A Comparative In Vitro Evaluation of the Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Tisochrysis lutea Extract and Fucoxanthin

In this study, we compared the effects of a Tisochrysis lutea (T. lutea) F&M-M36 methanolic extract with those of fucoxanthin (FX) at equivalent concentration, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The T. lutea F&M-M36 methanolic extract contained 4.7 mg of FX and 6.22 mg of gallic acid equivalents of phenols per gram. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of simple phenolic acid derivatives. The T. lutea F&M-M36 extract exhibited a potent and concentration-dependent inhibitory activity against COX-2 dependent PGE2 production compared to FX alone. Compared to LPS, T. lutea F&M-M36 extract and FX reduced the expression of IL-6 and of Arg1 and enhanced that of IL-10 and of HO-1; T. lutea F&M-M36 extract also significantly abated the expression of NLRP3, enhanced mir-223 expression and reduced that of mir-146b, compared to LPS (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that T. lutea F&M-M36 methanolic extract has a peculiar anti-inflammatory activity against COX-2/PGE2 and NLRP3/mir-223 that might be attributable to the known anti-inflammatory effects of simple phenolic compounds found in the extract that may synergize with FX. Our data suggest that T. lutea F&M-M36 may serve as a source of anti-inflammatory compounds to be further evaluated in in vivo models of inflammation.     

The non‐target impact of spinosyns on beneficial arthropods

Spinosyn‐based products, mostly spinosad, have been widely recommended by extension specialists and agribusiness companies; consequently, they have been used to control various pests in many different cropping systems. Following the worldwide adoption of spinosad‐based products for integrated and organic farming, an increasing number of ecotoxicological studies have been published in the past 10 years. These studies are primarily related to the risk assessment of spinosad towards beneficial arthropods. This review takes into account recent data with the aim of (i) highlighting potentially adverse effects of spinosyns on beneficial arthropods (and hence on ecosystem services that they provide in agroecosystems), (ii) clarifying the range of methods used to address spinosyn side effects on biocontrol agents and pollinators in order to provide new insights for the development of more accurate bioassays, (iii) identifying pitfalls when analysing laboratory results to assess field risks and (iv) gaining increasing knowledge on side effects when using spinosad for integrated pest management (IPM) programmes and organic farming. For the first time, a thorough review of possible risks of spinosad and novel spinosyns (such as spinetoram) to beneficial arthropods (notably natural enemies and pollinators) is provided. The acute lethal effect and multiple sublethal effects have been identified in almost all arthropod groups studied. This review will help to optimise the future use of spinosad and new spinosyns in IPM programmes and for organic farming, notably by preventing the possible side effects of spinosyns on beneficial arthropods. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Productivity and photosynthetic efficiency of outdoor cultures of Tetraselmis suecica in annular columns

In this study, 120-l annular columns were used to cultivate Tetraselmis suecica outdoors. The mass transfer at different aeration rates and the influence of the harvest rate on productivity and biochemical composition were investigated. The potential of the system was evaluated by estimating productivity at full-scale. Two different arrangements to simulate a full-scale plant and determine the “overall areal productivity” (OAP) were experimented with. In August 2003, one experimental column (full-scale column) was placed between seven dummy columns. All the reactors were positioned at a distance of 0.8 m wall to wall and centred at the vertices of equilateral triangles. A second experimental column (isolated column) was placed in a separate area under full sunlight. In August 2004, the columns were placed side by side in an east-west oriented row at a distance of 0.24 m wall to wall.In the first experiment, the mean volumetric productivity of the full-scale column was not significantly lower than that achieved by the isolated column (0.46 against 0.49 g l^− 1 day^− 1) in spite of the shading by the dummy units. The average OAP and efficiency of conversion of visible solar radiation (PE) were 36.3 g m^− 2 day^− 1 and 9.4%, respectively. In the second experiment, the full-scale column attained a mean volumetric productivity of 0.42 g l^− 1 day^− 1. The OAP and the PE were 38.2 g m^− 2 day^− 1 and 9.3%, respectively.     

Infrared ocular thermography in dogs with and without keratoconjunctivitis sicca

Infrared thermography was used to measure temperature differences of the corneal surface between nasal and temporal limbus regions and central cornea of normal dogs and dogs with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), in order to establish temperature values in normal canine eyes and in patients with decreased Schirmer tear tests (STT) values. Dogs investigated were all either patients seen at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Federal University of Paraná or normal dogs that belonged to the same institution. STT were performed in all eyes. A total of 40 control eyes (STT ≥15 mm/min) and 20 eyes with low STT values (STT ≤14 mm/min) were examined. The mean STT value for eyes with normal STT values was 22.9 ± 3.9 mm/min (mean ± standard deviation), and the mean STT value for eyes with low STT value was 7.2 ± 4.8 mm/min. The mean corneal temperature was significantly lower in eyes with low STT values than in control eyes (P < 0.0001). The following significant correlations were found: (i) Schirmer and breakup time (BUT) (P = 0.0001, r = 0.5); (ii) STT values and corneal surface temperature (P = 0.001, r = 0.256); (iii) STT values and age (P = 0.0001, r = ?0.448); (iv) age and corneal surface temperature (P = 0.0001, r = ?0.281); and (v) BUT and corneal surface temperature (P = 0.0001, r = 0.36). Thermography is a method that can differentiate between eyes with normal and abnormal STT values. In the future, thermography might be incorporated as part of the ophthalmic examination and perhaps become a popular ancillary test for the diagnoses of ocular surface disorders.     

Preliminary investigation for quali-quantitative characterization of soils contaminated with 241Am and 152Eu by low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with small size γ-ray spectrometer: detection efficiency and minimum detectable activity (MDA) concentration assessment

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Localization and quali-quantitative characterization of radionuclide-contaminated soils are essential for healthcare and remediation activities. However,...