Laminaria japonica Extract Enhances Intestinal Barrier Function by Altering Inflammatory Response and Tight Junction-Related Protein in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Caco-2 Cells.

In the normal physiological state, intestinal epithelial cells act as a defensive frontline of host mucosal immunity to tolerate constant exposure to external stimuli. In this study, we investigated the potential anti-inflammatory and gut permeability protective effects of Laminaria japonica (LJ) water extract (LJE) and three types of fermented Laminaria japonica water extracts (LJE-F1, LJE-F2, and LJE-F3) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Caco-2, human intestinal epithelial cells. All four extracts significantly decreased the production of nitric oxide and interleukin-6 induced by LPS stimulus. In addition, LJE and the three types of LJE-Fs also inhibited LPS-induced loss of monolayer permeability, as assessed by changes in transepithelial electrical resistance. All four LJ extracts significantly prevented the inhibition of the protein levels of occludin, whereas LJE, LJE-F1, and LJE-F3 significantly attenuated the reduction in phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase compared with the LPS-treated group in Caco-2 cells. In conclusion, LJE and its fermented water extracts appear to have potential gut health-promoting effects by reducing inflammation and partially regulating the tight junction-related proteins in human intestinal epithelial cells. Thus, additional studies are warranted to evaluate Laminaria japonica as a therapeutic agent for inflammatory bowel diseases

Effect of mineral-enriched diet and medicinal herbs on Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu uptake in chicken

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The goal of our study was to evaluate the effects of different medicinal herbs rich in polyphenol (Lemon balm, Sage, St. John's wort and Small-flowered Willowherb) used as dietary supplements on bioaccumulation of some essential metals (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) in different chicken meats (liver, legs and breast).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In different type of chicken meats (liver, legs and breast) from chickens fed with diets enriched in minerals and medicinal herbs, beneficial metals (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) were analysed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Fe is the predominant metal in liver and Zn is the predominant metal in legs and breast chicken meats. The addition of metal salts in the feed influences the accumulations of all metals in the liver, legs and breast chicken meat with specific difference to the type of metal and meat. The greatest influences were observed in legs meat for Fe and Mn. Under the influence of polyphenol-rich medicinal herbs, accumulation of metals in the liver, legs and breast chicken meat presents specific differences for each medicinal herb, to the control group that received a diet supplemented with metal salts only. Great influence on all metal accumulation factors was observed in diet enriched with sage, which had significantly positive effect for all type of chicken meats.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Under the influence of medicinal herbs rich in different type of polyphenol, accumulation of metals in the liver, legs and breast chicken meat presents significant differences from the group that received a diet supplemented only with metal salts. Each medicinal herb from diet had a specific influence on the accumulation of metals and generally moderate or poor correlations were observed between total phenols and accumulation of metals. This may be due to antagonism between metal ions and presence of other chelating agents (amino acids and protein) from feeding diets which can act as competitor for complexation of metals and influence accumulation of metals in chicken meat.</p> <p><b>Graphical abstract</b></p

Analytical methods applied to diverse types of Brazilian propolis

Propolis is a bee product, composed mainly of plant resins and beeswax, therefore its chemical composition varies due to the geographic and plant origins of these resins, as well as the species of bee. Brazil is an important supplier of propolis on the world market and, although green colored propolis from the southeast is the most known and studied, several other types of propolis from Apis mellifera and native stingless bees (also called cerumen) can be found. Propolis is usually consumed as an extract, so the type of solvent and extractive procedures employed further affect its composition. Methods used for the extraction; analysis the percentage of resins, wax and insoluble material in crude propolis; determination of phenolic, flavonoid, amino acid and heavy metal contents are reviewed herein. Different chromatographic methods applied to the separation, identification and quantification of Brazilian propolis components and their relative strengths are discussed; as well as direct insertion mass spectrometry fingerprinting

Lymnaea schirazensis, an Overlooked Snail Distorting Fascioliasis Data: Genotype, Phenotype, Ecology, Worldwide Spread, Susceptibility, Applicability

BACKGROUND: Lymnaeid snails transmit medical and veterinary important trematodiases, mainly fascioliasis. Vector specificity of fasciolid parasites defines disease distribution and characteristics. Different lymnaeid species appear linked to different transmission and epidemiological patterns. Pronounced susceptibility differences to absolute resistance have been described among lymnaeid populations. When assessing disease characteristics in different endemic areas, unexpected results were obtained in studies on lymnaeid susceptibility to Fasciola. We undertook studies to understand this disease transmission heterogeneity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A ten-year study in Iran, Egypt, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru, demonstrated that such heterogeneity is not due to susceptibility differences, but to a hitherto overlooked cryptic species, Lymnaea schirazensis, confused with the main vector Galba truncatula and/or other Galba/Fossaria vectors. Nuclear rDNA and mtDNA sequences and phylogenetic reconstruction highlighted an old evolutionary divergence from other Galba/Fossaria species, and a low intraspecific variability suggesting a recent spread from one geographical source. Morphometry, anatomy and egg cluster analyses allowed for phenotypic differentiation. Selfing, egg laying, and habitat characteristics indicated a migration capacity by passive transport. Studies showed that it is not a vector species (n = 8572 field collected, 20 populations): snail finding and penetration by F. hepatica miracidium occur but never lead to cercarial production (n = 338 experimentally infected). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This species has been distorting fasciolid specificity/susceptibility and fascioliasis geographical distribution data. Hence, a large body of literature on G. truncatula should be revised. Its existence has henceforth to be considered in research. Genetic data on livestock, archeology and history along the 10,000-year post-domestication period explain its wide spread from the Neolithic Fertile Crescent. It is an efficient biomarker for the follow-up of livestock movements, a crucial aspect in fascioliasis emergence. It offers an outstanding laboratory model for genetic studies on susceptibility/resistance in F. hepatica/lymnaeid interaction, a field of applied research with disease control perspectives

Noonops.

48 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cm. Part of the oonopid PBI project. Cf. acknowledgments.A new genus, Noonops, is established to contain 23 species of soft-bodied, New World oonopine spiders that differ from those of Oonops Templeton and similar genera in having the male palpal bulb fused to the cymbium, and from those of Wanops Chamberlin and Ivie and Oonopoides Bryant in having shorter legs. Six specific names are transferred from Oonops to Noonops: O. floridanus (Chamberlin and Ivie) from Florida and Georgia (chosen as the type species), O. gertschi Chickering from the Bahama Islands (which is placed as a junior synonym of N. floridanus), O. furtivus Gertsch from Texas and Tamaulipas, O. sonora Gertsch and Davis from Arizona, California, Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, O. puebla Gertsch and Davis from Puebla, and O. chilapensis Chamberlin and Ivie from Guerrero. Males of N. sonora and females of N. furtivus are described for the first time; 18 new species are described: N. ocotillo, N. mortero, N. joshua, N. skinner, N. coachella, and N. californicus from Arizona and southern California and N. willisi, N. mesa, N. naci, N. tarantula, N. miraflores, N. culiacan, N. taxquillo, N. chapul, N. beattyi, N. iviei, N. tonila, and N. minutus from Mexico

The Electroencephalogram as a Biomarker Based on Signal Processing Using Nonlinear Techniques to Detect Dementia

Dementia being a syndrome caused by a brain disease of a chronic or progressive nature, in which the irreversible loss of intellectual abilities, learning, expressions arises; including memory, thinking, orientation, understanding and adequate communication, of organizing daily life and of leading a family, work and autonomous social life; leads to a state of total dependence; therefore, its early detection and classification is of vital importance in order to serve as clinical support for physicians in the personalization of treatment programs. The use of the electroencephalogram as a tool for obtaining information on the detection of changes in brain activities. This article reviews the types of cognitive spectrum dementia, biomarkers for the detection of dementia, analysis of mental states based on electromagnetic oscillations, signal processing given by the electroencephalogram, review of processing techniques, results obtained where it is proposed the mathematical model about neural networks, discussion and finally the conclusions

Cell wall-lytic activity in Chlorella fusca

The soluble fraction of homogenates of synchronous Chlorella fusca was tested for carbohydrate-lyzing activities. With isolated cell walls and beta-1,4-mannan or carboxymethyl cellulose as substrates, a sharp increase in activity occurred shortly before release of the daughter cells followed by a decline during release. The lytic activities were partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and analyzed by gel filtration on a calibrated column. Apparent molecular weights were 27,000 for cell wall autolysin(s) and beta-1,4-mannanase, 36,000 for carboxymethyl cellulase and gE70,000 for another beta-1,4-mannanase. Incubation of isolated cell walls with an enzyme preparation purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation resulted in release of up to 70% of the cell wall carbohydrate as monosaccharide, predominantly mannose and glucose. The carbohydrate released in vivo into the culture medium shortly before and during liberation of the daughter cells consisted largely of polymeric material with rhamnose, fucose and mannose as main constitutents. Upon poisoning the cells with NaN3 or carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxy-phenylhydrazone, however, a monosaccharide fraction consisting of mannose and glucose was predominant in the medium. It is suggested that the major products of cell wall lysis in vivo are monosaccharides which are rapidly taken up and metabolized by the developing daughter cells in an energy-dependent manner