Concomitant stress potentiates the preference for, and consumption of, ethanol induced by chronic pre-exposure to ethanol

Ethanol abuse is linked to several acute and chronic injuries that can lead to health problems. Ethanol addiction is one of the most severe diseases linked to the abuse of this drug. Symptoms of ethanol addiction include compulsive substance intake and withdrawal syndrome. Stress exposure has an important role in addictive behavior for many drugs of abuse (including ethanol), but the consequences of stress and ethanol in the organism when these factors are concomitant results in a complex interaction. We investigated the effects of concomitant, chronic administration of ethanol and stress exposure on the withdrawal and consumption of, as well as the preference for, ethanol in mice. Male Swiss mice (30–35 g, 8-10 per group) were exposed to an ethanol liquid diet as the only source of food for 15 days. In the final 5 days, they were exposed to forced swimming stress. Twelve hours after removal of the ethanol liquid diet, animals were evaluated for ethanol withdrawal by measuring anxiety-related behaviors and locomotor activity. Twenty-four hours after evaluation of ethanol withdrawal, they were evaluated for voluntary consumption of ethanol in a “three-bottle choice” paradigm. Mice exposed to chronic consumption of ethanol had decreased locomotor activity during withdrawal. Contrary to our expectations, a concomitant forced swimming stress did not aggravate ethanol withdrawal. Nevertheless, simultaneous ethanol administration and stress exposure increased voluntary consumption of ethanol, mainly solutions containing high concentrations of ethanol. These results showed that stressful situations during ethanol intake may aggravate specific addiction-related behaviors.

Exercise improved lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity in rats fed a high-fat diet by regulating glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and musclin expression

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise training on triglyceride deposition and the expression of musclin and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in a rat model of insulin resistance. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks old, weight 160±10 g) were fed a high-fat diet (40% calories from fat) and randomly divided into high-fat control group and swimming intervention group. Rats fed with standard food served as normal control. We found that 8-week swimming intervention significantly decreased body weight (from 516.23±46.27 to 455.43±32.55 g) and visceral fat content (from 39.36±2.50 to 33.02±2.24 g) but increased insulin sensitivity index of the rats fed with a high-fat diet. Moreover, swimming intervention improved serum levels of TG (from 1.40±0.83 to 0.58±0.26 mmol/L) and free fatty acids (from 837.80±164.25 to 556.38±144.77 μEq/L) as well as muscle triglycerides deposition (from 0.55±0.06 to 0.45±0.02 mmol/g) in rats fed a high-fat diet. Compared with rats fed a standard food, musclin expression was significantly elevated, while GLUT4 expression was decreased in the muscles of rats fed a high-fat diet. In sharp contrast, swimming intervention significantly reduced the expression of musclin and increased the expression of GLUT4 in the muscles of rats fed a high-fat diet. In conclusion, increased musclin expression may be associated with insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, and exercise training improves lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity probably by upregulating GLUT4 and downregulating musclin.

COMPARISON OF GINGER (Zingiber officiale Roscoe) OLEORESIN OBTAINED WITH ETHANOL AND ISOPROPANOL WITH THAT OBTAINED WITH PRESSURIZED CO2

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) belongs to the Zingiberacea family. It is a spice of great commercial importance. In this work ginger oleoresin was obtained with ethanol, isopropanol and liquid carbon dioxide. The chemical compositions of the extract were compared with each other. All oleoresin samples had monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Carboxylic acids were found in organic solvent extracts for an extraction time of 2 hours. The component responsible the for pungent characteristic of the oleoresin, gingerois, were detected in samples obtained with organic solvent for extraction times of 6 hours and in samples obtained with CO2 liquid for extraction times of 2 hours.

Antioxidant activity of rosemary and oregano ethanol extracts in soybean oil under thermal oxidation

Four experiments were conducted to measure the antioxidant activity of ethanol extracts of rosemary and oregano compared with synthetic antioxidants such as TBHQ and BHA/BHT. The antioxidant activity was determined and results differed from those of the Oven test at 63º C. Peroxide values and absorptivities at 232 nm of soybean oil under Oven test were lower in treatments with 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200 mg.Kg-1 TBHQ than in treatments with 1000 mg.Kg-1 oregano extract (O), 500 mg.Kg-1 rosemary extract (R) and their mixture R+O. All the treatments were effective in controlling the thermal oxidation of oils; the natural extracts were as effective as BHA+BHT and less effective than TBHQ. The natural extracts were mixed with 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg.Kg-1 TBHQ and then added to the oil. No improvement in antioxidative properties was observed. The best antioxidant concentration could be determined from polynomial regression and quadratic equation from the experimental data.

Determination of acrolein, ethanol, volatile acidity, and copper in different samples of sugarcane spirits

Seventy-one samples of sugarcane spirits from small and average size stills produced in the northern and southern Minas Gerais (Brazil) were analyzed for acrolein using HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). Ethanol and copper concentrations and volatile acidity were also determined according to methods established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA). A total of 9.85% of the samples tested showed levels of acrolein above the legal limits, while the copper concentrations of 21.00% of the samples and the volatile acidity of 8.85% of the samples were higher than the limits established by the Brazilian legislation. The concentration of acrolein varied from 0 to 21.97 mg.100 mL-1 of ethanol. However, no significant difference at 5% of significance was observed between the samples produced in the northern and southern Minas Gerais. The method used for determination of acrolein in sugarcane spirits involved the formation of a derivative with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNPH) and subsequent analysis by HPLC.

Evaluation of biological activities of Physalis peruviana ethanol extracts and expression of Bcl-2 genes in HeLa cells

Physalis species are used in folk medicine for phytotherapeutic properties. The extracts of medicinal plants are known to possess cytotoxic and chemopreventative compounds. In this study we investigated antibacterial, antioxidant, DNA damage preventative properties of Physalis peruviana (golden berry) on leaf and shoot ethanol extracts and their effects on cytotoxicity of HeLa cells and expression of apoptotic pathway genes. Among the tested bacteria for antibacterial activity, maximum inhibition zone was determined in Lactococcus lactis. The phenolic content was found higher in leaf extracts than shoot extracts. The antioxidant activity showed the highest TEAC values of the leaf (2 mg/mL) and the shoot (0.5 mg/mL) extracts as 0.291±0.04 and 0.192±0.015, respectively. In DNA damage prevention assay both leaf and shoot extracts, especially 30 and 20 µg/mL concentrations, exhibited significant protection against DNA damage-induced by hydroxyl radical generated by Fenton reaction. Our results suggest that leaf and shoot extracts possess cytotoxic effect on HeLa cells when applied as 100 µg/mL concentration. Also mRNA expression analysis showed the alteration of antiapoptotic genes, so the results suggest that P. peruviana ethanol extracts induce apoptotic cell death and should be investigated for identification of active compounds and their mechanisms of action.

Modeling and kinetic study of bio-ethanol production from soy protein concentrate by-product

Abstract The aim of this work was to evaluate a non-agitated process of bioethanol production from soybean molasses and the kinetic parameters of fermentation using a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC® 2345). Kinetic experiment was conducted in medium with 30% (w v-1) of soluble solids without supplementation or pH adjustment. The maximum ethanol concentration was in 44 hours, the ethanol productivity was 0.946 g L-1 h-1, the yield over total initial sugars (Y1) was 47.87%, over consumed sugars (Y2) was 88.08% and specific cells production rate was 0.006 h-1. The mathematical polynomial was adjusted to the experimental data and provided very similar parameters of yield and productivity. Based in this study, for one ton of soybean molasses can be produced 103 kg of anhydrous bioethanol.