Does geometric morphometrics provide congruent results with SNP data? The case of Iberian honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis)

While molecular markers are usually preferred to infer population structure, geometric morphometrics is a cheap method that has been widely applied to the wings of female honey bees to identify subspecies or lineages and can be used alternatively or complementarily to molecular markers. However, the power of geometric morphometrics to capture the signature of complex evolutionary processes has not been tested in honey bees. In this study, we applied geometric morphometrics, combined with geographical information, to the right forewings of female individuals from 711 colonies distributed along the Iberian Peninsula, which contains a complex population structure. The results were further compared with those obtained using 383 SNPs. Our data showed that geometric morphometrics provided a similar spatial structure of SNPs data (r=0.90). Our findings reinforce the power of spatially explicit wing geometric morphometrics data to capture the signature of complex evolutionary processes. Thus, this method could be used as a low-cost alternative for preliminary estimation of population structure.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Wing geometric morphometrics of workers and drones and single nucleotide polymorphisms provide similar genetic structure in the Iberian honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis)

Wing geometric morphometrics has been applied to honey bees (Apis mellifera) in identification of evolutionary lineages or subspecies and, to a lesser extent, in assessing genetic structure within subspecies. Due to bias in the production of sterile females (workers) in a colony, most studies have used workers leaving the males (drones) as a neglected group. However, considering their importance as reproductive individuals, the use of drones should be incorporated in these analyses in order to better understand diversity patterns and underlying evolutionary processes. Here, we assessed the usefulness of drone wings, as well as the power of wing geometric morphometrics, in capturing the signature of complex evolutionary processes by examining wing shape data, integrated with geographical information, from 711 colonies sampled across the entire distributional range of Apis mellifera iberiensis in Iberia. We compared the genetic patterns reconstructed fromspatially-explicit shape variation extracted fromwings of both sexes with that previously reported using 383 genome-wide SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). Our results indicate that the spatial structure retrieved from wings of drones and workers was similar (r = 0.93) and congruent with that inferred from SNPs (r = 0.90 for drones; r = 0.87 for workers), corroborating the clinal pattern that has been described for A. m. iberiensis using other genetic markers. In addition to showing that drone wings carry valuable genetic information, this study highlights the capability of wing geometric morphometrics in capturing complex genetic patterns, o ering a reliable and low-cost alternative for preliminary estimation of population structure.This research was funded by the program COMPETE 2020—POCI (Programa Operacional para a Competividade e Internacionalização) and by Portuguese funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) in the framework of the project BeeHappy (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029871). FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) provided funds for TMF (2011/07857-9) and JSGT (2011/02434-2).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antioxidant activity and cytotoxic effects of polar extracts from saffron (Crocus sativus L) flowers

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) flower is composed of six purple tepals, three yellow stamens and a white filiform style ending in a stigma with three threads, which only represents less than 10% (w/w) of the flower weight. Nevertheless, saffron is cultivated for the stigma of its flowers which, after being dried, is the most valued spice [1]. For each kg of this spice, about 63 kg of floral bio-residues are produced, which so far are not exploited, being usually thrown away. However, the floral bio-residues were reported as having high phenolic content and bioactive properties, such as antioxidant, antityrosinase, antidepressant, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and arterial pressure reducer activities [2]. In view of the reported bioactivity, it is important to study the cytotoxic effects of saffron [3]. Furthermore, it is a wellknown fact that the effectiveness of bioactive compounds extraction from plants, as well as their corresponding activity, is highly dependent on factors such as different types of solvent, solvent-to-solid ratios and specially the solvent polarity [4]. In the present work, the antioxidant activity of different polar extracts (ethanol, ethanol:water 1:1 v/v, and water) of saffron was evaluated using different in vitro assays (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity, ferric reducing reducing power and inhibition of β-carotene bleaching assay). In addition, the cytotoxicity of the extracts was also evaluated in Caco-2 (ATCC HTB-37TM) cultures by using MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. All samples proved to have antioxidant activity, despite the higher effectiveness of the hydroalcoholic extract. Up to the assayed concentrations, none of the extracts showed cytotoxicity against Caco-2 cell lines. Accordingly, saffron flowers might be used in different applications such as the development of food supplements or pharmaceutic related products

An investigation of the potential application of chitosan/aloe-based membranes for regenerative medicine

A significant number of therapeutics derived from natural polymers and plants have been developed to replace or to be used in conjunction with existing dressing products. The use of the therapeutic properties of aloe vera could be very useful in the creation of active wound dressing materials. The present work was undertaken to examine issues concerning structural features, topography, enzymatic degradation behavior, antibacterial activity and cellular response of chitosan/aloe vera-based membranes. The chitosan/aloe vera-based membranes that were developed displayed satisfactory degradation, roughness, wettability and mechanical properties. A higher antibacterial potency was displayed by the blended membranes. Moreover, in vitro assays demonstrated that these blended membranes have good cell compatibility with primary human dermal fibroblasts. The chitosan/aloe vera-based membranes might be promising wound dressing materials.The authors acknowledge financial support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (grants SFRH/BPD/45307/2008 and SFRH/BD/64601/2009), the "Fundo Social Europeu", and the "Programa Diferencial de Potencial Humano". This work was partially supported by the FEDER through POCTEP 0330_IBEROMARE_1_P