Quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) fruit (pulp, peel, and seed) and Jam: antioxidant activity

To study the antioxidant activity of quince fruit (pulp, peel, and seed) and jam, methanolic extracts were prepared. Each extract was fractionated into a phenolic fraction and an organic acid fraction and was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/diode array detection and HPLC/UV, respectively. Antiradical activities of the extracts and fractions were evaluated by a microassay using 1,1'-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. The phenolic fraction always exhibited a stronger antioxidant activity than the whole methanolic extract. Organic acid extracts were always the weakest in terms of antiradical activity, which seems to indicate that the phenolic fraction gives a higher contribution for the antioxidant potential of quince fruit and jam. The evaluation of the antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts showed that peel extract was the one presenting the highest antioxidant capacity. The IC50 values of quince pulp, peel, and jam extracts were correlated with the caffeoylquinic acids total content. Among the phenolic fractions, the seed extract was the one that exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity. The IC50 values of quince pulp, peel, and jam phenolic extracts were strongly correlated with caffeoylquinic acids and phenolics total contents. For organic acid fractions, the peel extract was the one that had the strongest antiradical activity. The IC50 values of quince pulp, peel, and jam organic acid fractions were correlated with the ascorbic acid and citric acid contents.     

Thiamin Requirement of Nile Tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus

Juvenile Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, were fed to apparent satiation twice daily with purified diets containing 0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, and 16.0 mg/kg and 0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, 16.0, and 32.0 mg/kg of thiamin in separate 14‐ and 8‐wk trials (Experiments 1 and 2, respectively). Fish fed the diet devoid of thiamin developed neurological disorders, anorexia, reduced growth, and feed efficiency and increased mortality (Experiment 2 only) within 4–6 and 8–10 wk for Experiments 2 and 1, respectively. Low red blood cell count (RBC) and hematocrit (Ht) were observed in fish fed the thiamin‐deficient diet. Serum pyruvate was elevated in fish fed the thiamin unsupplemented diet. Serum lactate was not affected by dietary thiamin levels. Whole body protein was unaffected by dietary levels of thiamin. Body moisture and ash increased whereas body lipid decreased in fish fed the thiamin unsupplemented diets. None of these abnormalities were observed in fish fed the thiamin‐supplemented diets. Using the response curves determined by PROC NLMIXED to estimate dietary thiamin levels required for various response variables, a dietary thiamin level of 3.5 mg/kg diet was adequate for optimum growth, feed intake and efficiency, survival, prevention of neurological symptoms, and maintaining normal levels of RBC, Ht, serum pyruvate, and proximate body composition.     

Canine lymphoma and vector‐borne diseases: Molecular and serological evaluation of a possible complicity

Lymphoma is the most common haematological malignancy in dogs and its aetiology is largely unknown. The presence of canine vector‐borne agents (CVBD) in lymphoma tissues has been described and its causative effects questioned. We intended to evaluate the presence and extent of Leishmania infantum, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Bartonella henselae infection in dogs with lymphoma. Sixty‐one dogs, living in the Lisbon metropolitan area, with a diagnosis of lymphoma were enrolled. Immunofluorescence assays were used to detect serum IgG's. The presence of DNA from CVBD agents in tumour tissue was assessed by PCR. All dogs tested negative for B. henselae, A. phagocytophilum and E. canis by both serology and PCR. Regarding L. infantum, 8.2% (n = 5) of the dogs had a positive serologic result. L. infantum DNA was detected in two samples of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). These results show an increased, but not significant, seropositivity (8.2% vs 7.9%) and molecular detection (3.3% vs 1.2%) for L. infantum in dogs with lymphoma, when compared to the reported canine population in the same geographical area. We could not identify an association between lymphoma and E. canis, A. phagocytophilum, B. henselae or Leishmania infantum infection in the studied population. Nevertheless, further studies, following dogs trough their CVBD disease evolution, are worthwhile and may help clarify a possible role of CVBD agents in lymphomagenesis.     

Sediment,nutrient and water losses by water erosion under agroforestry systems in the semi-arid region in northeastern Brazil

Inadequate soil management practices adopted in the Brazilian semi-arid region contribute to erosive processes. Agroforestry systems (AFs) have been considered an alternative to reduce water erosion. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of two alternatives AFs, a traditional and an intensive cropping system on the losses of sediments, water, organic carbon and nutrients caused by water erosion in comparison to the natural vegetation (caatinga) in a semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. The agroecosystems studied were: agrosilvopasture (AGP) which consisted of an alley cropping system, cultivated with Leucaena leucocephala and maize, within an area composed by 22% of native trees (200 native trees per hectare) which was grazed during the dry season; silvopasture (SILV) that was composed by 38% of native trees (260 trees per hectare) with a stocking rate of 20 ewes during whole year; traditional agrosilvopasture (TRAG) being managed as following: total deforestation, burning of the residues, cropped with maize for 2 years (1998 and 1999) and fallow during 8–10 years; and intensive cropping (IC) system which was deforested and burned in 1997 followed by cultivation of maize from 1998 to 2002, and thereafter by a fallow period of 8–10 years similar to TRAG. Two areas of native forest (NF1, NF2) known as ‘caatinga’, used as grassland during the dry season and as a source of wood, were selected and used as reference of steady state in the comparative study in relation to the cultivated sites. Sediment and water losses as a result of erosion were collected during two rainy seasons, i.e. 2003 and 2004, and nutrients and organic carbon contents were determined. Soil samples were collected and organic carbon, pH in water, pH in KCl, water dispersible clay (WDC) and hydraulic conductivity (K₀) were measured. In 2003, sediment and water losses did not differ significantly among all treatments. However, in 2004, TRAG (0.70 Mg ha⁻¹) and NF1 (1.37 Mg ha⁻¹) showed the highest sediment losses, whereas TRAG and IC presented the highest water losses. On average, nutrients losses in cropped areas were lower than in natural vegetation (NF1, NF2). The alternative AFs (AGP, SILV) were efficient to reduce water erosion effects when compared to the most common agricultural practices adopted in the region, being highly recommended as sustainable technical alternatives for food production in the region.     

Characterization of new soil thermophilic bacteria potentially involved in soil fertilization

Thermophilic bacteria were isolated from a soil of an olive grove in Alentejo (Portugal) and characterized morphologically, physiologically, and at the molecular level by partial sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA genes, followed by subsequent phylogenetic analysis. The isolates were shown to be gram‐positive rods, motile, and to belong to the Firmicutes Phylum. They were able to produce ammonium and sulfate during growth, the levels of which vary among the bacterial isolates. This ability suggests that these bacteria may have an important role in the mobilization of organic S and N in the soil and therefore in providing essential nutrients for plant growth. Tests using two isolates indicated a positive effect on initial seedling development suggesting their potential use in soil nutrient supplementation. The presence of these thermophiles in arable temperate soils might be increasingly important, particularly when the predicted global climate warming is considered, and their features are discussed in this context and considering actual strategies to improve soil fertilization.     

Antioxidant potential of rat plasma by administration of freeze-dried jaboticaba peel (Myrciaria jaboticaba Vell Berg)

The effect of the intake of freeze-dried jaboticaba peel powder on the antioxidant potential of rats' blood plasma was investigated in two experiments. In the first, 35 male rats, divided into 5 groups, received 7 mg of anthocyanins/100 g of body weight, by gavage. The blood was withdrawn 0, 30, 60, and 120 min after gavage. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated in plasma by ORAC and TEAC. There was no significant difference in the plasmatic antioxidant potential among the groups. In the second experiment, 40 male rats were divided into 4 groups that consumed, respectively, 0, 1, 2, and 4% of freeze-dried jaboticaba peel powder added to their diet. An increase in the plasmatic antioxidant potential was observed for groups that received 1 and 2% of jaboticaba peel powder (1.7 times by TEAC method and 1.3 times by ORAC); however, the group that received 4% of the powder did not show antioxidant effects according to the methods used.