Investigation of the Origanum onites L. essential oil using the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay

The in vivo test on the chorioallantoic membrane of the fertilized hen's egg (CAM assay) is a current method to determine antiangiogenic, antiinflammatory activity and toxic effects of individual compounds or complex plant extracts. The method is used for testing natural compounds in small amounts for revealing various modes of action and the complex mechanisms related to angiogenesis and inflammation. Furthermore, possible side effects such as membrane irritation, toxic, and anticoagulant properties of the investigated material in question can be detected. For the evaluation, the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of Origanum onites L., a common spice and medicinal plant, was tested for its effect in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The essential oil composition was revealed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Eighty three components were identified, representing 99.1% of the total oil. Carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene, and gamma-terpinene were found as major components and were also individually tested in the CAM assay. Along with the monoterpenes carvacrol and thymol, their methyl ether derivatives were also examined for comparison of their physiological action. Neither the essential oil nor its components showed any pronounced antiinflammatory or antiangiogenic property in the CAM assay, at 10-250 microg/pellet. However, the irritant effect of the essential oil was linked to thymol in a dose-response fashion, up to 10 microg/pellet, where it was still showing irritation.     

Simultaneous HPLC analysis of alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol in fresh pig meat

A method has been developed for simultaneously determining alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol in fresh pig meat by HPLC. It allows a reduction in the number of analyses and brings savings in time and materials. The unsaponifiable fraction is extracted following the modified method of Liu et al. (Liu, Q.; Scheller, K. K.; Schaefer, D. M. Technical note: A simplified procedure for vitamin E determination in beef muscle. J. Anim. Sci. 1996, 74, 2406-2410). The modifications introduced are the use of nitrogen atmosphere during the extraction, the addition of an antioxidant in the organic extraction phase, and the use of alpha-tocopherol itself as an internal standard. There is then a chromatographic analysis which allows the separation of the two compounds in question. To identify and quantify, two different detectors are used in series: the first is a fluorescence detector (alpha-tocopherol), and the second is a light-scattering detector (cholesterol). The technique shows sufficient sensitivity to determine the normal levels of alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol in meat, with recovery percentages of 78% and 97%, respectively. The average amount of alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol in samples from pig Longissimus dorsi muscle analyzed using this method is 1.8 and 620 mg/kg of fresh meat, respectively.     

Treatment of metastatic melanoma B16F10 by the flavonoids tangeretin, rutin, and diosmin

Melanoma is one of the most frequently metastasizing malignant neoplasias. This study examines an experimental model of pulmonary metastasis and the B16F10 cell subline, highly metastatic in the lung. Antimetastatic effects of the flavonoids tangeretin, rutin, and diosmin were analyzed, and at the same time an analysis of the metastatic activity of ethanol was performed, considered to be necessary because it is used as a vehicle for administering the flavonoids. Lentini's model, which complements the macroscopic evaluation of nodule numbers by using a stereoscopic microscope and image analysis at the microscopic level, was used. The greatest reduction in the number of metastatic nodules (52%) was obtained with diosmin; similarly, the percentages of implantation, growth index, and invasion index (79.40, 67.44, and 45.23%, respectively), were all compared with those of the ethanol group, considered to be an effective control group. Rutin- and tangeretin-treated groups also showed reductions of the same index compared with the ethanol group. It would seem that structural factors would better explain these results and the antimetastatic activity of each flavonoid and the respective metabolites.     

Flavonoid distribution during the development of leaves, flowers, stems, and roots of Rosmarinus officinalis. postulation of a biosynthetic pathway

The distribution of seven flavonoids, eriocitrin, luteolin 3'-O-beta-d-glucuronide, hesperidin, diosmin, isoscutellarein 7-O-glucoside, hispidulin 7-O-glucoside, and genkwanin, has been studied in Rosmarinus officinalis leaves, flowers, stems, and roots during plant growth. The maximum level reached by luteolin 3'-O-beta-d-glucuronide in leaves during June-August suggests the existence of a delay between the activation of the enzymes involved in the flavanone and flavone biosynthesis. The presence of hesperidin and diosmin in the vascular system is significant, and hesperidin shows even higher levels than the phenolic diterpenes and rosmarinic acid. The distribution of flavonoids observed in R. officinalis suggests a functional and structural relationship between phytoregulators and flavonoids, where flavonoids would be "protectors" of the activity of phytoregulators. A hypothesis for the general pathway of biosynthesis of these compounds in plants of the family Labiatae is proposed.     

Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Micromeria cristata subsp. phrygia and the enantiomeric distribution of borneol

Water-distilled essential oils from herbal parts of Micromeria cristata (Hampe) Griseb. subsp. phrygia P. H. Davis (Endemic) (Lamiaceae) collected from three different localities were analyzed by GC-MS. The major component characterized in the three oils was borneol (27-39%). Other main components were determined as camphor (9-15%), caryophyllene oxide (4-6%), and trans-verbenol (4-6%) in the oils. Enantiomeric distributions of borneol and camphor in the oils were determined on a fused silica Lipodex-E capillary column using a multidimensional GC-MS system. The three essential oils and both enantiomers of borneol have been evaluated for their antimicrobial activity. They showed inhibitory effects on Gr (-) and Gr (+) pathogenic microorganisms.     

A TaqMan real-time PCR-based assay for the identification of Fasciola spp

Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is one of the key technologies of the post-genome era, with clear advantages compared to normal end-point PCR. In this paper, we report the first qPCR-based assay for the identification of Fasciola spp. Based on sequences of the second internal transcribed spacers (ITS-2) of the ribosomal rRNA gene, we used a set of genus-specific primers for Fasciola ITS-2 amplification, and we designed species-specific internal TaqMan probes to identify F. hepatica and F. gigantica, as well as the hybrid 'intermediate'Fasciola. These primers and probes were used for the highly specific, sensitive, and simple identification of Fasciola species collected from different animal host from China, Spain, Niger and Egypt. The novel qPCR-based technique for the identification of Fasciola spp. may provide a useful tool for the epidemiological investigation of Fasciola infection, including their intermediate snail hosts.     

家禽肉品质评估方法研究进展

目前,基于不同的原理和设备发展起来的许多方法可用于检测家禽肉品质.当采用这些方法进行检测时,特别要注意分析前的样品准备和分析时的操作标准化.鉴于屠宰后禽肉加工的复杂性以及质量特性,不同的研究和实验室获得的结果并不总是一致.因此,为了便于比较,所有研究者都需严格遵从相同的测量程序(标准),文章对家禽肉品质化学和物理物性的检测方法进行综述.     

Epiphytotics of chickpea Ascochyta blight in Turkey as influenced by climatic factors

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Chickpea Ascochyta blight caused by Didymella rabiei is one of the most important fungal diseases affecting yield and seed quality negatively in Turkey....     

Practice on improving fattening local cattle production in Vietnam by increasing crude protein level in concentrate and concentrate level

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of crude protein (CP) level in concentrate (experiment 1) and concentrate level (experiment 2) on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen (N) retention, ruminal pH and NH₃-N concentration and average daily gain (ADG) of Vietnamese local fattening cattle. Animals (24 cattle, initial live weight (LW) 150.3?±?11.8 kg in experiment 1 and 145.1?±?9.8 kg in experiment 2) were allotted based on LW to one of four treatments in a randomised complete block design. In experiment 1, concentrate with four levels of CP (10, 13, 16 and 19 %) was fed at 1.5 % of LW. In experiment 2, concentrate was fed at 1.0, 1.4, 1.8 and 2.2 % of LW. In both experiments, roughage was 5 kg/day native grass and ad libitum rice straw (fresh basis). Results showed that the CP level in concentrate significantly affected dry matter (DM) intake (P?<?0.05), N retention, ADG and ruminal NH₃-N concentration (P?<?0.01), but it had no significant effect on DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility (P?>?0.05), whereas CP digestibility increased (P?<?0.001) along with the CP level. DM intake, N retention and ADG increased (P?<?0.001) linearly with concentrate intake. DM and CP digestibility were not significantly affected by concentrate intake (P?>?0.05). OM digestibility and NH₃-N concentration increased linearly (P?<?0.05), whereas NDF digestibility and ruminal pH declined linearly with increased concentrate consumption (P?<?0.01). These results indicate that 16 % CP in concentrate and feeding concentrate at the rate of 2.2 % of LW are recommendable for fattening local cattle in Vietnam.