Aditivos químicos e biológicos na ensilagem de cana-de-açúcar: 1. composição química das silagens, ingestão, digestibilidade e comportamento ingestivo

Avaliou-se o efeito da inclusão de aditivos na ensilagem de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum officinarum L.) sobre a composição químico-bromatológica das silagens, o comportamento ingestivo, o consumo voluntário e a digestibilidade em bovinos de corte. Utilizaram-se cinco novilhos da raça Nelore providos de cânula ruminal, alocados em delineamento quadrado latino 5 ´ 5 e alimentados com dietas com 65% de volumoso na MS. Foram avaliadas cinco silagens (base úmida): controle - cana-de-açúcar sem aditivos; uréia - cana-de-açúcar + 0,5% uréia; benzoato - cana-de-açúcar + 0,1% de benzoato de sódio; LP - cana-de-açúcar inoculada com Lactobacillus plantarum (1 ´ 10(6) ufc/g MV); LB - cana-de-açúcar inoculada com L. buchneri (3,6 ´ 10(5) ufc/g forragem). A forragem foi armazenada em silos do tipo poço por 90 dias antes do fornecimento aos animais. A composição químico-bromatológica da cana-de-açúcar foi alterada após a ensilagem, em relação à cana-de-açúcar original, com redução no teor de carboidratos solúveis e na digestibilidade in vitro e elevação relativa nos teores de FDN e FDA. Os teores de etanol (0,30% da MS) e ácidos orgânicos (0,99% de ácido lático e 2,31% de acético) foram baixos e semelhantes entre as silagens. Os aditivos aplicados na ensilagem não promoveram alterações no consumo e na digestibilidade aparente da MS (7,2 kg/dia e 63,6%, respectivamente). O comportamento ingestivo dos animais também não foi alterado, com tempos médios de 230,6; 519,6 e 672,8 minutos/dia despendidos com ingestão de ração, ruminação e ócio, respectivamente. Os aditivos acrescidos à cana-de-açúcar promoveram pequenas alterações na maioria das variáveis avaliadas.

Desenvolvimento e caracterização de nanocápsulas de poli (L-lactídeo) contendo benzocaína

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

Micropartículas de poli (ácido lático-co-ácido glicólico) obtidas por spray drying para a liberação prolongada de metotrexato

Methotrexate (MTX) is a drug used in the chemotherapy of some kind of cancers, autoimmune diseases and non inflammatory resistant to corticosteroids uveits. However, the rapid plasmatic elimination limits its therapeutic success, which leads to administration of high doses to maintain the therapeutic levels in the target tissues, occurring potential side effects. The aim of this study was to obtain spray dried biodegradable poly-lactic acid co-glycolic acid (PLGA) microparticles containing MTX. Thus, suitable amounts of MTX and PLGA were dissolved in appropriate solvent system to obtain solutions at different ratios drug/polymer (10, 20, 30 and 50% m/m). The physicochemical characterizing included the quantitative analysis of the drug using a validate UV-VIS spectrophotometry method, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectrophotometry (IR), thermal analyses and X-ray diffraction analysis. The in vitro release studies were carried out in a thermostatized phosphate buffer pH 7.4 (0.05 M KH2PO4) medium at 37°C ± 0.2 °C. The in vitro release date was subjected to different kinetics release models. The MTX-loaded PLGA microparticles showed a spherical shape with smooth surface and high level of entrapped drug. The encapsulation efficiency was greater then 80%. IR spectroscopy showed that there was no chemical bond between the compounds, suggesting just the possible occurrence of hydrogen bound interactions. The thermal analyses and X-ray diffraction analysis shown that MTX is homogeneously dispersed inside polymeric matrix, with a prevalent amorphous state or in a stable molecular dispersion. The in vitro release studies confirmed the sustained release for distinct MTX-loaded PLGA microparticles. The involved drug release mechanism was non Fickian diffusion, which was confirmed by Kornmeyer-Peppas kinetic model. The experimental results demonstrated that the MTX-loaded PLGA microparticles were successfully obtained by spray drying and its potential as prolonged drug release system.

Micropartículas de poli (ácido láctico)/ poloxámero obtids por spray drying para liberação modificada de metotrexatro

New drug delivery systems have been used to increase chemotherapy efficacy due the possible drug resistance of cancer cells. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) microparticles are able to reduce toxicity and prolong methotrexate (MTX) release. In addition, the use of PLA/poloxamer polymer blends can improve drug release due to changes in the interaction of particles with biological surfaces. The aim of this study was developing spray dried biodegradable MTX-loaded microparticles and evaluate PLA interactions with different kinds of Pluronic® (PLUF127 and PLUF68) in order to modulate drug release. The variables included different drug:polymer (1:10, 1:4.5, 1:3) and polymer:copolymer ratios (25:75, 50:50, 75:25). The precision and accuracy of spray drying method was confirmed assessing drug loading into particles (75.0- 101.3%). The MTX/PLA microparticles showed spherical shape with an apparently smooth surface, which was dependent on the PLU ratio used into blends particles. XRD and thermal analysis demonstrated that the drug was homogeneously dispersed into polymer matrix, whereas the miscibility among components was dependent on the used polymer:copolymer ratio. No new drug- polymer bond was identified by FTIR analysis. The in vitro performance of MTX-loaded PLA microparticles demonstrated an extended-release profile fitted using Korsmeyer- Peppas kinetic model. The PLU accelerated drug release rate possible due PLU leached in the matrix. Nevertheless, drug release studies carried out in cell culture demonstrated the ability of PLU modulating drug release from blend microparticles. This effect was confirmed by cytotoxicity observed according to the amount of drug released as a function of time. Thus, studied PLU was able to improve the performance of spray dried MTX-loaded PLA microparticles, which can be successfully used as carries for modulated drug delivery with potential in vivo application

Aminophylline affects glycemia control and increases anaerobic glycolysis in horses during incremental exercise

A study was conducted on the effects of acute administration of aminophylline on physiological variables in purebred Arabian horses submitted to incremental exercise test. Twelve horses were submitted to two physical tests separated by a 10-day interval in a crossover study. These horses were divided into two groups: control (C, n = 12) and aminophylline (AM, n = 12). The drug at 10 mg/kg body weight or saline was given intravenously, 30 minutes before the incremental exercise test. The treadmill exercise test consisted of an initial warmup followed by gradually increasing physical exigency. Blood samples were assayed for lactic acid, glucose, and insulin. Maximal lactic acidemia was greater (P = .0238) in the AM group. Both V-2 and V-4 (velocities at which lactate concentrations were 2 and 4 mmol/ L, respectively) were reduced in the AM group by 15.85% (P = .0402) and 17.76% (P = .0 109), respectively. At rest as well as at 4 minutes, insulinemia was greater in the AM group (P = .0417 and .0393), Glycemia group at times 8 was statistically lower in the Al (P = .0138) and 10 minutes (P = .0432). Use of ammophylline in horses during incremental exercise does not seem to be beneficial, because this drug has a tendency to cause hypoglycemia and to increase dependence on anaerobic glucose metabolism.

Digestibility and metabolizable energy of maize gluten feed for dogs as measured by two different techniques

Maize gluten feed (MGF) is a co-product of wet milling of maize, and is composed of structures that remain after most starch, gluten and germ has been extracted from the grain. Although currently used in dog foods, its digestibility and energy values have not been documented. Two techniques were used to determine nutrient digestibility of MGF for dog foods. Both techniques used extruded diets fed to Beagle dogs, with six replicates per diet. The first study used a difference method in which 300 g/kg of a reference diet was replaced by MGF. Based on the difference method, the coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of MGF was 0.53 for dry matter (DM), 0.69 for crude protein (CP), 0.74 for fat, 0.99 for starch, and 0.55 for gross energy (GE). The calculated metabolizable energy (ME) of MGF was 7.99 MJ/kg (as-fed). The second study used a regression method and included a basal diet and a basal diet with 70, 140 and 210 g MGF/kg of diet (as a substitute for maize starch). Maize gluten feed inclusion resulted in a linear reduction of CTTAD of DM (R(2)=0.99; P<0.001), CP (R(2)=0.95; P=0.002), fat (R(2)=0.87; P=0.009). starch (R(2)=0.81; P<0.001), and GE (R(2)=0.99; P<0.001). Faecal production increased linearly from 56 g to 107 g/dog/d (R(2)=0.99; P<0.001), with a linear reduction of faecal DM (R(2)=0.99: P<0.001) and a linear increase in faecal lactic acid concentration (P<0.02). Both urine (R(2)=0.77; P=0.029) and faeces (R(2)=0.92: P=0.019) showed a linear reduction in pH. Results of ingredient MAD obtained by the regression and difference methods were close (6% or less of variation) for CP, fat, and starch, and also for ME content (1.4% higher for the difference method), but the two methods disagreed on calculated CTTAD of DM and organic matter. The high dietary fiber content of MGF (382 g/kg) may explain the low digestibility of this ingredient. Maize gluten feed could be a useful ingredient for formulations designed to have low energy or reduce the urine pH of dogs. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inibição do crescimento de Escherichia coli isolada de Queijo Minas Frescal por Lactobacillus acidophilus

Escherichia coli faz parte da microbiota anaeróbica facultativa normal, sendo também considerada um dos maiores patógenos entéricos predominantes no cólon dos animais e homem. Neste trabalho, realizaram-se ensaios in vitro para avaliar o grau de atividade antagonista de cinco cepas de Lactobacillus acidophilus, com capacidade probiótica sobre Escherichia coli BIA 26 (STEC) isolada de queijo Minas Frescal. Para tanto, foi utilizado o teste de inibição através do método de dupla camada em triplicata para avaliar zonas de inibição de crescimento. Todas as cepas de Lactobacillus mostraram-se capazes de inibir a E. coli, com zonas de inibição variando de 12 a 15mm de diâmetro, sendo que a maioria apresentou 14mm de diâmetro, consideradas como fortes halos de inibição.

Fermentation and aerobic stability of high-moisture corn silages inoculated with different levels of Lactobacillus buchneri

Fermentation and aerobic stability were evaluated in high-moisture corn (HMC) silage inoculated with different levels of Lactobacillus buchneri. The HMC composed of 654 g/kg dry matter (DM) was ensiled in quadruplicate laboratory silos (7 L) per treatment. L. buchneri 40788 was applied at 5 × 10(4); 1 × 10(5); 5 × 10(5); and 1 × 10(6) cfu/g to the ground corn. Silages with no additive were used as controls. After 140 d of ensiling, the silages were subjected to an aerobic stability evaluation for 12 days in which the chemical parameters, microbiological parameters and silage temperature were measured to determine the aerobic deterioration. The lactic acid, acetic acid and propionic acid concentrations did not differ between silages. The fermentation parameters of HMC were not affected by L. buchneri. The HMC containing L. buchneri had a low number of yeast and mould colonies and a more stable pH until in the eighth measurement, which improved the aerobic stability without affecting gas loss. Doses of L. buchneri greater than or equal to 5 × 10(5) cfu/g applied to the HMC were the most efficient in control of aerobic deterioration.

Modificação superficial do tecido de malha de ácido polilatico (PLA) por tratamento plasma

Some fibrous materials, for having properties such as biocompatibility, strength and flexibility, are of great interest for medical and pharmaceutical applications. Among these materials, the fabric made from polylactic acid (PLA) has received special attention, and beside to present these features, is derived from biological source, antimicrobial and bioabsorbable. One of the limitations of PLA is its low wettability and capillarity. Due to this, it is necessary to perform surface modification of the knitted fabric, increasing its hydrophilicity. This work aims to realize the plasma treatment at low pressure in order to increase the surface energy of the polymer. The work was divided into three steps: i) Influence of the gas ratio (oxygen and nitrogen) in the surface modification of PLA fabric after the plasma treatment, ii) physical characterization and physicochemical surface tissue; iii) Evaluation of the effect from current and gas ratio in the capillary rise of tissues and iv) Study of capillarity in yarns and fabrics. The results showed that better gas ratios were the atmospheres: 100% oxygen; 100% nitrogen and 50% oxygen and 50% nitrogen. The surface characterization showed changes in topography and introduction of polar groups which increased the wettability of the fabric. In another part of this study, it was found that the atmosphere containing only nitrogen gas showed the most capillary rise to a current of 0.15 A. The results in capillary yarns and fabrics showed that the thread reached equilibrium in a time much less than the fabric to an atmosphere of 100% nitrogen and 0.15 A. Current Plasma technology was effective to increase the hydrophilicity of PLA fabric, providing surface characteristics favorable for future application in the biomedical field

Nanocompósitos eletroativos de poli-o-metoxianilina e polissacarídeos naturais

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

Are light traps baited with kairomones effective in the capture of Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lutzomyia intermedia? An evaluation of synthetic human odor as an attractant for phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Optimization of acid hydrolysis from the hemicellulosic fraction of Eucalyptus grandis residue using response surface methodology

Biotechnological conversion of biomass into fuels and chemicals requires hydrolysis of the polysaccharide fraction into monomeric sugars. Hydrolysis can be performed enzymatically and with dilute or concentrate mineral acids. The present study used dilute sulfuric acid as a catalyst for hydrolysis of Eucalyptus grandis residue. The purpose of this paper was to optimize the hydrolysis process in a 1.41 pilot-scale reactor and investigate the effects of the acid concentration, temperature and residue/acid solution ratio on the hemicellulose removal and consequently on the production of sugars (xylose, glucose and arabinose) as well as on the formation of by-products (furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and acetic acid). This study was based on a model composition corresponding to a 2 3 orthogonal factorial design and employed the response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the hydrolysis conditions, aiming to attain maximum xylose extraction from hemicellulose of residue. The considered optimum conditions were: H2SO4 concentration of 0.65%, temperature of 157 degrees C and residue/acid solution ratio of 1/8.6 with a reaction time of 20 min. Under these conditions, 79.6% of the total xylose was removed and the hydrolysate contained 1.65 g/l glucose, 13.65 g/l xylose, 1.55 g/l arabinose, 3.10 g/l acetic acid, 1.23 g/l furfural and 0.20 g/l 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Obtenção de polímeros graftizados de quitosana e estudo das propriedades físico-químicas para aplicação na indústria do petróleo

Chitosan is a biopolymer derived from the shells of crustaceans, biodegradable, inexpensive and renewable with important physical and chemical properties. Moreover, the different modifications possible in its chemical structure generate new properties, making it an attractive polysaccharide owing to its range of potential applications. Polymers have been used in oil production operations. However, growing concern over environmental constraints has prompted oil industry to search for environmentally sustainable materials. As such, this study sought to obtain chitosan derivatives grafted with hydrophilic (poly(ethylene glycol), mPEG) and/or hydrophobic groups (n-dodecyl) via a simple (one-pot) method and evaluate their physicochemical properties as a function of varying pH using rheology, small-angle Xray scattering (SAXS), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential. The chitosan derivatives were prepared using reductive alkylation under mild reaction conditions and the chemical structure of the polymers was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and CHN elemental analysis. Considering a constant mPEG/Chitosan molar ratio on modification of chitosan, the solubility of the polymer across a wide pH range (acidic, neutral and basic) could only be improved when some of the amino groups were submitted to reacetylation using the one-pot method. Under these conditions, solubility is maintained even with the simultaneous insertion of n-dodecyl. On the other hand, the solubility of derivatives obtained only through mPEG incorporation using the traditional methodology, or with the ndodecyl group, was similar to that of its precursor. The hydrophilic group promoted decreased viscosity of the polymer solutions at 10 g/L in acid medium. However, at basic pH, both viscosity and thermal stability increased, as well as exhibited a pronounced pseudoplastic behavior, suggesting strong intermolecular associations in the alkaline medium. The SAXS results showed a polyelectrolyte behavior with the decrease in pH for the polymer systems. DLS analyses revealed that although the dilute polymer solutions at 1 g/L and pH 3 exhibited a high density of protonated amino groups along the polymer chain, the high degree of charge contributed significantly to aggregation, promoting increased particle size with the decrease in pH. Furthermore, the hydrophobic group also contributed to increasing the size of aggregates in solution at pH 3, whereas the hydrophilic group helped reduce their size across the entire pH range. Nevertheless, the nature of aggregation was dependent on the pH of the medium. Zeta potential results indicated that its values do not depend solely on the surface charge of the particle, but are also dependent on the net charge of the medium. In this study, water soluble associative polymers exhibit properties that can be of great interest in the petroleum industry

Probiotic Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 inhibit chemically induced colon cancer in male Wistar rats

Several animal studies have shown that supplementation with specific strains of lactic acid bacteria could prevent the establishment, growth, and metastasis of transplantable and chemically induced tumors. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 on the incidence of colorectal tumors induced experimentally by dimethylhydrazine (DMH). We used thirty 4-week old male Wistar rat. The animals belonging to the DMH groups were injected s.c 20 mg/kg body weight of 1,2 dimethylhydrazine and 1 mM EDTA (pH 6.5), in a weekly dose, for 14 weeks. Three groups were used: (1) Control (not initiated); (2) Initiated with DMH; (3) Initiated with DMH + intake of E. faecium CRL 183. At the end of the 42nd week, all the animals were euthanized; the colons were removed and analyzed histologically. All the groups were compared histologically and IL-4, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha cytokines. The control group did not develop pre-neoplastic lesions. The E. faecium CRL 183-DMH group showed a 50% inhibition in incidence in average number of tumors (P < 0.001), reduced the formation of ACF (P < 0.001), the lowest number of adenocarcinoma being found in this group (P < 0.001) and enhanced the immune response by increasing IL-4, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha (P < 0.001) when compared with the DMH group.

Effects of adding polyclonal antibody preparations on ruminal fermentation patterns and digestibility of cows fed different energy sources

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