Cytotoxic and hemolytic activities of extracts of the fish parasite dinoflagellate amyloodinium ocellatum

The dinoflagellate Amyloodinium ocellatum is the etiological agent of a parasitic disease named amyloodiniosis. Mortalities of diseased fish are usually attributed to anoxia, osmoregulatory impairment, or opportunistic bacterial infections. Nevertheless, the phylogenetic proximity of A. ocellatum to a group of toxin-producing dinoflagellates from Pfiesteria, Parvodinium and Paulsenella genera suggests that it may produce toxin-like compounds, adding a new dimension to the possible cause of mortalities in A. ocellatum outbreaks. To address this question, extracts prepared from different life stages of the parasite were tested in vitro for cytotoxic effects using two cell lines derived from branchial arches (ABSa15) and the caudal fin (CFSa1) of the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), and for hemolytic effects using erythrocytes purified from the blood of gilthead seabream juveniles. Cytotoxicity and a strong hemolytic effect, similar to those observed for Karlodinium toxins, were observed for the less polar extracts of the parasitic stage (trophont). A similar trend was observed for the less polar extracts of the infective stage (dinospores), although cell viability was only affected in the ABSa15 line. These results suggest that A. ocellatum produces tissue-specific toxic compounds that may have a role in the attachment of the dinospores’ and trophonts’ feeding process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Feeding ecology of Nereis diversicolor (O.F. Müller) (Annelida, Polychaeta) on estuarine and lagoon environments in the southwest coast of Portugal

A ecologia alimentar de Nereis diversicolor (O.F. Müller, 1776) (Annelida: Polychaeta) foi estudada num período de 14 meses em três sistemas estuarino-lagunares da costa Sudoeste de Portugal (Odeceixe, Aljezur e Carrapateira). A análise do conteúdo digestivo revelou uma variação da dieta de acordo com os locais estudados, época do ano e com o tamanho dos indivíduos. Não houve diferenças nos conteúdos de machos e fêmeas. Foram encontrados em todas as estações amostradas um total de trinta itens, mas apenas cinco revelaram uma ocorrência superior à 1%. Estes foram: muco (56.3%), areia (17.6%), detritos vegetais (10.7%), Nereididae (7.7%) e Corophium sp. (1.8%). N. diversicolor evidenciou hábitos filtradores, em todas as estações amostradas embora na Carrapateira tenham sido detectadas percentagens de carnivoría ligeiramente superiores às encontradas em Odeceixe e Aljezur. O principal conteúdo do tracto digestivo foi o muco (complexo alimentar que aglutina matéria orgânica, bactérias, fungos e fitoplâncton). ------ ABSTRACT ------ The feeding ecology of Nereis diversicolor (O. F. Müller, 1776) (Annelida: Polychaeta) was studied over 14 months at three estuarine-lagoon systems of the Southwest coast of Portugal (Odeceixe, Aljezur and Carrapateira). The analyses of digestive tract revealed that diet change according to site, period of the year and individual sizes. There are no differences in the digestive contents between sexes. In all sampling stations a total of thirty items were found, but only five shown an occurrence superior to 1%. These were: mucus (56.3%), sand (17.6%), vegetable detritus (10.7%), Nereididae (7.7%) and Corophium sp. (1.8%). N. diversicolor was detected in all sampling stations with a filter-feeding behaviour, although in Carrapateira there is evidence of slightly higher carnivore behaviour than in Odeceixe and Aljezur. Mucus (a food complex including organic matter, bacteria, fungi and phytoplankton) was the main gut content

Larvicidal effects of endophytic and basidiomycete fungus extracts on Aedes and Anopheles larvae (Diptera, Culicidae)

Introduction In vitro bioassays were performed to access the larvicidal activity of crude extracts from the endophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis virgulata (Melanconiales, Amphisphaeriaceae) and the saprophytic fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus (Basidiomycetes, Polyporaceae) against the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Anopheles nuneztovari. Methods The extracts were tested at concentrations of 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500ppm. Ethyl acetate mycelia (EAM) extracts and liquid culture media (LCM) from Pe. virgulata and Py. sanguineus were tested against third instar larvae of Ae. aegypti and An. nuneztovari. Results The larvicidal activity of the EAM extracts from Pe. virgulata against Ae. aegypti had an LC50=101.8ppm, and the extract from the basidiomycete fungus Py. sanguineus had an LC50=156.8ppm against the Ae. aegypti larvae. The Pe. virgulata extract had an LC50=16.3ppm against the An. nuneztovari larvae, and the Py. sanguineus extract had an LC50=87.2ppm against these larvae. Conclusions These results highlight the larvicidal effect of EAM extracts from the endophyte Pe. virgulata against the two larval mosquitoes tested. Thus, Pe. virgulata and Py. sanguineus have the potential for the production of bioactive substances against larvae of these two tropical disease vectors, with An. nuneztovari being more susceptible to these extracts

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Elective cancer surgery in COVID-19-free surgical pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: An international, multicenter, comparative cohort study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19–free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19–free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19–free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score–matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19–free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Bio-ecologia e produção do poliqueta Nereis diversicolor O.F. Müller - recurso zoológico de ambientes costeiros

A presente dissertação teve como objectivo investigar alguns aspectos da biologia e ecologia do poliqueta Nereis diversicolor na costa Sudoeste de Portugal, nomeadamente nas ribeiras de Odeceixe, Aljezur e Carrapateira, durante o período de Abril de 1993 até Maio de 1994, bem como a tentativa de produção deste recurso em pequena escala e em condições controladas. Esta espécie de poliqueta muito comum e frequentemente dominante em substratos móveis de ambientes estuarinos, apresentou algumas flutuações temporais das suas densidades. Estas oscilações estão associadas à própria biologia reprodutora da espécie, mas também às interacções inter- e intra-específicas e à dinâmica sedimentar provocada pela movimentação de massas de água de origem marinha e continental, que interagem e modificam consequentemente as condições ambientais destes sistemas. A produção obtida para N. diversicolor em cada local de amostragem, bem como as taxas de renovação da biomassa (P/B) na costa Sudoeste, situam-se numa posição intermédia entre as encontradas para outros sistemas da costa Atlântica. No entanto a ribeira da Carrapateira apresenta-se como um caso à parte, verificando-se uma produção baixa com um P/B elevado. A fase de maior crescimento, seja em animais selvagens ou de laboratório, foi obtida nos primeiros 12 meses de vida. A partir do segundo ano de idade há uma redução no crescimento somático e um investimento na reprodução, nomeadamente na produção de gâmetas. O estabelecimento do período reprodutivo baseou-se nos resultados da recolha de amostras de estados larvares, bem como da análise do conteúdo celomático dos adultos. Neste estudo registou-se a presença contínua de fêmeas maduras e estados juvenis ao longo do ano, com um evento de recrutamento intenso em Setembro, seguido de um segundo pico de menores proporções em Maio. Na Carrapateira, ao contrário de Odeceixe e Aljezur, foi observado um amadurecimento precoce de N. diversicolor e consequentemente indivíduos de menores dimensões. Em todas as estações a razão sexual estimada foi sempre favorável às fêmeas. O estudo da ecologia alimentar de N. diversicolor revelou hábitos maioritariamente filtradores, embora na estação da Carrapateira esta espécie evidenciou tendências carnívoras e canibais. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas nos conteúdos digestivos de machos e fêmeas, mas sim uma variação na composição da dieta consoante o local de estudo, época do ano e tamanho dos indivíduos. Através do cultivo de juvenis N. diversicolor alimentados com variadas dietas e em diferentes condições controladas de salinidade, temperatura e luminosidade, pôde constatar-se que esta espécie parece não apresentar uma relação entre as taxas de crescimento e o tipo de dieta fornecida. A análise dos ácidos gordos realizadas aos indivíduos reflectiu o perfil das dietas testadas. Os indivíduos que foram alimentados com dietas ricas em DHA (ácido docosahexaenoico) podem metabolizar apenas 50%, por outro lado, se a quantidade for baixa ou ausente, podem biosintetizar de novo. N. diversicolor retém aproximadamente todo EPA (ácido eicosapentanoico) presente nas dietas, porém, se a quantidade de EPA for baixa, pode biosintetizar de novo. Este facto demonstra que N. diversicolor não necessita DHA em quantidade, contudo, dietas ricas em EPA e DHA permitem uma alta assimilação de HUFA (ácidos-gordos insaturados de cadeia longa) o que é essencial para um bom crescimento e uma alta sobrevivência. Os estudos de cultivo realizados, também demonstraram que N. diversicolor não apresenta diferenças significativas quanto à preferência dos sedimentos testados. Sob condições de salinidade de 15 %o e temperatura de 25°C esta espécie atinge as mais altas taxas de crescimento e uma sobrevivência de 100%, alcançando em poucos meses o "tamanho comercial". Em todas as combinações testadas, os indivíduos atingiram um elevado estado de maturação em somente três meses. Estas condições de cultivo, podem ser aplicadas em futuros estudos para a obtenção intensiva de larvas, no entanto será necessário um estudo pormenorizado acerca da viabilidade destes gâmetas e a certificação de que a maturação extremamente acelerada dos progenitores não tenha sido prejudicial à gametogénese

Aquaculture growth and Fatty acid profile of <i>Hediste diversicolor</i> fed with three different diets

Hediste diversicolor (O.F. Müller, 1776) or so called common ragworm, is an Annelida polychaeta is typically an inhabitant of shallow marine and brackish waters in different parts of Europe. This species has a high physiological tolerance to extreme environmental factors such as salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen levels, which can be grown and reproduced in different types of sediment. In the field and also under laboratory conditions this worm can utilize different types of food. To improve the aquaculture of H. diversicolor we have determined the growth, survival rates and fatty acid profile of juvenile worms fed with three different diets for 2 months. This experiment was carried out with juvenile worms reared in aquaculture laboratory of Polytechnic Institute of Leiria and were fed with Aquagold (seabream dry food), moist sole (semi wet pellets for cultured sole) and mackerel fillet. The temperature was maintained at 20 ± 1°C with 15 of salinity. H. diversicolor juveniles were placed in three replicates for each diet, with 30 worms per replicate. The higher growth rate was observed when the juveniles were fed with Aquagold (0,146 g d-1 for 10 individuals), and 100% survival rate was a result of moist sole diet, probably related to the immunostimulant included in this feed. The major fatty acids found in the juveniles fed with the three diets were palmitc acid (16:0), oleic acid (18:1n9); eicosapentanoic acid (20:5n3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3). Although results shown that mackerel fillet was not the diet with the higher growth rate and final weight achieved, when compared to the other two diets, but it is proved that it can be suitable for H. diversicolor aquaculture

Las características del mercado de poliquetos no autóctonos en Portugal y sus implicaciones ecológicas

Sci. Mar. 70, Suppl. 3 (2006) bears the title: Scientific Advances in Polychaete Research / R. Sardá, G. San Martín, E. López, D. Martin and D. George (eds.)The importance of the market for polychaetes dramatically increased after the discovery of their potential as food in aquaculture. In Portugal, the gathering of polychaetes solely from natural populations is not sufficient to meet market demand, both as bait for sea anglers and as a food item in aquaculture. The requests for worms to polychaete dealers by Portuguese and Spanish seafarms have increased during recent years. Due to the lack of intensive culture of these worms in Portugal and the proximity of southern Spanish farms, a large component of imported polychaetes that arrive in Portugal at Lisbon Airport go directly to Spain by road. In 2002 and 2003 a total of 12,728,379 and 16,866,839 polychaetes respectively were imported to Europe via Lisbon Airport from China and the USA. In 2003 the imports from China and the USA realised 716,180 and 291,845 US dollars respectively. Two species were reported to have been imported in these years, namely the Korean blue ragworm Perinereis aibuhitensis and the American bloodworm Glycera dibranchiata. Imports of non-indigenous species, which are traded and sold alive, may increase the risk of accidental introduction into the wild. This is of special concern as Perinereis aibuhitensis has been successfully reared in captivity within the range of environmental conditions existing in the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon. Other risks associated with introduced species are the transport of foreign pathogens and other associated non-native organisms, which may act as carriers of disease.La importancia de la comercialización de los poliquetos aumentó de forma notable con el descubrimiento de su potencial como alimento en la acuicultura. En Portugal, la recogida de poliquetos únicamente de las poblaciones naturales no es suficiente para cubrir la demanda del mercado, que se centra tanto en cebo para la pesca con caña como en alimento para la acuicultura. En los últimos años, los pedidos de gusanos a los proveedores de poliquetos por parte de las piscifactorías portuguesas y españolas han aumentado. Debido a la ausencia de cultivos intensivos de estos gusanos en Portugal y a la proximidad de las piscifactorías del sur de España, una gran parte de los poliquetos importados que llegan a Portugal a través del Aeropuerto de Lisboa van directamente a España por carretera. En los años 2002 y 2003, un total de 12,728,379 y 16,866,839 poliquetos de China y EE.UU., respectivamente, fueron exportados a Europa vía el Aeropuerto de Lisboa. En el año 2003 estos dos orígenes representaron por este mismo orden, 716.180 y 291.845 dólares americanos. Las dos especies importadas durantes estos años fueron el gusano coreano Perinereis aibuhitensis y el americano Glycera dibranchiata. La importación de especies no autóctonas, que son comercializadas y vendidas vivas, puede incrementar el riesgo de ser introducidas accidentalmente en el ambiente. Esto es especialmente preocupante ya que la especie Perinereis aibuhitensis ha sido criada con éxito en cautividad en condiciones ambientales próximas a las encontradas en la laguna costera de Ria Formosa. Otros riesgos asociados con las especies introducidas son el transporte de patógenos extraños y otros organismos asociados no nativos, que pueden actuar como portadores de enfermedades.Peer reviewe

The market features of imported non-indigenous polychactes in Portugal and consequent ecological concerns

The importance of the market for polychaetes dramatically increased after the discovery of their potential as food in aquaculture. In Portugal, the gathering of polychaetes solely front natural populations is not sufficient to meet market demand, both as bait for sea anglers and as a food item in aquaculture. The requests for worms to polychaete dealers by Portuguese and Spanish seafarms have increased during recent years. Due to the lack Of intensive Culture of these worms in Portugal and the proximity of southern Spanish farms, a large component of imported polychaetes that arrive in Portugal at Lisbon Airport go directly to Spain by road. fit 2002 and 2003 a total of 12,728,379 and 16,866,839 polychaetes respectively were imported to Europe via Lisbon Airport from China and the USA. In 2003 the imports from China and the USA realised 716,180 and 291,845 US dollars respectively. Two species were reported to have been imported in these years, namely the Korean blue ragworm Perinereis aibuhitensis and the American bloodworm Glycera dibranchiata. Imports of non-indigenous species, which are traded and sold alive. may increase the risk of accidental introduction into the wild. This is of special concern as Perinereis aibuhitensis has been successfully reared in captivity within the range of environmental conditions existing in the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon. Other risks associated with introduced species are the transport of foreign pathogens and other associated non-native organisms, which may act as carriers of disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio