Chemical composition of corn and sorghum grains cultivated in oxisol with different application methods and doses of zinc

A.P. Puga, R.M. Prado, B. Mattiuz, D.W. Vale, and I.M. Fonseca. 2013. Chemical composition of corn and sorghum grains cultivated in Oxisol according to different application methods and doses of zinc. Cien. Inv. Agr. 40(1):97-108. In general, tropical soils present low concentrations of zinc (Zn), and the deficiency of Zn is recognized as a world nutritional problem for cereal production and human beings. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to assess the effects of different methods of Zn application on the quality of corn and sorghum grains grown in Oxisol. Two experiments were set up in the experimental area of UNESP (campus of Jaboticabal, Brazil). The following nine treatments were applied: three doses of Zn by banded application (seed furrows), three doses of Zn by incorporation into soil (0-20 cm depth), foliar application, seed application, and control (no Zn applied). The treatments were arranged in randomized blocks with four replicates. The contents of Zn, carbohydrates and proteins were determined for corn and sorghum grains. Regardless of the method, Zn application promoted higher contents of this micronutrient in corn and sorghum grains. The banded application method of Zn in soil promoted greater contents of total carbohydrates, starch and protein in both cultures. The incorporation of Zn into the soil method provided higher contents of soluble carbohydrates in both corn and sorghum grains.

Chemical composition and lipoxygenase activity in soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.) submitted to gamma irradiation

Soybeans are an important food due to their functional and nutritional characteristics. However, consumption by western populations is limited by the astringent taste of soybeans and their derivatives which results from the action of lipoxygenase, an enzyme activated during product processing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation on the chemical composition and specific activity of lipoxygenase in different soybean cultivars. Soybeans were stored in plastic bags and irradiated with doses of 2.5, 5 and 10 kGy. The chemical composition (moisture, protein, lipids, ashes, crude fiber, and carbohydrates) and lipoxygenase specific activity were determined for each sample. Gamma irradiation induced a small increase of protein and lipid content in some soybean cultivars, which did not exceed the highest content of 5% and 26%, respectively, when compared to control. Lipoxygenase specific activity decreased in the three cultivars with increasing gamma irradiation dose. In conclusion, the gamma irradiation doses used are suitable to inactivate part of lipoxygenase while not causing expressive changes in the chemical composition of the cultivars studied. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Silica-based Nano-coating on Zirconia Surfaces Using Reactive Magnetron Sputtering: Effect on Chemical Adhesion of Resin Cements

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

Ethanolic extract of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia leaves: Chemical characterization and cytotoxic effect on human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line

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

Chemical changes in an oxisol treated with pyroligneous acid

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

Evaluation of Insecticides for the Control of Linepithema micans (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efficacy of sulfadoxine plus trimethoprim compared to management measures for the control of Eimeria parasitism in naturally infected and clinically asymptomatic sheep that were maintained in a feedlot

The efficacy of sulfadoxine + trimethoprim in comparison to management measures for the control of Eimeria parasitism was studied in naturally infected sheep that were raised in a feedlot and were clinically asymptomatic for eimeriosis. Weight gain was also evaluated in these animals. The following groups were formed with 15 animals/group: TO!, control animals that received saline solution and maintenance of the same management measures that were performed before the study; T02, animals that received two intramuscular doses of sulfadoxine (20 mg/kg) + trimethoprim (4 mg/kg) with a 14-day interval; T03, sheep that received two intramuscular doses of sulfadoxine (20 mg/kg) + trimethoprim (4 mg/kg) with a 14-day interval plus management measures (wood shaving bedding was changed every Monday, and 30g of ammonium sulfate were applied to the bedding and other facilities were performed every Thursday, 10 mL/20 L of water); and T04, animals that received only the management measures described for the previous group. The highest efficacy rates (arithmetic mean) for the T02 group (sulfadoxine + trimethoprim at days 0 and 14) were 21.04% and 21.98% on the 14th and 28th days after the first treatment (DAFT), respectively. However, the treatment showed efficacy rates below 17% and was totally ineffective from the 70th DAFT to the end of the study. In both the T03 (chemical treatment+ management) and T04 (management only) groups, a significant (P <= 0.05) reduction of oocyst shedding per gram of feces was observed in the animals from the 14th DAFT in comparison to the control group; however, an efficacy rate above 90% was observed from the 28th DAFT. Animals belonging to the T02, T03 and T04 groups presented with alterations in weight gain of 0.57 kg, 4.30 kg and 4.53 kg, respectively, in comparison with the control animals (T01) throughout the 91-day study period. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the two-dose sulfadoxine + trimethoprim treatment, given with a 14-day interval, had little no effect on the oocyst shedding. Moreover, the adopted management measures were enough to cause a significant decrease in the animal parasite loads. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

In vitro and in vivo acaricide action of juvenoid analogs produced from the chemical modification of Cymbopogon spp. and Corymbia citriodora essential oil on the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Zinc blende versus wurtzite ZnS nanoparticles: control of the phase and optical properties by tetrabutylammonium hydroxide

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

Palmistichus elaeisis (Delvare & LaSalle, 1993) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), possible agent for the biological control of Urbanus proteus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Phytotherapy in the control of helminthiasis in production animals

Parasitic diseases constitute one of the main problems affecting livestock; however the use of chemical medicaments provides drug resistance residues in animal and environmental contamination. Changes in production concepts require that food must be produced in hygienic conditions, per healthy animals and that are not eliminating antibiotic residues, pesticides or other drugs. This scenario has favored organic production and the use of medicinal plants. For the control of endoparasites, several studies have published the benefits of Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Punica granatum Linn., Musa sp., Operculina hamiltonii G. DON., propolis, among others. However, despite the existence in- vitro studies that demonstrate the pharmacological properties of phytotherapics, there is still need for clinical trials to determine dosage and its effects in- vivo. Investigations of new bioactive natural substances can be of great value for the control of animal health and food safety, which is particularly important for organic production systems in which the use of chemical drugs is a limiting factor for certification.

Impact of chemical agents for surface treatments on microhardness and flexural strength of root dentin

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effect of the addition of wheat fiber and partial pork back fat on the chemical composition, texture and sensory property of low-fat bologna sausage containing inulin and oat fiber

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A new sampling strategy for the Shewhart control chart monitoring a process with wandering mean

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Chemical composition and antiproliferative activity of Acalypha californica

Acalypha californica Benth., is a plant in the northwestern region from Mexico, commonly known as "cancer herb" and used in traditional medicine for treating cancer. In the present study we have investigated the antiproliferative activity of methanolic extract of A. californica and its fractions in cancer cell lines and phytochemical analysis and mechanism of apoptosis of the fractions with antiproliferative activity. The antiproliferative activity of methanol extract and its fractions of solvents were evaluated by MTT assay against the M12.A(k).C3.F6, RAW 264.7, HeLa and L929 cell lines. Active fractions were fractionated by molecular exclusion chromatography, HPLC and MPLC. The identification of compounds was performed by NMR and FIA-ESI-IT-MS/MS analysis. Apoptotic mechanism was analyzed by flow cytometry, determining the reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential (JC-1) and the activity of caspases 3,8 and 9. Cell viability assays showed that the hexane fraction of the methanol extract of the plant has significant effects against cancer lines RAW 264.7 (IC50 = 52.08 +/- 1.06 mu g/mL) and HeLa (IC50 = 46.77 +/- 1.09 mu g/mL), the residual fraction showed a selective effect on cell lines M12.A(k).C3.F6 (IC50 = 59.90 +/- 1.05 mu g/mL), RAW 264.7 (IC50 = 58.93 +/- 1.26 mu g/mL) and HeLa (IC50 = 50.11 +/- 1.135 mu g/mL) compared to the control cell line L929 (IC50 = 100.00 +/- 1.09 mu g/mL). The chemical characterization of the active fractions allowed the identification of p-sitosterol and stigmasterol in hexane fraction and some phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins and flavonoids in the residual fraction. The methanol extract and hexane fraction reduces mitochondrial membrane potential significantly and activates caspases 3, 8 and 9. Because of the antiproliferative activity observed, our results provide a rational basis for the use of extracts of A. californica in treating various types of cancer in traditional medicine from Mexico. The extracts induce apoptosis via activation of caspases. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.