Effect of oil overlay on inhibition potential of roscovitine in sheep cumulus-oocyte complexes

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

Diurnal effects on spearmint oil yields and composition

'Native'spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) is one of the two spearmint species grown commercially in the United States and other countries for essential oil production. The two major constituents of spearmint oil are carvone and limonene. It is not known if the essential oil yield (content) and composition of spearmint oil are affected by diurnal variation, and when it would be the best time for harvesting flowering spearmints within a 24h period. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of diurnal variation on yield and composition of spearmint 'Native'essential oil for the environmental conditions of Northern Wyoming, at elevation 1170 m above the sea level. The experiment was conducted on a 3-year old well established spearmint plantation. The harvest times were every 2 h within a 24-h period: 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:00 PM, 11:00 PM, 1:00 AM, 3:00 AM, and 5:00 AM. Essential oil yield varied from 0.96 to 1.47 g of oil per 100 g of dry herbage; the maximum oil yield was obtained at 9:00 AM and the minimum at 7:00 PM. The concentration of carvone in the oil varied from 44.1% (at 1:00 PM) to 66.4% (at 9:00 PM) of the total oil. However, the yield of carvone (a function of oil yield and carvone concentration in the oil) was the highest at 3:00 AM and the lowest at 1:00 PM. The concentration of limonene (10.7-15.8% of the oil) was the highest at 7:00 PM and the lowest at 1:00 PM, whereas the yield of limonene was the highest at 9:00 PM. For best essential oil yields, flowering spearmint should be harvested at around 9:00 AM. However, to obtain oil with high carvone concentration, spearmint should be harvested at 9:00 PM. Harvests at 1:00 PM would result in spearmint oil with low concentrations of both carvone and limonene, and hence, should be avoided. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Controlling Asian soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) with Bacillus spp. and coffee oil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The application of neural networks to the analysis of dissolved gases in insulating oil used in transformers

The state of insulating oils used in transformers is determined through the accomplishment of physical-chemical tests, which determine the state of the oil, as well as the chromatography test, which determines possible faults in the equipment. This article concentrate on determining, from a new methodology, a relationship among the variation of the indices obtained from the physical-chemical tests with those indices supplied by the chromatography tests.The determination of the relationship among the tests is accomplished through the application of neural networks. From the data obtained by physical-chemical tests, the network is capable to determine the relationship among the concentration of the main gases present in a certain sample, which were detected by the chromatography tests.More specifically, the proposed approach uses neural networks of perceptron type constituted of multiple layers. After the process of network training, it is possible to determine the existent relationship between the physical-chemical tests and the amount of gases present in the insulating oil.

Assessment of cytotoxicity and AhR-mediated toxicity in tropical fresh water sediments under the influence of an oil refinery

Oil refinery effluents contain many chemicals at variable concentrations. Therefore, it is difficult to predict potential effects on the environment. The Atibaia River (SP, Brazil), which serves as a source of water supply for many municipalities, receives the effluents of one of the biggest oil refinery of this country. The aim of this study was to identify the (eco)toxicity of fresh water sediments under the influence of this oil refinery through neutral red (cytotoxicity) and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) assays (AhR-mediated toxicity) in RTL-W1 cells (derived from fish liver). Once the refinery captures the waters of Jaguarí River for the development of its activities and discharges its effluents after treatment into the Atibaia River, which then flows into Piracicaba River, sediments from both river systems were also investigated. The samples showed a high cytotoxic potential, even when compared to well-known pollution sites. However, the cytotoxicity of samples collected downstream the effluent was not higher than that of sediments collected upstream, which suggested that the refinery discharges are not the main source of pollution in those areas. No EROD activity could be recorded, which could be confirmed by chemical analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that revealed a high concentration of phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene, which are not EROD inducers in RTL-W1 cells. In contrast, high concentrations of PAHs were found upstream the refinery effluent, corroborating cytotoxicity results from the neutral red assay. A decrease of PAHs was recorded from upstream to downstream the refinery effluent, probably due to dilution of compounds following water discharges. On the other hand, these discharges apparently contribute specifically to the amount of anthracene in the river, since an increase of anthracene concentrations could be recorded downstream the effluent. Since the extrapolation of results from acute toxicity to specific toxic effects with different modes of action is a complex task, complementary bioassays covering additional specific effects should be applied in future studies for better understanding of the overall ecotoxicity of those environments.

Biosurfactants production by yeasts using soybean oil and glycerol as low cost substrate

Biosurfactants are bioactive agents that can be produced by many different microorganisms. Among those, special attention is given to yeasts, since they can produce many types of biosurfactants in large scale, using several kinds of substrates, justifying its use for industrial production of those products. For this production to be economically viable, the use of residual carbon sources is recommended. The present study isolated yeasts from soil contaminated with petroleum oil hydrocarbons and assessed their capacity for producing biosurfactants in low cost substrates. From a microbial consortium enriched, seven yeasts were isolated, all showing potential for producing biosurfactants in soybean oil. The isolate LBPF 3, characterized as Candida antarctica, obtained the highest levels of production - with a final production of 13.86 g/L. The isolate LBPF 9, using glycerol carbon source, obtained the highest reduction in surface tension in the growth medium: approximately 43% of reduction after 24 hours of incubation. The products obtained by the isolates presented surfactant activity, which reduced water surface tension to values that varied from 34 mN/m, obtained from the product of isolates LBPF 3 and 16 LBPF 7 (respectively characterized as Candida antarctica and Candida albicans) to 43 mN/m from the isolate LPPF 9, using glycerol as substrate. The assessed isolates all showed potential for the production of biosurfactants in conventional sources of carbon as well as in agroindustrial residue, especially in glycerol.

Addition of lipolytic enzyme in anaerobic co-digestion of swine manure and inclusion levels of waste vegetable oil

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

Adult partner preference and sexual behavior of male rats exposed prenatally to betamethasone

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Cholesterol reduction and lack of genotoxic or toxic effects in mice after repeated 21-day oral intake of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) essential oil

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

Diametral tensile strength and film thickness of an experimental dental luting agent derived from castor oil

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

SEALING ABILITY of CASTOR OIL POLYMER AS A ROOT-END FILLING MATERIAL

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sealing ability of castor oil polymer (COP), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and glass ionomer cement (GIC) as root-end filling materials. Forty-five single-rooted human teeth were cleaned and prepared using a step-back technique. The apical third of each root was resected perpendicularly to the long axis direction. All teeth were obturated with gutta-percha and an endodontic sealer. After, a root-end cavity with 1.25-mm depth was prepared using a diamond bur. The specimens were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n = 15), according to the root-end filling material used: G1) COP; G2) MTA; G3) GIC. The external surfaces of the specimens were covered with epoxy adhesive, except the root-end filling. The teeth were immersed in rhodamine B dye for 24 hours. Then, the roots were sectioned longitudinally and the linear dye penetration at the dentin/material interface was determined using a stereomicroscope. ANOVA and Tukey's tests were used to compare the three groups. The G1 group (COP) presented smaller dye penetration, statistically different than the G2 (MTA) and G3 (GIC) groups (p < 0.05). No statistically significant difference in microleakage was observed between G2 and G3 groups (p > 0.05). The results of this study indicate that the COP presented efficient sealing ability when used as a root-end filling material showing results significantly better than MTA and GIC.

Life-cycle inventory for hydroelectric generation: a Brazilian case study

Representative Life-Cycle Inventories (LCIs) are essential for Life-Cycle Assessments (LCAs) quality and readiness. Because energy is such an important element of LCAs, appropriate LCIs on energy are crucial, and due to the prevalence of hydropower on Brazilian electricity mix, the frequently used LCIs are not representative of the Brazilian conditions. The present study developed a LCI of the Itaipu Hydropower Plant, the major hydropower plant in the world, responsible for producing 23.8% of Brazil's electricity consumption. Focused on the capital investments to construct and operate the dam, the LCI was designed to serve as a database for the LCAs of Brazilian hydroelectricity production. The life-cycle boundaries encompass the construction and operation of the dam, as well as the life-cycles of the most important material and energy consumptions (cement, steel, copper, diesel oil, lubricant oil), as well as construction site operation, emissions from reservoir flooding, material and workers transportation, and earthworks. As a result, besides the presented inventory, it was possible to determine the following processes, and respective environmental burdens as the most important life-cycle hotspots: reservoir filling (CO(2) and CH(4) emission: land use); steel life-cycle (water and energy consumption; CO, particulates, SO(x) and NO(x) emissions); cement life-cycle (water and energy consumption; CO(2) and particulate emissions); and operation of civil construction machines (diesel consumption; NO(x) emissions). Compared with another hydropower studies, the LCI showed magnitude adequacy, with better results than small hydropower, which reveals a scale economy for material and energy exchanges in the case of ltaipu Power Plant. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of olive oil and its minor phenolic constituents on obesity-induced cardiac metabolic changes

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

Effect of calcium and magnesium silicate on the growth of the castor oil plant subjected to salinity levels

Salt stress decreases the osmotic potential of soil solution causing water stress, causing toxic effects in the plants resulting in injuries on the metabolism and nutritional disorders, thus compromising the plant growth, resulting in lower production. The calcium silicate and magnesium can perform the same function as limestone, besides providing silicon to plants, may also contribute to the resistance of plants to salt stress. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of calcium and magnesium silicate on the growth of the castor oil plant BRS Energia cultivated under saline conditions. This study evaluated plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, dry weight of shoot and root, and soil chemical characteristics. There was no interaction between factors of salinity level and of silicate level regarding the evaluated variables. There was a direct relationship between salinity levels and plant growth in height and stem diameter. The K concentration in soil were affected by salinity levels.

In vitro evaluation of the abrasiveness of a commercial low-abrasive dentifrice and an experimental dentifrice containing vegetable oil

Toothpastes usually contain detergents, humectants, water colorant, fluoride and thickeners (e.g. silica). Tooth wear has a multi-factorial etilology and the use of abrasive dentifrices is related to abrasion of dental tissues during toothbrushing. This study evaluated in vitro the abrasiveness of a commercial silica gel low-abrasive dentrifice compared to an experimental dentifrice containing vegetable (almond) oil. Distilled water served as a control group. Acrylic specimens (8 per group) were submitted to simulated toothbrushing with slurries of the commercial dentifrice experimental dentifrice, almond oil and water in an automatic brushing machine programmed to 30,000 brush strokes for each specimen which is equivalent to 2 years of manual toothbrushing. Thereafter, surface roughness (Ra) of the specimens was analyzed with a Surfcorder SE 1700 profilometer. Data were analyzed statistically by ANOVA and Tukey's test at 5% significance level. There was no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) in the surface roughness after brushing with water almond oil experimental dentifrice. The commercial dentifrice produced rougher surfaces compared to the control and abrasive free products (p<0.05). Further studies are necessary in confirm the potential benefits of using vegetable oil in toothpaste as an alternative in abrasives in an attempt to minimize the tooth wear caused by toothbrushing.