Stilbenes and tyrosol as target compounds in the assessment of antioxidant and hypolipidemic activity of Vitis vinifera red wines from southern Brazil

The contents of stilbene monomers, cis-resveratrol, trans-resveratrol, cis-piceid, trans-piceid, and tyrosol, were quantified in Vitis vinifera red wines, cvs. Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Syrah, 2006 and 2007 vintages, from the Sa?o Joaquim region, a new grape-growing region at southern Brazil. Moreover, the effect of chronic consumption of these wines on the antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities was monitored in C57BL6 LDL receptor knockout mice and treated with a hypercholesterolemic diet. Red wines from this region had substantial levels of resveratrols (the predominant forms were glycoside and trans) and tyrosol. Biomonitoring of antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities in vivo revealed that consumption of these wines increased the antioxidant capacity and reduced the hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia promoted by the hypercholesterolemic diet. Significant correlations were found between the increase of antioxidant capacity markers, the decrease of lipid levels promoted by wine consumption, and the contents of stilbenes and tyrosol, supporting the important biological activity of these compounds.     

Reproductive phenology of Brazilian savannas and riparian forests: environmental and phylogenetic issues

Introduction   

The reproductive phenology of plants is expected to be influenced by climatic factors and by the phylogenetic history of the species. In savannas, the peaks of flowering and fruiting are associated with climate seasonality. However, there is still a controversy about the reproductive phenology of plants in riparian forests, a vegetation type that does not experience a severe water shortage.     

Loss of viability and vigour in the course of short-term storage of Pityrocarpa moniliformis seeds cannot be attributed to reserve degradation

New Forests - The quality of forest seeds may be maintained in the course of storage for their use in the restoration of degraded areas and the conservation of genetic resources. In this sense,...     

Light- and nutrient-related relationships in mixed plantations of Eucalyptus and a high diversity of native tree species

New Forests - Mixed plantations composed of Eucalyptus intercropped with a high diversity of native tree species are a promising option for combining biodiversity recovery with wood production...     

Maturity assignment based on histology‐validated macroscopic criteria: Tackling the stock decline of the Mediterranean swordfish (Xiphias gladius)

1. Effective stock assessment relies on the evaluation of the reproductive potential of a population, but this is often achieved using fast, inexpensive, and inaccurate macroscopic indicators of gonadal maturity. Indeed, this approach suffers from high error rates as a result of misclassification and operator errors. Although histology is considered the gold standard to assign reproductive stages, it represents a time‐consuming and expensive method. Therefore, cost‐effective approaches are currently needed to assess the species‐specific reproductive potential and define the correct size at first maturity (L₅₀).
2. In the present study a histology‐calibrated method based on the gonadal index (GI) was developed to assign maturity stages to the overfished Mediterranean swordfish (Xiphias gladius), supported by histological classification of gonadal development, an estimation of L₅₀, and an analysis of the reproductive output of this species.
3. The performance of this new method had an overall agreement of 90% with histological data, and the L₅₀ calculated by the GI‐based method compared with histology analysis was not statistically different (p > 0.05). Moreover, in order to apply this method without bias, a thorough validation of the relationship between length and gonad weight was carried out and the suitability of the GI to compare individuals of different size and maturity stages was confirmed.
4. The present findings provide a comprehensive picture of the patterns characterizing Mediterranean swordfish reproduction and a promising method to assign maturity stages based on a macroscopic indicator. This method has the potential to be extensively applied during routine fish sampling activities in the field because of its simple requirements.

     

Cardiorespiratory,sedative and antinociceptive effects of dexmedetomidine alone or in combination with methadone,morphine or tramadol in dogs

ObjectiveTo evaluate the cardiorespiratory, sedative and antinociceptive effects of dexmedetomidine alone or in combination with methadone, morphine or tramadol in dogs.Study designExperimental, blinded, randomized, crossover study.AnimalsSix mixed breed dogs (two males and four females) weighing 10 ± 4 kg.MethodsThe animals were randomly divided into four treatments: D (10 μg kg^?1 of dexmedetomidine), DM (dexmedetomidine 10 μg kg^?1 and methadone 0.5 mg kg^?1); DMO (dexmedetomidine 10 μg kg^?1 and morphine 0.5 mg kg^?1), and DT (dexmedetomidine 10 μg kg^?1 and tramadol 2 mg kg^?1). The combinations were administered intramuscularly in all treatments. The variables evaluated were heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (f_R), rectal temperature (RT), systolic arterial pressure (SAP), sedation scale and pedal withdrawal reflex. These variables were measured at T0 (immediately before the administration of the protocol) and every 15 minutes thereafter until T105.ResultsA decrease in HR and f_R occurred in all the treatments compared with T0, but no significant difference was observed between the treatments. The RT decreased from T45 onward in all the treatments. The SAP did not show a difference between the treatments, but in the DT treatment, the SAP was lower at T30 and T45 compared with T0. The D treatment had lower scores of sedation at T15 to T75 compared with the other treatments, and the DMO and DM treatments showed higher scores at T60 and T75 compared with DT.Conclusions and clinical relevanceThe treatments with morphine and methadone added to the dexmedetomidine showed higher sedation scores than the control treatment and the treatment with tramadol added to the dexmedetomidine showed no relevant differences in any of the variables evaluated in the study.     

Differences and similarities among experts' opinions on Salmonella enterica dynamics in swine pre-harvest

A workshop was conducted to elicit expert opinion on infection status and transmission of salmonella in pigs at the farm of origin, during transport and during lairage. A second objective was to compare opinions regarding risk factors for salmonella introduction and control at the farm level between experts from different countries. Thirty-six experts from 11 countries filled in a paper-and-pencil questionnaire during an international conference. Experts from all countries agreed on the risk of salmonella introduction related to live animals and the importance of general hygiene and all-in/all-out management for salmonella control. However, workshop participants from Denmark put more weight on factors related to feed while experts from USA rated factors related to rodents and people contact higher. The experts believed that 21-33% of pigs coming from a chronically infected farm would be infected with salmonella, but only one-third of the infected pigs would be shedders. Regarding transport and lairage, the US participants believed that contamination was occurring in the majority of pigs regardless of initial infection status and particularly during lairage; in contrast, the Danish experts were more optimistic with respect to the contamination and infection risk. US experts believed that the incidence of salmonella shedding would be high among pigs infected during transport and lairage and that an important proportion of 'carrier' pigs would start shedding.Our results reflect the differences in the level of salmonella infection and implemented control strategies between countries as well as the different philosophies that professionals have. The differences in opinion regarding salmonella dynamics could be due either to true differences in risk as a consequence of distinct management and transport practices in Denmark and USA or to a difference in perception.