Antioxidant properties of Teaw (Cratoxylum formosum Dyer) extract in soybean oil and emulsions

The antioxidant activity of an extract from Teaw (Cratoxylum formosum Dyer) leaves was studied in soybean oil and soybean oil-in-water emulsions. Samples containing the extract or reference antioxidants including chlorogenic acid, which comprises 60% of the Teaw extract, were stored at 60 degrees C and analyzed periodically for peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) to allow both hydroperoxides and hydroperoxide degradation products to be monitored. Chlorogenic acid and the Teaw extract were more effective than a-tocopherol in inhibiting lipid oxidation in bulk oil but were less effective in an oil-in-water emulsion in accordance with the polar paradox. The PV/TBARS ratio for oil samples containing chlorogenic acid was higher than for alpha-tocopherol and BHT because chlorogenic acid inhibits both hydroperoxide formation by radical scavenging and hydroperoxide decomposition by metal chelation. The importance of the metal-chelating activity in retarding hydroperoxide decomposition was confirmed by studying the decomposition of oil samples containing added ferric ions. The PV/TBARS ratio was higher for citric acid than for (x-tocopherol in the presence of added ferric chloride, but the order was reversed in samples lacking ferric chloride. Samples containing added chlorogenic acid gave the highest PV/TBARS ratios both in the presence and absence of ferric ions. The PV/TBARS ratios for the samples containing antioxidants fell rapidly to lower values in a soybean oil-in-water emulsion than in the soybean oil. This was due to increased hydroperoxide decomposition in the emulsion at the same PV. The Teaw extract contained 12% oil-soluble components, which contributed to a slightly higher oil-water partition coefficient than that of chlorogenic acid. The antioxidant activity of the aqueous phase of the Teaw extract was reduced more than that of chlorogenic acid by partitioning of the oil-soluble components into oil, which showed that the less-polar components contributed to the antioxidant activity of the Teaw extract in aqueous media.

Enhancing the oxidative stability of rice crackers by addition of the ethanolic extract of phytochemicals from Cratoxylum formosum Dyer

Craloxylum formosum Dyer is consumed throughout the year as food and medicine in Thailand. It contains large amounts of chlorogenic acid and quinic acid derivatives. The antioxidative activity of the extract was studied in refined soybean oil coating on rice crackers without any seasoning. They were stored in accelerated oxidation conditions at 40 degrees C, 80% relative humidity (RH) in the dark for 18 days. The oxidative state of each sample was monitored by analyzing of the peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as well as by odor analysis by quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA). The C formosum extract was more effective than alpha-tocopherol due to metal ions present in the crackers, which resulted in alpha-tocopherol being less effective as an antioxidant. Sensory odor attributes of rice crackers were related more closely to TBARS than to PV values by linear regression analysis. The present study indicated that C. formosum extract was a promising source of a natural food antioxidant and was effective in inhibiting lipid oxidation in rice crackers.

Kinetic modeling of the generation of 2-and 3-methylbutanal in a heated extract of beef liver

Quantitative control of aroma generation during the Maillard reaction presents great scientific and industrial interest. Although there have been many studies conducted in simplified model systems, the results are difficult to apply to complex food systems, where the presence of other components can have a significant impact. In this work, an aqueous extract of defatted beef liver was chosen as a simplified food matrix for studying the kinetics of the Mallard reaction. Aliquots of the extract were heated under different time and temperature conditions and analyzed for sugars, amino acids, and methylbutanals, which are important Maillard-derived aroma compounds formed in cooked meat. Multiresponse kinetic modeling, based on a simplified mechanistic pathway, gave a good fit with the experimental data, but only when additional steps were introduced to take into account the interactions of glucose and glucose-derived intermediates with protein and other amino compounds. This emphasizes the significant role of the food matrix in controlling the Maillard reaction.

Localisation studies of cell-wall degrading enzymes in soybean

Postembedding immunoelectron microscopy has been used to investigate the diffusibility of an endo-beta-1,4-glucanase and a xylanase from A. niger in soybean. The results showed more specific localisation of the enzymes into the protein and lipid bodies of soybean cells. This was against our hypothesis that suggested that the enzymes should be localised in the cell wall.

Comparison of the antidiabetic activity of Berberis lyceum root extract and berberine in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Berberine has been shown to have hypoglycaemic activity in several in vitro and in vivo models, although the mechanism of action is not fully known. Berberis lyceum Royle root produces high concentrations of berberine, and in traditional medicine, the whole extract of this plant is used widely to treat diabetes. The antidiabetic activity of the ethanol root extract of Berberis lyceum was compared with pure berberine in normal and alloxan-diabetic rats using similar doses of each. The concentration of berberine in the extract was determined to be 80% dry weight with only trace amounts of other alkaloids present. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of berberine and a whole extract of Berberis lyceum on blood glucose and other parameters associated with diabetes, to compare the effects of the crude extract with those of pure berberine and thus validate its use as a therapeutic agent, and finally to identify any contribution of the other components of the extract to these effects. Oral administration of 50 mg/kg of Berberis extract and berberine to normal and experimental diabetic rats produced a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in blood glucose levels from days 3-7 days of treatment. Significant effects were also observed on the glucose tolerance, glycosylated haemoglobin, serum lipid profiles and body weight of experimental animals. Berberis extract and berberine demonstrated similar effects on all parameters measured, and although the extract was comparable in efficacy to berberine, it did not produce any effects additional to those shown by pure berberine. The results support the use of the extract in traditional medicine, and demonstrate that apart from being a highly cost-effective means of treating with berberine, the total extract does not appear to confer any additional benefits or disadvantages compared with the pure compound. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Antifeedant activities of crude seed extracts of tropical African spices against Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The antifeedant activities of Piper guineense Schum et Thonn (Piperaceae), Aframomum melegueta (Rosk) K. Schum (Zingiberaceae), Aframomum citratum (Pareira) K. Schum (Zingiberaceae) and Afrostyrax kamerunensis Perkins and Gilg (Huaceae) seed extracts were investigated in laboratory dual- and no-choice bioassays using third-instar Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) larvae. In the dual-choice test, the hexane and methanol extracts of A. melegueta showed potent dose-dependent antifeedant activity at concentrations of ≥300 ppm and the water extract at ≥500 ppm, as illustrated by significantly lower leaf consumptions. Aframomum citratum methanol and water extracts exhibited antifeedant activity at ≥300 and ≥1000 ppm, respectively, but the hexane and ethanol extracts did not affect feeding at any concentration. Piper guineense ethanol and water extracts showed dose-dependent antifeedant effects at ≥300 and ≥500 ppm, respectively, and the methanol extract was active only at 1000 ppm. None of the extracts of the highly aromatic A. kamerunensis exhibited antifeedant activity at any of the tested concentrations. In the no-choice bioassays, extracts with antifeedant activity in the dual-choice tests also showed dose-dependent feeding inhibition. The hexane and methanol extracts of A. melegueta were effective in the no-choice tests at ≥100 and ≥500 ppm, respectively, and the water extract at ≥300 ppm. Similarly, the A. citratum water and methanol extracts were active at ≥500 ppm and the P. guineense water and ethanol extracts at ≥100 ppm. GC/MS chromatography of A. melegueta hexane and methanol extracts revealed volatile constituents with known anti-insect activity. The hexane and methanol extracts of A. melegueta, the methanol extract of A. citratum and the water and ethanol extracts of P. guineense may have potential for use by subsistence farmers.

Anti-cancer properties of phenolics from apple waste on colon carcinogenesis in vitro

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in Western countries. The World Health Organisation identifies diet as a critical risk factor in the development and progression of this disease and the protective role of high levels of fruit and vegetable consumption. Several studies have shown that apples contain several phenolic compounds that are potent anti-oxidants in humans. However, little is known about other beneficial properties of apple phenolics in cancer. We have used the HT29, HT115 and CaCo-2 cell lines as in vitro models to examine the effect of apple phenolics (0.01–0.1% apple extract) on key stages of colorectal carcinogenesis, namely; DNA damage (Comet assay), colonic barrier function (TER assay), cell cycle progression (DNA content assay) and invasion (Matrigel assay). Our results indicate that a crude extract of apple phenolics can protect against DNA damage, improve barrier function and inhibit invasion (p < 0.05). The anti-invasive effects of the extract were enhanced with twenty-four hour pretreatment of cells (p < 0.05). We have shown that a crude apple extract from waste, rich in phenolic compounds, beneficially influences key stages of carcinogenesis in colon cells in vitro.

Plasma ghrelin and oxytomodulin concentrations in lactating dairy cows receiving abomasal soybean oil, corn starch, and casein infusions

The effects of increased postruminal supply of casein, corn starch, and soybean oil on plasma concentrations of the gastrointestinal hormones ghrelin and oxyntomodulin (OXM) were investigated. Four mid-lactation Holstein cows were used in a 4×4 Latin square. Treatments were continuous abomasal infusions (23h/d) for 7 d of water, soybean oil (500g/d), corn starch (1100g/d), or casein (800g/d). Jugular vein plasma was obtained every 30min for 7h on days 1 and 7. Soybean oil and casein infusion decreased preprandial plasma ghrelin concentration by approximately 20% on both d (time-by-treatment P<0.10); however, dry matter intake (DMI) was depressed only after 7 d of oil infusion. Infusion of soybean oil, corn starch, or casein did not change the plasma OXM concentration (P>0.20). The present data indicate that plasma ghrelin concentration is depressed immediately before feeding by the postruminal infusion of soybean oil and casein, but it is not affected during the postprandial period. Plasma ghrelin concentration was not altered (P>0.20), pre- or postfeeding, by increased postruminal supply of corn starch. In addition, plasma OXM concentration did not respond (P>0.20) to postruminal nutrient infusion. In conclusion, a decrease in DMI when fat is infused could be partially explained by the decrease in prefeeding plasma ghrelin concentration, but a decrease in prefeeding plasma ghrelin concentration is not always associated with a decrease in DMI, as observed for the infusion of casein. Plasma OXM concentration was not affected by postruminal infusion of macronutrients.

Technologies for biological containment of GM and Non-GM crops

International Perspective The development of GM technology continues to expand into increasing numbers of crops and conferred traits. Inevitably, the focus remains on the major field crops of soybean, maize, cotton, oilseed rape and potato with introduced genes conferring herbicide tolerance and/or pest resistance. Although there are comparatively few GM crops that have been commercialised to date, GM versions of 172 plant species have been grown in field trials in 31 countries. European Crops with Containment Issues Of the 20 main crops in the EU there are four for which GM varieties are commercially available (cotton, maize for animal feed and forage, and oilseed rape). Fourteen have GM varieties in field trials (bread wheat, barley, durum wheat, sunflower, oats, potatoes, sugar beet, grapes, alfalfa, olives, field peas, clover, apples, rice) and two have GM varieties still in development (rye, triticale). Many of these crops have hybridisation potential with wild and weedy relatives in the European flora (bread wheat, barley, oilseed rape, durum wheat, oats, sugar beet and grapes), with escapes (sunflower); and all have potential to cross-pollinate fields non-GM crops. Several fodder crops, forestry trees, grasses and ornamentals have varieties in field trials and these too may hybridise with wild relatives in the European flora (alfalfa, clover, lupin, silver birch, sweet chestnut, Norway spruce, Scots pine, poplar, elm, Agrostis canina, A. stolonifera, Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne, L. multiflorum, statice and rose). All these crops will require containment strategies to be in place if it is deemed necessary to prevent transgene movement to wild relatives and non-GM crops. Current Containment Strategies A wide variety of GM containment strategies are currently under development, with a particular focus on crops expressing pharmaceutical products. Physical containment in greenhouses and growth rooms is suitable for some crops (tomatoes, lettuce) and for research purposes. Aquatic bioreactors of some non-crop species (algae, moss, and duckweed) expressing pharmaceutical products have been adopted by some biotechnology companies. There are obvious limitations of the scale of physical containment strategies, addressed in part by the development of large underground facilities in the US and Canada. The additional resources required to grow plants underground incurs high costs that in the long term may negate any advantage of GM for commercial productioNatural genetic containment has been adopted by some companies through the selection of either non-food/feed crops (algae, moss, duckweed) as bio-pharming platforms or organisms with no wild relatives present in the local flora (safflower in the Americas). The expression of pharmaceutical products in leafy crops (tobacco, alfalfa, lettuce, spinach) enables growth and harvesting prior to and in the absence of flowering. Transgenically controlled containment strategies range in their approach and degree of development. Plastid transformation is relatively well developed but is not suited to all traits or crops and does not offer complete containment. Male sterility is well developed across a range of plants but has limitations in its application for fruit/seed bearing crops. It has been adopted in some commercial lines of oilseed rape despite not preventing escape via seed. Conditional lethality can be used to prevent flowering or seed development following the application of a chemical inducer, but requires 100% induction of the trait and sufficient application of the inducer to all plants. Equally, inducible expression of the GM trait requires equally stringent application conditions. Such a method will contain the trait but will allow the escape of a non-functioning transgene. Seed lethality (‘terminator’ technology) is the only strategy at present that prevents transgene movement via seed, but due to public opinion against the concept it has never been trialled in the field and is no longer under commercial development. Methods to control flowering and fruit development such as apomixis and cleistogamy will prevent crop-to-wild and wild-to-crop pollination, but in nature both of these strategies are complex and leaky. None of the genes controlling these traits have as yet been identified or characterised and therefore have not been transgenically introduced into crop species. Neither of these strategies will prevent transgene escape via seed and any feral apomicts that form are arguably more likely to become invasives. Transgene mitigation reduces the fitness of initial hybrids and so prevents stable introgression of transgenes into wild populations. However, it does not prevent initial formation of hybrids or spread to non-GM crops. Such strategies could be detrimental to wild populations and have not yet been demonstrated in the field. Similarly, auxotrophy prevents persistence of escapes and hybrids containing the transgene in an uncontrolled environment, but does not prevent transgene movement from the crop. Recoverable block of function, intein trans-splicing and transgene excision all use recombinases to modify the transgene in planta either to induce expression or to prevent it. All require optimal conditions and 100% accuracy to function and none have been tested under field conditions as yet. All will contain the GM trait but all will allow some non-native DNA to escape to wild populations or to non-GM crops. There are particular issues with GM trees and grasses as both are largely undomesticated, wind pollinated and perennial, thus providing many opportunities for hybridisation. Some species of both trees and grass are also capable of vegetative propagation without sexual reproduction. There are additional concerns regarding the weedy nature of many grass species and the long-term stability of GM traits across the life span of trees. Transgene stability and conferred sterility are difficult to trial in trees as most field trials are only conducted during the juvenile phase of tree growth. Bio-pharming of pharmaceutical and industrial compounds in plants Bio-pharming of pharmaceutical and industrial compounds in plants offers an attractive alternative to mammalian-based pharmaceutical and vaccine production. Several plantbased products are already on the market (Prodigene’s avidin, β-glucuronidase, trypsin generated in GM maize; Ventria’s lactoferrin generated in GM rice). Numerous products are in clinical trials (collagen, antibodies against tooth decay and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from tobacco; human gastric lipase, therapeutic enzymes, dietary supplements from maize; Hepatitis B and Norwalk virus vaccines from potato; rabies vaccines from spinach; dietary supplements from Arabidopsis). The initial production platforms for plant-based pharmaceuticals were selected from conventional crops, largely because an established knowledge base already existed. Tobacco and other leafy crops such as alfalfa, lettuce and spinach are widely used as leaves can be harvested and no flowering is required. Many of these crops can be grown in contained greenhouses. Potato is also widely used and can also be grown in contained conditions. The introduction of morphological markers may aid in the recognition and traceability of crops expressing pharmaceutical products. Plant cells or plant parts may be transformed and maintained in culture to produce recombinant products in a contained environment. Plant cells in suspension or in vitro, roots, root cells and guttation fluid from leaves may be engineered to secrete proteins that may be harvested in a continuous, non-destructive manner. Most strategies in this category remain developmental and have not been commercially adopted at present. Transient expression produces GM compounds from non-GM plants via the utilisation of bacterial or viral vectors. These vectors introduce the trait into specific tissues of whole plants or plant parts, but do not insert them into the heritable genome. There are some limitations of scale and the field release of such crops will require the regulation of the vector. However, several companies have several transiently expressed products in clinical and pre-clinical trials from crops raised in physical containment.

Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on fatty acid composition in muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue of lambs

Lambs (n = 48) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to evaluate effects of inclusion of oil containing PUFA in high-concentrate diets (with or without) and duration of oil supplementation (pre- vs. postweaning) on CLA concentration of muscle and adipose tissue. Lambs were fed preweaning creep diets (with or without oil) corresponding to the dietary lactation treatment diet (with or without oil) of the dam. Dams blocked by lambing date and rearing type were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 lactation dietary treatments with or without oil supplementation. Creep diets contained approximately 70% concentrate and 30% roughage and were provided to lambs for ad libitum intake. At weaning (58.7 ± 2.5 d of age), lambs (n = 48) were randomly assigned within preweaning treatment groups to 1 of 2 postweaning dietary treatments (with or without oil) and 16 pens in a randomized block design, blocked by sex and BW. Postweaning diets were formulated to contain approximately 80% concentrate and 20% roughage and were fed once daily for ad libitum intake. Soybean and linseed oil (2:1, respectively) replaced ground corn and provided 3% additional fat in pre- and postweaning diets. Lambs were slaughtered at 60.3 ± 4.2 kg of BW. A subcutaneous fat (SQ) sample was obtained within 1 h postmortem and a LM sample at the 12th rib was obtained 24 h postmortem, and both were analyzed for fatty acid profile. Feedlot performance and carcass measurements were not affected (P ≥ 0.26) by oil supplementation. Total CLA content of LM and SQ was not affected (P ≥ 0.08) by oil supplementation pre- or postweaning, but trans-10, cis-12 CLA was greater (P = 0.02) in SQ from lambs supplemented with oil postweaning. Total PUFA content in LM was greater (P = 0.02) in lambs supplemented with oil pre- or postweaning as a result of increased concentrations of 18:2cis-9, cis-12 and longer chain PUFA. Conversely, pre- and postweaning oil supplementation resulted in less (P = 0.04) MUFA content in LM. Only postweaning oil supplementation increased (P = 0.001) SQ PUFA content. Feeding oils containing PUFA to lambs pre- and postweaning did not increase CLA content of muscle, whereas postweaning oil supplementation minimally increased CLA concentration of SQ fat. Inclusion of soybean and linseed oil in pre- and postweaning diets increased total PUFA content of SQ fat and muscle tissue without adversely affecting growth performance or carcass characteristics.

The effect of cruciferous and leguminous sprouts on genotoxicity, in vitro and in vivo

Vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, which is the second most common cancer after lung/breast cancer within Europe. Some putative protective phytochemicals are found in higher amounts in young sprouts than in mature plants. The effect of an extract of mixed cruciferous and legume sprouts on DNA damage induced by H(2)O(2) was measured in HT29 cells using single cell microgelelectrophoresis (comet). Significant antigenotoxic effect (P < or = 0.05) was observed when HT29 cells were pre-incubated with the extract (100 and 200 microL/mL) for 24 hours and then challenged with H(2)O(2). A parallel design intervention study was carried out on 10 male and 10 female healthy adult volunteers (mean age = 25.5 years) fed 113 g of cruciferous and legume sprouts daily for 14 days. The effect of the supplementation was measured on a range of parameters, including DNA damage in lymphocytes (comet), the activity of various detoxifying enzymes (glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase), antioxidant status using the ferric reducing ability of plasma assay, plasma antioxidants (uric acid, ascorbic acid, and alpha-tocopherol), blood lipids, plasma levels of lutein, and lycopene. A significant antigenotoxic effect against H(2)O(2)-induced DNA damage was shown in peripheral blood lymphocytes of volunteers who consumed the supplemented diet when compared with the control diet (P = 0.04). No significant induction of detoxifying enzymes was observed during the study, neither were plasma antioxidant levels or activity altered. The results support the theory that consumption of cruciferous vegetables is linked to a reduced risk of cancer via decreased damage to DNA.

Variation in the global-scale impacts of climate change on crop productivity due to climate model uncertainty and adaptation

Crop production is inherently sensitive to fluctuations in weather and climate and is expected to be impacted by climate change. To understand how this impact may vary across the globe many studies have been conducted to determine the change in yield of several crops to expected changes in climate. Changes in climate are typically derived from a single to no more than a few General Circulation Models (GCMs). This study examines the uncertainty introduced to a crop impact assessment when 14 GCMs are used to determine future climate. The General Large Area Model for annual crops (GLAM) was applied over a global domain to simulate the productivity of soybean and spring wheat under baseline climate conditions and under climate conditions consistent with the 2050s under the A1B SRES emissions scenario as simulated by 14 GCMs. Baseline yield simulations were evaluated against global country-level yield statistics to determine the model's ability to capture observed variability in production. The impact of climate change varied between crops, regions, and by GCM. The spread in yield projections due to GCM varied between no change and a reduction of 50%. Without adaptation yield response was linearly related to the magnitude of local temperature change. Therefore, impacts were greatest for countries at northernmost latitudes where warming is predicted to be greatest. However, these countries also exhibited the greatest potential for adaptation to offset yield losses by shifting the crop growing season to a cooler part of the year and/or switching crop variety to take advantage of an extended growing season. The relative magnitude of impacts as simulated by each GCM was not consistent across countries and between crops. It is important, therefore, for crop impact assessments to fully account for GCM uncertainty in estimating future climates and to be explicit about assumptions regarding adaptation.

Mast cell tryptase and proteinase-activated receptor 2 induce hyperexcitability of guinea-pig submucosal neurons

Mast cells that are in close proximity to autonomic and enteric nerves release several mediators that cause neuronal hyperexcitability. This study examined whether mast cell tryptase evokes acute and long-term hyperexcitability in submucosal neurons from the guinea-pig ileum by activating proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) on these neurons. We detected the expression of PAR2 in the submucosal plexus using RT-PCR. Most submucosal neurons displayed PAR2 immunoreactivity, including those colocalizing VIP. Brief (minutes) application of selective PAR2 agonists, including trypsin, the activating peptide SL-NH2 and mast cell tryptase, evoked depolarizations of the submucosal neurons, as measured with intracellular recording techniques. The membrane potential returned to resting values following washout of agonists, but most neurons were hyperexcitable for the duration of recordings (> 30 min-hours) and exhibited an increased input resistance and amplitude of fast EPSPs. Trypsin, in the presence of soybean trypsin inhibitor, and the reverse sequence of the activating peptide (LR-NH2) had no effect on neuronal membrane potential or long-term excitability. Degranulation of mast cells in the presence of antagonists of established excitatory mast cell mediators (histamine, 5-HT, prostaglandins) also caused depolarization, and following washout of antigen, long-term excitation was observed. Mast cell degranulation resulted in the release of proteases, which desensitized neurons to other agonists of PAR2. Our results suggest that proteases from degranulated mast cells cleave PAR2 on submucosal neurons to cause acute and long-term hyperexcitability. This signalling pathway between immune cells and neurons is a previously unrecognized mechanism that could contribute to chronic alterations in visceral function.

Seasonality and the valuation of commodity options

Price movements in many commodity markets exhibit significant seasonal patterns. However, given an observed futures price, a deterministic seasonal component at the price level is not relevant for the pricing of commodity options. In contrast, this is not true for the seasonal pattern observed in the volatility of the commodity price. Analyzing an extensive sample of soybean, corn, heating oil and natural gas options, we find that seasonality in volatility is an important aspect to consider when valuing these contracts. The inclusion of an appropriate seasonality adjustment significantly reduces pricing errors in these markets and yields more improvement in valuation accuracy than increasing the number of stochastic factors.

The Vida of Queen Fredegund in Tote Listoire de France: vernacular translation and genre in thirteenth-century French and Occitan literature

This article examines the role that translation may have played in the development of medieval vernacular literature. It analyses an extract of an early 13th-c. translation into a hybrid French-Occitan vernacular of an 8th-c. historical text, the 'Liber Historiae Francorum'. The translation coincides with the adoption of narrative prose both in Old French and in Occitan literature, which reflects a growing interest in historical writings. The second half of the article compares the anecdote with the narrative structures and content of one of the troubadour 'vidas' and 'razos' - biographical texts in prose that emerged in the same period and regions as this translation. The article concludes by suggesting that the new vernacular genre shares narrative features with the early medieval Latin text that are preserved in its translation.