Potential alternative feed sources for ruminant feeding from the biodiesel production chain by-products

This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, fractionation of nitrogen compounds and carbohydrates, digestibility parameters, gas production kinetics and ruminal fermentation of fruit seed cakes. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three fruit seed cakes (treatments) and four replications. The cakes were made of seeds of custard apple (Annona squamosa), soursop (Annona muricata) and passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), which were collected in a biodiesel plant. The passion fruit seed cake presented the highest content of dry matter, neutral detergent fibre crude protein (NDFcp), acid detergent fibre (ADF), lignin and total carbohydrates (P<0.05). The custard apple seed cake presented high proportions of crude protein, condensed tannins and digestible energy (P<0.05). The soursop seed cake presented higher values for ether extract and total digestible nutrients (P<0.05). For potential degradability, the authors detected a difference between the custard apple, soursop and passion fruit seed cakes. The total volume of gases was higher for custard apple and soursop seed cakes. Custard apple seed cake presented higher proportions of in vitro degradation parameters (P<0.05). Thus this cake could provide greater nutrient levels when supplied in ruminant diets, followed by soursop seed cake and passion fruit seed cake. Keywords: alternative food, by-products, ruminant feeding, seed cake, semi-ari

Effect of oral ingestion of an extract of the herb Uncaria tomentosa on the biodistribution of sodium pertechnetate in rats

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of the oral ingestion of an extract of the herb Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw) on the biodistribution of the radiobiocomplex sodium pertechnetate (Na99mTcO4) in rats. The animals (male Wistar rats, 2 months old, 180-220 g), were treated (1 mL) with an U. tomentosa extract (32 mg/mL, N = 5) or 0.9% NaCl solution (control, N = 5) for 7 days. After this period, Na99mTcO4 (3.7 MBq, 0.3 mL) was injected through the ocular plexus and after 10 min the rats were killed, the organs isolated and counted in a well-gamma counter. A significant (P < 0.05) alteration in Na99mTcO4 uptake i) from 0.57 +/- 0.008 to 0.39 +/- 0.06 %ATI/organ (P < 0.05) and from 0.57 +/- 0.17 to 0.39 +/- 0.14 %ATI/g (P < 0.05) was observed in the heart, ii) from 0.07 +/- 0.02 to 0.19 +/- 0.07 %ATI/g in the pancreas, and iii) from 0.07 +/- 0.01 to 0.18 +/- 0.07 %ATI/g (P < 0.05) in muscle after treatment with this extract. Although these results were obtained with animals, caution is advisable in the interpretation of the nuclear medicine examination when the patient is using this herb. This finding is probably an example of drug interaction with a radiopharmaceutical, a fact that could lead to misdiagnosis of the examination in clinical practice with unexpected consequences for the patient

Folhelhos Negros da Formação Estiva (Cenomaniano Superior-Turoniano) da Bacia Pernambuco: Condições Deposicionais e Implicações para o Potencial Petrolífero

Bacia Pernambuco compreende uma das bacias sedimentares marginais do Atlântico Sul, estando sua evolução associada aos eventos de separação do continente Gondwana. Este estudo foi realizado nos folhelhos negros da Formação Estiva (fase drifte) de idade Cenomaniano superior-Turoniano (99,6-93,9 Ma). Esta unidade compreende o estabelecimento da plataforma carbonática marinha na Bacia Pernambuco. A partir de análises geoquímicas, averiguaram-se condições mineralógicas, composição da rocha-fonte e paleoredox. Os elementos químicos Si, Ti, Al e Zr estão associados a fases minerais detríticas. A relação K2O/Al2O3 sugere condições químicas para a formação de ilita como principal argilomineral. Por outro lado, elementos químicos Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe estão associados a fases minerais carbonáticas. As relações TiO2/Al2O3 e TiO2/Zr sugerem que a rocha-fonte possua composições intermediárias à acidas. As condições redox, através do fator Mn (Mn*) e a razão e Mn/Al, indicaram que os folhelhos investigados foram depositados sob condições anóxicas, em ambiente marinho proximal. Por outro lado, as relações entre Fet, ST e COT e a razão Fet/Al indicaram condições óxicas à sub-óxicas em um ambiente deposicional marinho amplo. Dessa forma, os folhelhos investigados estão relacionados a um ambiente marinho raso, predominantemente em condições sub-óxicas e baixa produtividade orgânica com baixa expectativa de geração de hidrocarbonetos (COT até 1,8%), para este intervalo estratigráfico, principalmente na região do Gráben do Cupe

Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing in a Large Cohort of Genetically Undiagnosed Patients with Neuromuscular Disorders in Spain

This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Advances in Neuromuscular Disorders: From Gene Identification to Gene Therapy.The term neuromuscular disorder (NMD) includes many genetic and acquired diseases and differential diagnosis can be challenging. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is especially useful in this setting given the large number of possible candidate genes, the clinical, pathological, and genetic heterogeneity, the absence of an established genotype-phenotype correlation, and the exceptionally large size of some causative genes such as TTN, NEB and RYR1. We evaluated the diagnostic value of a custom targeted next-generation sequencing gene panel to study the mutational spectrum of a subset of NMD patients in Spain. In an NMD cohort of 207 patients with congenital myopathies, distal myopathies, congenital and adult-onset muscular dystrophies, and congenital myasthenic syndromes, we detected causative mutations in 102 patients (49.3%), involving 42 NMD-related genes. The most common causative genes, TTN and RYR1, accounted for almost 30% of cases. Thirty-two of the 207 patients (15.4%) carried variants of uncertain significance or had an unidentified second mutation to explain the genetic cause of the disease. In the remaining 73 patients (35.3%), no candidate variant was identified. In combination with patients’ clinical and myopathological data, the custom gene panel designed in our lab proved to be a powerful tool to diagnose patients with myopathies, muscular dystrophies and congenital myasthenic syndromes. Targeted NGS approaches enable a rapid and cost-effective analysis of NMD- related genes, offering reliable results in a short time and relegating invasive techniques to a second tier.This study was granted by FIS PI15/01898, funded by ISCIII and FEDER, ‘Una manera de hacer Europa’ and by Fundación Mutua Madrileña in the “Convocatoria de ayudas a la Investigación en Salud 2015”. It was also funded by an ACCI grant from CIBERER. Daniel Natera-de Benito is the recipient of a grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Contrato Rio Hortega, CM17/00044)

Resíduos madeireiros do alburno de pau-rainha (Brosimum rubescens): investigação de metabólitos secundários e alguns aspectos tecnológicos

Estudos fitoquímicos prévios com resíduos do cerne de pau-rainha (Brosimum rubescens), identificaram um alto teor de xantiletina, uma cumarina com potencial biológico. Dando prosseguimento aos estudos com serragens desta espécie, este estudo relata a densidade básica bem como o isolamento e identificação do triterpeno 3&#946;-acetoxi-olean-12-eno-28-al e do &#946;- sitosterol nos extratos hexânico e metanólico do alburno da planta. A estrutura do triterpeno foi determinada com base nos espectros de RMN em 1D (¹H e 13C) e 2D (HSQC e HMBC) além de comparação com dados da literatura. A densidade básica encontrada para o alburno foi de 0,58 g cm-3 que, embora seja inferior a do cerne, poderá ser utilizada na confecção de vários produtos, inclusive em técnicas de marchetaria.Previous phytochemical studies on residues of pau-rainha’s heartwood (Brosimum rubescens) showed a high content of xanthyletin, a coumarin with biological potential. Continuing our studies with sawdust of this species, this work relates the basic density, isolation and identification of the triterpene 3&#946;-acetoxy-olean-12-ene-28-al and &#946;-sitosterol in n-hexane and MeOH extracts of the plant´s sapwood. The structure of the triterpene was determined on the basis of NMR spectra in 1D (¹H and 13C) and 2D (HSQC and HMBC) and comparison with literature data. The basic density found for sapwood was 0.58 g cm-3, that even so is inferior the one of heartwood, could be used in the confection of some products, also in marquetry techniques