Pineapple Fruit Extract Prolonged Lifespan and Endogenous Antioxidant Response in Drosophila melanogaster Exposed to Stress.

Free radical-induced cellular damage accelerates ageing. The WHO anticipated that 22% of the population will be over 60years by the year 2050 and 80% of those will live in low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC). It is, therefore, paramount to find local and readily available compounds that could reduce age-induced burden in LMIC. The methanol fruit extract of Ananas sativa and its fractions were evaluated for anti-ageing activity in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster w1118 flies. Experimental flies were fed on food supplemented with 5, 10, and 20mg/ml methanolic fruit pulp-juice extract lifespan, reproduction, learning, memory and stress resistance assays were evaluated. Phytochemical composition and the percentage inhibition of the fruit extract on 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH) were evaluated. Successive bioassay-guided fractionation was used to elucidate the fraction with higher bioactivity. There was a dose-dependent effect, significant at 20mg/ml of extract on lifespan, fertility and oxidative stress resistance (p < 0.05), but not on learning and memory (Tukey’s post hoc test, n =50 flies/group). Male and female % mean survival time were 6.3±0.7, 4.5±1.4 and 13.6±0.5%, and 4.3±0.4, 12.5±0.4 and 20.7±0.4% respectively. The IC50 value of the extract on DPPH was only three times that of Vitamin C, a known pure antioxidant. The Ethyl Acetate fraction increased stress resistance (p < 0.05), but the sub-fractions obtained did not show any anti-ageing activity at the concentrations tested. The methanol fruit extract of Ananas sativa possesses anti-ageing bioactivity through oxidative stress resistance in Drosophila melanogaster w1118 flies

Moringa oleifera Ameliorates Age-Related Memory Decline and Increases Endogenous Antioxidant Response in Drosophila melanogaster Exposed to Stress

Age-related dementia has been estimated to double every 20 years. Despite the nutritional value of Moringa oleifera Lam., its effect on age-related memory decline and its anti-ageing bioactive fractions are yet to be fully elucidated. In the present study, the crude methanol leaves extract of Moringa oleifera Lam. (MEMO) and its different fractions were screened for anti-ageing bioactivity in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster w1118 whiteflies. A day-old virgin flies were reared in food supplemented with different concentrations of the methanol leaves extract of Moringa oleifera at 1, 2, and 5mg/ml respectively. A sequential bioassay-guided fractionation approach was subsequently adopted. Treated flies were subjected to lifespan, reproductive performance, climbing, memory and oxidative stress resistance assays according to established protocols. There was a dose-dependent effect of the leaves extract on lifespan, reproductive performance, climbing activity and oxidative stress resistance as age progressed (P < 0.05). Mean survival times of treated male and female flies increased by 12.3±1.2, 15.5±1.0 and 26.6±0.4%, and 12.0±1.1, 17.5±0.8 and 24.3±0.8% respectively, relative to the control. There was a significant increase in memory scores of the 50-day old aged flies in the 5mg/ml group P < 0.0001. The Moringa Ethyl acetate (EA) fraction F2 gave the highest anti-ageing bioactivity in the flies (P < 0.05). The leaves extract showed an ameliorative effect on age-related memory decline and an increase in oxidative stress resistance in Drosophila melanogaster w1118 white flies without the commonly found adverse effect in reproductive performance

Born in the Mediterranean: Comprehensive Taxonomic Revision of Biscutella ser. Biscutella (Brassicaceae) Based on Morphological and Phylogenetic Data

Biscutella L. ser. Biscutella (= Biscutella ser. Lyratae Malin.) comprises mostly annual or short-lived perennial plants occurring in the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East, which exhibit some diagnostic floral features. Taxa in the series have considerable morphological plasticity, which is not well correlated with clear geographic or ecologic patterns. Traditional taxonomic accounts have focused on a number of vegetative and floral characters that have proved to be highly variable, a fact that contributed to taxonomic inflation mostly in northern Africa. A detailed study and re-evaluation of morphological characters, together with recent phylogenetic data based on concatenation of two plastid and one nuclear region sequence data, yielded the basis for a taxonomic reappraisal of the series. In this respect, a new comprehensive integrative taxonomic arrangement for Biscutella ser. Biscutella is presented in which 10 taxa are accepted, namely seven species and three additional varieties. The name B. eriocarpa DC. is reinterpreted and suggested to include the highest morphological variation found in northern Morocco. Its treatment here accepts two varieties, one of which is described as new (B. eriocarpa var. riphaea A. Vicente, M. Á. Alonso & M. B. Crespo). In addition, the circumscriptions of several species, such as B. boetica Boiss. & Reut., B. didyma L., B. lyrata L., and B. maritima Ten., are revisited. Nomenclatural types, synonymy, brief descriptions, cytogenetic data, conservation status, distribution maps, and identification keys are included for the accepted taxa, with seven lectotypes and one epitype being designated here.The FPU grant program (Mº de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Spanish Government) is kindly thanked for supporting A. V. This research was partly supported by the I+D+i research project CGL2011-30140 from Dirección General de Investigación, MICINN (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spanish Government), and the grants ACIE13–08, ACIE14–01, ACIE17–01, ACIE18–03, and PPI-2015 from the University of Alicante

Validación de un nombre en Biscutella (Brassicaceae) del este de la Península Ibérica

The name Biscutella marinae is applied to an endemic plant from co-astal sand-dune ecosystems of northern Alicante. It however was not published accor-ding to the Melbourne Code, and therefore it still remains nomenclaturally invalid. In the present contribution it is validated, and new data are reported that complete the available information on that endemic.El nombre Biscutella marinae se aplica a un endemismo de los ecosistemas de dunas costeras del norte de Alicante. Sin embargo, su publicación ini-cial no se hizo conforme al Codigo de Melbourne, por lo que dicho nombre no es váli-do nomenclaturalmente. Por ello, aquí se valida y se aportan datos que completan la in-formación existente sobre este endemismo.This work was partly supported by the I+D+i research project CGL2011–30140 from MICINN (Mº de Economía y Competitividad, Spanish Government). The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, New York, supported the type di-gitization for the Global Plant Initiative (GPI)

The genus Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) in Crete (Greece)

A report on the genus Tamarix (Tamaricaceae) in Crete is provided. The previously recorded taxa are compared with new collections made on the island and with vouchers found at different herbaria. Three species were fully confirmed: T. nilotica and T. parviflora, collected in the field, and T. smyrnensis, found only in herbarium vouchers. The other previously reported taxa, T. dalmatica, T. hampeana, T. pallasii and T. tetrandra were not found; T. dalmatica was erroneously reported, the record of T. hampeana represents a fourth species but its identity requires further study, records of T. pallasii are probably misidentifications of T. nilotica and/or T. smyrnensis, and the record of T. tetrandra probably refers to T. parviflora. The presence of T. nilotica is documented, confirming that it has been historically overlooked and mistaken for T. smyrnensis. A morphological comparison between T. nilotica and T. smyrnensis is provided in order to avoid further confusion and misidentifications. A dichotomous key for the Tamarix species reported in Crete is provided.The FPU programme (Mº de Educación, Spain), the I+D+I project CGL2008-05056 (Mº de Educación y Ciencia, Spanish Government) and complementary supporting funds ACIE10-01, ACIE11-05 and ACIE13-08 (University of Alicante, Spain) made this research possible

Reductive Elimination from Cyclometalated Platinum(IV) Complexes To Form Csp2−Csp3 Bonds and Subsequent Competition between Csp2−H and Csp3−H Bond Activation

Reductive elimination reactions of the cyclometalated platinum(IV) compounds [PtMe2Br{C6H4CH NCH2(4-ClC6H4)}L] (L = SMe2, PPh3) to form Csp3−Csp2 bonds, followed by either exclusive Csp2−H bond activation (L = SMe2) or competition between Csp2−H and Csp3−H bond activation (L = PPh3) are reported. Reductive elimination to form a C−Br bond is also reported.</p

Biscutella pseudolyrata (Brassicaceae, Biscutelleae), a new species endemic to NW Morocco based on morphological and molecular evidence

Biscutella pseudolyrata is described from the Atlantic coastal areas of NW Morocco, where several populations are known to occur in deep sandy soils at low elevation. It belongs to B. ser. Biscutella (B. ser. Lyratae, Brassicaceae) and is morphologically close to the Spanish endemic B. lyrata and the C Mediterranean B. maritima, two species to which it has sometimes been considered related and with which it shares a diploid chromosome number 2n = 16. Re-evaluation of morphological characters in the light of phylogenetic trees from plastid (rpl32-trnL and trnV) and nuclear (ITS region) DNA sequence data support description of those Moroccan populations as a new species, which is phylogenetically closer to the W Mediterranean B. boetica but morphologically quite easy to distinguish from it. Data on morphology, ecology and distribution are reported, and similarities and differences with regard to other members of the series are discussed.The FPU grant programme (Mº de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Spanish Government) is kindly thanked for supporting Alicia Vicente. This research was partly funded by the I+D+i research project CGL2011 – 30140 from Dirección Gral. de Investigación, MICINN (Mº de Economía y Competitividad, Spanish Government), and the grants ACIE14 – 01, ACIE16 – 03, ACIE17 – 01, ACIE18 – 03 and PPI-2015 from the University of Alicante

Taxonomic circumscription of the N African endemic Biscutella raphanifolia (Brassicaceae) based on morphological and molecular characters

Biscutella raphanifolia is a species distributed in N Algeria and Tunisia, characterized by the presence of large, lyrate basal leaves, amplexicaul cauline leaves, and paniculate-branched inflorescences. It has been traditionally considered the only perennial taxon from B. sect. Biscutella, lifespan being the strongest argument used to differentiate B. raphanifolia from other annual taxa such as B. algeriensis, B. confusa or B. didyma var. coriophora, with which it shares both morphological characters and distribution. Reevaluation of morphological characters in the light of phylogenetic trees from plastid (rpl32-trnL and trnV) and nuclear (ITS region) sequence data support a new circumscription of B. raphanifolia to include all those annual taxa. As a result, the new combination B. raphanifolia var. algeriensis is established, descriptions are provided for both varieties, and synonyms and lectotypes are indicated or designated for the names concerned.The FPU grant programme (M° de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Spanish Government) is kindly thanked for supporting Alicia Vicente. This research was partly supported by the I+D+i research project CGL2011-30140 from Dirección Gral, de Investigación, MICINN (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spanish Government), and the grants ACIE 13-08, ACIE 14-01 and PPI-2015 from the University of Alicante

Amphibians and reptiles as palaeonvironmental proxies during the Late Pleistocene (MIS3): The case of Stratigraphic Unit V of El Salt, Alcoi, Spain

The locality of El Salt (Alcoi, Spain) is a key site for understanding the extirpation of Neanderthals in the eastern part of Iberia. In this paper, we analyse an assemblage of amphibians and reptiles from Stratigraphic Unit V (45.2 ± 3.4 ka to 44.7 ± 3.4 ka), which corresponds to one of the last regional records of Neanderthals, to improve knowledge of the palaeoecology and palaeoclimate of this event. The assemblage comprises three anurans (Pelodytes sp., Alytes obstetricans, and Epidalea calamita), two lizards (Lacertidae indet. and Chalcides bedriagai), and five snakes (Colubridae indet., Coronella sp., Coronella sp./Zamenis sp., Natrix maura, and Vipera latastei). Palaeoclimatic reconstruction, based on the Mutual Ecogeographic Range method, indicates that climate was cooler and slightly wetter climate than the present day climate of the Alcoi area. Applying the Habitat Weighting Method, we infer that the area surrounding El Salt was dominated by open dry regions, alternating with rocky areas with scarce scrubs and forest patches that would have developed under mesomediterranean conditions. These results are not entirely consistent with those obtained with other proxies (charcoal and small mammal assemblages) from the same site, which suggest slightly warmer and drier conditions. We hypothesise that these divergences may be partly related to the current wide distribution of reptiles and amphibians across Iberia. A key finding is that the extirpation of the Neanderthals in Iberia coincided with aridification.Fil: Marquina Blasco, Rafael. Universidad de Valencia; España. Museu Valencià D’història Natural; EspañaFil: Fagoaga, Ana. Universidad de Valencia; España. Museu Valencià D’història Natural; EspañaFil: Crespo Roures, Vicente Daniel. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Museo Paleontológico de Alpuente; EspañaFil: Bailon, Salvador. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Francia. Histoire naturelle de l’Homme prehistorique; FranciaFil: Mallol, Carolina. Universidad de La Laguna; EspañaFil: Hernández, Cristo M.. Universidad de La Laguna; EspañaFil: Galván, Bertila. Universidad de La Laguna; EspañaFil: Ruiz Sánchez, Francisco Javier. Universidad de Valencia; España. Museu Valencià D’història Natural; España. Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena; Ecuado

Behavioral Biomarkers for Animal Health: A Case Study Using Animal-Attached Technology on Loggerhead Turtles

Vertebrates are recognized as sentient beings. Consequently, urgent priority is now being given to understanding the needs and maximizing the welfare of animals under human care. The general health of animals is most commonly determined by physiological indices e.g., blood sampling, but may also be assessed by documenting behavior. Physiological health assessments, although powerful, may be stressful for animals, time-consuming and costly, while assessments of behavior can also be time-consuming, subject to bias and suffer from a poorly defined link between behavior and health. However, behavior is recognized as having the potential to code for stress and well-being and could, therefore, be used as an indicator of health, particularly if the process of quantifying behavior could be objective, formalized and streamlined to be time efficient. This study used Daily Diaries (DDs) (motion-sensitive tags containing tri-axial accelerometers and magnetometers), to examine aspects of the behavior of bycaught loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta in various states of health. Although sample size limited statistical analysis, significant behavioral differences (in terms of activity level and turn rate) were found between “healthy” turtles and those with external injuries to the flippers and carapace. Furthermore, data visualization (spherical plots) clearly showed atypical orientation behavior in individuals suffering gas emboli and intestinal gas, without complex data analysis. Consequently, we propose that the use of motion-sensitive tags could aid diagnosis and inform follow-up treatment, thus facilitating the rehabilitation process. This is particularly relevant given the numerous rehabilitation programs for bycatch sea turtles in operation. In time, tag-derived behavioral biomarkers, TDBBs for health could be established for other species with more complex behavioral repertoires such as cetaceans and pinnipeds which also require rehabilitation and release. Furthermore, motion-sensitive data from animals under human care and wild conspecifics could be compared in order to define a set of objective behavioral states (including activity levels) for numerous species housed in zoos and aquaria and/or wild species to help maximize their welfare