The Bluegreen Algae (AFA) Consumption over 48 h Increases the Total Number of Peripheral CD34+ Cells in Healthy Patients: Effect of Short-Term and Long-Term Nutritional Supplementation (Curcumin/AFA) on CD34+ Levels (Blood)

Several active principles from plants could trigger the release of stem cells from the bone marrow. Stem cell mobilizers have shown side effects in patients. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to find the natural products from plants (curcuminoids, glycosinolate of sulforaphane, AFA bluegreen algae), which could be potential stem mobilizes without adverse side effects. The antioxidant curcumin [1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-2,5-dione], glycosinolate of sulforaphane (broccoli) or AFA (Aphanizomenon flos) extract promote beneficial effects in patients. The number of circulating stem cells were monitored by HSC marker-CD34 by flow cytometry in peripheral blood from healthy subjects. CD34 is a hematological stem cells (HSC) marker. A double-blind study was conducted in 22 healthy subjects. We have evaluated whether short-term AFA—Aphanizomenon flos aquae—algae or curcuminoids consumption (powder or liquid formulation) over 48 consecutive hours could increase the total number of peripheral CD34+ blood cells (n = 22, n = 5 subjects/group). The total number of circulating CD34+ cells were quantified after short-term and long-term nutritional supplementation; their levels were compared with their own basal levels (n = 5/group, controls: before taking any supplement) or placebo-treated patients (n = 7); their average age was 54 years old. We also evaluated whether long-term nutritional supplementation with several nutraceuticals could enhance HSC mobilization by increasing the total number of peripheral CD-34+ cell after seven or 38 consecutive days of administration (n = 5, with seven placebo-treated patients). The long-term administration take place with these doses/day [curcuminoids: 2000 mg/day, equivalent to 120 mg of curcuminoids/day), glycosinolate of sulforaphane (66 mg/day), plus AFA Algae bluegreen extract (400 mg/day)]. On the last day (10 a.m.) of treatment, blood samples were collected six hours after taking these supplements; the average age was 54 years old. Notably, the blue green AFA algae extract consumption over 48 h enhances HSC mobilization by increasing the total number of peripheral CD34+ cells. The long-term administration with curcuminoids, glycosinolate of sulforaphane, and AFA bluegreen algae extract also increased the total number of CD34-HSC cells after seven or 38 days of consecutive of administration in healthy subjects.

MONITORING OF PHYTOPLANKTON STATUS IN LAKE SEVAN (ARMENIA) IN 2018

The current status of phytoplankton community in Lake Sevan (LS) was investigated. Water samples for phytoplankton and mineral phosphorus analyses were collected seasonally (spring–fall) in 2018. The results of the study showed that the unstabilized processes and nutrient pollution of the lake ecosystem led to bluegreen algae bloom in July. All of this caused ecological and toxicological risks to the lake ecosystem and the environment and may lead to further algal blooms in LS.

Biotic and abiotic determinants of intermediate-consumer trophic diversity in the Florida everglades

Food-web structure can shape population dynamics and ecosystem functioning and stability. We investigated the structure of a food-web fragment consisting of dominant intermediate consumers (fishes and crayfishes) in the Florida Everglades, using stable isotope analysis to quantify trophic diversity along gradients of primary production (periphyton), disturbance (marsh drying) and intermediate-consumer density (a possible indicator of competition). We predicted that trophic diversity would increase with resource availability and decrease after disturbance, and that competition could result in greater trophic diversity by favouring resource partitioning. Total trophic diversity, measured by niche area, decreased with periphyton biomass and an ordination axis representing several bluegreen algae species. Consumers’ basal resource diversity, estimated by δ13C values, was similarly related to algal community structure. The range of trophic levels (δ15N range) increased with time since the most recent drying and reflooding event, but decreased with intermediate-consumer density, and was positively related to the ordination axis reflecting increases in green algae and decreases in filamentous bluegreen algae. Our findings suggest that algal quality, independent of quantity, influences food-web structure and demonstrate an indirect role of nutrient enrichment mediated by its effects on periphyton palatability and biomass. These results reveal potential mechanisms for anthropogenic effects on Everglades communities.

Hydrology and phytoplankton community structure at Itamaracá-Pernambuco (Northeast Brazil)

Quali-quantitative studies and hydrologic parameters were carried out in the profiles 6 (Orange) and 7 (Catuama) during the Victor Hensen cruise, in accordance with the bilateral scientific cooperation agreement Brazil/Germany. Hydrologically a zone of thermic and saline stability characterizes the superficial layer. The nutrient concentrations were generally low on the surface and higher at levels surpassing 100m in depth. 102 taxa were identified including diatoms (49), dinoflagellates (49), bluegreen algae (3), and euglenophyceae (1). The diversity and evenness were high, surpassing the environmental equilibrium. The clustering of samples showed evidence of 2 main groups, one encompassing the stations 32 and 38, characterized predominantly by Oscillatoria erythraeum, and another encompassing the remaining stations, characterized by dinoflagellates and diatoms. The clustering of species involved 4 groups, the biggest being oceanic marine species (49 species) and coastal and eurihaline marine species (31 species). The phytoplankton density varied from 50,000 cell.l-1 to 590,000 cell.l-1, characterizing an oligotrophic environment.

Exchange of Nutrients Between Sediments and Water After 15 Years of Experimental Eutrophication

Increases in the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus occurred in the water column of Lake 227 during 15 years of fertilization with phosphoric acid and sodium nitrate. The sources of the increases were deduced by comparing the budgets of N and P to the budget for sodium, using a simple model, and from the chemistry of sediment pore water.Total inventories for sodium since fertilization began confirmed that the element was almost perfectly conservative, as expected. When model results for phosphorus and sodium were calculated, the apparent increase in phosphorus was found to be due entirely to lower water renewal rates during recent years. This agrees with the observation that phosphorus concentrations in sediment pore water did not change between 1975 and 1982. Both phosphorus and sodium in the lake have been in equilibrium with external loading for the past several years.In contrast, the observed increase in nitrogen could not be accounted for by the decreased water renewal rate, implying that the element was either becoming more efficiently recycled or that there was an increasing, unmeasured external source of the element. An increase in pore water ammonium between 1975 and 1982 was balanced by an increase in the concentration in overlying waters, so that diffusive fluxes did not change. Increasing blooms of nitrogen-fixing bluegreen algae after 1975 indicate that N2 fixation is the increasing source of nitrogen to the lake. No tendency for the nitrogen:sodium ratio to stabilize has been observed, indicating that the nitrogen budget has still not reached a new steady state.