Search

Objective: To evaluate the possible association between hyperuricemia and cardiorespiratory fitness levels/nutritional profile, grouped into a single variable, in schoolchildren. Method: Cross-sectional study of 2335 students from Elementary schools, aged 7–17 years of both genders, stratified by conglomerates of a municipality in Southern Brazil. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was assessed by the 6-minute run/walk test. The BMI and CRF were grouped into a single variable, considering: (1) low and normal weight/fit; (2) low and normal weight/unfit; (3) overweight-obesity/fit; (4) overweight-obesity/unfit. The Poisson regression (prevalence ratio, PR) was used for the association between hyperuricemia and BMI/CRF ratio with 95% confidence intervals and differences were considered significant when p

Screening of antioxidant potential of dichloromethane and methanolic extracts of twenty-seven seaweeds from the Peniche coast was performed by: total phenolic contents (TPC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Seaweeds revealing the highest antioxidant activity were screened for cytoprotective potential in MCF-7 cells, including the mitochondrial membrane potential analysis and the caspase-9 activity. High correlation was found between TPC of seaweed extracts and their scavenging capacity on DPPH and peroxyl radicals. The highest antioxidant activity was displayed by the methanolic fraction of brown seaweeds belonging to Fucales, however Ulva compressa presented the highest cytoprotective effect by blunting the apoptosis process. These results suggest that high antioxidant activity may not be directly related with high cytoprotective potential. Thus, seaweeds reveal to be a promising source of compounds with potential against oxidative stress. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

International audience; The marine environment offers both economic and scientific potential which are relatively untapped from a biotechnological point of view. These environments whilst harsh are ironically fragile and dependent on a harmonious life form balance. Exploitation of natural resources by exhaustive wild harvesting has obvious negative environmental consequences. From a European industry perspective marine organisms are a largely underutilised resource. This is not due to lack of interest but due to a lack of choice the industry faces for cost competitive, sustainable and environmentally conscientious product alternatives. Knowledge of the biotechnological potential of marine organisms together with the development of sustainable systems for their cultivation, processing and utilisation are essential. In 2010, the European Commission recognised this need and funded a collaborative RTD/SME project under the Framework 7-Knowledge Based Bio-Economy (KBBE) Theme 2 Programme ‘Sustainable culture of marine microorganisms, algae and/or invertebrates for high value added products’. The scope of that project entitled ‘Sustainable Production of Biologically Active Molecules of Marine Based Origin’ (BAMMBO) is outlined. Although the Union is a global leader in many technologies, it faces increasing competition from traditional rivals and emerging economies alike and must therefore improve its innovation performance. For this reason innovation is placed at the heart of a European Horizon 2020 Strategy wherein the challenge is to connect economic performance to eco performance. This article provides a synopsis of the research activities of the BAMMBO project as they fit within the wider scope of sustainable environmentally conscientious marine resource exploitation for high-value biomolecules.

Prediabetes (intermediate hyperglycemia) is a high-risk state for diabetes that is defined by higher than normal glycemic levels that are below the level required for a diagnosis of diabetes. Prediabetes is characterized by oxidative stress, yet the associated DNA damage and cytotoxicity remain unknown to date. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between glycemic alterations, DNA damage and cytotoxicity in the lymphocytes of individuals with pre-diabetes. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin (A1C) levels were quantified and used as inclusion criteria. Anthropometric parameters were also evaluated. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay (CBMN Cyt) was used to evaluate DNA damage and cytotoxicity. FPG correlated with A1C (r=0.562, p=0.002). Because A1C is the best predictor of diabetes complications, the association between A1C and the evaluated variables was assessed. The waist-hip ratio correlated with A1C (p

In the present study, seasonal changes in semen quality of Lusitano stallions were evaluated to establish the best time for semen cryopreservation. Seasonal changes on testicular size, seminal characteristics and semen freezability were therefore evaluated by optical microscopy and flow cytometry. Five Lusitano stallions belonging to National Stud Farm, “Coudelaria Nacional” were used in the study. Semen was collected in four periods defined as spring (March/April), summer (June/July), autumn (September/October) and winter (December/February). Ejaculates were collected once a week for 4 weeks, and cryopreserved in 0.5-ml plastic straws. Before and after each period of semen collection, testicles of all stallions were measured. For evaluation, one straw per ejaculate, per stallion, and per season was thawed at 37 �C for 30 s and microscopic evaluation (motility) was performed. A flow cytometer (Becton Dickinson, San Jose, CA, USA) was used to evaluate sperm viability and acrosomal integrity by using the combination of fluorescent probes propidium iodide (PI) and SYBR-14 (LIVE/DEAD Sperm viability Kit (L-7011), Molecular Probes, Eugene, Oregon) for sperm viability. In addition, acrosome integrity was evaluated using the fluorescein labelled lectin from the peanut plant, Arachis hypogea (FITC-PNA, Sigma Chemical, St. Louis, MO) and propidium iodide (PI) probe. Results were evaluated by the Cell-Quest software (Becton Dickinson, San Jose, CA, USA) and statistical differences by a one-way ANOVA, followed by post hoc comparison tests. The results indicated significant seasonal differences in testicular size and sperm production (p�0.05). Ultrasonographic testicular volume was maximal in March (234.03±15.8 cm3), decreased to a minimum in October and June (203.5±17.0 cm3, 168.6±10.0 cm3, respectively) and started to increase again in January (190.8±8.8 cm3). A significant positive correlation between testicular volume and sperm production (r = 0.66; P� 0.01) was demonstrated, although minimum testicular volume was reached in October while minimum sperm production was registered in January. Viability in frozen-thawed semen from ejaculates collected in autumn was 37.73±2.20% and in summer 40.99±4.08%; the results differ significantly from other seasons: winter 54.26±2.10% and spring 46.71±2.32% (p�0.05). The high number of dead spermatozoa after the freezing‐thawing process in autumn/winter most likely indicates that seasonally related changes in seminal plasma composition may affect semen preservation. Nevertheless, no significant differences were observed for acrosome integrity in different periods of the experiment. An inter-stallion variation was observed for testicular size and sperm production, but testicular size, besides sperm production, was positively correlated in all individual stallions. At the time of semen collection, sperm concentrations determined by photometry showed that both testis size and sperm production of housed Lusitano stallions were affected by season. Testicular size and function were maximal in the spring, but testicular volume was smallest in October, while sperm production continued to decrease till January. The results indicate that in our climatic/latitude conditions, it is preferable to freeze semen during winter/spring period.

Two different chitosan polymers were obtained from chitin extracted from the crab Polybius henslowii through different methods: (1) water-soluble chitosan (WSC) through N-acetylation with addition of acetic anhydride and (2) low molecular-weight water-soluble chitosan (LWSC) by the use of H2O2. WSC and LWSC polymers were characterized by FTIR and GPC analysis and investigated for antibacterial activity against a range of Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli 1103, Escherichia coli 10503, Salmonella sp.) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus planctarum). This study is a contribution to economic valorization of Polybius by-catch and sustainable development of west coast Portuguese fisheries communities. Financial support was obtained from European Fisheries Fund – Axis 4 managed by Fishery Local Action Group Oeste-Portugal.