Antioxidant, anti-acetylcholinesterase and cytotoxic activities of ethanol extracts of peel, pulp and seeds of exotic Brazilian fruits Antioxidant, anti-acetylcholinesterase and cytotoxic activities in fruits

Ethanol extracts of powdered genipap (Genipa americana L), umbu (Spondia tuberosa A.) and siriguela (Spondia purpurea L) prepared from separate pulp, seeds and peel were investigated for their (i) antioxidant capacity, which was evaluated by various known methods; (ii) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity; and (iii) cytotoxic effect on corneal epithelial cells of sheep. The highest values of total phenolic content were obtained with peel and seed extracts. Siriguela and umbu (seeds and peel) extracts displayed the highest antioxidant activities. Lipid peroxidation assays using mimetic biomembranes and mouse liver homogenates indicated that genipap pulp is a promising antioxidant. The investigation of phenols and organic acid contents revealed the presence of quercetin, citric and quinic acids, chlorogenic acid derivatives, among others, in several extracts, with the highest amount found in siriguela seeds. Genipap pulp and siriguela seed ethanol extracts presented an AChE inhibition zone similar to that of the positive control, carbachol. AChE inhibition assay with chlorogenic acid, one of the main constituents of siriguela seeds, revealed that this acid showed activity similar to that of the control physostigmine. These data suggest that these extracts are potentially important antioxidant supplements for the everyday human diet, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE APPLICABILITY OF AURICULOTHERAPY WITH NEEDLES OR SEEDS TO REDUCE STRESS IN NURSING PROFESSIONALS

This clinical randomized trial was performed with the objective to evaluate the stress levels of the nursing staff of a hospital and analyze the effectiveness of auriculotherapy with needles and seeds. The 75 participants with mean (44/58.7%) and high (31/41.3%) scores according to the Stress Symptoms List were divided into groups (control, needles, and seeds), who received eight sessions on the Shenmen, Kidney and Brainstem points and were evaluated at the baseline, fourth and eighth sessions and on the 15-day follow-up session. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences among the groups at the third assessment (F=3.963/P=0.023) and follow-up (F=6.136/P=0.003). These differences occurred between the control and needle groups. The 'seeds' and needles groups both showed differences (p < 0.05) at the second assessment when compared within the same group. In conclusion, auriculotherapy reduced the stress in the nursing staff, with needles showing better results than seeds for high scores, maintaining the effects for 15 days.

PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN SEEDS AND ANTIOXIDANT METABOLISM OF LETTUCE SEEDLING EXPOSED TO THE ACTION OF Zantedeschia aethiopica Spreng. LEAF EXTRACT

This work aimed to evaluate the influence of different concentrations of Zantedeschia aethiopica Spreng. extract on the physiological performance of the seed and on the response of the antioxidant metabolism of lettuce seedlings. The treatments consisted of leaves extracts from Z. aethiopica at concentrations of 0, 6, 12, 25 and 50%. Germination, first germination count, germination speed and index, length of shoot and radicle, seedling total dry mass, chlorophyll content, activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbarte peroxidase enzymes, lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide quantification and seedling emergence, length of organs, and total dry mass of seedlings were evaluated. The percentage of germination, the length of the shoot and radicle of seedlings and the total dry mass of seedlings grown in the greenhouse were reduced as the concentration of the extract increased. There were increases of electrical conductivity, of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidadase enzymes and the amount of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation in seedlings with increasing extract concentration. The extract reduced the physiological quality of lettuce seeds and induced an increased production of hydrogen peroxide in seedlings, which increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes that were not effective in tissue detoxification, resulting in cellular damage and increased numbers of abnormal seedlings.

PHYSIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF OSMOPRIMED EGGPLANT SEEDS

Eggplant seeds germination can be slow and uneven, justifying the use of pre-germinative treatments to improve the performance of seed lots. One option of treatment is the controlled hydration of seeds by priming. In this way, this study aimed to evaluate the performance of eggplant seeds cv. Embu submitted to different methodologies of priming. The seeds used in the experiment were stored in cold chamber (15 degrees C and 55% RH) in paper bags. The research was carried out at Central Laboratory of Seeds/UFLA. The seeds were submitted to the priming in aerated solutions varying the following factors: temperature (15 degrees C and 25 degrees C), time (24, 48 and 72 hours) and solution (water, PEG, KNO3 and PEG+KNO3). Seeds were washed in running water and dried at 30 degrees C, until the return to the initial moisture content, around 10%. The variables analyzed were percentage of germination, percentage of emergence, speed index of emergence and electrical conductivity. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design, according to a factorial arrangement 2x3x4+1 (control - seeds without priming). The results showed that priming improves the vigour of eggplant seeds with no effect on viability; the priming in water or KNO3 is efficient to improve the seed vigour and priming in water or KNO3 may use temperature of 15 degrees C or 25 degrees C for 24, 48 or 72 hours.

On scale-mixture Birnbaum-Saunders distributions

We present for the first time a justification on the basis of central limit theorems for the family of life distributions generated from scale-mixture of normals. This family was proposed by Balakrishnan et al. (2009) and can be used to accommodate unexpected observations for the usual Birnbaum-Saunders distribution generated from the normal one. The class of scale-mixture of normals includes normal, slash, Student-t, logistic, double-exponential, exponential power and many other distributions. We present a model for the crack extensions where the limiting distribution of total crack extensions is in the class of scale-mixture of normals. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cooking Effects on Iron and Proteins Content of Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) by GF AAS and MALDI-TOF MS

The effects of domestic cooking on proteins, organic compounds and Fe distribution in beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were investigated. Sequential extraction with different extractant solutions (mixture of methanol and chloroform 1:2 v/v, water, 0.5 mol L-1 NaCl, 70% v/v ethanol and 0.5 mol L-1 NaOH) were used for extracting lipids, albumins, globulins, prolamins and glutelins, respectively. Iron determination by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS), proteins by Bradford method and organic compounds by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) were carried out in this work. High concentration of albumins, globulins and glutelins were found in raw beans, while in the cooked beans, albumins and glutelins are main proteins types. The MALDI-TOF MS spectra of raw and cooked beans revealed that the domestic cooking altered the molecular weight of the organic compounds, since that in the cooked beans were found compounds between 2 and 3.5 kDa, which were not presented in the raw beans. Besides this, in cooked beans were also observed the presence of four compounds of high molecular weight (12-16 kDa), being that in the raw grains there is only one (ca. 15.2 kDa). In raw grains is possible to observe that Fe is mainly associated to albumins, globulins and glutelins. For cooked grains, Fe is associated to albumins and globulins.

Germination, Carbohydrate Composition and Vigor of Cryopreserved Caesalpinia echinata Seeds

The present study investigated the germination and vigor of Caesalpinia echinata (Brazilwood) seeds stored at negative temperatures. Recently harvested seeds were cryopreserved at -18 degrees or -196 degrees C and periodically evaluated for germination, seed vigor and carbohydrate composition. The temperatures did not influence the germination percentages or vigor. The germination percentage decreased from 88% in recently harvested seeds to 60% after 730 days of storage. The different temperature and storage times tested did not affect the vigor seed germination as indicated by the measures of plant growth and survival. The different temperatures used did not cause changes in the carbohydrate composition. The tegument cell walls were rich in lignin, arabinose and xylose. The cytoplasm of the cotyledons and embryos had high levels of glucose, fructose, and sucrose. The cryopreservation technique here presented was effective in the conservation of Brazilwood seeds for the medium term.

Biogenic Potassium Salt Particles as Seeds for Secondary Organic Aerosol in the Amazon

The fine particles serving as cloud condensation nuclei in pristine Amazonian rainforest air consist mostly of secondary organic aerosol. Their origin is enigmatic, however, because new particle formation in the atmosphere is not observed. Here, we show that the growth of organic aerosol particles can be initiated by potassium-salt-rich particles emitted by biota in the rainforest. These particles act as seeds for the condensation of low- or semi-volatile organic compounds from the atmospheric gas phase or multiphase oxidation of isoprene and terpenes. Our findings suggest that the primary emission of biogenic salt particles directly influences the number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei and affects the microphysics of cloud formation and precipitation over the rainforest.

EVALUATION OF IN VITRO AND IN VIVO EFFECTS OF SEMIPURIFIED PROTEINASE INHIBITORS FROM THEOBROMA SEEDS ON MIDGUT PROTEASE ACTIVITY OF LEPIDOPTERAN PEST INSECTS

We have characterized in vitro and in vivo effects of trypsin inhibitors from Theobroma seeds on the activity of trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like proteins from Lepidopteran pest insects. The action of semipurified trypsin inhibitors from Theobroma was evaluated by the inhibition of bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin activities determined by the hydrolysis of N-Benzoyl-DL-Arginine-p-Nitroanilide (BAPA) and N-Succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pho-Phe p-Nitroanilide (S-(Ala)2ProPhe-pNA). Proteinase inhibitor activities from Theobroma cacao and T. obovatum seeds were the most effective in inhibiting trypsin-like proteins, whereas those from T. obovatum and T. sylvestre were the most efficient against chymotrypsin-like proteins. All larvae midgut extracts showed trypsin-like proteolytic activities, and the putative trypsin inhibitors from Theobroma seeds significantly inhibited purified bovine trypsin. With respect to the influence of Theobroma trypsin inhibitors on intact insects, the inclusion of T. cacao extracts in artificial diets of velvet bean caterpillars (Anticarsia gemmatalis) and sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis) produced a significant increase in the percentage of adult deformation, which is directly related to both the survival rate of the insects and oviposition.

Biochemical Aspects of a Serine Protease from Caesalpinia echinata Lam. (Brazilwood) Seeds: A Potential Tool to Access the Mobilization of Seed Storage Proteins

Several proteins have been isolated from seeds of leguminous, but this is the first report that a protease was obtained from seeds of Caesalpinia echinata Lam., a tree belonging to the Fabaceae family. This enzyme was purified to homogeneity by hydrophobic interaction and anion exchange chromatographies and gel filtration. This 61-kDa serine protease (CeSP) hydrolyses H-D-prolyl-L-phenylalanyl-L-arginine-p-nitroanilide (K-m 55.7 mu M) in an optimum pH of 7.1, and this activity is effectively retained until 50 degrees C. CeSP remained stable in the presence of kosmotropic anions (PO43-, SO42-, and CH3COO-) or chaotropic cations (K+ and Na+). It is strongly inhibited by TLCK, a serine protease inhibitor, but not by E-64, EDTA or pepstatin A. The characteristics of the purified enzyme allowed us to classify it as a serine protease. The role of CeSP in the seeds cannot be assigned yet but is possible to infer that it is involved in the mobilization of seed storage proteins.

Lyotropic mixture made of potassium laurate/1-undecanol/K2SO4/water presenting high birefringences and large biaxial nematic phase domain: a laser conoscopy study

The lyotropic liquid crystalline quaternary mixture made of potassium laurate (KL), potassium sulphate, 1-undecanol and water was investigated by experimental optical methods (optical microscopy and laser conoscopy). In a particular temperature and relative concentrations range, the three nematic phases (two uniaxial and one biaxial) were identified. The biaxial domain in the temperature/KL concentration surface is larger when compared to other lyotropic mixtures. Moreover, this new mixture gives nematic phases with higher birefringence than similar systems. The behavior of the symmetric tensor order parameter invariants sigma(3) and sigma(2) calculated from the measured optical birefringences supports that the uniaxial-to-biaxial transitions are of second order, described by a mean-field theory.

Further monoterpene chromane esters from Peperomia obtusifolia: VCD determination of the absolute configuration of a new diastereomeric mixture

A reinvestigation of the monoterpene chromane ester enriched fraction from Peperomia obtusifolia using chiral chromatography led to the identification of a minor peak, which was elucidated by NMR and HRMS as fenchyl-3,4-dihydro-5-hydroxy-2,7-dimethyl-8-(3 ''-methyl-2 ''-butenyl)-2-(4'-methyl-1',3'-pentadienyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-6-carboxylate, the same structure assigned to two other fenchyl esters described previously, pointing out a stereoisomeric relationship among them. Further NMR analysis revealed that it was actually a mixture of two compounds, whose absolute configurations were determined by VCD measurements. Although, almost no vibrational transitions could be assigned to the chiral chromane, the experimental VCD spectrum was largely opposite to that obtained for the average experimental VCD [(2S,1'''R,2'''R,4'''S + 2R,1'''R,2'''R,4'''S)/2] for fenchol derivatives. These results allowed us to assign the putative compounds as a racemic mixture of the chiral chromane esterified with the monoterpene (1S,2S,4R)fenchol, which had not been identified in our early work. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biaxial nematic phase in the Maier-Saupe model for a mixture of discs and cylinders

We analyze the global phase diagram of a Maier-Saupe lattice model with the inclusion of shape-disordered degrees of freedom to mimic a mixture of oblate and prolate molecules (discs and cylinders). In the neighborhood of a Landau multicritical point, solutions of the statistical problem can be written as a Landau-de Gennes expansion for the free energy. If the shape-disordered degrees of freedom are quenched, we confirm the existence of a biaxial nematic structure. If orientational and disorder degrees of freedom are allowed to thermalize, this biaxial solution becomes thermodynamically unstable. Also, we use a two-temperature formalism to mimic the presence of two distinct relaxation times, and show that a slight departure from complete thermalization is enough to stabilize a biaxial nematic phase.

Thermal studies on protein isolates of white lupin seeds (Lupinus albus)

This study used TG, DSC, and SDS-PAGE techniques to study protein isolates (PIs) in the powder form obtained from lupin seeds flour Lupinus albus. Different methods of preparing PIs were tested, resulting in final products that were different only in relation to the yield and protein content. The results of the protein analysis by SDS-PAGE showed that the same protein fractions were present in the lupin seeds and in the obtained PIs. This result shows that the process of extraction was not damaging to the composition of the original protein. On the other hand, the results of the thermal analysis (DSC and TG-DTG curves) obtained for the different PIs, led to the detection of changes in the protein conformation through the Delta H values, which in general decreased with increasing values of pH and ionic strength in the experimental conditions of extraction.

Effect of alkyl chain length of alcohols on nematic uniaxial-to-biaxial phase transitions in a potassium laurate/alcohol/K2SO4/water lyotropic mixture

Lyotropic liquid crystalline quaternary mixtures of potassium laurate (KL), potassium sulphate (K2SO4)/alcohol (n-OH)/water, with the alcohols having different numbers of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain (n), from 1-octanol to 1-hexadecanol, were investigated by optical techniques (optical microscopy and laser conoscopy). The biaxial nematic phase domain is present in a window of values of n = n(KL) +/- 2, where n(KL) = 11 is the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain of KL. The biaxial phase domain became smaller and the uniaxial-to-biaxial phase transition temperatures shifted to relatively higher temperatures upon going from 1-nonanol to 1-tridecanol. Moreover, compared with other lyotropic mixtures these new mixtures present high birefringence values, which we expect to be related to the micellar shape anisotropy. Our results are interpreted assuming that alcohol molecules tend to segregate in the micelles in a way that depends on the relative value of n with respect to nKL. The larger the value of n, the more alcohol molecules tend to be located in the curved parts of the micelle, favoring the uniaxial nematic calamitic phase with respect to the biaxial and uniaxial discotic nematic phases.