Does white wine qualify for French paradox? Comparison of the cardioprotective effects of red and white wines and their constituents: resveratrol, tyrosol, and hydroxytyrosol

It is generally believed that the French paradox is related to the consumption of red wine and not other varieties of wine, including white wine or champagne. Some recent studies have indicated that white wine could also be as cardioprotective as red wine. The present investigation compares the cardioprotective abilities of red wine, white wine, and their principal cardioprotective constituents. Different groups of rats were gavaged with red wine, white wine, resveratrol, tyrosol, and hydroxytyrosol. Red wine and its constituent resveratrol and white wine and its constituents tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol all showed different degrees of cardioprotection as evidenced by their abilities to improve postischemic ventricular performance, reduce myocardial infarct size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and reduce peroxide formation. It was discovered in this study that although each of the wines and their components increased the enzymatic activities of the mitochondrial complex (I-IV) and citrate synthase, which play very important roles in oxidative phosphorylation and ATP synthesis, some of the groups were more complex-specific in inducing the activity compared to the other groups. Cardioprotective ability was further confirmed by increased expression of phospho-Akt, Bcl-2, eNOS, iNOS, COX-1, COX-2, Trx-1, Trx-2, and HO-1. The results of this study suggest that white wine can provide cardioprotection similar to red wine if it is rich in tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol.     

The influence of photoperiod and plant density on yield of winter-grown gladioli in Queensland

The yields of inflorescences, corms and cormlets, and the inflorescence quality of winter-grown gladioli in south-east Queensland, were studied under 2 daylength regimes, 3 plant densities (150 000, 300 000 and 450 000 corms ha^?1) and 3 plant arrangements (bed, double row and single row). The daylength treatments were the natural daylength (12.3–14.5 hours) and a 24-hour photoperiod treatment in which natural daylengths were extended using incandescent light of an intensity of 150 lux. Two cultivars were used.Extending the photoperiod to 24 hours delayed flowering by approximately 15 days, and increased the number of inflorescences harvested from low, medium and high density treatments by 20, 91 and 169%, respectively, when compared to the inflorescence yield from these density treatments under natural daylengths. The quality of the inflorescences from the high-density treatment receiving the 24-hour photoperiod was similar or superior in all quality characteristics to that of inflorescences grown under the most favourable density treatment under natural daylengths (150 000 corm ha^?1). Plant arrangement had little effect on the number of days to flowering or inflorescence yield but inflorescence quality was improved when plants were grown in a double-row arrangement compared to those from the bed or single-row arrangements. Extension of the photoperiod had no effect on the number of new corms per plot. However, the average weight of new corms and the weight of cormlets per plot and per corm were reduced by approximately 32, 71 and 63%, respectively, when compared to the results obtained from plants grown under natural daylengths. These results suggest that flowers compete for available photosynthates with corms and cormlet development.The economic feasibility of extending photoperiod for the commercial production of winter-grown gladioli in south-east Queensland is discussed.     

Treatment of cattle with DNA-encoded Flt3L and GM-CSF prior to immunization with Theileria parva candidate vaccine antigens induces CD4 and CD8 T cell IFN-γ responses but not CTL responses

Theileria parva antigens recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are prime vaccine candidates against East Coast fever in cattle. A strategy for enhancing induction of parasite-specific T cell responses by increasing recruitment and activation of dendritic cells (DCs) at the immunization site by administration of bovine Flt3L and GM-CSF prior to inoculation with DNA vaccine constructs and MVA boost was evaluated. Analysis of immune responses showed induction of significant T. parva-specific proliferation, and IFN-γ-secreting CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell responses in immunized cattle. However, antigen-specific CTLs were not detected. Following lethal challenge, 5/12 immunized cattle survived by day 21, whereas all the negative controls had to be euthanized due to severe disease, indicating a protective effect of the vaccine (p<0.05). The study demonstrated the potential of this technology to elicit significant MHC class II and class I restricted IFN-γ-secreting CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells to defined vaccine candidate antigens in a natural host, but also underscores the need to improve strategies for eliciting protective CTL responses.