Rheological description at the minimum gelling conditions of kappa-carrageenan/locust bean gum systems

Poster presentation at ‘Gums and Stabilisers for the Food Industry-7’, July, 1993Kappa-carrageenan/locust bean gum interactions at the minimum gelling concentration have been studied by dynamic and viscosity measurements at 15°C. Both rheological methods used have been shown to be complementary. The existence of a weak network structure exhibiting thixotropic behaviour has been observed. The formation of the weak network is discussed

Seed germination of six Iberian endemic species – a contribution to enhance plant conservation

Biodiversity has been degraded all around the world due to anthropogenic factors. To counteract this worldwide tendency, ecological restoration programs are expanding. In these programs, the use of native herbaceous species, particularly those endemic or threatened, can be promoted by seeding them but germination requirements for most of these species are unknown. Our research meant to fill this gap of information for six Iberian endemic species suitable to use in restoration actions - Digitalis thapsi, Ferula communis subsp. catalaunica, Linaria amethystea subsp. amethystea, Pterocephalidium diandrum, Sanguisorba hybrida, and Silene scabriflora subsp. scabriflora. Their seed germination behaviour was analysed to establish germination protocols for conservation actions. Three germination conditions were used to simulate different sown seasons. Seeds of all species were tested without pretreatment and subjected to a cold stratification. Seeds of S. hybrida and P. diandrum were additionally tested with a scarification treatment. All species reached their better germination performance under autumn conditions (15/10 C; 8/16 hours). In conclusion, for all the six Iberian endemic species tested, germination speed and percentage were suitable for their use in native plants reinforcement

Best Pratice Guide to Manage Vegetation and Promote Biodiversity in Linear Infrastructures

The present guide is based on the experience acquired in the framework of the LIFE LINES project (LIFE14 NAT/PT/001081) and intends to compile and disseminate the recommendable procedures for the management of biodiversity, particularly of plant diversity, in the marginal areas of linear infrastructures, primarily focusing on the national roads, decommissioned railways now used for recreation purposes (ecotrails) and power lines of very high voltage. The guide includes technical information for those in charge of the management of roads, trails and power lines (concession holders, municipalities), for environmental consultancy (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente, Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e Florestas), and for landscape and agroforestry technicians, as well as for the general public

Corpus luteum blood flow evaluation on Day 21 to improve the management of embryo recipient herds

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to use blood flow evaluation of the CL at 14 days after embryo transfer to detect nonpregnant animals and optimize the management of bovine recipients. The estrous cycle was synchronized in 165 recipients, and the day of expected ovulation was considered to be Day 0. Embryo transfer was performed 7 days later, on Day 7. On Day 21, pregnancy was diagnosed on the basis of blood flow evaluation of the CL (DG21—predictive diagnostic). To validate this methodology, visual scores for blood flow were compared to objective data extracted from CL ultrasound images recorded in the Doppler mode. The size was also evaluated using recorded images of the CL in the B mode. Blood samples were also collected for further analysis of the progesterone (P4) concentration. The diagnosis of pregnancy was confirmed at 35 days after estrus (DG35—definitive diagnostic). The DG21 showed that 55.2% (90 of 163) of the animals were presumptively pregnant, and this value was higher (P < 0.04) than that obtained at DG35 (43.6%, 71 of 163). The predictive diagnostic achieved moderate specificity (79.3%) for the detection of pregnancy, but most importantly, high sensitivity (100%) for the detection of nonpregnant recipients. The overall accuracy of the diagnosis was 88.3%. The P4 concentrations were different (P < 0.02) and correlated with each visual score assigned for the CL size. Visual scores for CL blood flow were also efficient (P < 0.0001) to distinguish animals with different levels of P4; however, P4 concentrations were higher for scores 1 and 2 (high and regular blood flow, respectively) than those for score 3 (low blood flow). This technique showed high sensitivity and facilitated the early detection of nonpregnant animals. The DG21 would allow about 79.3% of nonpregnant animals to be resynchronized 9 to 14 days earlier, when compared to conventional management based on pregnancy diagnosis at Days 30 to 35

Molecular regulation of muscle development and growth in Senegalese sole larvae exposed to temperature fluctuations

Author's accepted version (post-print).NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Aquaculture (2014). Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Aquaculture (2014), 432. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.04.035.The Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a marine flatfish that is naturally exposed to high temperature fluctuations (12 - 28 ºC) in the wild, with a life cycle predominantly estuarine during larval and juvenile phases. Farming of this species has largely improved in the past years but marked fluctuations of temperature during production still contribute to variation on growth and muscle cellularity, particularly if they occur during early stages of development. Such thermal plasticity of muscle growth must arise through changes in a multitude of physiological and molecular pathways, in which epigenetic gene regulation is likely to play an essential role. In the present work, we review recent studies addressing molecular, physiological and morphological aspects of the thermal plasticity of somatic growth in Senegalese sole larvae and early juveniles, thus aiming to improve sole rearing in aquaculture production. The present study shows that temperature during specific time frames of ontogeny has both short- and long-term effects on growth and muscle cellularity of Senegalese sole. Nevertheless, Senegalese sole also seems to rapidly adapt to environmental temperature through a set of epigenetic mechanisms and physiological responses such as regulation of feed intake, even at early developmental stages

Plant protein blends in diets for Senegalese sole affect skeletal muscle growth, flesh texture and the expression of related genes

Author's accepted version (postprint).Available from 26/11/2017.Skeletal muscle growth and flesh quality of Senegalese sole fed diets containing increasing levels of plant protein blends to replace fishmeal were evaluated using muscle cellularity, texture profile and gene expression. A control fish meal-based diet (FM) was compared with three isonitrogenous (54%) and isolipidic (9%) diets with increasing levels of plant protein (PP) blends (50% PP50, 75% PP75 and 100% PP100). By the end of the experiment sole fed PP50 and PP75 had a final body length similar to the CTR (25 cm), but fish fed PP100 were significantly smaller (23 cm). Total FM replacement by PP sources resulted in significantly smaller muscle cross sectional area (CSA) mainly due to a decrease in the muscle fibre size as the total number of fibres did not vary significantly among treatments. The dietary incorporation of PP significantly reduced the expression of several key genes involved in myogenesis and muscle growth (mrf4, fgf6, myhc and mylc2). Fillet texture analysed instrumentally was affected by the total substitution of FM. Fish fed PP100 diet had a significantly higher modulus of elasticity, i.e. lower flesh stiffness, compared with the other groups. Muscle fibre size was moderately related (r = − 0.573) to the modulus of elasticity and positively correlated with the expression of lysyl oxidase (r = 0.495). The observed changes in muscle cellularity could not be associated with the expression of texture-related genes (capn2, ctsb, ctsd), since no significant differences were observed among diets. The present results point towards a modulation of the expression of several muscle growth related genes by increasing levels of PP sources that alter muscle cellularity and textural properties of Senegalese sole when total FM is replaced by PP

Study of chemical changes and antioxidant activity variation induced by gamma-irradiation on wild mushrooms: comparative study through principal component analysis

Mushrooms are especially sensitive to senescence, browning, water loss and microbial attack. Furthermore, wild species are characterized for their seasonality, demanding the development of suitable preservation technology. Gamma-irradiation was previously tested in wild Lactarius deliciosus, being verified that its application up to 1 kGy did not imply significant changes in chemical parameters. Herein, the effects of higher gamma-irradiation doses, typically used in natural food matrices like fruits or vegetables, were assessed in Boletus edulis Bull.: Fr. and Hydnum repandum L.: Fr. by checking for changes in nutritional parameters, free sugars, tocopherols, fatty acids, organic acids and antioxidant activity indicators. To have representative samples, the used carpophores were collected in different maturity stages, using the same number of specimens for each stage and also for each mushroom species. The specific effects of each tested irradiation were evaluated in an integrated manner through principal component analysis. The correspondent biplots indicate that differences caused by gamma-irradiation are enough to separate irradiated and non-irradiated samples of both mushrooms. Nevertheless, nutritional profiles were not affected in high extension, indicating that gamma-irradiation, up to the doses used in this work, might represent a useful mushroom conservation technology.Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to research centres CIMO (PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011) and REQUIMTE (PEst-C/EQB/LA0006/2011). Â. Fernandes, J.C.M. Barreira and A.L. Antonio thank FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE for their grants (SFRH/BD/76019/2011, SFRH/BPD/72802/2010 and SFRH/PROTEC/67398/2010, respectively)

Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives and Decarbonization in the European Food Supply Chain

The European Green Deal is a political milestone aiming to promote a carbon-neutral economy in the European Union. Decarbonizing the complex food sector requires the unified interaction among effective climate policies, economic instruments,and initiatives involving multiple stakeholders. Despite increasing efforts to highlight the importance of innovations and finance to achieve sustainable food supply chains (FSC), comprehensive information about related opportunities and barriers to mitigating emissions in the food sector is still under-explored. To cover this gap, this paper applies an existing industrial policy framework under the lens of the EU FSC to identify potential strategies that should help achieve the needed financial means and innovation actions, as well as to gauge political alignment across FSC stages. Methodologically, the pillars proposed in the framework are linked to multi-stakeholders' initiatives engaged in achieving net-zero emissions. The paper highlights three main implications of the identified interlinkages. First, political directionality related to the food sector should be more comprehensively tailored to account for the specificities of all stages of the FSC. Second, research and development projects shall likewise cover all stages,instead of emphasizing only food production and agricultural systems. Finally, multiple stakeholders are crucial as promoters of technology and innovation towards a green economy. Nevertheless, initiatives should be integrated into political discussions in order to promote civil awareness, sustainable food and services demand, aligned to political guidelines

Determination of tranexamic acid in human plasma by UHPLC coupled with tandem mass spectrometry targeting sub-microgram per milliliter levels

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic drug, with the ability to inhibit lysine binding at plasminogen receptors, used in adult trauma patients with on-going or at risk of significant haemorrhage. To understand the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of this drug in variable age groups undergoing surgeries with high blood loss, effective methods for determination of TXA in biological samples at sub-μg mL−1 are still required. We describe herein the development and validation of a method based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry to quantify TXA in human plasma. An inexpensive, simple and efficient sample clean-up was implemented, not requiring matrix-matching calibration. Sample preparation consisted in protein precipitation using acetonitrile containing 0.5% (v/v) formic acid, followed by hydrophilic interaction based chromatographic separation, with elution in isocratic mode using a combination of acetonitrile and water (75:25, v/v), with quantification of TXA based on selected reaction monitoring. Good linearity was achieved (r2 > 0.997) for TXA concentrations ranging from 30 to 600 ng mL−1, with LOD of 18 ng mL−1 in plasma. The developed method proved to be selective, sensitive, accurate (96.4–105.7% of nominal values) and precise (RSD ≤ 4.5%). TXA was found to be stable in plasma extracts standing 24 h at room temperature (20 °C) or in the autosampler, and after three freeze-thawing cycles. Mean recovery values of TXA spiked plasma samples were ≥91.9%. No significant matrix effects were observed. The proposed methodology was successfully applied to the clinical study of plasma samples recovered during scoliosis surgery of pediatric patients pretreatment with TXA.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Changes in intestinal microbiota, immune- and stress-related transcript levels in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) fed plant ingredient diets intercropped with probiotics or immunostimulants

Author's accepted version (post-print).Available from 04/03/2018.Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a highly valued flatfish that grows well with diets containing plant ingredients but their effects on immune competence is still a matter of debate. The current study aimed to examine changes in innate immune parameters and gut microbiota in Senegalese sole fed with 35% or 72% of plant ingredients with or without probiotic or yeast supplementation. Overall, fish fed diets with 72% of plant ingredients showed lower transcript levels of key immune- and stress-related genes in distal intestine, rectum and head-kidney than the 35% diets. In particular, hsp90b mRNA levels in distal intestine were down-regulated by 70% and 60% with the use of high content of plant ingredients in the diet containing the multispecies probiotic and autolyzed yeast, respectively. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis showed lower similarity values for distal intestine than rectum. Also fish fed high content of plant ingredients displayed lower similarity values, pointing to a difference in the microbial populations between fish fed different plant ingredients content on the diet. Our data revealed that inclusion of plant ingredients was associated with differences in gene expression and a more diverse microbiota profile but without a significant effect on growth performance. Moreover, probiotic supplementation resulted in up-regulation of hsp90b, gpx, cat and apoa1 transcript levels in distal intestine concomitantly with a growth rate reduction compared to non-supplemented fish