Treatment of T. cruzi infected human platelet concentrates with aminomethyltrimethyl psoralen (AMT) and ultravioleta (UV-A) light: preliminary results

The present measures adopted to prevent transfusion-associated Chagas' disease include screening of blood donors. and/or the inactivation of T. cruzi in collected blood using gentian violet (GV) as a trypanocidal agent. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of the combined use of AMT and UV-A in inactirating T. cruzi in infected human platelet cuncentrates. Human platelet concentrates were infected with T. cruzi (2x10/ml) of the Y strain transfered to PL 269 (Fenwal Laboratories) containers and treated with GV (250řg,/ml). and ascorbic acid (1 mg/ml); GV. ascorbic acid and UV-A; GV and UV-A; AMT (40/tG/ml) and ascorbic acid; AMT, ascorbic acid and UV-A; AMT and UV-A; UV-A alone; and untreated (control). All UV-A treated platelet concentrates were exposed to UV-A doses of 24, 92, 184, 276, 368 and 644 kj/m². and the microscopical research of active T. cruzi was performed, using the microhematocrit technique, 1, 6 and 24 hours after each treatment. A high number of active forms of T. cruzi was observed in all condictions, except when GV was used as the trypanocidal agent, providing evidence of the failure of AMT and UV-A in inactivating T cruzi in infected human platelet concentrates.

Salt tolerance and regulation of gas exchange and hormonal homeostasis by auxin-priming in wheat

The objective of this work was to assess the regulatory effects of auxin-priming on gas exchange and hormonal homeostasis in spring wheat subjected to saline conditions. Seeds of MH-97 (salt-intolerant) and Inqlab-91 (salt-tolerant) cultivars were subjected to 11 priming treatments (three hormones x three concentrations + two controls) and evaluated under saline (15 dS m-1) and nonsaline (2.84 dS m-1) conditions. The priming treatments consisted of: 5.71, 8.56, and 11.42 × 10-4 mol L-1 indoleacetic acid; 4.92, 7.38, and 9.84 × 10-4 mol L-1 indolebutyric acid; 4.89, 7.34, and 9.79 × 10-4 mol L-1 tryptophan; and a control with hydroprimed seeds. A negative control with nonprimed seeds was also evaluated. All priming agents diminished the effects of salinity on endogenous abscisic acid concentration in the salt-intolerant cultivar. Grain yield was positively correlated with net CO2 assimilation rate and endogenous indoleacetic acid concentration, and it was negatively correlated with abscisic acid and free polyamine concentrations. In general, the priming treatment with tryptophan at 4.89 × 10-4 mol L-1 was the most effective in minimizing yield losses and reductions in net CO2 assimilation rate, under salt stress conditions. Hormonal homeostasis increases net CO2 assimilation rate and confers tolerance to salinity on spring wheat.

Effect of SX-3228, a selective ligand for the BZ1 receptor, on sleep and waking during the light-dark cycle in the rat

The effects of the benzodiazepine1 (BZ1) receptor agonist SX-3228 were studied in rats (N = 12) implanted for chronic sleep procedures. Administration of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.5 mg/kg SX-3228, sc, to rats 1 h after the beginning of the light phase of the light-dark cycle induced a significant reduction of rapid-eye-movement sleep (REMS) during the third recording hour. Moreover, slow wave sleep (SWS) was increased during the fourth recording hour after the two largest doses of the compound. Administration of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.5 mg/kg SX-3228 one hour after the beginning of the dark period of the light-dark cycle caused a significant and maintained (6-h recording period) reduction of waking (W), whereas SWS and light sleep (LS) were increased. REMS values tended to increase during the entire recording period; however, the increase was statistically significant only for the 1.0 mg/kg dose during the first recording hour. In addition, a significant and dose-related increase of power density in the delta and the theta regions was found during nonREM sleep (LS and SWS) in the dark period. Our results indicate that SX-3228 is a potent hypnotic when given to the rat during the dark period of the light-dark cycle. Moreover, the sleep induced by SX-3228 during the dark phase closely resembles the physiological sleep of the rat.

Physical-chemical, caloric and sensory characterization of light jambolan (Syzygium cumini Lamarck) jelly

In Brazil, several little economically explored fruits have good potential as raw material for the agro-industry. This study aimed to produce and determine the physical-chemical and sensory characteristics of light jambolan jelly. This fruit has intense purple color, which gave the jellies - both standard and light - a quite attractive visual aspect. The light jellies exhibited similar physical-chemical characteristics to the ones developed through the conventional method and; with the proportion of sweeteners used, the caloric values of the formulations were reduced to the range of 41 to 53%, attending the requirements of the Brazilian legislation for this type of product. The sensory profile obtained for the 4 light formulations developed, clearly showed the tasters' preference for the jelly elaborated with the association of cyclamate and saccharin. Thus, the results revealed good perspectives for the application of this fruit in the food industry.

Effect of light intensity and growth substratum on plant development and production of secondary metabolites in Cordia curassavica (Jacq.) Roem. & Schult

Cordia curassavica (Jacq.) Roem. & Schult. (Boraginaceae), also referred to as Cordia verbenacea DC, has been traditionally used for medicinal purposes. This study was driven to verify the behavior of the species in similar conditions to its natural environment, such as high light intensity and sandbank soil, and in conditions of low light intensity and fertilized substratum (dystroferric red nitosoil plus earthworm humus). The growth of the plant, the income of leaf crude extracts and, in the alcoholic extract, the number of substances found in thin layer cromatography and the toxicity of the substratum was observed. The results indicated that the growth of the root biomass, stem and leaves in discharge or lower light intensity was similar, but smaller in sandbank soil than in fertilized soil. The relative income of extracts in ether of petroleum and alcohol was larger in high light intensity and fertilized substratum. The light intensity and the substratum type didn't affect the number of substances detected in the alcoholic extract or the toxicity of this extract. Stains corresponding to the rosmarinic acid were only evidenced in some samples of the alcoholic extract, not allowing the verification of the effect of the treatments about its production.

Metabolite and light regulation of metabolism in plants: lessons from the study of a single biochemical pathway

We are using molecular, biochemical, and genetic approaches to study the structural and regulatory genes controlling the assimilation of inorganic nitrogen into the amino acids glutamine, glutamate, aspartate and asparagine. These amino acids serve as the principal nitrogen-transport amino acids in most crop and higher plants including Arabidopsis thaliana. We have begun to investigate the regulatory mechanisms controlling nitrogen assimilation into these amino acids in plants using molecular and genetic approaches in Arabidopsis. The synthesis of the amide amino acids glutamine and asparagine is subject to tight regulation in response to environmental factors such as light and to metabolic factors such as sucrose and amino acids. For instance, light induces the expression of glutamine synthetase (GLN2) and represses expression of asparagine synthetase (ASN1) genes. This reciprocal regulation of GLN2 and ASN1 genes by light is reflected at the level of transcription and at the level of glutamine and asparagine biosynthesis. Moreover, we have shown that the regulation of these genes is also reciprocally controlled by both organic nitrogen and carbon metabolites. We have recently used a reverse genetic approach to study putative components of such metabolic sensing mechanisms in plants that may be conserved in evolution. These components include an Arabidopsis homolog for a glutamate receptor gene originally found in animal systems and a plant PII gene, which is a homolog of a component of the bacterial Ntr system. Based on our observations on the biology of both structural and regulatory genes of the nitrogen assimilatory pathway, we have developed a model for metabolic control of the genes involved in the nitrogen assimilatory pathway in plants.

Changes in guava (Psidium guajava L. var. Paluma) nectar volatile compounds concentration due to thermal processing and storage

Guava nectars were formulated for approximately 10, 12, or 14 ºBrix, with 40% guava pulp. Sodium benzoate, 500 mg.kg-1 was used as preservative. The Brix value was adjusted with saturated sucrose syrup. The guava nectar was pasteurized (85 ºC/42 seconds) in tubular heat exchanger and then hot filled in 500 mL white glass bottles. The products were stored either at room temperature (25 ± 5 ºC) or refrigerated (5 ± 2 ºC) under fluorescent light exposure and analyzed on the day after processing (time zero) and also 40, 80, and 120 days of storage. Eight compounds were identified and quantified by Gas Chromatography (GC) -Mass Spectrometry (MS): hexanal, (E)-hex-2-enal, 1-hexenol, (Z)-hex-3-enol, (Z)-hex-3-enyl acetate, phenyl-3-propyl acetate, cinnamyl acetate, and acetic acid. There was no significant effect of thermal treatment on the volatile compound concentrations, except for a significant decrease (p = 0.0001) in hexanal and (Z)-hex-3-enyl acetate (p = 0.0029). As for the storage time, there was a much greater decrease in the esters contents, such as (Z)-hex-3-enyl and phenyl-3-propyl acetates. Cinnamyl acetate had the greatest decrease over storage time. Refrigeration was better than room temperature for guava nectar volatile compounds stability over storage time, mainly for esters compounds, which are important for the product aroma and flavor

Characterization and classification of pequi trees (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) based on the profile of volatile constituents using headspace solid-phase microextraction - gas chromatography - mass spectrometry and multivariate analysis

In order to determine the variability of pequi tree (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) populations, volatile compounds from fruits of eighteen trees representing five populations were extracted by headspace solid-phase microextraction and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Seventy-seven compounds were identified, including esters, hydrocarbons, terpenoids, ketones, lactones, and alcohols. Several compounds had not been previously reported in the pequi fruit. The amount of total volatile compounds and the individual compound contents varied between plants. The volatile profile enabled the differentiation of all of the eighteen plants, indicating that there is a characteristic profile in terms of their origin. The use of Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis enabled the establishment of markers (dendrolasin, ethyl octanoate, ethyl 2-octenoate and β-cis-ocimene) that discriminated among the pequi trees. According to the Cluster Analysis, the plants were classified into three main clusters, and four other plants showed a tendency to isolation. The results from multivariate analysis did not always group plants from the same population together, indicating that there is greater variability within the populations than between pequi tree populations.