58 research outputs found
Olfactory lateralization in homing pigeons: a GPS study on birds released with unilateral olfactory inputs
A large body of evidence has shown that pigeons rely on an olfactory-based navigational map when homing from unfamiliar
locations. Previous studies on pigeons released with one nostril occluded highlighted an asymmetry in favour of the right nostril,
particularly concerning the initial orientation performance of naïve birds. Nevertheless, all pigeons experiencing only unilateral
olfactory input showed impaired homing, regardless of the side of the occluded nostril. So far this phenomenon has been
documented only by observing the birds’ vanishing bearings. In the present work we recorded the flight tracks of pigeons with
previous homing experience equipped with a GPS data logger and released from an unfamiliar location with the right or the left
nostril occluded. The analysis of the tracks revealed that the flight path of the birds with the right nostril occluded was more
tortuous than that of unmanipulated controls. Moreover, the pigeons smelling with the left nostril interrupted their journey
significantly more frequently and displayed more exploratory activity than the control birds, e.g. during flights around a stopover
site. These data suggest a more important involvement of the right olfactory system in processing the olfactory information
needed for the operation of the navigational map
Homing Pigeons Only Navigate in Air with Intact Environmental Odours: A Test of the Olfactory Activation Hypothesis with GPS Data Loggers
A large body of evidence has shown that anosmic pigeons are impaired in their navigation. However, the role of odours in navigation is still subject to debate. While according to the olfactory navigation hypothesis homing pigeons possess a navigational map based on the distribution of environmental odours, the olfactory activation hypothesis proposes that odour perception is only needed to activate a navigational mechanism based on cues of another nature. Here we tested experimentally whether the perception of artificial odours is sufficient to allow pigeons to navigate, as expected from the olfactory activation hypothesis. We transported three groups of pigeons in air-tight containers to release sites 53 and 61 km from home in three different olfactory conditions. The Control group received natural environmental air; both the Pure Air and the Artificial Odour groups received pure air filtered through an active charcoal filter. Only the Artificial Odour group received additional puffs of artificial odours until release. We then released pigeons while recording their tracks with 1 Hz GPS data loggers. We also followed non-homing pigeons using an aerial data readout to a Cessna plane, allowing, for the first time, the tracking of non-homing homing pigeons. Within the first hour after release, the pigeons in both the Artificial Odour and the Pure Air group (receiving no environmental odours) showed impaired navigational performances at each release site. Our data provide evidence against an activation role of odours in navigation, and document that pigeons only navigate well when they perceive environmental odours
Lactic acid fermentation as a tool to enhance the antioxidant properties of Myrtus communis berries
Background: Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is a medicinal and aromatic plant belonging to Myrtaceae family, which
is largely diffused in the Mediterranean areas and mainly cultivated in Tunisia and Italy. To the best of our knowledge, no
studies have already considered the use of the lactic acid fermentation to enhance the functional features of M.
communis. This study aimed at using a selected lactic acid bacterium for increasing the antioxidant features of myrtle
berries, with the perspective of producing a functional ingredient, dietary supplement or pharmaceutical preparation.
The antioxidant activity was preliminarily evaluated through in vitro assays, further confirmed through ex vivo analysis on
murine fibroblasts, and the profile of phenol compounds was characterized.
Results: Myrtle berries homogenate, containing yeast extract (0.4%, wt/vol), was fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum
C2, previously selected from plant matrix. Chemically acidified homogenate, without bacterial inoculum and incubated
under the same conditions, was used as the control. Compared to the control, fermented myrtle homogenate exhibited
a marked antioxidant activity in vitro. The radical scavenging activity towards DPPH increased by 30%, and the
inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation was twice. The increased antioxidant activity was confirmed using Balb 3 T3
mouse fibroblasts, after inducing oxidative stress, and determining cell viability and radical scavenging activity
through MTT and DCFH-DA assays, respectively. The lactic acid fermentation allowed increased concentrations of total
phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins, which were 5–10 times higher than those found for the non-fermented and
chemically acidified control. As shown by HPLC analysis, the main increases were found for gallic and ellagic acids, and
flavonols (myricetin and quercetin). The release of these antioxidant compounds would be strictly related to the
esterase activities of L. plantarum.
Conclusions: The lactic acid fermentation of myrtle berries is a suitable tool for novel applications as functional
food dietary supplements or pharmaceutical preparations
Effects of in vitro metabolism of a broccoli leachate, glucosinolates and S-methylcysteine sulphoxide on the human faecal microbiome
Purpose: Brassica are an important food source worldwide and are characterised by the presence of compounds called glucosinolates. Studies indicate that the glucosinolate derived bioactive metabolite sulphoraphane can elicit chemoprotective benefits on human cells. Glucosinolates can be metabolised in vivo by members of the human gut microbiome, although the prevalence of this activity is unclear. Brassica and Allium plants also contain S-methylcysteine sulphoxide (SMCSO), that may provide additional health benefits but its metabolism by gut bacteria is not fully understood. Methods: We examined the effects of a broccoli leachate (BL) on the composition and function of human faecal microbiomes of five different participants under in vitro conditions. Bacterial isolates from these communities were then tested for their ability to metabolise glucosinolates and SMCSO. Results: Microbial communities cultured in vitro in BL media were observed to have enhanced growth of lactic acid bacteria, such as lactobacilli, with a corresponding increase in the levels of lactate and short-chain fatty acids. Members of Escherichia isolated from these faecal communities were found to bioconvert glucosinolates and SMCSO to their reduced analogues. Conclusion: This study uses a broccoli leachate to investigate the bacterial-mediated bioconversion of glucosinolates and SMCSO, which may lead to further products with additional health benefits to the host. We believe that this is the first study that shows the reduction of the dietary compound S-methylcysteine sulphoxide by bacteria isolated from human faeces
Adherence issues related to sublingual immunotherapy as perceived by allergists
Objectives: Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is a viable alternative to subcutaneous immunotherapy to treat allergic rhinitis and asthma, and is widely used in clinical practice in many European countries. The clinical efficacy of SLIT has been established in a number of clinical trials and meta-analyses. However, because SLIT is self-administered by patients without medical supervision, the degree of patient adherence with treatment is still a concern. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perception by allergists of issues related to SLIT adherence. Methods: We performed a questionnaire-based survey of 296 Italian allergists, based on the adherence issues known from previous studies. The perception of importance of each item was assessed by a VAS scale ranging from 0 to 10. Results: Patient perception of clinical efficacy was considered the most important factor (ranked 1 by 54% of allergists), followed by the possibility of reimbursement (ranked 1 by 34%), and by the absence of side effects (ranked 1 by 21%). Patient education, regular follow-up, and ease of use of SLIT were ranked first by less than 20% of allergists. Conclusion: These findings indicate that clinical efficacy, cost, and side effects are perceived as the major issues influencing patient adherence to SLIT, and that further improvement of adherence is likely to be achieved by improving the patient information provided by prescribers. © 2010 Scurati et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd
Exposure of stallions to mycotoxin zearalenone and its in vitro effect on sperm chromatin structure stability (SCSA)
Fully automated [18F] fluorocholine synthesis in the TracerLab MxFDG Coincidence Synthesizer
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Assessment of viability, chromatin structure stability, mitochondrial function and motility of stallion fresh sperm by using objective methodologies
Methodologies, such as flow cytometry and computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA), provide
objective, reproducible, rapid and multi-parametric evaluation of semen quality. In this study, semen
samples collected from six stallions were analysed for viability (by propidium iodide), chromatin
stability by sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and mitochondrial membrane potential by JC-1
using flow cytometry. Total and progressive motility, average path velocity (VAP), curvilinear velocity
(VCL) and straight-line velocity (VSL) were determined by CASA system. The cytofluorimetric analysis
provided results with low intra-assay variability respect to motility analysis by CASA system. The data
on viability and mitochondrial assessment were rather uniform between stallions. The SCSA was able
to distinguish potential fertility levels between stallions. In fact statistical differences were found
between stallions especially for %-DFI and SD-DFI parameter. The %-DFI parameter was negatively
correlated with VCL parameter. The higher repeatability of %-DFI parameter respect to those of other
SCSA parameters confirms the importance of this parameter notoriously related to fertility. In
conclusion, the simultaneous assessment of different functional sperm parameters, by flow cytometry
and CASA, may be allow to obtain detailed and repeatable evaluations of sperm quality in the stallion,
usually not considered in breeding selection programs
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