Galactoglucomannan-rich hemicellulose extract from Norway spruce (Picea abies) exerts beneficial effects on chronic prostatic inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms in vivo

Galactoglucomannan (GGM) is the main hemicellulose class in wood of coniferous trees and could be potentially utilized as a possible health-promoting substance for food and pharmaceutical industry. Our aim was to evaluate effects of orally administered GGM-rich extract from Norway spruce in a rat model of chronic prostatitis associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Prostatic inflammation and LUTS was induced in male rats using testosterone and 17 beta-estradiol exposure for 18 weeks. Rats were treated with 2% GGM dissolved in drinking water during weeks 13-18. Pelvic pain response, LUT function and histopathological evaluation of the prostate were assessed. The results show that hormonal exposure induced LUTS seen as decreased urine flow rate, increased bladder pressure, voiding times, bladder capacity and residual urine volumes. GGM had positive effects on urodynamical parameters by decreasing the basal bladder pressure, increasing the urine flow rate and volume, reducing the residual volume and increasing micturition intervals. GGM reduced the extent of the hormone exposure-induced prostatic inflammation. Increase of pelvic pain induced by hormone exposure was only slightly affected by GGM treatment. The results suggest that orally administered GGM may have potential usage for improving lower urinary tract function associated with chronic prostatic inflammation. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Cryoultramicrotomy and Immunocytochemistry in the Analysis of Muscle Fine Structure

Cryoultramicrotomy, which avoids the use of harsh fixation procedures, deleterious dehydration and plastic embedding can be combined with immunocytochemis try to determine the ultra-structural localization of cellular proteins. Our attempts to use the cryosectioning technique in combination with immunolabelling to bridge the gap between light and electron microscopic analysis of muscle morphology have enabled us to obtain new information on fibre typing at the ultrastructural level. Furthermore, we have obtained a marked improvement in the resolution of myofibrillar structures by using semithin cryosections for fluorescence microscopy. Data are also presented on correlated light and electron microscope immunocytochemistry of myocardial intermediate filaments confirming the presence of longitudinally oriented intermediate filaments of desmin in the region of the intercalated discs of mammalian cardiac myocytes, whereas elsewhere in the myocyte the bulk of intermediate filaments of desmin is concentrated in the intermyofibrillar space at the level of the Z disc

Approaches in biotechnological applications of natural polymers

Natural polymers, such as gums and mucilage, are biocompatible, cheap, easily available and non-toxic materials of native origin. These polymers are increasingly preferred over synthetic materials for industrial applications due to their intrinsic properties, as well as they are considered alternative sources of raw materials since they present characteristics of sustainability, biodegradability and biosafety. As definition, gums and mucilages are polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates consisting of one or more monosaccharides or their derivatives linked in bewildering variety of linkages and structures. Natural gums are considered polysaccharides naturally occurring in varieties of plant seeds and exudates, tree or shrub exudates, seaweed extracts, fungi, bacteria, and animal sources. Water-soluble gums, also known as hydrocolloids, are considered exudates and are pathological products; therefore, they do not form a part of cell wall. On the other hand, mucilages are part of cell and physiological products. It is important to highlight that gums represent the largest amounts of polymer materials derived from plants. Gums have enormously large and broad applications in both food and non-food industries, being commonly used as thickening, binding, emulsifying, suspending, stabilizing agents and matrices for drug release in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In the food industry, their gelling properties and the ability to mold edible films and coatings are extensively studied. The use of gums depends on the intrinsic properties that they provide, often at costs below those of synthetic polymers. For upgrading the value of gums, they are being processed into various forms, including the most recent nanomaterials, for various biotechnological applications. Thus, the main natural polymers including galactomannans, cellulose, chitin, agar, carrageenan, alginate, cashew gum, pectin and starch, in addition to the current researches about them are reviewed in this article.. }To the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientfíico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for fellowships (LCBBC and MGCC) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nvíel Superior (CAPES) (PBSA). This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) (JAT)