Analytical methods applied to diverse types of Brazilian propolis

Propolis is a bee product, composed mainly of plant resins and beeswax, therefore its chemical composition varies due to the geographic and plant origins of these resins, as well as the species of bee. Brazil is an important supplier of propolis on the world market and, although green colored propolis from the southeast is the most known and studied, several other types of propolis from Apis mellifera and native stingless bees (also called cerumen) can be found. Propolis is usually consumed as an extract, so the type of solvent and extractive procedures employed further affect its composition. Methods used for the extraction; analysis the percentage of resins, wax and insoluble material in crude propolis; determination of phenolic, flavonoid, amino acid and heavy metal contents are reviewed herein. Different chromatographic methods applied to the separation, identification and quantification of Brazilian propolis components and their relative strengths are discussed; as well as direct insertion mass spectrometry fingerprinting

Lymnaea schirazensis, an Overlooked Snail Distorting Fascioliasis Data: Genotype, Phenotype, Ecology, Worldwide Spread, Susceptibility, Applicability

BACKGROUND: Lymnaeid snails transmit medical and veterinary important trematodiases, mainly fascioliasis. Vector specificity of fasciolid parasites defines disease distribution and characteristics. Different lymnaeid species appear linked to different transmission and epidemiological patterns. Pronounced susceptibility differences to absolute resistance have been described among lymnaeid populations. When assessing disease characteristics in different endemic areas, unexpected results were obtained in studies on lymnaeid susceptibility to Fasciola. We undertook studies to understand this disease transmission heterogeneity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A ten-year study in Iran, Egypt, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru, demonstrated that such heterogeneity is not due to susceptibility differences, but to a hitherto overlooked cryptic species, Lymnaea schirazensis, confused with the main vector Galba truncatula and/or other Galba/Fossaria vectors. Nuclear rDNA and mtDNA sequences and phylogenetic reconstruction highlighted an old evolutionary divergence from other Galba/Fossaria species, and a low intraspecific variability suggesting a recent spread from one geographical source. Morphometry, anatomy and egg cluster analyses allowed for phenotypic differentiation. Selfing, egg laying, and habitat characteristics indicated a migration capacity by passive transport. Studies showed that it is not a vector species (n = 8572 field collected, 20 populations): snail finding and penetration by F. hepatica miracidium occur but never lead to cercarial production (n = 338 experimentally infected). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This species has been distorting fasciolid specificity/susceptibility and fascioliasis geographical distribution data. Hence, a large body of literature on G. truncatula should be revised. Its existence has henceforth to be considered in research. Genetic data on livestock, archeology and history along the 10,000-year post-domestication period explain its wide spread from the Neolithic Fertile Crescent. It is an efficient biomarker for the follow-up of livestock movements, a crucial aspect in fascioliasis emergence. It offers an outstanding laboratory model for genetic studies on susceptibility/resistance in F. hepatica/lymnaeid interaction, a field of applied research with disease control perspectives

Les fonds de la mer. \uc9tude sur les particularit\ue9s nouvelles des r\ue9gions sous-marines.

t.3 (1875-1879

Les m\ue9l\ue9agrinicoles : esp\ue9ces nouvelles /

(1867

Lista comentada e ilustrada dos Caecidae (Mollusca, Prosobranchia, Mesogastropoda) da Operação Oceanográfica Geomar XII Commented and illustrated list of the Caecidae (Mollusca, Prosobranchia, Mesogastropoda) from Oceanographic Operation Geomar XII

<abstract language="eng">The family Caecidae deserved special attention, among mollusks, because they occurred in more than 50% of studied stations in Oceanographic Operation Geomar XII, which was carried out in northern and southern coasts of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo States (Brazil), respectively. At the time, Caecum brasilicum Folin, 1874, C. aff condylum Moore, 1969, C. circumvolutum Folin, 1867, C. johnsoni Winkley, 1908, C. someri Folin, 1867, C. striatum Folin, 1868, C. venosum Folin, 1867, C. floridanum Stimpson, 1851, C. massambabensis Absalão, 1994, C. butoti Jong & Coomans, 1989, C. ryssotitum Folin, 1867, C. nitidum (Stimpson., 1851) e C. cubitatum (Folin, 1868) were identitíed. C. venosum is reported, for the first time, since its original description, enlarging its occurrence area from Pernambuco to Rio de Janeiro; C. buloti as well, primarily restricted to Dutch Antilles, begins to make part of the Brazilian malacofauna. C. someri and C. butoti were pointed out for being largely non-sintopic with other congeneric species, suggesting that subtile differences in sediment can be responsable for this segregation