Morphometric growth characteristics and body composition of bullfrog tadpoles in captivity

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

Inhibition of diethylnitrosamine-initiated alcohol-promoted hepatic inflammation and precancerous lesions by flavonoid luteolin is associated with increased sirtuin 1 activity in mice

Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption is an established risk for hepatic inflammation and carcinogenesis. Luteolin is one of the most common flavonoids present in plants and has potential beneficial effects against cancer. In this study, we examined the effect and potential mechanisms of luteolin supplementation in a carcinogen initiated alcohol-promoted pre-neoplastic liver lesion mouse model. C57BL/6 mice were injected with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) [i.p. 25 mg/kg of body weight (BW)] at 14 days of age. At 8 weeks of age mice were group pair-fed with Lieber-DeCarli liquid control diet or alcoholic diet [ethanol (EtOH) diet, 27% total energy from ethanol] and supplemented with a dose of 30 mg luteolin/kg BW per day for 21 days. DEN-injected mice fed EtOH diet displayed a significant induction of pre-neoplastic lesions, a marker associated with presence of steatosis and inflammation. Dietary luteolin significantly reduced the severity and incidence of hepatic inflammatory foci and steatosis in DEN-injected mice fed EtOH diet, as well the presence of preneoplastic lesions. There was no difference on hepatic protein levels of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) among all groups; however, luteolin supplementation significantly reversed alcohol-reduced SIRT1 activity assessed by the ratio of acetylated and total forkhead box protein O1 (FoXO1) and SIRT1 target proliferator-activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α). Dietary intake of luteolin prevents alcohol promoted pre-neoplastic lesions, potentially mediated by SIRT1 signaling pathway.

Development of a synbiotic low-calorie beverage made from soy and yacon extracts

The objective of this study was to develop a new low-calorie symbiotic beverage made from yacon (prebiotic source) and soy extracts, containing probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12. The synbiotic beverage was first produced with a range of sucrose concentrations in order to determine ideal sweetness by an acceptance test using a “just-about-right scale”. Sucrose was then replaced by sucralose or aspartame to produce sugar-free beverages. Characteristics including viable cell numbers, physicochemical properties, sensorial characteristics and fructooligosaccharides content were investigated. The ideal sweetness of the beverages with sucrose, aspartame and sucralose were 7.28%, 0.0486% and 0.0167%, respectively. Sucralose exhibited higher scores in acceptance test and was used to replace sucrose in the low-calorie symbiotic beverage. The synbiotic beverage exhibited counts of Bifidobacterium spp. of 108 CFU·mL-1 , sufficient condition to be considered probiotic. The chemical composition of the product was (g/100 g): 2.91 of protein, 1.41 of fat, 2.41 of total carbohydrate; 0.82 of FOS and 148.22 Kj of energy value. The synbiotic beverage developed in this study may be successful in health applications, due to their functional ingredients (soy, probiotic bacteria and yacon prebiotics) that can afford benefits to health or can present disease-preventing properties, beyond their inherent nutritional value. In addition this low-calorie beverage can be consumed by diabetic individuals and people concerned about the ingestion of calories.

Avaliação econômica da substituição do farelo de soja por farelo de algodão em dietas práticas para tilápias do Nilo cultivadas em tanques-rede

Based on fish production performance, this study assessed the feasibility of replacing SBM with CSM in practical diets for cage-raised Nile tilapia during the finishing phase. To accomplish this research, four isoproteic (32% CP) and isoenergetic (2500 Kcal/kg of DE) diets were formulated. Control diet (T1) contained 30 % of SBM and 0% of CSM. The other three diets contained: 20% of SBM and 10% of CSM (T2), 10% of SBM and 20% of CSM (T3) and 0% of SBM and 30% of CSM (T4). Lysine and Methionine deficiency was compensated for with synthetic amino acid (L-lysine and DL- methionine) supplementation. Experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments and four repetitions. Data were analyzed with SAS PROC GLM through co-variance analysis, adding initial mean weight as a co-variable, followed by Dunnett test. The system used to calculate the profit part was Partial Budget Analysis in Aquaculture, proposed by Shang (1990). Profit was significantly different at T3 when compared to T1 (control). It was concluded that the addition of 20% of CSM to finishing diets can improve cage-raised Nile tilapia profitability.

Sanitizers effect in mango pulp and peel antioxidant compounds

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