Reproductive aging in Caenorhabditis elegans: From molecules to ecology

Aging animals display a broad range of progressive degenerative changes, and one of the most fascinating is the decline of female reproductive function. In the model organis

The potential use of plant natural products and plant extracts with antioxidant properties for the prevention/treatment of neurodegenerative diseases: in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials.

Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, present a major health issue and financial burden for health care systems around the world. The impact of these diseases will further increase over the next decades due to increasing life expectancies. No cure is currently available for the treatment of these conditions; only drugs, which merely alleviate the symptoms. Oxidative stress has long been associated with neurodegeneration, whether as a cause or as part of the downstream results caused by other factors. Thus, the use of antioxidants to counter cellular oxidative stress within the nervous system has been suggested as a potential treatment option for neurological disorders. Over the last decade, significant research has focused on the potential use of natural antioxidants to target oxidative stress. However, clinical trial results have lacked success for the treatment of patients with neurological disorders. The knowledge that natural extracts show other positive molecular activities in addition to antioxidant activity, however, has led to further research of natural extracts for their potential use as prevention or treatment/management of neurodegenerative diseases. This review will cover several in vitro and in vivo research studies, as well as clinical trials, and highlight the potential of natural antioxidants

The potential application of rapeseed pomace extracts in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Rapeseed pomace (RSP) is the waste/by-product obtained after edible oil production from Brassica napus and is currently used as animal feed. In an attempt to revalorize this by-product as a potential nutraceutical for the treatment or prevention of neurodegenerative disease, this project aimed to determine (i) a suitable extraction technique, (ii) the phytochemical composition and in vitro activity of the extract, in relation to neuroprotective properties, (iii) the neuroprotective potential of the extract in a cellular model (SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells) and (iv) the extract's potential to prevent/treat neurodegenerative disease in one Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) and three Parkinson’s disease (PD) C. elegans (nematode) models. To achieve this aim at the start of the project, three extraction techniques (i.e. Soxhlet, ultrasonic assisted and accelerated solvent extraction) were employed, using a solvent mixture of ethanol and water (95:5) on the RSP samples obtained from the north east of Scotland. Based on the chemical composition of the extracts and their antioxidant properties, Soxhlet extraction was revealed as the most promising and practical extraction technique. Bulk extraction was carried out, to obtain enough RSP extract for the duration of the project. Thereafter, the composition of the extract was further investigated, to show sinapine to be the most abundant secondary metabolite, together with other phenolic acids, such as sinapic, ferulic, caffeic and syringic acid. The final extract showed in vitro antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity, the potential to protect plasmid DNA from oxidative damage, copper ion chelating potential and the inhibition of self-mediated β-amyloid (1–42) aggregation. The latter in vitro characteristics and properties could be beneficial for the protection of neurons from oxidative stress induced degeneration. In the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line, the RSP extract was found to be non-toxic up to a concentration of 1.5 mg/mL. Subsequent cellular studies using 1 mg/mL or less of the RSP extract, showed its ability to protect the cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative DNA strand breakage induced by hydrogen peroxide. In addition, using protein array technology, the RSP extract was able to down regulate cell stress associated proteins SIRT2 and SOD2. In the C. elegans nematode model, the RSP extract showed no toxicity up to 5 mg/mL. The RSP extract was able to improve the disease phenotype in the MJD model (motility deficiency) as well as in all three PD models (dopaminergic neuronal loss). This improvement was at least partially dependent on the activation of the antioxidant gene glutathione-s-transferase (gst-4) in C. elegans. Overall, the RSP extract showed very positive in vitro characteristics and valuable in vivo effects in 4 disease C. elegans models, thus warranting further detailed studies on the use of RSP extract to help prevent and/or treat neurodegenerative diseases

Strategische Stadtentwicklungsplanung Innsbruck 2015 : Quo vadis?

Im Rahmen des Grundkurses „Internationales Verwaltungsmanagement“ wurden im Wintersemester 2005/2006 von den Studentinnen und Studenten Seminararbeiten zur strategischen Stadtentwicklungsplanung für die Stadt Innsbruck verfasst. Unter dem Motto „Innsbruck 2015 – quo vadis“ bekamen die Studierenden die Aufgabe, eine SWOT-Analyse der Tiroler Landeshauptstadt durchzuführen, um, darauf aufbauend, einen strategischen Stadtentwicklungsplan für Innsbruck zu erarbeiten. Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit befindet sich nun ein kurzer Überblick zu den theoretischen Hintergründen der strategischen Stadtentwicklungsplanung. Anschließend wird das Ergebnis der SWOT-Analyse vorgestellt, welches auf Interviews mit Stakeholdern und Vertretern aus den Bereichen Wirtschaft und Tourismus, Bildung und Jugend, Kultur und Sport, Soziales, Stadtplanung und Urbanistik, Umwelt und Verkehr, der Umlandgemeinden Hall und Völs sowie aus dem Bereich Arbeitnehmer basiert und durch statistische Daten der Stadt Innsbruck ergänzt wurde. Für detailliertere Informationen bezüglich der SWOT-Analyse soll auch noch auf das Kapitel 7 verwiesen werden, in dem alle Interviews nachgelesen werden können. Anhand zweier Beispiele, „Innsbruck, die Wissensstadt“ und „Kultur- und Sportstadt Innsbruck – Die Stadt meiner Träume“, wird im Hauptteil dieses Papers, ausgehend von der SWOT-Analyse, aufgezeigt, wie eine strategische Stadtentwicklungsplanung - im konkreten Fall für Innsbruck - aussehen könnte

Planning and Optimization of Internal Transport Systems

The digital transformation is increasingly affecting the field of intralogistics. In order to develop corresponding concepts in logistics planning in a short time, software tools should profitably transfer the theoretical knowledge into practice and support the user in the best possible way. This article gives insight in particular into the typical tasks involved in the planning and optimization of internal transport processes and how LOGSOL as a consultany company addresses these with the help of the RoutMan planning tool.:1. Introduction 2. Planning of internal transport processes 3. LOGSOL's approach to planning and optimizing internal transport processes 4. Conclusio

Pharmacological inhibition of acetylcholinesterase improves the locomotion defective phenotype of a SCA3 C. elegans model.

Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a common used treatment option for Alzheimer’s disease. However, there has been limited research on the potential use of AChE inhibitors for the treatment of Machado-Joseph disease (MJD)/Spinocerebellar Ataxia 3 (SCA3), in spite of the positive results using AChE inhibitors in patients with other inherited ataxias. MJD/SCA3, the most common form of dominant Spinocerebellar Ataxia worldwide, is caused by an expansion of the polyglutamine tract within the ataxin-3 protein, and is characterized by motor impairments. Our study shows that administration of the AChE inhibitor neostigmine is beneficial in treating the locomotion defective phenotype of a SCA3/MJD model of C. elegans and highlights the potential contribution of AChE enzymes to mutant ataxin-3-mediated toxicity

Determination of sinapine in rapeseed pomace extract: its antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition properties.

Sinapine is the main secondary metabolite present in rapeseed pomace (RSP) with its concentration being dependent on rapeseed processing, growing conditions, extraction parameters and the country of origin. Here we report, the concentration of sinapine from an extract of defatted RSP harvested in the North East of Scotland. Using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, the most abundant phenolic compound in the RSP extract was, as expected, sinapine (109.1 mg/g RSP extract). Additionally, sinapic, caffeic, ferulic and syringic acids were identified (0.159-3.91 mg/g RSP extract). Sinapine together with the phenolics at the concentration present in the RSP extract, exhibited ≥ 50% activity relative to the extract in antioxidant assays. Furthermore, sinapine provided plasmid DNA (pBR322) protection, from 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride and inhibited acetylcholinesterase activity by 85 %. Molecular docking was utilised to explain the inhibitory activity. RSP can be an excellent source of bioactive compounds for pharmaceuticals, food additive and nutraceutical applications

Revalorisation of rapeseed pomace extracts: an in vitro study into its anti-oxidant and DNA protective properties

Rapeseed pomace (RSP) is a waste product obtained after edible oil production from Brassica napus. Analysis of ubiquitous secondary metabolites in RSP samples (two breeds, harvested in 2012/2014 respectively from North East of Scotland) and their ethanol/water (95:5) Soxhlet extracts were carried out. Soxhlet extraction of the RSP (petroleum ether followed by 95% ethanol) gave a solid extract. LC-MS/MS data of the extracts revealed several secondary metabolites, with Sinapic acid being the most abundant. Strong antioxidant activities of the Soxhlet extracts were confirmed from the results obtained in the FRAP, DPPH and ORAC assays. Furthermore, for the very first time, RSP extracts (13.9µg/ml) provided complete DNA protection, from oxidative stress induced by AAPH (3.5mM). Therefore the strong antioxidant and DNA protecting properties demonstrated by the RSP extracts in this study warrants further investigation for their revalorisation and potential use as reliable source of antioxidants in different food applications.Gary Duncan for the LC-MS/MS analysis and financial support from Tenovus Scotland – Grampian.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of rapeseed pomace extract on markers of oxidative stress and DNA damage in human SH‐SY5Y cells.

With increased longevity and subsequent rise in people with age-related neurodegenerative diseases, protection of neurons from oxidative stress damage has become an important field of study. For the first time, we highlight the neuroprotective properties of rapeseed pomace (RSP) extract in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. We used resazurin to determine cell metabolism, 2,7’-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (H2DCFDA) to assess the potential of RSP extracts to shield cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by H2O2 using flow cytometry, HPLC to analyze for malondialdehyde (MDA) as a lipid peroxidation marker and the COMET assay to assess DNA strand breakage. Protein stress arrays were used to investigate the cellular pathways affected by RSP extract. No effect on cell metabolism in SH-SY5Y cells was observed after RSP extract treatment (up to 1.5 mg/ml). Pretreatment (24 hr) with RSP extract (1 mg/ml), before H2O2-induced stress, alleviated ROS production and DNA strand breakage by 68%, and 38%, respectively. At protein level, the RSP extract increased the levels of FABP-1, HIF-1α, SOD2, and Cytochrome c proteins. Under H2O2-induced stress, however, it helped to downregulate p38α levels, a protein kinase which is receptive to stress impulse (mitogen-activated). RSP extract shows very promising cell protective properties in relation to oxidative stress. Practical applications: Oxidative stress has been associated with numerous diseases for example cancer, diabetes, and many neurological disorders including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Hence, there is acceptance among the scientific community of antioxidant therapy and the quest for effective, low cost and readily available sources of natural antioxidants is paramount. Rapeseed plantations are abundant around the world due to the use of rapeseed oil in cooking and as a biofuel. The resulting rapeseed pomace (by-product), specifically its extract, contains high levels of phytochemicals that protect cells against oxidative stress. Therefore, RSP extract can potentially be used/developed as functional food and nutraceuticals in the prevention of many complex neurodegenerative diseases