Iron Fortification Strategies for the Control of Childhood Anemia in Brazil

This article presents data on the fortification of foods, necessary as an important public health approach for the success in reducing anemia. The use of food vehicles, iron salts and their costs, as well as recent work on iron fortification of foods in Brazil are reviewed. Recent research serves as a cornerstone for countries that attempt to implement permanent, long-lasting iron fortification programs aimed at the prevention of anemia considering cultural habits, type of iron salts and at-risk groups.

A single amino acid substitution in one of the lipases of Aspergillus nidulans confers resistance to the antimycotic drug undecanoic acid

A plausible approach to evaluate the inhibitory action of antifungals is through the investigation of the fungal resistance to these drugs. We describe here the molecular cloning and initial characterization of the A. nidulans lipA gene, where mutation (lipA1) conferred resistance to undecanoic acid, the most fungitoxic fatty acid in the C(7:0)-C(18:0) series. The lipA gene codes for a putative lipase with the sequence consensus GVSIS and WIFGGG as the catalytic signature. Comparison of the wild-type and LIP1 mutant strain nucleotide sequences showed a G -> A change in lipA1 allele, which results in a Glu(214) -> Lys substitution in LipA protein. This ionic charge change in a conserved LipA region, next to its catalytic site, may have altered the catalytic properties of this enzyme resulting in resistance to undecanoic acid.

Analysis of the Ontogenetic Variation in the Venom Proteome/Peptidome of Bothrops jararaca Reveals Different Strategies to Deal with Prey

Previous studies have demonstrated that the pharmacological activities displayed by Bothrops jararaca venom undergo a significant ontogenetic shift. Variation in the venom proteome is a well-documented phenomenon; however, variation in the venom peptidome is poorly understood. We report a comparative proteomic and peptidomic analysis of venoms from newborn and adult specimens of B. jararaca and correlate it with the evaluation of important venom features. We demonstrate that newborn and adult venoms have similar hemorrhagic activities, while the adult venom has a slightly higher lethal activity in mice; however, the newborn venom is extremely more potent to kill chicks. The coagulant activity of newborn venom upon human plasma is 10 times higher than that of adult venom. These differences were clearly reflected in their different profiles of SDS-PAGE, gelatin zimography, immunostaining using specific antibodies, glycosylation pattern, and concanavalin A-binding proteins. Furthermore, we report for the first time the analysis of the peptide fraction of newborn and adult venoms by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and LC-MS/MS, which revealed different contents of peptides, while the bradykinin potentiating peptides (BPPs) showed rather similar profiles and were detected in the venoms showing their canonical sequences and also novel sequences corresponding to BPPs processed from their precursor protein at sites so far not described. As a result of these studies, we demonstrated that the ontogenetic shift in diet, from ectothermic prey in early life to endothermic prey in adulthood, and in animal size are associated with changes in the venom proteome in B. jararaca species.

Substitution of crude cell wall for neutral detergent fibre in the equations of the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System that predict carbohydrate fractions: application to sunflower (Helianthus annulus L.)

Prediction of carbohydrate fractions using equations from the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) is a valuable tool to assess the nutritional value of forages. In this paper these carbohydrate fractions were predicted using data from three sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cultivars, fresh or as silage. The CNCPS equations for fractions B(2) and C include measurement of ash and protein-free neutral detergent fibre (NDF) as one of their components. However, NDF lacks pectin and other non-starch polysaccharides that are found in the cell wall (CW) matrix, so this work compared the use of a crude CW preparation instead of NDF in the CNCPS equations. There were no differences in the estimates of fractions B, and C when CW replaced NDF; however there were differences in fractions A and B2. Some of the CNCPS equations could be simplified when using CW instead of NDF Notably, lignin could be expressed as a proportion of DM, rather than on the basis of ash and protein-free NDF, when predicting CNCPS fraction C. The CNCPS fraction B(1) (starch + pectin) values were lower than pectin determined through wet chemistty. This finding, along with the results obtained by the substitution of CW for NDF in the CNCPS equations, suggests that pectin was not part of fraction B(1) but present in fraction A. We suggest that pectin and other non-starch polysaccharides that are dissolved by the neutral detergent solution be allocated to a specific fraction (B2) and that another fraction (B(3)) be adopted for the digestible cell wall carbohydrates.

A unique substitution at position 333 on the glycoprotein of rabies virus street strains isolated from non-hematophagous bats in Brazil

The amino acid R or K at position 333 on the glycoprotein of the rabies virus is considered necessary for virulence in adult mice. Although some exceptions exist, substitution at this position causes expression of a phenotype that is either less pathogenic or non-virulent. To date, such substitutions have only been found in fixed strains of rabies virus. In this study, the authors found 333H, 333N, and 333Q substitutions at this position in rabies virus street strains isolated from non-hematophagous bats in Brazil. These strains showed pathogenicity and lethality on passage using adult mice with the intracerebral route and were confirmed rabies-positive by immunofluorescent assay. This suggests that these strains maintain virulence. Our findings indicate that rabies virus street strains with these substitutions exist in the field and may result in infection cycles.

Understanding the impact of divalent cation substitution on hydroxyapatite: An in vitro multiparametric study on biocompatibility

Hydroxyapatite (HA), a stable and biocompatible material for bone tissue therapy, may present a variable stoichiometry and accept a large number of cationic substitutions. Such substitutions may modify the chemical activity of HA surface, with possible impact on biocompatibility. In this work, we assessed the effects of calcium substitution with diverse divalent cations (Pb(2+), Sr(2+), Co(2+), Zn(2+), Fe(2+), Cu(2+), or Mg(2+)) on the biological behavior of HA. Physicochemical analyses revealed that apatite characteristics related to crystallinity and calcium dissolution/uptake rates are very sensitive to the nature of cationic substitution. Cytocompatibility was evaluated by mitochondrial activity, membrane integrity, cell density, proapoptotic potential, and adhesion tests. With the exception of Zn-HA, all the substituted HAs induced some level of apoptosis. The highest apoptosis levels were observed for Mg-HA and Co-HA. Cu-HA was the only material to impair simultaneously mitochondrial activity, membrane integrity, and cell density. The highest relative cell densities after exposure to the modified HAs were observed for Mg-HA and Zn-HA, while Co-HA significantly improved cell adhesion onto HA surface. These results show that changes on surface dissolution caused by cationic substitution, as well as the increase of metal species released to biological media, were the main responsible factors related to alterations on HA biocompatibility. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 98A: 351-358, 2011.

Regional investment strategies (RIS) and coastal catchment initiative (CCI) project alignmnet to Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan

The Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (the Reef Plan) is a joint initiative of the Australian and Queensland Governments. The Reef Plan aims to progress an integrated approach to natural resource management planning by building on the existing partnerships between the different levels of government, industry groups, the community and research providers within the Reef catchments, principally through partnerships with the regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies.