Growth performance, survival and maturation of Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) in an inland CRS with no water reposition

Closed recirculation systems (CRS) present an alternative for providing organisms to the aquaculture. A CRS with zero water exchange was used in the present study; the CRS consisted of a culture and maturation facility, biofilter system and reservoirs tanks. During two consecutive trials, the CRS efficiency was evaluated by assessing the growth, survival and maturation of juveniles into adults Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone). Throughout the study, water quality parameters (temperature, pH, salinity, NH₃, NO₂ and NO₃) and ion concentration were monitored. Most parameters showed fluctuations without significant differences. However, a decrease in pH was observed during the maturation phase, and an increase in phosphorus was detected, in both the trials, compared with that in initial seawater. Growth and survival for juvenile and pre-adult shrimps presented similar variations without significant differences. Female gonadal maturation and spawning rate were not significantly different between trials. Unfortunately, shrimp eggs underwent lysis 6 h after spawning. These results show that the growth, survival and maturation obtained under CRS conditions are reproducible, and suggest the possibility of using these systems for biosecure shrimp culture, protected against eventual diseases outbreaks. The results of this study also suggest the importance of future studies addressing ion concentration changes in a CRS with zero water exchange.     

Morphological development and growth patterns of the leopard grouper Mycteroperca rosacea during larval development

At 25 °C, metamorphosis in leopard grouper Mycteroperca rosacea larvae took 60 days after hatching. The total length at day 1 was 1.95±0.22 mm and juveniles reached a length of 30.64±0.23 mm at day 60; the increase was approximately linear. We describe eight stages of development during this period. Larvae with the yolk sac attached occur from days 1 to 4 (Stages 1 and 2). The preflexion occurs on days 5–20 (Stages 3 and 4). Bending notochord occurred at day 25 (Stage 5). The other morphological changes that precede the juvenile phase occurred progressively until day 60 (Stages 6–8). Allometric growth in the height and length of the head, trunk length, height and length of the tail and the diameter of the eye compared with the total length showed two distinct stages of growth. Inflexion point, where growth is positive, occurred when larvae reached between 18.75 and 21.59 mm, which corresponds to larvae at days 35–40.     

Solubilization of iron by water‐extractable humic substances

The capability of water‐extractable humic substances (WEHS) to solubilize Fe from sparingly soluble Fe‐hydroxide was studied. Addition of WEHS (1.7 mmol organic C l^—1) to a dialysis tube containing labeled insoluble Fe‐hydroxide caused an increase in the amount of ⁵⁹Fe measured in the external solution. The humic fraction was also able to solubilize Fe from soil samples, with levels comparable to those obtained using a solution containing 100�μM DTPA. By measuring the amount of ⁵⁹Fe eluted from soil columns pre‐loaded with ⁵⁹Fe‐WEHS it was possible to evaluate the mobility of Fe complexed to the humic molecules. The recovery of ⁵⁹Fe varied from 2% to 25% in respect to the soil type used. The ability of Fe‐WEHS to serve as an Fe source for the phytosiderophore hydroxy‐mugineic acid (HMA) was also analyzed. The removal of ⁵⁹Fe from the Fe‐WEHS complex by HMA was demonstrated by adding the phytosiderophore to a dialysis tube containing the ⁵⁹Fe‐WEHS complex. The observations suggested a ligand exchange between the phytosiderophore and the humic fraction. The results indicate that WEHS is able to increase the amount of Fe present in the soil solution, possibly by forming mobile complexes with the micronutrient. These complexes could act as easily available Fe sources in Fe acquisition processes by both monocot and dicot plants, playing an important role particularly in soils with low available Fe.     

Carrageenan: Drug Delivery Systems and Other Biomedical Applications

Marine resources are today a renewable source of various compounds, such as polysaccharides, that are used in the pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic, and food fields. In recent years, considerable attention has been focused on carrageenan-based biomaterials due to their multifunctional qualities, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity, in addition to bioactive attributes, such as their antiviral, antibacterial, antihyperlipidemic, anticoagulant, antioxidant, antitumor, and immunomodulating properties. They have been applied in pharmaceutical formulations as both their bioactive and physicochemical properties make them suitable biomaterials for drug delivery, and recently for the development of tissue engineering. This article provides a review of recent research on the various types of carrageenan-based biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.     

A highly accurate, single PCR reaction for parentage assignment in Senegal sole based on eight informative microsatellite loci

From a battery of microsatellite markers (100 loci), recently identified by our group, we have selected eight for parentage assignment in Senegal sole ( Solea senegalensis ). This tool is based on microsatellite loci obtained from four genomic DNA libraries and one cDNA library. Within the eight loci (six from anonymous genomic DNA sequences and two located in expressed sequence tags of known genes), we have found, in an analysis of a reproductive broodstock, between nine and 16 alleles. The expected heterozygosity was between 0.616 and 0.860. In addition, we have optimized the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conditions to amplify all loci simultaneously in a single multiplex PCR reaction, and we have tested three lots of male and female (five to six individuals) and three offspring (50–60 larvae each). The use of the eight microsatellite loci, the possibility of amplifying them in a single PCR reaction and the high value of the exclusion probability (0.9992) make this multiplex PCR method a unique tool for parentage assignment.
Finally, analysing one meiotic gynogenetic progeny, we have determined the relative distance of six of these loci to the centromere, and we have also found that all of them are unlinked. All these characteristics confer this tool with a high accuracy for parentage studies and genetic population analyses of Senegal sole.     

Gar biology and culture: status and prospects

Many lepisosteid populations in North America have declined and many are now threatened as a consequence of habitat loss and alteration and commercial and sport overfishing. Over the last two decades, morphological, histological and molecular studies allowed distinguishing between different phases of development and the nutritional condition of larvae. Ontogeny of the digestive enzymes of gar larvae indicated the possibility to feed them artificial feeds since early developmental stages. An in vitro digestibility system to test different feed ingredients has been used. Important characteristics of artificial diets were identified through different feeding experiments. Endocrinological studies showed the feasibility of altering larval development and the digestive capacity of larvae. Cloning of gar growth hormone opened new avenues to enhance growth in the gars. Plasmatic vitellogenin was isolated and purified, to develop a competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, which allowed the straightforward separation of males from females to establish appropriate proportions for reproduction and also was used to evaluate hormonal protocols to induce gonad recrudescence and spawning. This review analyzes the biology, ecology and physiology of different gar species as a basis for their domestication, mass production of larvae for repopulation experiments and for the culture of commercial‐size gar.     

Algal-Derived Halogenated Sesquiterpenes from Laurencia dendroidea as Lead Compounds in Schistosomiasis Environmental Control

Schistosomiasis has been controlled for more than 40 years with a single drug, praziquantel, and only one molluscicide, niclosamide, raising concern of the possibility of the emergence of resistant strains. However, the molecular targets for both agents are thus far unknown. Consequently, the search for lead compounds from natural sources has been encouraged due to their diverse structure and function. Our search for natural compounds with potential use in schistosomiasis control led to the identification of an algal species, Laurencia dendroidea, whose extracts demonstrated significant activity toward both Schistosoma mansoni parasites and their intermediate host snails Biomphalaria glabrata. In the present study, three seaweed-derived halogenated sesquiterpenes, (−)-elatol, rogiolol, and obtusol are proposed as potential lead compounds for the development of anthelminthic drugs for the treatment of and pesticides for the environmental control of schistosomiasis. The three compounds were screened for their antischistosomal and molluscicidal activities. The screening revealed that rogiolol exhibits significant activity toward the survival of adult worms, and that all three compounds showed activity against S. mansoni cercariae and B. glabrata embryos. Biomonitored fractioning of L. dendroidea extracts indicated elatol as the most active compound toward cercariae larvae and snail embryos.     

The Tetrahydrofuran Motif in Polyketide Marine Drugs

Oxygen heterocycles are units that are abundant in a great number of marine natural products. Among them, marine polyketides containing tetrahydrofuran rings have attracted great attention within the scientific community due to their challenging structures and promising biological activities. An overview of the most important marine tetrahydrofuran polyketides, with a focused discussion on their isolation, structure determination, approaches to their total synthesis, and biological studies is provided.