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Genes Jun 2024Grapevine varieties from "Douro Superior" (NE Portugal) experience high temperatures, solar radiation, and water deficit during the summer. This summer's stressful...
Grapevine varieties from "Douro Superior" (NE Portugal) experience high temperatures, solar radiation, and water deficit during the summer. This summer's stressful growing conditions induce nucleic acids, lipids, and protein oxidation, which cause cellular, physiological, molecular, and biochemical changes. Cell cycle anomalies, mitosis delay, or cell death may occur at the cellular level, leading to reduced plant productivity. However, the foliar application of kaolin (KL) can mitigate the impact of abiotic stress by decreasing leaf temperature and enhancing antioxidant defence. Hence, this study hypothesised that KL-treated grapevine plants growing in NE Portugal would reveal, under summer stressful growing conditions, higher progression and stability of the leaf mitotic cell cycle than the untreated (control) plants. KL was applied after veraison for two years. Leaves, sampled 3 and 5 weeks later, were cytogenetically, molecularly, and biochemically analysed. Globally, integrating these multidisciplinary data confirmed the decreased leaf temperature and enhanced antioxidant defence of the KL-treated plants, accompanied by an improved regularity and completion of the leaf cell cycle relative to the control plants. Nevertheless, the KL efficacy was significantly influenced by the sampling date and/or variety. In sum, the achieved results confirmed the hypothesis initially proposed.
Topics: Vitis; Plant Leaves; Kaolin; Seasons; Stress, Physiological; Cell Cycle; Antioxidants
PubMed: 38927683
DOI: 10.3390/genes15060747 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Diarrhoea remains an important public health concern, particularly in developing countries, and has become difficult to treat because of antibacterial resistance. The...
Diarrhoea remains an important public health concern, particularly in developing countries, and has become difficult to treat because of antibacterial resistance. The development of synergistic antimicrobial agents appears to be a promising alternative treatment against diarrhoeic infections. In this study, the combined effect of tetracycline together with either nitroxoline, sanguinarine, or zinc pyrithione (representing various classes of plant-based compounds) was evaluated in vitro against selected diarrhoeic bacteria (, , , , , and ). The chequerboard method in 96-well microtiter plates was used to determine the sum of the fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs). Three independent experiments were performed per combination, each in triplicate. It was observed that the combination of tetracycline with either nitroxoline, sanguinarine, or zinc pyrithione produced synergistic effects against most of the pathogenic bacteria tested, with FICI values ranging from 0.086 to 0.5. Tetracycline-nitroxoline combinations produced the greatest synergistic action against at a FICI value of 0.086. The combinations of the agents tested in this study can thus be used for the development of new anti-diarrhoeic medications. However, studies focusing on their in vivo anti-diarrhoeic activity and safety are required before any consideration for utilization in human medicine.
Topics: Drug Synergism; Tetracycline; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Alkaloids; Bacteria; Diarrhea; Humans; Pyridines; Nitroquinolines; Organometallic Compounds
PubMed: 38892226
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116038 -
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2024Pullorum disease (PD) is a bacterial infection caused by () that affects poultry. It is highly infectious and often fatal. Antibiotics are currently the mainstay of...
Pullorum disease (PD) is a bacterial infection caused by () that affects poultry. It is highly infectious and often fatal. Antibiotics are currently the mainstay of prophylactic and therapeutic treatments for PD, but their use can lead to the development of resistance in pathogenic bacteria and disruption of the host's intestinal flora. We added neomycin sulfate and different doses of tannic acid (TA) to the drinking water of chicks at 3 days of age and infected them with PD by intraperitoneal injection of at 9 days of age. We analyzed intestinal histopathological changes and the expression of immune-related genes and proteins by using the plate smear method, histological staining, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, ELISA kits, and 16S rRNA Analysis of intestinal flora. The results demonstrate that induces alterations in the immune status and impairs the functionality of the liver and intestinal barrier. We found that tannic acid significantly ameliorated -induced liver and intestinal damage, protected the intestinal physical and chemical barriers, restored the intestinal immune barrier function, and regulated the intestinal flora. Our results showed that TA has good anti-diarrhoeal, growth-promoting, immune-regulating, intestinal barrier-protecting and intestinal flora-balancing effects, and the best effect was achieved at an additive dose of 0.2%.
PubMed: 38863452
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1382288 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jul 2024The widespread utilization of plastic products ineluctably leads to the ubiquity of nanoplastics (NPs), causing potential risks for aquatic environments. Interactions of...
Heteroaggregation and deposition behaviors of carboxylated nanoplastics with different types of clay minerals in aquatic environments: Important role of calcium(II) ion-assisted bridging.
The widespread utilization of plastic products ineluctably leads to the ubiquity of nanoplastics (NPs), causing potential risks for aquatic environments. Interactions of NPs with mineral surfaces may affect NPs transport, fate and ecotoxicity. This study aims to investigate systematically the deposition and aggregation behaviors of carboxylated polystyrene nanoplastics (COOH-PSNPs) by four types of clay minerals (illite, kaolinite, Na-montmorillonite, and Ca-montmorillonite) under various solution chemistry conditions (pH, temperature, ionic strength and type). Results demonstrate that the deposition process was dominated by electrostatic interactions. Divalent cations (i.e., Ca, Mg, Cd, or Pb) were more efficient for screening surface negative charges and compressing the electrical double layer (EDL). Hence, there were significant increases in deposition rates of COOH-PSNPs with clay minerals in suspension containing divalent cations, whereas only slight increases in deposition rates of COOH-PSNPs were observed in monovalent cations (Na, K). Negligible deposition occurred in the presence of anions (F, Cl, NO, CO, SO, or PO). Divalent Ca could incrementally facilitate the deposition of COOH-PSNPs through Ca-assisted bridging with increasing CaCl concentrations (0-100 mM). The weakened deposition of COOH-PSNPs with increasing pH (2.0-10.0) was primarily attributed to the reduce in positive charge density at the edges of clay minerals. In suspensions containing 2 mM CaCl, increased Na ionic strength (0-100 mM) and temperature (15-55 C) also favored the deposition of COOH-PSNPs. The ability of COOH-PSNPs deposited by four types of clay minerals followed the sequence of kaolinite > Na-montmorillonite > Ca-montmorillonite > illite, which was related to their structural and surface charge properties. This study revealed the deposition behaviors and mechanisms between NPs and clay minerals under environmentally representative conditions, which provided novel insights into the transport and fate of NPs in natural aquatic environments.
Topics: Clay; Calcium; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Osmolar Concentration; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Aluminum Silicates; Polystyrenes; Temperature; Minerals; Bentonite; Nanoparticles; Kaolin; Static Electricity
PubMed: 38850697
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116533 -
Alternative Therapies in Health and... Jun 2024Diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome is a common functional intestinal disease in gastroenterology that can affect approximately 9% of children worldwide, and more than...
BACKGROUND
Diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome is a common functional intestinal disease in gastroenterology that can affect approximately 9% of children worldwide, and more than half of all affected children have abdominal pain into adulthood. Research has shown that scientific and effective nursing can play an important role in improving the condition and prognosis of diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome in children.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of high-quality nursing intervention on clinical efficacy and prognosis of diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome in children.
DESIGN
This was a retrospective study.
SETTING
This study was performed in the department of Fourth Department of Pediatrics, Ningbo Women & Children's Hospital.
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 60 children with diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome admitted to the Pediatric Gastroenterology Department of our hospital from August 2017 to August 2019 were enrolled.
INTERVENTIONS
At the same time as symptomatic treatment, high-quality nursing intervention was implemented, including cognitive intervention, psychological intervention, dietary guidance, life coaching, and medication guidance.
PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES
(1) clinical efficacy (2) clinical symptom points (3) symptom relief time (4) incidence of adverse reactions (5) negative emotions (6) treatment compliance and (7) nursing satisfaction of family members. All theses primary outcome measures could indicate the impacts of high-quality nursing intervention on the overall treatment and prognosis of diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome in children.
RESULTS
The total effective rate was 98.33%. The scores of abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and diarrhea after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < .05). The anxiety and depression scores of children were lower after treatment than before treatment (P < .05). After treatment, the antipyretic time, antidiarrheal time, and correct dehydration time were (1.44±0.28) d, (1.46±0.33) d and (1.38±0.31) d. The treatment compliance and nursing satisfaction of the family members of the children was 100.00%, and the satisfaction score was 94.60±3.28 points. There were no obvious adverse reactions.
CONCLUSION
High-quality nursing intervention combined with treatment of children with diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome can effectively improve clinical treatment effect, improve clinical symptoms, improve children's negative emotions and promote children's treatment compliance and nursing satisfaction of families, and have no obvious adverse reactions, which is worthy of clinical promotion. Our study provides a clinical reference for the nursing of children with diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome.
PubMed: 38843431
DOI: No ID Found -
Carbohydrate Polymers Sep 2024The influence of locust bean gum (LBG) galactomannans (GMs) molecular weight (Mw) to assemble microparticulate systems was evaluated, and carriers for deep lung delivery...
The influence of locust bean gum (LBG) galactomannans (GMs) molecular weight (Mw) to assemble microparticulate systems was evaluated, and carriers for deep lung delivery were developed. A commercial batch of LBG with a mannose/galactose (M/G) ratio of 2.4 (batch 1) was used to study the influence of different microwave partial acid hydrolysis conditions on carbohydrate composition, glycosidic linkages, and aqueous solutions viscosity. The microwave treatment did not affect the composition, presenting 4-Man (36-42 %), 4,6-Man (27-35 %), and T-Gal (24-25 %) as the main glycosidic linkages. Depolymerization led to a viscosity reduction (≤0.005 Pa·s) with no major impact on polysaccharide debranching. The structural composition of the LBG galactomannans were further elucidated with sequence-specific proteins using carbohydrate microarray technologies. A second batch of LBG (M/G 3.3) was used to study the impact of GMs with different Mw on microparticle assembling, characteristics, and insulin release kinetics. The low-Mw GMs microparticles led to a faster release (20 min) than the higher-Mw (40 min) ones, impacting the release kinetics. All microparticles exhibited a safety profile to cells of the respiratory tract. However, only the higher-Mw GMs allowed the assembly of microparticles with sizes suitable for this type of administration.
Topics: Mannans; Galactose; Molecular Weight; Plant Gums; Humans; Lung; Drug Carriers; Particle Size; Viscosity; Insulin; Drug Liberation; Galactans; Mannose; Animals
PubMed: 38823931
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122268 -
Journal of Tropical Medicine 2024Diarrhea continues to be one of the top causes of death in children under the age of five, particularly in developing nations. In Ethiopian traditional medicine, a...
Diarrhea continues to be one of the top causes of death in children under the age of five, particularly in developing nations. In Ethiopian traditional medicine, a variety of medicinal plants are used to treat diarrhea. One of these plants is (Loes.) Sebsebe (fam. Celastraceae), which is endemic to the Afromontane forests, especially along forest margins, of Ethiopia. The air-dried powdered leaves of were macerated with 80% methanol to yield a crude extract. Additionally, the powdered plant material underwent sequential solvent extraction using chloroform, methanol, and water to obtain solvent fractions. The 80% methanol leaf extract, solvent fractions, and an isolated compound from were evaluated for their antidiarrheal activity using castor oil-induced diarrheal model, anti-enteropooling test, and charcoal meal test in mice. The results showed that the 80% methanolic leaf extract significantly reduced the onset of diarrhea, the weight of feces, and the frequency of defecation in all the tested doses. The methanol and water fractions of the hydroalcoholic extract also exhibited dose-dependent antidiarrheal activity, with the methanol fraction showing the highest activity at 400 mg/kg dose. Subsequently, the most active methanol fraction was subjected to C-18 solid phase extraction, resulting in the isolation of a 3-hydroxyflavone, identified as quercetin by ESI-qToF-MS, H, and C-NMR spectroscopic techniques. Quercetin demonstrated a strong antidiarrheal activity in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, the present study provided evidence that the leaves of possess genuine antidiarrheal activity upholding the traditional medicinal use of the plant for the treatment of diarrhea. The findings also suggest that quercetin is responsible, in full or in part, for the activity of the plant.
PubMed: 38803577
DOI: 10.1155/2024/5922487 -
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024(-)-Fenchone is a naturally occurring monoterpene found in the essential oils of Mill., L., and Molina. Pharmacological studies have reported its antinociceptive,...
(-)-Fenchone Prevents Cysteamine-Induced Duodenal Ulcers and Accelerates Healing Promoting Re-Epithelialization of Gastric Ulcers in Rats via Antioxidant and Immunomodulatory Mechanisms.
BACKGROUND
(-)-Fenchone is a naturally occurring monoterpene found in the essential oils of Mill., L., and Molina. Pharmacological studies have reported its antinociceptive, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, and antioxidant activities.
METHODS
The preventive antiulcer effects of (-)-Fenchone were assessed through oral pretreatment in cysteamine-induced duodenal lesion models. Gastric healing, the underlying mechanisms, and toxicity after repeated doses were evaluated using the acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer rat model with oral treatment administered for 14 days.
RESULTS
In the cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcer model, fenchone (37.5-300 mg/kg) significantly decreased the ulcer area and prevented lesion formation. In the acetic acid-induced ulcer model, fenchone (150 mg/kg) reduced ( < 0.001) ulcerative injury. These effects were associated with increased levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), interleukin (IL)-10, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β). Furthermore, treatment with (-)-Fenchone (150 mg/kg) significantly reduced ( < 0.001) malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB). A 14-day oral toxicity investigation revealed no alterations in heart, liver, spleen, or kidney weight, nor in the biochemical and hematological parameters assessed. (-)-Fenchone protected animals from body weight loss while maintaining feed and water intake.
CONCLUSION
(-)-Fenchone exhibits low toxicity, prevents duodenal ulcers, and enhances gastric healing activities. Antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties appear to be involved in its therapeutic effects.
PubMed: 38794211
DOI: 10.3390/ph17050641 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Every year, new compounds contained in consumer products, such as detergents, paints, products for personal hygiene, and drugs for human and veterinary use, are...
Every year, new compounds contained in consumer products, such as detergents, paints, products for personal hygiene, and drugs for human and veterinary use, are identified in wastewater and are added to the list of molecules that need monitoring. These compounds are indicated with the term emerging contaminants (or Contaminants of Emerging Concern, CECs) since they are potentially dangerous for the environment and human health. To date, among the most widely used methodologies for the removal of CECs from the aquatic environment, adsorption processes play a role of primary importance, as they have proven to be characterized by high removal efficiency, low operating and management costs, and an absence of undesirable by-products. In this paper, the adsorption of ibuprofen (IBU), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug widely used for treating inflammation or pain, was performed for the first time using two different types of geopolymer-based materials, i.e., a metakaolin-based (GMK) and an organic-inorganic hybrid (GMK-S) geopolymer. The proposed adsorbing matrices are characterized by a low environmental footprint and have been easily obtained as powders or as highly porous filters by direct foaming operated directly into the adsorption column. Preliminary results demonstrated that these materials can be effectively used for the removal of ibuprofen from contaminated water (showing a concentration decrease of IBU up to about 29% in batch, while an IBU removal percentage of about 90% has been reached in continuous), thus suggesting their potential practical application.
Topics: Ibuprofen; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Adsorption; Water Purification; Polymers; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Wastewater; Kaolin
PubMed: 38792071
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29102210 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The natural edible characteristics of Chinese herbs have led more and more people to study them as an alternative product to antibiotics. In this study, crude extracts...
The natural edible characteristics of Chinese herbs have led more and more people to study them as an alternative product to antibiotics. In this study, crude extracts of radix and (abbreviated as GRAM) with glycyrrhizic acid content not less than 0.2 mg/g were selected to evaluate the effects of GRAM on the immune and antioxidant capacity of model animals. Thirty 21-day-old male Leghorn chickens were weighed and randomly assigned to one of three groups of ten animals each. The treatments comprised a control group (CON), in which saline was injected at day 31, day 33, and day 35, an LPS-treated group (LPS), in which LPS (0.5 mg/kg of BW) was injected at day 31, day 33, and day 35, and finally a GRAM and LPS-treated group, (G-L) in which a GRAM-treated diet (at GRAM 2 g/kg) was fed from day 21 to day 35 with LPS injection (0.5 mg/kg of BW) at day 31, day 33, and day 35. The results of diarrhea grade and serum antioxidant measurement showed that the LPS group had obvious diarrhea symptoms, serum ROS and MDA were significantly increased, and T-AOC was significantly decreased. The oxidative stress model of LPS was successfully established. The results of immune and antioxidant indexes showed that feeding GRAM significantly decreased levels of the pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 ( < 0.05) and significantly increased levels of the anti-inflammatory factors IL-4 and IL-10 and levels of the antioxidant enzymes GSH-Px and CAT ( < 0.05). GRAM resisted the influence of LPS on ileum morphology, liver, and immune organs and maintained normal index values for ileum morphology, liver, and immune organs. In summary, this study confirmed the antidiarrheal effect of GRAM, which improved the immune and antioxidant capacity of model animals by regulating inflammatory cytokine levels and antioxidant enzyme activity in poultry.
PubMed: 38790683
DOI: 10.3390/antiox13050578