Skip to main content

Home/ Groups/ Honors Scientific Research 2023-2024
katherine-medina

Plants | Free Full-Text | Expression of a Stilbene Synthase Gene from the Vitis labrusc... - 0 views

  • Stilbenes are found in plants of different families, but the best studied stilbene is resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene) isolated from grape plants.
  • Resveratrol synthesis in transgenic plants did not always render them fully resistant to one or another pathogen.
  • The aim of our investigation was to isolate a VlvSTS stilbene synthase gene from the hybrid grape V. labrusca x V. vinifera L. and obtain transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing the gene to study their resistance to a number of bacterial and fungal pathogens, among them bacteria as E. carotovora and fungi as B. cinerea, F. oxysporum, F. sporotrichioides, F. culmorum.
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • by PCR. F
    • katherine-medina
       
      PCR is a method with which scientists are able to amplify a gene
  • Based on the results of the VlvSTS gene transcription analysis, seven transgenic tobacco lines were selected for further experiments.
  • Expression of the VlvSTS gene in tobacco plants led to a significant increase in the pollen grain size, but with a tendency to a decrease in the total number of pollen grains per anther
    • katherine-medina
       
      Too much of that gene leads to a decrease of fertility.
  • In all tests with E. carotovora bacteria, transgenic plants expressing the VlvSTS gene demonstrated a significantly higher resistance versus control plants
    • katherine-medina
       
      interesting
  • The leaf involvement was significantly smaller in transgenic plants expressing the VlvSTS gene.
  • Overexpression of the VlvSTS gene reduced the corolla pigmentation in transgenic plants.
    • katherine-medina
       
      Why did the overexpression of that gene reduce the corolla pgmentation.
  • binary vector
    • katherine-medina
       
      like a DNA transfer
  • showed a significant fertility reduction,
  • For the first time it was shown that plants expressing the VlvSTS gene had enhanced resistance to the bacterial pathogen E. carotovora subsp. carotovora B15.
    • katherine-medina
       
      Interesting that it took this long for it to be shown that this specific stilbene can fight against certain pathogens.
  • Interestingly, resistance correlated with the expression level of the stilbene synthase gene. In plants with a higher gene expression (L10 and L23), the area of Erwinia-caused leaf damage was in a range from 0 to 40% respect to the control, while the leaves of line L24 were affected up to 60–100%.
  • hile in transgenic lines, the lysis areas were significantly smaller, probably due to the synthesis of the phytoalexin resveratrol.
  • Some studies showed that Arabidopsis plants transformed with wild grape stilbene synthase genes responded to a pathogen attack by activating genes responsible for the synthesis of signaling molecules such as salicylic and jasmonic acids (SA and JA, respectively) [
  • Our data show a decrease in the total flavonoid content in the flower petals but not in the leaves of plants upon expression of the VlvSTS gene.
    • katherine-medina
       
      That seems rather odd.
  • We were the first to show that transgenic tobacco plants carrying the VlvSTS gene had a significantly larger pollen grain size and a smaller number of pollen grains per anther. At the same time, the number of fertile pollen grains decreased, especially in the plant line with the highest expression of the VlvSTS gene.
  • For example, in apple plants with the grape stilbene synthase gene Vst1 under its own promoter, the expression of the gene had no effect on pollen development
  • The study showed that the expression of a VlvSTS stilbene syntase gene in tobacco transgenic plants increases their resistance to bacterial pathogen E. carotovora. There was a significant reduction of disease symptoms after infection of leaves by grey mould fungus B. cinerea, but not to Fusarium fungi. We were the first to show that transgenic tobacco plants carrying the VlvSTS gene had a significantly larger pollen grain size and a smaller number of pollen grains per anther. The number of fertile pollen grains decreased, especially in the plant line with the highest expression of the VlvSTS gene. These changes resulted in a decreased weight of seed bolls in the transgenic tobacco lines.
    • katherine-medina
       
      Overall, this article is one that I may come back to depending on what path I go down when searching to develop a research topic further.
katherine-medina

https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-2962278/v1/95a4813e-7c91-423d-8608-d3e697f79... - 0 views

    • katherine-medina
       
      A. Besides, the results implied that these stilbenes effectively inhibited the levels of adhesion and virulence genes and downregulate the production of -hemolysin. This study showed that stilbenes from pigeon pea have anti-Staphylococcus potential, and they also inhibited bacterial proliferation, biofilm formation, and key gene expressions related to adhesion and virulence of MRSA.
    • katherine-medina
       
      "Over the past few years, bacterial biofilm has aroused wide attention. And the biofilm can be called sessile microbial community where cells are attached to the surface or to other cells and can embed themselves in a protective extracellular polymeric matrix." This is a pretty interesting piece of information.
    • katherine-medina
       
      Moreover, as an ethnological herb, pigeon pea is adopted in traditional medicine for its treatments of diabetes (Al-Saeedi and Hossain 2015; Talukdar 2013), hepatic-disorder (Ghosh et al. 2006), necrosis of femoral head (Luo et al. 2009), measles (Nwodo Page 4/20 et al. 2011) and osteoporosis HUH that is really interesting considering the amount of pigeon peas I have had in arroz con gondules.
  • ...3 more annotations...
    • katherine-medina
       
      Additionally, the epidermis was the external barrier of the body and thus HaCaT (human keratinocyte) was used to investigate the cytotoxicity of these stilbenes. As a result, these compounds had no discernible harmful effects on HaCaT at concentrations of 1/4 of their MIC, and their IC50 on HaCaT were 9.58 ± 0.22, 12.76 ± 0.31, 18.38 ± 0.41 µg/mL, respectively. Hence, the maximum concentrations of these stilbenes were set at 1/4 MIC in the follow-up research It is quite remarkable that pigeon peas are that effective.
    • katherine-medina
       
      The growth cures suggested that 1 MIC and 1/2 MIC of these compounds had remarkable inhibitory effects on the MRSA growth. Wow
    • katherine-medina
       
      It is incredibly important that the article states this, "However, current researches barely reveal the anti-MRSA biofilm ability of stilbenes from pigeon pea." This makes me want to learn more and more about how pigeon pea polyphenols work mostly because it is a very unexplored area of biochemistry.
  •  
    This article is about three different stilbenes in pigeon peas that were found to fight against MRSA.
katherine-medina

Frontiers | Dietary Polyphenols and Their Role in Oxidative Stress-Induced Human Diseas... - 1 views

  • phenolic acids, flavonoids, catechins, tannins, lignans, stilbenes and anthocyanidins
  • They possess antioxidant, chemopreventive and a wide range of pharmacological properties (
  • Over 8,000 polyphenols have been reported from plants, out of several hundreds of polyphenols exist in human diets
  • ...25 more annotations...
  • Organic compounds bearing an aromatic ring with at least one hydroxyl group are termed as “phenolics”. In case, a compound possesses one or more aromatic rings having more than one hydroxyl group are called polyphenols (or polyphenolic compounds).
  • As per the C1-C6 or C3-C6 backbone, they are usually referred to as derivatives of benzoic acid or cinnamic acid
  • However, the role of the dietary polyphenols of their antioxidant abilities is still unclear.
    • katherine-medina
       
      How exactly is the role of antioxidants unclear?
  • Increased intake of foods containing polyphenols (for example, quercetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, resveratrol, cyanidin etc.) has been claimed to lower the incidence of a majority of chronic oxidative cellular damage, DNA damage, tissue inflammations, various cancers, viral/bacterial infections, and neurodegenerative diseases
    • katherine-medina
       
      So an increase of foods with natural extracts, so just plain vegetables that are not processed.
  • γ rays
    • katherine-medina
       
      I had no idea these were a thing.
  • This review specifically focuses a current understanding on the dietary sources of polyphenols and their protective effects including mechanisms of action against various major human diseases.
  • ROS when increased or excessively produced can cause oxidative changes/damages to all cellular macromolecules
  • Several antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and reduced glutathione (GSH) aid in the removal of free radicals
  • Peroxynitrite can also destroy lipoproteins and causes lipid peroxidation of cell membranes
  • ROS can also affect protein synthesis and protein functions. Protein oxidation can result in amino acid modifications
  • Flavonoids are further classified into different subgroups based on their structures such as flavan-3-ols (examples: catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin), isoflavones (examples: genistein, genistin, daidzenin, daidzin, biochanin A, formononetin), flavones (examples: luteolin, apigenin, chrysin), flavonones (examples: hesperetin, naringenin), flavonols (examples: quercetin, kaempferol, galangin, fisetin, myricetin), flavononol (example: taxifolin), flavylium salts (examples: cyanidin, cyanin, pelargonidin), and flavanones (examples: hesperetin, naringenin, eriodictyol, isosakuranetin)
    • katherine-medina
       
      WOW so flavonoids have a large variety and classes.
  • urther, OS exerts deleterious effects on DNA leading to the formation of DNA lesions, which can result in genomic instability and consequently lead to cell death.
  • Polyphenols are found naturally in fruits and vegetables such as cereals, pulses, dried legumes, spinach, tomatoes, beans, nuts, peppermint, cinnamon, pears, cherries, oranges, apples, red wine, tea, cocoa, coffee and so on (Arts and Hollman, 2005; Scalbert et al., 2005). Polyphenols are classified into different groups depending on the number of aromatic (phenolic) rings they contain and the structural elements that connect these rings. They are broadly grouped into phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes and lignans
    • katherine-medina
       
      SO each polyphenol has a different number of phenolic rings. What is the difference between the different polyphenols such as phenolic acid, flavonoids, stilbenes and lignans. I think that I should look at which of these groups are more effective when working with antibiotics as a way to aid them in the fight against resistant bacterias.
  • In plant derived polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids comprise the largest group with an approximately 10,000 natural analogues
  • Dietary supplements containing elevated amounts of flavonoids from strawberries, lettuce, or blueberries aid in the reversal of age-related discrepancies in the brain and behavioral control in aged rats
  • Tea catechins
    • katherine-medina
       
      I ha e looked into these a bit, but I did not know that they can help with neurodegenerative diseases.
  • reduced glutathione (GSH), and on membrane sulphydryl (-SH) group in humans has been reported by Maurya and Rizvi (2009).
  • OS can be the primary or secondary reason for various CVDs. Preclinical evidence support that OS is linked to a variety of CVDs, including atherosclerosis, ischemia, stroke, cardiomyopathy, cardiac hypertrophy, and hypertension, as well as congestive heart failure
  • Dietary flavonoids may reduce endothelial disorders linked with various risk factors for atherosclerosis before plaque creation
  • The polyphenols of Hibiscus sabdariffa weaken diabetic nephropathy in terms of serum lipid profile and kidney oxidative markers
  • . Studies suggest that a diet that includes regular consumption of fruits and vegetables (rich in polyphenols such as catechins, resveratrol, ellagic acid, naringenin, quercetin etc.) significantly lowers the risk of developing many cancers.
  • Black tea polyphenols like EGCG, theaflavins and thearubigins have potent anticancer properties
  • Anti-carcinogenic effects of resveratrol are due to the antioxidant function, which inhibits hydroperoxidase, Akt (PI3K-Akt) signaling pathway, matrix metalloprotease-9, NF-kB, protein kinase C, cyclooxygenase, focal adhesion kinase and Bcl-2 (B cell lymphoma 2) biomarkers/enzymes (Athar et al., 2007)
  • Increased OS may lead to the vulnerability of the infection and also triggers the malfunctioning of cellular metabolism
  • Resveratrol shows its anti-rheumatoid arthritis properties with reduced RA patients’ swelling, tenderness, and disease activity by lowering the biochemical indicators of inflammation like MMP-3, IL-6, ESR, C-reactive protein, and undercarboxylated osteocalcin
  •  
    A good overview about polyphenols.
Hannah Herrera

Space travel alters gene expression in white blood cells, weakening our immune system -... - 1 views

  • Space travel alters gene expression in white blood cells, weakening our immune system
    • Hannah Herrera
       
      very interesting article, there is a conclusion with insights to this underlining issue in the "read original paper" link in red. I overall think its a ear pricking issue that has yet to be solve or given the clear conclusion as to why it happens in the first place.
  • pre-flight strength: the length of this period is likely to depend on age, sex, genetic differences, and childhood exposure to pathogens.
  • These observations suggest that our immune system might be weakened by space travel.
    • Hannah Herrera
       
      could it have a possible connection with the strong gravitational pull while actually going up to space? (like the continuing feeling of a steep rollercoaster drop).
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • change in gene expression of leukocytes under microgravity is triggered by ‘fluid shift’, where blood plasma is redistributed from the lower to the upper part of the body, including the lymphatic system. This causes a reduction in plasma volume by between 10% and 15% within the first few days in space. Fluid shift is known to be accompanied by large-scale physiological adaptations, apparently including altered gene expression.
Sean Nash

E-learning courses - GrowNextGen - 2 views

  • These self-guided digital resources allow students to work independently. Pre- and posttests can be used to check knowledge gains.
    • Sean Nash
       
      An interesting set of open online courses to take your learning to the next level in some area... These might be interesting early on in the problem-finding phase, but also once a topic is chosen... you need to get up to speed in an area of science much more quickly than in traditional teacher-led courses. Perhaps one of these can help you build early background expertise in some area?
Sean Nash

Low-dose radiation from A-bombs elongated lifespan and reduced cancer mortality relativ... - 1 views

  • individuals
    • Sean Nash
       
      These "individuals" could just as easily be plants of lower invertebrates (as model organisms at this level). This is fascinating to me. There is no doubt that we would be limited in our ability to work with ionizing radiation, but that's not to say a project couldn't be developed along these lines. I never cease to be amazed at what a motivated student can resourcefully come up with when their passion for a particular line of research is so high.
Sean Nash

Large Data Sets - Society for Science - 1 views

  • Locate a data set that interests you, see how others students have used large data sets in their research, and learn about current scientific studies fueled by big data.
  •  
    Another really solid pathway into project development is the examination and study of already existing large data sets. I have seen excellent projects that didn't even require students to generate their own data. Instead, they utilize already existing data to answer questions others may not have posed before in relation to that data set. At the very least, becoming familiar with these lines of research can help you discover a line of research that is most compelling to you!
Sean Nash

"I Wonder...": Reconnecting with Our Natural Curiosity - YouTube - 0 views

  • Reconnecting with Our Natural Curiosity
    • Sean Nash
       
      This is Caitlyn with the Society for Science (the group that sponsors the ISEF & RTS. I saw her give this talk in person last October. she gives some really good suggestions for reconnecting to the curiosity and wonder of your childhood. It is THIS skill that separates the typical student from the creative mind of a scientist. Will YOU try out any of her suggestions??
Sean Nash

Study shows experimental evidence of an altruistic nature in small convict cichlid fish - 0 views

  • Study shows experimental evidence of an altruistic nature in small convict cichlid fish
    • Sean Nash
       
      This is a big favorite model organism for me and for a handful of former students. They are fascinating little fish with complex behaviors. However, the struggle is always: studies with vertebrate model organisms are always subject to far more scrutiny and paperwork. You have to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that your study is not invasive, and you have a proper plan for their care before/during/after experimentation. I am actually switching out the back aquarium (that previously had African Cichlids) for these in August.
Sean Nash

Learning in Plants: Lessons from Mimosa pudica - 4 views

  • there is a lack of observational data on the behavior of plants
  • Observational research allows the researcher to establish baseline activity and response levels of the subject
  • Perhaps the first study of learning in plants was a habituation experiment reported by Pfeffer (1873) using the sensitive plant Mimosa. In this experiment, repeated mechanical stimulation of leaflets led to a decrease in sensitivity
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • the question naturally arises as to whether Mimosa can discriminate between stimuli. This was answered in the affirmative by Holmes and Gruenberg (1965) whose experimental design included a drop of water and finger touch as stimuli
  • the results suggest that Mimosa can discriminate between stimuli
  • Thomas performed an experiment on classical conditioning in Mimosa that took advantage of the finding that, under field conditions, the leaflets of Mimosa slowly drop as dusk approaches and slowly rise at dawn (personal communication). In the experiment, the CS was turning on the light in the growth chamber and the US was touching selected leaflets. Thomas found that leaflets in the paired condition showed conditioning compared to a light only or alternating stimulation condition. This finding should be replicated with controls for pseudoconditioning.
  • Given the importance of the Gagliano et al. (2014) experiment and the failure to replicate some previous experimental results it is critical that the Gagliano et al. (2014) results be repeated by an independent laboratory.
  • In addition to Mimosa, habituation has been found in the carnivorous plant Drosera (sundew
  • Applewhite (1975) cites an experiment by Darwin reportedly showing habituation in the passion flower (Passiflora gracilis). During this experiment, when Darwin mechanically stimulated the passion flower tendrils, the tendrils no longer responded after 54 h of training.
  • Abramson et al. (2002) investigated the use of bioelectrical potentials as a method to explore plant behavior.
  • In an interesting article, Karpinski and Szechynska-Hebda (2010) discuss the intellect of plants from memory to intelligence. By studying recall, the researcher investigates a host of independent variables and that are solidly anchored to a set of dependent variables. This study focused on recall at the cellular level rather than as an externally observable behavior. The discussion of plant learning at various levels, from cellular to organismal and from different scientific fields is exactly what is advocated for in this article
  • There is also interest from behavioral scientists seeking to determine whether the similarities and differences in learning found among invertebrates and vertebrates could also be found in plants (Warden et al., 1940; Applewhite, 1975; Abramson et al., 2002; Guiguet, 2013).
  • The majority of early plant studies used the Sensitive plant (M. pudica). Mimosa has much to recommend it for learning studies. They are easy to maintain, much is known about its natural history, and they have a visible leaf closure response to external stimuli. However, there are drawbacks in the use of Mimosa, for example, it takes about 15 min for a leaf to recover (Holmes and Gruenberg, 1965) and not much is known about its genome in contrast to model species such as Arabidopsis thaliana whose entire genome is known.
  • In the following section we will focus on methods to develop studies utilizing habituation, sensitization, and classical conditioning techniques. Instrumental and operant conditioning will not be covered because at this time there are no Mimosa studies in these areas; although one can envision a situation where the opening and closing of a leaf can be detected electronically. Once detected, the response would produce a consequence such as an airpuff or changes in light intensity.
    • Sean Nash
       
      The remainder of this comprehensive article is to outline the main lines of research in this area:
  • Learning in Plants: Lessons from Mimosa pudica
    • Sean Nash
       
      This well-compiled article does a really nice job of outlining the history of study regarding plant behavior. It also suggests model organisms for study. Mimosa is a favorite of mine as their response is VERY rapid and quite visible for a plant! There are all sorts of feasible project ideas that could arise from this area of research.
katherine-medina

Restoring the activity of the antibiotic aztreonam using the polyphenol epigallocatechi... - 0 views

  • epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
    • katherine-medina
       
      Epigallocatechin (EGCG) is a type of catechin or a natural phenol antioxidant. It is commonly found in tea leaves, plums, apple skin, and onions. Sidenote this bacteria is found in green tea
  • However, with resistance increasing against many classes of antibiotic, clinicians often use multiple combinations to treat critically ill patients
  • relatively low toxicity of EGCG to human keratinocytes and G. mellonella larvae.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • . EGCG was able to restore the activity of aztreonam against MDR P. aeruginosa . The data presented support further evaluation of the aztreonam–EGCG combination and highlight its potential for use in clinical medici
  • Polyphenols
    • katherine-medina
       
      These are bioactive compounds that are found in fruits and leaves of plants. The main focus of this paper is a type of polyphenol.
  • with EGCG in checkerboard assays, susceptibility increased in P. aeruginosa (n=16, 100%), with the combination proving synergistic in all strains tested
    • katherine-medina
       
      Wow. for how much it increased the susceptibility.
  • Another option to restore the activity of aztreonam against bacterial strains with multiple resistance mechanisms would be to use polyphenols
  • Chemicals, media, bacterial isolates and animals
    • katherine-medina
       
      Really important to look back at these methods because even though it may not be feasible for me to do an experiment like this one, it still has valuable information for me to look at.
  • To access synergy between aztreonam and EGCG, checkerboard assays were performed
  • he results demonstrate that synergy between aztreonam and EGCG exists [fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs) 0.02-0.5], with the combination affording significantly (P=<0.05) enhanced bacterial killing, with a >3 log10 reduction in colony-forming units ml−1 at 24 h
  • Synergy was also found between EGCG and the third-generation cephalosporin, cefotaxime
  • with scores of 64 and 56 out of a maximum of 64 for strains PA2 and PA6, respectively.
  • the increased activity may also be due to the inhibition of the non-mevalonate pathway, resulting in increased susceptibility to aztreonam.
  • Overall, the G. mellonella assays demonstrated that the aztreonam–EGCG combination was superior to monotherapy with either agent against every isolate tested, with significantly lower larval mortality rates
  • In conclusion, the results from this study demonstrate that synergy exists between aztreonam and EGCG against MDR clinical strains of P. aeruginosa in vitro and in vivo. EGCG is also able to restore the antibacterial activity of aztreonam to concentrations below the EUCAST susceptibility breakpoint for P. aeruginosa , potentially expanding and extending its useful therapeutic lifespan. Further work should be undertaken to determine if this combination has the potential to treat clinical infections caused by MDR P. aeruginosa .
    • katherine-medina
       
      My final thought for this article is as follows: 1. This brings up a very interesting topic for me to dig into (polyphenols & antibiotics)
  •  
    A gateway article for me to further my search into the scientific realm involving polyphenols that aid antibiotics.
katherine-medina

Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ginger in Health and Physical Activity:... - 1 views

  • the rhizome
  • Ginger has staring potential for treating a number of ailments including degenerative disorders (arthritis and rheumatism), digestive health (indigestion, constipation and ulcer), cardiovascular disorders (atherosclerosis and hypertension), vomiting, diabetes mellitus, and cancer.
    • katherine-medina
       
      It has the potential for it, so there may not be many studies on these different things that ginger can supposedly do. So it makes me Infinitely more curious to look and see if there are other studies that actually have information about these said claims.
  • Furthermore, it has antimicrobial potential as well which can help in treating infectious diseases.[2
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • The bioactive molecules of ginger like gingerols have shown antioxidant activity in various modules
  • Inflammatory disorders such as gastritis, esophagitis, and hepatitis, which are caused not only by infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites but also by physical and chemical agents like heat, acid, cigarette smoke, and foreign bodies, are recognized as risk factors for human cancer
  • This study aimed to review the current evidence on ginger effects as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative.
  • es.[2
  • 6-Shogaol has exhibited the most potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in ginger, which can be attributed to the presence of alpha, beta-unsaturated ketone moiety
  • Furthermore, feeding ginger to rats at 1% w/w during administration of malathion
    • katherine-medina
       
      Wow, so they fed the rats pesticides than ginger
  • so it can possibly value in treatment of Parkinson's disease.[17]
    • katherine-medina
       
      Really cool
  • This effect was improved by a treatment with 1% dietary ginger 1 month in rats which suggest that ginger may have protective role against the ethanol induced hepatotoxicity.
  • could be useful in preventing acute liver injury
  • Habib et al. showed that ginger extract can reduce the elevated expression of NFκB and TNF-α in rats with liver cancer
  • howed that gingerols can inhibit LPS-induced COX-2 expression while shogaol containing extracts has no effect on COX-2 expression
  • Ginger and its bioactive molecules are effective in controlling the extent of colorectal, gastric, ovarian, liver, skin, breast, and prostate cancers
    • katherine-medina
       
      Wow it can do a lot.
  • They observed that [6]-gingerol inhibits TRAIL-induced NF-κB activation by impairing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB, suppresses cIAP1 expression, and increases TRAIL-induced caspase-3/7 activation
  • Inhibition of angiogenesis in the mouse skin is the mechanism of ginger for treating of skin cancer.
  • However, ginger significantly lowered blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides, and raised HDL in hyperglycemic rats, in models that are diabetic, deficient in the apolipoprotein E gene or those that have been fed a high lipid diet.
  • ethanolic extract of ginger reduced body weights and levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, and phospholipids in high-fat diets.
  • CONCLUSIONS
    • katherine-medina
       
      Overall a good synopsis on what ginger can do.
Sean Nash

Satellite Monitoring of Biodiversity Moves Within Reach | Current Science Daily - 2 views

  • Data for the study came from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The network uses standardized methods to collect biodiversity and Earth observation data across the United States which are then made publicly available. NEON imaging spectrometer data collected from research flights have a pixel size of 1x1 meter.
    • Sean Nash
       
      I wonder if any of the imagery they have is: 1. Accessible by us, and 2. Available for our area. If so, it might be as simple as doing plant diversity surveys to look for ground truth in our area (young forests & grasslands) between what is REALLY on the ground here, vs. what the satellite imagery shows.
  • Biodiversity monitoring from space possible via satellite
  • The reflectance of plants is determined by their chemical, anatomical and morphological characteristics, which are important for interactions among plants and with their environment. “Plants with similar traits, as well as closely related species, therefore tend to have similar reflectance spectra,” explains Schweiger.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Spectral diversity calculated in forests with closed canopies and large individual trees matched plant diversity determined on the ground better than spectral diversity calculated in open landscapes dominated by small herbaceous plants and grasses.
Sean Nash

Taurine slows aging in mice. Will it ever work for people? - 1 views

  •  
    Interesting bit on the potential benefits of taurine in the diet. Don't rush out and start an energy drink habit, but if you've had one, you likely know the unique taste of this chemical. There are a ton of things mentioned in this short article. Perhaps dig into what we already know about biochemical pathways of taurine...
Sean Nash

Camouflaging wheat with a wheat smell could be a new approach to pest control - 1 views

  •  
    This is a simple concept I wanted to toss out there. A sort of "drowning sensory input" in order to "make finding less effective" sort of approach. I wonder if there are other things this concept might be applied to?
katherine-medina

Full article: Effect of Dandelion root extract on growth performance, immune function a... - 0 views

  • From days 12 to 14 and days 26 to 28, approximately 100 g of faeces was collected from each pen for 3 days and the faecal samples were stored at −20°C. The 3-d faecal collection was pooled by pen and then dried at 65°C for 72 h.
  • From days 12 to 14 and days 26 to 28, approximately 100 g of faeces was collected from each pen for 3 days and the faecal samples were stored at −20°C. The 3-d faecal collection was pooled by pen and then dried at 65°C for 72 h.
    • katherine-medina
       
      Kinda gross, but interesting to know how and when the collected the "feces."
  • There were no differences in the ATTD of GE, CP, NDF and ADF among the three treatments.
    • katherine-medina
       
      Interesting that there was no difference between the three groups in that category.
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • uring days 15–28, pigs in the CHE group had lower (P < .05) diarrhoea frequency compared with those in the NC treatment, and dietary CHE supplementation decreased the diarrhoea frequency by 63.62% and 57.82% compared with the NC and PC groups, respectively
    • katherine-medina
       
      So the Chinese herbal extract did a better job at reducing the diarrhoea frequency by 63.62 and 57.82% in comparison to the NC and PC groups.
  • Furthermore, pigs in the CHE group had greater (P < .05) formic acid, propionate and butyrate concentrations in faeces compared with pigs in the PC group, and had greater (P < .05) formic acid, butyrate and valerate concentrations in faeces compared with pigs in the NC group
    • katherine-medina
       
      Cool to note that the CHE group had a lower lactic acid concentration in comparison to the PC group.
  • There were no differences in the concentrations of IgA, IgG, IgM, GSH-PX, MDA, TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-1β among the three treatments.
  • Moreover, the concentration of IL-6 in serum in pigs fed the CHE diet was greater (P < .05) than those fed the NC diet.
  • Pigs in the CHE group showed increased relative abundance of Sytrophococcus on genus level, and decreased (P < .05) relative abundance of Clostridiaceae_1
  • In addition, relative abundances of genus Selenomonas, Alloprevotella, Prevotella_2, Rjkenellaceae, and Kitasatospora all increased in faecal samples when pigs fed the PC diet.
  • CHE supplementation decreased the diarrhoea frequency of pigs compared with diets with or without antibiotics supplemented. Some previous studies also reported the positive effects of dietary Chinese herbs supplementation on diarrhoea frequency of weaned pigs
  • he increased concentrations of immune markers in serum and faecal SCFAs in weaned pigs consumed CHE in our study may explain the positive effects of CHE supplementation on diarrhoea frequency and nutrient digestibility
  • but decreased the incidence of diarrhoea and increased digestibility of some nutrients.
  • In addition, CHE supplementation improved faecal SCFAs concentrations and immune function of weaned pigs, and shaped faecal microbial community in weaned pigs. As a result, the traditional Chinese herb medicine, CHE, could act as a potential alternative to the antibiotics such as aureomycin used in weaned pig diets.
    • katherine-medina
       
      I do quite enjoy this closing statement, so in summary CHE works to decrease diarrhoea in weened pigs.
  •  
    An article showing that pigs who ate CHE had a significant decrease in diahrroea.
  •  
    Super interesting. Just remember that experimentation on mammals where diet is altered, etc... is a super tightrope walk. It is almost impossible to get those approved. You would have to really dig into the ISEF rules on that. However, you can always think about ways to transfer ideas and concepts down to a "lower" animal model for many studies.
katherine-medina

Anti-inflammatory effects and possible mechanism of action of lupeol acetate isolated f... - 0 views

  • The latex collected from its stem bark is used for several purposes including anti-inflammatory properties and presents among its bioactive constituents the pentacyclic triterpene lupeol.
  • administered with LA,
    • katherine-medina
       
      they were trying to see if it could work as a prevenatitive treatment
  • carrageenan and dextran,
    • katherine-medina
       
      This causes inflammation
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • the effect of a very low dose of LA (0.1 mg/kg) was potentiated by the same dose of pentoxifylline (PTX), a known TNF-alpha inhibitor. L
    • katherine-medina
       
      Essentially once they put pentoxifylline into the rat the LA activated.
  • The anti-inflammatory effect of LA probably involves the opioid system, as indicated by the complete blockade of the opioid antagonist naloxone
    • katherine-medina
       
      So, the LA helped the body with inflammation due to its interaction with the opioid system.
  • rich in triterpenes
  • Carrageenan-induced mice paw edema
    • katherine-medina
       
      Cool to understand that these next two paragraphs are about how to induce inflammation
  • LA injected 30 min before carrageenan significantly decreased the carrageenan-induced neutrophil migration in a dose-dependent manner. The LA inhibitory effect against carrageenan-induced migration was about 52, 79 and 90%, at the doses of 1, 10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p., respectively
  • LA (10, 25 and 50 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced both phases of the formalin test, and the results were significant at the two higher doses. However, the effects were mainly on the 2nd phase with 61% inhibition, whereas the 1st phase was inhibited by 41% at the LA dose of 50 mg/kg, i.p. The naloxone pretreatment completely reversed the LA effect, in the 1st and 2nd phases, indicating the participation of the opioid system in LA antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions.
  • On the other hand, while no significant enzyme release was observed with LA at the concentrations of 1, 10 and 25 μg/mL, a small but significant LDH release (around 2 times) was detected with the higher LA concentration (50 μg/mL), probably related to the presence of 0.2% Tween 80.
  • The results show that LA at the concentrations of 50, 100 and 200 μg/mL presents no radical scavenging capacity. On the contrary, vitamin E used as the reference drug significantly decreased the absorbance value, as related to controls
    • katherine-medina
       
      LA can sadly not kill the free radicals that tend to disrupt and kill DNA and other parts of the cell.
  • In the carrageenan-treated groups pretreated with LA (50 mg/kg, i.p.) or indomethacin (10 mg/kg, i.p.), there were significant reductions of iNOS expressing cells.
  • Lupeol is found in several other species and its antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities have been already demonstrated [24–28]. It is accepted that the anti-inflammatory property of lupeol often accompany its immune modulatory and anti-tumor action
  • lupeol acetate presents an anti-inflammatory activity by regulating TNF-alpha and IL-2 specific mRNA, besides upregulating the synthesis of IL-10 mRNA [31].
  • In the present work, we showed that lupeol acetate (LA, 93.2% purity) isolated from the H. drasticus latex presented a potent anti-inflammatory action, in several models of inflammation in mice
  • These authors concluded that lupeol possessed an anti-inflammatory activity which is probably related to its ability to prevent the production of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α and IL-1β.
  •  
    This study is a good one to go back to if you are curious about alternative types of anti-inflammatory plants.
  •  
    The carrageenan here (and the fact that you seem interested in the biochemical realm) made me think of a supplement my mom recently asked me to scope out for her (Arteriosil). It also contains a seaweed extract (rhamnan sulfate) Her doctor was recommending it for macular degeneration. Here is the product: https://shop.calroy.com/product/arterosilhp/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw7aqkBhDPARIsAKGa0oKoQchIRSlzL1_PikNwT71f1BmUVgbIM7sXUQS_lJKaGVSCT4O5R7EaAmaUEALw_wcB Here is one study from the NIH: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32344720/
« First ‹ Previous 101 - 120 of 164 Next › Last »
Showing 20 items per page