Plasma levels of six carotenoids in nine European countries: report from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)

BACKGROUND: In addition to their possible direct biological effects, plasma carotenoids can be used as biochemical markers of fruit and vegetable consumption for identifying diet-disease associations in epidemiological studies. Few studies have compared levels of these carotenoids between countries in Europe. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the variability of plasma carotenoid levels within the cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). METHODS: Plasma levels of six carotenoids--alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin--were measured cross-sectionally in 3043 study subjects from 16 regions in nine European countries. We investigated the relative influence of gender, season, age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake and smoking status on plasma levels of the carotenoids. RESULTS: Mean plasma level of the sum of the six carotenoids varied twofold between regions (1.35 micromol l(-1) for men in Malm?, Sweden vs. 2.79 micromol l(-1) for men in Ragusa/Naples, Italy; 1.61 micromol l(-1) for women in The Netherlands vs. 3.52 micromol l(-1) in Ragusa/Naples, Italy). Mean levels of individual carotenoids varied up to fourfold (alpha-carotene: 0.06 micromol l(-1) for men in Murcia, Spain vs. 0.25 micromol l(-1) for vegetarian men living in the UK). In multivariate regression analyses, region was the most important predictor of total plasma carotenoid level (partial R(2)=27.3%), followed by BMI (partial R(2)=5.2%), gender (partial R(2)=2.7%) and smoking status (partial R(2)=2.8%). Females had higher total carotenoid levels than males across Europe. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma levels of carotenoids vary substantially between 16 different regions in Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Germany, the UK, Sweden, Denmark and The Netherlands. Compared with region of residence, the other demographic and lifestyle factors and laboratory measurements have limited predictive value for plasma carotenoid levels in Europe.     

Collection of plant genetic resources in Italy 1989

Summary Exploration and collection of plant genetic resources were continued in central Italy 1989—regions Abruzzo, Umbria, Marche, Toscana.Triticum dicoccon was used as an indicator for traditional agriculture. 169 accessions were collected, mainly of cereals, vegetables and grain legumes. Worth mentioning are land-races ofTriticum aestivum, T. durum, Secale cereale, Pisum sativum, Lactuca sativa andCucurbita maxima. Brassica oleracea var.palmifolia, the palm-leaved kale, is an important vegetable in the Toscana. Several other rare crops could be also collected.

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Sammlung pflanzlicher genetischer Ressourcen in Italien 1989

Zusammenfassung Die Exploration und Sammlung pflanzlicher genetischer Ressourcen wurden 1989 in Mittelitalien fortgesetzt — Regionen Abruzzo, Umbria, Marche, Toscana.Triticum dicoccon wurde als Indikator für traditionelle Landwirtschaft verwendet. 169 Proben wurden gesammelt, hauptsächlich von Getreiden, Gemüsen und Körnerleguminosen. Erwähnenswert sind Landsorten vonTriticum aestivum, T. durum, Secale cereale, Pisum sativum undCucurbita maxima. Brassica oleracea var.palmifolia, der Palmkohl, ist ein wichtiges Gemüse in der Toscana. Verschiedene andere seltene Fruchtarten konnten ebenfalls gesammelt werden.

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1989

1989 , , , .Triticum dicoccon . 169 , , . Triticum aestivum, T. durum, Secale cereale, Pisum sativum Cucurbita maxima. Brassica oleracea var.palmifolia, , . .

     

Pharmacokinetics of injectable marbofloxacin after intravenous and intramuscular administration in red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans)

Fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs are currently used in reptilian medicine because of their broad spectrum of activity including the most frequent pathogens of these species. The disposition kinetics of marbofloxacin (MBX) at a single dose of 2 mg/kg were determined in healthy red-eared sliders after intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) administration. The influence of renal portal system on the bioavailability of the drug was investigated by using forelimb and hindlimb as IM injection sites. Apparent volume of distribution at steady-state (V_ss) and systemic clearance (Cl) of marbofloxacin after IV administration were estimated to be 48.21 ± 5.42 ml/kg and 23.38 ± 2.90 ml/hr·kg, respectively. The absolute bioavailabilities after IM route were 45.96% (forelimb) and 52.09% (hindlimb). The lack of statistically significant differences in most of the pharmacokinetic parameters after the two IM injection sites suggests a negligible influence of renal portal system in clinical use of MBX, although the C_max after IM_fore administration is advantageous, having into account the concentration-dependent action of this antibiotic. The absence of visible adverse reactions in the animals and the advantageous pharmacokinetic properties suggest the possibility of its safe and effective clinical use in red-eared sliders.     

Antibody multispecificity mediated by conformational diversity

A single antibody was shown to adopt different binding-site conformations and thereby bind unrelated antigens. Analysis by both x-ray crystallography and pre-steady-state kinetics revealed an equilibrium between different preexisting isomers, one of which possessed a promiscuous, low-affinity binding site for aromatic ligands, including the immunizing hapten. A subsequent induced-fit isomerization led to high-affinity complexes with a deep and narrow binding site. A protein antigen identified by repertoire selection made use of an unrelated antibody isomer with a wide, shallow binding site. Conformational diversity, whereby one sequence adopts multiple structures and multiple functions, can increase the effective size of the antibody repertoire but may also lead to autoimmunity and allergy.     

Long-term dynamic of nestedness in bird assemblages inhabiting fragmented landscapes

Landscape Ecology - Nestedness is a common pattern of species assemblages in fragmented landscapes. The spatial pattern and ecological drivers of nested communities have been widely explored, but...     

Seroconversion for Anaplasma phagocytophilum in a Mare with Concomitant Piroplasmosis

In this article, we describe the clinical course of a 3-year-old purebred mare at the third month of gestation found to be positive for Theileria equi (indirect immunofluorescence antibody test and polymerase chain reaction) at the time of the first evaluation. At the clinical examination, the mare showed profound depression, pale mucous membranes, enlarged lymph nodes, febrile temperature, hind limbs edema, and swelling of the right carpus. Anemia and thrombocytopenia were also observed. Because of worsening of clinical signs, treatment with oxytetracycline (6 mg/kg) was started. An improvement of clinical conditions was observed within 12 hours, with a full recovery in 2 weeks. Two months after the first hospitalization, new serological tests showed seroconversion to Anaplasma phagocytophilum. In conclusion, the severity of clinical signs was attributed to the concomitant infections, usually subclinical in Sicily.     

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of the apple flesh and peel of eleven cultivars grown in Brazil

The total phenolic, flavanol, monomeric anthocyanin contents and the antioxidant activity of flesh and peel of 11 apple cultivars from Brazil were investigated. Concentrations of the parameters measured differed significantly among the apple cultivars and were highest in the peel compared to the flesh. Total phenolic content (mg GAE/100 g fresh matter) ranged from 128.3 (Golden Delicious) to 212.0 (Epagri-F₅P₂₈₃) in the flesh and 304.6 (Golden Delicious) to 712.6 (Catarina) in the peel. Total flavanol content (mg CAE/100 g fm) varied from 11.7 (Epagri-SJ11) to 28.2 (Epagri-F₄₃P₂₃) and from 32.4 (Epagri-SJ11) to 147.7 (Catarina) in the flesh and peel, respectively. COOP-24 peel had the highest total anthocyanin content. The Epagri-F5P283 and Epagri-F43P23 flesh and Catarina peel had the highest antioxidant activity while Golden Delicious flesh and peel had the lowest. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were significantly correlated in both flesh (R² = 0.717) and peel (R² = 0.716). The contribution of phenolics to the antioxidant activity in peel suggests that their removal may induce a significant loss of antioxidants.     

Metabolic profiling of strawberry grape ( Vitis × labruscana cv. 'Isabella') components by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and evaluation of their antioxidant and antiproliferative properties

In the assessment of the antioxidant properties of edible plants, the widely consumed Vitis × labruscana cv. 'Isabella', known in Italy as "fragola" (strawberry) grape, was of interest. Phenol and flavonoid contents of the methanolic extracts of peel, pulp, seed, leaf, and stalk components of the plant were determined. The metabolic profile of the extracts was performed by 1D and 2D NMR. Quantitative analysis, obtained in the presence of 0.01% of internal standard trimethylsilyl propionate, evidenced the presence of catechins in both stalk and seed extracts, whereas caffeic acid and quercetin were the main metabolites of the leaf extract. Furthermore, the extracts were tested for their radical scavenging and reducing capacities by measuring their capacity to scavenge DPPH(?) and ABTS(?+) and to reduce Fe(III) and Mo(VI) salts. The antioxidant efficacy of the extracts in cell-free systems and their antiproliferative activity toward HepG2 and A549 cells were also evaluated. Seed and stalk components are able to reduce by 39.6 and 40.6%, respectively, the amount of the metabolically active HepG2 cells after only 24 h of exposure.     

Derivatives of erythropoietin that are tissue protective but not erythropoietic

Erythropoietin (EPO) is both hematopoietic and tissue protective, putatively through interaction with different receptors. We generated receptor subtype-selective ligands allowing the separation of EPO's bioactivities at the cellular level and in animals. Carbamylated EPO (CEPO) or certain EPO mutants did not bind to the classical EPO receptor (EPOR) and did not show any hematopoietic activity in human cell signaling assays or upon chronic dosing in different animal species. Nevertheless, CEPO and various nonhematopoietic mutants were cytoprotective in vitro and conferred neuroprotection against stroke, spinal cord compression, diabetic neuropathy, and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis at a potency and efficacy comparable to EPO.