Anatomical and biochemical changes in the composition of developing seed coats of annatto (Bixa orellana L.)

Seeds of Bixa orellana (L.) have a sclerified palisade cell layer, which constitutes a natural barrier to water uptake. In fact, newly fully developed B. orellana seeds are highly impermeable to water and thereby dormant. The purpose of this work is to investigate, from a developmental point of view, the histochemical and physical changes in the cell walls of the seed coat that are associated with the water impermeability. Seed coat samples were analyzed by histochemical and polarization microscopy techniques, as well as by fractionation/HPAEC-PAD. For histochemical analysis the tissue samples were fixed, dehydrated, embedded in paraffin and the slides were dewaxed and tested with appropriate stains for different cell wall components. Throughout the development of B. orellana seeds, there was a gradual thickening of the seed coat at the palisade region. This thickening was due to the deposition of cellulose and hemicelluloses in the palisade layer cell walls, which resulted in a highly water impermeable seed coat. The carbohydrate composition of the cell walls changed dramatically at the late developmental stages due to the intense deposition of hemicelluloses. Hemicelluloses were mainly deposited in the outer region of the palisade layer cell walls and altered the birefringent pattern of the walls. Xylans were by far the most abundant hemicellulosic component of the cell walls. Deposition of cellulose and hemicelluloses, especially xylans, could be responsible for the impermeability to water observed in fully developed B. orellana seeds.

Extração, caracterização e aplicação do corante de urucum (Bixa orellana L.) no tingimento de fibras naturais

The increasing demand for natural dyes in place of synthetic ones is justified by the non-toxicity or low toxicity of the former. The synthetic dyes are associated with diseases like cancer as well as when released in the environment takes longer to degrade and the intermediates could be still more toxic. The Annatto (Bixa Orellana L.) is a carotenoid and one of the more important natural dyes used in the food industry. In the form of dye, it represents nearly 70% of the world natural dye production and 90% in Brazil. In the present work, annatto seeds were used of the species peruana paulista, which had nearly 2.1% of bixin. The process of dye extraction with ethyl alcohol showed 4% of dye in the form of powder with particle diameter of 28mm. The extraction process did not alter the chemical composition of the dye, which was confirmed by the electronic spectrum of absorption. Dyeings were carried out with different mordents to study the total colour difference as well as the wash fastness properties and friction fastness properties under wet and dry conditions. The samples treated with copper sulphate showed colour difference but at the same time showed better fastness results. The samples treated with resin (no formaldehyde) did not alter the colour significantly still better the fastness properties. From the results, it could be stated that the resin could be an alternative for heavy metallic mordents

DNA damage and aberrant crypt foci as putative biomarkers to evaluate the chemopreventive effect of annatto (Bixa orellana L.) in rat colon carcinogenesis

Chemoprevention opens new perspectives in the prevention of cancer and other degenerative diseases. Use of target-organ biological models at the histological and genetic levels can markedly facilitate the identification of such potential chemopreventive agents. Colon cancer is one of the highest incidence rates throughout the world and some evidences have indicated carotenoids as possible agents that decrease the risk of colorectal cancer. In the present study, we evaluate the activity of annatto (Bixa orellaria L.), a natural food colorant rich in carotenoid, on the formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) induced by dimethy1hydrazine (DMH) in rat colon. Further, we investigate, the effect of annatto on DMH-induced DNA damage, by the comet assay. Male Wistar rats were given s.c. injections of DMH (40 mg/kg body wt.) twice a week for 2 weeks to induce ACE They also received experimental diets containing annatto at 20, 200 or 1000 ppm for five 5 weeks before (pre-treatment), or 10 weeks after (post-treatment) DMH treatment. In both protocols the rats were sacrificed on week 15th. For the comet assay, the animals were fed with the same experimental diets for 2 weeks. Four hours before the sacrifice, the animals received an s.c. injection of DMH (40 mg/kg body wt.). Under such conditions, dietary administration of 1000 ppm annatto neither induce DNA damage in blood and colon cells nor aberrant crypt foci in rat distal colon. Conversely, annatto was successful in inhibiting the number of crypts/colon (animal), but not in the incidence of DMH-induced ACF, mainly when administered after DMH. However, no antigenotoxic effect was observed in colon cells. These findings suggest possible chemopreventive effects of annatto through their modulation of the cryptal cell proliferation but not at the initiation stage of colon carcinogenesis. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ground annatto seeds (Bixa orellana L.) in sorghum-based commercial layer diets and their effects on performance, egg quality, and yolk pigmentation

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Optimization of annatto (Bixa orellana L.) drying in fixed bed

ABSTRACT: The drying of annatto seeds (Bixa orellana L.), red piave cultivate, was studied in a fixed bed dryer. The best conditions were estimated to minimize the loss of coloring and to obtain final moisture of the seeds in appropriate levels to its conservation and maintenance of quality. The quantification of the influence of entrance variables in the final contents of bixin and moisture seeds and the identification of the optimal point was performed through the techniques of factorial design, response surfaces methodology, canonical analysis and desirability function. It was verified that the final moisture of the seeds may be estimated by a second-order polynomial model and that the final content of bixin is only significantly influenced by the time of drying being described properly by a linear model, for the seeds used in this study.

Quinto Curcio Rufo, De la vida y acciones de Alexandro el Grande ; traducido de la lengua latina en española por Don Matheo Ibañez de Segovia y Orellana ...

Mode of access: Internet.

Enfermedad de Chagas en la población de 5 a 15 años de edad y búsqueda del vector en el ámbito familiar, caserío Los Orellana, cantón San Matías del municipio de Ciudad Barrios, departamento de San Miguel en el periodo de mayo a julio de 2014

La Enfermedad de Chagas es una enfermedad causada por un parásito llamado Trypanosoma cruzi, que puede vivir en la sangre y en los tejidos de personas y animales y en el tubo digestivo de unos insectos conocidos como triatóminos o chinches. El OBJETIVO de esta investigación fue detectar casos de la Enfermedad de Chagas en la población de 5 a 15 años de edad en el caserío Los Orellana y determinar la presencia de Triatoma dimidiata en el ámbito familiar de la población en estudio. METODOLOGÍA: El estudio fue prospectivo, transversal, descriptivo, de campo y de laboratorio. La población estuvo constituida por 66 menores en edades de 5 a 15 años que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión. Así como también la búsqueda de Triatoma dimidiata que se llevó a cabo en las viviendas donde se buscó el vector. Se llenó una cédula de entrevista con respuestas de los representantes de cada hogar inspeccionado la cual constaba de 8 preguntas referentes a la investigación. A los vectores capturados se les realizó la técnica de compresión abdominal en busca del parásito Trypanosoma cruzi en la deyecciones de estos. Posteriormente se procedió a tomar una muestra de sangre a los menores que participaron en el estudio para realizar las pruebas parasitológicas que fueron el frotis de sangre periférica, gota gruesa y concentrado de Strout en busca del parásito en la sangre y las pruebas serológicas de ELISA Tercera y Cuarta generación e Inmunofluorescencia Indirecta para confirmar los casos que resultaron reactivos. RESULTADOS OBTENIDOS: El porcentaje de casas infestadas con Triatoma dimidiata fue de 9 (21.43 %) habiendo capturado 28 triatóminos los cuales 3 presentaron el parásito que corresponde al 10.71 %. En los métodos parasitológicos directos (Frotis de sangre periférica, Gota gruesa y Concentrado de Strout) no se observó la presencia del parásito; El método serológico indirecto ELISA de Tercera generación dio como resultado 3 casos reactivos (4.5%) procediéndose a realizar su respectiva confirmación a través de ELISA de Cuarta generación e Inmunofluorescencia Indirecta, detectándose anticuerpos anti - Trypanosoma cruzi tipo IgG en las tres muestras. CONCLUSIÓN: Se encontró en un 21.43 % (9) de las casas la presencia del vector transmisor de la Enfermedad de Chagas los cuales se analizaron encontrándose en el 10.71 % (3) la presencia del parásito. Finalmente se encontró el 4.5 % (3) de los menores con la enfermedad en su fase crónica.

The Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS): overview and experimental design

The climate in the Arctic is changing faster than anywhere else on earth. Poorly understood feedback processes relating to Arctic clouds and aerosol–cloud interactions contribute to a poor understanding of the present changes in the Arctic climate system, and also to a large spread in projections of future climate in the Arctic. The problem is exacerbated by the paucity of research-quality observations in the central Arctic. Improved formulations in climate models require such observations, which can only come from measurements in situ in this difficult-to-reach region with logistically demanding environmental conditions. The Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS) was the most extensive central Arctic Ocean expedition with an atmospheric focus during the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007–2008. ASCOS focused on the study of the formation and life cycle of low-level Arctic clouds. ASCOS departed from Longyearbyen on Svalbard on 2 August and returned on 9 September 2008. In transit into and out of the pack ice, four short research stations were undertaken in the Fram Strait: two in open water and two in the marginal ice zone. After traversing the pack ice northward, an ice camp was set up on 12 August at 87°21' N, 01°29' W and remained in operation through 1 September, drifting with the ice. During this time, extensive measurements were taken of atmospheric gas and particle chemistry and physics, mesoscale and boundary-layer meteorology, marine biology and chemistry, and upper ocean physics. ASCOS provides a unique interdisciplinary data set for development and testing of new hypotheses on cloud processes, their interactions with the sea ice and ocean and associated physical, chemical, and biological processes and interactions. For example, the first-ever quantitative observation of bubbles in Arctic leads, combined with the unique discovery of marine organic material, polymer gels with an origin in the ocean, inside cloud droplets suggests the possibility of primary marine organically derived cloud condensation nuclei in Arctic stratocumulus clouds. Direct observations of surface fluxes of aerosols could, however, not explain observed variability in aerosol concentrations, and the balance between local and remote aerosols sources remains open. Lack of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) was at times a controlling factor in low-level cloud formation, and hence for the impact of clouds on the surface energy budget. ASCOS provided detailed measurements of the surface energy balance from late summer melt into the initial autumn freeze-up, and documented the effects of clouds and storms on the surface energy balance during this transition. In addition to such process-level studies, the unique, independent ASCOS data set can and is being used for validation of satellite retrievals, operational models, and reanalysis data sets.

Comportamiento agronómico e industrial de ocho variedades de Caña de Azúcar; (Saccharum ssp. Hibrido), en un vertisuelo oscuro plástico, (Suelo negro)

Ocho variedades de caña de azúcar (sacoharum ssp), fueron estudiadas en la estación experimental de caña de azúcar del complejo azucarero agro-industrial victoria de julio planteado en enero de 1987, tomando como diseño experimental el de bloque completo al azar, con cuatro repeticiones evaluando los durante la primera cosecha, por los caracteres, crecimiento, desarrollo, rendimiento agrícola, rendimiento industriales y rendimiento agro-industrial. Los resultados demostraron que existió diferencia significativa entre las variedades salvo en cuanto al contenido de sacarosa en caña, en donde las variedades se comportaron de igual forma. Las variedades L .72-3 y CP.63-588 se obtuvieron un rendimiento de 151.07 y 146.60 ton. /ha. Respectivamente, obteniendo el último lugar, asimismo dicha variedades obtuvieron los más bajo rendimiento con 17.76 y 17.13 ton. De azúcar por HA, donde el resto de las variedades evaluadas se comportaron con similar rendimiento agrícola a agro-industrial. Ubicándose en el primer lugar.

Efecto de los carotenoides sobre la pigmentación de la yema del huevo y la productividad de las aves

El presente ensayo tuvo por objeto determinar el efecto producido por un colorante natural y otro artificial, sobre la coloración de las yemas del huevo y la productividad de las aves. El experimento se realizó, en la Estación Experimental Agropecuaria "La Calera" (Managua) durante los meses de octubre y Noviembre de 1965. Para realizar el trabajo se utilizaron 60 gallinas Leghorn, divididas en cuatro grupos de 15 aves cada uno. Estos grupos fueron alimentados durante 2 periodos de 21 días, con raciones que contenían 2 dosis de achiote (Bixa orellana L.) y 1 dosis de "Carophyll 10" (Etil ester del ácido Beta-apo8-carotenoico). Los resultados indicaron que el "Carophyll 10" en dosis de 2 gramos por quintal confirió a las yemas una tonalidad amarillo - intenso (6 y 7) de la escala y no tuvo ningún efecto negativo sobre la postura. El achiote en dosis de 3 y 6 onzas por quintal confirió a las yemas un color amarillo mas claro, inferior al proporcionado por "Carophyll 10" y disminuyo considerablemente la postura a medida que aumentaba la dosis. El grupo alimentado con ración testigo produjo huevos con yemas amarillo muy claro (2 y 3 de la escala) inferior a las coloraciones obtenidas con los demás tratamientos.

Estudio técnico para la optimización de estructura metálica secundaria de naves industriales

[ES]En este trabajo se realizará la optimización de la estructura secundaria de una nave industrial. El trabajo se centrará concretamente en las correas, optimizando tanto correas de cubierta como correas laterales. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es lograr un prontuario de estos elementos para tener una referencia de los perfiles que se deben utilizar a la hora de dimensionar una nave industrial.

Plastic Analysis and Testing of multidirectional SFRC flag slabs

This paper presents a theoretical and experimental study of multidirectional steel fibers reinforced concrete slabs (SFRC). The study is based on a real building application using SFRC flag slabs. For the evaluation of the slabs bearing capacity, plastic calculations are performed both at section and structure levels. The section analysis uses the perfect plastic stress-strain diagram, with reference to the values of the strength characteristics of SFRC based on previous jobs that used similar fibers and dosages. In the structure analysis the plastic yield lines method has been used. This method relates the section last bearing moment and the plastic collapse load. The experimental campaign has consisted of the testing of six 2 m. diameter circular shaped slabs prototypes, and has allowed to verify the reference resistance used in the calculations.

Solar UV radiation drives CO2 fixation in marine phytoplankton: A double-edged sword

Photosynthesis by phytoplankton cells in aquatic environments contributes to more than 40% of the global primary production (Behrenfeld et al., 2006). Within the euphotic zone (down to 1% of surface photosynthetically active radiation [PAR]), cells are exposed not only to PAR (400-700 nm) but also to UV radiation (UVR; 280-400 nm) that can penetrate to considerable depths (Hargreaves, 2003). In contrast to PAR, which is energizing to photosynthesis, UVR is usually regarded as a stressor (Hader, 2003) and suggested to affect CO2-concentrating mechanisms in phytoplankton (Beardall et al., 2002). Solar UVR is known to reduce photosynthetic rates (Steemann Nielsen, 1964; Helbling et al., 2003), and damage cellular components such as D1 proteins (Sass et al., 1997) and DNA molecules (Buma et al., 2003). It can also decrease the growth (Villafane et al., 2003) and alter the rate of nutrient uptake (Fauchot et al., 2000) and the fatty acid composition (Goes et al., 1994) of phytoplankton. Recently, it has been found that natural levels of UVR can alter the morphology of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis (Wu et al., 2005b). On the other hand, positive effects of UVR, especially of UV- A (315-400 nm), have also been reported. UV- A enhances carbon fixation of phytoplankton under reduced (Nilawati et al., 1997; Barbieri et al., 2002) or fast-fluctuating (Helbling et al., 2003) solar irradiance and allows photorepair of UV- B-induced DNA damage (Buma et al., 2003). Furthermore, the presence of UV-A resulted in higher biomass production of A. platensis as compared to that under PAR alone (Wu et al., 2005a). Energy of UVR absorbed by the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries was found to cause fluorescence (Orellana et al., 2004). In addition, fluorescent pigments in corals and their algal symbiont are known to absorb UVR and play positive roles for the symbiotic photosynthesis and photoprotection (Schlichter et al., 1986; Salih et al., 2000). However, despite the positive effects that solar UVR may have on aquatic photosynthetic organisms, there is no direct evidence to what extent and howUVR per se is utilized by phytoplankton. In addition, estimations of aquatic biological production have been carried out in incubations considering only PAR (i. e. using UV-opaque vials made of glass or polycarbonate; Donk et al., 2001) without UVR being considered (Hein and Sand-Jensen, 1997; Schippers and Lurling, 2004). Here, we have found that UVR can act as an additional source of energy for photosynthesis in tropical marine phytoplankton, though it occasionally causes photoinhibition at high PAR levels. While UVR is usually thought of as damaging, our results indicate that UVR can enhance primary production of phytoplankton. Therefore, oceanic carbon fixation estimates may be underestimated by a large percentage if UVR is not taken into account.