Effectiveness of the homeopathic preparation Zeel compared with carprofen in dogs with osteoarthritis

The authors compared the symptomatic effectiveness of a complex homeopathic preparation Zeel (1-3 tablets orally per day depending on body weight) to carprofen (4 mg/kg body weight) in dogs (n=68) aged >1 yr diagnosed with osteoarthritis in a multicenter, prospective, observational open-label cohort study in 12 German veterinary clinics. The active treatment period was 56 days. Symptomatic effectiveness, lameness, stiffness of movements, and pain on palpation were evaluated by treating veterinarians and owners. Clinical signs of osteoarthritis improved significantly (P<0.05) at all time points (days 1, 28, and 56) with both therapies. At the end of the treatment period, effectiveness was comparable in both groups. Both treatment regimens were well tolerated with only three treatment-related adverse events, all in the carprofen group.     

Emerging multi-pathogen disease caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Didymella bryoniae</Emphasis> and pathogenic bacteria on Styrian oil pumpkin

The Styrian oil pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo L. subsp. pepo var. styriaca Greb. is a crop of cultural, commercial, and medical importance. In the last decade, yield losses of pumpkins increased dramatically. The ascomycetous fungus Didymella bryoniae (Fuckel) Rehm was identified as main causal agent provoking gummy stem blight as well as black rot of pumpkins. We observed a remarkable phenotypic diversity of the fungal pathogen, which contrasted with a high genotypic similarity. Evidence of pathogenictiy of D. bryoniae on Styrian oil pumpkin was demonstrated in a newly developed greenhouse assay. Isolates representing the five observed phenotypic groups fulfilled the Koch’s postulates. In the field, the fungal disease was often associated with bacterial colonization by Pectobacterium carotovorum, Pseudomonas viridiflava, Pseudomonas syringae and Xanthomonas cucurbitae. The pathogenic behaviour of bacterial isolates on pumpkin was confirmed in the greenhouse assay. The high co-incidence of fungal and bacterial disease suggests mutualistic effects in pathogenesis. With a new assay, we found that bacteria can use the mycelium of D. bryoniae for translocation. We argue that the rapid rise of the multi-pathogen disease of pumpkins results from combined action of versatile pathogenic bacteria and the rapid translocation on a structurally versatile mycelium of the fungal pathogen.     

Bacteria able to control foot and root rot and to promote growth of cucumber in salinated soils

The aim of the present work was to test known bacterial plant growth-promoting strains for their ability to promote cucumber plant growth in salinated soil and to improve cucumber fruit yield by protecting these plants against soil-borne pathogens. Fifty-two plant-beneficial bacterial strains were evaluated for their ability to protect plants against cucumber foot and root rot after bacterization of the seeds and infestation of salinated soil with the isolated Fusarium solani pathogen. Based on the results of initial screenings, five efficient strains were selected, namely Serratia plymuthica RR-2-5-10, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila e-p10, Pseudomonas fluorescens SPB2145, Pseudomonas extremorientalis TSAU20, and P. fluorescens PCL1751. All five strains are salt tolerant since they grow well in a medium to which 3% NaCl was added. Infestation of the soil with F. solani resulted in an increase of the percentage of diseased plants from 17 to 54. Priming of seedlings with the five selected bacterial strains reduced this proportion to as low as 10%. In addition, in the absence of an added pathogen, all five strains showed a significant stimulatory effect on cucumber plant growth, increasing the dry weight of whole cucumber plants up to 62% in comparison to the non-bacterized control. The strains also increased cucumber fruit yield in greenhouse varying from 9% to 32%. We conclude that seed priming with the selected microbes is a very promising approach for improving horticulture in salinated soils. Moreover, allochthonous strains isolated from non-salinated soil, from a moderate or even cold climate, and from other plants than cucumber, functioned as well as autochthonous strains as cucumber-beneficial bacteria in salinated Uzbek soils. These results show that these plant-beneficial strains are robust and they strongly suggest they can also be used successfully in case the climate gets warmer and the soils will become more salinated. Finally, the mechanisms by which they may exert their plant-beneficial action are discussed.     

Variability in Macro- and Micronutrients of 15 Commercially Available Microalgae Powders

The nutrient composition of 15 commercially available microalgae powders of Arthrospira platensis, Chlorella pyrenoidosa and vulgaris, Dunaliella salina, Haematococcus pluvialis, Tetraselmis chuii, and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae was analyzed. The Dunaliella salina powders were characterized by a high content of carbohydrates, saturated fatty acids (SFAs), omega-6-polyunsaturated fatty acids (n6-PUFAs), heavy metals, and α-tocopherol, whereas the protein amounts, essential amino acids (EAAs), omega-3-PUFAs (n3-PUFAs), vitamins, and minerals were low. In the powder of Haematococcus pluvialis, ten times higher amounts of carotenoids compared to all other analyzed powders were determined, yet it was low in vitamins D and E, protein, and EAAs, and the n6/n3-PUFAs ratio was comparably high. Vitamin B₁₂, quantified as cobalamin, was below 0.02 mg/100 g dry weight (d.w.) in all studied powders. Based on our analysis, microalgae such as Aphanizomenon and Chlorella may contribute to an adequate intake of critical nutrients such as protein with a high content of EAAs, dietary fibers, n3-PUFAs, Ca, Fe, Mg, and Zn, as well as vitamin D and E. Yet, the nutritional value of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae was slightly decreased by high contents of SFAs. The present data show that microalgae are rich in valuable nutrients, but the macro- and micronutrient profiles differ strongly between and within species.     

Fat mobilization in adipose tissue is promoted by adipose triglyceride lipase

Mobilization of fatty acids from triglyceride stores in adipose tissue requires lipolytic enzymes. Dysfunctional lipolysis affects energy homeostasis and may contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity and insulin resistance. Until now, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) was the only enzyme known to hydrolyze triglycerides in mammalian adipose tissue. Here, we report that a second enzyme, adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), catalyzes the initial step in triglyceride hydrolysis. It is interesting that ATGL contains a "patatin domain" common to plant acyl-hydrolases. ATGL is highly expressed in adipose tissue of mice and humans. It exhibits high substrate specificity for triacylglycerol and is associated with lipid droplets. Inhibition of ATGL markedly decreases total adipose acyl-hydrolase activity. Thus, ATGL and HSL coordinately catabolize stored triglycerides in adipose tissue of mammals.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In vitro</Emphasis> Antioxidant Activity of Aged Extracts of some Italian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Allium</Emphasis> Species

Antioxidant activity of fresh Allium sativum L. (garlic) is well known and is mainly due to unstable and irritating organosulphur compounds. Fresh garlic extracted over a prolonged period (up to 20 months) produces odourless aged garlic extract (AGE) containing stable and water soluble organosulphur compounds that prevent oxidative damage by scavenging free radicals. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro antioxidant activity of aged (up to 20 months) 15% hydroethanolic extracts of different parts (bulbs, bulblets, flower bulblets, flowers, and leaves) of three Allium spontaneous species which are endemic for Italian flora: Allium neapolitanum Cyr., Allium subhirsutum L., Allium roseum L. and to compare it with the in vitro antioxidant activity of aged 15% hydroethanolic extracts of bulbs and leaves of garlic. The antioxidant potential of aged extracts of all species has been evaluated using two different spectrophotometric assays: 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test and the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Furthermore the polyphenol content was determined. The aged extracts obtained from the leaves showed the best antioxidant activity, followed by flowers and then by bulbs in both used tests, while flower bulblets and bulblets exhibited lower results or no activity. The polyphenol content was generally directly correlated with antioxidant/antiradical activity. This study confirms the data obtained in previous researches, the wild-type species of Allium and in particular organs other than bulbs are more active and efficacious than garlic bulb. Surely leaves of these Allium spp. deserve special attention.     

Oriented, multimeric biointerfaces of the L1 cell adhesion molecule: an approach to enhance neuronal and neural stem cell functions on 2-D and 3-D polymer substrates

This article focuses on elucidating the key presentation features of neurotrophic ligands at polymer interfaces. Different biointerfacial configurations of the human neural cell adhesion molecule L1 were established on two-dimensional films and three-dimensional fibrous scaffolds of synthetic tyrosine-derived polycarbonate polymers and probed for surface concentrations, microscale organization, and effects on cultured primary neurons and neural stem cells. Underlying polymer substrates were modified with varying combinations of protein A and poly-D-lysine to modulate the immobilization and presentation of the Fc fusion fragment of the extracellular domain of L1 (L1-Fc). When presented as an oriented and multimeric configuration from protein A-pretreated polymers, L1-Fc significantly increased neurite outgrowth of rodent spinal cord neurons and cerebellar neurons as early as 24 h compared to the traditional presentation via adsorption onto surfaces treated with poly-D-lysine. Cultures of human neural progenitor cells screened on the L1-Fc/polymer biointerfaces showed significantly enhanced neuronal differentiation and neuritogenesis on all protein A oriented substrates. Notably, the highest degree of βIII-tubulin expression for cells in 3-D fibrous scaffolds were observed in protein A oriented substrates with PDL pretreatment, suggesting combined effects of cell attachment to polycationic charged substrates with subcellular topography along with L1-mediated adhesion mediating neuronal differentiation. Together, these findings highlight the promise of displays of multimeric neural adhesion ligands via biointerfacially engineered substrates to "cooperatively" enhance neuronal phenotypes on polymers of relevance to tissue engineering.