Pesticide residues: Food surveys in the United Kingdom

The development of food surveys for levels of pesticide residues, toxic metals and polychlorobiphenyls and related compounds is outlined. The role of the surveys in monitoring the effect on the levels of compounds in specific foods following changes in pesticide usage is explained. Studies over 8 years on levels in the total diet show they are well below the acceptable daily intakes recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organisation/World Health Organisation for organchlorine and other pesticides. During this period the levels found have in general declined.     

East Java Propolis Inhibits Cytokine Pro-inflammatory in Odontoblast-Like Cells Human Pulp

Inflammation in pulp tissue is caused by caries bacteria. Most bacteria found are Lactobacillus acidophilus. Propolis is a sticky resin material that is derived from the bees and the surrounding plants, which are reported to have several biological effects including anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. This study will prove the effectiveness of propolis against proinflammatory cytokines on odontoblast-like cells in human dental pulp. This study was performed on cultured odontoblast-like cells in pulp. Cell culture was derived from the pulp tissue of human M3 teeth that had been extracted. Odontoblast pulp culture was divided in three groups： group one, cultured cells with propolis; group two, cultured cells induced with inactive Lactobacillus acidophilus; group three, cultured cells induced with inactive Lactobacillus acidophilus and exposed to 3 μg/mL propolis. A measurement of TNF-α and TGF-β1 expression was done using the immunocytochemical technique to determine the effectiveness of propolis extracts from East Java Indonesia against proinfalmmatory cytokines. Data were analyzed using the analysis of variance （ANOVA） test （P = 0.05）. Propolis extract can inhibit the expression of TNF-α and increase the expression of TGF-β1 on odontoblast-like cell in human dental pulp. Anti-inflammatory effects of East Java propolis extract are associated with cytokine modulation.     

Metagenomic discovery of biomass-degrading genes and genomes from cow rumen

The paucity of enzymes that efficiently deconstruct plant polysaccharides represents a major bottleneck for industrial-scale conversion of cellulosic biomass into biofuels. Cow rumen microbes specialize in degradation of cellulosic plant material, but most members of this complex community resist cultivation. To characterize biomass-degrading genes and genomes, we sequenced and analyzed 268 gigabases of metagenomic DNA from microbes adherent to plant fiber incubated in cow rumen. From these data, we identified 27,755 putative carbohydrate-active genes and expressed 90 candidate proteins, of which 57% were enzymatically active against cellulosic substrates. We also assembled 15 uncultured microbial genomes, which were validated by complementary methods including single-cell genome sequencing. These data sets provide a substantially expanded catalog of genes and genomes participating in the deconstruction of cellulosic biomass.     

COX-2-derived prostacyclin confers atheroprotection on female mice

Female gender affords relative protection from cardiovascular disease until the menopause. We report that estrogen acts on estrogen receptor subtype alpha to up-regulate the production of atheroprotective prostacyclin, PGI2, by activation of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2). This mechanism restrained both oxidant stress and platelet activation that contribute to atherogenesis in female mice. Deletion of the PGI2 receptor removed the atheroprotective effect of estrogen in ovariectomized female mice. This suggests that chronic treatment of patients with selective inhibitors of COX-2 could undermine protection from cardiovascular disease in premenopausal females.     

Plant cuticular lipid export requires an ABC transporter

A waxy protective cuticle coats all primary aerial plant tissues. Its synthesis requires extensive export of lipids from epidermal cells to the plant surface. Arabidopsis cer5 mutants had reduced stem cuticular wax loads and accumulated sheetlike inclusions in the cytoplasm of wax-secreting cells. These inclusions represented abnormal deposits of cuticular wax and resembled inclusions found in a human disorder caused by a defective peroxisomal adenosine triphosphate binding cassette (ABC) transporter. We found that the CER5 gene encodes an ABC transporter localized in the plasma membrane of epidermal cells and conclude that it is required for wax export to the cuticle.