Sea cucumber Holothuria forskali,a new resource for aquaculture? Reproductive biology and nutraceutical approach

Sea cucumbers are highly marketable as a food product due to their nutritional value. Also, it has been suggested that sea cucumbers possess a wide range of bioactive compounds that can be used in the pharmaceutical industry. In this study, the reproductive biology of Holothuria forskali was performed by evaluating the gonadosomatic index (GI) and histological analyses of the gonadal tubules. The biotechnological potential was assessed through the evaluation of the antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumor potential. Finally, the fatty acid profile was also evaluated. These three subjects were chosen to increase the interest and to focus the economic potential of this species rearing, predicting that it can be sold in Europe or export to Asia to be used for human consumption or for the pharmaceutical industry. The GI and the histological analysis of the gonadal tubules revealed that the range from February to March corresponds to the peak of gonads maturation. Furthermore, the methanolic fraction revealed the highest antimicrobial potential against Candida albicans with an IC₅₀ of 233.2 mg mL^?1. Also, this fraction presented the highest cytotoxic and anti‐proliferative activities through the method for measuring cell proliferation method in both cell lines, with an IC₅₀ of 238.2 and 396.0 mg mL^?1 for MCF‐7 cells respectively and 260.3 and 218.7 mg mL^?1 for HepG‐2 cells respectively. Regarding the fatty acid profile, the total fat content was 4.83% and the highest values were obtained for palmitic acid (9.96%), stearic acid (11.23%), eicosapentaenoic acid (10.49%) and arachidonic acid (20.36%).     

Biogenic Amines and the Antioxidant Capacity of Juice and Wine from Brazilian Hybrid Grapevines

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Some biogenic amines (BAs) are used as quality markers in grape-derived products. The prolife of 9 BAs was determined in juices and wines elaborated from hybrid...     

Antimicrobial and phytochemical studies on Pedilanthus tithymaloides

The antibacterial and antifungal properties of ethanolic extract of the leaves of Pedilanthus tithymaloides and some of its constituents were investigated by the dilution method.     

Secondary Nothofagus dombeyi forests: site index curves and dominant height in the Coastal Range of south-central Chile

Nothofagus dombeyi is distributed on very diverse sites in the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina. In Chile, studies on its dynamics and productivity in forests, where it is the dominant species, have been carried out mainly in the foothills of the Andes, but the productivity and growth of these forests in the Coastal Range are almost unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the construction of a single dominant height/age growth model for two homogeneous edaphoclimatic zones (ZEH 2 and 5) previously defined for this species in the Coastal Range of south­central Chile. The results showed that the Chapman-Richards model was the best candidate function, in terms of goodness of fit and predictive capabilities. Using this function, specific parameters (a, b and c) were obtained for each zone, from which site models were constructed by the Algebraic Difference Approach method for a base age of 35 years. This model is intended to contribute to better estimations of site productivity for N. dombeyi forests in the Coastal Range of south-central Chile, and thus facilitate private and public decisions regarding their management.     

Baylis-Hillman adducts with molluscicidal activity against Biomphalaria glabrata

The molluscicidal activities of ten Baylis-Hillman adducts against Biomphalaria glabrata (Say) snails, the intermediate host of schistosomiasis, have been determined. Nine of these compounds showed significant molluscicidal activity against B. glabrata, falling below the threshold of 100 microg ml(-1) set for potential molluscicidal activity by the World Health Organisation. Among these compounds, 3-hydroxy-2-methylene-3-(4-nitrophenyl)propanenitrile had the highest activity, with LC(50) = 6.64 microg ml(-1).