Brazilian sardinella (Sardinella brasiliensis) conservation by immersion in seawater added with sea salt and refrigerated on‐board

On‐board Brazilian sardinella (Sardinella brasiliensis) conservation system based on cooling in ice, but in recent years, fishing boats have been applying immersion in chilled brine as a storage system on‐board. This study evaluated this system concerning physicochemical quality (total volatile bases, pH, histamine, moisture) of the fish and cation concentrations. Offshore (on‐board) data were collected (total storage time, over time temperature, fish mass captured by bid, load capacity in use and available) to assess the efficiency and viability. The results showed that this system is useful in maintaining the physicochemical quality of the fish since the samples met the quality standards required by law. Data showed high levels of sodium in fish muscle, which are strongly influenced by the immersion time, suggesting the need for standardization of the method considering the risks associated with consumption of foods with high levels of sodium.     

A new approach to Fourier transform Raman: Identification of haploids in maize (Zea mays)

The objective of this work was to adapt the FT Raman spectroscopy analysis in the differentiation of haploid and diploid kernels in maize, developing a new efficient, agile, precise, and nondestructive methodology. The main difference observed in FT Raman readings was a peak in the region between 1600 and 1700 cm⁻¹ in possibly haploid kernels. It was possible to correlate the characteristics of the kernels with the presence of the R1-nj gene and the readings obtained in the Raman spectrometry technique. Most of the kernels previously classified as haploid showed positive values for principal component analysis (PCAs), indicating a correlation in the identification of haploids by the techniques adopted. The identification of haploids by R-Navajo was superior to FT Raman. However, FT Raman spectroscopy is an agile analysis technique that enables the development of non-invasive and non-destructive analytical methods in maize kernels, in addition to providing relevant information about the chemical structures present in the composition of the samples.     

Benthic food webs support the production of sympatric flatfish larvae in estuarine nursery habitat

Identifying nursery habitats is of paramount importance to define proper management and conservation strategies for flatfish species. Flatfish nursery studies usually report upon habitat occupation, but few attempted to quantify the importance of those habitats to larvae development. The reliance of two sympatric flatfish species larvae, the European flounder Platichthys flesus and the common sole Solea solea, on the estuarine food web (benthic versus pelagic), was determined through carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. The organic matter sources supporting the production of P. flesus and S. solea larvae biomass originates chiefly in the benthic food web. However, these species have significantly different δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values which suggest that they prey on organisms that use a different mixture of sources or assimilate different components from similar OM pools (or both).     

Carotenoid Composition of Jackfruit (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Artocarpus heterophyllus</Emphasis>), Determined by HPLC-PDA-MS/MS

Carotenoids are pigments responsible for the yellow-reddish color of many foods and are related to important functions and physiological actions, preventing several chronic-degenerative diseases. The objective of this study was to confirm the carotenoid composition of jackfruit by high-performance liquid chromatography connected to photodiode array and mass spectrometry detectors (HPLC-PDA-MS/MS). The main carotenoids were all-trans-lutein (24–44%), all-trans-β-carotene (24–30%), all-trans-neoxanthin (4–19%), 9-cis-neoxanthin (4–9%) and 9-cis-violaxanthin (4–10%). Either qualitative or quantitative differences, mainly related to the lutein proportion, were found among three batches of jackfruit. Since the fruits from batch A showed significantly lower contents for almost all carotenoids, it also had the lowest total carotenoid content (34.1 μg/100 g) and provitamin A value, whereas the total carotenoid ranged from 129.0 to 150.3 μg/100 g in the other batches. The provitamin A values from batches B and C were 3.3 and 4.3 μg RAE/100 g, respectively. The carotenoid composition of jackfruit was successfully determined, where 14 of the 18 identified carotenoids were reported for first time. Differences among batches may be due to genetic and/or agricultural factors.     

Antitumor activity of three benzopyrans isolated from Hypericum polyanthemum

In the present study we have investigated the in vitro antitumor effects of three benzopyrans, 6-isobutyryl-5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethylbenzopyran (1), 7-hydroxy-6-isobutyryl-5-methoxy-2,2-dimethylbenzopyran (2) and 5-hydroxy-6-isobutyryl-7-methoxy-2,2-dimethylbenzopyran (3) isolated from Hypericum polyanthemum. The three compounds tested demonstrated potent growth inhibitory activity at 40 microg/ml (<25% control growth) in the NCI-H460, HT-29 and U-373MG human cell lines. Determination of cell cycle distribution demonstrated that the antiproliferative effect of the three benzopyrans could be associated to alterations in the cell cycle phase distribution. Treatment with the IC50 of the three compounds induced an arrested in S phase. Only in cells treated with compound 3 did the percentage of sub-G1 population increase up to 9%, suggesting that this compound induced more cell death than the others. Consistent with sub-G1 analysis, appreciable oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation was only observed in the NCI-H460 cell line treated with compound 3. From these results it can be suggested that despite no differences among the cytotoxicity of the three compounds, it was observed that the mechanism of their antiproliferative effects appears to be different.     

Quantification and morphometry of myenteric neurones in the jejunum of Holtzman rats (Rattus norvegicus)

With 2 figures and 3 tables SUMMARY: The morphological pattern of the myenteric plexus (MP) is species-specific, and little is known about this pattern in Holtzman rats. The aim of the current experiment was the morphological and quantitative study of myenteric neurones in the Holtzman rat jejunum. Hematoxylin-Eosin and NADH-diaphorase (NADH-dp) staining were used to assess muscular layer thickness, neurone cell body area (CBA) and nuclei area (NA). Muscular layer thickness was found to be 114.77 ± 14.89 μm. Neuronal densities across the subregions of the jejunum were similar: mesenteric, 11.78 ± 2.89/mm(2) ; intermediate, 12.06 ± 2.69/mm(2) ; and antimesenteric, 10.67 ± 1.89/mm(2) . As expected, there was positive correlation between the CBA and NA of 79.19, 79.26 and 78.5% in the mesenteric, intermediate and antimesenteric subregions of the jejunum, respectively. Medium-sized neurones predominated in the ganglionic arrangement of the MP. These results indicate that the NADH-dp myenteric neurones in the jejunum of Holtzman rats are similar in many aspects to those found in the ileum of Holtzman rats and to those found in the small intestine of Wistar rats, including their location, ganglionic disposition and predominance of medium-sized CBA. However, neuronal density in the jejunum is lower than in the ileum. Based on these results showing morphological similarities to the MP of the Wistar rat, the Holtzman strain can be used to investigate the effects of adverse conditions on the morphology of the MP.     

Estimation of (co)variance components for birth weight in Nellore cattle using alternative data editing criteria

The aim of this study was to estimate the (co)variance components and breeding values for birthweight (BW) in Nellore cattle by considering or not identical weights that exhibit a high frequency within the contemporary group (CG). A total of 175,258 BW records of Nellore cattle born between 2002 and 2018 were used. The CG was formed by farm, year of birth, sex and feeding regime at birth. CGs with more than 16% of identical BW values were eliminated, generating a data file called BWd. Another file was created without removing these animals (BWt). A mixed linear model was used for statistical analysis, which included fixed and random effects. In both data files analysed, single-trait analysis was performed by Bayesian inference. The mean direct and maternal heritability for BW and the correlation between direct and maternal effects were 0.27, 0.07 and −0.07 for BWt, respectively, and 0.30, 0.093 and −0.07 for BWd. This method should affect the estimation of genetic merits of animals for BW, providing greater safety in the choice of sires.     

Genome-wide identification of runs of homozygosity islands in the Gyr breed (Bos indicus)

Runs of homozygosity (ROH) are contiguous homozygous regions of the genome. These regions can be used to identify genes associated with traits of economic interest, as well as inbreeding levels. The aim of the present study was to analyse the length and distribution of ROH islands in Gyr cattle and to identify genes within these regions. A population of 173 animals selected for beef production and a population of 291 animals selected for dairy production were used. Differences in the number of short ROH (ROH_{1-2 Mb}) were observed between the two populations, while the number of long ROH (ROH_{>16 Mb}) was similar. ROH islands with the highest incidences (>0.50) overlapped in several segments of the genome in the two populations. The genes identified were associated with milk production, growth, reproduction, immune response and resistance traits. Our results contribute to the understanding of how selection can shape the distribution of ROH and ROH islands within the same breed when animals are selected for different purposes such as dairy or beef production.