Agronomic Factors Influencing Brassica Productivity and Phytochemical Quality

Agronomic practices and climatic factors affect the content and profile of phytochemicals. The effects of the environment, such as salinity, climate, and other abiotic factors, promote biochemical responses, inducing changes in the quantity and quality of polyphenol compounds, carotenoids, vitamins, glucosinolates, and polyamines, which are bioactive compounds. In plants, among the various functions, some phytochemicals can protect against biotic factors. Brassica vegetables are a source of several primary and secondary metabolism compounds, and they might be responsible for disease prevention. In addition, the increase of bioactive compounds in plant-based foods is important to the diet and consequently for the improvement of public health. In this chapter, we will point out the abiotic factors that affect the productive performance, quality, and chemical composition of different Brassica species and cultivars. We will also discuss its implications on plant protection and human health

Safflower oil: an integrated assessment of phytochemistry, antiulcerogenic activity, and rodent and environmental toxicity

Gastric ulcers are a significant medical problem and the development of complications lead to significant mortality rates worldwide. In Brazil, Carthamus tinctorius L., Asteraceae, seeds essential oil, the safflower oil, is currently used as a thermogenic compound and as treatment for problems related to the cardiovascular system. In this study, by Raman spectroscopy, it was shown that oleic and linoleic acids are the compounds present in higher concentrations in the safflower oil. We demonstrated that safflower oil (750 mg/kg, p.o.) decrease the ulcerogenic lesions in mice after the administration of hydrochloric acid-ethanol. The gastric ulcers induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in mice treated with cholinomimetics were treated with four different doses of safflower oil, of which, the dose of 187.5 mg/kg (p.o.) showed significant antiulcerogenic properties (**p < 0.01). Moreover, the safflower oil at doses of 187.5 mg/kg (i.d.) increased the pH levels, gastric volume (**p < 0.01) and gastric mucus production (***p < 0.001), and decreased the total gastric acid secretion (***p < 0.001). The acute toxicity tests showed that safflower oil (5.000 mg/kg, p.o.) had no effect on mortality or any other physiological parameter. Ecotoxicological tests performed using Daphnia similis showed an EC50 at 223.17 mg/l, and therefore safflower oil can be considered “non-toxic” based on the directive 93/67/EEC on risk assessment for new notified substances by European legislation. These results indicate that the antiulcer activity of Safflower oil may be due to cytoprotective effects, which serve as support for new scientific studies related to this pathology.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Universidade Santa Cecília Programa de Pós-graduação em Sustentabilidade de Ecossistemas Costeiros e Marinhos Laboratório de Pesquisa em Produtos NaturaisUniversidade Estadual de Campinas Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica Laboratório de Produtos NaturaisUniversidade Santa Cecília Laboratório de EcotoxicologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Instituto do MarUniversidade Camilo Castelo Branco Instituto de Engenharia BiomédicaUNIFESP, Instituto do MarFAPESP: 2009/01788-5SciEL

Como aumentar o fator de impacto nas bases Web of Science (WoS) e Scopus (Scimago): ações implementadas pelo The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases

O The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases (JVATiTD) foi indexado nas bases Web of Science (WoS) e Scopus (Scimago) em 2006. Entre 2007 e 2012 o fator de impacto (FI) estabilizou-se entre 0.30 e 0.55. Para aumentá-lo, em 2013 estabeleceu-se parceria com a BioMed Central-Springer-Nature e uma série de ações foram propostas e implementadas com vistas a alcançar o patamar de 2.0 em cinco anos. As ações foram as seguintes: publicar em fluxo contínuo, buscar novos indexadores estratégicos, reavaliar o corpo editorial, priorizar conteúdos de qualidade, cortar supérfluos, estimular publicação em multimídia, manter um banco de dados atualizado, e publicar séries temáticas e especiais. Para os editores associados foram feitas as seguintes sugestões: participar em eventos da área e em grupos consolidados de pesquisa, além de dar parecer científico para outras revistas. É possível concluir previamente que a nova parceria foi estratégica, pois em 2017 atingiu-se impacto de citações acima de 1.0 tanto no Web of Science (WoS), quanto no Scopus (Scimago). Isso certamente deverá atrair a submissão de bons manuscritos, aumentar o prestígio, a visibilidade mundial e o aumento do número de citações. Como consequência direta, o FI deverá aumentar nos anos vindouros

Caracterização do Queijo Artesanal de Alagoa - MG: parâmetros físicos, físicoquímicos, microbiológicos e sensoriais.

Resumo ? O conhecimento do processo de produção do leite e fabricação do queijo é fundamental para padronização e qualidade do queijo artesanal. Com este objetivo, utilizando entrevistas estruturadas, foram identificadas as variáveis que compõem o sistema de produção de leite e as etapas do processo de fabricação do queijo artesanal de Alagoa-MG. Os parâmetros físicos (diâmetro e altura), físico-químicos (umidade, matéria gorda no extrato seco, proteína e cloretos) e sensoriais foram pesquisados nos queijos de seis produtores com 14 dias de maturação. A pesquisa de L. monocytogenes e Salmonella spp. e a contagem de Staphylococcus coagulase positiva (SCP) e coliformes foi realizada no leite cru, assim como no queijo recém-fabricado e após sete, 14, 21 e 28 dias de maturação dos mesmos seis produtores do município de Alagoa. A produção de leite no município de Alagoa se caracteriza por um sistema semiextensivo com suplementação no cocho durante todo o ano. A área de 90% das propriedades é inferior a 30 ha, sendo 2/3 destas áreas constituídas de pastagens [Urochloa (Brachiaria) decumbens cv. Basilisk] manejadas sem adubação. Os rebanhos são constituídos, na sua maioria, por vacas Girolando ou mestiças (58%), sendo que 42% das vacas em lactação produzem entre 11 e 15 litros leite/dia. Em 2015 90% das queijeiras produziram até 14.000 kg de queijo. As análises microbiológicas revelaram a presença de SCP e de coliformes totais e termotolerantes no leite cru e nos queijos, em contagens acima do limite máximo estabelecido pela legislação em algumas propriedades. O número total desses microrganismos apresentou uma tendência de queda com o decorrer da maturação do queijo. As análises da composição dos queijos indicam que o queijo artesanal de Alagoa pode ser classificado como de baixa umidade e gordo. Em relação às características sensoriais, os queijos apresentaram consistência tendendo a dura, textura tendendo a fechada sem olhaduras, cor interna amarelada, sabor moderadamente salgado e tendendo a picante, odor moderadamente pronunciado. Para a produção de queijos com qualidade e segurança microbiológica é necessária a implementação de boas práticas na produção de leite, incluindo programas de controle de mastite, brucelose e tuberculose, e de boas práticas na fabricação de queijos.bitstream/item/209185/1/BOP-41-Queijo-Artesanal.pd

Advanced material against human (Including Covid‐19) and plant viruses: nanoparticles as a feasible strategy

The SARS‐CoV‐2 virus outbreak revealed that these nano‐pathogens have the ability to rapidly change lives. Undoubtedly, SARS‐CoV‐2 as well as other viruses can cause important global impacts, affecting public health, as well as, socioeconomic development. But viruses are not only a public health concern, they are also a problem in agriculture. The current treatments are often ineffective, are prone to develop resistance, or cause considerable adverse side effects. The use of nanotechnology has played an important role to combat viral diseases. In this review three main aspects are in focus: first, the potential use of nanoparticles as carriers for drug delivery. Second, its use for treatments of some human viral diseases, and third, its application as antivirals in plants. With these three themes, the aim is to give to readers an overview of the progress in this promising area of biotechnology during the 2017–2020 period, and to provide a glance at how tangible is the effectiveness of nanotechnology against viruses. Future prospects are also discussed. It is hoped that this review can be a contribution to general knowledge for both specialized and non‐specialized readers, allowing a better knowledge of this interesting topic.REDES‐ANID. Grant Number: 180003 Universidad de La Frontera. Grant Number: DI20‐1003 FAPESP. Grant Numbers: 2018/08194‐2, 2018/02832‐7 CNPq. Grant Numbers: 404815/2018‐9, 313117/2019‐5 CONICYT/FAPESP. Grant Number: 2018/08194‐2 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior. Grant Numbers: 001, ANID/FONDAP/15130015 FCT. Grant Number: PTDC/CTM‐TEX/28295/2017 FEDER POCI Portugal 2020 program COMPETE. Grant Number: UID/CTM/00264/2019 FCT/MCTE

Progressive Visceral Leishmaniasis Is Driven by Dominant Parasite-induced STAT6 Activation and STAT6-dependent Host Arginase 1 Expression

The clinicopathological features of the hamster model of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) closely mimic active human disease. Studies in humans and hamsters indicate that the inability to control parasite replication in VL could be related to ineffective classical macrophage activation. Therefore, we hypothesized that the pathogenesis of VL might be driven by a program of alternative macrophage activation. Indeed, the infected hamster spleen showed low NOS2 but high arg1 enzyme activity and protein and mRNA expression (p<0.001) and increased polyamine synthesis (p<0.05). Increased arginase activity was also evident in macrophages isolated from the spleens of infected hamsters (p<0.05), and arg1 expression was induced by L. donovani in primary hamster peritoneal macrophages (p<0.001) and fibroblasts (p<0.01), and in a hamster fibroblast cell line (p<0.05), without synthesis of endogenous IL-4 or IL-13 or exposure to exogenous cytokines. miRNAi-mediated selective knockdown of hamster arginase 1 (arg1) in BHK cells led to increased generation of nitric oxide and reduced parasite burden (p<0.005). Since many of the genes involved in alternative macrophage activation are regulated by Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-6 (STAT6), and because the parasite-induced expression of arg1 occurred in the absence of exogenous IL-4, we considered the possibility that L. donovani was directly activating STAT6. Indeed, exposure of hamster fibroblasts or macrophages to L. donovani resulted in dose-dependent STAT6 activation, even without the addition of exogenous cytokines. Knockdown of hamster STAT6 in BHK cells with miRNAi resulted in reduced arg1 mRNA expression and enhanced control of parasite replication (p<0.0001). Collectively these data indicate that L. donovani infection induces macrophage STAT6 activation and STAT6-dependent arg1 expression, which do not require but are amplified by type 2 cytokines, and which contribute to impaired control of infection

Os mártires e a cristianização do território na América portuguesa, séculos XVI e XVII

O artigo investiga um grupo de atores sociais bastante relevante para viabilizar a cristianização na América portuguesa: os mártires cristãos, indivíduos muito especiais, dispostos a regar a terra com seu próprio sangue, de forma a tornar definitiva e irreversível a ocupação cristã do território. Os mártires - e principalmente a narrativa em torno deles - parecem ter sido bastante acionados para integrar a América portuguesa e seus habitantes nativos à temporalidade e territorialidade cristã. Os mártires dos séculos XVI e XVII, principalmente missionários, reeditavam os martírios do início da cristandade, que espalharam o cristianismo rumo a diversas partes do mundo na antiguidade. Dessa forma, viabilizaram a cristianização das novas fronteiras, consagrando o solo com seu sangue divino e viabilizando posteriores processos de urbanização. Além da função estratégica dos mártires para os cristãos, o texto mostra que eles também tiveram significado peculiar na interlocução com as culturas ameríndias, que tinha como um de seus principais personagens o grande guerreiro, disposto a perder seu sangue em prol de seu grupo.This paper looks into a group of social agents who played a significant role in the Christianization of Portuguese America, namely, the Christian martyrs - very special individuals who were ready to wet the land with their own blood in order to make possible a definitive and irreversible occupation of the territory by Christian settlers. The martyrs, and above all the stories told about them, seem to have been called upon to integrate Portuguese America and its native inhabitants into the temporalities and territory of Christendom. Mostly made up of missionaries, this group of 16th and 17th-century martyrs reedited the martyrdom of early Christians, who spread their creed across numerous parts of the Ancient World. They enabled the Christianization of new frontiers by consecrating the soil with their divine blood and paving the way for subsequent processes of urban development. In addition to their strategic significance for Christianity, the text also shows that their martyrdom played a specific role in the Christian settlers' interaction with Amerindian culture, whose main cults included the figure of the great warrior, ever ready to shed his own blood for his group