Daily prickly pear consumption improves platelet function

Prickly pear is traditionally used by Pima Indians as a dietary nutrient against diabetes mellitus. We examined the effect of daily consumption of 250 g in 8 healthy volunteers and 8 patients with mild familial heterozygous hypercholesterolemia on various parameters of platelet function. Beside its action on lipids and lipoproteins, prickly pear consumption significantly reduced the platelet proteins (platelet factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin), ADP-induced platelet aggregation and improved platelet sensitivity (against PGI2 and PGE1) in volunteers as well as in patients. Also plasma 11-DH-TXB2 and the WU-test showed a significant improvement in both patients and volunteers. In contrast, collagen-induced platelet aggregation and the number of circulating endothelial cells showed a significant response in patients only. No influence of prickly pear ingestion on peripheral platelet count was monitored. The dietary run-in period did not influence any of the parameters of haemostasis examined. No sex difference was seen. Prickly pear may induce at least part of its beneficial actions on the cardiovascular system via decreasing platelet activity and thereby improving haemostatic balance.     

Notochord morphogenesis: a prickly subject for ascidians

Orchestrated cell movements marshalled by proper cell polarity in the developing body axes are fundamental to the elongation of the notochord during chordate embryogenesis. A recent study shows that, in ascidians, the planar cell polarity gene prickle regulates sequential establishment of cell polarity during two phases of notochord morphogenesis.     

花椒种籽油的脱色方法研究

选择不同的脱色方法分别对处理方式不同的花椒种子籽油进行脱色实验,结果表明,化学脱色法对不同处理的花椒种籽油都有脱色能力。但由于未从根本上除去油中的色素和其它使油色加深的物质反而增大了油的粘度,碱为地的脱色效果明显较化学脱色法,处理后的油色可以满足食品及工业用油对色度的要求;脱蜡碱炼后进行吸附剂脱色的实验表明,如处置不当油的色度不会下降反而可能升高,蛋白质类发生降解形成了油溶性的红褐色物质,是导致花椒种籽油色泽加深的主要原因。     

Immunization without needles

Most current immunization procedures make use of needles and syringes for vaccine administration. With the increase in the number of immunizations that children around the world routinely receive, health organizations are beginning to look for safer alternatives that reduce the risk of cross-contamination that arises from needle reuse. This article focuses on contemporary developments in needle-free methods of immunization, such as liquid-jet injectors, topical application to the skin, oral pills and nasal sprays.     

Arabinan-cellulose composite in Opuntia ficus-indica prickly pear spines

The ultrastructure of the spines decorating the cladodes of the cactus Opuntia ficus-indica was investigated by optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, wide angle X-ray, and solid state 13C NMR analyses. Each spine consisted of a compact parallel arrangement of slender cellulosic fibers (0.4 mm in length and 6-10 microm in diameter) with small lumens. The fibers were disencrusted by alkali and sodium chlorite bleaching, yielding a remarkable arabinan-cellulose (1:1) product. X-ray fiber diagrams of the spines before and after purification confirmed the presence of crystalline cellulose domains with molecular axis parallel to the spine axis. CP-MAS 13C T1 NMR data showed a strong interaction at a nanometric level of a fraction of the arabinan and the cellulose crystalline domains. By sequential hydrothermal extractions, followed by a trifluoroacetic acid treatment, a relatively pure cellulose was isolated while the extracted fibers became fibrillated into slender microfibrils having no more than 4-6 nm diameter. The hydrothermal extract yielded the alpha-L-arabinofuranan consisting of a chain of (1-->5)-linked L-arabinosyl residues with branching either at C-2 or C-3 or at both C-2 and C-3. Taken together, these observations suggest that the bulk of the spine fibers consists of an intimate composite of cellulose microfibrils embedded in an arabinan matrix.     

Salt tolerance of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica)

In view of the need to exploit saline water resources in agriculture in arid zones, we investigated the salt tolerance of Opuntia ficus-indica in plants growing in solution culture. Salt (NaCl) was added in concentrations ranging from 5 (control) to 200 mol m^-3. Cladode growth was sensitive to salinity, being 60% of the control at 50 mol m^-3 NaCl. The root-to-stem ratio decreased significantly only at 200 mol m^-3. Various other parameters were studied, such as water content, Na, K and Cl content, osmotic pressure, and CO₂ uptake. Of these parameters the decreases in cladode water content and CO₂ uptake were related to the decrease in cladode growth. Raised salinity increased cladode osmotic pressure, which was associated with tissue dehydration. We concluded that osmotic adjustment does not occur in prickly pear under salt stress.     

Glycosides from Pinus contorta needles

The β-d-glucopyranosides of zingerone, rheosmin acetoxydihydro-p-coumaryl alcohol, chavicol, benzoic acid and 2(or 4)-hydroxy-4(or 2)- methoxyprop-1-ene were isolated from the water soluble fraction of Pinus contorta needles, in addition to a dilignol-l-rhannopyranoside.     

Flavonoids of Abies amabilis needles

Seventeen flavonol glycosides were identified from needles of Abies amabilis and these were based on 6 aglycone types: syringetin, isorhamnetin, kaempferol, quercetin, laricytrin and myricetin. Glycosides were 3-O-rutinosides, 3-O-glucosides, 3-O-galactosides or 3-O-rhamnosides. Also identified as needle constituents were rhamnosylvitexin and dihydroquercetin.     

Multisensory integration in cortex: shedding light on prickly issues

Interactions between different sensory modalities can be observed in unimodal areas of the cortex, as revealed by recent neuroimaging studies. A new report by Macaluso and colleagues ( [this issue of Neuron]) shows that crossmodal effects of tactile stimulation in visual cortex critically depend on the spatial congruence of multisensory inputs. This work is discussed in relation to neural and computational models of multisensory integration.     

A new prickly dogfish,Oxynotus japonicus,from Japan

Oxynotus japonicus sp. nov. is described on the basis of a specimen collected by a bottom trawl at depths between 225 m and 270 m in Suruga Bay, Japan. It differs from other species of the genus in having the following combination of characters: spines of 1st and 2nd dorsal fins sloping slightly backward; length from tip of 1st dorsal spine to apex of 1st dorsal fin 2.6 times vertical height from tip of spine to fin base; length from tip of 2nd dorsal spine to apex of 2nd dorsal fin 1.9 times vertical height from tip of spine to fin base; and 2nd dorsal base 1.3 in interspace between 1st and 2nd dorsal fins.