scholarly journals Use of the copepod Oithona hebes as a bioencapsulator of essential fatty acids

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia Vanacor Barroso ◽  
Breno Barroso Boos ◽  
Rosemar Antoniassi ◽  
Luiz Fernando Loureiro Fernandes

AbstractThe advantages of using copepods in aquaculture include nutritional superiority, high digestibility and broad spectrum of sizes, with the possibility of bioencapsulation of nutrients, probiotics and medicines. This study aimed to compare the effects of feeding copepods with a microalgae diet and two commercial inert diets on the copepod culture performance and their fatty acid profile. Wild copepods were collected in the estuarine system of Piraquê-açu River, Aracruz, Espírito Santo, Brazil, with a conical net of 60 cm in diameter and 200 μm mesh with a blind cup end, towed through the subsurface layer at a speed of 1 knot for 5 minutes. Once collected, the material was sieved in order to select only Oithona hebes. The experiment was conducted in nine cylindrical-conical tanks with a 60 L capacity, salinity of 25.8 ± 1.3, temperature of 25.5 ± 0.5 ºC and weak aeration, stocked with a density of 1.5 copepod/mL. Treatments were made in triplicate and consisted of: Treatment 1 (Control) fed with microalgae Chaetoceros gracilis and Nannochloropsis oculata (1:1) with 50,000 cells.mL-1each; Treatment 2 with S.Parkle® INVE (1g.million-1); and Treatment 3 with freeze-dried spirulina (1g.million-1). The mean final population was compared by a Tukey test (p < 0.05). Results showed higher population growth for copepods treated with S.parkle, which was the only treatment that presented copepodites. S.parkle was a good source of total lipids (9.54 g.100g-1 dry weight), high availability of DHA, EPA and had a good DHA:EPA:ARA ratio of 12.4:3.4:1.0. Copepods that were fed S.parkle had the highest DHA levels and a DHA:EPA:ARA ratio of 15.4:2.2:1.0. This study showed that S.parkle is a good inert food for rearing the copepod O. hebes, demonstrating the ability of copepods to bioencapsulate nutrients, allowing their transfer in the food chain.

2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 731-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Yildiz ◽  
I. Kula ◽  
G. Ay ◽  
S. Baslar ◽  
Y. Dogan

The aim of this study was to determine the current level of atmospheric heavy metal content on the Bozdag Mountain of the Aegean Region, Turkey. Twenty nine different plants were selected to study their potential as biomonitors of trace elements such as Ni, Zn, Fe, Pb, Mn and Cd (?g g-1, dry weight). The samples were collected from two different altitudes of Mt. Bozdag. The concentrations of trace elements were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The mean concentrations determined at 1000 m altitude ranged from 0.025 to 1.609, 0.232 to 0.731, 0.578 to 5.983, 0.287 to 0.565 and 0.176 to 2.659 (?g g-1, dry weight), for Ni, Zn, Fe, Pb and Mn, respectively. At the altitude of 1600 m, the values ranged from 0.023 to 0.939, 0.258 to 1.254, 0.839 to 5.176, 0.301 to 1.341 and 0.405 to 3.351 (?g g-1, dry weight) for Ni, Zn, Fe, Pb and Mn, respectively. No Cd was detected at either altitude. Statistical significance was determined by the independent sample t-test and comparisons were made in order to determine if there were any differences between the averages of herbaceous and woody plants. .


2011 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. 919-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Delong ◽  
D. Mark Hodges ◽  
Robert Prange ◽  
Charles Forney ◽  
Peter Toivenon ◽  
...  

DeLong, J. M., Hodges, D. M., Prange, R. K., Forney, C. F., Toivenon, P. M. A., Bishop, M. C., Elliot, M. L. and Jordan, M. A. 2011. The unique fatty acid and antioxidant composition of ostrich fern ( Matteuccia struthiopteris ) fiddleheads. Can. J. Plant Sci. 91: 919–930. The purpose of this study was to investigate the health-promoting composition of ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) fiddlehead tissue by focussing on its fatty acid and antioxidant content and antioxidant activity. The curled crosiers (fiddleheads) were harvested following emergence and before 10 cm growth from eight or nine sites in eastern Canada during 2008 and 2009. The crosiers were then refrigerated or kept on ice until cleaned, subsequently frozen in liquid nitrogen, and then stored at −85°C. All tissue samples (except those used for ascorbate analysis) were freeze-dried, ground in a ball mill and stored at −80°C until analyzed. The current study showed that fiddlehead tissue had an unusual fatty acid composition including γ-linolenic, dihomo-γ-linolenic, arachidonic and eicosapentanoeic acids. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds ascorbic acid [3.0 µmol g−1 dry weight (DW)], α- and γ-tocopherol (314 and 80.8 µg g−1 DW, respectively) and α- and β-carotene (43.8 and 122 µg g−1 DW, respectively) and the xanthophyll pigments violaxanthin (225 µg g−1 DW), zeaxanthin (127 µg g−1 DW) and lutein (238 µg g−1 DW), ranged from high to very high for green plant tissue. The phenolic compound content (51.6 mg gallic acid equiv. g−1 DW) was also high compared with other fruits and vegetables and was likely responsible for the elevated antioxidant activity (1529 µmol trolox equiv. g−1 DW; oxygen radical absorbing capacity assay) values recorded. Site differences were apparent for several of these measurements. Ostrich fern fiddlehead tissue appears to be a rich and unique source of antioxidant compounds, xanthophyll pigments and essential fatty acids.


Author(s):  
H. Grigg ◽  
L. J. Holmes ◽  
S. J. Bardwell

Variations in dry body weight in the Stage V copepodite, associated with the development of the winter generation of Calanus finmarchicus (Gunnerus) in the Firth of Clyde each year were observed from 1978 to 1982, during early October and the middle of January.The Stage V copepodite was dimorphic with respect to body size. Body weights of freeze-dried specimens were measured and form was distinguished using the prosome length. Allometric relationships of the dry weight to length in the two forms were similar, and stable between autumn and winter. From the mean of estimates for all collections, dry body weights of individual Stage V copepodites were proportional to the cube, approximately, of prosome lengths. Proportional coefficients were seasonally variable, but on all occasions these were greater for the large than the small form. Variations in dry weight were directly associated with the distinction between forms in body volume.Collections from October and January encompassed the period between the end of maximal Copepodite V recruitment and the onset of adult recruitment to the winter generation. Over this period, however, the dry body weight in all years decreased relative to length in Copepodite Stage V. This decrease, on average, was by 17% and 23% in the large and small forms respectively. Monthly collections from one population were used to examine these patterns in relation to the development of gonads. Stage V copepodites of both forms were increasing in dry weight during October, but from November were losing weight continuously. Maturation in the majority of these individuals was restrained throughout autumn, abruptly accelerating in winter.


1988 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. N. Thorne ◽  
D. W. Wood

SummaryMeasurements were made at intervals during 1983–4 on the main stem and on tillers having defined morphological positions on plants of winter wheat cv. Avalon growing in a multifactorial experiment testing combinations of the following five factors: rotation, sowing date, amount of autumn N, amount of spring N, and timing of spring N. Some observations from similar experiments in the two previous seasons are also reported.The tillers in the axils of the first three leaves (Tp, T2 and T3) appeared on most plants. An average of 1·8 other tillers were produced on each plant, including 0·14 at the coleoptile node. When number of shoots was maximal, main stems (M), T1 and T2 together accounted for 64% of the total number of shoots, 76% of the total green area and 87% of the total above-ground dry weight. More than half of the T1s died before maturity, two thirds of the T2s and almost all of the other tillers. The final population of 566 ears/m2 was made up as follows: M 56%, T1 26%, T2 16%. The differences between categories in dry weight per shoot at maturity were relatively less than earlier. Contributions to the mean grain yield of 9·9 t/ha were: M 60%, T1, 22%, T2 14%. M had more grains per ear than T1, or T2 which had similar numbers. Dry weight per grain was similar in all three categories.Most of the effects of treatments on dry weight/m2, which have been described previously by Prew et al. (1986), were due to effects on all shoot categories. Several treatments increased the number of shoots/m2 by increasing the average number per plant of tiller categories that were produced later. This was always the result of an increase in the proportion of plants having many tillers. Neither the maximum number of tillers found on a plant, nor the duration of tiller production, was affected.Both within and between tiller categories, shoots that were produced last died first. Plants which started tillering late produced fewer, smaller, tillers than average and relatively few of these survived. The standard hierarchical order of tiller production and survival was disrupted when plants were damaged by stem-boring insects and when the period shortly before a tiller category was due to emerge was unusually dull and warm.


1979 ◽  
Vol 42 (04) ◽  
pp. 1073-1114 ◽  

SummaryIn collaborative experiments in 199 laboratories, nine commercial thromboplastins, four thromboplastins held by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBS & C), London and the British Comparative Thromboplastin were tested on fresh normal and coumarin plasmas, and on three series of freeze-dried plasmas. One of these was made from coumarin plasmas and the other two were prepared from normal plasmas; in each series, one plasma was normal and the other two represented different degrees of coumarin defect.Each thromboplastin was calibrated against NIBS&C rabbit brain 70/178, from the slope of the line joining the origin to the point of intersection of the mean ratios of coumarin/normal prothrombin times when the ratios obtained with the two thromboplastins on the same fresh plasmas were plotted against each other. From previous evidence, the slopes were calculated which would have been obtained against the NIBS&C “research standard” thromboplastin 67/40, and termed the “calibration constant” of each thromboplastin. Values obtained from the freeze-dried coumarin plasmas gave generally similar results to those from fresh plasmas for all thromboplastins, whereas values from the artificial plasmas agreed with those from fresh plasmas only when similar thromboplastins were being compared.Taking into account the slopes of the calibration lines and the variation between laboratories, precision in obtaining a patient’s prothrombin time was similar for all thromboplastins.


1984 ◽  
Vol 52 (02) ◽  
pp. 148-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
D P Thomas ◽  
A D Curtis ◽  
T W Barrowcliffe

SummaryAn international collaborative study, in which 22 laboratories participated, was carried out to establish a replacement for the International Standard for Heparin. A total of 248 assays were analyzed, including APTT, thrombin inhibition and anti-Xa assays, as well as pharmacopoeial assays. Overall, there was less than 5% difference in the mean potency estimates of the candidate preparations, by all assay methods. The freeze-dried preparation 82/502 demonstrated the closest parallelism by bioassay to the existing standard and was established by WHO as the 4th International Standard for Heparin, with an assigned unitage of 1780 i.u. per ampoule.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Suardi ◽  
Sergio Saia ◽  
Walter Stefanoni ◽  
Carina Gunnarsson ◽  
Martin Sundberg ◽  
...  

The collection of residues from staple crop may contribute to meet EU regulations in renewable energy production without harming soil quality. At a global scale, chaff may have great potential to be used as a bioenergy source. However, chaff is not usually collected, and its loss can consist of up to one-fifth of the residual biomass harvestable. In the present work, a spreader able to manage the chaff (either spreading [SPR] on the soil aside to the straw swath or admixed [ADM] with the straw) at varying threshing conditions (with either 1 or 2 threshing rotors [1R and 2R, respectively] in the combine, which affects the mean length of the straw pieces). The fractions of the biomass available in field (grain, chaff, straw, and stubble) were measured, along with the performances of both grain harvesting and baling operations. Admixing chaff allowed for a slightly higher amount of straw fresh weight baled compared to SPR (+336 kg straw ha−1), but such result was not evident on a dry weight basis. At the one time, admixing chaff reduced the material capacity of the combine by 12.9%. Using 2R compared to 1R strongly reduced the length of the straw pieces, and increased the bale unit weight; however, it reduced the field efficiency of the grain harvesting operations by 11.9%. On average, the straw loss did not vary by the treatments applied and was 44% of the total residues available (computed excluding the stubble). In conclusion, admixing of chaff with straw is an option to increase the residues collected without compromising grain harvesting and straw baling efficiencies; in addition, it can reduce the energy needs for the bale logistics. According to the present data, improving the chaff collection can allow halving the loss of residues. However, further studies are needed to optimise both the chaff and the straw recoveries.


1971 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavin Shaw ◽  
Bernard Groden ◽  
Evelyn Hastings

The establishment, staffing and structure and observations made in the first year of the existence of coronary care in an intensive care unit in a general hospital are recorded. Two hundred and twenty eight patients were admitted during the year in whom the diagnosis of myocardial infarction was confirmed. There were 29 deaths in the unit and 14 deaths occurred in the wards of the hospital after discharge from the unit. 49.1 per cent of the patients were admitted within 4 hours of the onset of symptoms and the mean duration of stay in the unit was 86.5 hours. The type of arrhythmia detected in the unit, and the treatment given to the patients both before and after admission to the intensive care unit are described.


Hand Surgery ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 09 (01) ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Casaletto ◽  
V. Rajaratnam

Surgical process re-engineering is a methodology where the entire surgical process is systematically analysed and re-designed. The process starts with mapping of the current process followed by in-depth analysis of the existing process. A new process is drafted with the aim of making the whole procedure more efficient. The new process is then discussed with all the staff involved in the operating room. Following implementation of the process, surgical process re-engineering should ideally be routinely carried out to continuously improve the procedure. We present an example of surgical process re-engineering which we carried out on the procedure of carpal tunnel release. We used carpal tunnel release as a model as it is a very common operation, with predictable intra-operative findings, and the patient is likely to benefit directly from procedure time reduction. A preliminary mapping of three procedures was done followed by a detailed timed mapping of five routine carpal tunnel decompression procedures. The mapped process was analysed in detail and a number of changes were made in the process. After implementing the new process, a further five procedures were mapped and timed again. In comparison to the original process, we achieved a reduction of 20% in the mean procedure time and a reduction of 42% in the number of steps from 66 to 37.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Behrang Baniasadi ◽  
Laurence Evrard

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate vertical alveolar bone loss 3 months after tooth extraction when a technique of ridge preservation was applied using a particulate demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft 300 - 500 µm associated with platelet concentrates (platelet-rich-fibrin) in the form of gel and membranes. Material and Methods: A retrospective radiological clinical study was conducted on 56 patients for whom 95 extractions had been performed immediately followed by alveolar filling. Among the patients, 17 were smokers and 16 were provided with an immediate removable temporary prosthesis after extractions. Vertical bone loss was measured radiologically by panoramic X-ray before extractions and by a computed tomography scan 3 months after, at the level of mid-buccal bone wall, by two independent observers. For statistical analysis, Student’s t-test was performed to compare the mean bone loss between mono- and pluri-radicular teeth and to compare the mean bone loss between tobacco users versus non users and finally to compare the mean bone loss between individuals that had provisional removable prosthesis and those that had not. Results: Three months after tooth extraction, the mean of vertical loss of the mid-buccal bone wall was 0.72 (SD 0.71) mm (5.53% SD 5.19). No significant difference between bone loss at mono-radicular and pluri-radicular teeth (P = 0.982) was observed. There was no significant correlation between tobacco habits and bone loss (P = 0.2), nor between provisional removable prosthesis and bone loss (P = 0.786). Conclusion: These results indicate a good potential for the technique using Demineralized Freeze-Dried Bone Allograft 300 - 500 µm and platelet concentrates in alveolar bone preservation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document