Effect of dried extract of boldo (Peumus Boldus Mol.) on growth and oxidative tissue status of broiler chickens

The addition of antioxidants to broiler diets has been shown to enhance their antioxidant status. Since boldo (Peumus boldus Mol.) leaves contain highly antioxidant molecules, a dried extract of boldo (DEB) was added to broiler diets to improve "in vivo" antioxidant tissue status and to favor animal growth. A DEB standardized for antioxidant content was prepared and added to poultry diets at three different levels (low-DELB, medium-DEMB, and high-DEHB) for a period of 6 weeks. A single negative control (no added antioxidant) and one positive control (supplementation with 200 mg/kg vitamin E) were used. Plasma antioxidant capacity (PAC), thiol content (GHS), and basal and induced lipoperoxidation of liver, leg and breast tissues were determined in birds at 2, 4, and 6 weeks of age. PAC increased with chicken age until week 6, but was unaffected by DEB addition at any level. However, DEB increased hepatic GSH content. No data indicated that DEB improved the resistance against induced lipoperoxidation in the assayed tissues. DEB contains compounds exhibiting high antioxidant activity "in vivo", as evidenced by the increase in liver thiol content. Regarding broiler performance, no differences in poultry body weight and feed consumption were detected during the assay

Electrochemical, ESR and theoretical insights into the free radical generation by 1,1'-hydrocarbylenebisindazoles and its evaluation as potential bio-active compounds

A comprehensive multidisciplinary study is conducted here in order to assess the electrochemical behavior of a series of 1,1'-hydrocarbylenebisindazoles derivatives and its potential use as anti-T.cruzi drugs. At first, we have determined the electrochemical reduction mechanisms of this family by cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies, from which three kind of reduction mechanisms -depending on the substituent at positions 3 and 3'- were established, but sharing a first common step corresponding to the generation of a nitro anion radical, which was corroborated by ESR spectroscopy, showing a comparable hyperfine splitting pattern and a strong influence on the ESR spectral linewidths due to the radical-solvent interactions. Furthermore, in order to give a rational description about the electrochemical and ESR results, open- and closed-shell structures of bisindasoles were subjected to theoretical estimations at different levels of theory. For open-shell structures, the hyperfine splitting patterns were confirmed while for the closed-shell systems case, clear evidence about the electrochemical reactivity -in terms of their frontiers orbitals- were obtained. To conclude, all these compounds were assayed as growth inhibitors against T.cruzi, from which some degree of activity was observed for this family, highlighting a compound almost as active as the reference drug. Finally, in order to get some information about the potential action mechanisms involved in the trypanocidal activity, molecular modeling and spin trapping studies were also done © 2012 by ESG.Peer Reviewe