Effects of β-glucan extracted from Agaricus blazei on the expression of ERCC5, CASP9, and CYP1A1 genes and metabolic profile in HepG2 cells

The polysaccharide β-glucan has biological properties that stimulate the immune system and can prevent chronic pathologies, including cancer. It has been shown to prevent damage to DNA caused by the chemical and physical agents to which humans are exposed. However, the mechanism of β-glucan remains poorly understood. The objective of the present study was to verify the protective effect of β-glucan on the expression of the genes ERCC5 (involved in excision repair of DNA damage), CASP9 (involved in apoptosis), and CYP1A1 (involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics) using real-time polymerase chain reaction and perform metabolic profile measurements on the HepG2 cells. Cells were exposed to only benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), β-glucan, or a combination of B[a]P with β-glucan. The results demonstrated that 50 μg/mL β-glucan significantly repressed the expression of the ERCC5 gene when compared with the untreated control cells in these conditions. No change was found in the CASP9 transcript level. However, the CYP1A1 gene expression was also induced by HepG2 cells exposed to B[a]P only or in association with β-glucan, showing its effective protector against damage caused by B[a]P, while HepG2 cells exposed to only β-glucan did not show CYP1A1 modulation. The metabolic profiles showed moderate bioenergetic metabolism with an increase in the metabolites involved in bioenergetic metabolism (alanine, glutamate, creatine and phosphocholine) in cells treated with β-glucan and to a lesser extent treated with B[a]P. Thus, these results demonstrate that the chemopreventive activity of β-glucan may modulate bioenergetic metabolism and gene expression. © 2013 The Author(s).

Adsorption and release of micronutrients by humin extracted from peat samples

The objective of this work was to investigate the adsorption of micronutrients in humin and to verify the ability to release these elements in water. The first step was to determine the adsorption capacity of humin for several essential plant micronutrients and check the kinetic parameters. The order of adsorption was Zn < Ni < Co < Mn < Mo < Cu < Fe, whereas Zn showed maximum values of ca. 2.5 mg g-1 and Fe values of ca. 0.5 mg g-1 for systems containing 1 g of humin. Iron presented higher percentages of release (ca. 100%) and Co the lowest percentages (0.14%). The findings suggested that the use of humin enriched with micronutrients can be a promising alternative for the fertilization of agricultural soils, with the additional benefit of incorporating organic matter present in the form of humic substances into the soil and improving the agricultural productivity. © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.

Physico-chemical characterization of seed oils extracted from oranges (Citrus sinensis)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Genotoxicological assessment of two reactive dyes extracted from cotton fibres using artificial sweat

Human eyes have a remarkable ability to recognize hundreds of colour shades, which has stimulated the use of colorants, especially for clothing, but toxicological studies have shown that some textile dyes can be hazardous to human health. Under conditions of intense perspiration, dyes can migrate from coloured clothes and penetrate into human skin. Garments made from cotton fabrics are the most common clothing in tropical countries, due to their high temperatures. Aiming to identify safe textile dyes for dyeing cotton fabrics, the genotoxicity [in vitro Comet assay with normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF), Tail Intensity] and mutagenicity [Salmonella/microsome preincubation assay (30 min), tester strains TA98, TA100, YG1041 and YG1042] of Reactive Blue 2 (RB2, CAS No. 12236-82-7, C.I. 61211) and Reactive Green 19 (RG19, CAS No. 61931-49-5, C.I. 205075) were evaluated both in the formulated form and as extracted from cotton fibres using different artificial sweats. Both the dyes could migrate from cotton fibres to sweat solutions, the sweat composition and pH being important factors during this extraction. However, the dye sweat solutions showed no genotoxic/mutagenic effects, whereas a weak mutagenic potential was detected by the Ames test for both dyes in their formulated form. These findings emphasize the relevance of textile dyes assessment under conditions that more closely resemble human exposure, in order to recognize any hazard. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of pectin extracted from citrus pulp on digesta characteristics and nutrient digestibility in broilers chickens

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Sulfated polysaccharide extracted of the green algae Caulerpa racemosa increase the enzymatic activity and paw edema induced by sPLA2 from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom

Sulfated polysaccharides derived from seaweed have shown great potential for use in the development of new drugs. In this study, we observed that a low-molecular-weight sulfated polysaccharide from Caulerpa racemosa, termed CrSP, could interact with secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) isolated from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. When native sPLA2 (14 kDa) was incubated with CrSP, they formed a molecular complex (sPLA2:CrSP) with a molecular mass of 32 kDa, approximately. Size exclusion chromatography experiments suggested that CrSP formed a stable complex with sPLA2. We belived that sPLA2 and SPCr are involved an ionic interaction between negatively charged CrSP and the positively charged basic amino acid residues of sPLA2, because this interaction induced significant changes in sPLA2 enzymatic and pharmacological activities. CrSP caused a significant increase in sPLA2 enzymatic and bactericidal activity and increased its edematogenic effect. A pharmacological assay showed that the myotoxic activity of sPLA2:CrSP is unrelated to its enzymatic activity and that sPLA2:CrSP may have a practical application as a natural antibacterial agent for use in humans and commercially raised animals.

Heavy Metals Extracted by DTPA and Organic Acids from Soil Amended with Urban or Industrial Residues

Understanding soil responses to the application of urban or industrial residues is necessary. In the current experiment, both sources of residues were applied to the soil surface of a Hapludox soil for 8 years. The four residues studied were biodigested and centrifuged sewage sludge (LB and LC, respectively), steel slag from the metallurgic industry (E), and limed mud from the pulp and cellulose industry (LCal). The residues were applied at 0, 2, 4, and 8 Mg ha(-1) four times from 2002 to 2010 when soybean was cultivated in the summer and lopsided oat and sorghum were cultivated during the winter. The contents of heavy metals were evaluated with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and organic acids. The LB was the residue that increased the contents of soil micronutrients and heavy metals to their greatest levels, although within limits that impair the risks of environmental contamination.

Cyanobacteria, microcystins and cylindrospermopsin in public drinking supply reservoirs of Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

BIOMOLECULES EXTRACTED BY ATPS: PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Phenolic compounds, carotenoids, tocopherols and fatty acids present in oils extracted from palm fruits

This review aimed to discuss the main bioactive compounds present in oils extracted from palm trees, indicating possible applications for the same. The bioactive compounds approached were: phenolic compounds, carotenoids, tocopherols, mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is growing the search for food, especially from plant origin, characterized by the presence of such substances due to their benefi ts. Many studies show palm species as important sources of bioactive compounds and essential fatty acids. Therefore it is important to study the fruit characterization and composition of the oil from palm species of different regions that are still poorly investigated, seeking the possibility of its application in industry or the development of functional foods.

Stability of a Lipase Extracted from Seeds of Pachira aquatica in Commercial Detergents and Application Tests in Poultry Wastewater Pretreatment and Fat Particle Hydrolysis

A protein extract containing a plant lipase from oleaginous seeds of Pachira aquatica was tested using soybean oil, wastewater from a poultry processing plant, and beef fat particles as substrate. The hydrolysis experiments were carried out at a temperature of 40°C, an incubation time of 90 minutes, and pH 8.0-9.0. The enzyme had the best stability at pH 9.0 and showed good stability in the alkaline range. It was found that P. aquatica lipase was stable in the presence of some commercial laundry detergent formulations, and it retained full activity up to 0.35% in hydrogen peroxide, despite losing activity at higher concentrations. Concerning wastewater, the lipase increased free fatty acids release by 7.4 times and promoted the hydrolysis of approximately 10% of the fats, suggesting that it could be included in a pretreatment stage, especially for vegetable oil degradation.

Off-line TMAH-GC/MS and NMR characterization of humic substances extracted from river sediments of northwestern Sao Paulo under different soil uses

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Acute and subacute (28 days) oral toxicity assessment of the oil extracted from Acrocomia aculeata pulp in rats

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Phytotoxicity associated to microcystins: a review

Microcystins (MC) are the most studied toxins of cyanobacteria since they are widely distributed and account for several cases of human and animal poisoning, being potent inhibitors of the serine/threonine protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A). The phosphatases PP1 and PP2A are also present in plants, which may also suffer adverse effects due to the inhibition of these enzymes. In aquatic plants, biomass reduction is usually observed after absorption of cyanotoxins, which can bioaccumulate in its tissues. In terrestrial plants, the effects caused by microcystins vary from inhibition to stimulation as the individuals develop from seedling to adult, and include reduction of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A, oxidative stress, decreased photosynthetic activity and even cell apoptosis, as well as bioaccumulation in plant tissues. Thus, the irrigation of crop plants by water contaminated with microcystins is not only an economic problem but becomes a public health issue because of the possibility of food contamination, and this route of exposure requires careful monitoring by the responsible authorities.