In vitro photoprotective activity of plants extracts from Zona da Mata Mineira (Brazil)

Many plants have recently been considered as potential sunscreen resources because of their capacity to absorb the solar ultraviolet radiation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the sunscreen activity of ten Zona da Mata Mineira plants extracts by in vitro test using ultraviolet spectrophotometry. From the studied species, three (Lantana aff. fucata Lindl, Solidago microglossa DC and Stachytarpheta gesnerioides Cham.) showed sun protection factor (SPF) higher than 2, which is the minimum value required by the Brazilian legislation to label a product as containing a SPF. These results suggest that it can be possible to utilize these species to manufacture a new natural sunscreen or associate them with synthetic UV-filters.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

In vitro photoprotective activity of plants extracts from Zona da Mata Mineira (Brazil)

Many plants have recently been considered as potential sunscreen resources because of their capacity to absorb the solar ultraviolet radiation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the sunscreen activity of ten Zona da Mata Mineira plants extracts by in vitro test using ultraviolet spectrophotometry. From the studied species, three (Lantana aff. fucata Lindl, Solidago microglossa DC and Stachytarpheta gesnerioides Cham.) showed sun protection factor (SPF) higher than 2, which is the minimum value required by the Brazilian legislation to label a product as containing a SPF. These results suggest that it can be possible to utilize these species to manufacture a new natural sunscreen or associate them with synthetic UV-filters.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Anatomia da Siringe dos Dendrocolaptidae (Aves, Passeriformes)

The syrinx is the vocal organ of the birds and it corresponds to a modification of the apparatus respiratorius, being at most of the cases, localized at the caudal end of the trachea and the cranial portion of the bronchi. The main purpose of this paper is to describe the syrinx anatomy of the Dendrocolaptidae, with the analysis of 11 from the 13 genera accepted to this family. Besides the two series of cartilaginous elements (“A” and “B”) previously recognized, we adopted a third series of elements designated as “T” elements, which correspond to those cranial to the Membrana tracheosyringealis. The structural variation of the Dendrocolaptidae syrinx is considered small when compared with other well known suboscine taxa, such as the Pipridae. We found out intra-group diagnostic characters, as well as some phylogenetically informative characters. Contrary to the current knowledge, the woodcreeper’s syrinx is dorsoventrally assimetric, a characteristic that should be taken into account in future studies of other suboscine groups, especially in the case of using syringeal anatomy for systematic studies.A siringe é o órgão vocal das aves e corresponde a uma região modificada do tubo respiratório, que na maioria dos grupos situa-se na região caudal da traquéia e cranial dos brônquios. O objetivo principal deste trabalho é a descrição anatômica da siringe dos Dendrocolaptidae e, para tal, foram examinados representantes de 11 dos 13 gêneros aceitos nesta família. Além das duas séries de elementos (“A” e “B”) previamente reconhecidas, modificou-se a nomenclatura criando uma terceira série de elementos esqueléticos designados como elementos “T”, que correspondem àqueles craniais à membrana traqueossiringeal. A variação estrutural da siringe dos Dendrocolaptidae foi considerada pequena, quando comparada à variação observada em outros grupos de Suboscines, como os Pipridae. Há caracteres diagnósticos de alguns dos táxons estudados, assim como caracteres informativos do ponto de vista filogenético. Ao contrário do que pressupunha a literatura, a siringe dos arapaçus é assimétrica dorsoventralmente, característica que deverá, daqui para frente, ser levada em conta no estudo de outros táxons Suboscines, principalmente no caso de aplicação sistemática de caracteres siringeais

In vitro photoprotective activity of plants extracts from Zona da Mata Mineira (Brazil)

Many plants have recently been considered as potential sunscreen resources because of their capacity to absorb the solar ultraviolet radiation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the sunscreen activity of ten Zona da Mata Mineira plants extracts by in vitro test using ultraviolet spectrophotometry. From the studied species, three (Lantana aff. fucata Lindl, Solidago microglossa DC and Stachytarpheta gesnerioides Cham.) showed sun protection factor (SPF) higher than 2, which is the minimum value required by the Brazilian legislation to label a product as containing a SPF. These results suggest that it can be possible to utilize these species to manufacture a new natural sunscreen or associate them with synthetic UV-filters.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Brazilian Front-of-Package Labeling: A Product Compliance Analysis 12 Months after Implementation of Regulations

This study investigated the presence of front-of-package labeling on food products in major retailers in Brazil after its implementation in 2022. Carried out from May to October 2023, we analyzed 2145 products of brands present in five Brazilian states. A total of 541 products presented front-of-package warnings. The categories varied in their adherence to front-of-package labeling, highlighting a prevalence of combined warnings, such as high in added sugar and high in saturated fat on sweet biscuits and chocolates. Sausages showed a high prevalence of high in sodium and high in saturated fat warnings. Beverages stood out as high in added sugar, while fats, dairy products, frozen preparations, seasonings, and sauces presented diversity in the warnings. Other products, such as panettone, showed a high presence of alerts. The study demonstrated the widespread presence of front-of-package labeling on ultra-processed products highly consumed by the Brazilian population. Considering the alarming presence of these foods in the Brazilian diet, it is concluded that front-of-package nutrition labeling is crucial to inform and raise awareness among consumers, allowing healthier choices and potentially contributing to a reduction in chronic diseases and the costs associated with treatment in the health system.This work was supported by the FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal. Furthermore, we would like to thank the Centre for Studies in Education and Innovation (CI&DEI), Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society (CERNAS), and the Institute Polytechnic of Viseu for their support.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In vitro Efficacy of Photoprotection in Sunscreens: a Comparison Between Methods

Sunscreens are known to play an important role on the prevention of skin cancer, as they act by blocking the carcinogenic solar radiations. The currently methods for determining the sun protection efficacy of these products are all based on in vivo tests. In this light, the aim of the present study was to compare the performance of two spectrophotometric in vitro methods, in order to determine which one generates more trustworthy Sun Protection Factors (SPF) values: the classical UV spectrophotometry or the diffuse transmittance reflectance spectrophotometry. For that, twenty-five SPF 30 commercial sunscreen samples were used. The methods generated different results, being the diffuse transmittance spectrophotometry more appropriate and reliable for determining the SPF of these products. Moreover, it provides as additional advantage the possibility of quantifying the protection against UVA radiation through the UVA/UVB Ratio and the Critical Wavelength.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Production of volatile fatty acids from slaughterhouse blood by mixed-culture fermentation

The volatile fatty acids (VFA) production potential from animal blood and the factors affecting this process were investigated in this study. In order to simulate an industrial process different operation modes, batch, fed batch and semi-continuous, were also evaluated. Due to high ammonia concentration in fermentation broth, VFA concentration up to 100 g L-1 was achieved without addition of buffer and methanogen inhibitor. In general, acetic, n-butyric and iso-valeric acids were the most predominant species, although different operational conditions affected the VFA concentration, profile, production rate and yield. The microbial community analysis was conducted on the reactors with the best performance, revealing that 70-90% of the microbial population was from the Clostridiales order with a strong presence from the Sporanaerobacter genus. These results demonstrated the feasibility of a VFA-platform bio-refinery using high-protein wastes as substrate via mixed-culture fermentation under non-sterilised conditions

Local mean-field study of capillary condensation in silica aerogels

We apply local mean-field (i.e. density functional) theory to a lattice model of a fluid in contact with a dilute, disordered gel network. The gel structure is described by a diffusion-limited cluster aggregation model. We focus on the influence of porosity on both the hysteretic and the equilibrium behavior of the fluid as one varies the chemical potential at low temperature. We show that the shape of the hysteresis loop changes from smooth to rectangular as the porosity increases and that this change is associated to disorder-induced out-of-equilibrium phase transitions that differ on adsorption and on desorption. Our results provide insight in the behavior of $^4$He in silica aerogels.Comment: 19 figure