Environmental pollution with soil-transmitted helminths in Sanliurfa, Turkey

Soil transmitted helminth (STH) infection are endemic in developing countries. A study was carried out of sewage farms, streams and vegetables to determine the sources and routes of STH infection in Sanliurfa, Turkey. Stool samples from farmhouse inhabitants as well as soil and vegetable samples from the gardens were collected and examined. In addition, water samples from streams and vegetable samples from the city market were collected and examined. One hundred and eighty-seven (59.5%) of a total of 314 samples, including 88.4% of the stool samples, 60.8% of the water samples, 84.4% of the soil samples and 14% of the vegetable samples, were found to be positive for STH eggs. These results indicate that the water, soil and vegetables are heavily contaminated, and suggest a vicious circle between humans and the environment. Improving environmental sanitation is imperative for the control of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Sanliurfa.

Cross-immunoreactivity between anti-potato apyrase antibodies and mammalian ATP diphosphohydrolases: potential use of the vegetal protein in experimental schistosomiasis

We have previously showed that Schistosoma mansoni ATP-diphosphohydrolase and Solanum tuberosum potato apyrase share epitopes and the vegetable protein has immunostimulatory properties. Here, it was verified the in situ cross-immunoreactivity between mice NTPDases and anti-potato apyrase antibodies produced in rabbits, using confocal microscopy. Liver samples were taken from Swiss Webster mouse 8 weeks after infection with S. mansoni cercariae, and anti-potato apyrase and TRITC-conjugated anti-rabbit IgG antibody were tested on cryostat sections. The results showed that S. mansoni egg ATP diphosphohydrolase isoforms, developed by anti-potato apyrase, are expressed in miracidial and egg structures, and not in granulomatous cells and hepatic structures (hepatocytes, bile ducts, and blood vessels). Therefore, purified potato apyrase when inoculated in rabbit generates polyclonal sera containing anti-apyrase antibodies that are capable of recognizing specifically S. mansoni ATP diphosphohydrolase epitopes, but not proteins from mammalian tissues, suggesting that autoantibodies are not induced during potato apyrase immunization. A phylogenetic tree obtained for the NTPDase family showed that potato apyrase had lower homology with mammalian NTPDases 1-4, 7, and 8. Further analysis of potato apyrase epitopes could implement their potential use in schistosomiasis experimental models.

Detection of IgG1 and IgG4 subtypes reactive against potato apyrase in schistosomiasis patients

In this paper, we showed for the first time that the conserved domains within Schistosoma mansoni ATP diphosphohydrolase isoforms, shared with potato apyrase, possess epitopes for the IgG1 and IgG4 subtypes, as 24 (80%) of the 30 schistosomiasis patients were seropositive for this vegetable protein. The analyses for each patient cured (n = 14) after treatment (AT) with praziquantel revealed variable IgG1 and IgG4 reactivity against potato apyrase. Different antigenic epitopes shared between the vegetable and parasite proteins could be involved in susceptibility or resistance to S. mansoni AT with praziquantel and these possibilities should be explored.

Egg parasitoids of Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius) (Pentatomidae) in lettuce crop

Egg parasitoids of Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius) (Pentatomidae) in lettuce crop. This study evaluated the occurrence of parasitoids in eggs of the stink bug, Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius, 1794) (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae) found on lettuce crop in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Samples were collected in the vegetable garden "Cheiro Verde", in the municipality of Tangará da Serra, in curly lettuce. A bed of lettuce was selected randomly, where the eggs of E. meditabunda were collected. Five-hundred and seventy eight eggs of E. meditabunda were collected, 86.3% of them parasitized by Telenomus podisi Ashmead, 1893 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae), Trissolcus urichi Crawford, 1913 (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae) and Neorileya albipes Girault, 1913 (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae), representing respectively 57.0%, 38.2% and 4.8% of the emerged individuals. This is the first record of these three species parasitizing eggs of E. meditabunda in lettuce.

Effect of management systems and cover crops on organic matter dynamics of soil under vegetables

Vegetable production in conservation tillage has increased in Brazil, with positive effects on the soil quality. Since management systems alter the quantity and quality of organic matter, this study evaluated the influence of different management systems and cover crops on the organic matter dynamics of a dystrophic Red Latosol under vegetables. The treatments consisted of the combination of three soil tillage systems: no-tillage (NT), reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) and of two cover crops: maize monoculture and maize-mucuna intercrop. Vegetables were grown in the winter and the cover crops in the summer for straw production. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with four replications. Soil samples were collected between the crop rows in three layers (0.0-0.05, 0.05-0.10, and 0.10-0.30 m) twice: in October, before planting cover crops for straw, and in July, during vegetable cultivation. The total organic carbon (TOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), oxidizable fractions, and the carbon fractions fulvic acid (C FA), humic acid (C HA) and humin (C HUM) were determined. The main changes in these properties occurred in the upper layers (0.0-0.05 and 0.05-0.10 m) where, in general, TOC levels were highest in NT with maize straw. The MBC levels were lowest in CT systems, indicating sensitivity to soil disturbance. Under mucuna, the levels of C HA were lower in RT than NT systems, while the C FA levels were lower in RT than CT. For vegetable production, the C HUM values were lowest in the 0.05-0.10 m layer under CT. With regard to the oxidizable fractions, the tillage systems differed only in the most labile C fractions, with higher levels in NT than CT in the 0.0-0.05 m layer in both summer and winter, with no differences between these systems in the other layers. The cabbage yield was not influenced by the soil management system, but benefited from the mulch production of the preceding maize-mucuna intercrop as cover plant.

MGS Esmeralda: new large seed mungbean cultivar

Mungbean cultivar MGS Esmeralda was developed by Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (Shanhua, Taiwan), as a result of crossing between the lines VC 1973A and VC 2768A. In ten trials conducted in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, it produced 13.5% more grains than 'Ouro Verde MG-2' (control cultivar), and its highest yield was 2,550 kg ha-1. The cultivar MGS Esmeralda is more susceptible to lodging, and its pods mature more uniformly than Ouro Verde MG-2 pods. One hundred-seed mass of 'MGS Esmeralda' ranged between 5.5 and 6.8 g. Both cultivars are susceptible to powdery mildew and cercospora leaf spot.

Chemical and physical composition of grain-type and food-type soybean for food processing

The objective of this work was to evaluate the chemical and physical characteristics of grains of soybean (Glycine max) cultivars for food processing. The soybean cultivars evaluated were: grain-type - BRS 133 and BRS 258; food-type - BRS 213 (null lipoxygenases), BRS 267 (vegetable-type) and BRS 216 (small grain size). BRS 267 and BRS 216 cultivars showed higher protein content, indicating that they could promote superior nutritional value. BRS 213 cultivar showed the lowest lipoxygenase activity, and BRS 267, the lowest hexanal content. These characteristics can improve soyfood flavor. After cooking, BRS 267 cultivar grains presented a higher content of aglycones (more biologically active form of isoflavones) and oleic acid, which makes it proper for functional foods and with better stability for processing, and also showed high content of fructose, glutamic acid and alanine, compounds related to the soybean mild flavor. Because of its large grain size, BRS 267 is suitable for tofu and edamame, while small-grain-sized BRS 216 is good for natto and for soybean sprouts production. BRS 216 and BRS 213 cultivars presented shorter cooking time, which may be effective for reducing processing costs.

Somatic embryogenesis from zygotic embryos of Euterpe oleracea Mart.

The aim of this work was to study the morphogenetic responses of zygotic embryos of açai palm (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) submitted to several conditions of in vitro culture. Several research experiments were conducted, in laboratory, using vegetable material collected from açai palm plants at Embrapa Amazon Oriental, Belém-PA, Brazil. It was possible to verify the expression of a direct, repetitive and no-synchronized model of somatic embryogenesis in mature zygotic embryos cultivated in primary MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D (339.36 muM) and transferred to a secondary MS medium in the presence of NAA (0.537 muM) and 2iP (12.30 muM). The conversion of somatic embryos into seedlings was reached after 210 days with the transfer of the cultures to a third medium with sucrose and mineral salts concentrations reduced to a half, without growth regulators.

An ethanol-based process to simultaneously extract and fractionate carotenoids from Mauritia flexuosa L. Pulp

Mauritia vinifera (buriti) is a palm tree that grows wild in different areas of Brazil, particularly in the Amazonian region. The buriti oil is rich in carotenoids, especially in β-carotene. The growing interest in other natural sources of β-carotene has stimulated the industrial use of buriti as a raw material for pulp oil extraction. Most processes are based on the conventional technologies, involving drying and pressing the pulp for oil recovery and further separation of carotenoids in a liquid phase using organics solvents. In the present work, the ethanol-based process was evaluated for simultaneous carotenoids recovering and fractionating from buriti pulp. The raw material and ethanol, 1:4 ratio, were placed in an erlenmeyer flask and maintained at 30rpm for 1 hour in a temperature-controlled bath at 65ºC. The mixture was filtered under vacuum and cooling at 10ºC to allow for the separation of the solvent in two phases. Carotenoids composition, determined by HPLC, has indicated a β-carotene concentration about 12 times greater in the lower phase than in the upper phase. The profile of the carotenoids in the denser phase is quite similar to that of raw buriti oil, and the concentration of total carotenoids is 40% higher than that of the original raw oil, making the ethanol-based process particularly attractive for industrial applications.

Soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization under different tillage systems and Permanent Groundcover cultivation between Orange trees

The objective of this work was to evaluate the alterations in carbon and nitrogen mineralization due to different soil tillage systems and groundcover species for intercropped orange trees. The experiment was established in an Ultisol soil (Typic Paleudults) originated from Caiuá sandstone in northwestern of the state of Paraná, Brazil, in an area previously cultivated with pasture (Brachiaria humidicola). Two soil tillage systems were evaluated: conventional tillage (CT) in the entire area and strip tillage (ST) with a 2-m width, each with different groundcover vegetation management systems. The citrus cultivar utilized was the 'Pera' orange (Citrus sinensis) grafted onto a 'Rangpur' lime rootstock. The soil samples were collected at a 0-15-cm depth after five years of experiment development. Samples were collected from under the tree canopy and from the inter-row space after the following treatments: (1) CT and annual cover crop with the leguminous Calopogonium mucunoides; (2) CT and perennial cover crop with the leguminous peanut Arachis pintoi; (3) CT and evergreen cover crop with Bahiagrass Paspalum notatum; (4) CT and cover crop with spontaneous B. humidicola grass vegetation; and (5) ST and maintenance of the remaining grass (pasture) of B. humidicola. The soil tillage systems and different groundcover vegetation influenced the C and N mineralization, both under the tree canopy and in the inter-row space. The cultivation of B. humidicola under strip tillage provided higher potential mineralization than the other treatments in the inter-row space. Strip tillage increased the C and N mineralization compared to conventional tillage. The grass cultivation increased the C and N mineralization when compared to the others treatments cultivated in the inter-row space.

Produção de biocombustível alternativo ao óleo diesel através da transesterificação de óleo de soja usado em frituras

In this work, the utilization of used frying oil for the production of biodiesel is presented. The performance of biodiesel in diesel engines, as well as the characterization of the emissions derived from this process, are also discussed and compared to the emissions derived from engines running on unused vegetable oils and conventional diesel.

A indústria petroquímica no próximo século: como substituir o petróleo como matéria-prima?

The world reserves of petroleum will finish in about 100 years. For a tropical country like Brazil, biomass will be the natural substitute for petroleum. For the best utilization of biomass, it first needs to be separated into its principal components: cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignins, vegetable and essential oils, non-structural carbohydrates, bark and foliage. All feedstocks for the chemical industry can be obtained from these biomass components, as shown in the first part of this paper. In the second part we discuss how the major products from petrochemicals can be obtained from the different biomass components. We show that Brazil can use different strategies, compared to other countries, to obtain petrochemical products, which could result in innovations. However, it is necessary that the government starts to invest immediately in order to keep the petrochemical industries competitive with foreign industries, so that they continue to be one of Brazil's major employers.

Studies on the acid activation of Brazilian smectitic clays

Fuller's earth and acid activated smectitic clays are largely used as bleaching earth for the industrial processing of vegetable, animal and mineral oils and waxes. The paper comments about the nomenclature used for these materials, the nature of the acid activation of smectitic clays (bentonites), activation laboratory procedures and presents a review of the acid activation of bentonites from 20 deposits from several regions of Brazil. The activated clays were tested and show good decolorizing power for soybean, castor, cottonseed, corn and sunflower oils.

Análise de ácidos graxos por eletroforese capilar utilizando detecção condutométrica sem contato

This article describes a novel approach to the separation of fatty acids ranging from 8 to 20 carbons using capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection. Complete separation of nine linear chain fatty acids (from C8:0 to C20:0) was achieved in 15 min under normal polarity operation. Limits of detection ranged from 35 to 319 µmol L-1 for C20:0 to C8:0, respectively. The optimized running electrolyte composition was 5.0 mmol L-1 phosphate buffer at pH 7, 4.0 mmol L-1 dimethyl-b-cyclodextrin, 2.0 mmol L-1 trimethyl-b-cyclodextrin, acetonitrile 50% (v/v), and methanol 20% (v/v). The applicability of the separation system was demonstrated by the analysis of coconut vegetable oil.

Alterações físico-químicas dos óleos de girassol, milho e soja em frituras

The aim of this study is to determine the influence of frying time on the alterations of sunflower, corn and soybean oils during deep fat frying of potato chips. The analytical methods used to evaluate the oil alterations are: free fatty acids, peroxide value, refractive index and total polar compounds. An increase of free fatty acids, refractive index and total polar compounds with frying time were observed. The different behaviors observed for the three vegetables oils can be explained by the differences in the initial composition and quality of them.