Central fatigue and nycthemeral change of serum tryptophan and serotonin in the athletic horse     

Piccione G  Assenza A  Fazio F  Percipalle M  Caola G 《Journal of circadian rhythms》2005,3(1):6

Background  

The serotonergic system is associated with numerous brain functions, including the resetting of the mammalian circadian clock. The synthesis and metabolism of 5-HT in the brain increases in response to exercise and is correlated with high levels of blood-borne tryptophan (TRP). The present investigation was aimed at testing the existence of a daily rhythm of TRP and 5-HT in the blood of athletic horses.  相似文献   

Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Diospyros lotus</Emphasis> L. Extract and Isolated Compounds     

Monica Rosa Loizzo  Ataa Said  Rosa Tundis  Usama W. Hawas  Khaled Rashed  Federica Menichini  Natale Giuseppe Frega  Francesco Menichini 《Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)》2009,64(4):264-270

The object of the study was to determine the chemical composition of Diospyros lotus L. extract and their antioxidant and antiproliferative properties. Eight compounds were isolated from D. lotus and identified as gallic acid, methylgallate, ellagic acid, kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin, myricetin 3-O-β-glucuronide, and myricetin-3-O-α-rhamnoside. D. lotus extract tested in different in vitro systems (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and Fe²⁺ chelating activity assay) showed significant antioxidant activity. The potential antiproliferative properties of D. lotus extract and isolated compounds against nine human cancer cell lines such as COR-L23, CaCo-2, C32, ACHN, A375, A549, Huh-7D12, MCF-7, and LNCaP were investigated in vitro by SRB assay. D. lotus extract demonstrated the highest inhibitory activity against COR-L23 with an IC₅₀ value of 12.2 μg/ml. Among identified hydrolysable tannins, ellagic acid evidenced strong antiproliferative activity against both C32 and A375 cells with IC₅₀ values of 0.8 and 4.1 μg/ml, respectively. Interesting results were observed, also, with gallic acid that showed the highest cytotoxic activity against CaCo-2 (IC₅₀ 2.6 μg/ml). Overall, the results of this study suggest that D. lotus displays a good antioxidant activity and has antiproliferative effects. Both activities are related to identified phenolic compounds.  相似文献   

Metabolic profiling and analysis of volatile composition of durum wheat semolina and pasta     

Romina Beleggia  Cristiano Platani  Giuseppe Spano  Massimo Monteleone  Luigi Cattivelli 《Journal of Cereal Science》2009

Although pasta is generally not considered for its aromatic properties, some evidence proves that cereal flours release volatile compounds and they might have an effect on the aroma of the transformed products. This work reports on the characterization of the volatile components of semolina and pasta obtained from four durum wheat cultivars (Triticum durum Desf., cvs. PR22D89, Creso, Cappelli, Trinakria). Semolina samples were characterized through polar metabolite profiling and fatty acid analysis to identify potential precursors of the volatile components. The results show significant differences among the samples tested with cv. Trinakria characterized by the highest content of sugars and fatty acids. Volatile composition was investigated both in semolina and in cooked pasta using headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) and identified by GC–MS. Thirty-five volatile compounds including aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, terpenes, esters, hydrocarbons and a furan were identified. Significant differences were observed between semolina and pasta samples in terms of composition and amount of the volatile compounds. During cooking an increase in aldehyde content, the appearance of ketones and a decrease in alcohol content were observed. Correlations between metabolites and volatiles demonstrate that the flavour of cooked pasta may differ significantly depending on the durum wheat cultivar employed.  相似文献   

Characterization of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Landraces Cultivated in Central Italy     

Perazzini R  Leonardi D  Ruggeri S  Alesiani D  D'Arcangelo G  Canini A 《Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)》2008,63(4):211-218

Eight Phaseolus vulgaris L. landraces cultivated on farm in marginal areas of Central Italy (Lazio region) were investigated in order to evaluate chemical composition of storage proteins and secondary metabolites fractions. The total protein content showed some differences among landraces; the maximum value was next to 30 g for 100 g of dry weight. The seed storage proteins were screened by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS/PAGE): seven landraces exhibited phaseolin patterns type S, one landrace showed a phaseolin pattern type T. A morphological analysis of cotyledon parenchyma performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed differences in size of starch granules. Moreover the polyphenolic composition was investigated using HPLC-APCI; from the methanol extracts a flavonoid, kaempferol, and a coumarin, 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin, were identified. To our knowledge, this is the first time that 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin has been reported in P. vulgaris seeds.  相似文献   

In situ detection of tree root distribution and biomass by multi-electrode resistivity imaging     

Amato M  Basso B  Celano G  Bitella G  Morelli G  Rossi R 《Tree physiology》2008,28(10):1441-1448

Traditional methods for studying tree roots are destructive and labor intensive, but available nondestructive techniques are applicable only to small scale studies or are strongly limited by soil conditions and root size. Soil electrical resistivity measured by geoelectrical methods has the potential to detect belowground plant structures, but quantitative relationships of these measurements with root traits have not been assessed. We tested the ability of two-dimensional (2-D) DC resistivity tomography to detect the spatial variability of roots and to quantify their biomass in a tree stand. A high-resolution resistivity tomogram was generated along a 11.75 m transect under an Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. stand based on an alpha-Wenner configuration with 48 electrodes spaced 0.25 m apart. Data were processed by a 2-D finite-element inversion algorithm, and corrected for soil temperature. Data acquisition, inversion and imaging were completed in the field within 60 min. Root dry mass per unit soil volume (root mass density, RMD) was measured destructively on soil samples collected to a depth of 1.05 m. Soil sand, silt, clay and organic matter contents, electrical conductivity, water content and pH were measured on a subset of samples. The spatial pattern of soil resistivity closely matched the spatial distribution of RMD. Multiple linear regression showed that only RMD and soil water content were related to soil resistivity along the transect. Regression analysis of RMD against soil resistivity revealed a highly significant logistic relationship (n = 97), which was confirmed on a separate dataset (n = 67), showing that soil resistivity was quantitatively related to belowground tree root biomass. This relationship provides a basis for developing quick nondestructive methods for detecting root distribution and quantifying root biomass, as well as for optimizing sampling strategies for studying root-driven phenomena.  相似文献   

Management of feral domestic cats in the urban environment of Rome (Italy)     

Natoli E  Maragliano L  Cariola G  Faini A  Bonanni R  Cafazzo S  Fantini C 《Preventive veterinary medicine》2006,77(3-4):180-185

In Italy, which is rabies-free, the national Law No. 281 [Legge Nazionale 14 agosto 1991. No. 281: Legge Quadro in materia di animali di affezione e prevenzione del randagismo. Gazz. Uff. Rep. Ital. no 203 del 30 agosto 1991: p. 3] on the management of pets and on the control of feral cats has introduced the no-kill policy for this species. Thus, “trap-neuter-release” (TNR) programs have been carried out for >10 years. In this paper we present data on registered colonies and censused cats in Rome from 1991 to 2000; the results of the neutering campaign from 1991 to 2000; and a survey, on 103 cat colonies, on the effects of demographic control of urban feral-cat colonies in the city of Rome, carried out by the local Veterinary Public Services (VPS) in collaboration with the associations of cat care-takers. In 10 years almost 8000 were neutered and reintroduced in their original colony. The spay/neuter campaigns brought about a general decrease in cat number but the percentage of cat immigration (due to abandonment and spontaneous arrival) is around 21%. This suggests that all these efforts without an effective education of people to control the reproduction of house cats (as a prevention for abandonment) are a waste of money, time and energy.  相似文献   

Effects of long term irrigation with treated wastewater on leaf mineral element contents and oil quality in Olive cv. Chemlali     

Saida Bedbabis  Giuseppe Ferrara 《The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology》2018,93(2):216-223

Water is one of the most limiting factors in agriculture, particularly in arid areas such as Tunisia. Olives are the most important tree fruit in the country and are cultivated over 1.6 million hectares. An olive grove of cv. Chemlali was irrigated either by using treated wastewater (TWW) or fresh water (FW) from 2002 to 2012. The aim of this 10-year study was to investigate the effects of irrigation with TWW on both quality parameters (i.e. K₂₃₂, total phenols, free fatty acids, etc.) and content of mineral elements in the leaves. Data obtained indicated no effects of the irrigation on parameters such as oil content and K₂₇₀, either by using TWW or FW, and significant effects only after 10 years on free acidity and K₂₃₂. Instead, palmitoleic and stearic acid contents significantly decreased after 10 years of irrigation with TWW with respect to FW irrigation. TWW irrigation also increased the content of total phenols, chlorophyll, and minor and major nutrients in the leaves.  相似文献   

Presence and distribution of leptin and its receptor in the gut of adult zebrafish in response to feeding and fasting          下载免费PDF全文

Olivia Garcia‐Suarez  Roberto Cabo  Francesco Abbate  Basilio Randazzo  Rosaria Laurà  Giuseppe Piccione  Antonino Germanà  Maria Levanti 《Anatomia, histologia, embryologia》2018,47(5):456-465

Leptin is an anorectic hormone secreted mainly by peripheral adipocytes but also by other central and peripheral tissues. It acts by means of a receptor called OB‐R, influencing not only appetite and body mass but being also involved in many fields like endocrinology, metabolism and reproduction. Immunohistochemistry and qRT‐PCR techniques were, respectively, used to demonstrate the presence of leptin and its receptor in the gut of adult zebrafish and to evaluate the leptin gene expression response to feeding and fasting. Immunoreactivity for the antibodies utilized was demonstrated in feeding but not in fasting fish, and the gene expression analysis corroborates the data obtained by immunohistochemistry. Therefore, all the obtained results support the hypothesis of the role of this hormone in food regulation in zebrafish.  相似文献   

METHOD OF SEMEN COLLECTION AND ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION IN SNAKES     

Matteo Oliveri  Alena Bartoskova  Filippo Spadola  Manuel Morici  Marco di Giuseppe  Zdenek Knotek 《Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine》2018,27(2):75-80

This study focuses on the method for sperm extraction and artificial insemination in snakes. Ten adult healthy snakes (4.6) were included in the study (Pantherophis guttatus 1.3; Hydrodynastes gigas 1.1; Corallus hortulanus 1.1; and Sanzinia madagascariesis 1.1). Massage of the ventral aspect of the caudal third of the male snake body for 2 to 3 minutes was performed successfully for the semen collection. Both female and male P. guttatus and H. gigas were placed in brumation, with the female snakes being assessed for ovarian activity after emerging from dormancy. Only females showing ultrasonographic evidence of vitellogenic follicles were included in the study. S. madagascariensis and C. hortulanus were maintained at the same temperature through the year, and the ovarian activity was assessed ultrasonographically prior to artificially inseminating the animal. With the aid of a rigid endoscope, fresh semen was delivered through the cloaca and into the females’ oviducts using a catheter connected to the syringe. The technique failed in female S. madagascariensis and H. gigas. Two female P. guttatus laid eggs 2 months after artificial insemination, with hatchlings emerging following 2 months of development within the eggs. The third female corn snake did not lay an egg. The female C. hortulans produced eggs 4 months after insemination. The manual massage method of sperm collection in male snakes and endoscopy-assisted insemination in female snakes may be useful for conservation programs.  相似文献   

BACTERIAL ULCERATIVE DERMATITIS IN A PIRANHA (PYGOCENTRUS NATTERERI) FED WITH FRESH FISH DIET     

Giorgia Matteucci  Marco Di Giuseppe  Laura Faraci  Marco Luparello  Diana Binanti 《Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine》2018,27(4):23-26

A red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri), kept as a pet by a private owner, was presented for multifocal ulcerative lesions. Lesion biopsies were collected under general anesthesia and submitted for histopathologic and microbiologic examination. Histological examination revealed a bacterial necrotizing ulcerative dermatitis. From cultural analysis of the biopsy, Aeromonas hydrophila and Edwardsiella ictaluri were isolated. Multidrug resistance was observed in both isolates, except for neomycin and ceftazidime. Intramuscular injections of ceftazidime 22 mg/kg were administered until complete healing of the wound, except for small dermal scars that remained following treatment. Given that the piranha was maintained alone since it was purchased, except for occasional feedings with fresh nonfrozen goldfish, horizontal transmission of the infection from the prey species was considered the source of infection.  相似文献