Biological activities of extracts from cultivated Granadilla Passiflora alata

Research conducted in this study showed the influence of ethanol, acetone and ethyl acetate extracts of the outgrowth of cultivated Passiflora alata on microorganisms, as well as the antioxidant activity and the concentrations of total phenols, flavonoids and tannins. In vitro antimicrobial activities of extracts were studied on 27 species of microorganisms, of which 17 species of bacteria and 10 species of fungi. The strongest antimicrobial activity was detected on G+ bacteria while the activities on other species were moderate. Ethyl acetate extract showed the strongest effect. The concentrations of total phenols were examined by using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the obtained values ranged from 14.04 to 34.22 mg GA/g. By using aluminium chloride method, the concentrations of flavonoids were obtained and the values ranged from 33.19 to 62.30 mg RU/g. In determining the amount of tannins we used the method with buthanol-HCl reagent and the obtained value was 5.1 % of dry matter. The efficiency of antioxidation, which we identified through the reduction of DPPH, was in the range from 808.69 to 1107.79 μg/ml for a particular IC50, and AAI values were between 0.07 and 0.10. The best parameters were shown by ethanol extract. All data were statistically analyzed. Overall, extracts showed potential for further investigation and use

Ocena stopnia zaawansowania miażdżycy u dzieci i młodzieży z cukrzycą typu 1

Introduction: To evaluate the degree of atherosclerosis in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and its correlation with risk factors, traditional and other, such as anti-oxidative capacity of circulating blood and level of lipid peroxidation. Material and methods: Forty children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes with mean age 13.7 years were compared with 20 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Association of carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) with different risk factors measured in children with type 1 diabetes was evaluated. Results: Mean carotid IMT was higher in subjects with diabetes (p < 0.01) and was strongly associated with total cholesterol with an odds ratio of 4.08 (p = 0.016), LDL-cholesterol with an odds ratio of 2.78 (p = 0.037), length of disease with an odds ratio of 1.87 (p = 0.007) and positive family history (first- and second-degree relatives) of diabetes and early CVD (heart attack and/or stroke before the age of 60 years) with an odds ratio of 6.8 (p = 0.007). Conclusions: We found significantly increased cIMT in the diabetic patients compared to the healthy control subjects. Risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis included higher total and LDL-cholesterol, higher systolic blood pressure, positive family history of diabetes and early CVD and longer diabetes duration. In spite of the documented increased oxidative stress, we failed to establish a correlation between the oxidative stress parameters and cIMT values. (Endokrynol Pol 2012; 63 (6): 414&#8211;419)Wstęp: Ocena stopnia zaawansowania miażdżycy u dzieci i młodzieży z cukrzycą typu 1 oraz jego korelacja z czynnikami ryzyka, tradycyjnymi i innymi, na przykład potencjałem antyoksydacyjnym krwi krążącej i poziomem peroksydacji lipidów. Materiał i metody: Porównano 40 dzieci i nastolatków z cukrzycą typu 1, średnia wieku 13,7 roku, z 20 zdrowymi osobnikami stanowiącymi grupę kontrolną odpowiednio dobranymi pod względem wieku i płci. Oceniano związek pomiędzy grubością kompleksu błony wewnętrznej i środkowej tętnic szyjnych (cIMT) a różnymi czynnikami ryzyka ocenianymi ilościowo u dzieci z cukrzycą typu 1. Wyniki: Średnia wartość cIMT była większa u pacjentów z cukrzycą (p < 0,01) i wykazywała silny związek ze stężeniem cholesterolu całkowitego [iloraz szans (OR) 4,08; p = 0,016], cholesterolem frakcji LDL (OR 2,77; p = 0,037), czasem trwania choroby (OR 1,87; p = 0,007) i dodatnim wywiadem rodzinnym (krewni pierwszego i drugiego stopnia) w kierunku cukrzycy i wczesnego występowania chorób układu krążenia (zawału serca i/lub udaru mózgu przed 60. rokiem życia) (OR 6,8; p = 0,007). Wnioski: Stwierdzono znamiennie podwyższoną wartość cIMT u pacjentów z cukrzycą w porównaniu ze zdrowymi osobnikami z grupy kontrolnej. Czynniki ryzyka rozwoju miażdżycy obejmowały podwyższone stężenie cholesterolu całkowitego i cholesterolu frakcji LDL, podwyższone skurczowe ciśnienie tętnicze, dodatni wywiad rodzinny w kierunku cukrzycy i wczesnego występowania chorób układu krążenia oraz dłuższy czas trwania cukrzycy. Pomimo udokumentowanego wzmożenia stresu oksydacyjnego nie udało się ustalić korelacji pomiędzy parametrami stresu oksydacyjnego a wartościami cIMT. (Endokrynol Pol 2012; 63 (6): 414&#8211;419

Phytomedical investigation of Najas minor All. in the view of the chemical constituents

Plants are an abundant natural source of effective antibiotic compounds. Phytomedical investigations of certain plants haven’t still been conducted. One of them is Najas minor (N. minor), an aquatic plant with confirmed allelopathy. Research conducted in this study showed the influence of water and ethyl acetate extracts of N. minor on microorganisms, in the view of chemical profiling of volatile constituents and the concentrations of total phenols, flavonoids and tannins. Antimicrobial activity was defined by determining minimum inhibitory and minimum microbicidal concentrations using microdilution method. Influence on bacterial biofilm formation was performed by tissue culture plate method. The total phenolics, flavonoids and condensed tannins were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminum chloride and butanol-HCl colorimetric methods. Chemical profiling of volatile constituents was investigated by GC and GC-MS. Water extract didn't have antimicrobial activity below 5000 µg/mL. Ethyl acetate extract has shown strong antimicrobial activity on G+ bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus PMFKGB12 and Bacillus subtilis (MIC < 78.13 µg/mL). The best antibiofilm activity was obtained on Escherichia coli ATCC25922 (BIC50 at 719 µg/mL). Water extract had higher yield. Ethyl acetate extract had a significantly greater amount of total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins. As major constituent hexahydrofarnesyl acetone was identified. The ethyl acetate extract effected only G+ bacteria, but the biofilm formation of G-bacteria was suppressed. There was a connection between those in vivo and in vitro effects against pathogenic bacterial biofilm formation. All of this points to a so far unexplored potential of N. minor

Pogodnost različitih prajmera za specifičnu molekularnu detekciju Monilinia spp.

Monilinia spp. are economically important pathogens of pome and stone fruits. Four Monilinia species are present in Serbia - Monilinia fructigena, M. laxa, M. fructicola and Monilia polystroma. As detection and identification of Monilinia species are complex, the aim of this research was to evaluate species-specific primers in PCR in order to standardize fast and reliable molecular methods for differentiation between the four Monilinia species. Isolates of M. fructigena, M. laxa, M. fructicola and M. polystroma from apple fruit and referent isolates from Italy and Japan were used for testing. Specific molecular detection of M. laxa was obtained using ITS1Mlx/ITS4Mlx and Ml-Mfg-F2/Ml-Mfc-R1 primer pairs, and M. fructicola using ITS1Mfcl/ITS4Mfcl and Mfc-F1/Mfc-R1 primer pairs. ITS1Mfgn/ITS4Mfgn and ITS1/Mfg-R2 primer pairs, described as M. fructigena species-specific, amplified M. fructigena and M. polystroma, as well. Specific detection of these two species as well as of all four tested Monilinia species was obtained using the reverse primer MO368-5 with forward primers MO368-8R, Laxa-R2 and MO368-10R in separate or in Multiplex PCR reactions.Vrste roda Monilinia su ekonomski znač ajni patogeni jabučastih i koštičavih vrsta voćaka. U Srbiji su prisutne četiri vrste ovog roda: M. fructigena, M. laxa, M. fructicola i Monilia polystroma. Detekcija i identifikacija vrsta roda Monilinia je složena, tako da je cilj ovog rada bio da se ispita i standardizuje brza i efikasna metoda molekularne detekcije korišćenjem različitih prajmera u PCR metodi i da se utvrdi njihova specifičnost i mogućnost korišćenja u identifikaciji Monilinia spp. U radu su korišćeni izolati M. fructigena, M. laxa, M. fructicola i M. polystroma poreklom iz plodova jabuke prikupljenih u Srbiji, kao i referentni izolati iz Italije i Japana. Specifična molekularna detekcija M. laxa postignuta je korišćenjem prajmera ITS1Mlx/ITS4Mlx i Ml-Mfg -F2/Ml-Mfc-R1, a vrste M. fructicola korišćenjem prajmera ITS1Mfcl/ITS4Mfcl i Mfc-F1/Mfc-R1. Prajmeri ITS1Mfgn/ITS4Mfgn i ITS1/Mfg -R2, koji su u literaturi opisani kao specifični za M. fructigena, pored izolata M. fructigena amplifikovali su i DNK izolata M. polystroma. Za razdvajanje ove dve vrste, kao i za razlikovanje sve četiri ispitivane vrste roda Monilinia, najpogodniji su uzvodni prajmer MO368-5 u kombinaciji sa nizvodnim prajmerima MO368-8R, Laxa-R2 i MO368-10R u direktnoj ili Multiplex PCR metodi

Heavy metal tolerance and removal efficiency of the Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Saccharomyces boulardii planktonic cells and biofilm

The impact of heavy metals, cadmium (Cd2+), zinc (Zn2+) and nickel (Ni2+) on planktonic cells and biofilm of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Saccharomyces boulardii was examined. The metal tolerance testing was performed by MBECTM-HTP assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MICp) and minimum lethal concentration (MLCp) were determined as well as the minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC). Biofilm was more tolerant on the presence of heavy metals than the planktonic cells. The planktonic cells of R. mucilaginosa were tolerant to high concentrations of Cd2+, Zn2+ and Ni2+, while the planktonic cells of S. boulardii tolerated Zn2+, exclusively. The R. mucilaginosa biofilm was tolerant to all of the tested metal concentrations and the obtained results were confirmed by fluorescence microscopy. S. boulardii did not show ability of biofilm formation. Metal removal efficiency of the R. mucilaginosa planktonic cells and biofilm were also tested. The R. mucilaginosa biofilm showed higher efficiency in metals removing compared to the planktonic cells. Until now, the heavy metal tolerance and the removal efficiency (Cd2+, Zn2+ and Ni2+) analyzes were performed solely on planktonic cells of Rhodotorula species. In this study, we investigated the metal removal efficiency of R. mucilaginosa planktonic cells and biofilm and compared the obtained results

Surface Reconstruction of Hexagonal Y-doped HoMnO3 and LuMnO3 studied using low-energy electron diffraction

We have investigated the (0001) surfaces of several hexagonal manganite perovskites by low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) in order to determine if the surface periodicity is different from that of the bulk materials. These LEED studies were conducted using near-normal incidence geometry with a low energy electron microscope (LEEM)/LEED apparatus from room temperature to 1200 degrees Celsius and with an electron energy in the range of 15-50 eV. Diffraction patterns showed features of bulk-terminated periodicity as well as a 2\times2 surface reconstruction. Possible origins for this surface reconstruction structure are discussed and comparisons are made with surface studies of other complex oxides.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figure

New insights on commemoration of the dead through mortuary and architectural use of pigments at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey

The cultural use of pigments in human societies is associated with ritual activities and the creation of social memory. Neolithic Çatalhöyük (Turkey, 7100–5950 cal BC) provides a unique case study for the exploration of links between pigments in burials, demographic data and colourants in contemporary architectural contexts. This study presents the first combined analysis of funerary and architectural evidence of pigment use in Neolithic Anatolia and discusses the possible social processes underlying the observed statistical patterns. Results reveal that pigments were either applied directly to the deceased or included in the grave as a burial association. The most commonly used pigment was red ochre. Cinnabar was mainly applied to males and blue/green pigment was associated with females. A correlation was found between the number of buried individuals and the number of painted layers in the buildings. Mortuary practices seem to have followed specific selection processes independent of sex and age-at-death of the deceased. This study offers new insights about the social factors involved in pigment use in this community, and contributes to the interpretation of funerary practices in Neolithic Anatolia. Specifically, it suggests that visual expression, ritual performance and symbolic associations were elements of shared long-term socio-cultural practices

New insights on commemoration of the dead through mortuary and architectural use of pigments at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey.

The cultural use of pigments in human societies is associated with ritual activities and the creation of social memory. Neolithic Çatalhöyük (Turkey, 7100-5950 cal BC) provides a unique case study for the exploration of links between pigments in burials, demographic data and colourants in contemporary architectural contexts. This study presents the first combined analysis of funerary and architectural evidence of pigment use in Neolithic Anatolia and discusses the possible social processes underlying the observed statistical patterns. Results reveal that pigments were either applied directly to the deceased or included in the grave as a burial association. The most commonly used pigment was red ochre. Cinnabar was mainly applied to males and blue/green pigment was associated with females. A correlation was found between the number of buried individuals and the number of painted layers in the buildings. Mortuary practices seem to have followed specific selection processes independent of sex and age-at-death of the deceased. This study offers new insights about the social factors involved in pigment use in this community, and contributes to the interpretation of funerary practices in Neolithic Anatolia. Specifically, it suggests that visual expression, ritual performance and symbolic associations were elements of shared long-term socio-cultural practices

The springtails (Insecta: Collembola) fauna at different microhabitats of Bečići beach, Montenegro

Collembola fauna has been investigated at different microhabitats near the beach in Bečići, Montenegro. Samples were collected from four locations: Hotel 'Tara', 'Sveti Toma' Church (St. Thomas), Hotel 'Naftagas' and 'Zelena Stena' (Green Rock). Each of the location presented different microhabitat: under the palm tree, cypresses tree, larch tree and white pine tree. Samples were taken in May and September 2015 and results presented as qualitative findings. Total number of 30 Collembola species was identified, classified into six families and 17 genera. Representatives of the family Hypogastruridae and Isotomidae were recorded at all of the studied sites, while representatives of the families: Naenuridae, Onychiuridae, Entomobryidae and Sminthuridae were present on some of locations. The biggest number of species and the highest Collembola population density was found at the Green Stone site, 24 species in total, microhabitat- white pine, and the smallest number of species, 6 on site 'St. Thomas' Church, microhabitat- cypresses trees

Chapter 16.: The colour of things. Pigments and colours in Neolithic Çatalhöyük

FGW – Publications not associated with a particular research are