Increased salivary immunoglobulin A and reduced alpha-amylase activity in whole saliva from spastic cerebral palsy individuals

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

Telenomus remus (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) parasitism on eggs of Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Eribidae) compared with its natural host Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The capacity of Telenomus remus to parasitize eggs of Anticarsia gemmatalis, compared with its natural host, Spodoptera frugiperda, was evaluated under different temperatures. The parasitoid T. remus was reared at 25 +/- 1 degrees C for a single generation on both hosts. After reaching the adult stage, they were allowed to parasitize both hosts to study parasitoid biology and parasitism capacity at temperatures between 19 degrees C and 37 +/- 1 degrees C. Egg-to-adult developmental time was similar on both hosts. The number of A. gemmatalis eggs parasitized was lower than that of S. frugiperda eggs at all temperatures. Parental female longevity of parasitoids was greater on A. gemmatalis eggs. This indicated a smaller metabolic expense during parasitism, a common feature observed on nonpreferable hosts. In general, sex ratio was little affected by temperature or hosts. When parental T. remus were reared on A. gemmatalis before the experiment, base temperature (Tb) and the thermal constant (K) were 9.53 degrees C and 209.57 DD on eggs of A. gemmatalis and 9.68 degrees C and 197.79 DD on eggs of S. frugiperda, respectively. When parental T. remus were reared on S. frugiperda eggs, Tb and K were 10.12 degrees C and 188.46 DD and 9.69 degrees C and 190.24 DD for the evaluated host eggs of A. gemmatalis and S. frugiperda, respectively. Therefore, T. remus develops in eggs of A. gemmatalis. This can be beneficial for its use in field crops where outbreaks of both Spodoptera spp. and A. gemmatalis occur. However, A. gemmatalis is a less favorable host for the parasitoid development.

Structural and thermal properties of spray-dried methotrexate-loaded biodegradable microparticles

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Enteral nutrition feeding alters antioxidant activity in unstimulated whole saliva composition of patients with neurological disorders

Patients with neurological disorders have an increased risk of oral and systemic diseases due to compromised oral hygiene. If patients lose the ability to swallow and chew food as a result of their disorder, enteral nutrition is often utilized. However, this type of feeding may modify salivary antioxidant defenses, resulting in increased oxidative damage and the emergence of various diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of enteral nutrition on biochemical parameters in the unstimulated whole saliva composition of patients with neurological disorders. For this, enzymatic (superoxide dismutase - SOD; glutathione peroxidase - GPx) and non-enzymatic (uric acid; ferric ion reducing antioxidant power - FRAP) antioxidant activity, as well as a marker for oxidative damage (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances - TBARS) were analyzed. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from 12 patients with neurological disorders and tube-feeding (tube-fed group - TFG), 15 patients with neurological disorders and normal feeding via the mouth (non-tube-fed group - NTFG), and 12 volunteers without neurological disorders (control group - CG). The daily oral hygiene procedures of TFG and NTFG patients were similar and dental care was provided monthly by the same institution's dentist. All patients exhibited adequate oral health conditions. The salivary levels of FRAP, uric acid, SOD, GPx, TBARS, and total protein were compared between studied groups. FRAP was increased (p < 0.05) in the NTFG (4651 +/- 192.5 mmol/mL) and the TFG (4743 +/- 116.7 mmol/mL) when compared with the CG (1844 +/- 343.8 mmol/mL). GPx values were lower (p < 0.05) in the NTGF (8.24 +/- 1.09 mmol/min/mg) and the TFG (8.37 +/- 1.60 mmol/min/mg) than in the CG (15.30 +/- 2.61 mmol/min/mg). Uric acid in the TFG (1.57 +/- 0.23 mg/dL) was significantly lower than in the NTFG (2.34 +/- 0.20 mg/dL) and the CG (3.49 +/- 0.21 mg/dL). Protein was significantly lower in the TFG (5.35 +/- 0.27 g/dL) than in the NTFG (7.22 +/- 0.57 g/dL) and the CG (7.86 +/- 0.54 g/dL). There was no difference in the salivary flow rate and SOD between groups. Enteral nutrition in patients with neurological disorders was associated with lower oxidative damage, resulting in increased salivary. antioxidant capacity. These results emphasize the importance of oral care for this population to prevent oral and systemic diseases. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure of Hydrophobic Ambient-Pressure-Dried Aerogels Prepared by Sonohydrolysis of Tetraethoxysilane with Additions of N,N-Dimethylformamide

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

Chemometric optimization of solid-liquid extraction with low-temperature partition (SLE-LTP) for determination of persistent organic pollutants in Caiman yacare eggs

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Microbiological quality of whole and filleted shelf-tilapia

Despite fish being a rich source of animal nutrients and having numerous associated health benefits, it is an extremely perishable food, prone to a wide range of hazards. The bacterial load associated with shelf-whole-fish organs (e.g. digestive tracts and skin) or mishandling of fish may be a vehicle of infection and become a risk to public health. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the microbiological quality of whole ungutted and filleted shelf-tilapia, as well as assess the safety for human consumption. For this purpose, in order to investigate the distribution and occurrence of bacterial populations, the count of total and thermotolerant coliforms, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus and presence of Salmonella spp. was determined. This paper shows that all fish organs were contaminated with thermotolerant coliform. Skin and fillet show higher populations and occurrence of all microorganisms analyzed. Lower bacterial populations were recovered from the gut and muscles of whole tilapia. Two samples of fillet were contaminated with coagulase-positive Staphylococcus. It can be concluded that the skin and filleted tilapia are important carriers of food-borne pathogens. In addition, fish might become an important cross and self-contamination source. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Production and characterization of lipases and immobilization of whole cell of the thermophilic Thermomucor indicae seudaticae N31 for transesterification reaction

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Whole grain diet for Feedlot Lambs

For a lamb feedlot system became competitive it is essential that an equilibrate nutrition and functional feeding management happens naturally. Therefore, this experiment has the objective to evaluate the efficiency of whole corn grain diet on lambs performance and carcass quality parameters and ruminal papillae development. During the experiment twenty Dorper/Santa Inescrossbred lambs were used, divided randomly in two treatments: control diet and whole grain diet. The experimental design was completely randomized design and data analysis done by SISVAR using the Tukey test at 5% of probability. No statistical differences were observed on the characteristics evaluated for performance and carcass as well as the length and width of ruminal papillae. The composition of the diet together with the weight gain potential of the lambs can explain the good average daily weight gain of 0.284 kg. The initial body condition average was 2.1 (thin) and improved at the end of the trial period achieving3.15 (normal). Carcass yield reached 46.24%, the results is between the range ideal for specialty meat breeds ranging from 40 to 50%. The carcass conformation, fat cover conformation and the thickness of subcutaneous fat found can be classified as medians. Also there was no difference in the characteristics of ruminal papillae. Thus, it is concluded that the use of whole grain diet did not influence the characteristics evaluated; and the choice of diet should be made with regard to profitability, simplicity of use and availability of forage in feedlot. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Dietary Lysine on Yellow Perch Female Reproductive Performance and the Quality of Eggs

The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate if dietary lysine (Lys) has an effect on the free amino acid (FAA) pool of Yellow Perch Perca flavescens eggs, and (2) determine how dietary Lys influences the reproductive performance and eggs fertilization rate (embryo survival) of female Yellow Perch. Two-year-old Yellow Perch of initial size of approximately 75 g were randomly distributed into six 400-L tanks at 32 +/- 1 fish per tank. This experiment included two wheat gluten-based diets in triplicate Lys-deficient ([-] Lys) and Lys-supplemented ([+]Lys; 2.23% in dry feed) diets. Females from the reference group were fed a commercial diet. Females from reference, (+) Lys, and (-) Lys groups were stripped and their eggs divided into 0.4-1.2-g portions and mixed with sperm (21.4 +/- 4.3 mu L) from either reference, (+) Lys, or (-) Lys males. The mean weight of Yellow Perch females and mean total weight of ovulated eggs were the greatest in the reference group compared with both (+) Lys and (-) Lys groups. There were no differences in the ratio of weight of eggs to female body weight as well as egg size among groups. There was no difference among treatments in the concentration of free amino acids except glutamic and aspartic acids in Yellow Perch eggs. There was significant effect of female dietary treatments on the egg fertilization rate averaged across all males. The higher fertilization rate was observed in the reference and (+) Lys groups compared with the (-) Lys group. The effect of female dietary treatment on the egg survival was also dependent on the dietary treatment of males.

LASIODERMA SERRICORNE (COLEOPTERA: ANOBIIDAE) IN STORED MATRICARIA RECUTITA (ASTERACEAE) IN BRAZIL

Insects pests of stored products and by-products are extending their feeding preferences to new items. We report for the first time in Brazil the feeding and reproduction of the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne F. (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) on stored chamomile, Matricaria recutita L. (Asteraceae). One intact package (10 cm wide x 15 cm long) of M. recutita infested by L. serricorne was purchased in a supermarket in Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In this sample this insect had fed on the dried parts (inflorescences and rods), which made the product unfit for human consumption. This 20 g sample included 101 live and 4 dead Lasioderma serricorne. Circumstantial evidence suggested that the infested material was probably harvested from an infested field in Apr 2013 and packaged with L. serricorne eggs, and that these had developed into the adults found in the package.

Efeito de hipercabia no desenvolvimento de ovos de Trachemys scripta

Females of the painted turtle, Trachemys scripta, have an annual reproductive cycle. Their nest periods in Brazil starts around September and they lay about 7 - 10 eggs in nests dug in the soil. The eggs hatch in December. It is possible that the nest cover cause problems for the gas diffusion, also, the rain can wet or compact the soil covering the nest, or even soaked the whole area. Those problems may change the nests intern atmosphere decreasing O2 partial pressure (hypoxia) and increasing CO2 partial pressure (hypercarbia). The main objective of this study was to determine if and how hypercarbia (3% and 6%CO2), could influence the eggs and early posthatching development of the Trachemys scripta. We used three experimental groups of eggs incubated in: normal atmosphere (Control group CG, n = 14), hypercarbia with 3% of CO2 (G3%, n = 16) and with 6% of CO2 (G6%, n = 15). The profile of the mass increment during the egg development were not different among the groups, GC = 9.89±0.81g; G3% = 10.11±0.60g and G6% = 10.58±0.36g. In addition, the mass of the post-hatching turtles were the not different. There were not differences between the duration of the incubation period among the experimental groups, GC = 60.12±0.97days, G3% = 59.00±0.98days and G6% = 60.80±1.14days. The mortality rates were not affected by the hypercarbia, GC = 0.43 (43%), G3% = 0.27 (27%) and G6% = 0.37 (37%). Furthermore, the mass increment and the metabolic rate were the same among the early development of the turtles until 3 month after hatching. We conclude that hypercarbia (up to 6% of CO2) does not cause any alteration on the eggs or post-hatching normal development. It is possible that the combination of hypercarbia and hypoxia change those results

Maturidade, reprodução e estrutura populacional do caranguejo Anomura Aegla marginata Bond-Buckup & Buckup, 1994: (Crustacea: Decapoda)

Pós-graduação em Biociências - FCLAS

Effect of human whole saliva on the in vitro adhesion of Candida albicans to a denture base acrylic resin: a focus on collection and preparation of saliva samples

Objective In studies on Candida albicans adhesion to surfaces, diverse protocols have been used for collection and preparation of saliva samples. Thus, this study investigated whether variations in the centrifugation parameters and number of donors of saliva would influence the adhesion of C. albicans to a denture base resin. Methods Resin acrylic samples (n = 72) were made and then divided into four groups: (a) control – specimens were left without preconditioning in saliva; (b) three experimental groups, in which the specimens were preconditioned with saliva collected from 15 volunteers and centrifuged at 12 000 g for 5 min (G1); from 15 volunteers and centrifuged at 18 000 g for 30 min (G2); and from one volunteer and centrifuged at 12 000 g for 5 min (G3). Candida adhesion was evaluated by both the 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino) carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium hydroxide (XTT) reduction method and crystal violet staining. Data were analyzed by one-way analyses of variance (P = 0.05). Results For XTT reduction assay, groups G2, G3, and control were not significantly different, whereas group G1 showed significantly higher absorbance value than control. For crystal violet staining there were no significant differences among all groups. Conclusion Variations in the centrifugation parameters and number of donors of saliva may influence C. albicans adhesion to denture base resins.