Extract from the Zooxanthellate Jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata Modulates Gap Junction Intercellular Communication in Human Cell Cultures

On a global scale, jellyfish populations in coastal marine ecosystems exhibit increasing trends of abundance. High-density outbreaks may directly or indirectly affect human economical and recreational activities, as well as public health. As the interest in biology of marine jellyfish grows, a number of jellyfish metabolites with healthy potential, such as anticancer or antioxidant activities, is increasingly reported. In this study, the Mediterranean “fried egg jellyfish” Cotylorhiza tuberculata (Macri, 1778) has been targeted in the search forputative valuable bioactive compounds. A medusa extract was obtained, fractionated, characterized by HPLC, GC-MS and SDS-PAGE and assayed for its biological activity on breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKa). The composition of the jellyfish extract included photosynthetic pigments, valuable ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids, and polypeptides derived either from jellyfish tissues and their algal symbionts. Extract fractions showed antioxidant activity and the ability to affect cell viability and intercellular communication mediated by gap junctions (GJIC) differentially in MCF-7and HEKa cells. A significantly higher cytotoxicity and GJIC enhancement in MCF-7 compared to HEKa cells was recorded. A putative action mechanism for the anticancer bioactivity through the modulation of GJIC has been hypothesized and its nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potential was discussed.     

Changes in the chemical composition of reduced cooked musts during the heating process

Cooked must is the starting raw material in Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena (ABTM) production, and the cooking process is a crucial step to ensure quality and safety standards. In particular, the furfural content has to be strictly monitored. In this study, we followed, directly at the production plant, nine cooking processes, differing for grape type and process conditions in order to monitor the actual variability in cooked must reduction. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and furfural contents were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique and glucose, fructose, and tartaric and malic acids by gas chromatography (GC) technique. Furthermore, some bulk properties, such as the water content, refractive index, density, and total acidity, were also measured. The obtained results show that the product undergoes, in the worse operating conditions, remarkable degradation, leading to extremely high levels of furfurals (5-HMF and furfural), corresponding to a water content lower than 40%. On the basis of these results, a first draft of an optimal heating protocol may be suggested in order to guarantee the safety and quality of the final product.     

Is risk consistent across tier‐based harvest control rule management systems? A comparison of four case‐studies

There can be substantial differences in data quality and quantity among fished species. Consequently, the quality and type of assessments can also vary substantially. However, all species, especially those that are targeted, need to be managed. Several jurisdictions have developed hierarchical tier systems that categorize stocks based on, for example, the data available for assessment purposes and/or the extent to which quantities on which management advice is based can be estimated. Four case‐studies (Australia's Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery, the USA west coast groundfishery, the USA Alaskan crab fishery and EU fisheries) are used to contrast the types of hierarchical tier systems available, and to assess the extent to which each system constrains risk to be equivalent among the tiers (termed risk equivalency). Only the Australian system explicitly aims to achieve risk equivalency. However, this intent has not been fully operationalized. Our review reveals that best practice is not to define tiers simply on data availability, but also on what the assessments based on those data are capable of estimating. In addition, clearly differentiating the quantification of uncertainty from how decision‐makers wish to address that uncertainty would simplify justification of buffers (the gap between the assessment‐produced target catch or effort and the final management decision that accounts for uncertainty and risk). Risk equivalency can be achieved using management strategy evaluation to select the values for control variables, which determine the buffer given the uncertainty associated with the assessment.     

Organic matter derived from kelp supports a large proportion of biomass in temperate rocky reef fish communities: Implications for ecosystem‐based management

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Phaseolus coccineus Storage Proteins II. Electrophoretic Analysis and Erythroagglutinating Activity in Various Cultivars

Biochemical analyses of seed storage proteins of Phaseolus coccineus have been carried out to identify seventeen different cultivars. The electrophoretic patterns in native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and denaturing conditions (SDS-PAGE); evidenced qualitative and quantitative differences for the three major protein components: legumin, vicilin and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). The results were confirmed by isoelectrofocusing (IEF) analyses. Erythroagglutination tests showed the presence of high agglutinating activity particularly in cultivars with low vicilin content. The experimental results allow one to distinguish all the cultivars by their electrophoretic spectra and agglutinating activities.     

Genetic variation for phenolic acids concentration and composition in a tetraploid wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum turgidum</Emphasis> L.) collection

Phenolic acid intake through the consumption of whole-wheat foods provides important health benefits associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular diseases and colon cancer. The genetic variation for phenolic acids was extensively studied in common wheat, but a comprehensive survey in tetraploid wheat is lacking. In this study we evaluated the genetic variability for individual and total phenolic acids concentration existing in a large collection of tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum L.). A 2-year evaluation was undertaken on the whole-meal flour of 111 genotypes belonging to seven T. turgidum subspecies including cultivars, landraces and wild accessions. Durum cultivars [T. turgidum subsp. durum (Desf.) MacKey], had the highest average concentration of total phenolic acids (828.7 μg g^?1 dm in 2012; 834.5 μg g^?1 dm in 2013) with amounts varying from 550.9 μg g^?1 dm to 1701.2 μg g^?1 dm, indicating a variation of greater than threefold fold. The lowest concentration of phenolic acids was found in T. turgidum subsp. dicoccum (Schrank ex Schübler) Thell. Rivet wheat (T. turgidum L. subsp. turgidum) had phenolic acid concentrations similar to those in durum, but less variation was noted among the accessions. On the other hand, the accessions of the four remaining subspecies showed lower phenolic acid concentrations and variation among the accessions as compared to durum. A total of six phenolic acids were identified across the wheat genotypes. The effects of genotype, year and year × genotype were estimated by ANOVA and resulted significant for all phenolic acids. The ratio of genotypic variance to total variance suggested the possibility of improving phenolic acid content in elite wheat germplasm through appropriate breeding programs. Moreover, significant correlations between phenolic acids and other quality characteristics of the grain were detected.     

The Bright Side of Gelatinous Blooms: Nutraceutical Value and Antioxidant Properties of Three Mediterranean Jellyfish (Scyphozoa)

Jellyfish are recorded with increasing frequency and magnitude in many coastal areas and several species display biological features comparable to the most popular Asiatic edible jellyfish. The biochemical and antioxidant properties of wild gelatinous biomasses, in terms of nutritional and nutraceutical values, are still largely unexplored. In this paper, three of the most abundant and commonly recorded jellyfish species (Aurelia sp.1, Cotylorhiza tuberculata and Rhizostoma pulmo) in the Mediterranean Sea were subject to investigation. A sequential enzymatic hydrolysis of jellyfish proteins was set up by pepsin and collagenase treatments of jellyfish samples after aqueous or hydroalcoholic protein extraction. The content and composition of proteins, amino acids, phenolics, and fatty acids of the three species were recorded and compared. Protein content (mainly represented by collagen) up to 40% of jellyfish dry weight were found in two of the three jellyfish species (C. tuberculata and R. pulmo), whereas the presence of ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was significantly higher in the zooxanthellate jellyfish C. tuberculata only. Remarkable antioxidant ability was also recorded from both proteinaceous and non proteinaceous extracts and the hydrolyzed protein fractions in all the three species. The abundance of collagen, peptides and other bioactive molecules make these Mediterranean gelatinous biomasses a largely untapped source of natural compounds of nutraceutical, cosmeceutical and pharmacological interest.     

Conditioning Horses at v10 3 Times per Week Does Not Enhance v4

This study examined the effect of exercising horses 3 times per week with two bouts of 5-minutes' duration at their v₁₀. Six Thoroughbreds were treadmill-conditioned for 6 weeks. A standardized exercise test (SET) was performed at the beginning of the conditioning period to determine the blood lactate–running speed (BLRS) relation, and the SET was repeated every 2 weeks. After each SET, the BLRS relation was used to calculate the horse's speed, which produced a blood lactate (LA) concentration of 10 mmol/L (v₁₀) and 4 mmol/L (v₄). Each horse was then conditioned for the next 2 weeks (3 times/week) at its individual v₁₀ for two 5-minute bouts with a 5-minute walking phase in between. Exercise speed was individually adapted to the new v₁₀ every 2 weeks. The v₄ of horses decreased after the first 2 weeks (from 6.23 ± 0.41 m/s to 5.95 ± 0.33 m/s, mean ± SD; P < .05), increased in the following 2 weeks (6.33 ± 0.58 m/s; P < .01), and stayed constant thereafter (P > .05). The conclusion drawn was that exercising horses 3 times per week at their v₁₀ for two 5-minute bouts did not improve v₄.     

First record of Prociphilus (Meliarhizophagus) fraxinifolii (Riley) [Hemiptera: Aphididae] in the Iberian Peninsula

Prociphilus (Meliarhizophagus) fraxinifolii is recorded for the first time on Fraxinus pennsylvanica in Spain. The species, which is of Nearctic origin, is also present in Europe in Hungary (from 2003), Serbia (from 2006) and Bulgaria (from 2007).     

Advantages of using non-isothermal bioreactors in agricultural waste water treatment by means of immobilized urease. Study on the influence of spacer length and immobilization method

The behavior of three different catalytic membranes, obtained by immobilizing urease on nylon sheets chemically grafted with methyl methacrylate, was studied in a bioreactor operating under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Membrane activation was carried out by condensation or acyl azide reaction, and spacers of different lengths, such as hexamethylendiamine or hydrazine, were used. Under isothermal conditions, the activities of the catalytic membranes and soluble urease were characterized as a function of pH, temperature, and urea concentration. Both enzyme forms showed the same optimum pH, whereas the optimum temperature was lower for the immobilized enzymes. The spacer length appeared to determine broader pH- and temperature-activity profiles for the urease derivatives. The apparent K(m) values of the insoluble urease were dependent on membrane type and were higher than those of the soluble counterpart, thus indicating an affinity loss for urea. Under non-isothermal conditions, all membranes exhibited an increase of percentage activity proportional to the applied temperature difference and decreasing with the increase of urea concentrations. A decrease of the apparent K(m) was also observed. These results suggest that substrate diffusion limitations due to the immobilization process can be overcome in the presence of temperature gradients. In addition, the remarkable reduction of the production times supports the use of non-isothermal bioreactors for the treatment of urea-polluted waste waters.