Sorbent Materials Characterization Based on Mechanical or Thermal Pretreated Montmorillonite Modified by Surfactant Loading for Improved Chromium Retention

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - The treatment efficiency of Chlorella sorokiniana and Scenedesmus species, immobilized in sodium alginate, was evaluated for removing nitrate from groundwater....     

Biological Activities of Chickpea in Human Health (Cicer arietinum L.). A Review

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Chickpea is one of the most consumed legumes worldwide. Among their benefits are the high protein concentration that reflects not only at the nutritional level but...     

St. John’s Wort Herbal Teas – Biological Potential and Chemometric Approach to Quality Control

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - St. John’s wort has been used for centuries in traditional medicine of many cultures, and nowadays it is well-known as a clinically important antidepressant...     

Sorghum Pasta and Noodles: Technological and Nutritional Aspects

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Sorghum is a major cereal crop with various agronomic advantages, contains health-promoting compounds and is gluten-free. There is a growing tendency to use...     

Effects of Fermentation Conditions Using Lactobacillus plantarum on the Charantin,Stigmasterol Glucoside and β-sitosterol Glucoside Contents of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) Juice

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Bitter gourd fruits contain high amounts of charantin, stigmasterol glucoside and β-sitosterol glucoside, which have been shown to provide health benefits for...     

车前子提取物抑制扑热息痛诱导小鼠肝损伤的作用研究

【目的】研究车前子提取物干预扑热息痛(Acetaminophen,APAP)引起小鼠肝损伤的作用,并探究其潜在作用机制。【方法】运用半仿生酶法提取车前子活性成分,采用液相色谱-质谱联用(LC-MS)检测其主要成分。体内研究车前子提取物对APAP肝损伤的保护作用,将60只雌性昆明小白鼠随机分为正常对照组(NC)、APAP肝损伤模型组(LD)、车前子对照组(PA)以及APAP干预的车前子提取物高、中、低剂量组(HPA+LC、MPA+LD、LPA+LD)。其中NC组和LD组小鼠灌胃生理盐水、PA组小鼠灌胃200μg/mL车前子提取物,HPA+LD,MPA+LD和LPA+LD组小鼠分别灌胃车前子提取物200,100,50μg/mL,每天2次,连续6 d;末次给药12 h后,采血并分离肝脏,检测血清谷丙转氨酶(ALT)和谷草转氨酶(AST)活性,评价肝脏损伤程度;检测肝脏中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性及谷胱甘肽(GSH)、过氧化氢(H_2O_2)和丙二醛(MDA)含量,评价肝脏的氧化应激程度;检测CYP2E1 mRNA和蛋白表达,并通过细胞色素P450酶2E1(Cytochrome 2E1,CYP2E1)法体外筛选车前子抗APAP肝损伤可能的有效成分。【结果】LC-MS检测发现,车前子提取物有37种主要成分;血清生化指标检测发现,不同剂量的车前子提取物明显减少APAP诱导的氧化产物,增强抗氧化防御能力,减轻肝脏损伤且呈剂量依赖性;车前子提取物显著降低CYP2E1 mRNA和蛋白表达,说明车前子抑制CYP2E1的活性;车前子提取物中抗APAP肝损伤的有效成分为车前草苷D、车前草苷E、高车前素和高车前苷。【结论】车前子提取物的有效成分为车前草苷D、车前草苷E、高车前素和高车前苷。车前子提取物对APAP诱导的肝损伤具有保护作用,其潜在作用机制可能与抑制肝脏CYP2E1的表达和活性有关。     

Movement patterns of an avian generalist predator indicate functional heterogeneity in agricultural landscape

Landscape Ecology - Biodiversity is closely related to landscape heterogeneity, but both are difficult to evaluate directly. Apex predators, such as raptors, are potential surrogate indicators of...     

Thresholds,sensitive stages and genetic variability of finger millet to high temperature stress

Finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.] is an important coarse cereal crop grown in the arid and semi‐arid regions and often experiences high temperature (HT) stress. The objectives of this research were (i) to quantify effects of season‐long HT stress on physiological and yield traits, (ii) to identify the developmental stages most sensitive to HT stress and (iii) to quantify the genetic variability for HT stress tolerance in finger millet. Research was conducted in controlled environment conditions. HT stress decreased the chlorophyll index, photosystem II activity, grain yield and harvest index. Maximum decrease in number of seeds per panicle and grain yield per plant was observed when stress was imposed during booting, panicle emergence or flowering stages. Maximum genotypic variation was explained by panicle width and number of seeds per panicle at optimum temperature (OT) and grain yield per plant at HT and number of seeds at HT. Based on the stress response and grain yield, tolerant or susceptible genotypes were identified. Finger millet is sensitive to HT stress during reproductive stages, and there was genotypic variability among the finger millet genotypes for number of seeds per panicle and grain yield under HT, which can be exploited to enhance stress tolerance.     

Invasive Chinese pond mussel Sinanodonta woodiana threatens native mussel reproduction by inducing cross‐resistance of host fish

1. The effects of invasive alien species (IAS) on host–affiliate relationships are often subtle and remain unnoticed or insufficiently quantified. The global decline of freshwater unionid mussel species has been attributed to many causes, but little is known about the interactions of IAS, with their complex life cycle, which includes an obligatory parasitic stage (the glochidium) that develops on fishes.
2. The capacity of a European freshwater mussel, Anodonta anatina, to develop on its widespread fish host, Squalius cephalus was tested experimentally, after previous infestations by the IAS, Sinanodonta (Anodonta) woodiana. The initial attachment of glochidia, the length of the parasitic period, and the metamorphosis success rate of A. anatina glochidia were compared among treatments of different priming infestation intensities.
3. The metamorphosis success rate of the native A. anatina glochidia was strongly reduced (Wilcoxon Signed‐Rank Test, P < 0.001) and declined by 42.1 and 45.4% on fish hosts that were previously exposed to S. woodiana by single and multiple priming infestations, respectively, in comparison with the control group. Such cross‐resistance is expected to decrease significantly the quality of the host resources available to native mussels.
4. This study provides the first evidence of the host‐mediated adverse impact of invasive S. woodiana on native mussel species. These results also highlight the importance of potential competition for hosts between threatened groups of affiliate species and their invasive counterparts, which should be reflected in conservation strategies.

     

Docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n‐3) alters cortisol response after air exposure in Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes) larvae fed on enriched Artemia

This study investigated the effect of different proportions of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) on the growth, survival and stress response of curimba (Prochilodus lineatus Valenciennes) larvae, an omnivorous freshwater species, fed on enriched Artemia. Six different experimental emulsions were formulated to have two levels of ARA (A‐0.5 and A‐1.0), two levels of DHA (D‐0.5 and D‐1.0) two combinations of ARA and DHA (AD‐3:1 and AD‐1:3). There were no significant effects of treatments on curimba standard length and survival at the end of the experiment. The results showed a negative correlation between dietary DHA and whole‐body cortisol after 60 s of air exposure. The resting concentration of cortisol was not affected by the diets (p = .424). After air exposure, all treatments except for D‐1.0 (p = .137) and D‐0.5 (p = .545) exhibited a marked cortisol rise. These results showed that DHA supplementation can have an attenuating effect on cortisol response after air exposure.