Consumption of phenolic-rich jabuticaba (Myrciaria jaboticaba) powder ameliorates obesity-related disorders in mice

Accumulating evidence indicates that dietary phenolic compounds can prevent obesity-related disorders. We investigated whether the consumption of polyphenol-rich jabuticaba peel and seed powder (JPSP) could ameliorate the progression of diet-induced obesity in mice. Male mice were fed a control diet or a high-fat (HF) diet for 9 weeks. After this period, mice were fed control, HF or HF diets supplemented with 5 % (HF-J5), 10 % (HF-J10) or 15 % (HF-J15) of JPSP, for 4 additional weeks. Supplementation with JPSP not only attenuated HF-induced weight gain and fat accumulation but also ameliorated the pro-inflammatory response associated with obesity, as evidenced by the absence of mast cells in the visceral depot accompanied by lower IL-6 and TNF-α at the tissue and circulating levels. JPSP-supplemented mice also exhibited smaller-sized adipocytes, reduced levels of leptin and higher levels of adiponectin, concomitant with improved glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. The magnitude of the observed effects was dependent on JPSP concentration with HF-J10- and HF-J15-fed mice showing metabolic profiles similar to control. This study reveals that the consumption of JPSP protects against the dysfunction of the adipose tissue and metabolic disturbances in obese mice. Thus, these findings indicate the therapeutic potential of the phenolic-rich JPSP in preventing obesity-related disorders

Random X Inactivation and Extensive Mosaicism in Human Placenta Revealed by Analysis of Allele-Specific Gene Expression along the X Chromosome

Imprinted inactivation of the paternal X chromosome in marsupials is the primordial mechanism of dosage compensation for X-linked genes between females and males in Therians. In Eutherian mammals, X chromosome inactivation (XCI) evolved into a random process in cells from the embryo proper, where either the maternal or paternal X can be inactivated. However, species like mouse and bovine maintained imprinted XCI exclusively in extraembryonic tissues. The existence of imprinted XCI in humans remains controversial, with studies based on the analyses of only one or two X-linked genes in different extraembryonic tissues. Here we readdress this issue in human term placenta by performing a robust analysis of allele-specific expression of 22 X-linked genes, including XIST, using 27 SNPs in transcribed regions. We show that XCI is random in human placenta, and that this organ is arranged in relatively large patches of cells with either maternal or paternal inactive X. In addition, this analysis indicated heterogeneous maintenance of gene silencing along the inactive X, which combined with the extensive mosaicism found in placenta, can explain the lack of agreement among previous studies. Our results illustrate the differences of XCI mechanism between humans and mice, and highlight the importance of addressing the issue of imprinted XCI in other species in order to understand the evolution of dosage compensation in placental mammals

Antimicrobial effect of farnesol, a Candida albicans quorum sensing molecule, on Paracoccidioides brasiliensis growth and morphogenesis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Farnesol is a sesquiterpene alcohol produced by many organisms, and also found in several essential oils. Its role as a quorum sensing molecule and as a virulence factor of <it>Candida albicans </it>has been well described. Studies revealed that farnesol affect the growth of a number of bacteria and fungi, pointing to a potential role as an antimicrobial agent.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Growth assays of <it>Paracoccidioides brasiliensis </it>cells incubated in the presence of different concentrations of farnesol were performed by measuring the optical density of the cultures. The viability of fungal cells was determined by MTT assay and by counting the colony forming units, after each farnesol treatment. The effects of farnesol on <it>P. brasiliensis </it>dimorphism were also evaluated by optical microscopy. The ultrastructural morphology of farnesol-treated <it>P. brasiliensis </it>yeast cells was evaluated by transmission and scanning electron microscopy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, the effects of farnesol on <it>Paracoccidioides brasiliensis </it>growth and dimorphism were described. Concentrations of this isoprenoid ranging from 25 to 300 μM strongly inhibited <it>P. brasiliensis </it>growth. We have estimated that the MIC of farnesol for <it>P. brasiliensis </it>is 25 μM, while the MLC is around 30 μM. When employing levels which don't compromise cell viability (5 to 15 μM), it was shown that farnesol also affected the morphogenesis of this fungus. We observed about 60% of inhibition in hyphal development following <it>P. brasiliensis </it>yeast cells treatment with 15 μM of farnesol for 48 h. At these farnesol concentrations we also observed a significant hyphal shortening. Electron microscopy experiments showed that, despite of a remaining intact cell wall, <it>P. brasiliensis </it>cells treated with farnesol concentrations above 25 μM exhibited a fully cytoplasmic degeneration.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data indicate that farnesol acts as a potent antimicrobial agent against <it>P. brasiliensis</it>. The fungicide activity of farnesol against this pathogen is probably associated to cytoplasmic degeneration. In concentrations that do not affect fungal viability, farnesol retards the germ-tube formation of <it>P. brasiliensis</it>, suggesting that the morphogenesis of this fungal is controlled by environmental conditions.</p

Leaf Epidermal Descriptors of Forage from Caatinga, NE Brazil

In the Brazilian semi-arid region, the predominant vegetation is the Caatinga, which has a diversity of plant species, some endemic and presenting forage potential. The characterization of the plant anatomy is important for animal diet studies, using a microhistological technique (Scott and Dahl 1980) for estimating the diet botanical composition from ruminant faeces. This paper determined leaf epidermal descriptors for Caatinga species using microscopic slides

Bioconversion of potato-processing wastes into an industrially-important chemical lactic acid

Lactic acid (LA) is an important biomolecule applied in food, pharmaceutical and chemical areas, mainly to produce biodegradable polymers, such as poly–lactic acid (PLA). In this work, an efficient fermentative process for LA production was developed using potato processing waste (PPW) hydrolysate with Lactobacillus pentosus. After optimization and kinetics studies, LA production reached 150 g/L with a productivity of 1.6 g/L.h in Erlenmeyer flasks. LA production was also conducted in STR where 110 g/L were reached with a productivity of 2.4 g/L.h. LA recovery consisted of a clarification step, with powdered activated carbon, with further precipi- tation at low temperature and acidification of calcium lactate for conversion to LA. The process was effective for contaminants’ removal and clarification, and LA concentration to 416 g/L. Good perspectives for LA production, recovery and clarification were observed. Future studies will be carried out for LA purification and polymeri- zation for PLA synthesis

Management Effect on Rainfall Use Efficiency and Growth Rate of Spineless Cactus \u3cem\u3ecv.\u3c/em\u3e Miúda in Northeast Brazil

Spineless cactus has a high rainfall use efficiency. Under water deficit, they open their stomata during the night to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide when the air temperature is lower and relative humidity higher (Taiz and Zeiger, 2009), losing less water to the atmosphere. The rainfall use efficiency (RUE) can be expressed as the amount of water used by the crop to produce dry matter (Han and Felker, 1997). The RUE showed by spineless cactus, a CAM plant, is three to five times greater than the one observed in C3 and C4 plants (Felker and Russel, 1988; Nobel, 1991). Therefore, spineless cacti (Nopaleae opuntia) are important forage resource in northeast Brazil. Management practices, however, can affect the RUE and growth of spineless cactus, especially organic and mineral fertilization. Thus, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of organic and nitrogen fertilization and harvest frequency on rainfall use efficiency and growth rate of spineless cactus cv. Miúda (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm Dyck)

DNA-interacting properties of two analogous square-planar cis-chlorido complexes: copper versus palladium

Two square-planar coordination compounds, namely [Cu(CPYA)Cl2] (1) and [Pd(CPYA)Cl2] (2), were prepared from the ligand 4-chloro-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)aniline (CPYA) and two chloride salts, and were fully characterized, including by X-ray diffraction. Spectroscopic, electrophoretic and AFM studies revealed that the two isostructural compounds were interacting differently with DNA. In both cases, the initial interaction involves electrostatic contacts of the CPYA ligand in the minor groove (as suggested by molecular docking), but subsequent strong binding occurs with the palladium(II) complex 2, whereas the binding with the copper complex 1 is weaker and concentration dependent. The strong binding of 2 eventually leads to the cleavage of the double strand and the redox activity of 1 allows to oxidatively cleave the biomolecule

Pernambuco Semiarid Native Rhizobial Populations Nitrogen Fixation Potential with Native \u3cem\u3eMacroptilium\u3c/em\u3e

Nitrogen (N) is one of nature´s most abundant elements, accounting for about 78% of the atmospheric gases, but mostly as the inert N2 form. As such it is not directly available to plants, and is relatively scarce in most agroecosystems. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) through diazotrophic bacteria represents ca. 63% of the yearly N input in terrestrial ecosystems (Taiz and Zeiger 2004). Legumes which form effective symbiosis with the diazotrophic group of bacteria commonly known as rhizobia, are a very important source of available N. Tropical forage legumes are usually able to nodulate with a diverse population of rhizobia, and may have a relevant contribution to nitrogen availability in pastures (Santos et al. 2003). This diversity may be exploited to find more symbiotically efficient bacterial strains, thereby increasing legume effects on pastures. One way to evaluate this diversity is to isolate strains from different regions, vegetation covers or cultivation systems, and environmental conditions. This practice would potentially lead to a large number of isolates, which would increase the chance of finding some more efficient than those currently available (Chagas Junior et al, 2010). Native legumes, including several species of Macroptilium are an important forage resource in the Brazilian Northeast semiarid, contributing to the quality of ruminant diet, but they are still not well known in regards to their BNF ability. This work evaluated nodulation efficiency of Macroptilium lathyroides when inoculated with Litolic Neossol from eight municipalities of Pernambuco State semiarid