Degenerative retinopathies are the leading causes of irreversible visual impairment in the elderly, affecting hundreds of millions of patients. Müller glia cells (MGC), the main type of glia found in ...the vertebrate retina, can resume proliferation in the rodent adult injured retina but contribute weakly to tissue repair when compared to zebrafish retina. However, postnatal and adult mouse MGC can be genetically reprogrammed through the expression of the transcription factor (TF) Achaete-scute homolog 1 (ASCL1) into induced neurons (iNs), displaying key hallmarks of photoreceptors, bipolar and amacrine cells, which may contribute to regenerate the damaged retina. Here, we show that the TF neurogenin 2 (NEUROG2) is also sufficient to lineage-reprogram postnatal mouse MGC into iNs. The efficiency of MGC lineage conversion by NEUROG2 is similar to that observed after expression of ASCL1 and both TFs induce the generation of functionally active iNs. Treatment of MGC cultures with EGF and FGF2 prior to Neurog2 or Ascl1 expression enhances reprogramming efficiencies, what can be at least partially explained by an increase in the frequency of MGCs expressing sex determining region Y (SRY)-box 2 (SOX2). Transduction of either Neurog2 or Ascl1 led to the upregulation of key retina neuronal genes in MGC-derived iNs, but only NEUROG2 induced a consistent increase in the expression of putative retinal ganglion cell (RGC) genes. Moreover,
electroporation of Neurog2 in late progenitors from the neonatal rat retina, which are transcriptionally similar to MGCs, also induced a shift in the generation of retinal cell subtypes, favoring neuronal differentiation at the expense of MGCs and resuming the generation of RGCs. Altogether, our data indicate that NEUROG2 induces lineage conversion of postnatal rodent MGCs into RGC-like iNs
and resumes the generation of this neuronal type from late progenitors of the retina
.
Display omitted
•“Cerrado” cashew pseudofruit produce juice with high vitamin C content.•The 4-weeks ingestion of “Cerrado” cashew juice improves lipid profile of women.•The arterial BP-lowering of ...women occurred with “Cerrado” cashew juice ingestion.•The time of glucose peak increased 33% after 30 days-ingestion “Cerrado” cashew.
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of 30-day “Cerrado” cashew juice consumption in women. “Cerrado” cashew juice was produced through enzymatic clarification after maceration of Anacardium othonianum pseudofruit. The “Cerrado” cashew juice was clarified, pasteurized, and evaluated for its chemical characteristics, and a daily intake of 400 mL was used in the pilot study of nine women. The “Cerrado” cashew juice showed high vitamin C content (30 mg 100 mL−1), and consumption of “Cerrado” cashew juice increases the recommended daily intake of manganese (56 %), zinc (22 %), iron (14 %), and copper (13 %). Consumption of “Cerrado” cashew juice improved the time to reach the maximum glucose value in the glycemic curve, the cholesterol levels (triglycerides, total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and systolic blood pressure in women.
Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an emerging arbovirus member of the
family and
genus. MAYV infection causes an acute febrile illness accompanied by persistent polyarthralgia and myalgia. Understanding the ...mechanisms involved in arthritis caused by alphaviruses is necessary to develop specific therapies. In this work, we investigated the role of the CCL2/CCR2 axis in the pathogenesis of MAYV-induced disease. For this, wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J and CCR2
mice were infected with MAYV subcutaneously and evaluated for disease development. MAYV infection induced an acute inflammatory disease in WT mice. The immune response profile was characterized by an increase in the production of inflammatory mediators, such as IL-6, TNF, and CCL2. Higher levels of CCL2 at the local and systemic levels were followed by the significant recruitment of CCR2
macrophages and a cellular response orchestrated by these cells. CCR2
mice showed an increase in CXCL-1 levels, followed by a replacement of the macrophage inflammatory infiltrate by neutrophils. Additionally, the absence of the CCR2 receptor protected mice from bone loss induced by MAYV. Accordingly, the silencing of CCL2 chemokine expression
and the pharmacological blockade of CCR2 promoted a partial improvement in disease. Cell culture data support the mechanism underlying the bone pathology of MAYV, in which MAYV infection promotes a pro-osteoclastogenic microenvironment mediated by CCL2, IL-6, and TNF, which induces the migration and differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells. Overall, these data contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology of MAYV infection and the identification future of specific therapeutic targets in MAYV-induced disease.IMPORTANCEThis work demonstrates the role of the CCL2/CCR2 axis in MAYV-induced disease. The infection of wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J and CCR2
mice was associated with high levels of CCL2, an important chemoattractant involved in the recruitment of macrophages, the main precursor of osteoclasts. In the absence of the CCR2 receptor, there is a mitigation of macrophage migration to the target organs of infection and protection of these mice against bone loss induced by MAYV infection. Much evidence has shown that host immune response factors contribute significantly to the tissue damage associated with alphavirus infections. Thus, this work highlights molecular and cellular targets involved in the pathogenesis of arthritis triggered by MAYV and identifies novel therapeutic possibilities directed to the host inflammatory response unleashed by MAYV.
The aim of this study was to identify suitable polynomial regression for modeling the average growth trajectory and to estimate the relative development of the rib eye area, scrotal circumference, ...and morphometric measurements of Guzerat young bulls.
A total of 45 recently weaned males, aged 325.8±28.0 days and weighing 219.9±38.05 kg, were evaluated. The animals were kept on Brachiaria brizantha pastures, received multiple supplementations, and were managed under uniform conditions for 294 days, with evaluations conducted every 56 days. The average growth trajectory was adjusted using ordinary polynomials, Legendre polynomials, and quadratic B-splines. The coefficient of determination, mean absolute deviation, mean square error, the value of the restricted likelihood function, Akaike information criteria, and consistent Akaike information criteria were applied to assess the quality of the fits. For the study of allometric growth, the power model was applied.
Ordinary polynomial and Legendre polynomial models of the fifth order provided the best fits. B-splines yielded the best fits in comparing models with the same number of parameters. Based on the restricted likelihood function, Akaike's information criterion, and consistent Akaike's information criterion, the B-splines model with six intervals described the growth trajectory of evaluated animals more smoothly and consistently. In the study of allometric growth, the evaluated traits exhibited negative heterogeneity (b<1) relative to the animals' weight (p<0.01), indicating the precocity of Guzerat cattle for weight gain on pasture.
Complementary studies of growth trajectory and allometry can help identify when an animal's weight changes and thus assist in decision-making regarding management practices, nutritional requirements, and genetic selection strategies to optimize growth and animal performance.
The characteristics of the clarified “Cerrado” cashew juice, supplemented with Sacharomyces boulardii and different sweeteners, were evaluated. Eight formulations of clarified cashew juice were ...prepared with different sugars (sucrose-SCO, fructose-FRU, and xylitol-XIL), artificial sweeteners (stevia-STE, aspartame-ASP, and sucralose-SCA), only yeast (YEA), and control (CON). S. boulardii was added to juice (108 CFU/mL), and then the mixture was stored (7 °C) and evaluated during 28 days for pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, color, osmolality, probiotic survival, and sensory properties. The juices were classified as very acidic (pH~3.2) and there was decrease in soluble solid content during shelf life (~12°–4° Brix). At 28 days of storage, the cellular viability (S. boulardii) was higher than 7 log CFU/mL for almost all treatments and the juice could be therefore considered a probiotic food. The treatment evaluated showed high vitamin C content (54–71 mg/100 mL), total phenolic compounds (75–105 mg/100 mL), total flavonoids content (average ~71 mg/100 mL), and antioxidant activity (86–88% discoloration by DPPH method). The cashew juice added from different sweeteners is a viable matrix for the probiotic, which contributes to the sensory properties of the beverage. Moreover, the sweeteners showed potential for use in low-calorie functional foods.
Display omitted
•The “Cerrado” cashew juice is a good vehicle for Sacharomyces boulardii.•The potentially probiotic clarified cashew juice is acid and has a pink color and turbidity.•After supplementation with Sacharomyces boulardii, the juice is slightly fizzy or sparkling.
The Brazilian Cerrado region has a rich plant diversity, with fruits that have peculiar and unique sensory characteristics. For these reasons, using these fruits for biotechnological production is a ...promising alternative, mainly to protect this biome from deforestation and degradation. The production of fermented acetic acid is an option to add value to native fruits and offer the market beverages with better nutritional quality and bioactive compounds. This work aimed to characterize fruits and to develop cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) acetic fermented beverage. The fruits were subjected to physical-chemical analyses in the first part. Subsequently, different treatments for fermentation were tested using two types of enzymes (amylase and pectinase), two subspecies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast (UFLA CA11 and thermoresistant LNF Angel), and the chaptalization of the must with sucrose (16 °Brix). Alcoholic fermentation was carried out in an incubator with temperature control at 34 ± 1 °C. The pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, alcohol content, and density of the fermented products were monitored daily. The chaptalized must with amylase addition and thermoresistant yeast had the best performance during alcoholic fermentation, demonstrating that thermoresistant yeast is an economically advantageous and efficient alternative for the cagaita juice fermentation process. Subsequently, acetic fermentation was carried out using the slow method. Heat-resistant yeast without added enzymes was used to produce cagaita acetic fermented beverages within the parameters of the Brazilian legislation. Furthermore, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in the final product were observed. The work demonstrated the possibility of using cagaita fruits in biotechnological processes to produce new food products.
The COVID‐19 pandemic has aggravated existing problems associated with the high consumption of plastic products and their incorrect disposal, resulting in an increase in social, economic, and ...environmental problems. Thus, new combinations of biodegradable materials for food packaging have become the target of frequent research. The present study aimed to produce and evaluate active biodegradable films based on red bean flour and açaí seed extract and also to evaluate the quality of extra virgin olive oil stored in packaging produced for a period of 16 days at 60°C. Films of red bean flour (Phaseolus vulgaris) with 0.5% and 10% açaí seed extract were developed. The addition of the extract to the films increased their tensile strength by 100%, reduced their solubility and transparency, and increased their relative crystallinity. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity presented by the films increased in line with the concentration of extract added. The extra virgin olive oil was packaged in materials produced from bean flour films with 10% extract and maintained its quality parameters within the limits established by legislation. These results suggest the discovery of a biodegradable and antioxidant packaging that can be used to pack olive oil and other fatty food products.
Biodegradable packaging for olive oil.
Mayaro virus (MAYV) is endemic in South American countries where it is responsible for sporadic outbreaks of acute febrile illness. The hallmark of MAYV infection is a highly debilitating and chronic ...arthralgia. Although MAYV emergence is a potential threat, there are no specific therapies or licensed vaccine. In this study, we developed a murine model of MAYV infection that emulates many of the most relevant clinical features of the infection in humans and tested a live-attenuated MAYV vaccine candidate (MAYV/IRES). Intraplantar inoculation of a WT strain of MAYV into immunocompetent mice induced persistent hypernociception, transient viral replication in target organs, systemic production of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and specific humoral IgM and IgG responses. Inoculation of MAYV/IRES in BALB/c mice induced strong specific cellular and humoral responses. Moreover, MAYV/IRES vaccination of immunocompetent and interferon receptor-defective mice resulted in protection from disease induced by the virulent wt MAYV strain. Thus, this study describes a novel model of MAYV infection in immunocompetent mice and highlights the potential role of a live-attenuated MAYV vaccine candidate in host's protection from disease induced by a virulent MAYV strain.
Abstract Faced with changes in eating habits, consumers currently seek to enjoy moderate consumption of healthy food products that results in sensory pleasure. Here, our study aimed to evaluate the ...biochemical and physicochemical properties and sensory profile of craft beers produced in the Brazilian Midwest region. Our evaluation of the beverages revealed different physicochemical characteristics such as alcohol content, soluble solids, titratable acidity in citric acid, and dry extract percentage, with values ranging between 4.06-6.13%, 5.13-10.98 °Brix, 1.71-3.45%, and 3.38-7.99%, respectively. Moreover, the average density of the beverages was 0.9906 g/cm3. In addition, the antioxidant activity and total phenolic of the beverages ranged between 14.28-20.46 mMol of Trolox/100 mL and 74.84-108.45 mg/100 g, respectively. Phenolic compounds that are essential in human nutrition, such as epicatechin, catechin, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rutin, and kaempferol, were identified in the beverages. Regarding the sensory profile of the craft beers, the beers had an average acceptability index of 75.11% for appearance, 70.24% for aroma, 60.43% for flavor, and 73.53% for texture. Our study demonstrated a correlation between chemical composition and acceptability index of beer, indicating a preference for lighter colored, fuller, and less acidic beers.
Grain by-products, normally rich in dietary fiber and bioactive compounds, are important for the human diet and have been studied as potential raw materials for the development of gluten-free ...products. Thus, the purpose of this review is to provide a background on the challenges of producing gluten-free bakery products using soy, corn, and bean by-products, which stand out as products of great economic importance. The use of these by-products improves the nutritional profile (the content of proteins, fibers, and phenolic compounds, among others) in bakery products, but it can also have a positive or negative effect on technological properties (color, texture, volume, porosity, thickness, homogeneity, etc.) and mainly in sensory characteristics; therefore, they must be well understood to establish adequate technological processes. In general, the use of grain by-products as functional ingredients for the development of gluten-free bakery products is promising due to their low cost and nutritional characteristics, contributing to the development of healthy products for the consumers. In addition, despite changes in technological characteristics and sensory characteristics, the use of by-products makes it possible to diversify foods and reduce the costs of foods for celiac people who mostly face difficulties in adapting their diet. Additionally, the use of by-products can contribute to the mitigation of negative environmental impacts and create more advantageous applications.
PDF
