Peat humic substances enriched with nutrients for agricultural applications: Competition between nutrients and non-essential metals present in tropical soils

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Shiitake (lentinula edodes) production on a sterilized bagasse substrate enriched with rice bran and sugarcane molasses

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

Fermented soy product supplemented with isoflavones affects adipose tissue in a regional-specific manner and improves HDL-cholesterol in rats fed on a cholesterol-enriched diet

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

Effect of a novel soy fermented product enriched with isoflavones and calcium on bone tissue of rats.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of soy fermented product intake on the corporal weight and bone tissue of ovariectomized mature rats. This product was fermented with Enterococcusfaecium and Lactobacillus jugurti and enriched with isoflavones and calcium. The animals were divided in 5 groups: sham-ovariectomized; ovariectomized; ovariectomized treated with soy fermented product enriched with isoflavones and calcium; ovariectomized treated with soy fermented product enriched with calcium and ovariectomized treated with nonfermented product enriched only with calcium. In order to evaluate the effect of the tested product on bone tissue (femur and tibia), the following parameters were analyzed: length; mechanical assay of three points; density (Archimedes principle); mineral content; calcium content; measure of the trabecular widths. The corporal weight of group treated with soy fermented product containing isoflavones and calcium showed no statistical difference from sham-ovariectomized group and trabecular widths tended to have larger than ovariectomized group. However, there was no significant difference to the other evaluated parameters in result of the diverse treatments. Thus, soy fermented product enriched with isoflavones and calcium inhibited the increasing of corporal weight caused by ovariectomy and revealed a tendency to trabecular protection after castration.

Assessment of liquid disposal originated by uranium enrichment at Aramar Experimental Center São Paulo-Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Thermal analysis of an enriched flame incinerator for aqueous residues

The use of oxygen to enrich the combustion air can be an attractive technique to increase capacity of an incinerator originally designed to operate with air, If incinerator parameters such as operation temperature, turbulence level and residence time are fixed for a certain fuel supply rate, it is possible to increase the residue consumption rate using enriched air. This paper presents the thermal analysis for operation with enriched air of an aqueous residue experimental incinerator. The auxiliary fuel was diesel oil. The theoretical results showed that there is a considerable increase in the incineration ratio up to approximately 50% of O-2 in the oxidiser. The tendency was confirmed experimentally. Thermal analysis was demonstrated to be an important tool to predict possible incinerator capacity increase. (C) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Development and characterization of 14 microsatellite loci from an enriched genomic library of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh

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

Toxicity of dietary restriction of fat enriched diets on cardiac tissue

The present study examines the effects of caloric restriction in cardiac tissue evaluation markers of oxidative stress. High-fat dietary restrictions can have a long-term impact on cardiac health. Dietary restriction of control diet increased myocardial superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities. Dietary restriction of fatty acid-enriched diets increased myocardial lipoperoxide concentrations, while SOD activity was decreased in cardiac tissue of rats with dietary restriction of fatty acid-enriched diets. Dietary restriction of unsaturated fatty acid-enriched diet induced the highest lipoperoxide concentration and the lowest myocardial SOD activity. Dietary restriction of unsaturated fatty acid decreased myocardial glycogen, and increased the lactate dehydrogenase/citrate synthase ratio. Dietary restriction of fatty acid-enriched diets were more deleterious to cardiac tissue than normal ad lib.-fed diet. In conclusion, the effects of caloric restriction on myocardial oxidative stress is dependent on which nutrient is restricted. Dietary restriction of fatty acid-enriched diets is deleterious relative to ad lib.-fed chow diet. (C) 2002 Elsevier, Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunotherapy against experimental canine visceral leishmaniasis with the saponin enriched-Leishmune((R)) vaccine

In order to assess the immunotherapeutic potential on canine visceral leishmaniasis of the Leishmune (R) vaccine, formulated with an increased adjuvant concentration (1 mg of saponin rather than 0.5 mg), 24 mongrel dogs were infected with Leishmania (L.) chagasi. The enriched-Leishmune (R) vaccine was injected on month 6, 7 and 8 after infection, when animals were seropositive and symptomatic. The control group were injected with a saline solution. Leishmune (R)-treated dogs showed significantly higher levels of anti-FML IgG antibodies (ANOVA; p < 0.0001), a higher and stable IgG2 and a decreasing IgG I response, pointing to a TH1 T cell mediated response. The vaccine had the following effects: it led to more positive delayed type hypersensitivity reactions against Leishmania lysate in vaccinated dogs (75%) than in controls (50%), to a decreased average of CD4+ Leishmania-specific lymphocytes in saline controls (32.13%) that fell outside the 95% confidence interval of the vaccinees (41.62%, CI95% 43.93-49.80) and an increased average of the clinical scores from the saline controls (17.83) that falls outside the 95% confidence interval for the Leishmune (R) immumotherapy-treated dogs (15.75, CI95% 13.97-17.53). All dogs that received the vaccine were clustered, and showed lower clinical scores and normal CD4+ counts, whereas 42% of the untreated dogs showed very diminished CD4+ and higher clinical score. The increase in clinical signs of the saline treated group was correlated with an increase in anti-FML antibodies (p < 0.0001), the parasitological evidence (p = 0.038) and a decrease in Leishinania-specific CD4+ lymphocyte proportions (p = 0.035). These results confirm the immunotherapeutic potential of the enriched-Leishmune (R) vaccine. The vaccine reduced the clinical symptoms and evidence of parasite, modulating the outcome of the infection and the dog's potential infectiosity to phlebotomines. The enriched-Leishmune (R) vaccine was subjected to a safety analysis and found to be well tolerated and safe. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunotherapy with the saponin enriched-Leishmune (R) vaccine versus immunochemotherapy in dogs with natural canine visceral leishmaniasis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Microsatellite loci isolation from river buffalo using enriched partial genomic libraries

The extensive use of buffalo in agriculture, especially in developing countries, begs for genetic resources to evaluate and improve traits important to local and regional economies. Brazil presents the largest water buffalo populations in the New World, with 1 1 million heads including swamp and river types. To design rational breeding strategies for optimum utilization and conservation of available genetic variability in the Brazilian buffalo's population, it is essential to understand their genetic architecture and relationship among various breeds. This depends, in part, on the knowledge of their genetic structure based on molecular markers like microsatellites. In the present study, we developed six enriched partial genomic libraries for river buffalo using selective hybridization methods. Genomic DNA was hybridized with six different arrays of repeat motif, 5' biotinylated - (CA)(15), (CT)(15), (AGG)(8), (GAAA)(8), (GATA)(8), (AAAAC)(8) - and bound to streptavidin coated beads. The cloning process generated a total of 1920 recombinant clones. Up to date, 487 were directly sequenced for the presence of repeats, from which 13 have been positive for presence of repeats as follows: 9 for di-nucleotide repeats, 3 for tri-nucleotide repeats and 1 for tetra-nucleotide repeat. PCR primer pairs for the isolated microsatellites are under construction to determine optimum annealing temperature. These microsatellites will be useful for studies involving phylogenetic relationships, genome mapping and genetic diversity analysis within buffalo populations worldwide.

Radioactivity distribution in some Permian sediments from the Irati and Corumbatal formations of the Parana basin, southeastern Brazil

in the city of Limeira, southeastern Brazil, an important exposure of Permian sediments of the Parana basin was revealed by an open pit mine that exploits limestone for production of soil correction compounds and raw materials for the ceramic industry. The radioactivity of these sediments was investigated in some detail and the results provided a general view of the vertical distributions of uranium, thorium and potassium concentrations and of the element ratios U/K, U/Th and Th/K. In general, the concentrations of the main natural radioactive elements are low, with uranium being enriched in some limestone and shale levels. In addition the results showed that the U-238 series is in radioactive disequilibrium in many of the analyzed samples. Although the origin of the observed disequilibrium has not been investigated, the results suggest that it is due to weathering processes and water interaction with the rock matrix. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Uranium distribution and radon exhalation from Brazilian dimension stones

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Protease inhibition activity of extracts from Salicaceae species from Brazilian Cerrado and Atlantic Rain Forest and of an enriched fraction of clerodane diterpenes (casearins)

Considerando o uso popular de Casearia sylvestris Sw., Salicaceae, para o tratamento de problemas gástricos e resultados pré-clínicos que mostraram potencial atividade anti-ulcerogênica, foi realizado um screening farmacológico para avaliar a atividade biológica de outras espécies de Salicaceae. Para isso, foi utilizado um ensaio de inibição de proteases como um modelo farmacológico molecular para screening de extratos com atividade anti-ulcerogênica. Os extratos etanólico e aquoso dos galhos e folhas de C. gossypiosperma, C. decandra e C. rupestris mostraram inibição da atividade da pepsina em aproximadamente 50% com a concentração de 1 μg/mL. Curiosamente, C. obliquoa e Flacourtia ramontchi não apresentaram atividade sobre a pepsina, mas seus extratos mais apolares mostraram atividade inibitória sobre a subtilisina. A fração enriquecida de diterpenos clerodânicos mostrou atividade inibitória (42,75%) sobre a pepsina com a concentração de 1 μg/mL, mas não sobre a subtilisina (23,76%). Os resultados obtidos com os extratos e folhas das espécies testadas mostraram um padrão de atividade diferente sobre os dois tipos de proteases, a pepsina e a subtilisina, as quais estão relacionadas com diferentes tipos de atividades biológicas. Ainda mais, os resultados com a fração enriquecida de diterpenos clerodânicos sugerem que estas substâncias podem estar relacionadas com a atividade do extrato bruto de C. sylvestris.