Looking Beyond the Terrestrial: The Potential of Seaweed Derived Bioactives to Treat Non-Communicable Diseases

Seaweeds are a large and diverse group of marine organisms that are commonly found in the maritime regions of the world. They are an excellent source of biologically active secondary metabolites and have been shown to exhibit a wide range of therapeutic properties, including anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities. Several Asian cultures have a strong tradition of using different varieties of seaweed extensively in cooking as well as in herbal medicines preparations. As such, seaweeds have been used to treat a wide variety of health conditions such as cancer, digestive problems, and renal disorders. Today, increasing numbers of people are adopting a “westernised lifestyle” characterised by low levels of physical exercise and excessive calorific and saturated fat intake. This has led to an increase in numbers of chronic Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus, being reported. Recently, NCDs have replaced communicable infectious diseases as the number one cause of human mortality. Current medical treatments for NCDs rely mainly on drugs that have been obtained from the terrestrial regions of the world, with the oceans and seas remaining largely an untapped reservoir for exploration. This review focuses on the potential of using seaweed derived bioactives including polysaccharides, antioxidants and fatty acids, amongst others, to treat chronic NCDs such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus.     

Assessment of regional variation in climate on the management of dairy cow systems in Ireland using a simulation model

A dairy system simulator, Dairy_sim, was designed to assess the interactions between climate and management in spring‐calving milk production systems based on the grazing of grass pastures. The simulator comprises three main components: a grass herbage growth model, an intake and grazing behaviour model, and a nutrient demand model. The simulator was initially parameterized using the Irish National Dairy Blueprint. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the simulator was most sensitive to stocking rate, milk output per cow and nitrogen fertilizer inputs, but less sensitive to other variables. Field data from four grazing systems were used to test the simulator and it was concluded that Dairy_sim was suitable for evaluating the interaction of climate and management for rotational grazing dairy systems based on perennial ryegrass pastures with Friesian cows. The simulator, Dairy_sim, was then used to evaluate the effects of the regional climates of Ireland on system management. The results indicated that, between regions, herbage production at the same input of nitrogen may vary proportionally by 0·10 and that the length of the grazing season may vary by 0·25. It was concluded that the simulator could be a useful tool for developing region‐specific dairy production blueprints.     

Factors to consider in Micronesian food-based interventions: a case study of preventing vitamin A deficiency

BACKGROUND: Many factors need to be considered in a food-based intervention. Vitamin A deficiency and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, have become serious problems in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) following the decreased production and consumption of locally grown foods. However, agricultural and social conditions are still favourable for local food production. AIM: To identify key factors to consider in a Micronesian food-based intervention focusing on increased production and consumption of four major Micronesian staple foods: banana, breadfruit, giant swamp taro and pandanus. METHODS: Ethnographic methods including key informant interviews and a literature review. RESULTS: Pacific and Micronesian values, concepts of food and disease, and food classifications differ sharply from Western concepts. There are few FSM professionals with nutrition expertise. Traditional foods and food cultivars vary in nutrient content, consumption level, cost, availability, status, convenience in growing, storing and cooking, and organoleptic factors. CONCLUSIONS: A systematic consideration of the factors that relate to a food-based intervention is critical to its success. The evaluation of which food and cultivar of that food that might be most effectively promoted is also critical. Regional differences, for example FSM inter-island differences between the staple foods and cultivars, must be considered carefully. The evaluation framework presented here may be relevant to Pacific Island and other countries with similar foods where food-based interventions are being planned. An ethnographic approach was found to be essential in understanding the cultural context and in data collection and analysis.     

Culture media promoting sporulation of rice kernel smut fungus Tilletia barclayana

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Rice kernel smut, caused by Tilletia barclayana, is an important fungal disease in rice worldwide. It can cause considerable losses of yield and milling...     

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Exposure

Many antidepressants inhibit serotonin or norepinephrine reuptake or both to achieve their clinical effect. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class of antidepressants (SSRIs) includes citalopram, escitalopram (active enantiomer of citalopram), fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, and sertraline. The SSRIs are as effective as tricyclic antidepressants in treatment of major depression with less significant side effects. As a result, they have become the largest class of medications prescribed to humans for depression. They are also used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorders, alcoholism, obesity, migraines, and chronic pain. An SSRI (fluoxetine) has been approved for veterinary use in treatment of canine separation anxiety. SSRIs act specifically on synaptic serotonin concentrations by blocking its reuptake in the presynapse and increasing levels in the presynaptic membrane. Clinical signs of SSRI overdose result from excessive amounts of serotonin in the central nervous system. These signs include nausea, vomiting, mydriasis, hypersalivation, and hyperthermia. Clinical signs are dose dependent and higher dosages may result in the serotonin syndrome that manifests itself as ataxia, tremors, muscle rigidity, hyperthermia, diarrhea, and seizures. Current studies reveal no increase in appearance of any specific clinical signs of serotonin toxicity with regard to any SSRI medication. In people, citalopram has been reported to have an increased risk of electrocardiographic abnormalities. Diagnosis of SSRI poisoning is based on history, clinical signs, and response to therapy. No single clinical test is currently available to confirm SSRI toxicosis. The goals of treatment in this intoxication are to support the animal, prevent further absorption of the drug, support the central nervous system, control hyperthermia, and halt any seizure activity. The relative safety of the SSRIs in overdose despite the occurrence of serotonin syndrome makes them more desirable than other antidepressants. The prognosis in animals that receive treatment is excellent. In one retrospective study, there were no deaths in 313 SSRI-poisoned dogs. No characteristic or classic histopathologic lesions result from SSRI toxicosis. Differential diagnoses for SSRI overdose must include ingestions of other serotonergic medications such as phenylpiperidine opioids (fentanyl and tramadol), mirtazapine, buspirone, amitraz, and chlorpheniramine.     

Addressing the Dilemmas of Measuring Amylose in Rice

Amylose content is a parameter that correlates with the cooking behavior of rice. It is measured at the earliest possible stages of rice improvement programs to enable breeders to build the foundations of appropriate grain quality during cultivar development. Amylose is usually quantified by absorbance of the amylose‐iodine complex. The International Network for Quality Rice (INQR) conducted a survey to determine ways that amylose is measured, reproducibility between laboratories, and sources of variation. Each laboratory measured the amylose content of a set of 17 cultivars of rice. The study shows that five different versions of the iodine binding method are in use. The data show that repeatability was high within laboratories but reproducibility between laboratories was low. The major sources of variability were the way the standard curve was constructed and the iodine binding capacity of the potato amylose used to produce the standard. Reproducibility is much lower between laboratories using a standard curve of potato amylose alone compared with those using calibrated rice cultivars. This study highlights the need to standardize the way amylose is measured, and presents research avenues for doing so.     

Measuring water stress in a wheat crop on a spatial scale using airborne thermal and multispectral imagery

A modified stress index is proposed that accounts for both chronic and acute water stress. Current trapezoid methods that use vegetation cover and temperature indices do not necessarily measure chronic conditions. The modified method describes the chronic stress as the ratio of actual crop cover to its potential expressed such that zero stress occurs when actual cover equals or exceeds the potential as determined by a simulation model. The advantage of such a definition is that in areas where full groundcover is rarely achieved, such as semi-arid regions, a more realistic and conservative stress condition will be observed. Airborne thermal and multispectral images were acquired at four growth stages of a wheat crop from a site in Victoria, Australia with experimental plots having rain-fed and irrigated regimes over two seasons (2005 and 2006). The theoretical basis of vector determination was adopted for trapezoidal extent per season. The relationship between such chronic stress and acute stress is explored and show that in any 2 years large differences between these stresses exist.     

The poison-proof practice

Toxicology is the medical discipline that studies the often dramatic effects that poisons can have on living organisms. The body of toxicological information that the practicing veterinarian must deal with is growing exponentially. The veterinary clinician must come to understand the source of potential toxicants, circumstances leading up to poisoning episodes, must recognize the clinical signs of a wide variety of poisons, be able to diagnose intoxications, successfully treat and manage exposed animals, and institute strategies that educate the public and help prevent future poisonings. This is a tremendously tall order and can be not a little bit overwhelming. Fortunately, the clinicians are not alone and have tremendous resources in their corner, including veterinary schools, regional poison and drug centers, national veterinary hot lines utilizing board-certified veterinary toxicologists, local toxicologists and an ever-growing body of literature concerning small animal poisoning management. This discussion will investigate ways in which to make this seemingly daunting field much more palatable to small animal practitioners.