components (kernel, oil, cake and residue) as result of time of storage and some environmental factors, mainly relative humidity and temperature. Besides, the greater seed weight loss occurred during the first two months of storage, which included seed physiological aging.Fil: Estrada Ortíz, Jesús. Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical "Alejandro de Humboldt" (Cuba)Fil: López Díaz, María Teresa. Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical "Alejandro de Humboldt" (Cuba)Fil: Castillo Rodríguez, Bárbara. Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical "Alejandro de Humboldt" (Cuba)Fil: Díaz Fish, Valeriano. Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical "Alejandro de Humboldt" (Cuba

Host-Parasite Interaction: Parasite-Derived and -Induced Proteases That Degrade Human Extracellular Matrix

Parasitic protozoa are among the most important pathogens worldwide. Diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, amoebiasis, giardiasis, trichomoniasis, and trypanosomiasis affect millions of people. Humans are constantly threatened by infections caused by these pathogens. Parasites engage a plethora of surface and secreted molecules to attach to and enter mammalian cells. The secretion of lytic enzymes by parasites into host organs mediates critical interactions because of the invasion and destruction of interstitial tissues, enabling parasite migration to other sites within the hosts. Extracellular matrix is a complex, cross-linked structure that holds cells together in an organized assembly and that forms the basement membrane lining (basal lamina). The extracellular matrix represents a major barrier to parasites. Therefore, the evolution of mechanisms for connective-tissue degradation may be of great importance for parasite survival. Recent advances have been achieved in our understanding of the biochemistry and molecular biology of proteases from parasitic protozoa. The focus of this paper is to discuss the role of protozoan parasitic proteases in the degradation of host ECM proteins and the participation of these molecules as virulence factors. We divide the paper into two sections, extracellular and intracellular protozoa