Espresso coffee residues: a valuable source of unextracted compounds

Espresso spent coffee grounds were chemically characterized to predict their potential, as a source of bioactive compounds, by comparison with the ones from the soluble coffee industry. Sampling included a total of 50 samples from 14 trademarks, collected in several coffee shops and prepared with distinct coffee machines. A high compositional variability was verified, particularly with regard to such water-soluble components as caffeine, total chlorogenic acids (CGA), and minerals, supported by strong positive correlations with total soluble solids retained. This is a direct consequence of the reduced extraction efficiency during espresso coffee preparation, leaving a significant pool of bioactivity retained in the extracted grounds. Besides the lipid (12.5%) and nitrogen (2.3%) contents, similar to those of industrial coffee residues, the CGA content (478.9 mg/100 g), for its antioxidant capacity, and its caffeine content (452.6 mg/100 g), due to its extensive use in the food and pharmaceutical industries, justify the selective assembly of this residue for subsequent use.     

Soil microbial biomass and organic matter fractions during transition from conventional to organic farming systems

The aim of this study was to investigate the response of soil microbial biomass and organic matter fractions during the transition from conventional to organic farming in a tropical soil. Soil samples were collected from three different plots planted with Malpighia glaba: conventional plot with 10 years (CON); transitional plot with 2 years under organic farming system (TRA); organic plot with 5 years under organic farming system (ORG). A plot under native vegetation (NV) was used as a reference. Soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), soil organic carbon (SOC) and total N (TN), soil organic matter fractioning and microbial indices were evaluated in soil samples collected at 0–5, 5–10, 10–20 and 20–40 cm depth. SOC and fulvic acids fraction contents were higher in the ORG system at 0–5 cm and 5–10 cm depths. Soil MBC was highest in the ORG, in all depths, than in others plots. Soil MBN was similar between ORG, TRA and NV in the surface layer. The lowest values for soil MBC and MBN were observed in CON plot. Soil microbial biomass increased gradually from conventional to organic farming, leading to consistent and distinct differences from the conventional control by the end of the second year.     

美国西部重要害虫摩门螽斯病原真菌的研究

The Mormon cricket (MC),Anabrus simplex (Orthoptera:Tettigoniidae),has a long and negative history with agriculture in the western states of the USA where MC often migrates in large groups and causes significant damage to forage plants and cultivated crops.In this review, virulence to MC of isolates of the insect-pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae varieties acridum and anisopliae were compared in an effort to identify isolates with promise for use as MC biological control agents.All of the isolates tested induced 100% or nearly 100% mortality by six days post application of the fungal conidia.Searches for new Metarhizium isolates with high heat and UV-B tolerance included isolation fungi from field-caught MC and grasshopper after they died in the laboratory and culturing fungi from soil samples collected from numerous western USA sites.The survey was preceded by development of a dodine based selective medium that,at 0.002% active ingredient,permitted growth of M.anisopliae var.acridum,but inhibited most contaminating fungi.The M.anisopliae var.acridum isolates examined to date have much higher tolerance to heat and UV-B irradiation than M.anisopliae var.anisopliae isolates,and this may be critical to successful field applications.The variety acridum has not yet been found in the USA,so our search for such isolates continues.Several new M.anisopliae var.anisopliae and Beauveria spp.were found,and the Metarhizium isolates are being characterized as to stress tolerance and virulence to insects.Characterization includes comparisons of new and pre-existing Metarhizium isolates by amplified fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis.Finally, experiments on MC developmental biology were conducted to gather data needed to develop a degree day model and to establish laboratory colonies of MC.     

Amazonian ecology: tributaries enhance the diversity of electric fishes

Neotropical rivers support a diverse array of endemic taxa, including electric fishes of the order Gymnotiformes. A comprehensive survey of the main channels of the Amazon River and its major tributaries (>2000-kilometer transect) yielded 43 electric fish species. Biogeographical analyses suggest that local mainstem electric fish diversity is enhanced by tributaries. Mainstem species richness tends to increase downstream of tributary confluences, and species composition is most similar between tributaries and adjacent downstream mainstem locations. These findings support a "nodal" or heterogeneous model of riverine community organization across a particularly extensive and diverse geographical region.     

White Tea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Camellia sinensis</Emphasis> Kuntze) Exerts Neuroprotection against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Toxicity in PC12 Cells

Tea is a popular beverage whose consumption is associated with prevention of certain disorders. The objective of the study was to investigate the potential neuroprotective effect of white tea extract (WTE) on hydrogen peroxide induced toxicity in PC12 cells. Cells were treated with various doses of WTE (10–250 μg/ml) before exposition to 250 μM hydrogen peroxide and cell survival was determined through the MTT and LDH assays. Oxidative stress was quantified in the cells after treatments as intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the antioxidant activity of the extract was assessed in a cell free system in terms of free radical scavenging capacity. Results showed that WTE has a significant protective effect in the PC12 cell line against hydrogen peroxide as cell survival was significantly superior in WTE-treated cells compared to hydrogen peroxide-treated cells. A reduction on intracellular oxidative stress as well as radical scavenging properties were produced by WTE. Results suggest that WTE protects PC12 cells against H₂O₂-induced toxicity, and that an antioxidant mechanism through ROS scavenging may be in part responsible for cells neuroprotection.