Effects of a saponin fraction extracted from Trigonella foenum-graecum L. and two commercially available saponins on sex ratio and gonad histology of Nile tilapa fry, Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

Over three million tonnes (t) of tilapia, mostly Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, L.), are produced annually making it the second most abundantly produced freshwater fish (FAO, 2010). Tilapia are mouthbreeders that often produce stunted populations under pond conditions; one means of prevention is to produce all-male fish with the additional advantage that males usually grow faster than females. All-male populations can be achieved by supplementing feed with androgens such as 17-α-Methyltestosterone (MT) during days 10–25 post-hatch (Pandian and Sheela, 1995). However, MT is considered to be carcinogenic (Velazquez and Alter, 2004), and Hulak et al. (2008) also showed that effluents of systems in which carp were fed diets containing MT caused masculinization of female fish. Furthermore, in aquaculture the application of hormones to fish destined for human consumption is prohibited in the European Union under directive 96/22/EC, article 5, which also prohibits import of animal products produced with hormones. Kwon et al. (2000) showed that Fadrozole, a non-steroidal compound, caused masculinization in tilapia by inhibiting aromatase, which is the enzyme responsible for the conversion of endogenous androgens to estrogens. Steinbronn et al. (2004) were able to show that a dose of 2000 ppm Quillaja saponins (Sigma S-2149) inhibited reproduction of tilapia after dietary application for 32 days to first-feeding fry, suggesting saponins as a possible alternative to MT. These secondary plant compounds consist of either a steroid or triterpenoid basic structure (aglycone or sapogenin) plus one or more sugar side chains (Francis et al., 2002a). In a previous experiment a saponin fraction from the soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria M.) inhibited aromatase in vitro (Golan et al., 2008). The fenugreek plant (Trigonella foenum-graecum L), widely cultivated in the Middle East and Asia, also has a high saponin content. The experiment was therefore conducted to test whether saponin fractions from Q. saponaria and from T. foenum-graecum were able to influence the sex ratio and gonad histology of Nile tilapia

The effect of Artemisia sieberi extracts on the Formation of β-Hematin

The aim of the study is to assess the effect of Palestinian flora Artemisia sieberi extract against the formation of β-hematin in-vitro. β-hematin is a synthetic polymer made of ferriprotoporphyrin-IX and is structurally, chemically and spectroscopically identical to purified hemozoin formed during the intra-erythrocytic stage of Plasmodium life cycle. As strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium emerged gaining resistance to the known drugs used such as chloroquine, amodaquine, artemisinin, the search for new anti-malarial drugs has become a must. Natural compounds were used throughout time as drugs and the history of anti-malarial drugs is linked with the history of herbal medicinal products. As an attempt to find new anti-malarial drugs, the potential inhibitory effect of Artemisia sieberi plant parts were studied using a semi-quantitative method. Leaves, flowers and stems were collected from various areas around Jerusalem, dried at room temperature and separately ground. Extraction was performed by soaking dried plant parts in 35% ethanol or ultrapure water. Extracts were filtered, rotary evaporated at 50°C and then lyophilized to a constant weight. Results of this study showed the alcoholic stem extract was the strongest in preventing the formation of β-Hematin when compared to that of the leaf or flower extracts. However the need to find the active components of this herbal extract requires further studies.The authors are grateful to the European Commission FP7 Programme for their financial support through DEBPAL2 project. We are grateful to Dr. Ogwang Patrick Engeu for his helpful discussions and insightful comments

Utilization of desalinated brackish water residues for cultivation of the marine fish species,Dicentrarchus labrax, Sparus aurata, and Sciaenops ocellatus

The utilization of brackish water residues from desalination units for fish mariculture in Palestine could represent an environmental friendly alternative of disposing brine water which could have an adverse effect on wild life. In this study, three juvenile marine fish species (Gilt-head bream S. aurata, European sea bass D. labrax, and red drum S. ocellatus) with average weights of 0.7-4.9 g, were acclimated and reared in brine brackish water residues collected from Jericho desalination units with salinities of 6.5 ‰ and 11 ‰ diluted sea water as control for 3-7 months. Fish were fed 56 % rich protein diet. Brine brackish water contained high levels of Cl-1 (3369 mgL-1), Na+1(3735 mgL-1), K+1(300 mgL-1), SO4 -2 (716 mgL-1) with the divalent ions Mg+2 (57.3 mgL-1) and Ca+2 (276 mgL-1).The experimental well showed more than the maximum allowable concentration of Cr (14.49 μgL-1), Ag (5.3 μgL-1) and Mn (27.88 μgL-1) for water quality of fisheries use. The sea bass with an average weight of 0.76 g (at a salinity of 6.5 ‰) showed an acceptable growth performance parameters and reached a percentage weight gain (% WG) of 6345.23 % and a survival rate of 77.5 % compared to control groups at 11 ‰ that reached at the same time a % WG of 6543.78 % and a survival rate of 82 % after 30 weeks. The red drum juveniles reached a % WG of 2661.6 % and 2673.92 % after 15 weeks at 6.5 ‰ and 11 ‰ respectively while sea bream reached a % WG of 241.63 % and 772.44 % after 15 weeks at 6.5 ‰ and 11 ‰ respectively. Survival rate was only 5 % at both salinities for the two species. In a further study sea bass fingerlings with an average weight of 20.5 g were reared in brackish water of 6.5 ‰ salinity for 7 weeks and were fed superior fish meal with fish oil. They received diets of 2.1 %, 3.0 %, and 4.0 % of body weight. Sea bass fingerlings which received diets of 2.1 %, had the highest FCE (0.82) and PER (1.46) with the lowest FCR (1.22). These results confirm that the most suitable fish for cultivation utilizing brackish water from Jericho desalination units with salinity of 6.5 ‰ is sea bass D. labrax, while the other two species need some modification to acclimatize to this water. Furthermore, the best food % for optimum growth of sea bass at this salinity is 2.1 % after 7 weeks. Brackish water from Jericho desalination units are suitable for cultivation of these species, but may need some modification as adding salts to fish diet or water and reducing toxicity of some high trace metals present by a suitable method

Potential Antimalarial Activity from Alcoholic Extracts of Wild Salvia palaestina Leaves

Malaria threatens the lives of more than one third of the world’s population; it is a major cause of human deaths. As a result of the emergence of resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum to common antimalarial drugs, the search for new antimalarial drugs is urgently needed. Hemozoin synthesis is an indispensable process for the parasite survival and is the target of action for several known antimalarial drugs. Sage, Salvia palaestina, is an aromatic Mediterranean plant. Its leaves have been used over centuries in Palestinian traditional medicine and are now being investigated for potential antimalarial activity. This study reveals the antimalarial activity of crude and HPLC separated fractions tested using two methods; the inhibition of ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) biomineralization: semi-quantitative micro-assay used by Deharo and a previously self-developed quantitative in vitro method. Reversed phase preparative liquid chromatography coupled to Photo Diode Array (PDA) detector was used to isolate and enrich eight fractions. Three fractions showed promising antimalarial activity. The crude alcoholic extract of sage leaves seems to have the potential of an antimalarial drug; it prevents β-hematin formation with an efficiency of about 72% when compared to the standard Chloroquine which gave 93% at comparable concentrations of chloroquine and extract.The authors are grateful to the European Commission FP7 Programme for their financial support through DEBPAL2 project. We are grateful to Prof. Pierre Lutgen for his helpful discussions and insightful comments

The effect of lymphatic microsurgical preventive healing approach (LYMPHA) on the development of upper-extremity lymphedema following axillary lymph node dissection in breast cancer patients

Background/Objective: Lymphedema following axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is a common complication that can negatively impact quality of life as it reduces the functional capacity of the affected arm. It can also predispose patients to serious infectious complications such as limb cellulitis and development of malignancy. The lymphatic microsurgical preventive healing approach (LYMPHA procedure) involves the creation of a lymphatic‐to‐venous bypass at the time of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) as a means of preventing lymphedema. The goal of our study is to assess the effect of LYMPHA on the development of clinical and subjective post‐operative lymphedema. Methods: This is a prospective longitudinal study in patients with breast cancer who underwent ALND with or without LYMPHA. The incidence of lymphedema was compared between ALND alone and ALND with LYMPHA using descriptive statistics. Limb circumference of both affected and unaffected limbs were measured and used to calculate limb volume by using an equation that converts limb circumference (cm) to volume (cc). Lymphedema was defined as a volume difference of ≥10% between the affected and unaffected limb. Patient symptoms were also assessed and compared between the 2 groups. Patient demographics including age, preoperative body mass index (BMI), smoking history, comorbidities, receipt of neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy, and receipt of adjuvant radiation were compared between the groups. Results: In our cohort of 139 patients, 104 underwent ALND with LYMPHA, while 35 underwent ALND alone. Of these, 52.5% of patients had documented interlimb circumference measurements. The mean age was 52.6 years old, mean BMI was 30.16 kg/m2, 4 patients (2.9%) had pre‐operative radiation, 102 patients (73.4 %) had post‐operative radiation, 86 patients (61.9 %) had neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 41 and 58 patients (41.7 %) had adjuvant chemotherapy. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in the above demographics and treatment variables, except those who underwent ALND alone had a significantly higher incidence of diabetes mellitus (25.7% patients with ALND alone vs 11.5% LYMPHA patients (p=0.043)). Based on patient reported symptoms and the need to initiate complete decongestive therapy, 57.1% (n=20) of patients who underwent ALND alone developed lymphedema compared to 26.9% (n=28 patients) of those who had ALND with LYMPHA (p=0.0011). When comparing the relative volume difference, 57.1% (n=8) of ALND alone patients developed lymphedema versus 20.3% (n=12) of LYMPHA patients (p=0.0055). Conclusions: Our data support the universal use of LYMPHA at the time of ALND as a means of preventing upper extremity lymphedema. Further studies are needed to evaluate quality of life and functional differences between those who had LYMPHA and those who did not

Sequence Variants of the Phytophthora sojae RXLR Effector Avr3a/5 Are Differentially Recognized by Rps3a and Rps5 in Soybean

The perception of Phytophthora sojae avirulence (Avr) gene products by corresponding soybean resistance (Rps) gene products causes effector triggered immunity. Past studies have shown that the Avr3a and Avr5 genes of P. sojae are genetically linked, and the Avr3a gene encoding a secreted RXLR effector protein was recently identified. We now provide evidence that Avr3a and Avr5 are allelic. Genetic mapping data from F2 progeny indicates that Avr3a and Avr5 co-segregate, and haplotype analysis of P. sojae strain collections reveal sequence and transcriptional polymorphisms that are consistent with a single genetic locus encoding Avr3a/5. Transformation of P. sojae and transient expression in soybean were performed to test how Avr3a/5 alleles interact with soybean Rps3a and Rps5. Over-expression of Avr3a/5 in a P. sojae strain that is normally virulent on Rps3a and Rps5 results in avirulence to Rps3a and Rps5; whereas silencing of Avr3a/5 causes gain of virulence in a P. sojae strain that is normally avirulent on Rps3a and Rps5 soybean lines. Transient expression and co-bombardment with a reporter gene confirms that Avr3a/5 triggers cell death in Rps5 soybean leaves in an appropriate allele-specific manner. Sequence analysis of the Avr3a/5 gene identifies crucial residues in the effector domain that distinguish recognition by Rps3a and Rps5

A Review on Cadmium and Lead Contamination: Sources, Fate, Mechanism, Health Effects and Remediation Methods

Cadmium and lead soil contamination is a widespread environmental problem that requires profound and sustainable solutions. These toxic elements can be naturally occurring on the Earth’s crust or from man-made origins. Cadmium and lead could accumulate and translocate in soil over the long term. Thus, their risk of entering the food chain is extremely elevated and their effects on the living organisms in the food web are of great concern. The main purpose of this review study is to emphasize the risk to human health of cadmium and lead as an environmental contaminant in soil and plants. Human exposure to cadmium and lead can cause severe illness; for instance, long-term exposure to cadmium can alter kidney health and cause dysfunction. Additionally, lead threatens the nervous system and causes countless diseases. Hence, the remediation of cadmium and lead from soil before they enter the food chain remains essential, and regular monitoring of their principal sources is crucially needed for a sustainable soil ecosystem

Effects of saponin fractions from fenugreek and the soap bark tree in the diet on performance of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

Saponins are generally regarded as anti-nutritional factors in aquaculture diets. However, previous experiments have shown that low dietary levels of saponins derived from Quillaja saponaria Molina do have growth promoting effects on common carp and Nile tilapia. Based on these experiments, we conducted an experiment in which we fed eluated saponin fractions from Q. saponaria and Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek) to Nile tilapia in a respirometric system allowing for continuous measurement of oxygen consumption. Saponins were eluated with consecutive methanol/water concentrations (v/v, 40/60, 60/40, 80/20) resulting in three different eluates for each plant. Fractions chosen were the 80% methanol eluate from Q. saponaria (80QS) and all three eluates from T. foenum-graecum (40TS, 60TS and 80TS). Three fish each were fed with low levels (150 mg kg-1 diet) of saponins in the diet and a control diet without saponins. Growth, feed and nutrient utilization, proximate composition, oxygen consumption and metabolic performance were evaluated. The fish grew between 224% (40TS) and 266% (Control) over the eight week period. Feed conversion ratios were between 0.94 (80TS) and 1.15 (40TS) and protein efficiency ratios between 2.54 (80TS) and 2.16 (40TS). Due to low sample sizes, no statistical differences were found between control fish and saponin fed fish. However, numerically one of the tested saponin fractions (40TS) showed inferior performance (Table 1). It is concluded that the tested saponins in the tested concentrations are no potential growth promoter for Nile tilapia. On the contrary, one fraction appears to be a growth inhibitor

Gene expression polymorphism underpins evasion of host immunity in an asexual lineage of the Irish potato famine pathogen

BACKGROUND: Outbreaks caused by asexual lineages of fungal and oomycete pathogens are a continuing threat to crops, wild animals and natural ecosystems (Fisher MC, Henk DA, Briggs CJ, Brownstein JS, Madoff LC, McCraw SL, Gurr SJ, Nature 484:186-194, 2012; Kupferschmidt K, Science 337:636-638, 2012). However, the mechanisms underlying genome evolution and phenotypic plasticity in asexual eukaryotic microbes remain poorly understood (Seidl MF, Thomma BP, BioEssays 36:335-345, 2014). Ever since the 19th century Irish famine, the oomycete Phytophthora infestans has caused recurrent outbreaks on potato and tomato crops that have been primarily caused by the successive rise and migration of pandemic asexual lineages (Goodwin SB, Cohen BA, Fry WE, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:11591-11595, 1994; Yoshida K, Burbano HA, Krause J, Thines M, Weigel D, Kamoun S, PLoS Pathog 10:e1004028, 2014; Yoshida K, Schuenemann VJ, Cano LM, Pais M, Mishra B, Sharma R, Lanz C, Martin FN, Kamoun S, Krause J, et al. eLife 2:e00731, 2013; Cooke DEL, Cano LM, Raffaele S, Bain RA, Cooke LR, Etherington GJ, Deahl KL, Farrer RA, Gilroy EM, Goss EM, et al. PLoS Pathog 8:e1002940, 2012). However, the dynamics of genome evolution within these clonal lineages have not been determined. The objective of this study was to use a comparative genomics and transcriptomics approach to determine the molecular mechanisms that underpin phenotypic variation within a clonal lineage of P. infestans. RESULTS: Here, we reveal patterns of genomic and gene expression variation within a P. infestans asexual lineage by comparing strains belonging to the South American EC-1 clone that has dominated Andean populations since the 1990s (Yoshida K, Burbano HA, Krause J, Thines M, Weigel D, Kamoun S, PLoS Pathog 10e1004028, 2014; Yoshida K, Schuenemann VJ, Cano LM, Pais M, Mishra B, Sharma R, Lanz C, Martin FN, Kamoun S, Krause J, et al. eLife 2:e00731, 2013; Delgado RA, Monteros-Altamirano AR, Li Y, Visser RGF, van der Lee TAJ, Vosman B, Plant Pathol 62:1081-1088, 2013; Forbes GA, Escobar XC, Ayala CC, Revelo J, Ordonez ME, Fry BA, Doucett K, Fry WE, Phytopathology 87:375-380, 1997; Oyarzun PJ, Pozo A, Ordonez ME, Doucett K, Forbes GA, Phytopathology 88:265-271, 1998). We detected numerous examples of structural variation, nucleotide polymorphisms and loss of heterozygosity within the EC-1 clone. Remarkably, 17 genes are not expressed in one of the two EC-1 isolates despite apparent absence of sequence polymorphisms. Among these, silencing of an effector gene was associated with evasion of disease resistance conferred by a potato immune receptor. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the molecular changes underpinning the exceptional genetic and phenotypic plasticity associated with host adaptation in a pandemic clonal lineage of a eukaryotic plant pathogen. We observed that the asexual P. infestans lineage EC-1 can exhibit phenotypic plasticity in the absence of apparent genetic mutations resulting in virulence on a potato carrying the Rpi-vnt1.1 gene. Such variant alleles may be epialleles that arose through epigenetic changes in the underlying genes

Are women and providers satisfied with antenatal care? Views on a standard and a simplified, evidence-based model of care in four developing countries

BACKGROUND: This study assessed women and providers' satisfaction with a new evidence-based antenatal care (ANC) model within the WHO randomized trial conducted in four developing countries. The WHO study was a randomized controlled trial that compared a new ANC model with the standard type offered in each country. The new model of ANC emphasized actions known to be effective in improving maternal or neonatal health, excluded other interventions that have not proved to be beneficial, and improved the information component, especially alerting pregnant women to potential health problems and instructing them on appropriate responses. These activities were distributed within four antenatal care visits for women that did not need any further assessment. METHODS: Satisfaction was measured through a standardized questionnaire administered to a random sample of 1,600 pregnant women and another to all antenatal care providers. RESULTS: Most women in both arms expressed satisfaction with ANC. More women in the intervention arm were satisfied with information on labor, delivery, family planning, pregnancy complications and emergency procedures. More providers in the experimental clinics were worried about visit spacing, but more satisfied with the time spent and information provided. CONCLUSIONS: Women and providers accepted the new ANC model generally. The safety of fewer visits for women without complications with longer spacing would have to be reinforced, if such a model is to be introduced into routine practice