Prophylactic and curative effects of Bacopa monniera in gastric ulcer models.

Bacopa monniera Wettst. (BM, syn. Herpestis monniera L; Scrophulariaceae), is an Ayurvedic drug used as a rasayana. Its fresh juice was earlier reported to have significant antiulcerogenic activity. In continuation, methanolic extract of BM (BME) standardized to bacoside-A content (percentage-38.0 ± 0.9), when given in the dose of 10–50 mg/kg, twice daily for 5 days, showed dose-dependent anti-ulcerogenic on various gastric ulcer models induced by ethanol, aspirin, 2 h cold restraint stress and 4 h pylorus ligation. BME in the dose of 20 mg/kg, given for 10 days, twice daily showed healing effects against 50% acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers. Further work was done to investigate the possible mechanisms of its action by studying its effect on various mucosal offensive acid-pepsin secretion and defensive factors like mucin secretion, mucosal cell shedding, cell proliferation and antioxidant activity in rats. BME 20 mg/kg showed no effect on acid-pepsin secretion, increased mucin secretion, while it decreased cell shedding with no effect on cell proliferation. BME showed significant antioxidant effect per se and in stressed animals. Thus, the gastric prophylactic and curative effects of BME may be due to its predominant effect on mucosal defensive factors.     

Enzymatic removal of zeins from the surface of maize starch granules

Alcohol-extractable, hydrophobic zein proteins contaminate starch granule surfaces and can be removed by enzymatic digestion with thermolysin. The goal of this research was to find practical alternatives to thermolysin that might be used during the corn wet-milling process. All of the commercial thermostable alkaline proteases studied (SP 709, Neutrase, and Spezyme FAN) removed the zein proteins from various types of cornstarch, as demonstrated by the lack of protein bands below 30 kDa under the reducing conditions of SDS-PAGE gel. Each enzyme removed the zein proteins as effectively as thermolysin removed them. However, the removal of the zein protein did not reduce the quantity of free fatty acids associated with the starch. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 24, 71–74. Received 27 May 1999/ Accepted in revised form 01 October 1999     

Levels of genetic diversity at different stages of the domestication cycle of interior spruce in British Columbia

Concerns over the reductionist nature of the domestication of forest-tree species focus on the possibility of potential genetic erosion during this process. To address these concerns, genetic diversity assessments in a breeding zone the Province of British Columbia “interior” spruce (Picea glauca×engelmanni) program was conducted using allozyme markers. Genetic-variation comparisons were made between natural and production (seed orchard) populations as well as seed and seedling crops produced from the same breeding zone’s seed orchard. The natural population sample consisted of a total of 360 trees representing three stands within each of three watersheds present in the Shuswap-Adams low-elevation zone of interior British Columbia. Small amounts of genetic differentiation were observed among the nine natural populations (4%) and this was attributable to extensive gene flow Consequently, the sum of these nine populations was considered as a baseline for the genetic variation present in the breeding zone. The comparisons between the seed orchard and the breeding zone produced a similar percentage of polymorphic loci while the expected hetrozygosity (0.207 vs 0.210) and the average number of alleles per locus (2.7 vs 2.4) were slightly lower in the seed orchard. A total of seven natural populations’ rare alleles were not present in the orchard population, while one allele was unique to the orchard. The %P increased to 70.6% in the seedlot, but dropped to the natural populations level (64.7%) in the plantation. The observed increase in %P was a result of pollen contamination in the orchard. It is suspected that the reduction in the plantation was caused by an unintentional selection in the nursery. Simulated roguing in the orchard did not drastically reduce even if up to 50% of the orchard’s clones were rogued. However, roguing was associated with a reduction in the average number of alleles per locus (i.e., sampling effect). Received: 2 January 1996 / Accepted: 24 May 1996     

Feeding behaviour of reared and wild cod and the effect of learning: two strategies of feeding on the two-spotted goby

This study investigates possible differences in the feeding behaviour of reared and wild cod Gadus morhua and the effect of learning in connection with sea-ranching experiments. In two laboratory experiments, single individuals, reared or wild, were allowed to prey upon 15 two-spotted gobies Gobiusculus flavescens in trials of 30 min duration. Reared and wild cod seldom attacked stationary gobies and generally attacked moving gobies, and reaction times were similar (c. 0·25 s). Reared and wild cod ingested similar numbers of gobies per trial. Reared cod, however, caught more gobies in pursuits, while wild cod took more gobies in lunges. Reared cod had higher costs as measured by a higher index of energy expenditure and a higher opercular beat frequency, and wild cod were thus more efficient (benefit divided by cost). The efficiency of both groups tended to increase as they gained experience. The results indicate that reared cod more often used a pursuit strategy and wild cod more often a lunge strategy. Differences in previous experience may have initiated the strategies, and the success of each strategy in the experimental situation, in addition to the potential cost of changing strategy, may have maintained them. For cod released into a natural habitat, a pursuit strategy may lead to low efficiency vis-à-vis mobile prey and could also involve a high risk of predation, forcing reared Cod to change strategy.     

Electrochemically-assisted deposition of biomimetic hydroxyapatite-collagen coatings on titanium plate

A biomimetic bone-like composite, made of self-assembled collagen fibrils and carbonate hydroxyapatite nanocrystals, has been performed by an electrochemically-assisted deposition on titanium plate. The electrolytic processes have been carried out using a single type I collagen molecules suspension in a diluted Ca(NO₃)₂ and NH₄H₂PO₄ solution at room temperature and applying a constant current for different periods of time. Using the same electrochemical conditions, carbonate hydroxyapatite nanocrystals or reconstituted collagen fibrils coatings were obtained. The reconstituted collagen fibrils, hydroxyapatite nanocrystals and collagen fibrils/apatite nanocrystals coatings have been characterized chemically, structurally and morphologically, as well as for their ability to bind fibronectin (FN). Fourier Transform Infrared microscopy has been used to map the topographic distribution of the coating components at different times of electrochemical deposition, allowing to single out the individual deposition steps. Moreover, roughness of Ti plate has been found to affect appreciably the nucleation region of the inorganic nanocrystals. Laser scanning confocal microscopy has been used to characterize the FN adsorption pattern on a synthetic biomimetic apatitic phase, which exhibits a higher affinity when it is inter-grown with the collagen fibrils. The results offer auspicious applications in the preparation of medical devices such as biomimetic bone-like composite-coated metallic implants.     

Molecular Mechanisms of Translation Initiation in Mammals Studied by in vitroReconstruction of Initiation Complexes

Papers on the mechanisms of translation initiation in mammals studied by reconstruction of initiation complexes from individual components are reviewed. The author points to the constraints of this approach and to the pitfalls ignoring which one might come to erroneous conclusions and even artifacts. In addition, some methods employed in the field as well as some technical problems are discussed in the paper, together with the means of obviating them. The review could be a guidebook for newcomers into this quite labor-consuming field.     

Sexual dimorphism in the pyrgomorphid grasshopper Phymateus morbillosus: from wing morphometry and flight behaviour to flight physiology and endocrinology

Abstract In the field, adult males of the grasshopper Phymateus morbillosus are able to fly for up to 1 min and cover up to c. 100 m, whereas females, although fully winged, are apparently unable to get airborne. Morphometric data indicate that the males are lighter, have longer wings, a higher ratio of flight muscles to body mass, and a lower wing load value than females. It was investigated whether this inability of females to fly is related to fuel storage, flight muscle enzymatic design and/or the presence and quantitative capacity of the endocrine system to mobilize fuels. In both sexes, readily available potential energy substrates are present in the haemolymph in similar concentrations, and the amount of glycogen in flight muscles and fat bodies does not differ significantly between males and females. Mass-specific activities of the enzymes GAPDH (glycolysis), HOAD (fatty acid oxidation) and MDH (citric acid cycle) in flight muscles are significantly lower in females compared with males, and mitochondria are less abundant in the flight muscles of females. There is no significant difference between the ability of the two sexes to oxidize various important substrates. Both sexes contain three adipokinetic peptides in their corpora cardiaca; the amount of each peptide in female grasshoppers is higher than in males.
Thus, despite some differences listed above, both sexes appear to have sufficient substrates and the necessary endocrine complement to engage in flight. It seems more likely, from the morphometric data above, that the chief reason for flightlessness is that P. morbillosus females cannot produce sufficient lift for flight; alternatively, the neuronal functioning associated with the flight muscles may be impaired in females.