Anti-Candida targets and cytotoxicity of casuarinin isolated from Plinia cauliflora leaves in a bioactivity-guided study

In addition to the bio-guided investigation of the antifungal activity of Plinia cauliflora leaves against different Candida species, the major aim of the present study was the search for targets on the fungal cell. The most active antifungal fraction was purified by chromatography and characterized by NMR and mass spectrometry. The antifungal activity was evaluated against five Candida strains according to referenced guidelines. Cytotoxicity against fibroblast cells was determined. The likely targets of Candida albicans cells were assessed through interactions with ergosterol and cell wall composition, porosity and architecture. The chemical major component within the most active antifungal fraction of P. cauliflora leaves identified was the hydrolysable tannin casuarinin. The cytotoxic concentration was higher than the antifungal one. The first indication of plant target on cellular integrity was suggested by the antifungal activity ameliorated when using an osmotic support. The most important target for the tannin fraction studied was suggested by ultrastructural analysis of yeast cell walls revealing a denser mannan outer layer and wall porosity reduced. It is possible to imply that P. cauliflora targeted the C. albicans cell wall inducing some changes in the architecture, notably the outer glycoprotein layer, affecting the cell wall porosity without alteration of the polysaccharide or protein level. © 2013 by the authors.

Physicochemical and bioactive properties of Hymenaea courbaril L. pulp and seed lipid fraction

This study aimed to assess the nutritional composition of the fruit and the physicochemical and bioactive properties of jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril L.) pulp and seed oils. The lipid content of both fractions was below 6%. There was a significant presence of minerals, especially, sodium, potassium and phosphorus. The main macronutrient in pulp and seed was crude fiber, and considerable amounts of Vitamin C, 51.87 and 121.45. mg/100. g respectively, were found. The physicochemical properties demonstrated the good quality of the oils. The oxidative stability index was influenced by the composition of fatty acids reaching a value of 45.97. h for the jatoba pulp oil. The most abundant bioactive compounds were α-tocopherol (886.37 and 993.63. mg/kg) and β-sitosterol (61.83 and 91.09. mg/kg) for pulp and seed oils, respectively. Among the unsaturated fatty acids in the pulp, the oleic (46.09%) and linolenic acid (14.54%) stood out. The pulp and seed oils can be considered a valuable source for new industrial, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

A meta-analytical study about the relation of blood plasma addition in diets for piglets in the post-weaning and productive performance variables

The meta-analysis was used to evaluate the performance of piglets in post-weaning period, without imposition of sanitary challenge and fed diets containing blood plasma, obtained by spray-dried process (SDBP). Piglets are faced with normal challenges in post-weaning period such as environmental stress and the substitution of the liquid diet to a solid one. References regarding sanitary challenges were disregarded in this study. Only data regarding normal and expected challenges were considered. Data were obtained from indexed journals with information extracted from the material, methods and results sections of pre-selected scientific articles. First, the database was analyzed graphically to observe the distribution of data and presence of outliers. Afterwards correlation analysis and variance-covariance analyses were carried out. The database contained a total of 23 articles. The average initial weight of the piglets was 8.02. kg (4.00-9.28. kg) and the average initial age was 27 days (14-32 days). The average duration of feeding diets containing spray-dried blood plasma (SDBP) was 9 days (6-28 days). SDBP increased the feed conversion by 20.2% (P<0.05) during the initial period. Feed conversion during the total period was 10.2% higher (P<0.05) for animals fed with SDBP. Average daily weight gain and daily feed intake were not affected (P>0.05) during the entire period, but average daily gain was higher (P<0.05) for animals fed with SDBP during the initial period. The initial age of supplementation influenced the average daily weight gain and average daily feed intake of animals fed with SDBP. Better results were obtained than those obtained for animals up to 35 days of age fed diets without added SDBP supplementation. In early post-weaning period for piglets weaned up to 35 days of age, the SDBP supplementation positively influenced the average daily weight gain and feed conversion. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Diastolic function is associated with quality of life and exercise capacity in stable heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction

Exercise capacity and quality of life (QOL) are important outcome predictors in patients with systolic heart failure (HF), independent of left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF). LV diastolic function has been shown to be a better predictor of aerobic exercise capacity in patients with systolic dysfunction and a New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification >II. We hypothesized that the currently used index of diastolic function E/e' is associated with exercise capacity and QOL, even in optimally treated HF patients with reduced LVEF. This prospective study included 44 consecutive patients aged 55±11 years (27 men and 17 women), with LVEF,0.50 and NYHA functional class I-III, receiving optimal pharmacological treatment and in a stable clinical condition, as shown by the absence of dyspnea exacerbation for at least 3 months. All patients had conventional transthoracic echocardiography and answered the Minnesota Living with HF Questionnaire, followed by the 6-min walk test (6MWT). In a multivariable model with 6MWT as the dependent variable, age and E/e' explained 27% of the walked distance in 6MWT (P=0.002; multivariate regression analysis). No association was found between walk distance and LVEF or mitral annulus systolic velocity. Only normalized left atrium volume, a sensitive index of diastolic function, was associated with decreased QOL. Despite the small number of patients included, this study offers evidence that diastolic function is associated with physical capacity and QOL and should be considered along with ejection fraction in patients with compensated systolic HF.

Ethanol addition as a strategy for start-up and acclimation of an AnSBBR for the treatment of landfill leachate

This study evaluated the ethanol addition as a strategy for start-up and acclimation of a pilot scale (1300 L) anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor (AnSBBR) for the treatment of municipal landfill leachate with seasonal biodegradability variations. The treatment was carried out at ambient temperature (23.8 ± 2.1 °C) in the landfill area. In a first attempt, the leachate collected directly from landfill showed to be predominantly recalcitrant to anaerobic treatment and the acclimation was not possible. In a second attempt, adding ethanol to leachate, the reactor was successfully acclimated. After acclimation, without ethanol addition, the CODTotal influent ranged from 4970 to 13040 mg L-1 and the removal efficiencies ranged from 12.1% to 70.7%. A final test was carried out increasing the ammonia and free-ammonia concentration from 2486 mgN L-1 and 184 mgN L-1 to 4519 mgN L-1 and 634 mgN L-1, respectively, with no expressive inhibition verified. The start-up strategy was found to be feasible, providing the acclimation of the biomass in the AnSBBR, and maintaining the biomass active even when the leachate was recalcitrant. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the Bs0→μ+μ- branching fraction and search for B0→μ+μ- with the CMS experiment

Results are presented from a search for the rare decays Bs0→μ+μ- and B0→μ+μ - in pp collisions at √s=7 and 8 TeV, with data samples corresponding to integrated luminosities of 5 and 20 fb-1, respectively, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. An unbinned maximum-likelihood fit to the dimuon invariant mass distribution gives a branching fraction B(Bs0→μ+μ-)=(3.0-0.9+1.0) ×10-9, where the uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. An excess of Bs0→μ+μ- events with respect to background is observed with a significance of 4.3 standard deviations. For the decay B0→μ+μ- an upper limit of B(B0→μ+μ-)<1.1×10 -9 at the 95% confidence level is determined. Both results are in agreement with the expectations from the standard model. © 2013 CERN. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the.

Enhanced bulk and superficial hydrophobicities of starch-based bionanocomposites by addition of clay

In this work, thermoplastic starch (TPS)-clay bionanocomposites were obtained by an innovative methodology using a combination of methodologies commonly used in the composites and nanocomposites preparations. The main objectives or novelties were to confirm efficiency of the processing methodology by field emission gun scanning electron microscopy and investigate the effect of clay content on the spectroscopic, bulk and surface hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties of these bionanocomposites. Raman and FTIR spectroscopies confirmed the changes in the spectroscopic properties of the TPS bionanocomposites with the addition of the clay materials. Water absorption and contact angle measurements were also used to analyze the effect of the clay content on the hydrophilic properties of the TPS bionanocomposites. The results also showed that the addition of the cloisite-Na+ clay increased the bulk and surface hydrophobicities of the TPS matrix, which may increase its industrial application, particularly in manufacturing of food containers. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Determination of in situ speciation of manganese in treated acid mine drainage water by using multiple diffusive gradients in thin films devices

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a serious environmental problem that creates acidic solution with high Mn concentrations. The speciation of residual Mn from AMD after an active treatment involving the addition of a neutralizing agent can reliably evaluate the treatment efficiency and provide knowledge of the Mn species being inputted into the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in situ lability and speciation of Mn using the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique with treated drainage water from a uranium mine (TAMD). DGT devices with different binding phases (Chelex-100 and P81 and DE81membranes) were used to perform the in situ speciation of Mn. A comparison of the results from deploying DGT in the laboratory and in situ shows that the speciation of Mn in TAMD should be performed in situ. Linear deployment curves (from in situ experiments) indicate that the DGT device containing the Chelex-100 binding phase can be used to evaluate Mn lability in TAMD. The labile Mn fraction (from in situ measurements) obtained using the device containing the Chelex-100 resin ranged from 63 to 81% of the total Mn concentration and, when compared to the speciation obtained using the CHEAQS software, indicated that this device was capable of uptaking the free Mn2+ and a portion of the MnSO4(aq). The values obtained using the DGT technique were compared to those from on site solid phase extraction, and a good agreement was found between the results. The amount of negative Mn species sampled by DE81 device was insignificant (<1.5%) for all of the sites. Sites containing a relatively small amount of Ca (<40mgL-1) and measured using devices containing the P81 membrane agreed with the concentration predicted by the CHEAQS software for positive Mn species (Mn2+ and Mn(OH)+). Nevertheless, the speciation obtained using the CHEAQS software indicated that the concentrations of positive Mn species were underestimated for sites with relatively high Ca concentrations (>150mgL-1), which take place due to the saturation of binding sites in the P81 membrane. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Evaluation of a potential hydroelectric project as an addition to an existing power system

Includes bibliography

Uma abordagem peptidômica do venedo do escorpião Tityus serrulatus

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

Influência da inibição da NADPH oxidase sobre o redemodelamento cardíaco de ratos com diabetes mellitus

Pós-graduação em Fisiopatologia em Clínica Médica - FMB

Digestibilidade das proteínas do soro do leite mediante ensaio in vitro

Pós-graduação em Alimentos e Nutrição - FCFAR

Representações dos números racionais e a medição de segmentos: possibilidades com tecnologias informáticas

Pós-graduação em Educação Matemática - IGCE

Avaliação da atividade da fibra alimentar de Typha angustifolia L. e des seus efeitos sinérgicos com a prednisolona no modelo de colite ulcerativa induzida por ácido trinitrobenzenosulfônico em ratos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Características estruturais de géis de sílica preaparados a partir da sonohidrólise do tetraetilortosilicato com adições de álcool polivinílico

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)