Determinação da relação dos aminoácidos essenciais para juvenis de tilápia-do-Nilo, pelo método da deleção

Pós-graduação em Aquicultura - FCAV

Chemical composition and metabolizable energy values of corn germ meal obtained by wet milling for layers

An experiment was carried out to determine the chemical composition, metabolizable energy values, and coefficients of nutrient digestibility of corn germ meal for layers. The chemical composition of corn germ meal was determined, and then a metabolism assay was performed to determine its apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn) values and its dry matter and gross energy apparent metabolizability coefficients (CAMDM and CAMGE, respectively). In the 8-day assay (four days of adaptation and four days of total excreta collection), 60 29-week-old white Lohman LSL layers were used. A completely randomized experimental design, with three treatments with five replicates of four birds each, was applied. Treatments consisted of a reference diet and two test diets, containing 20 or 30% corn germ meal. Results were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared by the Tukey tests at 5% probability level. The chemical composition of corn germ meal was: 96.39% dry matter, 49.48% ether extract, 1.87% ashes, 7243 kcal gross energy/kg, 11.48% protein, 0.19% methionine, 0.21% cystine, 0.48% lysine, 0.40% threonine, 0.72% arginine, 0.35% isoleucine, 0.83% leucine, 0.57% valine, and 0.37% histidine, on as-fed basis. There were no statistical differences in AME, AMEn, CAMDM, and CAMGE values with the inclusion of 20 and 30% corn germ meal in the diets. On dry matter basis, AME, AMEn, CAMDM, and CAMGE values of corn germ meal were: 4,578 and 4,548 kcal/kg, 4,723 and 4,372 kcal/kg, 64.95 and 61.86%, respectively.

Perfil metabólico por RMN de 1H e avaliação citotóxica do fungo endofítico Colletotrichum gloeosporioides isolado de Eugenia jambolana, em diferentes meios de cultivo

Pós-graduação em Química - IQ

The Identification and Biochemical Properties of the Catalytic Specificity of a Serine Peptidase Secreted by Aspergillus fumigatus Fresenius

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

DIGESTIVE PROTEASES FROM WILD AND FARMED MALE MORPHOTYPES OF THE AMAZON RIVER PRAWN (MACROBRACHIUM AMAZONICUM)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Angiotensin II AT(1) receptor mutants expressed in CHO cells caused morphological change and inhibition of cell growth

To assess the importance of the leucine residues in positions 262 and 265 of the angiotensin AT, receptor for signaling pathways and receptor expression and regulation, we compared the properties of CHO cells transfected with the wild type or the L262D or L265D receptor point mutants. It was found that the two mutants significantly increased the basal intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) formation in an agonist-independent mode. The morphology transformation of CHO cells was correlated with the increased cAMP formation, since forskolin, a direct activator of adenylate cyclase mimicked this effect on WT-expressing CHO cells. DNA synthesis was found to be inhibited in these cell lines, indicating that cAMP may also have determined the inhibitory effect on cell growth, in addition to the cell transformation from a tumorigenic to a non-tumorigenic phenotype. However a role for an increased Ca2(+) influx induced by the mutants in non-stimulated cells cannot be ruled out since this ion also was shown to cause transformed cells to regain the morphology and growth regulation. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Higher Insulin Sensitivity and Impaired Insulin Secretion in Cachetic Solid Ehrlich Tumour-Bearing Mice

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

Overexpression of the activated form of the AtAREB1 gene (AtAREB1 Delta QT) improves soybean responses to water deficit

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Receptor tipo quinase de tomate: caracterização molecular e implicações nas infecções virais

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Genética) - IBB

The receptor-like kinase SlSOBIR1 is differentially modulated by virus infection but its overexpression in tobacco has no significant impact on virus accumulation

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Capacidade digestiva durante a ontogenia de larvas de pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Relação ideal dos aminoácidos essenciais para mantença, crescimento e produção de aves

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

Increased Risk of Chronic Wasting Disease in Rocky Mountain Elk Associated With Decreased Magnesium and Increased Manganese in Brain Tissue

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of Rocky Mountain elk in North America. Recent studies suggest that tissue and blood mineral levels may be valuable in assessing TSE infection in sheep and cattle. The objectives of this study were to examine baseline levels of copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and molybdenum in the brains of Rocky Mountain elk with differing prion genotypes and to assess the association of mineral levels with CWD infection. Elk with leucine at prion position 132 had significantly lower magnesium levels than elk with 2 copies of methionine. Chronic wasting disease-positive elk had significantly lower magnesium than control elk. The incorporation of manganese levels in addition to magnesium significantly refined explanatory ability, even though manganese alone was not significantly associated with CWD. This study demonstrated that mineral analysis may provide an additional disease correlate for assessing CWD risk, particularly in conjunction with genotype.

Digestive peptidases and proteinases in the midgut gland of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Crustacea, Decapoda, Penaeidae)

Proteases from the midgut gland of the Farfantepenaeus paulensis juveniles were assessed. Enzyme activity was determined using protease substrates and inhibitors. The effect of pH, temperature and calcium on proteolytic activity was assayed. Caseinolytic activity was analysed in substrate-sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Trypsin, chymotrypsin and leucine aminopeptidase activity was detected. Proteolytic activity was strongly inhibited by the specific trypsin inhibitors. Tosyl-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone inhibited 59.3% of chymotrypsin activity. The greatest trypsin-like activity occurred at pH 8.0 and 45 degrees C. Chymotrypsin-like activity reached maximal values at alkaline pH (7.2-9.0) and 55 degrees C. CaCl(2) did not increase trypsin-like activity, but rather inhibited it at concentrations of 30 (20%), 50 (30%) and 100 mM (50%). The substrate-SDS-PAGE zymogram revealed eight proteinase bands. Two possibly thermal-resistant (85 degrees C, 30 min) chymotrypsin isoforms were found, which were inhibited by phenyl-methyl-sulphonyl-fluoride. Aminopeptidase activity of enzyme extracts (Arg, Leu, Lys, Phe and Val) and the recommended concentrations of these essential amino acids in penaeid shrimp diets were positively correlated (P < 0.05). Beause protein digestion involves the combined action of different enzymes, adequate knowledge of shrimp digestion and enzyme characteristics is required for the assessment of the digestive potential of different feed sources and development of in vitro digestibility protocols.

Metabolic and functional effects of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation in skeletal muscle

Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) is a metabolite derived from leucine. The anti-catabolic effect of HMB is well documented but its effect upon skeletal muscle strength and fatigue is still uncertain. In the present study, male Wistar rats were supplemented with HMB (320 mg/kg per day) for 4 weeks. Placebo group received saline solution only. Muscle strength (twitch and tetanic force) and resistance to acute muscle fatigue of the gastrocnemius muscle were evaluated by direct electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve. The content of ATP and glycogen in red and white portions of gastrocnemius muscle were also evaluated. The effect of HMB on citrate synthase (CS) activity was also investigated. Muscle tetanic force was increased by HMB supplementation. No change was observed in time to peak of contraction and relaxation time. Resistance to acute muscle fatigue during intense contractile activity was also improved after HMB supplementation. Glycogen content was increased in both white (by fivefold) and red (by fourfold) portions of gastrocnemius muscle. HMB supplementation also increased the ATP content in red (by twofold) and white (1.2-fold) portions of gastrocnemius muscle. CS activity was increased by twofold in red portion of gastrocnemius muscle. These results support the proposition that HMB supplementation have marked change in oxidative metabolism improving muscle strength generation and performance during intense contractions.