Bio-efficacy of the Essential Oil of Oregano (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Origanum vulgare</Emphasis> Lamiaceae. Ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hirtum</Emphasis>)

The aim of this study was to investigate the bioactivity of the essential oil isolated from Origanum vulgare L. (EOv). We analyzed the in vivo anti-inflammatory properties in a mouse-airway inflammation model and the in vitro antimicrobial activity, genotoxicity over the anaphase-telophase with the Allium cepa strain and its cytotoxicity/viability in A549 culture cells. In vivo, EOv modified the levels of tumor necrosis factor -α and viable activated macrophages and was capable to mitigate the effects of degradation of conjugated dienes. In vitro, EOv reduced the viability of cultured A549 cells as well as the mitotic index and a number of chromosomal aberrations; however, it did not change the number of phases. We found that EOv presents antimicrobial activity against different Gram (?) and (+) strains, measured by disc-diffusion test and confirmed with a more accurate method, the AutoCad software. We postulate that EOv presents antibacterial, antioxidant and chemopreventive properties and could be play an important role as bioprotector agent.     

LEAF-MACRONUTRIENT STATUS AND FRUIT YIELD OF BIOFERTILIZED YELLOW PASSION FRUIT PLANTS

Biofertilizers instead of synthetic chemicals are known to improve plant growth through the supply of plant nutrients and they may help sustaining environmental health and soil productivity. An experiment was carried out to evaluate fruit yield and macronutrient foliar contents of yellow passion fruit plants (Passiflora edulis) as a function of biofertilizers and nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P-K) fertilizing in Brazil (2005–2007). The experimental design was randomized in blocks with treatments, which were distributed in a factorial arrangement (3 × 2) referring to biofertilizer application [without biofertilizer, simple biofertilizer and enriched biofertilizer] and mineral fertilizing with NPK (fertilized and non-fertilized), with three replications of nine plants. Nutritional status of yellow passion fruit is affected by biofertilizer. Simple biofertilizer promotes optimum supplies of phosphorus, calcium and sulfur, while enriched biofertilizer promotes optimum supplies of phosphorus, potassium, calcium and sulfur. Both biofertilizers stimulated fruit yield, with results above Brazilian average.     

The use of oral recombinant feline interferon omega in two cats with type II diabetes mellitus and concurrent feline chronic gingivostomatitis syndrome

Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis Syndrome (FCGS) is a common disease in clinical practice. Among the therapeutic options available, long-acting corticosteroids are frequently used due to their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. Although they may improve the clinical symptoms, they can lead to a progressive form of the disease that becomes refractory to treatment. Furthermore, their direct relationship with type II diabetes mellitus (DM) is well known. Consequently, these drugs are controversial and not recommended for routine management of FCGS. Recombinant feline interferon-omega (rFeIFN-ω) is an immunomodulatory compound. Recently, its daily oral administration has been shown to be successful in treating refractory cases of FCGS. This case study describes two clinical cases of type II DM complicated by FCGS. Both animals were calicivirus positive and they had been previously treated with long-acting corticosteroids, which may have been the major cause of DM. The two cats were treated with glargine insulin (Lantus, starting dose 1 IU/cat twice daily (BID)), achieving remission 10 and 18 weeks later respectively. Considering the difficulty with control of FCGS in these animals, an oral daily dose of rFeIFN-ω was started as an alternative to long-acting corticosteroids. In both cats oral clinical signs gradually improved and 60 days after the start of therapy the owners reported a significant relief of pain during mastication. According to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case report that describes the successful use of rFeIFN-ω in the management of FCGS in type II diabetic cats, in which long-acting corticosteroids are contraindicated.     

An assessment of Hawaiian dry forest condition with fine resolution remote sensing

Remote sensing offers the potential to spatially map forest cover quickly and reliably for inventory purposes. We developed a new image analysis approach using an integrated methodology of “object-based” image classification techniques and field-based measurements to quantify forest cover in a degraded dry forest ecosystem on the leeward side of the Island of Hawaii. This new approach explicitly recognized the transitional areas between tree crowns and tree shades (tree shadows) as a unique class and fully utilized them for the quantification of canopy cover. Object-oriented classification of Ikonos-2 satellite images allowed delineation of tree shades and crowns and the transitional areas between them from objects with similar reflectance and size that were surrounding the trees. These included patches of fountain (Pennisetum setaceum) and kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) grass, lava outcrops and lava–grass mixtures. Crown-shade transitions were clearly differentiated in spite of their wide range of spectral values and reflectance similarities with areas of lava–grass mixture. Segments representing tree shades and dark lava outcrops were also classified into their respective classes even if they were contiguous. The image estimates of canopy cover using the tree shade plus transition classes were linearly related with field estimates of canopy cover (R² = 0.86 and slope = 0.976). Based on this relationship, dry forest cover throughout the 2627-ha area was estimated at 7.7 ± 1.9%. An immediate application of this new approach is to select and delineate areas with higher canopy cover in order to concentrate ecological restoration and conservation efforts.     

Mapping the effect of spatial and temporal variation in climate and soils on Eucalyptus plantation production with 3-PG,a process-based growth model

In the wet tropics, near the Atlantic Coast of Brazil, drought may reduce plantation yields by as much one-third over a six-to-seven-year rotation. For land owners, annual variation in production cannot be estimated with empirical models. In this paper, we examine whether the process-based growth model, 3-PG is sufficiently sensitive to climatic variation to provide a virtual record of changes in growing stock across 180,000 ha eucalypt plantation estate. We first mapped variation in climate and soil properties, and then ran simulations for the current planted forest with ages varying from one to seven years. Model predictions of stand volume and mean tree diameter agreed closely with measurements acquired on 60 reference plots monitored over the test period; the prediction of mean annual increment (MAI) was less reliable. Available soil water (ASW) and leaf area index (LAI) were also measured and compared with the model estimations. Vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and ASW accounted for most of the variation in yields. We conclude that this spatial modelling approach offers a reasonable alternative to extensive ground surveys, particularly when climatic variation extends beyond the historical average for a region.     

The Brazil Eucalyptus Potential Productivity Project: Influence of water,nutrients and stand uniformity on wood production

We examined the potential growth of clonal Eucalyptus plantations at eight locations across a 1000+ km gradient in Brazil by manipulating the supplies of nutrients and water, and altering the uniformity of tree sizes within plots. With no fertilization or irrigation, mean annual increments of stem wood were about 28% lower (16.2 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, about 33 m³ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) than yields achieved with current operational rates of fertilization (22.6 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, about 46 m³ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Fertilization beyond current operational rates did not increase growth, whereas irrigation raised growth by about 30% (to 30.6 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, about 62 m³ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). The potential biological productivity (current annual increment) of the plantations was about one-third greater than these values, if based only on the period after achieving full canopies. The biological potential productivity was even greater if based only on the full-canopy period during the wet season, indicating that the maximum biological productivity across the sites (with irrigation, during the wet season) would be about 42 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (83 m³ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Stands with uniform structure (trees in plots planted in a single day) showed 13% greater growth than stands with higher heterogeneity of tree sizes (owing to a staggered planting time of up to 80 days). Higher water supply increased growth and also delayed by about 1 year the point where current annual increment and mean annual increment intersected, indicating opportunities for lengthening rotations for more productive treatments as well as the influence of year-to-year climate variations on optimal rotations periods. The growth response to treatments after canopy closure (mid-rotation) related well with full-rotation responses, offering an early opportunity for estimating whole-rotation yields. These results underscore the importance of resource supply, the efficiency of resource use, and stand uniformity in setting the bounds for productivity, and provide a baseline for evaluating the productivity achieved in operational plantations. The BEPP Project showed that water supply is the key resource determining levels of plantation productivity in Brazil. Future collaboration between scientists working on silviculture and genetics should lead to new insights on the mechanisms connecting water and growth, leading to improved matching of sites, clones, and silviculture.     

Qualitative analysis of cartilaginous jaw element malformation in cultured yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) larvae

A central problem facing worldwide culture of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) is the presence of skeletal malformations, including jaw deformities. This study presents a morphological characterization of normal and abnormal cartilage jaw structures during early larval development. Samples of 70–150 larvae were collected from three cohorts from 2 to 9 days post hatching, anaesthetized and fixed for cartilage staining. Cartilaginous components were defined clearly at four days post hatch (dph) (4.65 ± 0.05 mm total length), and abnormal jaw structures were detectable at this time. Jaw deformities observed included extension of Meckel's cartilage with or without ventral bending of the anterior tip, displacement of ceratohyal and hypohyal cartilage ventrally and below Meckel's cartilage, and shortening and dorsal flexion of the lower jaw. At 4 dph, between 44% and 47% of all larvae examined had jaw abnormalities. The contribution of each deformity to the total number of deformities was variable among the three cohorts examined. To compare shape difference accurately we performed an exploratory, landmark‐based geometric morphometric analysis using seven homologous landmarks. Larvae were classified into three jaw morphology groups. The geometric morphometric approach provides a useful tool to standardize classification of cartilage jaw abnormalities at early developmental larval stages. Early recognition of developing abnormalities is of importance for fish farmers in both improving fish selection efficiency and for evaluating effects of rearing parameters.     

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) induces apoptosis in chicken B cells

The ability of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) serotypes 1 and 2, and the role of VP4 of both serotypes as well as the capacity of three IBDV intermediate serotype 1-specific vaccine strains to induce apoptosis in a chicken B-lymphocyte cell line, DT40, were investigated using the TUNEL technique. It was observed that IBDV serotype 1 infected the DT40 cell line and directly induced apoptosis. In contrast, the non-pathogenic serotype 2 neither infected nor induced apoptosis, but was able to reduce the serotype 1-induced apoptosis when the two viruses were present in combination. VP4 of both serotypes did not induce apoptosis. IBDV VP2 of serotype 2 induced apoptosis in the same proportion and intensity as VP2 of serotype 1. IBDV intermediate vaccines varied in their ability to induce apoptosis in the DT40 cell line, which was also decreased-delayed in presence of serotype 2 IBDV. We hypothesize that both serotypes compete for the same receptor in DT-40 cells, and suggest that IBDV-induced apoptosis is a multistep process involving virus replication, protein expression, and release of virions.