39 research outputs found
Growth performance, in vitro antioxidant properties and chemical composition of the halophyte Limonium algarvense Erben are strongly influenced by the irrigation salinity
Limonium algarvense Erben (sea lavender) is a halophyte species with potential to provide natural ingredients with in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and antidiabetic properties. This study reports for the first time the 1) cultivation of sea lavender in greenhouse conditions under irrigation with freshwater (approx. 0 mM NaCl) and saline aquaculture wastewater (300 and 600 mM NaCl), and 2) the influence of the irrigation salinity on the plant performance (e.g growth, number of produced leaves and flowers), in vitro antioxidant properties [radical scavenging activity (DPPH and ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), metal chelating properties on copper (CCA) and iron (ICA)], toxicity (in vitro on three mammalian cell lines) and chemical composition (determined by LC-ESI-HRMS/MS). The freshwater-irrigated plants had better growth performance than those irrigated with saltwater. Extracts from wild plants, had the highest antioxidant activity, but those from cultivated ones kept high in vitro antioxidant properties and interesting chemical profile. The flowers' extracts of plants irrigated with 300 mM NaCl had the highest antioxidant activities against DPPH, whereas those from freshwater-irrigated plants were more active on ABTS, CCA and FRAP. Most of the extracts showed nil toxicity. The flowers' extracts displayed the highest diversity of compounds, mainly quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, naringenin and their glycoside derivatives. Moreover, their abundance varied with the irrigation salinity. These data indicate that sea lavender plants can be successfully cultivated in greenhouse conditions under fresh- and saltwater irrigation, maintaining interesting biological and chemical properties.Funding Agency
Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology
Portuguese National Budget
CCMAR/Multi/04326/2019
GreenVet project
ALG-01-0145-FEDER-028876
XtrerneAquaCrops
FA-05-2017-028
Lisboa-01-0145-FEDER-022125-RNEM-IST
ID/QUI/00100/201
Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology
SFRH/BD/116604/2016
CEECIND/00425/2017info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Toxicological findings and manner of death in autopsied users of anabolic androgenic steroids
With the aim to characterize patterns in toxicological profile and manner of death in deceased users of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), a retrospective autopsy protocol study of 52 deceased users of AAS was undertaken. The AAS users were compared to 68 deceased users of amphetamine and/or heroin who were consecutively tested and found to be negative for AAS. Use of AAS was in the majority of cases (79%) associated with concomitant use of psychotropic substances. AAS-related deaths differed in several respects from deaths among users of heroin or amphetamine, most strikingly with regard to: (a) the median age at death, which was significantly lower for AAS users (24.5 years) than for users of heroin and/or amphetamine (34 and 40 years, respectively); (b) the manner of death, with AAS users dying significantly more often from homicide or suicide than users of other drugs; and (c) the body mass index (BMI), with AAS users exhibiting significantly higher BMI than users of other drugs. These results support the earlier reported association between use of AAS and use of other psychoactive substances. In addition, the data suggest that AAS users are more likely to become involved in incidents leading to violent death and have a higher risk of dying at a younger age than users of other drugs. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved
Substantial advantage of a combined Bayesian and genotyping approach in testosterone doping tests.
Testosterone abuse is conventionally assessed by the urinary testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio, levels above 4.0 being considered suspicious. A deletion polymorphism in the gene coding for UGT2B17 is strongly associated with reduced testosterone glucuronide (TG) levels in urine. Many of the individuals devoid of the gene would not reach a T/E ratio of 4.0 after testosterone intake. Future test programs will most likely shift from population based- to individual-based T/E cut-off ratios using Bayesian inference. A longitudinal analysis is dependent on an individual's true negative baseline T/E ratio. The aim was to investigate whether it is possible to increase the sensitivity and specificity of the T/E test by addition of UGT2B17 genotype information in a Bayesian framework. A single intramuscular dose of 500mg testosterone enanthate was given to 55 healthy male volunteers with either two, one or no allele (ins/ins, ins/del or del/del) of the UGT2B17 gene. Urinary excretion of TG and the T/E ratio was measured during 15 days. The Bayesian analysis was conducted to calculate the individual T/E cut-off ratio. When adding the genotype information, the program returned lower individual cut-off ratios in all del/del subjects increasing the sensitivity of the test considerably. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to discriminate between a true negative baseline T/E value and a false negative one without knowledge of the UGT2B17 genotype. UGT2B17 genotype information is crucial, both to decide which initial cut-off ratio to use for an individual, and for increasing the sensitivity of the Bayesian analysis
Thermoresponsive Semicrystalline Poly(ε-caprolactone) Networks: Exploiting Cross-linking with Cinnamoyl Moieties to Design Polymers with Tunable Shape Memory
The overall goal of this study was to synthesize semicrystalline
poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) copolymer networks with stimuli-responsive
shape memory behavior. Herein, we investigate the influence of a cinnamoyl
moiety to design shape memory polymer networks with tunable transition
temperatures. The effect of various copolymer architectures (random
or ABA triblock), the molecular weight of the crystalline domains,
PCL diol, <i>(M</i><sub>w</sub> 1250 or 2000 g mol<sup>–1</sup>) and its composition in the triblock (50 or 80 mol %) were also
investigated. The polymer microstructures were confirmed by NMR, DSC,
WAXS and UV–vis spectroscopic techniques. The thermal and mechanical
properties and the cross-linking density of the networks were characterized
by DSC, tensile testing and solvent swelling, respectively. Detailed
thermomechanical investigations conducted using DMA showed that shape
memory behavior was obtained only in the ABA triblock copolymers.
The best shape memory fixity, <i>R</i><sub>f</sub> of ∼99%
and shape recovery, <i>R</i><sub>r</sub> of ∼99%
was obtained when PCL diol with <i>M</i><sub>w</sub> 2000
g mol<sup>–1</sup> was incorporated in the triblock copolymer
at a concentration of 50 mol %. The series of triblock copolymers
with PCL at 50 mol % also showed mechanical properties with tunable
shape memory transition temperatures, ranging from 54 °C to close
to body temperature. Our work establishes a general design concept
for inducing a shape memory effect into any semicrystalline polyester
network. More specifically, it can be applied to systems which have
the highest transition temperature closest to the application temperature.
An advantage of our novel copolymers is their ability to be cross-linked
with UV radiation without any initiator or chemical cross-linker.
Possible applications are envisioned in the area of endovascular treatment
of ischemic stroke and cerebrovascular aneurysms, and for femoral
stents
Thermoresponsive Semicrystalline Poly(ε-caprolactone) Networks: Exploiting Cross-linking with Cinnamoyl Moieties to Design Polymers with Tunable Shape Memory
The overall goal of this study was to synthesize semicrystalline
poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) copolymer networks with stimuli-responsive
shape memory behavior. Herein, we investigate the influence of a cinnamoyl
moiety to design shape memory polymer networks with tunable transition
temperatures. The effect of various copolymer architectures (random
or ABA triblock), the molecular weight of the crystalline domains,
PCL diol, <i>(M</i><sub>w</sub> 1250 or 2000 g mol<sup>–1</sup>) and its composition in the triblock (50 or 80 mol %) were also
investigated. The polymer microstructures were confirmed by NMR, DSC,
WAXS and UV–vis spectroscopic techniques. The thermal and mechanical
properties and the cross-linking density of the networks were characterized
by DSC, tensile testing and solvent swelling, respectively. Detailed
thermomechanical investigations conducted using DMA showed that shape
memory behavior was obtained only in the ABA triblock copolymers.
The best shape memory fixity, <i>R</i><sub>f</sub> of ∼99%
and shape recovery, <i>R</i><sub>r</sub> of ∼99%
was obtained when PCL diol with <i>M</i><sub>w</sub> 2000
g mol<sup>–1</sup> was incorporated in the triblock copolymer
at a concentration of 50 mol %. The series of triblock copolymers
with PCL at 50 mol % also showed mechanical properties with tunable
shape memory transition temperatures, ranging from 54 °C to close
to body temperature. Our work establishes a general design concept
for inducing a shape memory effect into any semicrystalline polyester
network. More specifically, it can be applied to systems which have
the highest transition temperature closest to the application temperature.
An advantage of our novel copolymers is their ability to be cross-linked
with UV radiation without any initiator or chemical cross-linker.
Possible applications are envisioned in the area of endovascular treatment
of ischemic stroke and cerebrovascular aneurysms, and for femoral
stents