348 research outputs found
Physicochemical composition and nutritional properties of deer burger enhanced with healthier oils
Deer meat is characterized by low fat and cholesterol contents and high amounts of protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In this regard, the aim of this work was to assess the influence of pork backfat substitution by healthier oils on chemical composition, fatty acid profile, texture profile and sensory analysis of deer burger. In addition, pH, color parameters and lipid oxidation were evaluated at 0, 6, 12 and 18 days of storage. For this study, four different treatments of deer burgersâ100% pork backfat, 100% tiger nut oil, 100% chia oil, and 100% linseed oilâwere elaborated. The fat replacement reduced fat and protein contents and increased moisture amounts, whereas ashes and texture parameters of deer burgers were not affected. Fatty acid profile was significantly improved with the animal fat replacement. In this regard, a significant decrease in saturated fatty acids was found in all reformulated batches, whereas in chia and linseed burger samples a dramatic increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 content and a reduction of n-3/n-6 ratio was observed. In the deer burger prepared with tiger nut oil a significant increase in monounsaturated fatty acids was found. Another important aspect is that the replacement of animal fat by tiger nut or linseed oil emulsion did not affect the global acceptance of deer burgers. Regarding color parameters, redness was the most affected during the whole display presenting a reduction around 50% after 18 days of storage. On the other hand, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were also affected by fat replacement and storage time, observing the highest values (2.43 mg MDA/kg) in deer burgers prepared with chia at the end of refrigerated period. Finally, from a commercial point of view, the possibility of making claims such as âlow fat burgersâ, âreduced saturated fatâ or âhigh content of omega-3â makes the reformulated burgers more attractive to the consumer.Ministerio de EconomĂa y Competitividad | Ref. RTC-2016-5327-2CYTED | Ref. 119RT0568Axencia Galega de InnovaciĂłn | Ref. IN607A2019/01Ministerio de EconomĂa y Competitividad | Ref. FJCI-2016-2948
Immunogenetic features of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome and focal segmental glomeru losclerosis in Brazilian patients of the northeast region of the state of SĂŁo Paulo
A sĂndrome nefrĂłtica corticossensĂvel (SNCS) e a glomerulonefrite esclerosante segmentar e focal (GESF) compartilham caracterĂsticas imunolĂłgicas e patogĂȘnicas. Foram estudados 93 pacientes brasileiros (46 com SNCS e 47 com GESF) e 104 indivĂduos-controle, para caracterizar os perfis imunogenĂ©ticos dessas variedades de sĂndromes nefrĂłticas idiopĂĄticas. Os antĂgenos HLA-A, -B e âDR foram tipificados, usando-se mĂ©todo sorolĂłgico. Embora nenhuma associação com os antĂgenos HLA-A ou âB fosse observada, as freqĂŒĂȘncias dos antĂgenos HLAB7 e âB12 estavam significantemente elevadas nos pacientes com SNCS. Os antĂgenos HLADR7, HLA-DR1 e a combinação de antĂgenos HLA-DR1/DR7 estavam significantemente elevados nos pacientes com SNCS, em relação aos indivĂduos-controle, ou em relação aos pacientes com GESF. A avaliação somente de pacientes caucasĂłides revelou que o antĂgeno HLA-DR7 continuava elevado nos pacientes com SNCS. O haplĂłtipo HLA-B7/DR7 estava significantemente elevado nos pacientes com SNCS e GESF. Embora a população brasileira seja altamente miscigenada, a freqĂŒĂȘncia do antĂgeno HLA-DR7, que confere susceptibilidade a SNCS em outras populaçÔes, estava tambĂ©m elevada na sĂ©rie de pacientes caucasĂłides aqui estudada.Steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGC) share immunologic and pathogenetic features. We studied 93 Brazilian patients (46 with SSNS and 47 with FSGC) and 104 control subjects with the objective of characterizing the immunogenetic profile of these varieties of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. HLA-A, -B, and -DR antigens were typed using a complement-dependent microlymphocytotoxicity assay. No significanty association was observed with HLA-A or -B antigens in either group; however, HLA-B7 and -B12 antigens were increased in SSNS patients. HLA-DR7, -DR1 and the combination of HLA-DR1/DR7 antigens were significantly increased in the total group of patients with SSNS compared to controls or to FGSC patients. The study of only Caucasoid individuals revealed that HLA-DR7 antigen remained significantly increased in SSNS patients. The HLA-B7/DR7 haplotype was siginificantly increased in both SSNS and FSGC patients. Although the Brazilian population is highly miscigenated, the same antigen (HLA-DR7) which confers susceptibility to SSNS in other Caucasian population is still prevalent in this series
Ação de prolil-leucil-gliclnamida (PLG) na via nigroestriatal do rato
In order to study the nigrostriatal pathway, we obtained the rotatory behavior model in male Wistar rats by electrolytic lesion of the left lateral hypothalamic region. Animals thus lesioned displayed rotations toward the same side of lesion when apomorphine was administered, a result in disagreement with what has been obtained in the model with 6-hydroxydopamine lesion. The administration of PLG alone was not followed by rotatory behavior but when the compound was administered in low doses (0.25 to 1mg/kg) simultaneously with apomorphine to animals previously submitted to REM sleep deprivation, a significant increase in the number of rotations was observed in comparison with controls and groups receiving higher doses of PLG. These results indicate that PLG may act as, a modulator on dopamine receptors in the striatum.No intuito de estudar a via nigroestriatal, produzimos uma lesĂŁo na regiĂŁo hipotalĂąmica lateral de ratos Wistar. Os animais passavam a apresentar comportamento rotatĂłrio para o mesmo lado da lesĂŁo. A administração isolada do PLG nĂŁo induziu o comportamento rotatĂłrio. Entretanto, com doses baixas do composto, concomitantemente Ă administração de apomorfina em animais previamente submetidos Ă privação de sono REM, observou-se aumento no nĂșmero de rotaçÔes auando comparado ao grupo controle e aos grupos aue receberam doses altas de PLG. Estes achados sugerem que o PLG age como um modulador sobre os receptores dopaminĂ©rgicos do estriado.Escola Paulista de Medicina Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery Division of Extrapyramidal Diseases InvestigationEscola Paulista de Medicina Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery Head of the Division - Division of Extrapyramidal Diseases InvestigationUNIFESP, EPM, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery Division of Extrapyramidal Diseases InvestigationEscola Paulista de Medicina Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery Head of the Division - Division of Extrapyramidal Diseases InvestigationSciEL
Analysis of ripening-related gene expression in papaya using an Arabidopsis-based microarray
Background
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a commercially important crop that produces climacteric fruits with a soft and sweet pulp that contain a wide range of health promoting phytochemicals. Despite its importance, little is known about transcriptional modifications during papaya fruit ripening and their control. In this study we report the analysis of ripe papaya transcriptome by using a cross-species (XSpecies) microarray technique based on the phylogenetic proximity between papaya and Arabidopsis thaliana.
Results
Papaya transcriptome analyses resulted in the identification of 414 ripening-related genes with some having their expression validated by qPCR. The transcription profile was compared with that from ripening tomato and grape. There were many similarities between papaya and tomato especially with respect to the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in primary metabolism, regulation of transcription, biotic and abiotic stress and cell wall metabolism. XSpecies microarray data indicated that transcription factors (TFs) of the MADS-box, NAC and AP2/ERF gene families were involved in the control of papaya ripening and revealed that cell wall-related gene expression in papaya had similarities to the expression profiles seen in Arabidopsis during hypocotyl development.
Conclusion
The cross-species array experiment identified a ripening-related set of genes in papaya allowing the comparison of transcription control between papaya and other fruit bearing taxa during the ripening process
Development of Potential Multi-Target Inhibitors for Human Cholinesterases and Beta-Secretase 1: A Computational Approach
Alzheimerâs disease causes chronic neurodegeneration and is the leading cause of dementia
in the world. The causes of this disease are not fully understood but seem to involve two essential
cerebral pathways: cholinergic and amyloid. The simultaneous inhibition of AChE, BuChE, and
BACE-1, essential enzymes involved in those pathways, is a promising therapeutic approach to treat
the symptoms and, hopefully, also halt the disease progression. This study sought to identify triple
enzymatic inhibitors based on stereo-electronic requirements deduced from molecular modeling
of AChE, BuChE, and BACE-1 active sites. A pharmacophore model was built, displaying four
hydrophobic centers, three hydrogen bond acceptors, and one positively charged nitrogen, and
used to prioritize molecules found in virtual libraries. Compounds showing adequate overlapping
rates with the pharmacophore were subjected to molecular docking against the three enzymes and
those with an adequate docking score (n = 12) were evaluated for physicochemical and toxicological
parameters and commercial availability. The structure exhibiting the greatest inhibitory potential
against all three enzymes was subjected to molecular dynamics simulations (100 ns) to assess the
stability of the inhibitor-enzyme systems. The results of this in silico approach indicate ZINC1733
can be a potential multi-target inhibitor of AChE, BuChE, and BACE-1, and future enzymatic assays
are planned to validate those results.PPBE and PPGCF/UEFS; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa
do Estado de Minas GeraisâFAPEMIG, grants APQ-02741-17, APQ-00855-19, APQ-01733-21, and
APQ-04559-22Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientĂfico e TecnolĂłgicoâCNPq-Brazil,
grants 305117/2017-3, 426261/2018-6Fellowship of 2021 (grant 310108/2020-9
Inclusion of Healthy Oils for Improving the Nutritional Characteristics of Dry-Fermented Deer Sausage
peer-reviewedThe influence of partial replacement of animal fat by healthy oils on composition,
physicochemical, volatile, and sensory properties of dry-fermented deer sausage was evaluated. Four
different batches were manufactured: the control was formulated with animal fat (18.2%), while in the
reformulated batches the 50% of animal fat was substituted by olive, canola, and soy oil emulsions
immobilized in Prosella gel. The reformulation resulted in a decrease of moisture and fat contents and
an increase of protein and ash amount. Moreover, reformulated sausages were harder, darker, and
had higher pH values. This fact is related to the lower moisture content in these samples. As expected,
the fatty acid composition was changed by the reformulation. The use of soy and canola oils increased
polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 content and decreased n-6/n-3 ratio and saturated fatty
acids. Thus, the use of these two oils presented the best nutritional benefits. The changes observed in
the fatty acids reflected the fatty acid composition of the oils employed in the emulsions. Regarding
volatile compounds (VOC), the replacement of animal fat by healthy emulsion gels increased the
content of both total VOC and most of individual VOC. However, the lipid-derived VOC did not
show this trend. Generally speaking, the control samples presented similar or higher VOC derived
from lipid oxidation processes, which could be related to the natural antioxidant compounds present
in the vegetable oils. Finally, all reformulated sausages presented higher consumer acceptability than
control samples. In fact, the sausage reformulated with soy oil emulsion gel was the most preferred.
Thus, as a general conclusion, the reformulation of deer sausages with soy emulsion gel improves
both composition and sensory quality of the final product, which could be an excellent strategy to the
elaboration of healthy fermented sausages
Coronarin D induces apoptotic cell death and cell cycle arrest in human glioblastoma cell line
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent and highestâgrade brain tumor in adults. The prognosis is still poor despite the use of combined therapy involving maximal surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. The development of more efficient drugs without noticeable side effects is urgent. Coronarin D is a diterpene obtained from the rhizome extract of Hedychium coronarium, classified as a labdane with several biological activities, principally anticancer potential. The aim of the present study was to determine the antiâcancer properties of Coronarin D in the glioblastoma cell line and further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Coronarin D potently suppressed cell viability in glioblastoma Uâ251 cell line, and also induced G1 arrest by reducing p21 protein and histone H2AX phosphorylation, leading to DNA damage and apoptosis. Further studies showed that Coronarin D increased the production of reactive oxygen species, lead to mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, and subsequently activated caspases and ERK phosphorylation, major mechanisms involved in apoptosis. To our knowledge, this is the first analysis referring to this compound on the glioma cell line. These findings highlight the antiproliferative activity of Coronarin D against glioblastoma cell line Uâ251 and provide a basis for further investigation on its antineoplastic activity on brain cancer.This research was funded by grants from the Fundação de Amparo Ă Pesquisa do Estado de SĂŁo Paulo (FAPESP 2014/06636â7 and 2016/06137â6), financiadora de Estudos e Projetos FINEP (MCTI/FINEP/MS/SCTIE/DECITâ01/2013âFPXIIâBIOPLAT)
Museums and cradles of diversity are geographically coincident for narrowly distributed Neotropical snakes
Factors driving the spatial configuration of centres of endemism have long been a topic of broad interest and debate. Due to different eco-evolutionary processes, these highly biodiverse areas may harbour different amounts of ancient and recently diverged organisms (paleo- and neo-endemism, respectively). Patterns of endemism still need to be measured at distinct phylogenetic levels for most clades and, consequently, little is known about the distribution, the age and the causes of such patterns. Here we tested for the presence of centres with high phylogenetic endemism (PE) in the highly diverse Neotropical snakes, testing the age of these patterns (paleo- or neo-endemism), and the presence of PE centres with distinct phylogenetic composition. We then tested whether PE is predicted by topography, by climate (seasonality, stability, buffering and relictualness), or biome size. We found that most areas of high PE for Neotropical snakes present a combination of both ancient and recently diverged diversity, which is distributed mostly in the Caribbean region, Central America, the Andes, the Atlantic Forest and on scattered highlands in central Brazil. Turnover of lineages is higher across Central America, resulting in more phylogenetically distinct PE centres compared to South America, which presents a more phylogenetically uniform snake fauna. Finally, we found that elevational range (topographic roughness) is the main predictor of PE, especially for paleo-endemism, whereas low paleo-endemism levels coincide with areas of high climatic seasonality. Our study highlights the importance of mountain systems to both ancient and recent narrowly distributed diversity. Mountains are both museums and cradles of snake diversity in the Neotropics, which has important implications for conservation in this region.Fil: Azevedo, JosuĂ© Anderson RĂȘgo. University Goteborg; Suecia. Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre; SueciaFil: Guedes, ThaĂs B.. University Goteborg; Suecia. Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre; Suecia. Universidade Estadual do MaranhĂŁo. Centro de Estudos Superiores de Caxias. Programa de PĂłs-graduação em Biodiversidade, Ambiente e SaĂșde; PortugalFil: Nogueira, Cristiano de Campos. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Passos, Paulo. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Sawaya, Ricardo. Universidad Federal do Abc; BrasilFil: Prudente, Ana. Museu Paraense EmĂlio Goeldi; BrasilFil: Barbo, Fausto Erritto. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: StrĂŒssmann, Christine. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; BrasilFil: Franco, Francisco L.. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: Arzamendia, Vanesa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de LimnologĂa. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de LimnologĂa; ArgentinaFil: Giraudo, Alejandro Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de LimnologĂa. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de LimnologĂa; ArgentinaFil: Argolo, Antonio. Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz; BrasilFil: Jansen, Martin. Senckenberg Research Institute and Nature Museum; AlemaniaFil: Zaher, Hussam. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Tonini, Joao Filipe Riva. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Francia. MusĂ©um National d'Histoire Naturelle; Francia. Sorbonne University; Francia. Harvard University; Estados UnidosFil: Faurby, SĂžren. University Goteborg; SueciaFil: Antonelli, Alexandre. University Goteborg; Sueci
Determinants of acquisition and clearance of human papillomavirus infection in previously unexposed young women
Background Global variation in human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and persistence may be explained by differences in risk factors, such as sexual activity, oral contraceptive use, and behavioral factors. We evaluated determinants of acquisition and clearance of HPV infection among young women previously unexposed to HPV. Methods Five hundred thirty-four women aged 15 to 25 years who were cytology and HPV DNA negative, and seronegative for anti-HPV-16/18 antibodies, were recruited (July 2000âSeptember 2001) from study centers in Brazil, the United States, and Canada (NCT00689741/NCT00120848). They were followed up for 76 months. Cervical samples were HPV genotyped via polymerase chain reaction. We used multivariable (forward stepwise, P = 0.15) Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), separately according to length of follow-up time. Results On short-term follow-up (0â27 months), 257 (48%; 8535.80 person-months; incidence rate = 30.11; 95% CI, 26.64â34.02) incident HPV infections were detected. Marital status, lifetime number of sex partners, history of any sexually transmitted disease, and occasional use of oral contraceptives were strongly associated with acquisition of any HPV. Having 2 or more lifetime sex partners (RR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.37â3.02) and a history of any sexually transmitted disease (RR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.19â3.29) were the most important determinants of high-risk HPV (hrHPV) incidence. During the entire follow-up (0â76 months), an increased hrHPV clearance was found among women in North America (RR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.08â1.78) and black women (RR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.04â2.60). Greater number of lifetime partners was associated with reduced clearance rates for any HPV (RR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.43â0.98). Conclusions We identified variation in risk of HPV acquisition and clearance among women unexposed to HPV at baseline
A novel vasoactive proline-rich oligopeptide from the skin secretion of the frog Brachycephalus ephippium.
Proline-rich oligopeptides (PROs) are a large family which comprises the bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs). They inhibit the activity of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) and have a typical pyroglutamyl (Pyr)/proline-rich structure at the N- and C-terminus, respectively. Furthermore, PROs decrease blood pressure in animals. In the present study, the isolation and biological characterization of a novel vasoactive BPP isolated from the skin secretion of the frog Brachycephalus ephippium is described. This new PRO, termed BPP-Brachy, has the primary structure WPPPKVSP and the amidated form termed BPPBrachyNH2 inhibits efficiently ACE in rat serum. In silico molecular modeling and docking studies suggest that BPP-BrachyNH2 is capable of forming a hydrogen bond network as well as multiple van der Waals interactions with the rat ACE, which blocks the access of the substrate to the C-domain active site. Moreover, in rat thoracic aorta BPP-BrachyNH2 induces potent endothelium-dependent vasodilatation with similar magnitude as captopril. In DAF-FM DA-loaded aortic cross sections examined by confocal microscopy, BPP-BrachyNH2 was found to increase the release of nitric oxide (NO). Moreover, BPP-BrachyNH2 was devoid of toxicity in endothelial and smooth muscle cell cultures. In conclusion, the peptide BPP-BrachyNH2 has a novel sequence being the first BPP isolated from the skin secretion of the Brachycephalidae family. This opens for exploring amphibians as a source of new biomolecules. The BPP-BrachyNH2 is devoid of cytotoxicity and elicits endothelium-dependent vasodilatation mediated by NO. These findings open for the possibility of potential application of these peptides in the treatment of endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases
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