Lipid-Based Nanosystems for the Topical Application of Ferulic Acid: A Comparative Study

In this study, we examined and compared two different lipid-based nanosystems (LBNs), namely Transferosomes (TFs) and Monoolein Aqueous Dispersions (MADs), as delivery systems for the topical application of Ferulic Acid (FA), an antioxidant molecule derived from natural sources. Our results, as demonstrated through Franz-cell experiments, indicate that the LBNs produced with poloxamer 188 in their composition create a multilamellar system. This system effectively controls the release of the drug. Nonetheless, we found that the type of non-ionic surfactant can impact the drug release rate. Regarding FA diffusion from the MAD, this showed a lower diffusion rate compared with the TF. In terms of an in vivo application, patch tests revealed that all LBN formulations tested were safe when applied under occlusive conditions for 48 h. Ad-ditionally, human skin biopsies were used to determine whether FA-containing formulations could influence skin tissue morphology or provide protection against O3 exposure. Analyses sug-gest that treatment with TFs composed of poloxamer 188 and MAD formulations might protect against structural skin damage (as observed in hematoxylin/eosin staining) and the development of an oxidative environment (as indicated by 4-hyroxinonenal (4HNE) expression levels) induced by O3 exposure. In contrast, formulations without the active ingredient did not offer protection against the detrimental effects of O3 exposur

Urophyseal control of plasma ionic concentration in Oreochromis mossambicus (Pisces) exposed to osmotic stress

Freshwater-and seawater-adapted Oreochromis mossambicus were submitted to 5 different treatments (urophysectomy, sham operation, urophyseal extract injection, saline injection and control) and transferred to brackish water. In freshwater – adapted fish transfarred to brackish water, urophysectomy increases plasma Na+, K+, Ca+ and osmotic concentrations. In seawater-adapted fish transferred to brackish water, plasma Na+ and K+ concentration were lower in control than other treatment group. The utophysis seems to act only in the “fine tuning” of osmoregulatory processes. Adaptations to changes in the salinity of the medium probably are regulated mainly by prolactin and cortisol.Exemplares de Oreochromis mossambicus adaptados à água doce e à água salgada foram submetidos a 5 tratamentos diferentes (urofisectomia, operação testemunho, injeção de extrato urofisário, injeção de salina e controle) e transferidos para água salobra. os peixes adaptados à água doce transferidos para água salobra a urofisectomia aumenta as concentrações de Na+, K+, Ca++ e osmótica do plasma. Em peixes adaptados à água salgada transferidos para água salobra as concentrações plasmáticas de Na+ e K+ são mais baixas no grupo controle do que nos outros grupos experimentais. A urófise parece atuar apenas no "ajuste fino" dos processos osmorregulatórios. A adaptação às mudanças de salinidade do meio provavelmente são reguladas principalmente pela prolactina e pelo cortisol

Biochemical parameters of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) after transport with eugenol or essential oil of Lippia alba added to the water

The transport of live fish is a routine practice in aquaculture and constitutes a considerable source of stress to the animals. The addition of anesthetic to the water used for fish transport can prevent or mitigate the deleterious effects of transport stress. This study investigated the effects of the addition of eugenol (EUG) (1.5 or 3.0 mu L L-1) and essential oil of Lippia alba (EOL) (10 or 20 mu L L-1) on metabolic parameters (glycogen, lactate and total protein levels) in liver and muscle, acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) in muscle and brain, and the levels of protein carbonyl (PC), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and nonprotein thiol groups (NPSH) and activity of glutathione-S-transferase in the liver of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen; Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) transported for four hours in plastic bags (loading density of 169.2 g L-1). The addition of various concentrations of EUG (1.5 or 3.0 mu L L-1) and EOL (10 or 20 mu L L-1) to the transport water is advisable for the transportation of silver catfish, since both concentrations of these substances increased the levels of NPSH antioxidant and decreased the TBARS levels in the liver. In addition, the lower liver levels of glycogen and lactate in these groups and lower AChE activity in the brain (EOL 10 or 20 mu L L-1) compared to the control group indicate that the energetic metabolism and neurotransmission were lower after administration of anesthetics, contributing to the maintenance of homeostasis and sedation status.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS/PRONEX) [10/0016-8]; Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Cientifico (CNPq) [470964/2009-0]; Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES); CNPqinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

TOXICITY OF TAGETES MINUTA ESSENTIAL OIL IN SILVER CATFISH (RHAMDIA QUELEN)

Objective: Evaluation of Tagetes minuta L. essential oil (EOTM) toxicity in the silver catfish Rhamdia quelen.Methods: The EOTM extracted by hydrodistillation was identified qualitatively based on retention indices and the mass spectrum of its components by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and quantified by GC with flame ionization detector. Fish were exposed to 0, 50, 100, 200 mg l-1 EOTM and ethanol (1.5 ml) (n = 10 each concentration) and mortality observed after 24, 48 and 96 h (h).Results: The EOTM presented as the main constituents: di-hidrotagetone (7.66 %), Z-tagetone (29.50%) and E-tagetone (40.37%). Silver catfish mortality was 10% after 96 h at 50 mg l-1, 70 and 80% after 24 and 96 h, respectively, at 100 mg l-1 and 80, 90 and 100% after 24, 48 and 96 h, respectively, at 200 mg l-1.Conclusion: The use of EOTM is not recommended in fish farming at the concentrations measured in this study due to its toxic action.Keywords: Medicinal plants, Fish farming, Toxic effect, Cloves marigoldÂ

In the lycophyte Selaginella martensii is the "extra-qT" related to energy spillover? Insights into photoprotection in ancestral vascular plants

Lycophytes are early diverging vascular plants, representing a minor group as compared to the dominating euphyllophytes, mostly angiosperms. Having maximally developed in a CO2-rich atmosphere, extant lycophytes are characterized by a low carbon fixing capacity, which is compensated by a marked ability to induce the non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (NPQ). Different kinetic components contribute to NPQ, in particular the fast relaxing high-energy quenching qE, the middle relaxing qT, and the slowly relaxing qI. Unlike angiosperms, lycophytes enhance the qT component under high light, originating from an "extra-qT". In this research, we analyze whether in Selaginella martensii the extra-qT can reflect a photosystem (PS) I-based quenching mechanism activated upon saturation of qE capacity. From comparative analyses of fluorescence quenching parameters, carbon fixation, in vivo low- and room-temperature fluorescence spectroscopy, and thylakoid protein phosphorylation, it is proposed that the extra-qT is not mechanistically separate from the ordinary qT. The results suggest a relationship between qT and photoprotective energy spillover to PSI, which is activated upon sensing the excitation energy pressure inside PSII and is possibly facilitated by phosphorylation of Lhcb6, a minor antenna protein of PSII. Energy spillover emphasizes 77K fluorescence emission from PSI core (F714) and becomes more relevant at irradiance levels corresponding to the CO2-limited, potentially photoinhibiting phase of photosynthesis. At the highest irradiances, when Lhcb6 phosphorylation potential has been saturated, the major LHCII increases in turn its phosphorylation level, probably leading to the full exploitation of PSI as a safe excitation sink. It is suggested that the low photosynthetic capacity of lycophytes could allow an easier experimental access to the use of PSI as a safe excitation quencher for PSII, a debated, emerging issue about thylakoid photoprotection in angiosperms.</p

Bone Mineral Density and Trabecular Bone Score Changes throughout Menopause in Women with HIV

Objective: The objectives of this study were to describe the trajectories of bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) changes throughout pre-menopause (reproductive phase and menopausal transition) and post-menopause (early and late menopause) in women with HIV (WWH) undergoing different antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) and explore the risk factors associated with those changes. Methods: This was an observational longitudinal retrospective study in WWH with a minimum of two DEXA evaluations comprising BMD and TBS measurements, both in the pre-menopausal and post-menopausal periods. Menopause was determined according to the STRAW+10 criteria, comprising four periods: the reproductive period, menopausal transition, and early- and late-menopausal periods. Mixed-effects models were fitted to estimate the trajectories of the two outcomes (BMD and TBS) over time. Annualized lumbar BMD and TBS absolute and percentage changes were calculated in each STRAW+10 time window. A backward elimination procedure was applied to obtain the final model, including the predictors that affected the trajectories of BMD or TBS over time. Results: A total of 202 WWH, all Caucasian, were included. In detail, 1954 BMD and 195 TBS data were analyzed. The median number of DEXA evaluations per woman was 10 (IQR: 7, 12). The median observation periods per patient were 12.0 years (IQR = 8.9-14.4) for BMD and 6.0 years (IQR: 4.3, 7.9) for TBS. The prevalence of osteopenia (63% vs. 76%; p < 0.001) and osteoporosis (16% vs. 36%; p < 0.001) increased significantly between the pre-menopausal and post-menopausal periods. Both BMD (1.03 (+/- 0.14) vs. 0.92 (+/- 0.12) g/cm2; p < 0.001) and TBS (1.41 (IQR: 1.35, 1.45) vs. 1.32 (IQR: 1.28, 1.39); p < 0.001) decreased significantly between the two periods. The trend in BMD decreased across the four STRAW+10 periods, with a slight attenuation only in the late-menopausal period when compared with the other intervals. The TBS slope did not significantly change throughout menopause. The delta mean values of TBS in WWH were lower between the menopausal transition and reproductive period compared with the difference between menopause and menopausal transition. Conclusions: Both BMD and TBS significantly decreased over time. The slope of the change in BMD and TBS significantly decreased in the menopausal transition, suggesting that this period should be considered by clinicians as a key time during which to assess bone health and modifiable risk factors in WWH