Influence of consumption of probiotics on presence of enterobacteria in the oral cavity

Clinical benefits of probiotics have been clearly reported in different gastrointestinal disorders, many of them caused by enterobacteria. The oral cavity is a port of entry and can be an important reservoir of these microorganisms. This work evaluated whether consumption of probiotics was able to influence the presence of enterobacteria in the oral cavity and the specific secretory response against these microorganisms. Saliva samples of healthy individuals were collected and plated in Mac-Conkey agar. Carriers of Gram-negative, rod-shaped microorganisms in the oral cavity were selected and instructed to use the probiotic Yakult LB for 20 days. Saliva was then collected and enterobacteria species were identified using the API 20 E system and by ELISA using anti-enterobacteria IgA. The results showed reduction in the prevalence of enterobacteria, but no significant changes in enterobacterial counts (log CFU/mL; p = 0.3457). The species most frequently isolated were Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella oxytoca, both before and after probiotic consumption. No significant changes were observed in anti-enterobacteria IgA levels. In conclusion, probiotic consumption had some influence on enterobacterial presence in the oral cavity, but did not affect enterobacterial counts or the specific immune secretory response against them.

Effect of boron and zinc fertilization on white oats grown in soil with average content of these nutrients

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fertilization with zinc or boron on the growth and dry matter production, nutritional value and accumulation of nutrients in white oats. The study comprised two experiments conducted in glasshouses, the first consisting of the application of four doses of zinc (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg/dm³) in the form of zinc sulphate (20% Zn), and the second consisting of the application of four doses of boron (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg/dm³) in the form of Borax (11% B). The experimental design in each case was a randomized block design, with five replicates. Fertilization with zinc and boron increased the growth of white oats, but had no significant effect on the nutritional value of the forage. Higher levels of absorption and accumulation of nutrients in plant tissues were observed following the application of boron and zinc at rates of up to 0.60 mg/dm³ of soil.

Weekend ethanol consumption and high-sucrose diet: resveratrol effects on energy expenditure, substrate oxidation, lipid profile, oxidative stress and hepatic energy metabolism

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

Influence of Intensive Agriculture on Dry Deposition of Aerosol Nutrients

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The effects of acute hypoxia and hypercapnia on oxygen consumption of the freshwater European eel

When exposed to hypoxia, eels Anguilla anguilla were able to regulate and maintain VO2 down to a water oxygen tension (PWO2) of about 25 mmHg, a value far below those reported in other studies. When exposed to hypercapnia, eels showed a depression in VO2 as water carbon dioxide tension (PWCO2) increased. Faced with combined hypoxia-hypercapnia, eels showed an increase in their sensitivity to hypoxia, and the critical oxygen tension increased to 40-45 mmHg. The possible mechanisms underlying these responses were discussed, and the implications of such findings for extensive culture of eels were highlighted.

Effect of plant density on Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni water consumption

Stevia rebaudiana is a traditional crop of Latin America, now rising to international interest thanks to its specific glycosides that are very sweet and still poor of calories making its potential interesting for dietary recommendations. Its short growing cycle makes this species possible as an annual crop also in non tropical areas, including the Mediterranean Basin and parts of Italy, where rainfall or irrigation is available during late spring and summer. One of the main concerns is the quantity of water necessary for the crop and the ideal number of plants per hectare in order to maximize water use efficiency. The present research was carried out in central Italy to compare yields and water consumption in plots with three plant densities (50, 25, 16 plants per square metre). The results show that the most dense plots can give the best results in the area of the trial.

Electrogravimetric Analysis by Quartz-Crystal Microbalance on the Consumption of the Neurotransmitter Acetylcholine by Acetylcholinesterase

Electrogravimetric analysis was performed on the consumption of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine (ACh) by Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in situ and in real time. Michaelis-Menten assumption was achieved by using an enzyme micro-reactor in which the total enzyme was anchored in a quartz crystal microbalance chip (QCM-chip) with a strategically engineered self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of alkanethiols, which can prevent diffusion-controlled or spatially restricted kinetics. The real-time frequency changes indicated the rate of the products formation from enzymatic reaction. The QCM-chip was tested showing that it could demonstrate AChE inhibition by physostigmine. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Chronic Ethanol Consumption Alters All-Trans-Retinoic Acid Concentration and Expression of Their Receptors on the Prostate: A Possible Link Between Alcoholism and Prostate Damage

Background: Ethanol (EtOH) alters the all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) levels in some tissues. Retinol and ATRA are essential for cell proliferation, differentiation, and maintenance of prostate homeostasis. It has been suggested that disturbances in retinol/ATRA concentration as well as in the expression of retinoic acid receptors (RARs) contribute to benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer. This study aimed to evaluate whether EtOH consumption is able to alter retinol and ATRA levels in the plasma and prostate tissue as well as the expression of RARs, cell proliferation, and apoptosis index. Methods: All animals were divided into 4 groups (n = 10/group). UChA: rats fed 10% (v/v) EtOH ad libitum; UChACo: EtOH-naïve rats without access to EtOH; UChB: rats fed 10% (v/v) EtOH ad libitum; UChBCo: EtOH-naïve rats without access to EtOH. Animals were euthanized by decapitation after 60 days of EtOH consumption for high-performance liquid chromatography and light microscopy analysis. Results: EtOH reduced plasma retinol concentration in both UChA and UChB groups, while the retinol concentration was not significantly different in prostate tissue. Conversely, plasma and prostate ATRA levels increased in UChB group compared with controls, beyond the up-regulation of RARβ and -γ in dorsal prostate lobe. Additionally, no alteration was found in cell proliferation and apoptosis index involving dorsal and lateral prostate lobe. Conclusions: We conclude that EtOH alters the plasma retinol concentrations proportionally to the amount of EtOH consumed. Moreover, high EtOH consumption increases the concentration of ATRA in plasma/prostate tissue and especially induces the RARβ and RARγ in the dorsal prostate lobe. EtOH consumption and increased ATRA levels were not associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis in the prostate. © 2012 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Enzyme effects on extruded diets for dogs with soybean meal as a substitute for poultry by-product meal

The effects of exogenous enzymes supplementation on kibble diets for dogs formulated with soybean meal (SBM) as a substitute for poultry by-product meal (PM) was investigated on nutrient digestibility, fermentation products formation, post-prandial urea response and selected faecal bacteria counts. Two kibble diets with similar compositions were used in two trials: PM-based diet (28.9% of PM; soybean hulls as a fibre source) and SBM-based diet (29.9% of SBM). In experiment 1, the SBM diet was divided into three diets: SBM-0, without enzyme addition; SBM-1, covered after extrusion with 7500U protease/kg and 45U cellulase/kg; and SBM-2, covered with 15000U protease/kg and 90U cellulase/kg. In experiment 2, the SBM diet was divided into three diets: SBM-0; SBM-1, covered with 140U protease/kg; 8U cellulase/kg, 800U pectinase/kg, 60U phytase/kg, 40U betaglucanase/kg and 20U xylanase/kg; and SMB-2, covered with 700U protease/kg, 40U cellulase/kg, 4000U pectinase/kg, 300U phytase/kg, 200U betaglucanase/kg and 100U xylanase/kg. Each experiment followed a block design with six dogs per diet. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and means compared by orthogonal and polynomial contrasts (p<0.05). In both experiments, nutrients and energy digestibility did not differ between diets (p>0.05). SBM consumption resulted in increased faecal moisture and production (p<0.05), without effect on faecal score. Higher concentration of propionate, acetate and lactate, and lower ammonia and pH were found in the faeces of dogs fed SBM (p<0.05). Higher post-prandial urea was verified in dogs fed SBM (p<0.05). In experiment 2, the addition of enzymes increased faecal concentration of propionate, acetate and total short-chain fatty acid (p<0.05) and tended to reduce post-prandial urea concentration (p=0.06). Although with similar digestibility, SBM shows a worse utilization of absorbed amino acids than the PM. Soybean oligosaccharides can beneficially change gut fermentation product formation. Enzymes can increase the gut fermentation activity and improve the SBM proteic value. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effects of litter manipulation in a tropical Eucalyptus plantation on leaching of mineral nutrients, dissolved organic nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon

Although many studies have shown that soil solution chemistry can be a reliable indicator of biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems, the effects of litter manipulations on the fluxes of dissolved elements in gravitational soil solutions have rarely been investigated. We estimated the fluxes of NH4-N, NO3-N, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) over the first two years after re-planting Eucalyptus trees in the coastal area of Congo. Two treatments were replicated in two blocks after clear-cutting 7-year-old stands: in treatment R, all the litter above the mineral soil was removed before planting, and in a double slash (DS) treatment, the amount of harvest residues was doubled. The soil solutions were sampled down to a depth of 4 m and the water fluxes were estimated using the Hydrus 1D model parameterized from soil moisture measurements in 4 plots. Isotopic and spectroscopic analytical techniques were used to assess the changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM) properties throughout the transfer in the soil. The first year after planting, the fluxes of NH4-N, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl and DOC in the topsoil of the DS treatment were 2-5 times higher than in R, which showed that litter was a major source of dissolved nutrients. Nutrient fluxes in gravitational solutions decreased sharply in the second year after planting, irrespective of the soil depth, as a result of intense nutrient uptake by Eucalyptus trees. Losses of dissolved nutrients were noticeably low in these Eucalyptus plantations despite a low cation exchange capacity, a coarse soil texture and large amounts of harvest residues left on-site at the clear cut in the DS treatment. All together, these results clarified the strong effect of litter manipulation observed on eucalypt growth in Congolese sandy soils. DOM fluxes, as well as changes in delta C-13, C:N and aromaticity of DOM throughout the soil profile showed that the organic compounds produced in the litter layer were mainly consumed by microorganisms or retained in the topsoil. Below a depth of 15 cm, most of the DOC and the DON originated from the first 2 cm of the soil and the exchanges between soil solutions and soil organic matter were low. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of different doses of sodium monensin on feeding behaviour, dry matter intake variation and selective consumption of feedlot Nellore cattle

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

Influence of daily consumption of synbiotic soy-based product supplemented with okara soybean by-product on risk factors for cardiovascular diseases

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

The influence of temperature on oxygen consumption rates of workers of two leaf cutting ants, Atta laevigata (F. Smith, 1858) and Atta sexdens rubropilosa (Forel, 1908)

1. 1. The oxygen consumption in workers of two simpatric leaf cutting ants, Atta laevigata and Atta sexdens rubropilosa was measured at different temperatures. 2. 2. In the temperature range between 5-35°C, with 5°C increments, the respiratory rates increased with temperature, but the R-T curves of both ants showed neither a marked drop at the low end nor a break at the high end; except between 30 and 35°C. 3. 3. The respiratory rates of A. s. rubropilosa were higher than those of A. laevigata and in the midrange of temperatures, the rates of A. laevigata increased faster than those of A. s. rubropilosa. 4. 4. Q10 values did not indicate regions of compensation for temperature in both ants, but suggested that adjustments may occur at high temperatures (25-35°C), as expected for tropical ants. 5. 5. Temperature variations did not alter significantly the slope of the curve relating oxygen consumption and body weight in both species. © 1982.