Clastogenicity of landfarming soil treated with sugar cane vinasse

The addition of nutrients and/or soil bulking agents is used in bioremediation to increase microbial activity in contaminated soils. For this purpose, some studies have assessed the effectiveness of vinasse in the bioremediation of soils contaminated with petroleum waste. The present study was aimed at investigating the clastogenic/aneugenic potential of landfarming soil from a petroleum refinery before and after addition of sugar cane vinasse using the Allium cepa bioassay. Our results show that the addition of sugar cane vinasse to landfarming soil potentiates the clastogenic effects of the latter probably due the release of metals that were previously adsorbed into the organic matter. These metals may have interacted synergistically with petroleum hydrocarbons present in the landfarming soil treated with sugar cane vinasse. We recommend further tests to monitor the effects of sugar cane vinasse on soils contaminated with organic wastes. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

A influência do uso e ocupação do solo na qualidade e genotoxicidade da água no reservatório de itupararanga, São Paulo, Brasil

The Brazilian reservoirs have been under great anthropogenic pressure due to continued population growth, which in turn places great pressures on the environment. Given this issue, this study aimed to analyze the influence of land use on the quality and genotoxicity of water in the Itupararanga reservoir, São Paulo, Brazil. Water and sediment samples were analyzed for their quality, genotoxicity and benthic diversity, as well as their interrelationship with the landscape. The reservoir was found to be eutrophic in most sampling stations, and genetic al terations were found in radicular cells of exposed Allium cepa in some sampling stations, besides a low diversity of benthic organisms. Among the variables that most contributed to the genetic alterations and water quality are the presence of riparian vegetation, the bare soil and urban occupation. With the results obtained in this study it was concluded that the quality of water and sediment at the Itupararanga reservoir is compromised, requiring emergency managements to ensure the sustainability of water resources.

Could contaminant induced mutations lead to a genetic diversity overestimation?

Contaminant driven genetic erosion reported through the inspection of selectable traits can be underestimated using neutral markers. This divergence was previously reported in the aquatic system of an abandoned pyrite mine. The most sensitive genotypes of the microcrustacean cladoceran Daphnia longispina were found to be lacking in the impacted reservoir near the entrance of the metal rich acid mine drainage (AMD). Since that divergence could be, at least partially, accounted for by mutagenicity and genotoxicity of the AMD, the present study aimed at providing such a characterization. The Allium cepa chromosomal aberration assay, using root meristematic cells, was carried out, by exposing seeds to 100, 10, 1, and 0.1 % of the local AMD. Chromosomal aberrations, cell division phases and cell death were quantified after the AMD exposure and after 24 and 48 h recovery periods. The AMD revealed to be mutagenic and genotoxic, even after diluting it to 1 and 0.1 %. Dilutions within this range were previously found to be below the lethality threshold and to elicit sublethal effects on reproduction of locally collected D. longispina clonal lineages Significant mutagenic effects (micronuclei and chromosomal breaks) were also found at 0.1 % AMD, supporting that exposure may induce permanent genetic alterations. Recovery tests showed that AMD genotoxic effects persisted after the exposure. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Cryoprotective effect of different glycerol concentrations on domestic cat spermatozoa

Cryopreservation of spermatozoa is a pivotal tool in assisted reproduction, and studies aiming to establish optimal freezing/thawing protocols are essential to enhance sperm survival. The objectives of the present study were to (1) compare the cryoprotective efficiency of three different glycerol concentrations (3%, 5%, and 7%) on the basis of post-thaw sperm quality and (2) investigate whether the incidence of morphologically abnormal sperm in fresh samples is related to cryodamage sensitivity. Semen was collected from six tomcats using an artificial vagina (total 18 ejaculates). Each ejaculate was diluted using Tris-egg yolk-based extender (TEY), evaluated, equally divided into three aliquots, and rediluted using TEY with and without glycerol to achieve final concentrations of 3%, 5%, and 7%. Samples were loaded into 0.25 mL straws, equilibrated for 60 minutes at 5 °C, frozen, and then thawed at 46 °C for 12 seconds. Fresh and frozen-thawed samples were evaluated for sperm motion parameters (computer-assisted sperm analysis), plasma membrane integrity (PMI; propidium iodide and carboxyfluorescein diacetate), and DNA integrity (acridine orange). Plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity were assessed by flow cytometry (propidium iodide and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated pea (Pisum sativum) agglutinin) immediately after thawing. Sperm motion parameters were also evaluated at 30 and 60 minutes of postincubation. For all treatment groups, cryopreservation significantly impaired the PMI and sperm motion parameters, except for straightness and amplitude of lateral head displacement. DNA integrity showed a slight reduction (P < 0.05) when 3% glycerol was used. The percentage of total motility, progressive motility, and rapid spermatozoa were significantly lower immediately after thawing and up to 60 minutes of incubation for the 3% glycerol group when compared with 5% and 7%. No difference (P > 0.05) was found for PMI, acrosome integrity, and DNA integrity among post-thaw groups. However, higher (P < 0.05) incidence of viable cells with reacted acrosome and dead cells with intact acrosome were observed with 7% and 3% glycerol, respectively. Percentage of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa in fresh sample was positively correlated with PMI only in the 3% glycerol group and negatively correlated with sperm motility in the 5% and 7% groups. In conclusion, the final concentration of 5% glycerol offered better cryoprotective effect for ejaculated cat sperm, and the relationship found between prefreezing sperm morphology and post-thaw sperm quality showed to be dependent on final glycerol concentration. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Desempenho de cultivares transgênicas de soja em sucessão a culturas de inverno em semeadura direta

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Avaliação do potencial genotóxico e mutagênico de águas e sedimentos do rio Guaecá, São Sebastião - SP, após impacto de oleoduto da região

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Celular e Molecular) - IBRC

Avaliação da genotoxicidade e mutagenicidade das águas dos rios Jaguari, Atibaia e Piracicaba, na região de influência da refinaria de Paulínia - SP

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

Avaliação do potencial genotóxico e mutagênico de amostras de águas de recursos hídricos que recebem efluentes urbanos e industriais do pólo ceramista da cidade de Santa Gertrudes - SP

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Celular e Molecular) - IBRC

Avaliação dos potenciais citotóxico, genotóxico e mutagênico das águas do Ribeirão Tatu, região de Limeira/SP, após o recebimento de efluentes urbanos

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Celular e Molecular) - IBRC

Produtividade e qualidade da cebola em função de doses de enxofre

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Ciência do Solo) - FCAV

Atividade antibacteriana de óleos essenciais de especiarias em alimentos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Herança da resistência a oídio em ervilha e aspectos relacionados à patogênese

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Potencial antioxidante, mineral, inibitório de enzimas α-amilase e lipoxigenase e composição centesimal de espécies da família Apiaceae

Eryngium foetidum L., Eryngium cf. campestre and Coriandrum sativum L. are Apiaceae family vegetable appreciated due to its peculiar flavor and consumed mainly in the north and northeast of Brazil. The vegetables are rich in protein, vitamins, fiber, minerals, total phenolics and other essential bioactives for a balanced health. Nevertheless, many vegetables are falling into disuse by the population, instead of processed foods. The rescue consumption of these species is very important, aiming at their nutritional, therapeutic and antioxidant benefits. In this study, was quantified the levels of total phenolic, flavonoids and dihidroflavonoides by molecular absorption spectrophotometry in the ultraviolet. The total antioxidant capacity was also evaluated using five methodologies of in vitro assays: test Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), scavenging of DPPH and ABTS radical, Power Reducing and Power Chelating. It was also evaluated the power inhibitor of α-amylase and lipoxygenase extracts. All species showed significant levels of total phenolics, flavonoids and dihidroflavonoides in its composition. All treatments showed antioxidant activity of 50% except the sheets of E. cf. campestre, C. sativum and bracts of E. foetidum in DPPH and bracts of E. foetidum in ABTS. All treatments also exhibited 50% inhibition activity of the enzyme lipoxygenase.In α-amylase only the leaves of E. cf. campestre and C. sativum showed IC50. It was evaluate the phytochemical composition, aiming to meet the nutritional potential of Apiaceae family vegetables, called unconventional: Eryngium foetidum L., Eryngium cf. campestre; and conventional: Coriandrum sativum L. At the centesimal composition analysis Coriandrum sativum L. presented the highest levels of protein. The leaves of Eryngium foetidum L. exhibited higher values than other species in dietary fiber, while Eryngium cf. campestre detach with superior results in lipids. About the analyzed minerals, the leaves of Eryngium cf. campestre expressed results superior to the other in N, Ca, Mg, S and Cu. The amount of iron highlighted in sheets of E. foetidum, whereas P, K, Mn, Zn and B were most significant on leaves of C. sativum. It was concluded that the levels of total phenolic compounds found in these vegetables, characterize them for its high potential in the antioxidant and inhibition of lipoxygenase and α-amylase enzymes. Their protein and mineral levels classify them as species that can be used as a nutritional source in the preparation of other foods and may their regular consumption bring benefit to human health.

Efeitos do processo de seleção do sexo por centrifugação em gradiente de densidade na qualidade de espermatozódes bovinos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comparação de dois diluidores para o armazenamento de sêmen bovino utilizado na fecundação in vitro

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)