Ophthalmological lesion in a wild individual of Mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax)

In spite of the amount of anatomical studies that have been made in regards to the amphibian eye, relatively little has been written about clinical manifestations or diseases affecting the eye in amphibians. Moreover, the majority of research has focused on ocular diseases or lesions of amphibians kept in captivity. We report on a wild Mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax), a critically endangered species, with an ophthalmological lesion in the left eye and try to reach a possible differential diagnosis for it. We intend to bridge the available knowledge on this topic and understand the problems affecting wild individuals

Spatial Ecology of an Arboreal Iguana (Oplurus cyclurus) in a Treeless Landscape

Understanding the spatial ecology of species has important implications for conservation, as it helps identify suitable habitats and minimum requirements for biodiversity monitoring and management. The spiny-tailed lizard Oplurus cyclurus is a widespread endemic iguanid occurring in dry areas of southern and western Madagascar. While the species is known to be mostly arboreal, populations of the Isalo sandstone massif suggest local adaptation to a less forested savannah and a more exposed habitat. We radio-tracked 19 spiny-tailed lizards to investigate the species’ rock-dwelling behaviour and spatial ecology at Isalo National Park. Tracked individuals showed high site and burrow fidelity, and a basking behaviour mostly tied to the accessibility of their burrow, the time of day, and their life stage. Activity peaked during the sunniest hours, while juveniles were more active than adults with unfavourable weather conditions. Despite high burrow fidelity, lizards used shelters non-exclusively, regularly changing (approx. once a week) with neighbouring burrows (average distance between burrows = 13.6 m). However, there was no obvious relation between lizards’ body and/or tail size and the width and depth of selected burrows. Dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models estimated frequented areas over 247.8 m2 (95% isopleth), where territorial overlap is common. Our results challenge the notion that burrow-site fidelity is the sole driving factor behind space utilization in the studied population. We argue that the apparently unusual saxicolous habits imposed by habitat features (the absence of trees) may lead to local behavioural adjustments influencing antipredatory and foraging strategies, as well as intraspecific interactions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cave-Dwelling Populations of the Monstrous Rainfrog (Craugastor pelorus) from Mexico

Amphibians are known cave dwellers, and a few anurans have shown to make exploratory or opportunistic use of subterranean environments. We report on the use of karst ecosystems and cavernicolous environments by the monstrous rainfrog Craugastor pelorus in Chiapas and Tabasco (Mexico). Individuals were found in crevices and wall depressions within the twilight zone of the cave, both during the day and at night. Although threatened by human activities and often severely understudied, caves are the last refugia for some endangered species. This report allows us to extend the known distribution of the species, increase our knowledge on a threatened species, and better understand the biodiversity and ecology of cave environments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Anti-aging activity of Lobophora variegata ethanolic and methanolic extracts and their fractions

Conference Report XVI International Symposium on Marine Natural Products | XI European Conference on Marine Natural Products, 1-5 September 2019, Peniche, Portugal.Seaweed have promising applications within food, cosmetic and health industries, which led to an increased interest in studying these organisms [1]. In several coastal areas, thousands of tons of macroalgae are cast on beaches and shorelines and it would be very interesting if this biomass could be managed, allowing the extraction of added-value compounds. In this context, polar extracts (methanol and ethanol) of a macroalgal beach cast sample mainly composed of “Lobophora variegate” were prepared and the anti-aging and antioxidant activities were evaluated. The preliminary results showed interesting results, and thus these crude extracts were then fractionated sequentially by their solubility in dichloromethane, acetone and ethyl acetate, resulting in 4 semi-pure fractions each, which were also tested. Fractions A1.1.1 and A1.2.3 were very good tyrosinase inhibitors (IC₅₀ = 37.87 and 24.01 μg/mL, respectively) and fractions A1.1.2 and A1.2.2 presented very good inhibition of elastase (IC₅₀ = 44.76 and 20.86 μg/mL, respectively). However, none of the fractions was active against collagenase. These results show that further purifications of these fractions can lead to the isolation of bioactive added-value compounds.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phytochemicals with Added Value from Morella and Myrica Species

Terrestrial plants, due to their sessile nature, are highly exposed to environmental pressure and therefore need to produce very effective molecules that enable them to survive all the threats. Myrica and Morella (Myricaceae) are taxonomically close genera, which include species of trees or shrubs with edible fruits that exhibit relevant uses in traditional medicine. For instance, in Chinese or Japanese folk medicine, they are used to treat diarrhea, digestive problems, headache, burns, and skin diseases. A wide array of compounds isolated from different parts of Myrica and/or Morella species possess several biological activities, like anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and cardio-/neuro-/hepatoprotective activities, both in vitro and in vivo, with myricanol, myricitrin, quercitrin, and betulin being the most promising. There are still many other compounds isolated from both genera whose biological activities have not been evaluated, which represents an excellent opportunity to discover new applications for those compounds and valorize Morella/Myrica species.This research was funded by FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, supporting G.P.R.'s grant (SFRH/BD/144446/2019) as well by FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, the European Union, QREN, FEDER, and COMPETE, through funding the cE3c center (UIDB/00329/2020) and the LAQV-REQUIMTE (UIDB/50006/2020). Funded by RTI2018-094356-B-C21 Spanish MINECO project, co-funded by European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Resolving a taxonomic and nomenclatural puzzle in mantellid frogs: synonymization of Gephyromantis azzurrae with G. corvus, and description of Gephyromantis kintana sp. nov. from the Isalo Massif, western Madagascar

The genus Gephyromantis belongs to the species-rich family Mantellidae and is currently divided in six subgenera. Among these is the subgenus Phylacomantis, which currently includes four described species: Gephyromantis pseudoasper, G. corvus, G. azzurrae, and G. atsingy. The latter three species are distributed in western Madagascar, and two of them (G. azzurrae and G. corvus) occur in the Isalo Massif. Based on the analysis of molecular data (a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene), morphological inspection of museum specimens, and photographic comparisons, G. azzurrae is synonymised with G. corvus and the second Phylacomantis lineage of Isalo is described as G. kintana sp. nov. This medium-sized frog species (adult snout-vent length 35–44 mm) is assigned to this subgenus according to genetic and morphological similarities to the other known species of Phylacomantis. Gephyromantis kintana sp. nov. is known only from the Isalo Massif, while new records for G. corvus extend its range to ca. 200 km off its currently known distribution. These two taxa seem to occur in syntopy in at least one locality in Isalo, and the easiest way to distinguish them is the inspection of the ventral colouration, dark in G. corvus and dirty white in G. kintana.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Green and Simple Protocol for Extraction and Application of a Peroxidase-Rich Enzymatic Extract

Recently there is a great social expectation that scientists should produce more sustainable and environmentally friendly chemical processes. Within this necessity, biocatalysis presents many attractive features because reactions are often performed in water, under mild conditions, the catalyst is biodegradable and can be obtained from renewable raw materials. In this work, we propose a simple, rapid and low-cost method for the preparation and application of an enzymatic extract from turnip root. The protocol described includes (1) the preparation of the enzymatic extract, (2) the procedure for the assessment of the more favorable working parameters (temperature, pH) and (3) the methodology for the application of the extract as the catalyst for biotransformation reactions. We anticipate that the protocol in this research will provide a simple way for obtaining an enzymatic extract which can operate efficiently under mild conditions and can effectively catalyze the biotransformation of simple phenols.This research was funded by FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, the European Union, QREN, FEDER, COMPETE, by funding the cE3c centre (UIDB/00329/2020), the LAQV-REQUIMTE (UIDB/50006/2020) and QOPNA (FCT UID/QUI/00062/2019) research units.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Uncovering the herpetological diversity of small forest fragments in south-eastern Madagascar (Haute Matsiatra)

Madagascar has historically suffered from high fragmentation of forested habitats, often leading to biodiversity loss. Neverthless, forest fragments still retain high levels of biological diversity. The Haute Matsiatra Region (south-eastern Madagascar) hosts the renowned Andringitra National Park and several surrounding isolated forest fragments embedded in a matrix of human-dominated landscape. During a herpetological survey conducted in the Region, we visited a total of 25 sites. We applied a molecular taxonomic approach to identify the collected material and generate new reference sequences to improve the molecular identification of Malagasy herpetofauna. We identified a total of 28 amphibian and 38 squamate taxa and provided a systematic account for each one of them. Nine of the identified taxa are candidate species, amongst which one was newly identified. We extended the known distributional range of 21 taxa (nine amphibians and 12 squamates). Although the largest forest fragments hold a higher number of species, we also detected a relatively high herpetological diversity in small patches. Our results highlight the importance of investigating small forest fragments to contribute to a better understanding of the patterns of diversity and distribution of the amphibians and reptiles of Madagascar.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Non-Lethal Detection of Ranavirus in Fish

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A new stump-toed frog from the transitional forests of NW Madagascar (Anura, Microhylidae, Cophylinae, Stumpffia)

Volume: 933Start Page: 139-16